Bad Luck?

[EskWeston 696]

The last 2 seasons we have almost been crippled (literally) by injuries. But not just injuries, injuries to our most key players, and not just injuries to our key players, but serious injuries to our key players.

With JT, Drogba, Carvalho, Ballack and even Malouda out at the moment with injury we are missing some of our biggest players. And it has been the same for this whole season and last season too.

We never seem to pick up the injuries to our fringe players, obviously that is mainly because they are not playing many games.

How many of the other big 4 teams cope without their key players? Well we saw how Arsenal coped recently without their players, and Man Utd at the start of the season struggled without theirs, and Liverpool are fooked without Torres and Gerrard.

Last season it was incredible how we managed to achieve what we did with such crippling injuries to key players compared to our rivals and at the moment we are managing to stay in touch with bad injuries again.

[Fulham Broadway 16,392]

True but it makes you wonder if there were a couple of more than we'd be out of it completely, what with the ACN.

Ferguson made a point a few years ago that one of his criteria for selection, is Premiership suitability. By that he meant 'brusiers' to a certain extent. Players like Tevez, Rooney etc ugly thickskinned fuckers. In hindsight Robben , for example, just couldn't cope with Premiership knocks.

Theres no doubt about the bad luck, but also how along with media bias, Chelsea players have been targeted. Terrys on Sunday was premeditated. A purchase or two in teh January window now seems imperative.

[EskWeston 696]

True but it makes you wonder if there were a couple of more than we'd be out of it completely, what with the ACN.

Ferguson made a point a few years ago that one of his criteria for selection, is Premiership suitability. By that he meant 'brusiers' to a certain extent. Players like Tevez, Rooney etc ugly thickskinned fuckers. In hindsight Robben , for example, just couldn't cope with Premiership knocks.

Theres no doubt about the bad luck, but also how along with media bias, Chelsea players have been targeted. Terrys on Sunday was premeditated. A purchase or two in teh January window now seems imperative.

Terry, Ballack, Drogba and Carvalho are not exactly softies though, their injuries have been pretty bad too.

Transfers in January are an absolute MUST and also players of the right quality because you do feel that we are lacking in quality somewhat on our backup players.

Every team goes through injuries of that there is no doubt, but it is the constant injuries to the key players that is f**king us up. Not once this season have been able to put out our first choice defence let alone anything near our first choice 11.

I think you are absolutely right FB and there is a case of us being targeted now, also we are seriously lacking in protection from refs and our players can get kicked all over the place without any punishment.

[joe_kura 0]

we are an easy target because we didn't have a strong personality to back us anymore. the officials seem to have a revenge towards us because what of jose had said to them or about them in public.

[Steve 10,227]

its really good to see the boys never giving up een in the hardest times you look at last season we did so well to finish second with majority of the year our key players out with serious injuries and look at this year its not different but we have fallen back lower then what i expected but we are still in it and there is still a long time before the season finishes

[EskWeston 696]

its really good to see the boys never giving up een in the hardest times you look at last season we did so well to finish second with majority of the year our key players out with serious injuries and look at this year its not different but we have fallen back lower then what i expected but we are still in it and there is still a long time before the season finishes

We are still well in with a shout of competing for the title this season, but if we can't get our key players back soon then it will be extremely hard for us. Carvalho and Ballack look like being back very very soon, but Terry and Drogba are going to be missing for a long time and add to that an absense from Kalou and Essien and it is not going to be easy.

[misschief 24]

There's a couple of key differences now imo. When we had a nightmare with injuries last season we had a manager who knew how to use the squad he'd got to provide the best possible cover and he knew how to give those uninjured players coming in, the belief that they could still do the job no matter what. When JT went off Sunday though, we never looked the same.........does Ben Haim ever look like a player with belief in himself? Did Lampard look like he was confident going forward once JT went off or did he start hanging back defensively? Im not saying they didnt work hard, but did they look like they had that same belief in themselves? Its not just about tactics, its about psychology, and psychologically we're just not the same team anymore.

[manpe 10,855]

And will not be under Grunt.

[Aesthetic Relic 301]

There's a couple of key differences now imo. When we had a nightmare with injuries last season we had a manager who knew how to use the squad he'd got to provide the best possible cover and he knew how to give those uninjured players coming in, the belief that they could still do the job no matter what. When JT went off Sunday though, we never looked the same.........does Ben Haim ever look like a player with belief in himself? Did Lampard look like he was confident going forward once JT went off or did he start hanging back defensively? Im not saying they didnt work hard, but did they look like they had that same belief in themselves? Its not just about tactics, its about psychology, and psychologically we're just not the same team anymore.

Top post

[Steve 10,227]

There's a couple of key differences now imo. When we had a nightmare with injuries last season we had a manager who knew how to use the squad he'd got to provide the best possible cover and he knew how to give those uninjured players coming in, the belief that they could still do the job no matter what. When JT went off Sunday though, we never looked the same.........does Ben Haim ever look like a player with belief in himself? Did Lampard look like he was confident going forward once JT went off or did he start hanging back defensively? Im not saying they didnt work hard, but did they look like they had that same belief in themselves? Its not just about tactics, its about psychology, and psychologically we're just not the same team anymore.

totally agree we seem to lose so much confidence when we lose a key player when JT went off on the weekend we just looked like we where jsut trying not to get another goal scored against us and when SWP missed that opertunity the team just looked shattered and you could jus ttell it wasnt our day

[changingman2000 35]

Fuck me, so many big words, misschief for Prime Minister And I naturally agree 100%

[joe_kura 0]

There's a couple of key differences now imo. When we had a nightmare with injuries last season we had a manager who knew how to use the squad he'd got to provide the best possible cover and he knew how to give those uninjured players coming in, the belief that they could still do the job no matter what. When JT went off Sunday though, we never looked the same.........does Ben Haim ever look like a player with belief in himself? Did Lampard look like he was confident going forward once JT went off or did he start hanging back defensively? Im not saying they didnt work hard, but did they look like they had that same belief in themselves? Its not just about tactics, its about psychology, and psychologically we're just not the same team anymore.

100% spot on!! misschief for our director of football post!!

[Fulham Broadway 16,392]

Succeeding in sport is just like succeeeding in anything else - so the same skills apply - setting goals, using visualisations and affirmations, having a positive attitude, getting into flow, synergy, using your strengths etc ..Mourinho possessed the acute spatial sense of a chess grandmaster, he could adapt formations, tactics as games progressed and opponents changed. -along with a unique ability to creat an incredible sense of self belief in the players.

This is the big oversight that Abramovich failed to recognise you cant get off the shelf from just appointing a fat bloke who ingratiates himself on the rich and powerful.

[bombayblue™ 55]

Succeeding in sport is just like succeeeding in anything else - so the same skills apply - setting goals, using visualisations and affirmations, having a positive attitude, getting into flow, synergy, using your strengths etc ..Mourinho possessed the acute spatial sense of a chess grandmaster, he could adapt formations, tactics as games progressed and opponents changed. -along with a unique ability to creat an incredible sense of self belief in the players.

This is the big oversight that Abramovich failed to recognise you cant get off the shelf from just appointing a fat bloke who ingratiates himself on the rich and powerful.

and the balls to say there are new rules in the prem, there is no penalty against man utd and no penalties for Chelsea

[misschief 24]

100% spot on!! misschief for our director of football post!!

Noooooooooooo, Im no good with cones.

Succeeding in sport is just like succeeeding in anything else - so the same skills apply - setting goals, using visualisations and affirmations, having a positive attitude, getting into flow, synergy, using your strengths etc ..Mourinho possessed the acute spatial sense of a chess grandmaster, he could adapt formations, tactics as games progressed and opponents changed. -along with a unique ability to creat an incredible sense of self belief in the players.

This is the big oversight that Abramovich failed to recognise you cant get off the shelf from just appointing a fat bloke who ingratiates himself on the rich and powerful.

You just had to go and use bigger words didnt you?

Sums it up perfectly. I remember Drogba talking about Mourinho and how he made the players feel, thats what really gave us the edge over opponents imo. They can throw as much money at it as they want, bring in who they like, but there'll still be a gaping hole there they cant fill. Roman's been a complete mug, started asking too many questions when he already had the answer as far as Im concerned.

[Fulham Broadway 16,392]

Noooooooooooo, Im no good with cones.

You just had to go and use bigger words didnt you?

Sums it up perfectly. I remember Drogba talking about Mourinho and how he made the players feel, thats what really gave us the edge over opponents imo. They can throw as much money at it as they want, bring in who they like, but there'll still be a gaping hole there they cant fill. Roman's been a complete mug, started asking too many questions when he already had the answer as far as Im concerned.

I cant spell though -3 'e's in succeeding ?

I think you're right there, Abramovich thought , 'right, everythings in place, I can tell the egotistical Mourinho to piss off', and everything will continue. Just because Abramovich positioned himself round Yeltsin for the 'Everything Must Go' Sale, to make billions -doesn't make him intelligent.

The string of bad injuries won't be remedied as easy with cuntchops in charge, and even though we've Clarke and Ten cates, they're hardly talismanic. (hows that for a made up word).

[misschief 24]

The string of bad injuries won't be remedied as easy with cuntchops in charge, and even though we've Clarke and Ten cates, they're hardly talismanic. (hows that for a made up word).

Now you're just showing off.

Grant (even with Ten Cate and Clarke it would seem) lacks all the things you mentioned when it comes to facing the sort of situation Jose seemed to cope with constantly but for me the most important thing he lacks (apart from a personality) will be his players trust. Watching them in some games its all too apparent - how many games did we see them never know when they were beat and eventually get a result just because Jose told them they were better than the opposition? Or because he had them in at half time and reminded them how 'great', 'special', etc they were? Whatever Grant says to them at half time these days clearly doesnt have the same impact. Yes they go back out and play, but is it with the same belief? the same determination to please their manager? Put it this way, Jose could've been out of a job sooner if it hadnt been for the players not leaving that option open to Roman. Would they do the same for Grant?

[Fulham Broadway 16,392]

Agreed. The psychological motivation was always there at half time, -as you say, it was apparent in the players attitude. Lacking against the Arse last Sunday by the looks.