Butch

It's not so much the lack of goals, although that sometimes does worry you; it is the attitude that goes with it - never his strong point, mind you, but his rolling about like a pansy against Everton while the rest of his mates were toiling for the equalizer was just irresponsible. A focused Didier Drogba is a world beater. Otherwise, he simply doesn't pull his weight out there on the pitch. I was actually surprised Carlo brought FloMo off and left Didier on against Everton, although they were both poor. I really, really hope the arrival of Torres, with all the uncertainties associated with it, will at least give Didier and Nic the kick up the backside they sometimes look like they require. Make no mistake, if we are to win anything this season, Didier needs to step up. He is crucial to the way we play. I am guessing Torres is going to require a little time to settle in. At the very least, the buzz associated with yesterday's acquisitions should provide somewhat of a lift against Sunderland, even if neither of them will feature. Can't wait. Cheers, Butch

I don't know how we expect to wrap up such a big deal on the last day of the window like this. Seeing as to how Liverpool don't want to let him go, they could very easily just delay proceedings, particularly if Chelsea is also intent not to be taken to the cleaners. I mean, 50 million is already one heck of a ridiculous price, but it seems to me this has been plucked out of thin air. I haven't seen anything concrete about (a) Liverpool being OK with the idea of him leaving, and (B) an acceptable price. If we really had this much money to spend, I think the Luiz deal would be done and dusted by now. Color me pessimistic but I don't see it happening. Cheers, Butch

Liverpool target? I guess that's why we bid for Torres...to keep Liverpool occupied, LOL. Cheers, Butch

Dear friends, Here are the latest BPL standings after the confidence-boosting win over Bolton. CONGRATS this time go to Crystalballs; well done, mate! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Butch’s Prediction League Regular Season Standings 2010-2011 The Shedend Forums --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name Gp St Sb FS Pe Sc TG Pr Bo To Cu Av Rt Ch --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 01 Ossie13 29 11 6 15 4 10 0 10 45 246 6238 215 244 +2 02 TT 31 10 6 15 6 5 0 5 0 179 6356 205 236 +0 03 Footballoholic 15 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3180 212 227 na 04 Butch 31 10 5 0 6 5 0 5 0 154 5920 191 222 +0 05 Loz 28 10 6 15 4 5 0 5 0 181 5246 187 215 +0 06 Chippy 28 10 6 15 2 10 0 10 15 208 4941 176 204 +2 07 Crystalballs 30 10 6 15 2 10 20 15 50 268 5154 172 202 +5 08 Scooby Blue 20 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3649 182 202 na 09 TeaBarBoy 27 9 6 15 4 10 0 10 0 181 4640 172 199 +1 10 Durty Hurty 03 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 579 193 196 na 11 Coombsie 17 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2794 164 181 na 12 Aribo A John 06 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1035 173 179 na 13 Usif 01 10 5 15 4 5 0 10 0 176 176 176 177 na 14 Derek Dove 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1801 150 162 na 15 Waldron 08 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1228 154 162 na 16 ChelseaBootBoy 04 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 631 158 162 na 17 A. Adebayo 01 9 4 15 2 10 0 0 0 153 153 153 154 na --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ BPL Winners’ Circle 2010-11 ------------------------------ 01 Ossie13 9 02 TT 7 03 Butch 4 Loz 4 04 Footballoholic 3 05 Scooby Blue 2 06 Chippy 1 Coombsie 1 Crystalballs 1 ------------------------------ Record = TT (19) – 2008/9 -------------------------------------------------------------- BPL Top-10 Scores 2010-2011 -------------------------------------------------------------- 01 330* Ossie13 – Wolves (h, epl) 02 320 Footballoholic – Arsenal (h, epl) 03 300 Ossie13 – Blackburn (h, epl) 04 295 TT – Arsenal (h, epl) 05 293 Footballoholic – Fulham (h, epl) 06 285 Ossie13 – Blackburn (a, epl) 07 283 Loz – Newcastle (a, epl) 08 278 Ossie13 – Stoke (h, epl) 09 276 Footballoholic – Wolves (h, epl) 10 275 Loz – Arsenal (h, epl) Ossie13 – Arsenal (h, epl) -------------------------------------------------------------- *New Record (previous record = 320 by Footballoholic) Cheers, Butch

Dear Friends, Here are the latest BPL standings after the home win over Blackburn. CONGRATS this time go to Ossie13; well done, mate! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Butch’s Prediction League Regular Season Standings 2010-2011 The Shedend Forums --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name Gp St Sb FS Pe Sc TG Pr Bo To Cu Av Rt Ch --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 01 Ossie13 28 11 7 30 0 0 0 10 80 300 5992 214 242 +4 02 TT 30 10 5 30 0 0 0 10 0 190 6177 206 236 +1 03 Footballoholic 15 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3180 212 227 na 04 Butch 30 10 5 15 2 0 0 5 0 168 5766 192 222 +0 05 Loz 27 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5065 188 215 na 06 Chippy 27 11 6 15 2 5 0 10 45 243 4733 175 202 +3 07 Scooby Blue 20 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3649 182 202 na 08 TeaBarBoy 26 11 6 15 2 0 0 10 30 223 4459 172 198 +4 09 Crystalballs 29 10 2 15 0 0 0 10 0 145 4886 168 197 +0 10 Durty Hurty 03 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 579 193 196 na 11 Coombsie 17 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2794 164 181 na 12 Aribo A John 06 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1035 173 179 na 13 Derek Dove 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1801 150 162 na 14 Waldron 08 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1228 154 162 na 15 ChelseaBootBoy 04 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 631 158 162 na --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ BPL Winners’ Circle 2010-11 ------------------------------ 01 Ossie13 9 02 TT 7 03 Butch 4 Loz 4 04 Footballoholic 3 05 Scooby Blue 2 06 Chippy 1 Coombsie 1 ------------------------------ Record = TT (19) – 2008/9 -------------------------------------------------------------- BPL Top-10 Scores 2010-2011 -------------------------------------------------------------- 01 330* Ossie13 – Wolves (h, epl) 02 320 Footballoholic – Arsenal (h, epl) 03 300 Ossie13 – Blackburn (h, epl) 04 295 TT – Arsenal (h, epl) 05 293 Footballoholic – Fulham (h, epl) 06 285 Ossie13 – Blackburn (a, epl) 07 283 Loz – Newcastle (a, epl) 08 278 Ossie13 – Stoke (h, epl) 09 276 Footballoholic – Wolves (h, epl) 10 275 Loz – Arsenal (h, epl) Ossie13 – Arsenal (h, epl) -------------------------------------------------------------- *New Record (previous record = 320 by Footballoholic) Cheers, Butch

I think we have to buy someone with the potential to be in the starting-11. Whether or not he comes right in depends on a lot of squad dynamics, but I think in a squad like ours where we have established big timers, a player has to be well-respected to get in that easily. First order of business for me is we need to "stop the rot", and by this I mean we need to tighten the defense. For me, this means a new CB. I don't mean that Terry and Ivanovic are playing badly, but I think the dynamics in our back four is wrong. A quality CB would give Carlo the option of partnering him with Terry and moving Ivan to RB. I think this will be very, very important because it will allow 3 good defenders in our back four. Ash is an attacking outlet, more than an out-and-out defender. At his peak, he defends reasonably well, but at the moment our team defensive play is loose, and neither of our full backs are getting back into position to defend the crosses, which we are struggling with. If we do nothing else this transfer period, this will at least help us steady the ship. Then, when Alex gets back to full fitness, our new CB can fight it out with him as to who starts. If Roman is feeling a little generous, I think we need another attacker, but definitely not a striker. I believe we need a creative player, someone who can play wide on the wing as well, in the Anelka/Kalou role basically. I would then have Drogba and Anelka competing for the striking position. No, they are not the same type of player, but they have both led the line well in their own ways. Also, more than most, these two need a kick up the backside, and the very real prospect of a place on the bench should do that. The attacking player, ideally, should have pace, crossing ability, as well as the ability to run at defenders and take them on. For me, this is all we would need in this transfer window. We can think about long-term replacements for Didier and Frank in the summer. Cheers, Butch

Barge pole. Wouldn't touch him with one. Cheers, Butch

Found the following map on the Wired news site. Thought it was interesting so I thought I'd share for some discussion. Cheers, Butch

Dear Friends, Here are the latest BPL standings after the 7-0 home win over Ipswich in the FA Cup. CONGRATS this time go to Loz; well done, mate! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Butch’s Prediction League Regular Season Standings 2010-2011 The Shedend Forums --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name Gp St Sb FS Pe Sc TG Pr Bo To Cu Av Rt Ch --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 01 Ossie13 27 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5692 211 238 na 02 TT 29 8 3 15 10 5 0 10 0 130 5987 206 235 -2 03 Footballoholic 15 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3180 212 227 na 04 Butch 29 9 3 15 8 10 10 15 15 177 5598 193 222 +0 05 Loz 27 10 4 15 10 10 0 10 50 215 5065 188 215 +2 06 Scooby Blue 20 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3649 182 202 na 07 Chippy 26 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4490 173 199 na 08 Crystalballs 28 6 1 15 10 10 0 10 0 95 4741 169 197 -2 09 Durty Hurty 03 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 579 193 196 na 10 TeaBarBoy 25 8 4 15 6 15 0 20 30 194 4236 169 194 +2 11 Coombsie 17 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2794 164 181 na 12 Aribo A John 06 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1035 173 179 na 13 Derek Dove 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1801 150 162 na 14 Waldron 08 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1228 154 162 na 15 ChelseaBootBoy 04 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 631 158 162 na 16 BlueSkies 01 8 3 15 10 5 0 0 0 120 120 120 121 na --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ BPL Winners’ Circle 2010-11 ------------------------------ 01 Ossie13 8 02 TT 7 03 Butch 4 Loz 4 04 Footballoholic 3 05 Scooby Blue 2 06 Chippy 1 Coombsie 1 ------------------------------ Record = TT (19) – 2008/9 -------------------------------------------------------------- BPL Top-10 Scores 2010-2011 -------------------------------------------------------------- 01 330* Ossie13 – Wolves (h, epl) 02 320 Footballoholic – Arsenal (h, epl) 03 295 TT – Arsenal (h, epl) 04 293 Footballoholic – Fulham (h, epl) 05 285 Ossie13 – Blackburn (a, epl) 06 283 Loz – Newcastle (a, epl) 07 278 Ossie13 – Stoke (h, epl) 08 276 Footballoholic – Wolves (h, epl) 09 275 Loz – Arsenal (h, epl) Ossie13 – Arsenal (h, epl) 10 274 Coombsie – Wigan (a, epl) -------------------------------------------------------------- *New Record (previous record = 320 by Footballoholic) Cheers, Butch

My comments about rather putting the kids in was slightly tongue-in-cheek, but also needs to be taken in the context of the fact I'd rather this than sign the likes of Ben Haim, etc... I don't believe the likes of Josh, Gael and Jeffrey are ready to step up, and I haven't seen enough to be convinced they will eventually make the grade at some point in the future (not saying they won't either). But, again, in a squad like ours, and with the expectations of the club and fans, mediocre players offer little, if anything. I'm not even convinced a Gary Cahill is going to make a significant impact, although I give him a fighting chance. Anything below this level is not worth it. You'll notice I almost entirely left Kalou out of my comments. I have to tell you that I've lost interest. I don't think he will ever be good enough as a starter for us. Even as a sub, though he's been mentioned as one of Chelsea's highest scoring subs ever, he is hit and miss. I believe he gets game time exactly because he runs at defenses. It is a bit of a frustrating exercise though. He runs at defenses, loses the ball an awful lot, seldom gets on the end of passes and crosses, and when he does, he more often than not fluffs his chance. So, considering our limited squad, he has his uses, but is still a very frustrating player to watch. Malouda is much better, in terms of end product, i.e. possession, goals, crosses, etc... But of course, as I acknowledged, he is also off form. But back to Kalou, he only gets to play because we don't have anyone else, outside of these two, who can really run at defenses, and we need that in the team. Otherwise, we only resort to bombing the ball forward to Drogba, and while we do that anyway, we need a plan B to take attention off Didier. This is why I believe we need another creative forward/winger type (not Benayoun). When the Drogba-Anelka-Malouda tandem works, fine. But when it doesn't and we need some changes, then we have to look to Kalou (Studge played wide is a waste, but Carlo doesn't have anyone else to call on, except Kakuta who hasn't shown ANY end product). IF we had someone else who was at least effective, I'd put my money on that player starting every game in the place of Anelka/Kalou. I'm just frustrated and exasperated watching us continue to shoot ourselves in the foot and bang our heads on the wall. I'm also frustrated because I know the January transfer window is not one where clubs can traditionally sign the players they really want. There is a hesitancy to sell your best players in the summer anyway; this is going to be even worse mid-season. As such, we either will have to fork out a huge amount of money, or settle on secondary or tertiary targets (which brings me back to the point about "mediocre" players). Cheers, Butch

Yes, the manager and players have to shoulder the blame in equal measure. For Carlo, he doesn't seem to be able to change a game. There have been many where we have gone in down at the break and the team have come out in the second half with a little more urgency but basically just more of the same thing. I haven't seen any drastically changed ideas or tactics. You may argue he doesn't have the playing staff for that, i.e. no "game changers" on the bench that he can bring on. I won't argue with that point as I said from the beginning of the season, our lack of depth may come back to bite us. However, the tactics side is a bit of a disappointment. As for the players, you can blame just so much on injuries/illness/fitness. For a while, yes, Drogba was "down with Malaria". However, I do expect him to be "match fit" about now, with all these games under his belt. I feel he has been the let down of our season so far. And he is such a pivotal part of our team, especially our attacks, that when he's off form, we go off the boil. Lampard, on the other hand, is going to require more games to regain full fitness (he's only been back for 3 games). Even so, I've already seen more from him than from many others in the team. Anelka is another whose form is simply shocking. I don't know what has happened to him but he currently is not doing anything for us on the pitch. Between he and Drogs, I don't think we can "carry" them both. One definitely needs to sit on the bench. Malouda is another who has gone off the boil in a big way. He is still crucial to us though, as we don't currently have many players who can run at defenses. In very general terms, our movement up front is quite awful. First, there is little of it, and second, we don't seem to be able to pick each other out with our passes. The defensive part of our problems is a bit of a mystery. I think it comes down to concentration more than anything else. For the most part, they do all right, but at crucial moments we concede silly goals. The two consistent things are we defend set pieces very awfully, and our two full backs are useless at cutting out crosses. These are things I hope Carlo works on with his squad in training. Having said this, I am against making another managerial change at this stage of the season. Of course, the pressure is on, as it should be, but a change now would, I think, be detrimental. Roman needs to support his managerial choice in the transfer market to "freshen" up the squad, while at the same time sending a few rockets up a few players' behinds. At the moment, the first team is struggling but the bench is not able to put enough pressure on them to perform. We need at least 2 players: a utility defender that can come in at CB while Alex is out and allow Ivan to revert to RB, as well as a creative attacking player who can come in for Anelka/Kalou to give us fresh attacking impetus. Our loose defending and our staleness up front are the two problems plaguing us. If we can address these two issues, I think we can turn this ship around relatively quickly. Also, I am very much against making mediocre signings. If we are going to do that, let's just stick the kids into the starting line-up. Even if the results may not be very good in the short term, at least we are planning for the future. Cheers, Butch

Dear Friends, Here are the latest BPL standings after the hopeless loss at Wolves. CONGRATS this time go to TT; well done, mate! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Butch’s Prediction League Regular Season Standings 2010-2011 The Shedend Forums --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name Gp St Sb FS Pe Sc TG Pr Bo To Cu Av Rt Ch --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 01 Ossie13 27 11 6 0 4 0 0 0 45 211 5692 211 238 +1 02 TT 28 11 7 0 2 0 0 0 80 258 5857 209 237 +3 03 Footballoholic 15 10 5 0 4 0 0 0 0 146 3180 212 227 -4 04 Butch 28 10 5 0 2 0 0 0 15 163 5421 194 222 +0 05 Loz 26 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4850 187 213 na 06 Scooby Blue 20 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3649 182 202 na 07 Crystalballs 27 10 5 0 4 0 0 0 0 146 4646 172 199 +0 08 Chippy 26 9 4 0 6 0 0 0 0 124 4490 173 199 -1 09 Durty Hurty 03 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 579 193 196 na 10 TeaBarBoy 24 10 4 0 4 0 0 0 0 136 4042 168 192 -1 11 Coombsie 17 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2794 164 181 na 12 Aribo A John 06 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1035 173 179 na 13 Derek Dove 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1801 150 162 na 14 Waldron 08 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1228 154 162 na 15 ChelseaBootBoy 04 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 631 158 162 na --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ BPL Winners’ Circle 2010-11 ------------------------------ 01 Ossie13 8 02 TT 7 03 Butch 4 04 Footballoholic 3 Loz 3 05 Scooby Blue 2 06 Chippy 1 Coombsie 1 ------------------------------ Record = TT (19) – 2008/9 -------------------------------------------------------------- BPL Top-10 Scores 2010-2011 -------------------------------------------------------------- 01 330* Ossie13 – Wolves (h, epl) 02 320 Footballoholic – Arsenal (h, epl) 03 295 TT – Arsenal (h, epl) 04 293 Footballoholic – Fulham (h, epl) 05 285 Ossie13 – Blackburn (a, epl) 06 283 Loz – Newcastle (a, epl) 07 278 Ossie13 – Stoke (h, epl) 08 276 Footballoholic – Wolves (h, epl) 09 275 Loz – Arsenal (h, epl) Ossie13 – Arsenal (h, epl) 10 274 Coombsie – Wigan (a, epl) -------------------------------------------------------------- *New Record (previous record = 320 by Footballoholic) Cheers, Butch

Dear Friends, Here are the latest BPL standings after the home draw with Villa. CONGRATS this time go to Ossie13; well done, mate! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Butch’s Prediction League Regular Season Standings 2010-2011 The Shedend Forums --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name Gp St Sb FS Pe Sc TG Pr Bo To Cu Av Rt Ch --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 01 Ossie13 26 10 5 0 2 10 10 5 50 223 5481 211 237 +2 02 TT 27 10 5 0 2 10 0 5 0 163 5599 207 234 -1 03 Footballoholic 14 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3034 217 231 na 04 Butch 27 10 5 0 4 5 0 5 0 156 5258 195 222 +0 05 Loz 26 10 5 0 2 10 0 5 0 163 4850 187 213 +1 06 Scooby Blue 20 10 4 0 0 5 0 5 0 150 3649 182 202 -1 07 Chippy 25 10 5 0 0 10 5 5 30 200 4366 175 200 +2 08 Crystalballs 26 9 5 0 0 10 10 5 15 180 4500 173 199 +1 09 Durty Hurty 03 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 579 193 196 na 10 TeaBarBoy 23 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3906 170 193 na 11 Coombsie 17 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2794 164 181 na 12 Aribo A John 06 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1035 173 179 na 13 Derek Dove 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1801 150 162 na 14 Waldron 08 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1228 154 162 na 15 ChelseaBootBoy 04 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 631 158 162 na --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ BPL Winners’ Circle 2010-11 ------------------------------ 01 Ossie13 8 02 TT 6 03 Butch 4 04 Footballoholic 3 Loz 3 05 Scooby Blue 2 06 Chippy 1 Coombsie 1 ------------------------------ Record = TT (19) – 2008/9 -------------------------------------------------------------- BPL Top-10 Scores 2010-2011 -------------------------------------------------------------- 01 330* Ossie13 – Wolves (h, epl) 02 320 Footballoholic – Arsenal (h, epl) 03 295 TT – Arsenal (h, epl) 04 293 Footballoholic – Fulham (h, epl) 05 285 Ossie13 – Blackburn (a, epl) 06 283 Loz – Newcastle (a, epl) 07 278 Ossie13 – Stoke (h, epl) 08 276 Footballoholic – Wolves (h, epl) 09 275 Loz – Arsenal (h, epl) Ossie13 – Arsenal (h, epl) 10 274 Coombsie – Wigan (a, epl) -------------------------------------------------------------- *New Record (previous record = 320 by Footballoholic) Cheers, Butch

Dear Friends, Here were the BPL standings after the hard fought 1-0 home win over Bolton. CONGRATS this time went to yours truly; thank you very much. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Butch’s Prediction League Regular Season Standings 2010-2011 The Shedend Forums --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name Gp St Sb FS Pe Sc TG Pr Bo To Cu Av Rt Ch --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 01 TT 26 10 6 30 0 0 0 5 30 225 5436 209 235 +2 02 Ossie13 25 9 5 15 2 0 0 5 0 158 5258 210 235 -2 03 Footballoholic 14 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3034 217 231 na 04 Butch 26 11 6 15 2 0 0 5 65 253 5102 196 222 +3 05 Loz 25 10 6 15 2 0 0 5 15 193 4687 187 212 +1 06 Scooby Blue 19 10 5 15 4 0 0 5 0 166 3499 184 203 +0 07 Crystalballs 25 8 4 15 6 0 0 5 0 134 4320 173 198 +0 08 Chippy 24 9 5 15 2 0 0 5 0 158 4166 174 198 +1 09 Durty Hurty 03 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 579 193 196 na 10 TeaBarBoy 23 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3906 170 193 na 11 Coombsie 17 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2794 164 181 na 12 Aribo A John 06 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1035 173 179 na 13 Derek Dove 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1801 150 162 na 14 Waldron 08 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1228 154 162 na 15 ChelseaBootBoy 04 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 631 158 162 na --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ BPL Winners’ Circle 2010-11 ------------------------------ 01 Ossie13 7 02 TT 6 03 Butch 4 04 Footballoholic 3 Loz 3 05 Scooby Blue 2 06 Chippy 1 Coombsie 1 ------------------------------ Record = TT (19) – 2008/9 -------------------------------------------------------------- BPL Top-10 Scores 2010-2011 -------------------------------------------------------------- 01 330* Ossie13 – Wolves (h, epl) 02 320 Footballoholic – Arsenal (h, epl) 03 295 TT – Arsenal (h, epl) 04 293 Footballoholic – Fulham (h, epl) 05 285 Ossie13 – Blackburn (a, epl) 06 283 Loz – Newcastle (a, epl) 07 278 Ossie13 – Stoke (h, epl) 08 276 Footballoholic – Wolves (h, epl) 09 275 Loz – Arsenal (h, epl) Ossie13 – Arsenal (h, epl) 10 274 Coombsie – Wigan (a, epl) -------------------------------------------------------------- *New Record (previous record = 320 by Footballoholic) Cheers, Butch

Dear Friends, A Happy New Year to you all! Here were the BPL standings after the 1-3 loss to Arsenal. CONGRATS went to Ossie13; well done, mate! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Butch’s Prediction League Regular Season Standings 2010-2011 The Shedend Forums --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name Gp St Sb FS Pe Sc TG Pr Bo To Cu Av Rt Ch --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 01 Ossie13 24 10 5 0 2 0 5 10 50 213 5100 213 237 +2 02 TT 25 10 5 0 0 0 0 0 30 180 5211 208 233 -1 03 Footballoholic 14 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3034 217 231 na 04 Butch 25 9 4 0 0 0 10 10 30 180 4849 194 219 +0 05 Loz 24 9 4 0 2 0 0 0 0 128 4494 187 211 -2 06 Scooby Blue 18 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3333 185 203 na 07 Crystalballs 24 9 4 0 2 0 0 5 15 148 4186 174 198 -1 08 Chippy 23 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4008 174 197 na 09 Durty Hurty 03 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 579 193 196 na 10 TeaBarBoy 23 9 4 0 2 0 0 0 0 128 3906 170 193 -1 11 Coombsie 17 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2794 164 181 na 12 Aribo A John 06 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1035 173 179 na 13 Derek Dove 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1801 150 162 na 14 Waldron 08 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1228 154 162 na 15 ChelseaBootBoy 04 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 631 158 162 na --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ BPL Winners’ Circle 2010-11 ------------------------------ 01 Ossie13 7 02 TT 6 03 Butch 3 Footballoholic 3 Loz 3 04 Scooby Blue 2 05 Chippy 1 Coombsie 1 ------------------------------ Record = TT (19) – 2008/9 -------------------------------------------------------------- BPL Top-10 Scores 2010-2011 -------------------------------------------------------------- 01 330* Ossie13 – Wolves (h, epl) 02 320 Footballoholic – Arsenal (h, epl) 03 295 TT – Arsenal (h, epl) 04 293 Footballoholic – Fulham (h, epl) 05 285 Ossie13 – Blackburn (a, epl) 06 283 Loz – Newcastle (a, epl) 07 278 Ossie13 – Stoke (h, epl) 08 276 Footballoholic – Wolves (h, epl) 09 275 Loz – Arsenal (h, epl) Ossie13 – Arsenal (h, epl) 10 274 Coombsie – Wigan (a, epl) -------------------------------------------------------------- *New Record (previous record = 320 by Footballoholic) Cheers, Butch

Dear Friends, Here are the latest BPL standings after the spirited and unlucky draw at Tottenham. CONGRATS this time go to the new league leader, Ossie13; well done, mate! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Butch’s Prediction League Regular Season Standings 2010-2011 The Shedend Forums --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name Gp St Sb FS Pe Sc TG Pr Bo To Cu Av Rt Ch --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 01 Ossie13 23 10 5 30 0 5 20 15 50 270 4887 212 235 +3 02 TT 24 10 5 0 0 5 0 0 0 155 5031 210 234 -1 03 Footballoholic 14 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3034 217 231 na 04 Butch 24 9 5 30 0 0 5 15 15 205 4669 195 219 +2 05 Loz 23 10 5 30 0 0 10 15 30 235 4366 190 213 +3 06 Scooby Blue 18 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3333 185 203 na 07 Crystalballs 23 10 5 0 0 0 0 10 0 160 4038 176 199 +1 08 Chippy 23 10 5 0 2 0 0 0 0 148 4008 174 197 +0 09 Durty Hurty 03 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 579 193 196 na 10 TeaBarBoy 22 10 5 0 2 5 0 15 0 168 3778 172 194 +1 11 Coombsie 17 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2794 164 181 na 12 Aribo A John 06 10 5 0 4 5 0 0 0 151 1035 173 179 -3 13 Derek Dove 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1801 150 162 na 14 Waldron 08 10 6 0 2 0 0 10 0 168 1228 154 162 +4 15 ChelseaBootBoy 04 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 631 158 162 na --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ BPL Winners’ Circle 2010-11 ------------------------------ 01 Ossie13 6 TT 6 02 Butch 3 Footballoholic 3 Loz 3 03 Scooby Blue 2 04 Chippy 1 Coombsie 1 ------------------------------ Record = TT (19) – 2008/9 -------------------------------------------------------------- BPL Top-10 Scores 2010-2011 -------------------------------------------------------------- 01 330* Ossie13 – Wolves (h, epl) 02 320 Footballoholic – Arsenal (h, epl) 03 295 TT – Arsenal (h, epl) 04 293 Footballoholic – Fulham (h, epl) 05 285 Ossie13 – Blackburn (a, epl) 06 283 Loz – Newcastle (a, epl) 07 278 Ossie13 – Stoke (h, epl) 08 276 Footballoholic – Wolves (h, epl) 09 275 Loz – Arsenal (h, epl) Ossie13 – Arsenal (h, epl) 10 274 Coombsie – Wigan (a, epl) -------------------------------------------------------------- *New Record (previous record = 320 by Footballoholic) Cheers, Butch

Dear friends, Here were the BPL standings after the defeat in France rounded off the first group stages of the Champions League. CONGRATS this time go to yours truly, courtesy of getting the score prediction correct. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Butch’s Prediction League Regular Season Standings 2010-2011 The Shedend Forums --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name Gp St Sb FS Pe Sc TG Pr Bo To Cu Av Rt Ch --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 01 TT 23 6 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 78 4876 212 235 -5 02 Ossie13 22 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4617 210 232 na 03 Footballoholic 14 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3034 217 231 na 04 Butch 23 9 4 30 0 0 0 10 50 220 4464 194 217 +2 05 Loz 22 7 3 0 2 0 0 0 0 98 4131 188 210 -3 06 Scooby Blue 18 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3333 185 203 na 07 Crystalballs 22 10 6 0 4 0 0 5 30 191 3878 176 198 +1 08 Chippy 22 8 3 0 6 0 0 5 15 124 3860 175 197 -2 09 Durty Hurty 03 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 579 193 196 na 10 TeaBarBoy 21 8 3 0 4 0 0 0 0 106 3610 172 193 -2 11 Aribo A John 05 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 884 177 182 na 12 Coombsie 17 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2794 164 181 na 13 Derek Dove 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1801 150 162 na 14 ChelseaBootBoy 04 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 631 158 162 na 15 Waldron 07 5 1 15 2 0 0 5 0 78 1060 151 158 -12 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ BPL Winners’ Circle 2010-11 ------------------------------ 01 TT 6 02 Ossie13 5 03 Butch 3 Footballoholic 3 Loz 3 04 Scooby Blue 2 05 Chippy 1 Coombsie 1 ------------------------------ Record = TT (19) – 2008/9 -------------------------------------------------------------- BPL Top-10 Scores 2010-2011 -------------------------------------------------------------- 01 330* Ossie13 – Wolves (h, epl) 02 320 Footballoholic – Arsenal (h, epl) 03 295 TT – Arsenal (h, epl) 04 293 Footballoholic – Fulham (h, epl) 05 285 Ossie13 – Blackburn (a, epl) 06 283 Loz – Newcastle (a, epl) 07 278 Ossie13 – Stoke (h, epl) 08 276 Footballoholic – Wolves (h, epl) 09 275 Loz – Arsenal (h, epl) Ossie13 – Arsenal (h, epl) 10 274 Coombsie – Wigan (a, epl) -------------------------------------------------------------- *New Record (previous record = 320 by Footballoholic) Cheers, Butch

Dear Friends, Here were the BPL standings after the 1-1 home draw against Everton. CONGRATS went to Ossie13; well done, mate! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Butch’s Prediction League Regular Season Standings 2010-2011 The Shedend Forums --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name Gp St Sb FS Pe Sc TG Pr Bo To Cu Av Rt Ch --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 01 TT 22 11 6 0 2 5 10 10 15 208 4798 218 240 +0 02 Ossie13 22 11 7 0 2 5 0 10 80 273 4617 210 232 +4 03 Footballoholic 14 10 5 0 2 5 10 10 0 173 3034 217 231 -2 04 Butch 22 10 6 0 0 5 5 5 0 175 4244 193 215 +0 05 Loz 21 10 5 0 2 5 0 5 0 158 4033 192 213 -1 06 Scooby Blue 18 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3333 185 203 na 07 Chippy 21 10 5 0 2 5 5 10 0 168 3736 178 199 +1 08 Crystalballs 21 10 5 0 2 5 0 10 0 163 3687 176 197 +1 09 Durty Hurty 03 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 579 193 196 na 10 TeaBarBoy 20 11 6 0 2 5 10 15 30 228 3504 175 195 +4 11 Aribo A John 05 11 7 0 4 5 0 5 60 246 884 177 182 na 12 Coombsie 17 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2794 164 181 na 13 Waldron 06 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 982 164 170 na 14 Derek Dove 12 11 6 0 4 5 0 10 15 196 1801 150 162 +5 15 ChelseaBootBoy 04 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 631 158 162 na --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ BPL Winners’ Circle 2010-11 ------------------------------ 01 TT 6 02 Ossie13 5 03 Footballoholic 3 Loz 3 04 Butch 2 Scooby Blue 2 05 Chippy 1 Coombsie 1 ------------------------------ Record = TT (19) – 2008/9 -------------------------------------------------------------- BPL Top-10 Scores 2010-2011 -------------------------------------------------------------- 01 330* Ossie13 – Wolves (h, epl) 02 320 Footballoholic – Arsenal (h, epl) 03 295 TT – Arsenal (h, epl) 04 293 Footballoholic – Fulham (h, epl) 05 285 Ossie13 – Blackburn (a, epl) 06 283 Loz – Newcastle (a, epl) 07 278 Ossie13 – Stoke (h, epl) 08 276 Footballoholic – Wolves (h, epl) 09 275 Loz – Arsenal (h, epl) Ossie13 – Arsenal (h, epl) 10 274 Coombsie – Wigan (a, epl) -------------------------------------------------------------- *New Record (previous record = 320 by Footballoholic) Cheers, Butch

Dear Friends, Here are the latest BPL standings after the draw at Newcastle. CONGRATS this time go to Loz; well done, mate! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Butch’s Prediction League Regular Season Standings 2010-2011 The Shedend Forums --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name Gp St Sb FS Pe Sc TG Pr Bo To Cu Av Rt Ch --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 01 TT 21 11 7 0 2 0 20 0 60 258 4590 219 240 +3 02 Footballoholic 13 11 7 0 2 0 10 10 60 258 2861 220 233 +4 03 Ossie13 21 11 7 0 2 5 0 10 45 238 4344 207 228 +3 04 Butch 21 11 7 0 2 0 10 5 45 238 4069 194 215 +3 05 Loz 20 11 7 0 2 5 10 10 80 283 3875 194 214 +6 06 Scooby Blue 18 11 7 0 2 0 0 0 30 208 3333 185 203 +2 08 Chippy 20 11 6 0 4 5 5 15 15 206 3568 178 198 +2 07 Crystalballs 20 9 6 0 2 0 0 0 0 148 3524 176 196 -1 09 Durty Hurty 03 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 579 193 196 na 10 TeaBarBoy 19 11 7 0 2 5 0 0 30 213 3276 172 191 +3 11 Coombsie 17 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2794 164 181 na 12 Waldron 06 10 6 0 0 5 5 5 0 175 982 164 170 +4 15 Aribo A John 04 11 7 0 4 5 0 0 30 211 638 160 164 na 13 ChelseaBootBoy 04 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 631 158 162 na 14 Derek Dove 11 10 5 0 2 0 0 0 0 148 1605 146 157 +1 15 Godfred Ankrah 01 2 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 16 16 16 17 na --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ BPL Winners’ Circle 2010-11 ------------------------------ 01 TT 6 02 Ossie13 4 03 Footballoholic 3 Loz 3 04 Butch 2 Scooby Blue 2 05 Chippy 1 Coombsie 1 ------------------------------ Record = TT (19) – 2008/9 -------------------------------------------------------------- BPL Top-10 Scores 2010-2011 -------------------------------------------------------------- 01 330* Ossie13 – Wolves (h, epl) 02 320 Footballoholic – Arsenal (h, epl) 03 295 TT – Arsenal (h, epl) 04 293 Footballoholic – Fulham (h, epl) 05 285 Ossie13 – Blackburn (a, epl) 06 283 Loz – Newcastle (a, epl) 07 278 Ossie13 – Stoke (h, epl) 08 276 Footballoholic – Wolves (h, epl) 09 275 Loz – Arsenal (h, epl) Ossie13 – Arsenal (h, epl) 10 274 Coombsie – Wigan (a, epl) -------------------------------------------------------------- *New Record (previous record = 320 by Footballoholic) Cheers, Butch

I sincerely doubt Carlo will get the sack at Chelsea. He is Roman's man, the one he always wanted, and he is showing that he can deal with whatever "meddling" goes on behind the scenes and just get on with it. Also, anyone can see that we are wobbling a bit due to lack of (fit) key starters. I certainly don't pin this on Carlo. I am not privy to information on how much meddling is really going on, but maybe there will come a day when Carlo feels it gets too much. On that day, it will be he who calls it quits. But I really doubt this will happen during the season. Cheers, Butch

Honestly, I think if the Neymar thing was going to happen, it would have happened last summer. I don't think that is a transfer that will be considered now. As a matter of fact, I don't think anything other than "desperate" signings will be considered, and a lot will depend on how our injury situation progresses between now and January 1st. The key injuries that we will be monitoring closely are (i) Lampard, (ii) Terry, and (iii) Alex. As for Benayoun, I think Carlo probably is happy enough with McEachran and Zhirkov to consider those two as being able to cover for his long-term absence. I was always wary of our much decreased squad depth, with all the big name players we sold, and while I of course am happy to see the likes of Bruma, van Aanholt, McEachran, Kakuta and Sturridge in the squad, it does not fill me with a lot of confidence to have to "count on them", as opposed to allowing them to grow into their roles in the squad. It was always going to be a case of a bit of a wobble if we had any significant injuries, and I have to say we've been quite unlucky with the number of key injuries and suspensions this year. I don't think anyone could have predicted this. Thank goodness for the great start to the season or we'd quite realistically be out of the race by now. As is, all I am hoping for is a quick turnaround to our injury situation because, let's face it, when the likes of Lamps, JT and Ess are back full time, we will be right back firing on all cylinders, no question about it. I don't think we need anyone up front - a line-up of Drogs, Nic, Flo and Kalou, not to mention Studge, is fine enough for me. Where they are having problems is that the support coming through the middle has not been great. I think moving Flo back into the middle and bringing Kalou on up front is making us look much better and again we were very unlucky against Brum. So I wouldn't say we should go crazy in the transfer window. We can't do anything about our situation now anyway, so clearly we have to wait and see how things are at the end of December. If JT's injury prognosis, plus Alex's situation with his surgery, does not look good, that is probably the one place where a signing may be inevitable. Carlo has clearly shown us Bruma may not be quite ready and playing Paulo there really is not what we want when going into the business end of things. Cheers, Butch

Dear Friends, Here are the latest BPL standings after the come-from-behind win over MSK Zilina, important not only from the perspective of a win that stops a sequence of two losses on the trot, but also that we gave significant playing time to the likes of Bruma, van Aanholt, McEachran and Sturridge. CONGRATS this time go to TT again; well done, mate! Also, as is standard practice, I have removed those with fewer than 2 predictions (10% of 20 matches) from the current standings. However, you will be reinstated in the standings with your next prediction. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Butch’s Prediction League Regular Season Standings 2010-2011 The Shedend Forums --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name Gp St Sb FS Pe Sc TG Pr Bo To Cu Av Rt Ch --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 01 TT 20 8 4 15 0 5 10 0 50 200 4332 217 237 +1 02 Footballoholic 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2603 217 229 na 03 Ossie13 20 8 3 15 0 0 0 0 0 125 4106 205 225 -4 04 Butch 20 7 0 30 0 0 5 5 0 110 3831 192 212 -3 05 Loz 19 8 2 15 0 5 5 0 0 125 3592 189 208 -3 06 Scooby Blue 17 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3125 184 201 na 07 Crystalballs 19 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3376 178 197 na 08 Chippy 19 8 3 15 4 5 0 0 15 141 3362 177 196 -1 09 Durty Hurty 03 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 579 193 196 na 10 TeaBarBoy 18 9 3 15 2 10 0 0 30 173 3063 170 188 +1 11 Coombsie 17 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2794 164 181 na 12 Waldron 05 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 807 161 166 na 13 ChelseaBootBoy 04 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 631 158 162 na 14 Derek Dove 10 6 1 15 2 0 0 0 0 83 1457 146 156 -6 15 Aribo A John 03 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 427 142 145 na --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ BPL Winners’ Circle 2010-11 ------------------------------ 01 TT 6 02 Ossie13 4 03 Footballoholic 3 04 Butch 2 Loz 2 Scooby Blue 2 05 Chippy 1 Coombsie 1 ------------------------------ Record = TT (19) – 2008/9 -------------------------------------------------------------- BPL Top-10 Scores 2010-2011 -------------------------------------------------------------- 01 330* Ossie13 – Wolves (h, epl) 02 320 Footballoholic – Arsenal (h, epl) 03 295 TT – Arsenal (h, epl) 04 293 Footballoholic – Fulham (h, epl) 05 285 Ossie13 – Blackburn (a, epl) 06 278 Ossie13 – Stoke (h, epl) 07 276 Footballoholic – Wolves (h, epl) 08 275 Loz – Arsenal (h, epl) Ossie13 – Arsenal (h, epl) 09 274 Coombsie – Wigan (a, epl) 10 268 Ossie13 – Fulham (a, epl) TT – Zilina (a, cl) -------------------------------------------------------------- *New Record (previous record = 320 by Footballoholic) Cheers, Butch

Dear Friends, Here are the latest BPL standings after the unlucky defeat at Birmingham City. CONGRATS this time go to TT; well done, mate! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Butch’s Prediction League Regular Season Standings 2010-2011 The Shedend Forums --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name Gp St Sb FS Pe Sc TG Pr Bo To Cu Av Rt Ch --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 01 James Ellsum 01 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 249 249 250 na 02 TT 19 10 6 0 2 0 0 0 50 208 4132 217 236 +0 03 Ossie13 19 10 6 0 4 0 0 0 30 186 3981 210 229 +0 04 Footballoholic 12 10 6 0 4 0 0 0 30 186 2603 217 229 -2 05 Ruh Buh Juh 01 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 219 219 220 na 06 Butch 19 10 5 0 2 0 0 0 0 148 3721 196 215 -2 07 Loz 18 10 4 0 4 0 0 0 0 136 3467 193 211 -2 08 Scooby Blue 17 10 5 0 4 0 0 0 0 146 3125 184 201 -1 09 Crystalballs 19 9 5 0 4 0 0 0 0 136 3376 178 197 -1 10 Chippy 18 9 6 0 4 0 0 0 0 146 3221 179 197 -1 11 Durty Hurty 03 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 579 193 196 na 12 TeaBarBoy 17 10 6 0 4 0 0 0 30 186 2890 170 187 +2 13 Coombsie 17 9 5 0 2 0 0 5 0 143 2794 164 181 -1 14 Maurice Gombe 01 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 172 172 173 na 15 Waldron 05 9 3 30 0 0 0 5 15 170 807 161 166 +3 16 Derek Dove 09 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1374 153 162 na 17 ChelseaBootBoy 04 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 631 158 162 na 18 Aribo A John 03 10 5 0 6 0 0 0 0 144 427 142 145 na 19 Bashak 01 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 128 128 129 na 20 Saheed 01 8 4 0 4 0 0 0 0 116 116 116 117 na 21 AU Effiong 01 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 109 109 110 na 22 Tosin 01 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 106 106 107 na 23 Brighty 01 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 96 96 97 na 24 Daniel Aboagye 01 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 38 38 39 na --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ BPL Winners’ Circle 2010-11 ------------------------------ 01 TT 5 02 Ossie13 4 03 Footballoholic 3 04 Butch 2 Loz 2 Scooby Blue 2 05 Chippy 1 Coombsie 1 ------------------------------ Record = TT (19) – 2008/9 -------------------------------------------------------------- BPL Top-10 Scores 2010-2011 -------------------------------------------------------------- 01 330* Ossie13 – Wolves (h, epl) 02 320 Footballoholic – Arsenal (h, epl) 03 295 TT – Arsenal (h, epl) 04 293 Footballoholic – Fulham (h, epl) 05 285 Ossie13 – Blackburn (a, epl) 06 278 Ossie13 – Stoke (h, epl) 07 276 Footballoholic – Wolves (h, epl) 08 275 Loz – Arsenal (h, epl) Ossie13 – Arsenal (h, epl) 09 274 Coombsie – Wigan (a, epl) 10 268 Ossie13 – Fulham (a, epl) TT – Zilina (a, cl) -------------------------------------------------------------- *New Record (previous record = 320 by Footballoholic) Cheers, Butch

My 2 cents: I am sure the mood at Chelsea at the moment is not a happy one. But I think it is a combination of factors, which have no relation or bearing to one another. First, injuries, illnesses and suspensions to a lot of key players, team leaders such as Lampard, Essien, Terry and Drogba, are taking their toll. We have some expensive back-ups but they are not of the same quality. Players like Malouda and Anelka, who have been mainstays through this unsettling period, have not been able to step up. An awful lot is said about our defense missing JT and conceding sloppy goals, but the truth of the matter is that even with four of the first choice front six, we have scored 0 goals in our recent three defeats (0-2 to Liverpool, 0-3 to Sunderland, and 0-1 to Birmingham). Second, I don't know for certain what coaching qualities Ray possessed, but he was a lovable character in the changing rooms and for that I am sure there is some sadness amongst the players and staff at Chelsea to see him leave. It is unlikely his departure is going to have a significant influence over the playing staff; they are, afterall, professionals and they know they are hurting themselves, the fans and the club if they let something like this affect their performances. We're not talking about schoolboys and a loved teacher who gives them direction here. Carlo is still there and the players know what they have to do. Finally, defeats are like rotten apples. They tend to poke holes in your confidence, unsettle you, make you doubt yourself, make you change your game plan (you know, the one that has got you where you are), and just overall makes the mood around the place not so great. So, yes, it is unlikely there are many happy people around Stamford Bridge at the moment. BUT, I do believe that the manager and all the remaining fit players are ready to pull the team out of the current difficult patch. The other clubs are hoping this goes on for as long as possible, but they know that realistically it won't. Having Lampard and Essien back in the midfield is going to be a huge boost, both defensively and offensively. Drogba, while frustrating, was looking much more menacing against Birmingham. Carlo is a very pragmatic manager, and while Jose will take some beating (for me, personally), Carlo is certainly impressing me. I sincerely doubt he will let things get to him so easily. He seems a very down-to-earth get-on-with-it kind of guy. We fans are clearly getting a little frustrated and uncomfortable, not to mention jittery, but you have to keep in mind that fans' reactions can also destabilize the team, LOL. Cheers, Butch

Dear Friends, Here are the BPL standings after the depressing result at the Bridge against Sunderland. CONGRATS this time go to Loz; well done, mate! You were only slightly more negative than I was, LOL! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Butch’s Prediction League Regular Season Standings 2010-2011 The Shedend Forums --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name Gp St Sb FS Pe Sc TG Pr Bo To Cu Av Rt Ch --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 01 James Ellsum 01 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 249 249 250 na 02 TT 18 10 5 0 6 0 0 0 15 159 3924 218 236 -2 03 Footballoholic 11 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2417 220 231 na 04 Ossie13 18 9 4 0 4 0 0 0 0 126 3795 211 229 -4 05 Ruh Buh Juh 01 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 219 219 220 na 06 Butch 18 10 5 0 4 0 0 0 30 176 3573 199 217 +0 07 Loz 17 10 5 0 2 0 0 0 50 198 3331 196 213 +1 08 Scooby Blue 16 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2979 186 202 na 09 Crystalballs 18 10 5 0 6 0 0 0 15 159 3240 180 198 +0 10 Chippy 17 9 5 0 4 0 0 0 0 136 3075 181 198 -2 11 Durty Hurty 03 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 579 193 196 na 12 TeaBarBoy 16 9 4 0 4 0 0 0 0 126 2704 169 185 -2 13 Coombsie 16 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2651 166 182 na 14 Maurice Gombe 01 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 172 172 173 na 15 Waldron 04 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 637 159 163 na 16 Derek Dove 09 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1374 153 162 na 17 ChelseaBootBoy 04 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 631 158 162 na 18 Aribo A John 02 9 4 0 8 0 0 0 0 122 283 142 144 na 19 Bashak 01 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 128 128 129 na 20 AU Effiong 01 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 109 109 110 na 21 Tosin 01 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 106 106 107 na 22 Brighty 01 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 96 96 97 na 23 Daniel Aboagye 01 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 38 38 39 na --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ BPL Winners’ Circle 2010-11 ------------------------------ 01 Ossie13 4 TT 4 02 Footballoholic 3 03 Butch 2 Loz 2 Scooby Blue 2 04 Chippy 1 Coombsie 1 ------------------------------ Record = TT (19) – 2008/9 -------------------------------------------------------------- BPL Top-10 Scores 2010-2011 -------------------------------------------------------------- 01 330* Ossie13 – Wolves (h, epl) 02 320 Footballoholic – Arsenal (h, epl) 03 295 TT – Arsenal (h, epl) 04 293 Footballoholic – Fulham (h, epl) 05 285 Ossie13 – Blackburn (a, epl) 06 278 Ossie13 – Stoke (h, epl) 07 276 Footballoholic – Wolves (h, epl) 08 275 Loz – Arsenal (h, epl) Ossie13 – Arsenal (h, epl) 09 274 Coombsie – Wigan (a, epl) 10 268 Ossie13 – Fulham (a, epl) TT – Zilina (a, cl) -------------------------------------------------------------- *New Record (previous record = 320 by Footballoholic) Cheers, Butch