A damning article from David Gold

[Zola]

http://www.ontheminute.com/features/features.php?id=47#top

helsea's days at the top are numbered

Published: 24.11.10 / Written by: David Gold

Chelsea's decline has been widely reported following three defeats in four games.

Though the media have a tendency to over-react in these situations, on this occasion they are probably right. Chelsea's time at the top of English football is coming to an end.

Writing off Chelsea may be a knee jerk reaction, but for once, this reaction appears justified. Chelsea are on the slide, and are getting worse, and there is a very good chance they won’t win the league this year. There is a very good chance that crisis will turn to self destruction and Chelsea will slip out of the Premier League elite within a couple of years. That’s not because Chelsea lost to Sunderland at home. Their recent form is the symptom of the undiagnosed problems they have been suffering from for a while.

There are several reasons for their demise. Firstly, it is important to remember that Chelsea’s success has been achieved in an inflation filled bubble. Economically, Chelsea have benefited from the football boom, but their natural economic position is somewhere below the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United. Manchester United and Liverpool will always rise to the top because of their history and financial potential, which far outweighs their rivals. Arsenal will also be at the top for as long as they are able to take in more matchday revenue than their rivals. Chelsea on the other hand, have no solid financial footing. They have achieved success through a world class squad bought for them by Roman Abramovich, a squad which the club cannot afford to naturally maintain at its present level. The club is seeking to be run on a sustainable basis, and sustainability means that Chelsea will no longer be able to afford the quality of players that has taken them to the top.

The other main reason Chelsea are slipping, is because of the nature of their squad and their style. Chelsea are a ruthlessly effective machine. More so than any other side in recent English football history. Manchester United and Arsenal’s respective success was built on unpredictability going forward, someone doing something unexpected and creative to create the space and opportunities for them to take advantage.

Chelsea aren’t really like that. Even under Ancelotti, they’re only a bit less like that than they were under Mourinho. With Chelsea, you know exactly what is coming. You know how you’ll lose. Every team has a weakness, but Chelsea’s are more easily papered over, because they rely less on the unexpected, and more on efficient, hard work. If they lose Drogba they can replace him with Anelka. If they are without Malouda they have Kalou, or Benayoun, or visa-versa. Players who will put in the effort required to win Chelsea the game. For Chelsea, their victories are a result of their physical strength multiplied by their stamina.

Which is why it should not be a surprise that they are suffering without Frank Lampard. Lampard is a player of unique and unparalleled consistency. Not only that, but he is also Chelsea’s most creative player, setting up more goals last season for them than any other player. Lampard is also the Premier League’s most effective player over the last decade according to Opta statistics, and regularly tops their rankings for individual players per season. Lampard’s importance to Chelsea should not be underestimated. There are lies, lies and statistics. But Lampard’s consistent topping of the Opta pile cannot be a coincidence. Chelsea are a team who win through efficiency, and Lampard is the main hub of that efficiency. In terms of significance, he is considerably more important to Chelsea than Thierry Henry or Cristiano Ronaldo were to Arsenal or Manchester United.

With Lampard ageing, and their other key players - Didier Drogba and John Terry coming towards the end of their careers - Chelsea are likely to slip out of the Premiership's elite as financial common sense combined with lower revenues than their rivals means that they are not likely to be able to sustain the level that they have achieved in recent years. Chelsea's success has been highly impressive, but it has also been built on an unustainable bubble of debt, which is about to burst.

Read more: http://www.ontheminute.com/features/features.php?id=47#top#ixzz16D3Z5cZw

[gojo_ed]

What an utter load of bullsh*t.

There are several reasons for their demise. Firstly, it is important to remember that Chelsea’s success has been achieved in an inflation filled bubble. Economically, Chelsea have benefited from the football boom, but their natural economic position is somewhere below the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United. Manchester United and Liverpool will always rise to the top because of their history and financial potential, which far outweighs their rivals.

Liverpool financially stronger? I don't have the figures to hand, but I'm pretty sure we make considerably more from Sponsorship/Matchday sales/Hospitality than them. Hell what on earth does history count for, didn't stop Leeds plummeting.

Chelsea are a ruthlessly effective machine. More so than any other side in recent English football history. Manchester United and Arsenal’s respective success was built on unpredictability going forward, someone doing something unexpected and creative to create the space and opportunities for them to take advantage.

Come on this is just ridiculous. You don't score 100 plus goals in a season by just being ruthless. Not even sure I'm gonna bother writing any more, just going to say I'm looking forward to us stuffing West Ham when they come to the Bridge and good luck to them in the Championship.

[TheWestwayWonder]

Is this the Porno King?

There are so many things here I dont know where to start.

We play much more fluidly under Carlo than under Jose

Hard work and graft are not a negative

Lamps is old but there are other, promising players that emulate him

Roman is still a billionaire many times over

the whole media world has been raving about our youngsters this season. Last night we put out half a first 11 of them

We are now the second biggest revenue generating club in England

Its hard to believe he wrote this believing any of it was new or accurate information. Deary me.

Edited November 24, 2010 by TheWestwayWonder

[TheWestwayWonder]

Liverpool financially stronger? I don't have the figures to hand, but I'm pretty sure we make considerably more from Sponsorship/Matchday sales/Hospitality than them. Hell what on earth does history count for, didn't stop Leeds plummeting.

That is absolutely true. Our revenue is second only to Manchester United. I dont know about the deloitte rankings of the club's holistic values.

In any event, this is idiotic. We have a much much much much much brighter future than his club, which is six months away from a financial black hole. Maybe he is just upset about that.

[BrewCrew]

This article is bull. The only part of this article that seems to be true at the moment is the bit about replacing players and it is starting to concern me a little. There is no replacing lampard or Drogba. It's that simple. If the club has said that we will not be same in the transfer market it will be hard to maintain the same caliber of players. But, Chelsea will stay at the top.

[bjd]

My money is on Arsenal

[The Moos]

Wow, surely that is the biggest load of bulls*it ever written?

I almost didn't make it past the part of "Manchester United and Liverpool will always rise to the top because of their history and financial potential, which far outweighs their rivals."

Almost made me vomit.

And from what I could tell he didn't mention our current injury situation once.

He seems to have forgotten that we won the double last year and that we started this season brilliantly. He also missed the part with us starting to play worse when our best players got injured.

Not having Lampard, Essien, JT, Alex and the rest really makes a difference.

How is that guy even a writer? Don't they check if they have a brain when they hire new journos?

[PloKoon13]

His argument, already on life support, completely crumbles around the 'hard working but not spectacular' mark.

'Hard working', 'strong' and 'efficient' are not things to be ashamed of. In fact it's one of our greatest strengths. If Arsenal were as hard working, strong and efficient as we are...

It's completely untrue that we don't have players who are capable of pulling out something 'unexpected'. His short-sighted view that something 'unexpected' only counts when it involves nine stepovers or a 25-yard punt doesn't take into account the ridiculousness of players like Drogba (remember the rabona?), Lampard (Premiership Player of the Decade) , Essien (who can single-handedly drive and park the team outside the opponents' box) and JT (second half against Liverpool he was a centre forward half the time - he very often gets important goals).

There there... we can't all be as good as Boa Morte.

[bonetti]

That article will be 'music to the ears' of some people on this site!

[Tea Bar Boy]

Dear Mr Gold,

Please look at the league table today and come back to us with your thoughts on who is in trouble or has a significant and real threat to matchday revenue & income next year ? I appreciate you are under immense pressure at the moment and looking to raise your profile amongst West Ham fans by trying to take cheap pot shots at bigger and better run clubs and local rivals . You might want to get rid of all your Chelsea rejects from your playing and managerial team to ensure you are in the Championship next season.

Also please stop trying to impersonate Alan Sugar he has more money than you and a better beard.

Thanks

TBB

P.S. The club you now own would be a lot worse of if we didn’t handover the best part of £22 million quid on players …………………..

Edited November 24, 2010 by Tea Bar Boy

[TheWestwayWonder]

TBB that is great. Please send it back to them. Maybe when they get relegated he will have another little rant at us for causing it all.

My money is on Arsenal

That reminded me of the article from a few seasons back about the future of the Premiership . I think, no shock, Syed had a hand in it.

It said something about how Roman was going to sell us to a swiss consortium that was looking for profits not trophies, man utd would implode, liverpool would be in 10-20 years of financial mire becuase of their new stadium project, and meanwhile Arsenal would go from strength to strength on the back of their much lauded youthful core. You know, the one for whom the sky has been the limit since 2002.

Meanwhile, we were supposed to sink, sell off our stars, and settle around 7th in the table and be an occasional challenger like in the 90s.

Oh, how I would love to read an update from that guy.

Edited November 24, 2010 by TheWestwayWonder

[Hutch]

He's right you know. And West Ham are going to do the double this season.

[BLUENUT]

Coming from a man who makes a living selling plastics cocks........

[dkw]

Wow, what a complete and utter load of bollocks.

[Scooby Blue]

Is it that twat, or is it this two bob wannabe?

http://www.peopleperhour.com/freelancers/provider/Website_Content_EditorJournalist/14136

I hope it's the former as it'll make Wet Spams relegation even more enjoyable.

[mad_mac]

He is right that we do miss Lampard, as for the rest of it...sh*te!

I bet he only rates Lampard because of his ties to Wet Spam

[Backbiter]

Is it that twat, or is it this two bob wannabe?

http://www.peopleperhour.com/freelancers/provider/Website_Content_EditorJournalist/14136

I hope it's the former as it'll make Wet Spams relegation even more enjoyable.

I can't believe any Premiership chairman would be thick enough to write utter crap like that about a rival club team in the same league as them, but one that is on another planet in terms of revenue, playing staff and global standing.

[Randy36]

David Gold is a doddering delusional old dodger. Every time he opens his mouth he gets egg all over his face. Back in November he criticised Birmingham City's new owners and was banned from St. Andrews from attending City's game against West Ham.

Ever since he and Sullivan took over West Ham they began mouthing off about what the club was doing wrong. They assured the fans that Zola's job as manager was safe. Then following West Ham's 3-1 defeat by Wolves they lashed out against Zola. Avram Grant ended up with the job.

I don't believe a word that comes out of Gold's mouth. The poor old bar steward is more to be pitied than laughed at!!

[bjd]

Guys , are you sure it really is that same David Gold ?

[TheWestwayWonder]

Is it that twat, or is it this two bob wannabe?

http://www.peopleperhour.com/freelancers/provider/Website_Content_EditorJournalist/14136

I hope it's the former as it'll make Wet Spams relegation even more enjoyable.

May very well be him. Small time news source, guy is looking to make a name for himself.

The chairman is a bit of an outlandish idiot, but is in no place to go talking about the future of other teams until they climb off the bottom.

And if its the journalist guy.....im sure he can look forward to a great career at talksh*te or mirror football

[dkw]

Guys , are you sure it really is that same David Gold ?

Thats what I was wondering. Surely even that dildo salesman isnt that big an idiot to write an article like that.

[PorkpieBlue]

Jealousy is a wasted emotion.

Doesn't Mr Gold have more pressing things to worry about, er, closer to home ?

Like Championship football next season ?

[aliboy66]

When he looks at the tables does he know where Westham are?, don't worry about Chelsea mate because after this season they won't be playing Chelsea or anyone else from the premiership well maybe in the cups bye bye Westham

[bjd]

Seriously, it's not that David Gold!

Do u really think he writes articles for the internet? And he certainly wouldn't be so stupid to attack another club like that, particulary one so much more powerful.

It's just a rival fan writing bitter sh*te, like I stated before i reckon a Gooner.

[superdan]

I have to say I have every faith in our Chairman both as a billionaire playboy in it for the love and fun but also as a serious businessman who knows how to come out top and build a solid business footing. We haven't got as large a UK fan base as the other big clubs but it's growing fast and internationally Chelsea are right up there in terms of fan base