youlots

Anything specific Qaz or is that just a "general" feeling?

A very sad sad day for chelsea but inevitable given that he'd been effectively hamstrung by those who own and run the club since the end of last season in respect to transfer/player selction/buying. Or is that too much of a generalisation for you Qaz? He had his faults but was the best thing that ever happened to this club in recent times. Wonder who's prepared to take the pain from on high and the tasty shilling now. Hopefully for some on here he's a true footballing "aesthete" and only knows how to pluck the harp to the one tune being "the beautiful game" et al. Otherwise where goin to have to listen to their pathetic bleatings all over again ad nauseum. Oh by the way enrico, it was your money was it? And perhaps you could name us the players that was sold in Jose's time (and that Jose sanctioned) that was not past his best, continually injured or for personal reasons had to leave.

Loz do you really have any hope that Sheva is going to have the type of year that Drogs had last year? A bit forlorn don't you think?

He looks a whole lot better than Del Horno.

Loz is right - the only value Sheva gave us last year was being the perfect foil for Drogs. And in that role he did really well. But surely it was equally obvious to most of us early on that he had lost his pace and/or his pace and movement had been found wanting in the english game. Paully you can blame Jose, you can blame our stodgy mid-field, you can live on nostalgia, you can do and think what you want and Sheva will this year no doubt knock in the odd goal but you can't argue with inexorable time - he's seen better days and Milan did very well out of Roman.

Yeah that's the rub. On the one hand Jose is seemingly hamstrung by the line and policy put out by Kenyon regarding balancing the books by 2010 and so is given little money to play with in terms of improving the existing roster whereas and at the same time we experience more than our fair share of injuries to key personel which in turn coincides with both managers at Manure and Liverpoo being given an open cheque book by their newly respective owners to buy whoever they need whilst our owner is, notwithstanding our balanced books exercise, spending large amounts on has beens such as Sheva and Ballack and then, to add insult to injury, wining and dining Goofy's agent/brother in order to chase the impossible dream/signing. Its push me/pull you stuff. The british press have such a wonderful canvass to work with given all of this.

Thanks for that very balanced and perceptive post Butch: especially your comments in respect to Jose. Seemingly, not a day now goes by now wth some sort of speculation regarding when Jose is for the chop. And it would seem that this site and a lot of the punters on it are less and less immune to resisiting the sort infectious speculation regarding Jose's future cast about by the mostly ignoble british press for the last couple of years: Star's recent prediction as to the timing of Jose's execution is now emblematic of that acceptance or resignation as the case may be. Anyway, from where I sit, I think its a f**kin shame that its come to that and I can only hope that Jose is given the chance to prove all the thomases wrong. However, our existing roster has become a problem and I can understand why some on here might question why Jose hasn't been tempted to spit the dummy and leave after the ongoing meddling of Ambramovich. To be a fly on the wall at a dinner between Jose and Capello at the moment would be very revealing. Anyway, I still think we're in with as good a chance as any to win the league this year. And against the mounting odds, what sweet justice for Jose and Chels that might be.

Disagree Kenn, definitely libellous in my humble opinion, that opinion is hardly, as you say, "venomous". Whilst the Hitler/Olympics analogy was crude and obtuse at best, the Stalin/Shosta:Roman/Jose analogy is appalling. Perhaps you should brush up on your Russian history as to what became of most of Shostas relatives and friends in 1936 after Stalin's walk out not to mention his complete denunciation for at least the next 2 years of his life. Moreover, the piece is neither fair comment, true or in the public interest. I'd like to know how you would plead defences to the more obvious imputations within the article.

Always liked these bands names from Oz: Avant Garbage Machine Gun Fellatio

More defamatory imputations in that article than the Drog's goal tally last season. The Guardian rightly deserves a plaint for that and I trust that Roman's trusty lieutenants are preparing same. Chels, just your local totalitarian football club. Jesus, what vituperative garbage.

Terrible news. His absence around here will only make this a poorer place. Shine on mate, wherever you are. Loz can you insert black banding of some sort in the index section for a few weeks? Just a thought.

Do you really think this is crap Jimboola ? Maybe Star knows something?

For just a second I read the headline as "....RedRob's driveway". Not a bad looking driveway I reckon. Why the Sun didn't superimpose Styles and Roman standing on it in conversation and then run a caption competition for their readers is quite beyond me. As for the story - which has all the hallmarks, quality and importance of the best Woodward & Bernstein investigative journalism - it is quite obvious that we should be relegated immediately. Bloody Premier League - totally biased towards Chelsea as usual - outrageous.

Mez, RedRob is a bit like that champagne charlie north korean pilot out of MASH who "bombed" the 4077th every day without result; as much as he/she is slated on here and usually digs his/her own grave, he/she just can't get enough. Occasionally he/she gets discouraged after a proper pillocking but he/she invariably keeps returning to the scene of the crime. You see it has been and always will be RedRob's fate and "history".

At least RedRob could spell and compose a sentence and for the most part had something to say albeit when the forum provided him with one last chance to shine (ie. Loz on the urging of some of us) he finally hoisted himself on his own petard. Loz, it seems to me that these new blokes show no promise whatsoever and personify the abject deluded filth their stereotyping more aptly betrays. Do we really need 'em? What do they have to contribute? Show 'em the high hat Loz, for all of our sakes.

Mourinho as Ginsberg...(presumably pre '55)...interesting allusion. & agree with Dorset, Pauly, you're underestimating the arse/overestimating big Sam's influence on that perennial graveyard. Otherwise, great reads as always.

Apparently! Nice bunch of models.

Wonder what his "version" on the 3 cards will be. No doubt he'll blame someone else - probably the 3rd official, possibly Jose, possibly JT.

On ESPN On ESPN

Spot on Barn - the grey bar hotel no less! How appropriate.

I just want the bloody title back and Liverpool relegated (alright, to be realistic, to not make the top four and hence miss CL action in 08/09). Nothing else but the title really matters to me since all the others are just knock-out comps - have one bad day (apart from the CL Group stages) and you're gone. So IMO their a bonus and great to win but not the real deal.

Is that their new away strip he's wearing. Don't know if it has a collar or not - but I see that either a particular player's name is now emblazoned on some headgear or is it a new sponsor? Is the hat going to be mandatory on matchdays?

Alright G4 have it your way but be a good fella and let us all know when we can start having 'em: Doubts that is or thoughts etc.

G4 said: "too early to have doubts about anyone. this is "pre" season." I suppose its never too early for the thought police eh G4?

For me there were a lot of positives: Malouda, Ben Haim & I thought most everyone else looked pretty fresh & sharp and up for it given it was only a practise match- even Shev (poor bar steward after that 2nd goal wrongfully disallowed - shot to Jose afterwards who had a big laugh almost as if to say "He creates/assists the beautiful goal - the goal that everyone says Chelsea cannot score and that Shev can no longer set up because he is past it but Shev creates it anyway and then it is disallowed. I ask why? For its impertinance perhaps?"); Drogs & Joe a bit rusty but I thought Galaxy defended pretty well and some of our crosses were, well, lets just say a bit too friendly but heh it was all about Beckhamania anyway. Do ya think Sidwell got invited to the barbie later on? Only downsides for me were no Robben on the bench (ie. where is he ? Madrid ? Disneyland ? Hollywood Screen Test ?) and Kalou. Now I hope I'm wrong about Kalou but I have had serious doubts about him since about Xmas. Prove me wrong fella.