Sheva style stitch up on the way ?

[Star]

Now I'm worried.

Just when we are going in the right direction, getting older high wage players off our books, signing Ramires and promoting youth, Jose Mourinho, I am certain is setting us up for another deal, much like when we signed Shevchenko and not Tevez to our cost, by offering us Kaka when he is fit to upset the applecart.

You see, Jose will see us as a huge threat under Ancellotti. He has bought brilliantly at Real Madrid, Kheidra as a holding midfielder, Ricky as Centre Back, with Ozil, make no mistake Kaka's direct replacement. He will oust Kaka once fit, I'd put my planned betting kitty for the next year on that. Real Madrid are my favourites for the European Cup following his latest swoop in my book.

Ozil was an after thought, he wasn't in the mix prior to Kaka's injury. We have made a huge error in nor signing Ozil before the World Cup dust settled, as they did with Kheidra.

We should keep our thoughts on track, we do not need Kaka, but we need a class younger player to 'make the difference' European wise. We are nowhere near Real Madrid, Barcelona, Inter Milan, dare I say it Bayern Munich.

Ozil I believe was that player, I believe Jose knew that too. I do not take having the same idea as Jose as consolation, but would hope we have the nous to say NO to Kaka.

Premiership Champions we again might soon be, I can't think of a signing that will now improve our European chances that is available or within our new budgets, at 12 million Ozil was.

[Andreas]

Come on man, we got everything it takes to win the CL - we missed it 2008 by one penalty kick and got f**ked over in the semi finals 2009.

We have everything "special" it takes to go on and win this competition.

I don't think Özil would change anything if he came here, especially not carry us to a CL trophy.

[Eggy McMuffin]

Where would Ozil play? He isn't a winger. Replace Lampard? Essien? Go to the diamond?.. maybe, but then we'd lose our already settled creative spark, Malouda.

We are better than Bayern Munich, despite their good run last year. It remains to be seen how we do against Barca, Real and Inter... when it gets to the semi finals, as you should well know by now, it's a lottery... the teams are so evenly matched that a bit of fortune here, a dodgy decision there, a rare mistake... that's what decides the final games.

[cfckeane]

I think Roman's probably learned from his mistake with Shev.

And also, I can't imagine Perez will want Kaka, who's worth way more to the club than just playing football, leaving after only a season or two. I've read somewhere that Kaka pays his own wages and more in shirt sales and other merchandising.

[BLUENUT]

We won't sign Kaka, we've got Benayoun FFS!

Edited August 17, 2010 by BLUENUT

[Hutch]

i can't see why you're so worried. i've never seen even the slightest realistic hint that we might be interested in signing Kaka. Ancelotti has in fact stated that Kaka will not be coming to Chelsea, in just about as many words. oh sure there's been plenty of press talk, but you can put most of that in the same category as the frequent Drogb/Cech/Ashley Cole to follow Mourinho.

Kaka to Chelsea? i won't say it's not gonna happen, just that i'll be amazed if it ever does.

[german-blue]

We are nowhere near Real Madrid, Barcelona, Inter Milan, dare I say it Bayern Munich.

sorry but you gotta be kidding ....

we are nowhere near Bayern Munich ??? is that a joke or something...

they got no decent goalkeeper, they got no defence and their main weapons (robben and ribery) are about as injury prone as it gets..

i cant wait until people realise that özil isnt that great after all.. his career is over anyways

Edited August 17, 2010 by german-blue

[TheWestwayWonder]

Real havent abdicated all control of their club to Jose Mourinho.

Kaka still sells shirts. Millions of em. And while he remains a handsome, squeaky clean kid from Brazil with the supermodel wife, that will always be true, especially in Brazil.

And while it remains true, Real Madrid would be happy to hold on to him even if he never plays.

And even if we were to negociate with Real over Kaka, i'm pretty sure our valuation of the player and what they would take for him are so far apart it doesnt even matter.

[Star]

Come on man, we got everything it takes to win the CL - we missed it 2008 by one penalty kick and got f**ked over in the semi finals 2009.

We have everything "special" it takes to go on and win this competition.

I don't think Özil would change anything if he came here, especially not carry us to a CL trophy.

I really honestly believe, I'm talking Champions League here, not Premiership, that we are at a disadvantage to previous years in personnel and indeed quality of opposition we are nowhere good enough to win it.

When we beat Barcelona under Jose, as a team we were better and deserved to beat them. In the two years you mention, Real Madrid were not a threat, or were Inter Milan, in fact over many years Liverpool and Manchester United our main threats. Drogba, Lampard, Terry etc were younger and it seemed to me we would win it, alas we never due to a crap ref and a dodgy penalty kick as you rightly mention.

We were played off the park by the eventual winners Inter Milan last year, Barcelona have bought Villa and have Pedro as an improvement to the team that beat us in 2009, Real Madrid have Jose and as i've said a holding midfielder, quality Centre Back and the class of Ozil (Just wait and see this season) plus the one man that stood between us and not winning the premiershio for three years Ronaldo in their ranks - to get back to his best under the Special One.

Premiership with Ramires and Essien back, yes, no problem it's ours.

But in European terms, all we have done is replace the experience of Ballack with Ramires and the trickery of Cole with Beneyoun.

We have no cover for Cech which is a major concern given his recent injury problems and have no player to malke the difference like a Messi or Iniesta, Sneider. Ronaldo, or those other greats who have turned games in an instant at the very top level.

To win the Champions League you need a special talent, we have the power, experience and team spirit, a great manager and are the best team in England again.

Can you honestly say the same players that have came so close are in a side any better than in previous years or on a level of our key rivals?

We have failed to nail that one talent for years and that's the only real reason why we will never be European Champions until he arrives.

That player would have finished off Barcelona and blown away Man Utd before we got to penalties - the same applies even more this year as the competition is far stronger.

[Bobbywoodhogan]

I think we'd have gotten further last season in the Champions League had we not lost Essien for so long

[Star]

sorry but you gotta be kidding ....

we are nowhere near Bayern Munich ??? is that a joke or something...

they got no decent goalkeeper, they got no defence and their main weapons (robben and ribery) are about as injury prone as it gets..

i cant wait until people realise that özil isnt that great after all.. his career is over anyways

We will have to call a truce over Ozil, agree to disagree n all that, let's just see how his career develops under Jose and if i'm wrong at least i'm in good company!

My comments about Bayern refer to their improvement in European terms, Sweinstreiger, Robben and Ribery etc - If we had faced them and not Inter last season I honestly feel they would have beaten us, like they did Man Utd, forget the luck they had in the 2nd leg, they played them off the park in the 1st.

My main concerns are that Barcelona and Real Madrid have improved and we have not secured a signing (yet) to enhance our chances.

Robben is a player that should have made that difference for us, alas he never once performed in Jose's battles against Liverpool in Europe.

[Star]

Where would Ozil play? He isn't a winger. Replace Lampard? Essien? Go to the diamond?.. maybe, but then we'd lose our already settled creative spark, Malouda.

We are better than Bayern Munich, despite their good run last year. It remains to be seen how we do against Barca, Real and Inter... when it gets to the semi finals, as you should well know by now, it's a lottery... the teams are so evenly matched that a bit of fortune here, a dodgy decision there, a rare mistake... that's what decides the final games.

I've already answered you on this one before ( perhaps you missed it ) ..... Anelka out ..... ( Same role Germany v England when he had Ashley Cole and JT all over the shop)

Alas, we never know.

[Threepw00d]

Star, you got some good points, but all in all football (especially CL) is much more then just having the special player(s).

Did you expect Inter to win the championship last season? I didnt, because in the end tactic, motivation, team spirit, jose's "line of coke" and a little bit luck decided the outcome.

But if you compare their 09/10 squad with ours, i dont see any player of them, who's more special than one of cfc.

[Hutch]

But in European terms, all we have done is replace the experience of Ballack with Ramires and the trickery of Cole with Beneyoun.

you really think Joe Cole will be that big a loss? because i don't. apart from the fact that he was out injured for several months, and rarely looked anywhere near regaining his form when he returned, his best days, I believe are well behind him. Joe Cole is and always was a frustrating player. bags of tricks, plenty of skill matched by unfulfilled potential. what makes me laugh, before he signed for that lot, Liverpool fans called him "Joke Hole", a classless window-licking chav. now he's their saviour, a marquee signing yet ... Joe Cole has class they say. signing of the season? don't make me laugh!

and Ballack? plenty of Chelsea fans didn't want him in the first place. sure he had his moments, wasn't nearly so much a waste of space as many would have you believe, but he too was past his best and the time was right for him to move on. i don't see Ramires as a direct replacement. as has been stated elsewhere, a closer comparison would be to Vierra, in fact Ramires himself cites Vierra as his role model. also don't forget we've got Essien back, and a fully fit Drogba from the start.

[german-blue]

My comments about Bayern refer to their improvement in European terms, Sweinstreiger, Robben and Ribery etc - If we had faced them and not Inter last season I honestly feel they would have beaten us, like they did Man Utd, forget the luck they had in the 2nd leg, they played them off the park in the 1st.

the only quality side that bayern played against was manu and they only went through because of luck and because of the away-goal rule (which is crap)...

if u think like that you could assume burnley is a great side aswell...

[dkw]

Even though Jose has gone on a splurge our first 11 is still better than theres, simple as that. And why would it be a Sheva style situation, are we now to think signing any world class players will fail because Sheva did? Maybe we shouldnt sign any English players because Sutton was sh*te.

Edited August 17, 2010 by dkw

[Jimmy_blue]

Shevchenko is an exception rather than the rule.

He just became shot over night. He lost it all, everything. good night Vienna. I can't think of many players who suffered a more spectacular fall from grace.

Kaka would rip it up at Chelsea. No question. But they won't get rid of one of the best players in the world because they bought Ozil, who the jury is still out on by the way! Nicky Butt was one of the stars of the 2002 World Cup.

Edited August 17, 2010 by Jimmy_blue

[Star]

Even though Jose has gone on a splurge our first 11 is still better than theres, simple as that. And why would it be a Sheva style situation, are we now to think signing any world class players will fail because Sheva did? Maybe we shouldnt sign any English players because Sutton was sh*te.

No, I'm worried we will sign a player that appears to be at an age and money/wage he is something he is not, a la a Sheva or in this case (keeping to my point Kaka)

We have bought youth in Ramires as i've said and brought in Beneyoun for Cole and Ballack.

We wouldn't have won the CL with Cole or Ballack, I said as much last year.

I personally think Ramires and Beneyoun, even with the return of Essien leaves us short in challenging for the one trophy that eludes us.

English players ?

There isn't one that could help us .... as for Sutton comments ,,,, I wasn't complaining when we signed Lampard at the price when 75% of Chelsea fans were!

[Star]

the only quality side that bayern played against was manu and they only went through because of luck and because of the away-goal rule (which is crap)...

if u think like that you could assume burnley is a great side aswell...

I take it, despite your user-name you are touchy/anti anything German.

Have you not Blonde hair and blue eyes (sorry couldn't resist :D )

[Sheva]

I dont agree that we're not strong enough too win the CL, i believe it's all about luck but Madrid and Barcelona have better quality than us and now that Madrid have Mourinho it looks like they will become stronger.

Ozil for me would of been the perfect signing, since he was cheap and young. When i seen Madrid announce Ozil on skysports the first thing that came to my head was Kaka.

Would i want Kaka?

Not a chance, just look at his injuries at the end of his career at Milan and now Madrid, we would be absolute fools to take him when his career is in decline at his age.

Sheva's decline was not obvious, Kaka's is.

Edited August 17, 2010 by Sheva

[dkw]

Anyone care to take a bet that Ozil will be on the market this time next year for less than Madrid paid for him?

[german-blue]

Anyone care to take a bet that Ozil will be on the market this time next year for less than Madrid paid for him?

I would bet on that... Not sure if Real would sell him after only one season but his price certainly wont go up now that he has placed himself on Real´s bench.

He cant even speak German, im curious how he manages to learn some English/Spanish now

Edited August 17, 2010 by german-blue

[Tim W]

We won't sign Kaka, we've got Benayoun FFS!

You forgot Kalou

[Star]

it's also about luck, Madrid and Barcelona have better quality than us and now that Madrid have Mourinho it looks like they will become stronger.

Ozil for me would of been the perfect signing, since he was cheap and young. When i seen Madrid announce Ozil on skysports the first thing that came to my head was Kaka.

Would i want Kaka?

Not a chance, just look at his injuries at the end of his career at Milan and now Madrid, we would be absolute fools to take him when his career is in decline at his age.

Sheva's decline was not obvious, Kaka's is. ***

With the slight adjustment your first point I would agree 100% with everything you say .... *** Is the perfect response to my post / Top man

[Star]

Anyone care to take a bet that Ozil will be on the market this time next year for less than Madrid paid for him?

Any of you guys wanting this bet, contact Graham Sharpe at William Hill, he would gladly take this bet for thousands!

Me at the magic sign - mail my inbox - whatever Sharpey offers I will beat by half a point - minimum stake £200