Butch

Agree with Gem and see us going after another German: Sami Khedira, if he becomes surplus at Madrid. Cheers, Butch

Dear Friends, Here are the FINAL REGULAR SEASON BPL standings after the away win in Cardiff. CONGRATS this time go to Chippy, who is also our regular season champion for 2013-2014. Well done, mate! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Butch’s Prediction League Regular Season Standings 2013-14 English Premier League and Champions League Matches The ShedEnd Forums --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name Gp St Sb FS Pe Sc TG Pr Bo To Cu Av Rt Ch --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 01 Chippy 49 9 5 15 0 0 0 0 50 205 9674 197 246 +1 02 Ossie13 45 8 4 15 0 5 0 0 30 170 8202 182 227 +0 03 TT 46 8 3 15 0 0 0 0 15 140 8220 179 225 +0 04 Butch 50 8 4 30 0 5 0 0 50 205 8622 172 222 +1 05 Coombsie 04 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 599 150 154 na 06 moneim 01 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 111 111 112 na 07 Liam F 01 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 110 110 111 na --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Record (Rt) = 259 (TT, 2012-13) Record (Av) = 212 (Footballoholic, 2010-11) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Butch’s Prediction League Regular Season Standings 2013-14 Capitol One Cup, FA Cup and UEFA Super Cup Matches The ShedEnd Forums --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name Gp St Sb FS Pe Sc TG Pr Bo To Cu Av Rt Ch --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 01 Ossie13 07 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1250 179 186 na 02 TT 07 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1209 173 180 na 03 Chippy 07 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1103 158 165 na 04 Butch 06 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 845 141 147 na --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ BPL Winners’ Circle 2013-14 ------------------------------ 01 Chippy 20 02 Butch 14 Ossie13 14 04 TT 11 05 Coombsie 1 ------------------------------ Record = 28 (TT, 2012-13) -------------------------------------------------------------- BPL Top-10 Scores 2013-14 -------------------------------------------------------------- 01 305 Chippy – Galatasaray (h, cl) TT – PSG (h, cl) 02 293 Chippy – Steaua (a, cl) 03 287 Ossie13 – Arsenal (h, epl) TT – Arsenal (h, epl) 04 283 TT – WBA (a, epl) 05 280 Chippy – Man City (h, epl) 06 260 Chippy – Hull City (a, epl) Chippy – Newcastle (h, epl) 07 258 Chippy – Sunderland (a, epl) TT – Fulham (a, epl) 08 256 Butch – Newcastle (a, epl) Butch – West Ham (h, epl) 09 255 Chippy – West Ham (a, epl) TT – Swindon (a, cc) 10 253 Chippy – Hull City (h, epl) Chippy – WBA (a, epl) -------------------------------------------------------------- Record = 330 (Ossie13, 2010-11) Cheers, Butch

Dear Friends, Here are the FINAL ShedEnd Last-11 Competition standings after the away win in Cardiff. Wins for JoeyN, dkw and yours truly in the final match saw JoeyN leapfrog over jack_super_class for an exciting last match clinching of the title, so CONGRATS! Thanks all for joining in the competition and see you all next season! ----------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------- SHEDEND LAST-11 COMPETITION 2014 ----------------------------------------------------------- Name PL W D L Gd Total ----------------------------------------------------------- 01. JoeyN 11 3 3 5 -14 12 02. jack_super_class 11 2 5 4 -12 11 03. Butch 11 2 4 5 -15 10 04. dkw 11 1 5 5 -14 8 05. ButchersHook 11 1 5 5 -15 8 06. Zola 11 1 5 5 -16 8 07. Scott Harris 11 1 5 5 -18 8 08. Barn 11 1 5 5 -20 8 09. 1905 11 1 5 5 -23 8 10. MANoWAR 11 1 4 6 -14 7 11. trigger 11 0 6 5 -17 7 12. AdamCFC 11 1 4 6 -18 7 13. AlexTommo 11 1 4 6 -19 7 14. coco 11 1 4 6 -21 7 15. Sharpy 11 0 7 4 -22 7 16. Boyne 11 0 6 5 -17 6 17. Chippy 11 0 6 5 -19 6 ForeverCarefree 11 1 3 7 -19 6 18. PL2 11 0 6 5 -20 6 19. chelseabootboy 11 0 6 5 -23 6 20. Cech Yourself 11 0 5 6 -13 5 21. mad_mac 11 0 5 6 -14 5 22. charierre 11 0 5 6 -15 5 23. True Blue23 11 0 5 6 -16 5 Veeria 11 0 5 6 -16 5 24. Ballack & Blu 11 0 5 6 -18 5 25. Jackbuchanan 11 0 5 6 -19 5 26. DimiturDimitrov 11 1 2 8 -20 5 27. Uno 11 0 5 6 -22 5 28. blueblur 11 0 5 6 -24 5 29. mactheknife 11 0 4 7 -15 4 30. axman2526 11 0 4 7 -20 4 ----------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------- Cheers, Butch

If Ashley leaves, it will be due to a decision based on FFP. He is on high wages, and is not an automatic starter the way he used to be. From a footballing perspective and on sentimentality, I don't want to see him go. But from an off the pitch perspective, I think we have to understand the cold hard truth about modern day football. Just look at PSG and Man City and their potential punishments for going afoul of FFP to see why Chelsea might make a decision such as this in order to "make room" for new players in positions we really, really need. As for JT, if he was indeed teary-eyed, it would be down to (a) our performance on the day, and (b) the thought of a much-changed Chelsea without people who must now be absolutely great pals with him. The picture above says a lot. But in terms of his own place, with him returning to really good form this season under Jose, I'd say it was pretty much a nailed on certainty that he will return with the Blues next season. I'm slightly less certain about Lamps, though his close relationship with Jose may keep him here. I find all this uncertainty in terms of the English players sad because when I look at the current Chelsea squad, these players more than most are the ones I identify with. They more than most are my heroes. And we've come through so much together that they feel like family. This really is the part of football that s*cks. Cheers, Butch

I think the key players we had during Jose's first tenure at Chelsea are at or close to the end of their careers here, for example Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole. John Terry has had a bit of a renaissance but that has been the exception. Transition is a transition in the "backbone" of the team that is going to take us forward for the next many years. Just as Cech, JT, Frank and Didier were the backbone from 2005-2013, a new backbone needs to be put into place by Jose now. It is beginning to take shape with Cahill and Matic really stepping up this season, and with Eden Hazard beginning to be an absolutely key cog further up, but Cech's place is being severely challenged by Courtois and we're still short of a dependable striker that can lead us from the front. Basically, we're not the finished article yet, at least not in Jose's view and that is what counts. I know people are disappointed. I can't say I am not disappointed to get so close yet not quite reach success. But when push came to shove in the EPL, we just weren't able to unlock defenses intent on shutting up shop (oh, the irony) and in the CL I really have to admit that Atletico played better than us on the day while we made key defensive mistakes that cost us. Transition is not an excuse for lack of success. Nobody has any right to success. We have been in the running more than most, in the two competitions that mean anything. But transition does put things into perspective, when people are so quick to point out how big a failure we've become by not actually winning anything! Cheers, Butch

It all boils down to Chelsea having an unbalanced side, without a striker who can keep possession (or score goals), and with attacking players that are defensively light weight. Jose knew this from the beginning, and that's why, despite the ups and downs of the season, he never ever changed his tune about this being a transition season with different targets (i.e. top three rather than serious ambitions of major honors). Even after the damp squib of a draw against Norwich City on the weekend, he didn't sound as much disappointed that we were for all intents and purposes out of the running, as he sounded almost content we had (just about) secured third place and automatic group stage in next year's Champions League. When you start the season with the handicap of no real goal-getter, you know that any sort of success is going to be borne of hard work and defensive solidity. Jose is nothing if not a practical man. He plays the team to its strengths. He has always said this; it should come to no surprise to anyone. But the dramatic media with a chip on their shoulder due to their allegiances are always going to go looking for some sort of "problem" with Chelsea where there isn't one. I have never had a problem with Chelsea being a solid defensive side first and foremost, and then unlocking defenses with sheer will power, and the physical prowess and skills of our attacking players. I actually quite enjoy this identity of being a solid, tenacious and physical team that is more than a match for anyone, including the Barcelona's and Bayern Munich's of this world, who just about every team goes into matches against as clear under dogs. We always get underneath these teams' skins because we don't conform to any notion that you should bow down and get slaughtered against them. The problem with this season is that (1) we don't have that striker that can get us goals to unlock tight defenses, which is the difference of turning draws and close defeats into valuable points, and (2) our new generation of key attacking men lack the experience, discipline and composure in tight situations, making errors that are the difference between success and failure. I am talking about, for example, Hazard's lack of awareness to allow his defender to get in behind him and knock the ball back across the face of goal for Atletico's equalizer. He can complain all he likes about our lack of attacking ambition, but if he had done his job and we had held that lead getting to half time, we could quite conceivably be booking our tickets to Portugal for the final. It is this attention to detail and tactical awareness that is going to be key as we move forward. Jose knew this at the beginning of the season, and this is why he said it is a transition year for us. Another problem is maybe our lack of squad depth. We suffered key injuries at key moments that have surely played their part. An absolutely solid defensive unit had to be pretty much "overhauled" due to the injuries to Cech and Terry. And don't forget that Hazard was also out for a while, and Oscar was out pretty much for the home stretch. And with Matic and Salah being ineligible for Europe, we were stretched thin. I believe with this season under our belts, and it is nothing to be sniffed at (we cantered to a third place finish despite our limitations and problems rather than are having to sweat it going into the final games; and we're not even completely out of the league title race based on mathematics going into our final match), and strengthening the squad in key areas, I do believe we will come back much stronger. So, no, I don't have any concerns whatsoever about our style of play. That is for those outside the club to worry about. I have the utmost faith and confidence in Jose to lead us to glory. What I do wish is that we had full backs (and wingers) that can cross a ball, and a striker who didn't hide when the going gets tough. And that is why I am not unhappy to read rumors of our interest in the likes of Luke Shaw and Diego Costa. But I don't believe that will be enough. While I like some of what I've seen of Oscar, he has not been completely reliable and we have lost something through the middle when we needed to take games by the scruff of the neck. Matic is one of our new untouchables, but the other two places are up for grabs. I'd love it if we got someone who knew how to shoot from distance like Lamps used to do at the peak of his powers because the threat creates space by pulling defenders into areas they don't want to go, and the shots on target lead either to goals or opportunities for team mates. Don't get me started on the shooting abilities of David Luiz and Ramires from similar positions. Maybe we'll see more from Marco van Ginkel, but this is definitely another area we need to strengthen. Cheers, Butch

Dear Friends, Here are the latest BPL standings after the home draw with Norwich City in the premier league. CONGRATS this time go to Ossie13; well done, mate! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Butch’s Prediction League Regular Season Standings 2013-14 English Premier League and Champions League Matches The ShedEnd Forums --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name Gp St Sb FS Pe Sc TG Pr Bo To Cu Av Rt Ch --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 01 Chippy 48 8 3 0 6 0 0 0 30 134 9469 197 245 -1 02 Ossie13 44 8 4 0 4 0 0 0 50 166 8032 183 227 +1 03 TT 45 6 1 0 8 0 0 0 15 77 8080 180 225 -1 04 Butch 49 8 3 0 6 0 0 0 30 134 8417 172 221 +0 05 Coombsie 04 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 599 150 154 na 06 moneim 01 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 111 111 112 na 07 Liam F 01 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 110 110 111 na --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Record (Rt) = 259 (TT, 2012-13) Record (Av) = 212 (Footballoholic, 2010-11) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Butch’s Prediction League Regular Season Standings 2013-14 Capitol One Cup, FA Cup and UEFA Super Cup Matches The ShedEnd Forums --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name Gp St Sb FS Pe Sc TG Pr Bo To Cu Av Rt Ch --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 01 Ossie13 07 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1250 179 186 na 02 TT 07 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1209 173 180 na 03 Chippy 07 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1103 158 165 na 04 Butch 06 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 845 141 147 na --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ BPL Winners’ Circle 2013-14 ------------------------------ 01 Chippy 19 02 Ossie13 14 03 Butch 13 04 TT 11 05 Coombsie 1 ------------------------------ Record = 28 (TT, 2012-13) -------------------------------------------------------------- BPL Top-10 Scores 2013-14 -------------------------------------------------------------- 01 305 Chippy – Galatasaray (h, cl) TT – PSG (h, cl) 02 293 Chippy – Steaua (a, cl) 03 287 Ossie13 – Arsenal (h, epl) TT – Arsenal (h, epl) 04 283 TT – WBA (a, epl) 05 280 Chippy – Man City (h, epl) 06 260 Chippy – Hull City (a, epl) Chippy – Newcastle (h, epl) 07 258 Chippy – Sunderland (a, epl) TT – Fulham (a, epl) 08 256 Butch – Newcastle (a, epl) Butch – West Ham (h, epl) 09 255 Chippy – West Ham (a, epl) TT – Swindon (a, cc) 10 253 Chippy – Hull City (h, epl) Chippy – WBA (a, epl) -------------------------------------------------------------- Record = 330 (Ossie13, 2010-11) Cheers, Butch

Only way it could be worse if it was orange and gray, LOL. Cheers, Butch

Dear Friends, Here are the penultimate ShedEnd Last-11 Competition standings going into our last EPL match of the season, away to Cardiff City. Just a reminder that I am missing the Cardiff City predictions for a couple of you: jack_super_class and ButchersHook. ----------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------- SHEDEND LAST-11 COMPETITION 2014 ----------------------------------------------------------- Name PL W D L Gd Total ----------------------------------------------------------- 01. jack_super_class 10 2 4 4 -12 10 02. JoeyN 10 2 3 5 -14 9 03. ButchersHook 10 1 4 5 -14 7 04. Butch 10 1 4 5 -15 7 Zola 10 1 4 5 -15 7 05. Scott Harris 10 1 4 5 -17 7 06. Barn 10 1 4 5 -19 7 07. 1905 10 1 4 5 -21 7 08. MANoWAR 10 1 3 6 -13 6 09. AdamCFC 10 1 3 6 -17 6 10. AlexTommo 10 1 3 6 -19 6 coco 10 1 3 6 -19 6 11. Sharpy 10 0 6 4 -21 6 12. dkw 10 0 5 5 -14 5 13. trigger 10 0 5 5 -15 5 14. Boyne 10 0 5 5 -17 5 PL2 10 0 5 5 -17 5 15. Chippy 10 0 5 5 -18 5 DimiturDimitrov 10 1 2 7 -18 5 ForeverCarefree 10 1 2 7 -18 5 16. chelseabootboy 10 0 5 5 -22 5 17. Cech Yourself 10 0 4 6 -12 4 18. mad_mac 10 0 4 6 -14 4 19. charierre 10 0 4 6 -15 4 Veeria 10 0 4 6 -15 4 20. True Blue23 10 0 4 6 -16 4 21. Ballack & Blu 10 0 4 6 -17 4 22. Jackbuchanan 10 0 4 6 -19 4 23. Uno 10 0 4 6 -20 4 24. blueblur 10 0 4 6 -23 4 25. mactheknife 10 0 3 7 -13 3 26. axman2526 10 0 3 7 -19 3 ----------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------- Cheers, Butch

Dear Friends, Here are the latest BPL standings after the home defeat to Atletico puts paid to our Champions League campaign for the season. CONGRATS this time go to Chippy; well done, mate! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Butch’s Prediction League Regular Season Standings 2013-14 English Premier League and Champions League Matches The ShedEnd Forums --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name Gp St Sb FS Pe Sc TG Pr Bo To Cu Av Rt Ch --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 01 Chippy 47 10 5 0 2 0 10 10 50 218 9335 199 246 +2 02 TT 44 9 5 0 0 0 0 5 30 175 8003 182 226 +1 03 Ossie13 43 9 4 0 2 0 0 5 0 133 7866 183 226 +0 04 Butch 48 9 4 0 0 5 0 5 15 155 8283 173 221 +1 05 Coombsie 04 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 599 150 154 na 06 moneim 01 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 111 111 112 na 07 Liam F 01 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 110 110 111 na --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Record (Rt) = 259 (TT, 2012-13) Record (Av) = 212 (Footballoholic, 2010-11) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Butch’s Prediction League Regular Season Standings 2013-14 Capitol One Cup, FA Cup and UEFA Super Cup Matches The ShedEnd Forums --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name Gp St Sb FS Pe Sc TG Pr Bo To Cu Av Rt Ch --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 01 Ossie13 07 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1250 179 186 na 02 TT 07 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1209 173 180 na 03 Chippy 07 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1103 158 165 na 04 Butch 06 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 845 141 147 na --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ BPL Winners’ Circle 2013-14 ------------------------------ 01 Chippy 19 02 Butch 13 Ossie13 04 TT 11 05 Coombsie 1 ------------------------------ Record = 28 (TT, 2012-13) -------------------------------------------------------------- BPL Top-10 Scores 2013-14 -------------------------------------------------------------- 01 305 Chippy – Galatasaray (h, cl) TT – PSG (h, cl) 02 293 Chippy – Steaua (a, cl) 03 287 Ossie13 – Arsenal (h, epl) TT – Arsenal (h, epl) 04 283 TT – WBA (a, epl) 05 280 Chippy – Man City (h, epl) 06 260 Chippy – Hull City (a, epl) Chippy – Newcastle (h, epl) 07 258 Chippy – Sunderland (a, epl) TT – Fulham (a, epl) 08 256 Butch – Newcastle (a, epl) Butch – West Ham (h, epl) 09 255 Chippy – West Ham (a, epl) TT – Swindon (a, cc) 10 253 Chippy – Hull City (h, epl) Chippy – WBA (a, epl) -------------------------------------------------------------- Record = 330 (Ossie13, 2010-11) Cheers, Butch

That was a tough defeat. I'm just getting over it now. And the reason it was tough, was because it was a true defeat. Not one borne by luck, but due to (1) our own uncharacteristic mistakes, and (2) our inability to counter the tide once Atletico equalized and took the lead. Things started off well enough. It was a little more open, but we kept it relatively tight and didn't make any early mistakes, and Willian's brilliant run wide right and attempt to cut back inside past defenders gave Azpilicueta the chance to attack the loose ball and lay it back for Torres to knock home via a deflection. So close to the half time break, to be ahead in an important champions league match at The Bridge, I really, really though we'd be able to shut up shop (at least until the break) for the win. No. Instead of tightening up and taking no risks, we made a string of horrendous defensive mistakes that Atletico managed to use to punish us and get a very, very key equalizing goal that shaped the rest of the match. First, Hazard allowed his opposing mark to ghost past him unfollowed at the back post and knock the far post cross back into the area. Then, JT, Cahill and Ash were either too unbalanced or too concerned about knock the ball into their own goal and therefore allowed the ball to bounce back to the near post, where an unmarked Atletico player was able to bounce the ball into the ground and high up into the net past a hapless Shwarzer. I can still picture the sequence of events in slow motion, and believe that to be the key goal of the game. In the second half, we really were unable to play the game we wanted, and Atletico looked much more dangerous. I can't recall seeing another side come to The Bridge to give us that much grief. What I mean is we really didn't have control of the ball at all. There seemed to be a void in the attacking part of midfield for us that meant we were unable to create sustained pressure through sustained possession in advanced areas of the pitch (except for wide on Hazard's side, which never came to anything anyway). I very much expected that we would bring on Oscar to try to get an attacking hold of midfield, but we brought Eto'o on instead (and I'm still puzzled today as to why Oscar never came on the pitch). As for Eto'o's challenge for the P, well, there was no question. It was a foolish challenge, and I expect much more from a player of his experience. There's not much more I could say about that. The PK itself was taken with supreme confidence by Costa, slotting it neatly just under the bar to give Schwarzer no chance whatsoever. At that point, you'd think Chelsea would at least begin to take a hold of possession to try to get back into the match, but if anything, I have to say Atletico were always the more likely to score further goals. True, we had those two great chances, from Luiz's header which rebounded off the post and was quite miraculously tipped over the bar by Courtois, and then there was the Hazard chance from inside the area on the left that was again confidently dealt with by our Belgian loanee. It is safe to say that throughout the two legs, Courtois has made a strong statement to his parent club. Yes, Petr has done so much for us over the past 10 years, and he will always be a hero, but there is no question his place is now under threat. How could it not be? I haven't seen this confident, accomplished and really cool a young goal keeper before. I think he has what it takes to be the very best in the world. I truly do. And so, with the game winding down, Atletico get another lucky bounce in our area, Turan heading against the cross bar and then collecting the rebound to knock into a pretty much empty net with all our defenders and keeper scrambling to no avail. I'm disappointed with what seemed to me to be rather basic defensive errors (not following the runs of your marked man, twice, making bad decisions tackling in the penalty area, etc), but also feel a bit helpless in that it seemed on the day that Simeone was able to outwit Jose Mourinho. I guess it is possible, but it was still disappointing to see us basically unable to turn the tide, wrestle back possession or find a way to put Atletico under more pressure, even when we decided we had to go for it because we needed 3 goals, we still never really were able to lay siege to the opposing goal. But hats off to Atletico. I think that's really all I can say. And a big thank you to Jose and the boys for making us believe, and in bringing us so close to glory in what set out as a transition year. Of course, the experience will be invaluable to the likes of Schurrle, Oscar and Hazard, and next year I would expect that we would make fewer key mistakes, as well as come back with a more balanced squad. I feel sorry for the likes of Petr, JT and Lamps, as this was likely one of the few last chances for further glory on this stage. And so our season winds down to the final two premier league matches. We have to pick ourselves up for this, as there is still a chance and we have to play for it. And I am continually reminding myself that this is Jose's first season back, it is essentially a transition season and was declared as such from the beginning. The fact I am this disappointed just goes to show how much Jose has made me believe again. I love that we are here or hereabouts on all fronts. I love that we are stepping on peoples' toes again. It just means we have become a big threat for the major trophies. Long may that continue. Cheers, Butch

Dear Friends, Here are the latest BPL standings after the away win at Anfield. CONGRATS this time go to Chippy; well done, mate! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Butch’s Prediction League Regular Season Standings 2013-14 English Premier League and Champions League Matches The ShedEnd Forums --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name Gp St Sb FS Pe Sc TG Pr Bo To Cu Av Rt Ch --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 01 Chippy 46 10 4 15 2 5 5 0 50 213 9117 198 244 +1 02 Ossie13 42 10 5 0 2 0 0 0 30 178 7733 184 226 +1 03 TT 43 8 3 0 2 0 20 0 15 143 7828 182 225 +0 04 Butch 47 9 2 0 2 0 0 5 0 113 8128 173 220 +0 05 Coombsie 04 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 599 150 154 na 06 moneim 01 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 111 111 112 na 07 Liam F 01 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 110 110 111 na --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Record (Rt) = 259 (TT, 2012-13) Record (Av) = 212 (Footballoholic, 2010-11) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Butch’s Prediction League Regular Season Standings 2013-14 Capitol One Cup, FA Cup and UEFA Super Cup Matches The ShedEnd Forums --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name Gp St Sb FS Pe Sc TG Pr Bo To Cu Av Rt Ch --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 01 Ossie13 07 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1250 179 186 na 02 TT 07 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1209 173 180 na 03 Chippy 07 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1103 158 165 na 04 Butch 06 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 845 141 147 na --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ BPL Winners’ Circle 2013-14 ------------------------------ 01 Chippy 18 02 Butch 13 Ossie13 04 TT 11 05 Coombsie 1 ------------------------------ Record = 28 (TT, 2012-13) -------------------------------------------------------------- BPL Top-10 Scores 2013-14 -------------------------------------------------------------- 01 305 Chippy – Galatasaray (h, cl) TT – PSG (h, cl) 02 293 Chippy – Steaua (a, cl) 03 287 Ossie13 – Arsenal (h, epl) TT – Arsenal (h, epl) 04 283 TT – WBA (a, epl) 05 280 Chippy – Man City (h, epl) 06 260 Chippy – Hull City (a, epl) Chippy – Newcastle (h, epl) 07 258 Chippy – Sunderland (a, epl) TT – Fulham (a, epl) 08 256 Butch – Newcastle (a, epl) Butch – West Ham (h, epl) 09 255 Chippy – West Ham (a, epl) TT – Swindon (a, cc) 10 253 Chippy – Hull City (h, epl) Chippy – WBA (a, epl) -------------------------------------------------------------- Record = 330 (Ossie13, 2010-11) Cheers, Butch

It was great to see that JT, Hazard and Eto'o were training with the team leading up to this second leg with Atletico. I don't think we should under estimate the importance of having as much of our first choice defense intact as possibly. If JT plays, that means we can field a first choice back four of Ivanovic, Cahill, JT and Azpilicueta, even though Cech will be playing no part in goal. I think that is a solid unit, and provides a platform for us to go forward and get that goal(s) we need to win. In the middle of the pitch, Luiz will have a huge say on how well we do. He was huge in Madrid, and will need to have another really good game to help us keep the Spaniards at bay. But both he and Ramires will need to show a lot of discipline not to get into card trouble early, as that would put us under a huge amount of pressure. In what is likely to be a tactical battle, I don't think a defensive midfielder on a yellow card is going to be a good risk, and I'm not sure who could step up in their place if needed (with Mikel and Lamps suspended). That is my main worry: we're going to be rather light with all the players out, and so we won't have too much of an executable plan B should we need it. Who would we bring on, except for the likes of Schurrle (a lot of running and some goal threat), Ba (he'd be our biggest hope off the bench), and Torres (with Atletico pegged back in defense, it is not the type of match Torres would relish). No, this match is going to come down to the performance of our starters, and if we're chasing the game late on I think we're going to see some positional risks rather than personnel changes. That is why it will be very important to start well. The other key would be the "true" fitness levels of our players back from injury, as they are key players in key positions: JT, Hazard and Eto'o. I hope we aren't forced to watch one or more of them trudge off the pitch with a forlorn look on their faces having aggravated an injury. We really need them fit, so they can perform the task we need them to. I am on tenterhooks for this one. There is a lot of expectation, yet the match is too finely balanced to easily call it one way or the other, which is in itself a strange situation going into a decisive home leg of a tie. I can't see this being much more open than the match in Madrid, simply from the fact that we know Atletico don't have to win the match to get through. It makes the approach a little difficult. We also know how good a defensive team they are, so if we end up needing two or more goals to get through it will be pretty nerve wrecking! Cheers, Butch

People are at it again, of course. Enemies of football. Anti-football. Ugly football. Yada-yada-yada. Yawn. Chelsea, once again, put in quite the shift to stop a rampant Liverpool side, at Anfield, with a big Champions League game coming up and occupying at least some part of our minds, with key players in key positions out, with Liverpool wanting this win badly to solidify pole position in their quest for a first league title in eons, etc... Let's put aside the naivety of people who think football is only about scoring goals for a minute, and those of people who think big teams should play like big teams, and those of people who think that you should put caution to the wind, play football the right way, and take it on the chin, as it were (i.e. just open up and let Liverpool clobber you), I still think these people must think that what we did is super easy. I mean, yes, we're great at it, and we have the most meticulous coaching mind to prepare us, but it still takes a heck of a lot of will power, belief in the system, team responsibility, and a heck of a lot of running and positional awareness to do what we do. We simply don't get the appreciation we deserve. Nobody, and I mean nobody, gave us a chance in hell of stopping Liverpool on their own turf, much less stopping and them and scoring a brace to win! The words "clobber" and "rape" were used a little too liberally to describe what people though Liverpool would do to us. Look, Chelsea are still only third favorites to win the title (we need both Liverpool and City to slip up some more while we win both our matches; that is a lot to ask), but that didn't really matter so much before the match started. It was about respect. I am pleased we put Liverpool in their place. The amount of their so-called fans bleeding out of the woodwork to mock us and boast about their own chances has been enough to make you ill. I love what was said on twitter: "Jose Mourinho shows you that a team used to winning makes a bad loser, while Liverpool show you that a team used to losing makes a bad winner". That is very true, and so quite apart from this win really giving us much of a shout to win the league, I am just happy we taught those lot a lesson. Well, maybe I shouldn't expect too much, but it certainly feels good. I think Jose Mourinho pretty much got the tactics spot on. We nullified the "quick out the gates" aspect of a rampant Liverpool side, nullified the "12th player" aspect of the "dreaded" Kop, and you could just see the frustration levels within the Liverpool ranks grow and grow - they were taking silly long-range shots because they couldn't find a way through, or were resorting to lobbing the ball into our center of defense, where Jose quite rightly described us as a fish in water dealing with those high balls. And when Stevie G showed us once again that he REALLY DID move to Chelsea all those years ago by gifting Demba Ba a goal, well, it was really looking good for us. But back to this erroneous belief that it is easy, as if to say it is almost a foregone conclusion Chelsea would be successful in their stifling tactics when we set our stall out to defend, our players put in some amazing shifts on the day. First, let's talk about one of our players of the season. Dave simply has been awesome all season long, whether it is on the left or the right, he just never misses a beat. So much energy, so tough to beat, so much desire to scramble back and recover if an opposing player does somehow look like he's getting the better of him. It just exemplifies the sheer belief, tenacity and will to win of this club. Next, Ashley Cole; again, seemingly out in the wilderness and he just strolls back and plays like he's never been gone. Amazing. Ivanovic. Forget about beating him for headers. And his physical strength and desire to win is second to none. Nemanja Matic. Positional awareness. Ability to hound, over power, out maneuver and dispossess opposing players is fantastic. He is playing the Makalele role very, very well. But I wanted to single out, well double out, two players at opposing ends of the age spectrum: Mark Schwarzer and Tomas Kalas for special praise. Kalas was absolutely "beautiful", as Jose put it. He never looked out of place, and he put in some really good, fair and non-compromising tackles to stop the Liverpool forwards in their tracks. What a prospect. Schwarzer also looked solid on the day - maybe one weak punch out if we're being picky - but as solid as you like for a reserve keeper. Two players who could be looked upon as weak chinks in our armor, but who contributed greatly to a sound defensive showing. Further up the pitch was all about running and providing outlet channels, which Schurrle, Salah, Ba, and later on Willian and Torres did ever so well. We were going to be put under pressure, no question about it, and while we were defending solidly, from time to time we needed to keep the Liverpool defense honest and allow our defense a breather. I thought Ba had an immense performance for us. Was able to win headers regularly, be an overall nuisance for the Liverpool back line, and took his chance ever so well. Everyone just really worked hard for a common cause, it was just delightful to watch. A Liverpool fan had the gaul to suggest Torres elected to pass to Willian rather than to score the killer second goal against his old club. OK, whatever. I'm more apt to believe that he didn't want to do the more risky thing in taking the shot when Willian was absolutely wide open. What good would it do for him not to score anyway? By Willian scoring rather than Torres, did Liverpool somehow not conceded a second to kill the game? Of course not. So in actual fact, Torres chose the smart option to make sure he didn't make a mistake, thereby absolutely killing Liverpool's chances of getting a late equalizer. Grasping at straws, that lot, and not a small amount of vain-ness to think they have any importance to Nando. Lastly, what can you say about Jose Mourinho that hasn't already been said. Best Chelsea manager ever, at least in my honest opinion. Gives us hope where nobody else gives us any. Helping us win matches we supposedly have not business doing so. Protecting our image. Wearing his passion on his sleeve. Thinking and acting like a fan. I would not have it any different. Who cares what the world thinks of us. We'll just keep stepping on toes en route to the finish line. Cheers, Butch

Dear Friends, Here are the latest ShedEnd Last-11 competition standings after the 2-0 away win over Liverpool at Anfield. Just two matches remaining now! ----------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------- SHEDEND LAST-11 COMPETITION 2014 ----------------------------------------------------------- Name PL W D L Gd Total ----------------------------------------------------------- 01. jack_super_class 09 2 4 3 -9 10 02. JoeyN 09 2 3 4 -11 9 03. ButchersHook 09 1 4 4 -11 7 04. Butch 09 1 4 4 -12 7 05. Scott Harris 09 1 4 4 -14 7 Zola 09 1 4 4 -14 7 06. Barn 09 1 4 4 -17 7 07. 1905 09 1 4 4 -18 7 08. MANoWAR 09 1 3 5 -11 6 09. AdamCFC 09 1 3 5 -13 6 10. AlexTommo 09 1 3 5 -16 6 11. coco 09 1 3 5 -17 6 Sharpy 09 0 6 3 -17 6 12. dkw 09 0 5 4 -13 5 PL2 09 0 5 4 -13 5 13. Boyne 09 0 5 4 -14 5 trigger 09 0 5 4 -14 5 14. Chippy 09 0 5 4 -15 5 ForeverCarefree 09 1 2 6 -15 5 15. DimiturDimitrov 09 1 2 6 -16 5 16. chelseabootboy 09 0 5 4 -19 5 17. Cech Yourself 09 0 4 5 -10 4 18. mad_mac 09 0 4 5 -11 4 19. charierre 09 0 4 5 -13 4 True Blue23 09 0 4 5 -13 4 Veeria 09 0 4 5 -13 4 20. Ballack & Blu 09 0 4 5 -14 4 21. Jackbuchanan 09 0 4 5 -15 4 22. Uno 09 0 4 5 -18 4 23. blueblur 09 0 4 5 -20 4 24. mactheknife 09 0 3 6 -12 3 25. axman2526 09 0 3 6 -17 3 ----------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------- Cheers, Butch

For those of you comparing Lukaku to Drogba, they are very, very different players. Lukaku only resembles Drogba in his physique. As Jose described him, he is a big player but plays like a small player, or something to that effect. They are not comparable. If anything, I see Jose employing Lukaku out wide and letting him cut in and do his stuff. I also see a possibility of Lukaku never making it here due to a clash of personalities, that we have already seen some evidence of in the early season when Jose wanted him to stay and fight for his place, but he pushed for the loan move to Everton. He could be used to generate some financial flexibility for Chelsea, although personally I'd like to see him have a full season at Chelsea. As for Cavani and Costa, I've not seen enough of Costa to say how well he'd fit in at Chelsea, but his temperament and physique seem a good fit. He'll be no pushover. However, I'd take Cavani in a heart beat, a real live wire and works very hard in offense. The transfer fees being bandied about are crazy though, so have no idea how we could afford him, without offloading quite a few high earners in our squad. Oscar was supposed to be that talented central attacking midfielder to become our human metronome in place of Lampard (although they play different styles), but he's been a bit disappointing this season. It certainly would be good if we could bring in another creative central midfielder, along the lines of a Modric, that could help us unlock defenses. Ramires is a very limited footballer, good as a "joker" for running in behind defenses, but a liability with fouls and misplaced passes, not to mention wayward shots. He is so hard working he always gets into good positions, but such a joke shooter that we always see him missing chances that he creates himself with his running. I think Jose is quite happy with his defense the way it is, but my preference is for people to play in their most comfortable positions, and for our full backs to have good crossing ability, which for me means Azpilicueta at RB and either Ash (or Shaw) at LB. I think that would give us better balance going forward. Ivanovic can rotate at CB and play at RB if we're playing a physically big EPL side (i.e. Stoke) and we need the added heading ability. Ideally, this would be my Chelsea starting side for 2014-5: Petr Cech Cesar Azpilicueta Luke Shaw Gary Cahill John Terry Nemanja Matic David Luiz Luka Modric Eden Hazard Romelu Lukaku Edinson Cavani In a 4-2-3-1 Cheers, Butch

I think it depends on what the club want to do re Ash. Dave has been playing so well, Ash isn't getting much of a look in, and for a player on really high wages and in the final years of his career, it would be probably better for both club and player for him to find pastures new. If he goes, that opens up some space on the salary side of things for us that will give us some flexibility. I may be in the minority here, but despite the globalization of the sport, I maintain that having an English spine is important for an English club, and I believe Jose agrees with this notion as he has said it in the past. So, a very promising young English lad that can grow with the club, and a Chelsea fan to boot, I would take him despite the high transfer fee. There are not that many quality young English players to choose from (i.e. who are not already at big clubs that don't want to sell). I really, really hope we go for him in a big way. True, Dave has been great, but I see him at RB for Chelsea in the long-term, and it doesn't hurt to have options. We need that crossing ability from the flanks, to be honest. I think this is a perfect fit for us, most likely one of very few. Cheers, Butch

I'd say that was an insult. One of the worse possible. Inhuman, in fact, LOL. Cheers, Butch

No, no, no Chippy, you got it all wrong. Everyone knows all the media are Liverpool fans! LOL Cheers, Butch

Yes, we certainly were negative in our tactics, but so what? Opposition fans complaining? So what? It wasn't pretty. I can understand their sentiment. But I really don't care. We have become well known for this, and while it may look boring, it isn't exactly easy to execute successfully. The fact that we have done this several times before, and were able to do it successfully again against Atletico means we truly are accomplished team defenders. Now, this was a calculated gamble on Jose's part, of course. He knows, and this was proven on the night, that Atletico are also accomplished defenders. Had we been gung-ho, they could easily have made us pay and could even have sewn the tie up. I gather they could easily put in a similar performance to ours at the Bridge a week from now, but they also do have the dangerous-looking Costa hovering menacingly around our penalty area. Simeone said we will see if this result actually benefits Chelsea or Atletico in a week's time, and I agree the tie is evenly poised. While Chelsea have home advantage and just need to score more than Atletico, the Spaniards know that because they kept a clean sheet at home they have the potential away goals advantage is they can score (and thus don't necessarily need to win to progress to the final while we do, pretty much). So whether or not we should have been celebrating the result, we will know in a week's time. But considering this was basically the result we ended up playing for on the day, I suppose that was what we were celebrating, not the fact we're going to win, but that we did what we set out to do. Those are two different things. Back to the performance though, my Man of the Match was David Luiz. He can go a bit "loony" sometimes and go roundabout but on the day he was excellent, a colossus for us in midfield, then in defense. The only "mistakes" he made were to be involved in both our key injuries: pushing an Atletico player into Cech and thus contributing to his awkward fall, and then being stepped on by JT for his twisted ankle. Not blaming him, of course, just saying. But in addition to those two, JT and Cahill once again showed they are the best center back pairing in England and arguably in Europe. They mopped up absolutely everything Atletico threw at them. I am astounded that neither of them were nominated for player of the season. Football isn't just about scoring goals. Lampard and Mikel also worked tirelessly, and they are going to be missed for the return leg, along with Cech and JT, due to their bookings. Azpilicueta has been one of our players of the season, and he continued at RB where he left off at LB. Ash was also his old, reliable self. He didn't seem to miss a beat despite being out for so long. Willian and Ramires also worked tirelessly in defense, but they were totally isolated when they pushed forward and really didn't do anything of note anywhere near the Atletico penalty area. Torres was more isolated than most, and while he put in a good shift and fashioned one shot on goal through some nifty footwork, he was choosing the wrong runs all day long and so was not able to make any half openings count. The one area I would say I was "disappointed" with was our set pieces: corners and free kicks. We had several corners, and two free kicks in promising positions (once on the right and once on the left). Luiz took both free kicks, sending one into the all and the other over the bar. I have to say that considering our strength is in our physique and heading ability, I would have been a little happier had we tried to fashion a chance for the likes of Cahill and Terry, than to have gone for goal. I somehow think this was part of the tactics, to not risk fast counters for Atletico. The reason I say I am disappointed with those decisions is that they really were our only chance of scoring on the day, considering we defended so whole-heartedly. Jose may feel that 0-0 is an advantage, but I can't help feeling a little nervous with the away goals rule. But having said all this, there is absolutely no question that Jose had us drilled expertly. Atletico, with all the possession they had (65-70%) were unable to fashion any real good chances on goal. They looked quite lost, and Diego Costa actually looked a little average, despite making me nervous every time he almost reached a pass or cross. I don't think this is normal, and we had to have done something right. The return leg though is going to rest on whether or not we can get Hazard and Eto'o back to full fitness in time. Without them, I am sadly going to be rather pessimistic about our chances. Yes, Schwarzer is a big upgrade over Turnbull, but he is not Cech, and as such I have much less confidence with him in between the sticks for us. Terry is also going to be a big loss for us in defense. I half expect him to miraculously recover (probably with multiple pain injections) in time for this, but if he doesn't we will likely play Azpilicueta (RB), Ash (LB) and Cahill and Ivanovic (CB), which is not a bad defensive line-up. Further up the pitch is my biggest worry. Matic is ineligible and Lampard and Mikel are suspended, meaning our hopes rest a lot on whether Luiz can put in another colossal shift as he did in Madrid. If it is the different Luiz that makes sloppy mistakes, takes crazy risks and gets skinned/sent off, then that would be our hopes up in smoke. In many ways, he will be one of the key men for us at the Bridge. The other is Hazard. If he plays, we will at least have sustained pressure on the opposition defense. If he doesn't, well, it will rest squarely on Oscar and Willian to drive us forward. But Oscar has been so far off form for us that I have my doubts. And Eto'o just looks sharper than Torres in scoring situations. So, yes, we were defensive and we got the job done in Madrid. But whether we should be optimistic or not for the return leg at the Bridge, all I can say is what I said before the Sunderland match: it is great to have things in our own hands. At the time, 4 EPL wins on the trot and the title would be ours. For now in the CL, we escaped a tricky away match at a touch venue against a side that has won all their home games and remains unbeaten in the competition, and now have them back at our own fortress. If anyone had offered me this before the season started, I'd have bitten their arm off (just as I would have to have been offered the 4 EPL wins for the EPL title a week ago). But we are going to have to put in a PSG and not a Sunderland for all this to have made sense. Cheers, Butch

Dear Friends, Here are the latest BPL standings after the away draw in Madrid was secured, at much loss (injuries and suspensions). CONGRATS this time go to Chippy; well done, mate! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Butch’s Prediction League Regular Season Standings 2013-14 English Premier League and Champions League Matches The ShedEnd Forums --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name Gp St Sb FS Pe Sc TG Pr Bo To Cu Av Rt Ch --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 01 Chippy 45 9 5 30 0 0 0 10 50 230 8904 198 243 +2 02 TT 42 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7685 183 225 na 03 Ossie13 41 9 5 15 2 0 0 0 30 183 7555 184 225 +1 04 Butch 46 10 5 0 2 0 0 0 15 163 8015 174 220 +1 05 Coombsie 04 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 599 150 154 na 06 moneim 01 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 111 111 112 na 07 Liam F 01 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 110 110 111 na --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Record (Rt) = 259 (TT, 2012-13) Record (Av) = 212 (Footballoholic, 2010-11) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Butch’s Prediction League Regular Season Standings 2013-14 Capitol One Cup, FA Cup and UEFA Super Cup Matches The ShedEnd Forums --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name Gp St Sb FS Pe Sc TG Pr Bo To Cu Av Rt Ch --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 01 Ossie13 07 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1250 179 186 na 02 TT 07 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1209 173 180 na 03 Chippy 07 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1103 158 165 na 04 Butch 06 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 845 141 147 na --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ BPL Winners’ Circle 2013-14 ------------------------------ 01 Chippy 17 02 Butch 13 Ossie13 04 TT 11 05 Coombsie 1 ------------------------------ Record = 28 (TT, 2012-13) -------------------------------------------------------------- BPL Top-10 Scores 2013-14 -------------------------------------------------------------- 01 305 Chippy – Galatasaray (h, cl) TT – PSG (h, cl) 02 293 Chippy – Steaua (a, cl) 03 287 Ossie13 – Arsenal (h, epl) TT – Arsenal (h, epl) 04 283 TT – WBA (a, epl) 05 280 Chippy – Man City (h, epl) 06 260 Chippy – Hull City (a, epl) Chippy – Newcastle (h, epl) 07 258 Chippy – Sunderland (a, epl) TT – Fulham (a, epl) 08 256 Butch – Newcastle (a, epl) Butch – West Ham (h, epl) 09 255 Chippy – West Ham (a, epl) TT – Swindon (a, cc) 10 253 Chippy – Hull City (h, epl) Chippy – WBA (a, epl) -------------------------------------------------------------- Record = 330 (Ossie13, 2010-11) Cheers, Butch

Sods Law, really. Chelsea's season has been about our defense and Hazard. Well, who is out injured now in the crucial sprint to the finish line? Cech and Terry, the lynch pins of our defense (and captain to boot), and Hazard. You couldn't make it up if you tried. Oh well. The others will just have to step up. And I say this more in hope than expectation, LOL. Cheers, Butch

Are they talking about the same Stevie Gerrard that had already made up his mind to go to pastures new with Chelsea and only had his mind changed for him when het got death threats? Whatever, LOL. I'm disappointed we lost too. Our proud home undefeated record under Jose, Sunderland weren't all that great, dodgy penalty, repercussions of Liverpool winning the EPL, etc... But to be honest, despite us coming so close and seemingly looking set to lose out to what is an average Liverpool side, I would have been astounded to be anywhere near winning the league with our unbalanced squad of young, inexperienced players (the key attacking half anyway). Our great defense under Jose, and our limited attack would seem to bear that out, and the only reason we're losing (or drawing) the matches we do is we are unable to score enough goals to win it. We're not being clobbered or anything, we're just being that little bit unlucky. For the Sunderland match, we dominated possession, had lots of corners, but didn't really create any good scoring chances. Apart from the goal, I count only one other chance that really should have been a goal: Eto'o's shot from Willian's (I think) pass - the one where Salah was pretty much through on goal on the right side but was overlooked. For a Chelsea side playing at home, I find that to be a little disappointing. As for the first goal conceded, we put too little pressure on the player taking the pot shot from outside the area, then Schwarzer showed his rustiness in parrying the ball straight out (and weakly) towards the penalty spot (suicide, if you ask me), and we were punished. As for the penalty, yes, maybe a dodgy one, with the aid of multiple viewing angles and replays, but it all started with an unlucky slip by a solid Chelsea defender that deserved so much more, so it was very, very unlucky. Still, had that PK not been awarded, it would still have been a draw and not really good enough. If we're going to go on points, I doubt one point was significantly different. It was the win we needed. I don't think many of us here would argue that when we started the season with Torres (out of form, confidence and fitness), Eto'o (out of fitness) and Ba (inconsistent and lacking in confidence due to manager's lack of faith in him), that we truly harbored ANY hopes of significant success - maybe the league cup or FA Cup, certainly a top-four finish, but anything else would have been a bonus. I think we've been a much more solid unit than I thought we would be, and I am sure a more influential, single-minded and confident striker would be a significant improvement for Chelsea, not only likely getting a significant amount of goals to power us forward, but also becoming an influential fulcrum of attack and lifting the players around him. It is not just the goals. Drogba was more than about goals. His presence kept defenders busy. He was able to win and keep possession to get his team mates around him involved. That is the kind of thing, more or less, that we need. When Chelsea play well in attack, the three attacking midfielders have speed and interplay in abundance. When we don't, we look labored because everyone is unable to string passes together, preferring to keep the ball, dribble around, and then force a pass or shot that more than not ends in a mistake because they get crowded out. It's been a while since I've seen a goal fashioned from interplay. It looks so measured, so labored, and most importantly so slow and predictable. Also, we rarely see any Chelsea player beating a defender, getting to the byline and putting a telling cross in. Defenders don't have to scramble. They see the play unfolding in front of them, which is much easier to defend. While I do like Jose's prickly nature, and can appreciate him taking on referees and authorities in a calm, sarcastic way, you do have to wonder if he truly realizes that rubbing the authorities the wrong way hurts us in the long run, or if he just does't really care. I can be seen shouting at the refs just like most Chelsea fans when a call goes against us, especially the significant ones, but if I were Jose, I'm not sure I would take the same approach. As for Rui Faria, I simply can't agree with his decision to carry out the fan's dream. Great for the fans (in the heat of the moment), but kind of ugly to see replays of time and again, and very damaging when people decide to use it against us. Cheers, Butch

It is quite possible that the Chelsea vs Atletico Madrid semifinal begins with Schwarzer in goal for us and Courtois in goal for Madrid. The irony is certainly not lost on me :-( Cheers, Butch

True, that was a killer blow to our league title chances, but not all is lost, and it would be crazy to disregard the remaining three matches to concentrate on the Champions League. It is my belief that a sequence of consecutive games can quickly bring about form and confidence, so it is not entirely impossible that Chelsea puts together a good sequence of results on the trot. The key though, is that the match at Anfield is pretty much a "must win" now, no two ways about it. If we can do that, and get within two points of Liverpool going into the final two matches, people would be crazy to write off our chances. The likelihood of success may not be good, but it would be there. It's not over until the fat lady sings, and she is only beginning to gargle, LOL. Cheers, Butch