Chelsea Lad

I'm hopefully going to uni next year to study Sport Journalism - I won't write a damn bad thing about this club.

What a mug, are you completely insane? Ivanovic and Alex have hardly been convincing. JT has been better than both of them this season, ok so he hasn't been himself for the last few games but he hasn't been SINGLE HANDLY responsibe for the goals conceded as you are led to believe. Wait til JT gets the reasurance of Riccy next to him and he'll be back to the best defender around. Or, do what you believe is best for the team and drop our 6 year captain and: 1) Lose leadership on the pitch which is needed at the moment, JT is the best captain in the world. Lampard is not a good captain. 2) Lose the JT/Cole/Cech and Riccy (when he comes back) contingent that has been solid for years. 3) The rest of the camp will not be happy and morale will drop even lower. 4) Press will get on Scolari's back even more. 5) Top players will be rumoured to be on the move. 6) That audacious £60m rumour of a bid from City in January might not be so audacious after all.

Diarra's almost signed for Real Madrid. Jose's biggest mistakes was selling him and Eidur.

Of course, but after all the pain we've been through in the CL and espicially our current crop of players it feels like we need to win the CL to just take the pressure off.

So in this prestigious era of ours we have won everything except the Champions League. Does anyone else feel that maybe the seasons we have left battling for all four trophies are perhaps numbered? I'm not saying this because of our recent blip in form, but because, seemingly, with the credit crunch and other factors RA has kinda lost interest in us? I just think that in 10 years time we will be back to the Chelsea of 10 years ago, battling for Europe or trying to earn a respectable top 10 position - with winning the CL well out of sight. This era of Chelsea players NEED to win the CL before they are sold or retired - this era, as in the likes of JT, Lamps, Joe Cole, Cech, Carlo, Carvalho, Drogba, Essien, Bridge etc etc, the ones who have been with us through our recent CL journeys. So with time disappearing fast, we need to win the CL either this season or next and perhaps we could get away with winning it the year after - but by then alot of the players above will have gone and this 'Jose team' will have disappeared bar a few exceptions. I will die a happy man if we win the CL this season or next, we need to make the most of the opportunity we have to win the trophy because as each year passes we are losing a year of this era and possibly losing another year of RA's limited investment. Thoughts?

Carlton Cole

I say a narrow 4-4-2 with Joey Cole at the tip of the diamond and drop Deco. Cole has the ability to roam around the top two forwards so can help out on the wings too, if Bosingwa and Cole need it (mind, we haven't seen much of that sort of play on the wings, we have been narrow most of the season with the width SOLELY coming from the fullbacks). Since Joe's injuries he hasn't been able to sustain a full 90 mins so Deco will still get his opportunities.

...and still always injured Glen Johnson and Diarra have the potential to be class internationals so I guess in terms of potential they should be mentioned. Panucci Sutton Melchiot - kinda doing well at Wigan now, isn't he their captain?

Robert Huth Mario Melchiot Tore Andre Flo

Summer of 1999, Dennis Wise testimonial vs Bologna - I was 7 and went with my mum, grandad and dad. I remember them telling me about Franco Zola as I walked down Fulham Road for the first time. ;)

Anyone remember that game at Stamford Bridge vs West Ham in the Jose era. I think we were 1 down and with 10 men in under 10 mins? If memory serves me correct we went on to win 4-1 and was one of our greatest games leading up to our second PL title in as many years. Kinda expected the same to happen yesterday when we drew level... Thing is with Scolari he's not been good with the media. Whether this is because he struggles with the language or because he's trying to remove the fiesty reputation he has...I dunno...but he needs to start playing the ol' mind games and start showing more passion and hunger. Like others have said, a formation tweak and a pacey winger is desperatly needed.

Our support yesterday was good, best I've heard it at Stamford Bridge since the CL semi against Liverpool last year - but, yeah, it was still poor in comparison. Tuesday night was embarassing, like you say the scarve waving is a Celtic and Liverpool thing - it's bad enough they give us the cheap, tacky and plastic flags as a way of patronising our support but at least flag waving is actually a tradition at Chelsea. It seems to me that a general pattern is settling in home game after home game. First 10 mins = wonderful atmo, MH and Shed singing and standing and showing how good our support can be, 10 + mins Chelsea haven't scored and stewards are telling us to sit down = sit down shut up, let the away fans do the job (I believe I heard a chorus of boos at yesterday's match, whoever boos your own team should be shot). There is no doubt that the position of the away fans effect our atmosphere, they need to be stuck up in one of the west or east stands - like St James's Park do. But this is still no reason for us to stand up and sing up. A decrease in ticket prices to bring back the working class would be a nice addition. If Kenyon moved the away fans and reduced ticket prices I would be prepared to kiss that shiney head of his.

So you wont get along with .... Zola Gullit Vialli Roman Bruce Buck Raquel Welch Renee Zellwegger Bryan Adams Busta Rhymes Shane Warne Bill Clinton Like they're gonna be sitting amongst all the general public taking pictures of the match and not singing!

When do do take your GCSE in generalisations - I reckon you could be up for an A+ Lol, im on AS levels. So you guys don't get pissed about foreign fans coming to the Bridge on matchdays and just taking pictures/videos and not actually cheering the side on?

Oh yeah sure there will be plastic local fans, but that is much more unlikely than foreign plastic supporters.

I just have a thing against the plastic overseas fans, like I have said if they have been a fan a long time then great, but if not I will not get along with them. I maybe only 16 but I know a hell of a lot about the club and what it means. I bet a whole lot of plastic foreigners know about the likes of Zola and Wisey, but I bet they have never even heard of George Hilsdon or the Mears brothers or maybe even 'Little Willy' lol.

lol, that's just hilarious

Haha, loving some of these stories. Bluenut - I remember when I was younger and we played Barca in the CL in about '99 or something and my parents were watching the TV downstairs and I had to go to bed. I remember listening out to see if I could work out if someone had scored by the TV noise and what my parents were saying. lol

That's no way to start life on a new forum - pissing off some of the regular posters. We have members from all around the world. Some of them have been supporting the club since long before you were born and are just as passionate and knowledgeable about the club as those who are UK based. Well I suppose 'some' is better than none.

Maybe the club might do something? Like a book of condolence people could go and sign. They have done on their site, like they did with Osgood.

Leading with their elbows? f**k off, to jump you have to lift your arms. f**king bindipper.

Yep, I 100% agree. There was that incident with Gerrard on the first day of last season where he stayed on his feet but didn't get the pen even though he didn't score (against Sheffield Utd.) Both refs were really poor in the CL semi's. The United ref was from Switzerland, it makes uou wonder what standard of football he refs week in and week out. did anyone see malouda go down at anfield in the league talk about a dive finnan was no way near him,so before you start slating gerrard check your own players out first Did I say Gerrard dived on that occasion? f**king scouser, give back the computer you stole to go in this forum.

Ah no, this is a shame. RIP I think we need to get behind Frank, whether or not he plays on Saturday or Wednesday surely the whole stadium needs to be chanting his name, let's show him how much we love him for what he has given to this club at this difficult time. Super, super Frank Super, super Frank Super, super Frank Super Franky Lampard...

Yep, I 100% agree. There was that incident with Gerrard on the first day of last season where he stayed on his feet but didn't get the pen even though he didn't score (against Sheffield Utd.) Both refs were really poor in the CL semi's. The United ref was from Switzerland, it makes uou wonder what standard of football he refs week in and week out.

I'm confused, are you a United fan?