barak81

Essien I agree, Drogba I don't. His first touch was awful, his finishing was decidedly average and he didn't run with intelligence, he just bull dozed and if it didn't work out for him he fell over and cried foul. It took him till about Christmas in his second season to actually look anything like a top quality striker. Maybe so but he was still having games where you thought to your self if he could just knock that kind of performance out week in week out we have a top man there. Bayarn home and away, scousers at anfield (befor x-mass in his second season) newcastle of the bench in the first season and while i agree he was equaly fustrating as he was brilliant most of the time, he did hit 16 goals in his first season and on top of that worked his nuts of for the team, frank deffinatly bennifited as a result of having drogba infrount of him and deffensivly there is no argument that he made a massive difference at set pieces. Point being you could see the plus points in a chelsea shirt. As i said there were games where he looked the real deal and there where many he didnt. Sheva hasnt at all really. I personly havent abandond the idea of it all of a sudden happenging for sheva, im still holding a faint glimer of hope but it has to be this season

That wasn't the case after Drogba's first 12- 18 months though when we heard people saying he needed time to settle in. In fact we still see people saying he was actually very good in his first season and that the criticism of him that season was not fair. I don't buy that at all. IN his first season and a half he was a long long way from being a quality player and I worry that (as I infer above) we may see a return to that Drogba if we don't partner him with Shevchenko or we ask him to play as a lone striker again. There were a number who doubted Essien was going to be the player he has turned out to be in his first season yet people said he should be given time. Kalou and Mikel both flattered to deceive at first (however being very young there is always a little more leeway given) So the likes of Drogba and Essien especially are now allowed top have some poor/average form because they have shown good form AFTER having a less than impressive first season (personally I would say Essien was a lot less 'guilty' of this than Drogba) however it would appear Sheva is not to be allowed that grace period. Loz, both drogba and essien showed enough in there first season to sugest that with consistency they could become a real force in the prem. Thus why despite a lot of bashing on here (more in the case of drogba) they still had there hardned supporters who were confident that they would step up and deliver the goods. The same cant be said for sheva, the only defence he used to be the best striker in the world. in a different league in a different team in his 20s. He has not IMO showen enough to suggest he will ever be a devastating attacking force in the prem. You mention crespo as a supporting point but i happen to think that crespo was superb when he was here. often in the right place at the right time and nere perfect technique. I also think most fans on here would have crespo back in a hear beat given the option (all things being fine with his family life) This does go some way to negating the tacticle hindernce, although ill grant you it will always be a little bit of a shock chaning teams and styles of play. The thing is when you used to wach sheva play back in the day it didnt matter what kind of ball he had in to him, over the top he would be away from the deffenders in an instant in to him he could turn away and leave them in his dust, more often than not you would see him pick the ball up wide cut in and lash a shot home. He doesnt seem to be able to replicate that at the moment.

If i had to choose a winger to beat people and put the ball in to the box with the added advantage of not a bad set piece i would have richardson in, if i had to pick out of the two to play in central midfiled then it would be bary..

not that i want to be dragged in to this is owen great or not debate in any way but didnt pauletta recently become portugals highest ever goal scorer surpasing eusabio? You cant tell me pauline is a top class striker we you can but you would be lieing.. Just pointing out that goals dont always tell the story, once again. PS to say it again, this is nothing to do with owen, wheather i rate him or not the english striking options are so poor he has to play

I do believe that a decent manager could make them work, if not in a 4-4-2 then cirtainly in a 4-3-3 with hargreaves or some one covering so they dont have to keep looking behind them

I came in, in the poterfield era so he actually means quite a lot to me in terms of chelsea. RIP

Come on, he could have cited the same about robo, that really would have seen him in the nutt house. He's trying to give his keeper confidence by comparing him to the best, its quite common and nothing wrong with it to be honest

I have a headache that i think may have somthing to do with smart price vodka. I will respond when i feel better. lord international week is boring!!!

Clearly not true though: We do the following better than Americans Humour Bangers and Mash Binge drinking Maintain a reasonable ratio of churches to population Brewing beer Whisky Welfare State Yorskhire Pudding Marmite Getting on with Canada Managing elections (well we are marginally better, although we are still worse than most of the Western World...apart from the italians) Having our language bar stewardised (there is a a 'u' in colour and there is nothing French about what my chippy serves up! We get on with all countries better, even France. Won wars after being involved from start to finish, no late glory hunters here. /offense Just to go back to sport for a moment.. cricket And as will be prooven tommorow (i hope or ill die of shame) rugby

To be fair your point is valid but only because your more generouse towards him than g4 All that aside has any one else noticed that malouda doesnt actually give us the width we where looing for? he seemes to like to come in every bit as much as cole

Just remind us, how did the youth manegiral career go again??

Mine is the same as loz's, but would still play paulo, think that is are best 11 players in there best positions,

As i said its all about oppinions.. I know for a fact there are some on here (not me) that would not class desailly as even a chelsea legend let alone a prem legend, they have there reasons and i see there point of view.. are you going to tell them there wrong... Again by the way its not me That is your oppinion and ur entitled to it. others may differ, mine cirtainly does Absaloutly not G4, quite the opposite, i think you like to see 11 players that stand in one place and like to take a few years on the ball while they consider there best options while also wandering if there hair and posture are just right Never said he's the new gazza, IMO he's the first Joe cole, now its clear i rate him higher than you do but you rate totti a lot higher than i do for example, all about oppinions. What i will say is he is the only ENGLISH player since gazza that can beat players with out having to relly purly on pace aka lennon and swp wich can be a weekness because its hit and miss, cole can go past players with out having to knock the ball 5 or 6 yards out of his way. He's the only english player since gazza that can make somthing out of nothing, see united goal for obviuse example. This is somthing the england team have lacked for years, no one to go forwards and draw players in and why we have had to watch so much side ways football folowed by the hollywood ball from becks and gerrard. But as for being the next gazza, naa they have there own styles.

It all deppends on your perception of legends and what football is about to you For me im sure frank will be a legend to the club same way i see wise as a legend, but not in the same way i see zola as one of the true great players to grace the prem, something I personly believe cole can achieve given the chance.

never leave me nibs, you save me having to try and figure out how to put this stuff accross.. Just one thing, can we add bergcamp and gullit to that list?

Really do you think?? I think the only reason you havent seen the effect with defenders and midfielders yet is because predomantly you get 4 of each at least starting in every team. It stands to reason that the first place you would see this effect would be keepers as only one starts and strikers where its normaly one or two. I think we will see it spread to the other postitions in the next 5 years or so if the systme doesnt change

when i went to uni in the first year we decided on the potential name suffering monkeys. then the artics came out and ruined that for us

Andy i have to say i agree with brooking, i understand why you say that the forighn players have improoved things but thats only at the highest level. IMO there are to many average forign players in the league becaues english players are so expensive that managers preffer to buy a cheap player from abroad to do a job that they could trust an avergae englishmen to do if they didnt cost 3 million more. The thing is there is a clear knock on effect. Look at are keeper situation. We have never had a problem producing decent keepers but look at how many english keepers there are in the leauge. Robinson James Kirckland Green Carson Bywater - does he even count. Thats 6 started out of 20 and one of them came up last season!! one has only just started getting regular football and the other has soft bones. Most prem teams have keepers from all over the gloab and this results in england having to make do with robinson or james. Same could be said with strikers. Lets look back at the options england has had in the past Liniker Beardsly Ian Wright Shearer Sheringham Feirdinand Fowler Andy cole, if you scraping the barrel Look at in now, take owen and roony out of the mix and what have we got Defoe Bent Crouch Hesky Ashton Smith I think if you compare the two lists i would take cole who i consider to be the worst on the first list ahead of any of the options on the second list. When only 70 odd players that start every week in the prem are english out of 220 it is going to effect the national team

Given the debates in the Jose sacked thread and the thread and the oh get a grip thread i fealt it was time ask the question, hell we asked it a million times over when cr was in charge. This is about wether you think roman is about to do it? Its if you were running the club would you get rid? wether it be for the fact you dont like our playing style or if you just dont think Jose's all he's cracked up to be. Also who would you replace him with because for example if your thinking cappelo's availible his brand of football is almost a carbon copy of Jose's. Its all very easy to say we need a new man but is there actually any one out there that can do a better job? Me, Im voting no because i truly believe that Jose is still the best man for the job and the good football will come. But it wont always be the beatifull game. Some times you have to win ugly and in modern football where the relagation has become a finacial rock football has become more about not loosing than winning thus why teams make it hard by trying to stop us playing rather than focusing on playing football them selves. I dont think there is another manager alive that could have achieved what jose did last season. I have also watched united's games this season and they are supposed to be the great entertainers but i never have and nor do i now buy in to that myth. They have struggled for ideas with out ronnaldo and even with him at reading. Grass is always greener on the other side but most of the time its just the way the sun shineing on it.

I have to say i think are squad is pretty strong but what we are missing is the creativity we had in are first two seasons under Jose. And i mean creative flair although its a word thats starting to get to me a bit on here now. The main thing as i see it is we used to have robben and duff on the wings who would absaloutly terrorise deffences, could come inside or go out side and just twist deffenders in circles all day long. We looked good, it was effective and there was a lot of room for the likes of lamps to opperate. Then moving in the second season duff lost form and robben was injured a lot but cole turned up the heat and provided the creatvie flair influnce and speed to our game if you like. Now like it or not SWP is not now or ever will be as good a footballer as those 3 were/are (because some one has stolen the real damien duff) Malouda is a different type of player all together so i dont want to put him in there with them. but as good as SWP is doing and it is exceptional! for my money he still makes the wrong call to offten. Ok its the call that i would disagree with so it comes down to oppinion. Basicaly the first two have moved on and the other isnt starting. I really hope scot sinclare becomes the player we all hope him to be because IMO right now on the wings we'r not what we were Every where else we are fine and dandy IMO

Here's the reacation i gave another villa fan. Enjoy your 3 points, we'll see whos sitting higher at the end of the season. Wich is all that counts at the end of the day Remind me again what was the last trophy you won? Yes i have got the mental age of a 12 year old when it comes to football but thats what its all about

Like others i came on here to have a moan about the result today but everything i fealt about that had completly dispaeard and been over shadowed. As has been said it is strange to know some one through words and debate alone and then for tragic reasons have them not there. Well as i believe you will be on the internet in heaven as we speak nick reading the posts and wanting to add your witty comments about todays results i will say this. Your posts where always a pleasure to read. If i saw you had posted in a thread i would make sure i took the time to read through it. we will miss your contribution and your humor on this forum for ever more and hope that where ever you are your happy and take the time to look down us every now and again and smile upon us. Your loss to us is tragic but your new adventures will be fantastic and i wish you all the best for them

Liverpool are better this season, that much is pretty obviuse... However for all there 6 goals its still only 3 points at home that every man and his dog expected them to get. Any one remmeber turning united over 5-0!! Much more intersting is united only scraped past sunderland today... look very blunt with out rooney and ronaldo

Lay off the booze man. read the next line mr sun reporter man

Lampard has been the pivotal player for us for the last 3 years. Joe had a good season in 05/06 but putting him on a par with Frank is fantasy in my view. Even if you just take 05/06 as a comparison - Joe's best season - he scored 8 goals to Frank's 16 and had 5 assists to Frank's 8 just in the PL. And Frank does it week in week out, year in year out. Frank has had a lot more faith showen in him so has been able to make that delivery, when cole has been called uppon he has very rarly failed to deliver but unlike the untouchables it takes a lot less to drop him. Not all about statistics ethical, but lets not go back there The bottom line of it is and my last work really is that in my very humble but correct oppinion joe has showen enough to be thrown in with the untouchables. However Jose does not agree but not only that i feel he kind of goes extream in the opposite direction. Any way where is rizza when ya need her, inface where is rizza full stop?