coco

After the bad news that Joey Cole will miss the rest of the season things have started to improve at last. Cech is officially fit & ready, with JT & Carlo not far behind. But losing Cole & Robben together for big parts of the season has crippled the creative side to the team, contrary to the belief by the media that we have no 'creative side'. With Cech & JT come stability, with Robben comes the threat. Hopefully Sheva will be sidelined by some mysterious hamstring injury until May time & Robben will have the rest of the season injury free. If this happens we have a realistic chance of catching Manure ! -------------------Cech P/F----------R/C----------J/T----------A/C -------------------Maka--------------------- -----Essien------Lampard-----Ballack----- ---------------------------Robben ----------------Drogba Simple isnt it ?

Essiens goal was probably the hardest to score of all the 4 contenders (Drogs,Essien,Taylor,Scholes), he was the only one being closed down, and to beat the keeper he had to aim off target and caress the ball around the keepers outstretched hand........ POETRY IN MOTION...imo.

I think we all know that by now Just. Nice to have an insight into how hes feeling at the moment. Must be immense for him, fair play.

JOSE MOURINHO

If you have to explain this point to people Nibs, you're wasting your breath. They have no idea, not a clue about real support. They are fair weather fans. Yes Tim, you included. Fair weather fans. Honestly, the visting Mancs and Scousers on here must be laughing their tits off at this, "I've had enough" thread. The last ten or so years you say ? Well my friend every single one of those years have been a glory filled cavalcade compared with the many long and dark years that went before. Hoddle, Guillit, Vialli, Ranieri, Jose ? Go back a little over 15 years and it feels like your at another club, our transition started over 10 years ago with Hoddle & the MH stand imo, transistion to 'possible title contenders' that is..

I've heard he's got a good eye for a young bit of talent With Jose the main target for the scum media that story wouldnt even make the back page.

Which one do you not want us to win ?? Should be the Quad surely ? Carling, League, FA, European Dont push it, im being realsitic, really i think we will win 3 cups this season, 3 of the above

The best news Iv'e had all week ! Roll on the treble ::Cup:: ::Cup:: ::Cup:: !

When Wenger retires from managment i think Roman should offer him a head scout job. No doubting his eye for a good player, just some of his on pitch ethics i dont like.

So where are we creating chances from? :? How come Lamps is the league leader in assists? Personally I don't think we are "very poor" at anything (with the exception of defending in the last few weeks!) The top 7 assists in the prem thus far this season include 3 mancs & 2 gunners and Lampard representing us all on his own. Most assists ... 1 Fabregas Soler (Arsenal) 9 2 Lampard (Chelsea) 8 3 Giggs (Man Utd) 7 4 Berbatov (Tottenham) 6 5 Ronaldo (Man Utd) 6 6 Rooney (Man Utd) 6 7 Van Persie (Arsenal) 6 8 Arteta (Everton) 5 9 Gerrard (Liverpool) 5 10 Kilbane (Wigan Athletic) 5 Both ars & manc have created more chances than us & now both have scored more goals than us. Were defintley not creating or scoring as many as our 2 biggest rivals. So apart from Lampard we are poor in midflled as far as creating chances go. Shouldnt Ballack have been in the top 10 assists by 2007 ? What is he doing ? ....& to think we gave him Gallas' #13 shirt. Assists: Ballack (Chelsea) 0

With all due respects mac Joe isnt the type of player i'm on about. As G4 says Joey is a winger who can come in from the flanks or run the line, but he isnt an outright playmaker.

Yeah were certainly very poor at creating chances from midfield, for every Vialli you need a Zola, for every Dixon you need a Nevin.

Yeah i know, but if he doesnt improve in the 2nd half of this season & we go on to win little or nothing can you see him staying/being kept on ?

Yeah Guddy was best at those short clynical passes, shame we didnt get a chance to see him play with Sheva. :cry: We could have played a forward diamond of Guddy Drogba & Sheva, with Guddy doing all the deep work. If Jose stays i can see Deco filling this role for us next season, minus the theatrics of course. Possibly a straight swap for Sheva, both the same age, you read it here first.

Ronaldinho? No. Okay player but too weak for the EPL. lol - your joking of course. I hope so anyway. They said Zola would be too weak for the prem.

If you do win the EP this season, watch the blood on the handles mate !

You should have hoped for Villa to win, your going to wish they had when you draw us & SB in the next round !

I'll tell you what were missing, a slide rule passer, a Zola, a Gascoigne or a Bergkamp, just 3 EP examples of slide rule passers. I cant think of any current player in the squad who is renowned for their slide rule passing ability. Sure the odd player gets it right now & again, & pulls off a nice pass or 2, but we have no consistent players in this department. Someone with a little magic who can switch play quickly and make those defining match winning passes. Weve got plenty of good shooters, but i think we are in need of some creative inspiration.

I don't think he would cost anything like that. I would imagine he doesn't have a huge amount of time left on his contract at Real and I wouldn't say that half a season (in which he has picked up a couple of minor injuries) playing necessarily shows he is far stronger now. The injury history would still bring the price down. I would think about ?12m would secure him and for me that would be a steal. The ?20m pricetag is good value as well imo.

Woodgate would be an ideal signing, but One thing is worrying me, his injury record ! But him & JT together could be IMMENSE ! He will cost us though ! Real paid ?13,500,000 on 20 Aug 04. At the time he was still very injury prone. Now he seems fitter and stronger, & at 25 years old he has got plenty of years left in him. I think Roman should just off Real ?20m, a take it or leave it deal. That would be good value i think. He will be for sale, as he was only loaned out to boro so he would be in the EP shop window.

I like the bit where he says "I've not heard a thing from Chelsea but then I never do.". Lmfao

I dont like the way the club have gone public on this either. Afterall its not good for a BIG club to go against 1 player, it's always going to look like were the bully. But i think Gallas has gone too far with spouting his mouth off and Chelsea have bit back. He got the move he wanted, he even said that. So why then go on to bad mouth us ? Whats the point ? After he was sold i was also ready to move on, but to hear a player turn on your club like he has just stinks, sure other players do it, but he has got what he wanted. If his only reply to this club statement is 'theyre fabricating the truth' then that will not cut the mustard for me now after what he has said since leaving the club. Hero - Zero ! :cry:

After seeing the official club statement released concerning the Gallas transfer i find myself wondering if this has ever happened or reportedly happened at this level in this country before ? SOURCE I cant remember it happening before, and i certainly cant remember a club reporting this happening. For CFC to come out with this accusation of Gallas threats to purposely let in goals and get booked is a BIG step. It throws down the gauntlet to Gallas and his people, what does he do ? If he denies the accusations then he MUST take legal action against his former employer, if he does not take any action i guess we can all draw our own conclusions. The accusations by the club are very serious and must of come lightly, i'm sure the legal team have advised the club before this statement was released. Billy the balls in your court, maybe you should have gone and kept quiet, you may have come out of it looking better than what you are at the moment.

I dont need stats to tell me we are doing might fine at present, the REAL contenders to us have not actually played any tough matches yet imo. Lets see what happens when Manure drop points aginst the spuds this weekend.

A nice Chelsea Spine to kick the season off