just

I can reveal that Gullit4 paid Claude to it. Could have been worse. Originally he wanted Maka to shoot him.

Guess that's aimed at me then. I don't like Drogba's constant carping in the papers, but Jimmy wasn't exactly whiter than white on that front either. As for Drogba's diving around being far worse than Jimmy's, you have to be joking. Jimmy invented falling over. He regularly had games where you'd swear he was playing on roller skates! In fact, he produced one of the most blatant dives I ever seen to get Chris Kirkland sent off for Coventry. It was that bad the ref himself over-turned the decision after being asked to look at the video replay by Coventry! Now how often does that happen? http://www.cwn.org.uk/skyblues/2000/10/ ... d-free.htm

Well Mike O's £100 is safe, as it's still Jimmy No Medals. Where is the Gay Pirate when you want him? Good to see Jimbo's Bambi on ice impersonation hasn't changed. Anyone catch Lawrensen's early 2nd half comment? Must surely go down as one of the greatest football one liners of all-time. Scene: Ball is played into Jimmy near the edge of the Portsmouth area. Jimmy doesn't react quick enough. The ball is casually nicked away by a Pompey defender. Jimmy falls to the floor. Cue this.......... Motson: "Hasselbaink, we haven't seen much of him yet". Lawrensen: "probably because everytime he gets the ball he falls over"

Drogba wants to go, so he has to go. Simple as. No good keeping a player who doesn't want to be there. Can we replace him? No. We Can't. Certainly not with a "like for like" forward. He is unique. He is capable of winning the game on Wednesday night on his own. There is no other forward in the world who is that good. Our loss will be someone else's gain and he will be just as devatating playing for a top club in Serie A or La Liga. In fact, probably more so than in the EPL, because he will most likely be paired with another forward alongside him rather than the usual isolated, lone striker role he is shackled with now.

Nah, that was me. Having a bit fun with Ethical. I know any vote for Joe Cole makes his blood pressure go up and his hair fall out. Essien or Alex really.

I really want tickets but have no money. However, I can offer sexual favours or alternatively I could do your ironing and cook you a nice meal. If this of interest to you, please call me on 01245 101010 and let me have your address. Yours in anticipation Ivor Scam

Monaco. Chelsea substitution. Scott Parker.............. right back replaced by Robert Huth............... right back. I was at that game as well. JFH - right wing Baldy slap head guy (not fit and didn't want to play) put on the left side of midfield. Crespo - er??? No-one has ever worked that one out. From the Telegraph: "Unsettled by some bizarre second-half tinkering by Claudio Ranieri, which saw Hernan Crespo operating in right midfield, Chelsea lost their shape last night and allowed 10-man Monaco to seize the initiative at the halfway stage of this Champions League semi-final". In the post match words of JT.............. "what the f**k was that?" Jose's third season? The loss of our two first choice centre backs and our first choice keeper for prolonged periods? Don't get me wrong Heckel. I know Jose made mistakes. But I always felt he had a plan. A method. I never had that feeling with Ranieri. I believe the players felt the same.

OK. Our seasons over la, la, la, la. But where will we be a year from now? Come on don't be shy. Let your imagination run wild. Drogba and Frank have left the building and are starting every week for Inter Jose. Roman says Avram is getting the gig full-time. Maka in goal. Cech at centre-half. Messi, Huntelaar and Mrs Miggins from the pie shop all signed in the summer for squillions. Rijkaard as tea boy. Your predictions please.

why are you turning on joe for? he got the vote...get over it...yes his crossing was disappointing today, but he was one of the most likely to create anything today for long periods Brit.

Jose Mourinho did! With ease. He booted Jimmy out the door before he had even took his coat off. Off-loaded the baldy, flicky sh*te guy as quick as he could back to the land of Alice bands. Recognized the quality in Crespo and tried to get him to stay. And got Maka back to being the star he always was. And after that................ he won the league.

Yes, I was at Old Trafford and you are re-writing history there G4. Geremi was at right back. What was wrong with that? That was his best position IMO. Ferriera was in front of him. Wouldn't have been my choice because as I have said before Paulo has all the attacking flair of Phil Neville, but he is right sided and he had played there before. Here's what Jose said about it: "(On team selection) For me Ferreira was a midfielder when I met him at Porto, I made him into a right back but that was his first position and I play the same team that I have for the last three matches. In the game I watched Essien was not at the tip of a diamond formation. We didn't play a diamond. We used a 4-1-3-2 for the first half. We had Maka in front of the back four with Essien, Lamps and PF deployed across midfield, Crespo and Drogba up top. I grant you it didn't work and Jose got the tactics wrong for that first half as we had very little width, (he did change it second half with the introduction of Robben, Duff and Cole), but it's not exactly comparable with Huth at right back and Jimmy on the right wing is it?

Yeah but Maldini on the right wing?

Good post Heckel. I'll certainly keep an eye out if JM does take over at AC. Of course I'll be in Jose's corner, but there'll always be a soft spot in my heart for Ranners. How can you not a love a guy who finished a Champion's League semi-final away leg with three centre-halves and three centre forwards on the pitch and most of them playing out of position?

Ladies and gentlemen we present for your delictation, and at a hugely inflated price ....................... Mateja Kezman MK II.

Oh Sweet Jesus. It's not another Jimmy is it?

The Munich trip was superb. The sing-song inside that beer hall in the centre of town was something I'll never forget. A 20 minute version of the Bouncy with people up on chairs and tables. We were sitting near to a group of Bayern fans and they applauded us at the end of it. Said they'd never seen anything like it.

When we got near the town they closed off a slip road onto the motorway and held the coaches there while the Italian police boarded them with guns on display and everyone had to show their passport and match ticket. Then when we got to the ground the coaches pulled up right outside the turnstiles and once through the gate they were taking people's belts and boot laces off them. And it pissed down all night.

In terms of performances per games played, I'd say Alex has been our most consistent player by a country mile.

IMO, I don't there is anyone who has had a fantastic, stand out season. Joe has had a good year but not a great one. And I agree with Tim W, about Carvalho. Reading the majority of views on here it would lead you to believe he has a had stunningly brilliant season. He hasn't. From memory. Carling Cup final he was very poor. Villa he was truly woeful. Bad mistake against the mousers in the CC that Crouch should have buried, and of course the one against Man U. Like Joe, Ricky has had a good season but not a brilliant one. In fact, I didn't vote this year, for the simple reason there is no-one who has been consistent enough.

Also Vicenza away in '98. There wasn't a huge number who travelled for that one but we weren't exactly welcomed with open arms by the Italian police. Anyway, If I go to Moscow I don't want to be bused straight from the airport into some cruddy "fan's park". I want to do what I always do when I travel abroad. Have a look around the city. Try a few bars or a restaurant. Maybe chat to a few of the locals. Have a bit of a laugh and enjoy the experience of being somewhere new. In short, be free to do what I want to do. Moscow was always a sh*t choice for such a big game. But what else do you expect from UEFA?

To what? And why couldn't Drogba play in this new "style" ? He's the world's best centre-forward. I am certain he could perform briliantly in any formation or.................... "style"

A very real possiblity by the look of things. Already the official site is saying members with a paltry 32 loyalty points can buy tickets!!!!!! Maybe if the stadium is half empty it will make UEFA think. I am a member of the European away club, I buy tickets for every euro away game and I have got a ticket for the final. However, (and I can't believe I'm saying this for the Champion's League final), I may not go. I refuse to pay more than £400 all in for a day trip. I am gambling on travel costs falling over the next week or so, or on finding a much cheaper route via another country.

A Spanish journalist was interviewed on the radio this evening about this story. Apparently, according to him, there is some truth in it. However, he reckons the only way we could get Messi is by agreeing to pay his buy-out option. This money is paid to the league rather than the club. The league then re-imburse the club. We pay over and above the contractual buy-out fee, Barcelona are taken out of the equation. The buy-out fee is rumoured to be approximately £110 million sterling.

................ then hopefully we might stay up next season. While we're at it, if Lampard goes why don't we replace him with Robbie Savage or Danny Murphy?

No you're wrong there. I was posting the comments made the other day by Tony Gale, which I happen to agree with. Com'on be honest. He's hardly changed the team, the formation or the personnel one iota. He brought in one player in the January transfer window, not played him as a regular first choice starter, and when he has used him it's often been out of his natural position. Are you really prepared to let the guy lose with £100 million to spend on new players? In terms of results Grant has done well since he took over. No argument. But personally I've still witnessed too many little mistakes, (mistakes which are often repeated), for me to place my faith in him. Players regularly played out of position. Repeated confusion over substitutions. Lack of organization at set-pieces etc. A lot has been made of how well he did during the ACN tournament with players missing. But you have to admit the team did practically pick itself from what was left. IMO, his job became harder when everyone returned and he had to make choices and decisions, and in that time he has got it wrong as much as he has got it right. Again, I'm afraid it hardly inspires long-term confidence from me. Sorry.