Davey Baby

One week ago all seemed well with the world, we were chugging along nicely, no negative publicity, a seemingly happy camp, about to gain points on one of the Manchester clubs as they went head to head. We were very much in the title race and hitting some form, and finding the back of the net with increasing regularity .. Our manager was getting nothing but plaudits. City had the Tevez saga to contend with, Liverpool had alienated everybody with their proposal to re-distribute television revenues, there was the Suarez-Evra episode and Utd were about to suffer the most humiliating defeat in their history .. Just goes to show .. One week is an awfully long time in football. Chelsea being Chelsea .. It's all gone Pete Tong and everyone is revelling in our misery once again. Suddenly a title chase has transformed into a desperate scramble for top four, and yes I know it's early days, but that's how it feels right now, at this moment in time. Nothing a few good victories won't cure I'm sure. This is why I'm worried .. Our back four. I thought it was the best in the world. Is it? Whichever permutation you pick it suddenly looks vulnerable. Ashley is not the force he once was, Bossy is simply not a defender, nor is Luiz, and Ivanovic is better suited to right-back in my opinion. Add to that the Terry factor and we do not look as secure as we once did .. And that's before we talk about a high line. In truth, Saturday's scoreline had been on the cards a while now, we have been playing a risky game all season, and as soon as we came up against a side with attacking menace, we were always going to be vulnerable, as we were at Old Trafford. Against sides we can dominate, it's fine, the high line is worth the risk, but against better sides, we may not have the personnel to make it work, which brings me nicely to our holding midfielder .. Another reason to be worried in my book. I know we've got Oriol, but as with Bertrand, a novice, and it's asking a lot. DM has become a vital position, even more vital than usual, because we look so open, because our full-backs charge forward, because Luiz goes AWOL, and because none of our front three are that great defensively. Talking of our strikers .. More worries .. Torres looks good but he doesn't look that good, not compared to the strikers our main rivals possess, and after Torres, who is there? Lukaku? Anelka? Truth is, if Sturridge or Mata get injured, we're very thin on the ground, as Anelka, Malouda, Kalou and Drogba are all past their sell-by date as far as their Chelsea careers are concerned. Or am I being premature? Talking of Drogba .. I just think his head's not right, not to mention his body. Something's wrong and it's been wrong a long time. A very long time. Since we won the double. I have a feeling he's not happy, I have a feeling he's a strong personality, I have a feeling the African and French contingent defer to him, and if he's not happy that may be transmitting. It's just a feeling and I may be wrong, but if he's not fully committed to the cause, AVB might have problems, because Drogba is a strong presence in that dressing room and he has a few disciples, not to mention his young Belgian protege. I'm reminded of a story told by Guillem Balague on Sky Sports about Messi .. When Guardiola took over, he noticed that Messi had been taken under the wing of Ronaldo and his inner circle. The likes of Deco and others. Guardiola felt they were being a negative influence on Messi and sold them all, Eto'o leaving a year later. He dispensed with great players, who had done wonders for the club, because their attitudes had changed and they were no longer a positive influence. I wonder whether we have reached that stage with Drogba? His powers are on the wane and he may be an unhelpful presence. Sad to say because he's been such a great player, a real match-winner, and we can ill afford to lose one of those. Suddenly our squad doesn't look quite as strong as I thought it was, and as far as I can tell, there are four clubs battling for two spots, Liverpool, Spurs, Arsenal and us. Or am I being premature and will everything be fine in the wash? I know there are those who think those clubs' challenges will fade, but I'm not one of them. None of them can win the title but all have genuine claims for top four and it will be some race. They all feel like happy camps right now but things can change .. Just as they've changed with us in the last few days. Personally, I don't care if we win f**k all, though I'd clearly prefer that we do, but failure to make top four would probably cost AVB his job, knowing Roman as we do, let's not kid ourselves. Top four is the minimum requirement and suddenly it doesn't look too safe. Or are we still in with a shout for the title? What do you guys think? Genuine cause for alarm or just a wobble and nothing to be unduly concerned about?

They're a bit short of strikers.

Ian Holloway sympathises with Terry .. http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/ian-holloway-terry-must-win-every-game-he-plays-and-behave-like-a-saint-in-the-process-2377859.html

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/chelsea-line-up-napolis-cavani-to-be-new-drogba-2377254.html

Ashley's never been a great crosser. It's ironic how much flak Bossy gets for this but Ashley's far worse IMO. However he's a great defender and a great marauding full-back, who times his runs perfectly and has bags of energy. I regard him as a bloody good footballer. Walcott is lightning quick so I'm not surprised Ashley backed off him.

Benayoun (still our player) tweeted yesterday .. "What a great win today!!! Well done guys!"

QPR really are sh*t. And their kit is even worse. w**kers.

We'll just have to be disqualified from the whole competition. I'm not backing down now.

Judging by yesterday, Messi has a very similar technique to Anelka. One or two steps, very slow, almost nonchalant. Okay okay he smacks it home but you can't have everything ..

Lukaku has a good record against Genk ;) Besides, Luiz will be playing as an auxiliary striker.

I agree that we will need patience, and after becoming accustomed to winning at will, this will be hard for some fans, and it's imperative that they don't put pressure on the manager, but rather show support, particularly as I believe we will ultimately reap the reward. Hysterical reactions are par for the course these days but they're unhelpful, particularly as AVB is implementing something of a revolution, in terms of playing style and personnel. I expect Oriol to be a feature in the starting side soon, meaning we will be starting with at least five players who weren't with us this time last year. As we lined-up against Arsenal, I noted the absence of powerhouses such as Alex, Drogba, Essien etc, and I wondered how we'd fare. We've always overcome Arsenal by brute strength in the past, and they haven't been able to cope. We are less physically imposing these days, but that's the way we're going, it's a progressive approach and needs time, evidently, especially as we don't have the midfielder we sought in the summer, the guy who can keep the ball and do something with it. The signs are encouraging for me, but lessons have to be learned after yesterday. All our oponents will have taken note. Regarding referees and the press, I can think of one or two managers who would use the situation to their advantage, making bold statements to the press, making themselves the story, causing the players to give them that bit extra on the pitch, and fostering a siege mentality: Us against them, the odds stacked against us. If I were Andre I would get to work on this right now .. I would lambast the press for hounding Terry, claiming it a witchhunt, and I would accuse referees of letting the press set their agenda, rather than refereeing our games fairly. In short, I would go on the offensive, even if it lands me in trouble. It is something Fergie or Jose wouldn't think twice about .. It may be time for Andre to make a splash. At the very least, it would take a bit of the heat off Terry ..

Another hattrick for Messi yesterday. Real Madrid in front however.

Sure, Barca are incredible at pressing, but the thing to remember is once they have the ball, it is very hard to get it back off them, this is the key to their game. Without shedloads of possession, they wouldn't be able to press so well, because they wouldn't have the energy.

Onwards and upwards .. Turnbull Boswinga Bertrand Luiz Alex Oriol McEachran Mereiles Lukaku Anelka Malouda This team should be too strong for them. I would play Boswinga, Anelka and Malouda on the understanding that they won't play the following Saturday in the league. Each of them needs to find a bit of form and this may be the opportunity. Oriol should play on the understanding that he will play on Saturday, as surely his time has come to replace Mikel. I would have a strong bench .. just in case.

Dave Whelan comes to Terry's defence .. http://www.guardian....airman-race-row Wenger also adopts an understanding tone .. http://www.guardian....john-terry-race

It's a very tough job, as AVB is finding out, and I hope Roman is patient. I like our manager, but he is only 34, and with the sh*tstorm that's broken around JT, and all the knowhow that's required to deal with that, that's incredibly young, not just in terms of dealing with the player, but also his teammates and an increasingly hostile media. It's a complicated situation and one he has no experience of, not just in managerial terms but also in life terms. He has precious little life experience and now he has to mentor players almost his age, and players, in the case of JT, who are in an enormously hard situation, both publicly and privately .. This will affect JT. He was friends with Rio and Anton, who have enormous influence over other black players. You can bet Anton's word is taken as gospel among that circle and JT has become persona non grata. That will prey on his mind, especially as England captain. I have no doubt Rio and Anton have started a campaign against him among their peers, of which there are many. Text messages and phone calls aplenty. To be ostracised by that camp, if I can call it that, will weigh heavily on his mind I suspect, as it's never nice to be deemed a pariah. Add to this the Wayne Bridge angle, and this will only add substance to those that have been badmouthing him all along. He may find himself in an impossible situation. Why do I mention it? The manager. This is where he earns his corn. Then we have referees, which I'm convinced is linked to the media. I can think of four referees who definitely don't like us .. Dowd, Dean, Foy, Halsey. We are never going to get anything off them, we know that. We have become an easy target, for opposing fans, opposing players and managers, and for the media, and this has trickled down to officials, I am in no doubt about that. Bad decisions against us just do not get scrutinised in the same way as they do for other clubs, particularly other clubs challenging for the top prizes. Either these referees hate us, as the whole country seems to, and the negative publicity has influenced them (as it would most human beings), or they just know that the impact of giving us a raw deal won't be as bad as it otherwise would. I'm not saying they do this deliberately, as I'm sure most refs take pride in their performance, but subconsciously. It's just far harder for us to get justice. If you're refereeing Liverpool, every decision that goes against them will be scrutinised to the hilt, with no little bias. Of course this affects you. AVB has to find the right balance of applying pressure on refs and calling it as it is, while avoiding ostracising himself from them and making it even worse. Referees can definitely be influenced, and he needs to redress the balance, but he has to be clever. It is not easy. Chelsea is a completely different kettle of fish to Porto. We are being victimised, by the public and the media. Rival teams are not our biggest opponents. It's a serious problem and it's affected referees. We are not getting a fair deal. Not even close. And no, I'm not usually prone to paranoia. 9 points behind City is a lot. We may struggle to make top four but I doubt it. AVB is learning his trade, and it has been a quick initiation. He now knows what it's all about, and it's not exactly straightforward. The more time he gets, the more his status grows, the more life experience he gains, the more he may be able to influence things in a positive way, things which at the moment appear to be out of his control. We need to change the way we're perceived. It's okay being hated so long as we're not seen as everyone's f**king mugs, and that's the challenge that faces him and it's a complicated one. How for instance do we go after the best English talent? Why would they join us, knowing all the hassle that comes with it? Look at the experiences of Terry and Ashley. Lampard has never received the recognition he deserves. If you had the top four or five English teams after you, you'd probably be well advised to go elsewhere. Our image among Englanders is poor. Very poor. It's all very well saying it doesn't matter, but it does. It matters very much unfortunately. There are definitely things that need improving on the pitch, but I have every confidence in the manager in that respect, I just hope he can deal with all the things that need addressing off it. Management is a very challenging game and you have to be very clever, particularly at our club I'm afraid. You either have to be a genius or experienced, or both. I just hope Roman has patience ..

Interesting thread and I've picked out the most insightful post for me. Let's face facts, AVB is not going to ditch the high line. Let's also face another fact, today was an absolute shambles. We were inept defensively. It was schoolboy. They got behind us time after time after time, and at no point did AVB do anything about it. It went on from the first minute (literally) to the last (literally). A few observations .. 1. Ivanovic is not a great centre-back. He is a great right-back. We need to start playing him there. I feel Boswinga gets too much stick, but the bottom line is we are too vulnerable at the moment, so let's put our best right-back in his best position. 2. Luiz had better to start to learn to defend and quick. We spent 20 odd million on this guy. He needs to put the work in. He needs to be disciplined. He could add an extra dimension to our side, but he has to remember he's a defender and play far more conservatively. He makes stupid mistakes, surely it isn't too much to ask him to cut them out? Cut them out. 3. We may need to buy a centre-back in January. We only have one great one, and he is about to be banned, or endure all kinds of stick from every angle. Also, he's not getting any younger. If he's out for a while we're f**ked. Terry is our only truly world-class centre-back. 4. Too much blame is put on our defence, as Epic has observed. They are good players, by and large, who have proven it in the past. The system's not working, although we are far better offensively, and the two things are interlinked, hence the reason AVB won't ditch it. 5. The trouble is our midfield. Where is the holding player? Where is he? He is not holding. Not by any stretch of the imagination. He is just going through the motions, and he's getting away with it, and pulling the wool over people's eyes, time and time again. It is this selection, more than any other, that reflects poorly on the manager. I understand what happened at Old Trafford. I understand we went too offensive, even though we were unlucky, and I understand AVB's reason for reverting to a DM. But we have a far better one in Romeu. Fact. It's time to start playing him. Fact. Mikel's apologists will be out in force once again, accusing me of scapegoating him, but the way we play, with our full-backs charging forward, and our defence playing a high line, is not going to change. That's AVB's philosphy and none of us were complaining up to today, because although we had seen problems we had also seen our overall game had improved. The most galling aspect of Mikel's performance today was that we appeared more open than at Old Trafford, which seemed impossible, and at OT we played without a DM. Mikel has a job to do in this system, a hard job, possibly the most important job. He is not up to it. He's way out of his depth. Far more responsibility has been placed on him, and that's not his fault, but put him out of his misery and give the young kid a chance. Energy, tenacity, aggression, determination, not to mention distribution and common sense. Our forward line are not great defensively, particularly Sturridge. Lampard and Ramires, while at fault, at least offer us something going forward. We are playing a high line without pressure on the ball, and while Mikel is not the only one culpable, it is clear that Oriol would give us far more in that department, and in this kamikaze system, that's the very first spot that needs fixing. 6. Ramires and Lampard will never be possession players, and again as Epic observes, this is what our system relies upon. Josh McEachran anyone? Don't be surprised if we move again for Modric this winter, particularly if a top four spot looks precarious. 7. Cech had a bad day at the office, but don't let that mask an inept performance, in which they got behind us time and time again. It was embarrassing.

That reminds me of another famous sledge, although I can't remember who the players were. As the batsman approached the crease, the bowler noted that he had put on a few pounds since they'd last met, hence he asked, "How come you're so fat?", to which came the reply, "Because every time I shag your wife she gives me a biscuit...".

1 shirt per shareholder ;)

Titus Bramble has two charges of sexual assault against him. Let's all slag off Terry instead.

They wouldn't be swayed by an adjustment due to inflation. If they were offered bribes of course they could be swayed. We all have our price, and mine's about £2.50.

I thank you sir.

The club would certainly have been accused of bribery if they had offered a profit (in real terms). However making an adjustment for inflation would have been deemed as fair. Regardless, the vast majority of CPOs couldn't give a toss I imagine, as it's not about money, not in the slightest. Personally, I think the reason the club didn't make an adjustment for inflation is because everyone purchased on different dates, and you'd have to work out each adjustment on an individual basis, which is an administrative nightmare (or at least an inconvenience). Seeing as we're talking about a very small amount in most cases, it's just not worth it. One idea would be for the club to offer each shareholder a ticket to a game, or a replica shirt. Something that would avoid the accusation of bribery, but enough to compensate for any loss due to inflation. By golly, I'm full of good ideas.

Regarding that video I posted of Terry being elbowed by Ferdinand and then being barged again, off the ball .. Listen to this .. We had the ball, we were on the attack, the linesman spots the argy bargy and whispers something in Foy's ear .. Foy promptly blows his whistle and brings our attack to a sudden halt .. And gives them a free-kick. Edit: There you have it folks ..

Cech Boswinga Cole Ivan Terry Mereiles Ramires Lampard Torres Sturridge Mata Luiz should not make the team. His defending has been woeful lately. Mikel should not make the team. I would rather see Romeu. I plumped for Cech in goal but it was tough.