Butch

Unfortunately, I have not been able to keep up with the goings-on (i.e. discussions) on ChelseaTV of late and so have no idea what Neil and Co. have been discussing on Live from Stamford Bridge. I'm sure many callers have phoned in to quiz Neil on what exactly is going on. For those of you who watch the show regularly, please share with us some of the views of Neil Barnet and his guests on what is happening at Chelsea. Cheers, Butch

Dear Friends, Here are the latest BPL standings after the Carling Cup semifinal second leg with Wycombe at Stamford Bridge. CONGRATS this time go to Crystalball; well done mate (said through clenched teeth ). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ BPL Standings 2006-2007 EPL Season Chelsea Supporters' Registry ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Name Gp St Sb FS Pe Sc TG Pr Bo To Cu Av Rt Ch ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 01 TT 37 9 2 15 4 5 0 10 0 136 5834 158 195 +1 02 Ossie13 37 9 3 15 2 10 10 15 0 168 5781 156 193 +1 03 Butch 37 8 4 15 2 10 10 15 0 168 5468 148 185 +2 04 Crystalballs 37 9 1 30 0 10 5 25 50 220 5353 145 182 +3 05 Loz 36 8 2 15 2 5 10 15 0 143 5212 145 181 +1 06 Coombsie 34 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4913 145 179 na 07 Star 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1990 166 178 na 08 Nick White 31 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4401 142 173 na 09 BlueBeard 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1619 162 172 na 10 TeaBarBoy 35 7 2 15 2 5 5 15 0 128 4721 135 170 +1 11 Tim W 24 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3505 146 170 na 12 Waldron 26 8 1 15 4 5 0 5 0 111 3712 143 169 +0 13 Trubish Bob 29 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4042 139 168 na 14 Pudge 19 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2808 148 167 na 15 Jack 15 8 2 15 2 0 10 20 0 143 2249 150 165 +1 16 MadMac 26 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3572 137 163 na 17 Sergeyms 20 9 2 15 2 5 10 15 0 153 2865 143 163 +1 18 TomP 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1230 154 162 na 19 Derek Dove 31 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4029 130 161 na 20 Wycliffe N. 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1324 147 156 na 21 Liam 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1437 144 154 na 22 MHedges 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1287 143 152 na 23 BosnianFan. 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 712 142 147 na 24 Sam Buckell 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1166 130 139 na 25 Andrew Lang 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 534 134 138 na 26 Pauly 6 8 2 15 4 5 0 10 0 126 786 131 137 +0 27 Modulate 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 462 116 120 na ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---------------------------------- Winners' Circle ---------------------------------- 01 Ossie13 6 02 TT 6 03 Crystalballs 4 04 Waldron 4 05 Coombsie 3 06 Tim W 3 07 BlueBeard 2 08 Butch 2 09 Jack 2 10 Loz 2 11 Nick White 2 12 Pudge 2 13 Sergeyms 2 14 Dayo 1 15 Derek Dove 1 16 MadMac 1 17 Oluwole 1 18 Pauly 1 19 Star 1 20 Tom P 1 ---------------------------------- *Record: 11 wins ? Butch (04/05) -------------------------------------------------------------- Rank Score Predictor(s) -------------------------------------------------------------- 1 290 TT (Liverpool ? EPL) Coombsie (Watford, EPL) 2 275 Ossie13 (Man Utd ? EPL) 3 265 Butch, Ossie13 (Bremen ? CL) 4 260 BlueBeard (Man City ? EPL) 5 245 Ossie13 (Villa ? EPL) 6 240 MadMac (Barcelona ? CL) Waldron (Arsenal ? EPL) 7 238 Loz (West Ham ? EPL) 8 235 Ossie13, Sergeyms (Sheff Utd ? EPL) 9 233 TT (Reading ? EPL) 10 230 Oluwole (Fulham ? EPL) Derek Dove (Portsmouth ? EPL) Pudge (L.Sofia ? CL) Star, Waldron (Charlton ? EPL) -------------------------------------------------------------- *Record: 290 points ? TrubishBob (05/06), Coombsie, TT (06/07) Cheers, Butch

Dear Friends, Here were the BPL standings after the Liverpool game. CONGRATS this time go to Ossie13, Pauly and TT; well done lads! The Wycombe results will be tallied very soon. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ BPL Standings 2006-2007 EPL Season Chelsea Supporters' Registry ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Name Gp St Sb FS Pe Sc TG Pr Bo To Cu Av Rt Ch ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 01 TT 36 10 3 0 2 0 0 0 50 178 5698 158 194 +1 02 Ossie13 36 10 3 0 2 0 0 0 50 178 5613 156 192 +2 03 Butch 36 10 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 118 5300 147 183 +0 04 Loz 35 10 3 0 4 0 0 0 0 126 5069 145 180 +1 05 Crystalballs 36 9 1 0 2 0 0 5 0 103 5133 143 179 +0 06 Coombsie 34 8 2 0 4 0 0 5 0 101 4913 145 179 +0 07 Star 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1990 166 178 na 08 Nick White 31 9 1 0 4 0 0 0 0 96 4401 142 173 -1 09 BlueBeard 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1619 162 172 na 10 Tim W 24 8 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 98 3505 146 170 -1 11 TeaBarBoy 34 8 1 0 4 0 0 0 0 86 4593 135 169 -1 12 Waldron 25 8 1 15 0 0 0 10 0 115 3601 144 169 +0 13 Trubish Bob 29 9 2 0 4 0 0 0 0 106 4042 139 168 -1 14 Pudge 19 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2808 148 167 na 15 Jack 14 8 2 0 2 0 0 5 0 103 2106 150 164 -3 16 MadMac 26 10 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 118 3572 137 163 +0 17 Sergeyms 19 9 1 0 4 0 0 0 0 96 2712 143 162 -1 18 TomP 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1230 154 162 na 19 Derek Dove 31 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4029 130 161 na 20 Wycliffe N. 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1324 147 156 na 21 Liam 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1437 144 154 na 22 MHedges 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1287 143 152 na 23 BosnianFan. 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 712 142 147 na 24 Mosquino 3 9 2 0 6 0 0 0 0 104 415 138 141 na 25 Sam Buckell 9 7 2 0 4 0 0 0 0 86 1166 130 139 -4 26 Andrew Lang 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 534 134 138 na 27 Pauly 5 8 3 15 2 0 0 5 50 178 660 132 137 +12 28 Modulate 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 462 116 120 na 29 Fapohunda 1 9 2 0 6 0 0 0 0 104 104 104 105 na 30 Ibrahim 1 7 1 0 4 0 0 0 0 76 76 76 77 na 31 Ojeh Benjamin 1 7 1 0 6 0 0 0 0 74 74 74 75 na 32 Uduak Udoaka 1 6 2 0 6 0 0 0 0 74 74 74 75 na 33 Jeremiah J. 1 6 1 0 4 0 0 0 0 66 66 66 67 na 34 Layiwola O. 1 3 1 0 6 0 0 0 0 34 34 34 35 na ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---------------------------------- Winners' Circle ---------------------------------- 01 Ossie13 6 02 TT 6 03 Waldron 4 04 Coombsie 3 05 Crystalballs 3 06 Tim W 3 07 BlueBeard 2 08 Butch 2 09 Jack 2 10 Loz 2 11 Nick White 2 12 Pudge 2 13 Sergeyms 2 14 Dayo 1 15 Derek Dove 1 16 MadMac 1 17 Oluwole 1 18 Pauly 1 19 Star 1 20 Tom P 1 ---------------------------------- *Record: 11 wins ? Butch (04/05) -------------------------------------------------------------- Rank Score Predictor(s) -------------------------------------------------------------- 1 290 TT (Liverpool ? EPL) Coombsie (Watford, EPL) 2 275 Ossie13 (Man Utd ? EPL) 3 265 Butch, Ossie13 (Bremen ? CL) 4 260 BlueBeard (Man City ? EPL) 5 245 Ossie13 (Villa ? EPL) 6 240 MadMac (Barcelona ? CL) Waldron (Arsenal ? EPL) 7 238 Loz (West Ham ? EPL) 8 235 Ossie13, Sergeyms (Sheff Utd ? EPL) 9 233 TT (Reading ? EPL) 10 230 Oluwole (Fulham ? EPL) Derek Dove (Portsmouth ? EPL) Pudge (L.Sofia ? CL) Star, Waldron (Charlton ? EPL) -------------------------------------------------------------- *Record: 290 points ? TrubishBob (05/06), Coombsie, TT (06/07) Cheers, Butch

Well, it wasn't going to ever be a struggle for Chelsea at home to Wycombe Wanderers, but they did give us a good game, and we did put in a good performance. First, the team: Cech Diarra Carvalho Essien A.Cole Makalele Mikel Lampard Ballack Drogba Sheva Chelsea looked determined from the get go, with a few players looking far more lively than they have in recent times. Lassana Diarra and Obi Mikel, particularly, caught my eye in the early going. They were quick, dynamic, and were accurate with their short, crisp passing. But today was all about one man - Andriy Shevchenko. Who knows what the real deal is behind the scenes, but so much has been made already about jose giving him a last chance. As a matter of fact, by my own estimates, this was probably Sheva's fifth last chance of the season. But he certainly did take this one. I don't want to dwell on the goals, although that would probably have given his confidence a boost. I want to talk about the other aspects of his game. He looked dynamic (good movement throughout), hungry (looking for the ball), and part of the team (good interplay with Drogba and Lampard, in particular). He showed good body strength and technique on many occasions to keep possession of the ball under pressure from defenders, and he was much less selfish than usual. Apart from the two goals, he actually laid the ball on a platter for Lampard with a very nice surging run up the left flank (which came to nothing as Frankie hit the ball disappointingly wide), and then also put in a lot of effort to fashion the assist for Frank's first goal (ghosting in from behind a defender on a break and hitting the ball up to Frank who waltzed in from about the half way line to beat the keeper once and a defender twice before lobbing into an open net). Even without the goals, this was a performance more fitting of the man. I have to say this has only been one of maybe two performances that he can be happy with this season (not talking about flashes). You could see the Chelsea bench (Jose and Steve included), as well as his team mates, were pretty happy with Sheva's performance today. One other observation: I felt that Essien today looked MUCH more confortable in the center of defense than he's been at any other time. You could say he wasn't put under much pressure, but even in the limited amount of times a Wycombe player was even half threatening, Essien looked comfortable. I think having Carvalho back played a part. I think having Cech back played a big part as well. I am so happy to see our number one keeper back playing the way he is. I don't see any hesitation on his part at all to dive into a pack of players to win the ball. He did mishandle a few shots here and there, but nothing major and he always recovered well. I think in a few games, he will be back to his best. So, overall, a relatively confidence-boosting performance. Let's not kid ourselves though, Wycombe are a few notches below the opponents we will be facing the rest of this season. But even before we talk about footballing performances, we also must address the atmosphere hanging around the club, and this win (and the Cup Final awaiting us at the end of next month) should bring about a bit of "sunshine". Player Ratings: 1. CECH - mishandled a few shots on goal but nothing major and he recovered well. As commanding as ever - an extreme positive for the rest of our season - 7. 2. DIARRA - I thought he had a really good game. He was quick and sharp, and although he lost track of his man on a few counters, he recovered well - 7. 3. A.COLE - I thought he looked a little bit nervy today, which I felt was a bit strange, but he coped reasonably well - 6. 4. CARVALHO - Not really called into action very much and had a comfortable game - 7. 5. ESSIEN - Looked much more comfortable today than in recent games. Very strong in the tackle - 7. 6. MAKALELE - Looked like he was all over the place (but then that was because Diarra was also playing :) ). Went about his job effectively - 7. 7. BALLACK - Have to admit, he doesn't have much of a clear impact on games, but I don't agree with anyone that calls him lazy. He covers quite a bit of ground every game, but his main job seems to be more linking passes than penetrating ones, and his main attacking job seems to be at free kicks and corners. Found himself in a few good positions but wasn't able to capitalize - 6. 8. LAMPARD - Wycombe didn't really have anyone that could keep him under wraps, and so in the end he came up with two goals, despite not being at his sharpest. He actually could have had maybe a couple more if he were on top of his game - 7. 9. DROGBA - Looked good, looked hungry; basically, in one of his better moods. I particularly liked the fact that Drogba was working hard in trying to carve out opportunities for team mates, e.g. Lampard, Sheva and Obi Mikel - 7. 10. SHEVA - Looked lively, hungry, much sharper, more involved, scored two goals, made one assist, and it really would have been two assists if Lampard was less wasteful, so what more could you ask from him on the day? - 8. 11. OBI MIKEL - Compared to some of his earlier performances, which reminded me more of Ballack, Obi Mikel looked up for it today - he was more involved, and more penetrating than usual. Movement was very good, showed good skill on the ball, but was wasteful in front of goal. Should have scored two goals - 7. Substitutes: Kalou, Morais and SWP didn't really have enough time to make any sort of impression on the game so aren't rated. Cheers, Butch

I can't believe Petr is this close to first team action again (in fact, I don't know how close he is but the signs are that he might even start against Liverpool, provided the FA allow him to play with the protective headgear on)! It is simply astounding that (a) he's recovered so quickly, or (B) that we'd risk it if he weren't. But probably no one has a better idea about this than Cech himself, and he seems to be very determined to play again this season. For me, my heart will be in my mouth at the first instant that he dives into a group of players to try and win the ball (and probably everytime afterwards at decreasing intensities until he shows us he's really over the injury). I'm also worried about what the injury may have done to his reaction times and decision-making. In short, I wonder if we'll see the same Petr out there. I really hope we do. He is definitely the best goal keeper in the EPL, and quite possibly the world. If he were fully fit, having him back would almost single-handedly sort our defensive problems out. Although Hilario has put in a good performance, considering he is 3rd choice keeper, he is totally non-existent on crosses and free kicks, putting our defenders under a lot of pressure. Having Cech flying about his box plucking crosses and free kicks out of mid-air will certainly make our defenders' lives much easier, and give us extra buffering capacity to absorb the blow of being without JT. Let's hope for the best. Cheers, Butch

Hmmm...I wasn't exactly refering to the Sheva situation, more about the Jose v Roman situation; thus my reference to Jose's interviews. I do believe Sheva is a favorite of Roman's, but I don't believe he is the type to take advantage of that, nor is Jose the type to allow it to happen. In that regard, I believe that Roman did have some sort of say in this signing, but that Jose probably did not resist as Sheva is a first class striker. But if Sheva is having problems settling in, Jose will start him on the bench and allow someone else who is playing better to play. I just really hope, and I have to trust, that Jose has not and will not use Sheva against Roman (by dropping him and alienating him). That would be of no use to anyone. I haven't a clue how much of the Roman v Jose thing is true, but I have a feeling there is some truth to it. Jose does not seem very happy on the transfer front. And we seem to be stalling on what should be a very quick and easy signing for us (much needed into the bargain)! Cheers, Butch

The press and opposing fans are having a field day. Just imagine, the Champions of England for the past two seasons; all the money in the world at their disposal; how the heck can anyone compete? Oh, they might self-destruct you say? Interesting. It's all been kind of a downhill sled ride of late. Players off-form. Key injuries. Bad luck. Don't kick a man when he's down they say, but heck, if it's Chelsea it's a free-for-all! Let's keep them down there! Surely, there's no smoke without fire. Too much has been said already. It's unsettling for the players and fans alike. The club need to knuckle down, round up the wagons, and get back to football. We've come through a tough period still within striking distance of the current league leaders. Things could have been a lot worse, and could yet be if we're not careful. As things stand, I think we'll have to consider ourselves lucky. At the same time, we also need to address some key issues to give us the right sort of platform for the rest of the season. Probably the biggest problem we've faced so far this season is injuries - and not just plain run-of-the-mill injuries; we've faced some pretty bad injuries to very key players. With Petr Cech and Joe Cole, two outstanding performers from last season, we've really been handicapped. With Cudicini, JT and Robben, we've been deprived of key players when we've needed them. You can't lose this caliber of player and not expect some sort of an effect. But big Petr looks like he's returning to action soon. And Robben looks like he's returning to fitness AND form. The best thing we can do is to nurse these players back to full fitness and to sign another center back (Ben Haim would be the most suitable signing from all the names that have been mentioned) to allow us to play people in their proper positions. The second biggest problem seems to be the form of key players together with a formation that doesn't seem to bring out the best in us. You know what? I think Jose deserves a bit of trust here. I can't deny that I've hated the diamond because of how toothless we've looked playing it, but I don't think the players have played to their potential either. If Jose feels we should stick with this for now, then so be it. Again, I think injuries and poor form have played their part. If Joe Cole was fit, he and Robben would certainly put up a good case for the 4-3-3 of previous seasons. But with Joe out injuried, SWP struggling big time, and Kalou still finding his feet, not to mention Robben's stop-start season, the diamond suddenly becomes the more viable alternative. The third problem is off-the-field issues. To be honest, I'm a little surprised by the alleged goings on "in the boardroom" at Chelsea. Roman must know that it is entirely destructive to be wanting to change things willy-nilly, e.g. new personal coach tailored to Sheva (who might possibly replace Steve Clarke), giving Arnesen powers over player transfers, etc... I still would rather believe these are purly concoctions of the idle mind, but I'm a little wary of the possibility due to the seemingly universal acceptance of these stories, plus Jose's own interviews, vague as they may be. Again, I think Jose deserves more trust, this time from the club's owner. He has done enough in his time here to be given total control over footballing matters. But whatever is happening, people need to get a grip here. This must be awfully unsettling to the manager and players. A lot of this will be solved by time. Getting injured key players back will be like making new signings. Cech and JT in particular are part of the team's backbone. If we got those two back, our defense would be sorted. The other problems just need sound minds. We need to be pulling together in the same direction, hopefully the right one. And a run of positive results will surely make certain that everything "blows over" and some much required semblance of normalcy is attained. Cheers, Butch

I'm pretty angry. They've got quite a nerve haven't they? It's quite insulting. Cheers, Butch

To be honest, I was one of the ones calling for improvement from him earlier this season, but on current form, he is indispensible for Chelsea. He is just about the only player we have with any cutting edge whatsoever, and it is more likely we'll create anything with him in the team than without him. He's looking something like his best again, although he could still improve. Cheers, Butch

I'm obviously not as funny as I think you should think I am... Cheers, Butch

Definitely not as good as Chappie Ferrer, although I thought he would be when he arrived and looked dependable in just about every game. Still, I believe he is the best right back we have in our squad right now, as far as defending goes. I think he's lost quite a bit of confidence. He's not a CB either, so please don't rate him on his recent performances there. He obviously is not comfortable in the middle of defense. Cheers, Butch

Now, now, you two...go back to your rooms this minute! We shan't be selling anyone; well, actually, we may have to sell yer mom, as we're runnin' out of butter...

Dear Friends, Here are the latest BPL standings after the win over Wigan in the EPL. CONGRATS this time go to Jack; well done, mate! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ BPL Standings 2006-2007 EPL Season Chelsea Supporters' Registry ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Name Gp St Sb FS Pe Sc TG Pr Bo To Cu Av Rt Ch ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 01 TT 35 9 2 15 4 5 0 15 0 141 5520 158 193 +1 02 Ossie13 35 10 2 15 4 10 0 10 0 151 5435 155 190 +1 03 Butch 35 10 2 15 6 5 0 5 0 139 5182 148 183 +1 04 Crystalballs 35 9 1 15 4 10 0 10 0 131 5030 144 179 +1 05 Loz 34 10 3 15 4 10 10 10 0 171 4943 145 179 +1 06 Coombsie 33 10 2 15 2 10 5 5 0 153 4812 146 179 +1 07 Star 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1990 166 178 na 08 Nick White 30 10 2 15 2 15 5 5 0 158 4305 144 174 +2 09 BlueBeard 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1619 162 172 na 10 Tim W 23 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3407 148 171 na 11 TeaBarBoy 33 8 2 15 2 15 0 20 0 148 4507 137 170 +2 12 Trubish Bob 28 10 3 15 4 10 5 15 0 171 3936 141 169 +3 13 Waldron 24 8 2 0 6 0 0 5 0 99 3486 145 169 -1 14 Jack 13 10 3 15 4 10 10 15 50 226 2003 154 167 +7 15 Pudge 19 9 2 15 2 10 0 5 0 138 2808 148 167 +1 16 MadMac 25 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3454 138 163 na 17 Sergeyms 18 10 3 15 4 10 5 15 0 171 2616 145 163 +2 18 TomP 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1230 154 162 na 19 Derek Dove 31 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4029 130 161 na 20 Wycliffe N. 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1324 147 156 na 21 Liam 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1437 144 154 na 22 MHedges 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1287 143 152 na 23 BosnianFan. 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 712 142 147 na 24 Sam Buckell 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1080 135 143 na 25 Andrew Lang 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 534 134 138 na 26 Laila 3 7 2 15 2 10 0 0 0 113 380 127 130 na 27 Pauly 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 482 121 125 na 28 Modulate 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 462 116 120 na 29 Gogo Lateef 1 6 0 15 2 10 10 15 0 108 108 108 109 na ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---------------------------------- Winners' Circle ---------------------------------- 01 Ossie13 5 02 TT 5 03 Waldron 4 04 Coombsie 3 05 Crystalballs 3 06 Tim W 3 07 BlueBeard 2 08 Butch 2 09 Jack 2 10 Loz 2 11 Nick White 2 12 Pudge 2 13 Sergeyms 2 14 Dayo 1 15 Derek Dove 1 16 MadMac 1 17 Oluwole 1 18 Star 1 19 Tom P 1 ---------------------------------- *Record: 11 wins ? Butch (04/05) -------------------------------------------------------------- Rank Score Predictor(s) -------------------------------------------------------------- 1 290 TT (Liverpool ? EPL) Coombsie (Watford, EPL) 2 275 Ossie13 (Man Utd ? EPL) 3 265 Butch, Ossie13 (Bremen ? CL) 4 260 BlueBeard (Man City ? EPL) 5 245 Ossie13 (Villa ? EPL) 6 240 MadMac (Barcelona ? CL) Waldron (Arsenal ? EPL) 7 238 Loz (West Ham ? EPL) 8 235 Ossie13, Sergeyms (Sheff Utd ? EPL) 9 233 TT (Reading ? EPL) 10 230 Oluwole (Fulham ? EPL) Derek Dove (Portsmouth ? EPL) Pudge (L.Sofia ? CL) Star, Waldron (Charlton ? EPL) -------------------------------------------------------------- *Record: 290 points ? TrubishBob (05/06), Coombsie, TT (06/07) Cheers, Butch

Dear Friends, Here are the latest BPL standings after the draw with Wycombe in the first leg of the Carling Cup semifinal. CONGRATS this time go to TT; well done, mate! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ BPL Standings 2006-2007 EPL Season Chelsea Supporters' Registry ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Name Gp St Sb FS Pe Sc TG Pr Bo To Cu Av Rt Ch ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 01 TT 34 8 3 0 4 0 5 10 50 171 5379 158 192 +1 02 Ossie13 34 9 0 0 4 0 10 10 0 106 5284 155 189 -1 03 Butch 34 8 2 0 2 0 5 10 0 113 5043 148 182 +0 04 Crystalballs 34 9 1 0 4 0 0 10 0 106 4899 144 178 +0 05 Loz 33 10 2 0 6 0 0 5 0 119 4772 145 178 +1 06 Coombsie 32 8 1 0 2 0 5 10 0 103 4659 146 178 +0 07 Star 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1990 166 178 na 08 Nick White 29 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4147 143 172 na 09 BlueBeard 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1619 162 172 na 10 Tim W 23 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3407 148 171 na 11 Waldron 23 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3387 147 170 na 12 TeaBarBoy 32 8 3 0 6 0 5 5 0 114 4359 136 168 +0 13 Trubish Bob 27 9 0 0 6 0 0 5 0 89 3765 139 166 -1 14 Pudge 18 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2670 148 166 na 15 MadMac 25 9 1 0 2 0 10 10 0 118 3454 138 163 +0 16 TomP 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1230 154 162 na 17 Derek Dove 31 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4029 130 161 na 18 Sergeyms 17 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2445 144 161 na 19 Jack 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1777 148 160 na 20 Wycliffe N. 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1324 147 156 na 21 Liam 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1437 144 154 na 22 MHedges 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1287 143 152 na 23 BosnianFan. 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 712 142 147 na 24 Sam Buckell 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1080 135 143 na 25 Andrew Lang 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 534 134 138 na 26 Pauly 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 482 121 125 na 27 Modulate 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 462 116 120 na ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---------------------------------- Winners' Circle ---------------------------------- 01 Ossie13 5 02 TT 5 03 Waldron 4 04 Coombsie 3 05 Crystalballs 3 06 Tim W 3 07 BlueBeard 2 08 Butch 2 09 Loz 2 10 Nick White 2 11 Pudge 2 12 Sergeyms 2 13 Dayo 1 14 Derek Dove 1 15 Jack 1 16 MadMac 1 17 Oluwole 1 18 Star 1 19 Tom P 1 ---------------------------------- *Record: 11 wins ? Butch (04/05) -------------------------------------------------------------- Rank Score Predictor(s) -------------------------------------------------------------- 1 290 TT (Liverpool ? EPL) Coombsie (Watford, EPL) 2 275 Ossie13 (Man Utd ? EPL) 3 265 Butch, Ossie13 (Bremen ? CL) 4 260 BlueBeard (Man City ? EPL) 5 245 Ossie13 (Villa ? EPL) 6 240 MadMac (Barcelona ? CL) Waldron (Arsenal ? EPL) 7 238 Loz (West Ham ? EPL) 8 235 Ossie13, Sergeyms (Sheff Utd ? EPL) 9 233 TT (Reading ? EPL) 10 230 Oluwole (Fulham ? EPL) Derek Dove (Portsmouth ? EPL) Pudge (L.Sofia ? CL) Star, Waldron (Charlton ? EPL) -------------------------------------------------------------- *Record: 290 points ? TrubishBob (05/06), Coombsie, TT (06/07) Cheers, Butch

I think Ashley's ban is for this one. I believe Maka's ban is for the Liverpool game. Don't quote me on this though, particularly not for the BPL! Cheers, Butch

Don't know about mucking the beautiful touch screen with my fingers though!!! Cheers, Butch

EDIT: Oops...silly me; just saw I had put this in the Players Forum when I had meant to put it in the General Forum. I have started this thread in here as I didn't want to risk getting people all excited about this one even being a rumor, for it isn't. I just wanted to say that I hope this player is high on Jose's list (needn't be for this January window) and that we'll seriously go after him at some point. I feel he is one of the most exciting players in current world football. I know he is often used centrally, but I also feel that he could be used as one of the quota for wide men in our squad. Along with Robben and Joe Cole, he'd make up one heck of a wide attacking trio to choose from (i.e. rotate). But I wonder how difficult it would be to tempt AC Milan to sell him to us. Really difficult is what I feel personally. And especially in the Winter transfer window where finding replacements is difficult if not nigh on impossible. But Kaka would be just the type of player that could help Sheva get back to his scoring ways. I'm not sure why we've become so selfish, in general, in terms of trying to score. We're just not creating for each other as much as I would have hoped. Even Frank can be too single-minded at times. I just feel that when the opposition are kept guessing as to whether you'll pass or go for goal yourself, they become more hesitant and therefore either you or your team mate will have a better chance at an open shot on goal. But when the opposition knows you're going to go for goal, it becomes much easier to defend. Arsenal, I hate to admit it, are one of the best sides when it comes to "alternatives" and using them. If we had that variety we'd be unstoppable. We already have the players, but we (I mean the players) don't use each other well enough. Which brings me back to the Sheva situation... Cheers, Butch

Dear Friends, Here are the latest BPL standings after the Frankie Lamps extravaganza took us into the 4th round of the FA Cup. CONGRATS this time go to Jack and TT; well done, lads! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ BPL Standings 2006-2007 EPL Season Chelsea Supporters' Registry ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Name Gp St Sb FS Pe Sc TG Pr Bo To Cu Av Rt Ch ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 01 TT 33 9 5 15 6 0 5 5 50 209 5208 158 191 +3 02 Ossie13 33 9 4 15 6 5 5 5 0 154 5178 157 190 +1 03 Butch 33 9 2 15 6 5 10 5 0 139 4930 149 182 +0 04 Crystalballs 33 9 1 15 4 5 10 5 0 131 4793 145 178 +0 05 Coombsie 31 9 1 15 4 10 0 20 0 141 4556 147 178 +1 06 Star 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1990 166 178 na 07 Loz 32 9 4 15 6 0 10 5 0 154 4653 145 177 +1 08 Nick White 29 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4147 143 172 na 09 BlueBeard 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1619 162 172 na 10 Tim W 23 9 1 15 4 5 0 5 0 121 3407 148 171 +0 11 Waldron 23 9 0 15 6 5 5 5 0 114 3387 147 170 -1 12 TeaBarBoy 31 8 1 15 4 0 0 25 0 126 4245 137 168 +1 13 Trubish Bob 26 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3676 141 167 na 14 Pudge 18 8 2 15 6 5 10 10 0 134 2670 148 166 +0 15 MadMac 24 7 0 15 8 5 0 5 0 87 3336 139 163 -1 16 TomP 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1230 154 162 na 17 Derek Dove 31 6 0 15 6 5 10 5 0 89 4029 130 161 +0 18 Sergeyms 17 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2445 144 161 na 19 Jack 12 9 4 15 6 0 10 10 50 209 1777 148 160 +6 20 Wycliffe N. 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1324 147 156 na 21 Liam 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1437 144 154 na 22 MHedges 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1287 143 152 na 23 BosnianFan. 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 712 142 147 na 24 Sam Buckell 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1080 135 143 na 25 Andrew Lang 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 534 134 138 na 26 Pauly 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 482 121 125 na 27 Modulate 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 462 116 120 na ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---------------------------------- Winners' Circle ---------------------------------- 01 Ossie13 5 02 TT 4 03 Waldron 4 04 Coombsie 3 05 Crystalballs 3 06 Tim W 3 07 BlueBeard 2 08 Butch 2 09 Loz 2 10 Nick White 2 11 Pudge 2 12 Sergeyms 2 13 Dayo 1 14 Derek Dove 1 15 Jack 1 16 MadMac 1 17 Oluwole 1 18 Star 1 19 Tom P 1 ---------------------------------- *Record: 11 wins ? Butch (04/05) -------------------------------------------------------------- Rank Score Predictor(s) -------------------------------------------------------------- 1 290 TT (Liverpool ? EPL) Coombsie (Watford, EPL) 2 275 Ossie13 (Man Utd ? EPL) 3 265 Butch, Ossie13 (Bremen ? CL) 4 260 BlueBeard (Man City ? EPL) 5 245 Ossie13 (Villa ? EPL) 6 240 MadMac (Barcelona ? CL) Waldron (Arsenal ? EPL) 7 238 Loz (West Ham ? EPL) 8 235 Ossie13, Sergeyms (Sheff Utd ? EPL) 9 233 TT (Reading ? EPL) 10 230 Oluwole (Fulham ? EPL) Derek Dove (Portsmouth ? EPL) Pudge (L.Sofia ? CL) Star, Waldron (Charlton ? EPL) -------------------------------------------------------------- *Record: 290 points ? TrubishBob (05/06), Coombsie, TT (06/07) Cheers, Butch

It's Essien for me, with Drogba a close second, and Ashley Cole a distant third. Cheers, Butch

I guess it is only fair that I point out we are now only 6 points (down from 8 ) up on the results in last season's corresponding fixtures. Cheers, Butch

I was going to, but Jose Mourinho beat me to it. I tell ya; he's my kind of manager! Cheers, Butch

MikeO, What you say about maybe not running everything through Roman first makes sense (as the alternative would get a bit tedious), though I would not entirely put that down as impossible. However, having said that, IF Roman was unhappy with how things were progressing, he could still tell Peter to do things differently or ultimately fire him. Could he not? I personally think Peter has done pretty much what he was brought to do. I definitely wouldn't put down all the "bad PR" down to him alone. I'm sure Jose and Bruce have just as much say in how things go. Cheers, Butch

2005/6 February 11, 2006: Middlesbrough 3 - 0 Chelsea March 25, 2006: Chelsea 2 - 0 Man City May 2, 2006: Blackburn 1 - 0 Chelsea PLAYED 3, WON 1, DRAWN 0, LOST 2, SCORED 2, and CONCEDED 4 for 3 POINTS. 2006/7 August 13, 2006: Chelsea 3 - 0 Man City August 20, 2006: Middlesbrough 2 - 1 Chelsea August 27, 2006: Blackburn 0 - 2 Chelsea PLAYED 3, WON 2, DRAWN 0, LOST 1, SCORED 6, and CONCEDED 2 for 6 POINTS. 2005: Chelsea 1 - 1 Charlton 2006: Chelsea 2 - 1 Charlton Add the Charlton result to the original list and by my recollection, we have now WON 3 and LOST 1, compared to WON 1, DRAWN 1 and LOST 2 from the corresponding fixtures from last season. I am not saying we're playing better from a performance stand point, but isn't it good to know that despite not firing on all cylinders we are already 5 points better off than last year's results? Cheers, Butch

I was going to start a new poll but it is just an extension of this so maybe we can begin discussions here: I wonder who is coming out worst off here - Chelsea or Gallas. Basically, the club, as far as I can tell and I invite suggestions of possible alternative explanations, are trying to appease those Chelsea fans who are disappointed that we have allowed one of our best defenders ever to join one of our fiercest rivals. By painting Gallas to be the bad guy (and I am not even addressing whether this is true or not), the club is trying to give "those" fans a different perspective of Gallas the person. At the same time, the club is being seen to air their dirty laundry to the public again and this, like it or not, cannot be seen as positive even if it were true. So, who comes off worse - Chelsea or Gallas. AND, do YOU, as a fan, feel any better about off-loading Willie after hearing this, keeping in mind (a) we don't know if it is true, and (:) the dirty laundry thing? My personal feeling is that, although disappointed with his sale, I was already prepared to move on, and this "development" hasn't done too much in terms of making me happier, while comments about us once again "lacking class" and "airing our dirty laundry in public" is something I don't like at all. I'm a little embarassed, to be honest. Cheers, Butch

Three matches against different opposition cannot be compared - I'm sure you are aware of that. All teams have competitors that they do well against, and some have ones they do well against. You simply cannot compare them. Sure, the Blackburn match didn't mean a lot to us on the tail end of the season, but still I am only saying that results-wise and points-wise we are ahead of last season. I am not saying we're playing better. Then again, playing well in itself doesn't win you championships (and I'm aware playing well incrases your chances of winning points). Points on the board does. Cheers, Butch