youlots

One of the best threads on our re-occurring (?) right back issue. But is it an issue. I mean I rate both Paulo and Belleti - sure there probably not the greatest rightbacks going around but there pretty bloody dependable for different reasons. I can only surmise as others have done with this signing that Paulo is off, that Essien is being marked for permanent mid-field status. Does all this mean that the club expect Frank to reject its latest offer? I suppose so. By the way, great post Heckel. Sums up our buying policy really.

IMO the story is somewhat mischievous. On the one hand Chels have an owner who seems to have a liking for "classical" strikers with an excellent reputation (ie. Sheva) and also seemingly has a penchant for paying over the top prices for same. And with Drogba jetting off the story might have some foundation. Equally, however, and given everybody knows all of the above, perhaps the story might just be a "plant" in an attempt to shore up the reputation of a certain manager whose season has ended and who is keen to loosen the purse strings of the owners he has to deal in so far as the coming transfer period is concerned. I mean, let's face it, when Torres was secured by the filth no one round here doubted his quality and pedigree - the only real question being whether he would adapt to the EPL. Surely that question has been answered on all counts. And surely Torres has "saved" a certain manager's season I would have thought. As far as I'm concerned, Torres has probably singlehandedly added some 12 to 15 points to the filth's overall total this year. Without him I reckon that they would have been some 25 points off the pace in the final wash up and it would've been line ball (again) as to whether they would've secured 4th and hence a CL spot for next year. Given that, and if I was a certain manager who, it must be said, has squandered a lot of money in the last 3 years on rubbish but, equally, has Torres to hold up as his last major purchase wouldn't it make sense when dealing with the owners to use Torres as your prime example of why you need to spend say 60 to 80 and be really competitive in the market for two or three really good players in order to really give the comp a shake next year? By "planting" a story like this it just footnotes that "Look what a difference really world class players can make to our team - now even Chelsea want him" rhetoric & the fact that you bought him in the first place only lends support to your argument. All speculative I know but I can see the angles.

If we lose I'm with you Manny in casting blame on the new shirt with that bloody ridiculous collar on it.

Having some difficulty identifying the alleged anti-semitic content in that thread Jane.

Good call Aussie Good. And La Tache if we get up.

The tank for me followed by JT

Chels 3-1 Geordies

It was a strange decision without knowing more - I don't recall when I watched the match (admittedly on TV) seeing Torres picking up the strian, nor signalling to be replaced, nor or even limping off when replaced. Perhaps he did one or all of those things. Perhaps someone at the game saw something not shown on TV. Usually with even a slight hammy strain you're not right to properly extend the muscle for at least 7 days. Maybe he was injured though (albeit it must have been very slight) and maybe someone gave him lots of intense physio in the next couple of days. Gerrard or Benitez I wonder...

Bit like coming 2nd in a certain horse race in Sienna though, don't you think Coco.

Yeah well let's hope that his current form goes missing for a bit...

Well I think Keegan probably said it the way he did because he was only referring to one team as opposed to a number of teams. Now I wonder who that might be...

I think Roman is serious about this.

I can't find that "new" rule anywhere within the FA rules & no mention of the "effective" date within December/January 08' either.

Thread finnish(ed) I agree by the way with the use of cinema as a descriptor for great films/movies. Maybe Truffaut, despite his love of American movies, just couldn't hide his tricolour bias after all.

Well Mak that would of course mean that all Amercian movies & French cinema shot on film stock would be American films and French films and anything not shot on film stock would be what? Couldn't be movies could it? Or cinema? Have to be American/British/French videotapes or DVDs etc. How would one then distinguish between the screen and reproductions?: I'm just going to the flicks to see that latest American DVD which has had a screen release or I'm just going to the video shop to get that useless American film out on DVD that didn't get a screen release. Anyway, I digress, I think what Truffaut (or whoever it was) meant by using those words was associative/descriptive of the American/British/French styles of filmmaking and their respective industries.

The perfect riposte

Shouldn't it be "Chelsea FC - the Film": ie. "the Americans make movies, the british, films and the french, cinema" . Forget whose line that was, maybe Truffaut maybe not. Then again, maybe it should russian for film whatever that is.

Subject to not having seen any of the evidence and totally reliant on what is presented in the Times article referred to above, I can not understand how Berezovsky will be able to satisfy the Court of one of the necessary elements of proving a plea of economic duress: ie. the lack of a reasonable alternative but to accept the other party's terms being to sell the shares to Abramovich on the latter's terms (ie. price). It is not as if Berezovsky was familarly related to Glushkov. These were arms length transactions by businessmen. He'll also have substantial evidential problems I would've thought as far as the alleged conversations between him and Patarkatsishvili are concerned in 2001 (if that's when they took place) and especially in circumstances where there is no affidavit from Patarkatsishvili in evidence as to the alleged telephone conversation between him and Berezovsky regarding the alleged fate of Glushkov should they not sell their shares to Abramovich. Moreover, if Berezovsky's affidavit as to the alleged telephone conversation in 2001 has only recently been deposed and their are no independanent file notes in evidence and made by Berezovsky at or around the time of the telephone conversation as alleged then Berezovsky's affidavit will be given a severe credibility downgrade by the Court. It would be interesting to know what the par value of the sibneft shares was in 2001 compared with their value at the date that Berezovsky commenced these proceedings. I'd wager there would be a marked difference - hence the proceedings.

How was she? Rachel Bilson that is. As good as she looks? Damn that avatar Jayhawk - can't stop looking at it every time it appears in a thread. Shed end forum - just you're local soft porn site.

This thread reminds me a little of an old horror film I saw once where the zombie (who having been responsible for its own demise, digging & burial in the graveyard) somehow manages to dig itself out of the grave with one last herculean effort but then is immediately dispatched by all manner of weapons that completely obliterate it.

I too thought it was a good sub from the Panda and psychologically the right one as well. I mean if we'd put on another defender for example to stop them getting what would have been the critical/disastrous 3rd away goal it would've have just steeled the filth to really go for it by letting them think we we're just going to sit back and defend. By putting on Shev I think the Panda was trying to telegraph to the filth and Benitez that we were just going to keep attacking anyway and go for the 4th goal because we had them where we wanted them. And given Shev's great defensive play on the goalline the other day against Manure and he's ability as far as penalties are concerned it made sense for other reasons as well. So well done Panda!

Hear, hear Just. There is talking on the pitch and talking off it. As far as I'm concerned and when weighed up, Drogba's talking on the pitch as a whole has always outweighed his talking off it. To measure or judge a player by what he says off the pitch is, imo, irrelevant as criteria to judging a player's worth. Sure, it would be a lovely world if all our great players deported themselves both on and off the pitch as well as say Zola. But that's never going to be the case. From time to time you're always going to have certain footballers who are world class on the pitch and who are, at least sometimes, babies off it. Drogba can, on occasion, strike one as vain and conceited both on and off the pitch: ie. certain ridiculous comments usually in the French press/writhing around on the ground/insisting on taking most of the free kicks. Equally, however, and on occasion, his nobility of spirit and undoubted footballing abilities and workrate on the pitch is terrific: ie. the attempts he has made, through football, of rapproachment of the political factions in his country/the big match - high pressure goals he has scored for us. To me he's the Othello of football. Noble, even great but flawed all the same. Brillant one day, narcissitic the next. I think he wants out at the end of the year but he's not so stupid to realize that he now has a chance for glory that he may never come close to again. And because of that chance and if it comes to pass that glory is achieved, he would, like anyone else, want to leave us on amicable terms. I think he will be a great loss to us but, as they say, there are endless possibilities to goal so, and like any other team, we'll find other ways and other players and, if he he is off, we'll really only know by about the middle of next season whether he has been a great loss to us or otherwise.

Perhapd Kaka in the Bentley for 45 million. He'd love it.

You're right, your right, what can I say. Apart from Shev that is....Messiah has got to be twice the player Shev ever was...anyway I was having a joke (nerves and all that). Who knows what the crazy owner's plans are? Still think he'd look good at the Bridge though....

Alright, alright, enough already. I didn't know you were his accountant.