I'm glad too but we only got a few seasons out of Essien before he was crocked, Gerrard was one of the top midfielders in Europe for 5-6 years IMO.

He'd have been a huge success here.

I'm not sure mate the CL meant more to me than any League win I have witnessed, it's the most important trophy in club football. I know I'd rank it above the league.

 

I think some people's hatred of Gerrard makes them overlook that he's simply one of the best midfielders the Premier League has seen. I'd have loved to have seen him have a chance under a top manager like Jose and I think we could've had an even better side than the one we had. Makelele, Lampard and Gerrard could've been one of the best midfields ever, but we did pretty well bringing in Essien instead.

 

Still, what could've been eh?

I think some people's hatred of Gerrard makes them overlook that he's simply one of the best midfielders the Premier League has seen. I'd have loved to have seen him have a chance under a top manager like Jose and I think we could've had an even better side than the one we had. Makelele, Lampard and Gerrard could've been one of the best midfields ever, but we did pretty well bringing in Essien instead.

Still, what could've been eh?

I agree.

Yes he is a unlikeable guy and we LOVE it when he fails but without the blue tinted specs on he was simply a fantastic footballer.

Jose clearly wanted him and you just know the special one would have made Gerrard an even better player, he just has that magic in him to get the best out of players.

It's a nice thought but as has been said we did get Essien and we have won the lot so it's not a sore one which Gerrard might not be able to say the same (with no EPL medal).

I still think a CL win is the ultimate for a player in club football thought!

I think some people's hatred of Gerrard makes them overlook that he's simply one of the best midfielders the Premier League has seen.

There are plenty of players I dislike but can admire their footballing ability. Gerrard is clearly a very good player but vastly over-rated in my opinion.

There are plenty of players I dislike but can admire their footballing ability. Gerrard is clearly a very good player but vastly over-rated in my opinion.

 

I agree.

Yes he is a unlikeable guy and we LOVE it when he fails but without the blue tinted specs on he was simply a fantastic footballer.

Jose clearly wanted him and you just know the special one would have made Gerrard an even better player, he just has that magic in him to get the best out of players.

It's a nice thought but as has been said we did get Essien and we have won the lot so it's not a sore one which Gerrard might not be able to say the same (with no EPL medal).

I still think a CL win is the ultimate for a player in club football thought!

 

It would have benefitted the national team too in all likelihood. I reckon Jose is the one guy who could've reined in Gerrard's 'Superman' instincts and actually made him a better team player. The closest he probably got to that was when he was playing alongside Alonso (another great player) but seeing Lamps and Gerrard actually developing a midfield partnership could've been amazing.

I don't think Gerrard could have played under Jose, I just dont think he was an intelligent enough footballer to have been able to build tactical and positional discipline into his game. His best times where when he was played behind a striker and allowed freedom, there's a reason Benitez had to play holding midfielders to get the best out of him.

It would have benefitted the national team too in all likelihood. I reckon Jose is the one guy who could've reined in Gerrard's 'Superman' instincts and actually made him a better team player. The closest he probably got to that was when he was playing alongside Alonso (another great player) but seeing Lamps and Gerrard actually developing a midfield partnership could've been amazing.

I have always wondered what Jose could have done in regards to the both of them.

We all know they didn’t pull up tree’s in the national team but I honestly think under Mourinho it would have been balanced out and we would have seen two of Europes best midfielders flourish in our set up. I don’t buy Gerrard was overrated back then because he wasn’t, he has in the past 2-3 years regressed very quickly though while others like Lampard kept his levels up but in his prime the guy was as good as anyone IMO.

Obviously the whole thing usually comes back to who was better and it’s a moot point as every Chels fan will go with Lampard and the scousers Gerrard, just the way it is. I’d rather stay away from that one and instead look at how good the two could have been under Jose during those years, it would have been pretty exciting.

Essien though was a brilliant signing and if only he stayed injury free we would have surely achieved more, he was such an important player for us and we wanted him to get back to what he was so much we maybe persisted with him longer than we maybe should have. It’s horrible to see how injuries can take away talents like that in the players prime.

I have always wondered what Jose could have done in regards to the both of them.

We all know they didn’t pull up tree’s in the national team but I honestly think under Mourinho it would have been balanced out and we would have seen two of Europes best midfielders flourish in our set up. I don’t buy Gerrard was overrated back then because he wasn’t, he has in the past 2-3 years regressed very quickly though while others like Lampard kept his levels up but in his prime the guy was as good as anyone IMO.

 

The thing is for England they always played in a 4 man midfield, mostly in a 4-4-2 formation. 

 

Often paired together in the centre, sometimes with Gerrard out on the left.

 

Whichever way they were deployed for England meant that one of them was always curbing their natural game to fit the system rather than the England manager tailoring his formation to fit his best players. 

 

What I assume Jose would have done is had a 3 man midfield with Makelele sat deep behind the pair of them so that they didn't have to focus too much on defensive duties. 

Right, if I am right and this sounds a probability, if we beat Stoke, Palace beat city, and dippers and arse draw come that Sunday night we should be 9 points clear with a game in hand.

Then I will really start thinking about nipping down to Aldi and getting a few bottles of champagne in.

Edited March 26, 201511 yr by Lambeth Walker

I'm pretty confident, I think the international break has come at the right time we need to regroup afterwards and get back to playing our best football.

I'm pretty confident, I think the international break has come at the right time we need to regroup afterwards and get back to playing our best football.

Normally I would agree but they did have a full week of rest and to prepare for PSG and looked quite flat against a ten man side. Should've taking that match by the scruff and ran with it.

Normally I would agree but they did have a full week of rest and to prepare for PSG and looked quite flat against a ten man side. Should've taking that match by the scruff and ran with it.

Yeah was gonna say this, it seems when we have had breaks it's actually not helped us at all

I am hopefull as i dont like to take things for granted.Win it or not i will be back at the Bridge next season for more.......COME ON YOU BLUES!

Yeah was gonna say this, it seems when we have had breaks it's actually not helped us at all

I think players like Costa and Cesc thinks otherwise. They were saying that our main reason for the knockout of Europe was no Christmas Break during December...

I am feeling buoyed by the considerable amount of confidence shown by quite a few on here :-)

Wish we were playing Stoke tomorrow....

I think players like Costa and Cesc thinks otherwise. They were saying that our main reason for the knockout of Europe was no Christmas Break during December...

Costa when he doesn't play for a week or two always looks rusty yet when he plays continously he looks better.

Cesc has just looked tired for a while now and he's had breaks in between including an injury layoff which I know isn't the same thing exactly but he will have been resting.

They had an entire week with no game before the PSG match so I think that backs up what I said. Christmas break should be brought in here as its there across other leagues cause the Christmas break would be both a physical rest and a mental rest. The leagues really should be more consistent.

Edited March 27, 201511 yr by Bobbywoodhogan

The thing is for England they always played in a 4 man midfield, mostly in a 4-4-2 formation. 

 

Often paired together in the centre, sometimes with Gerrard out on the left.

 

Whichever way they were deployed for England meant that one of them was always curbing their natural game to fit the system rather than the England manager tailoring his formation to fit his best players. 

 

What I assume Jose would have done is had a 3 man midfield with Makelele sat deep behind the pair of them so that they didn't have to focus too much on defensive duties. 

 

Exactly this. I reckon Jose could've got them into a rhythm of attacking and defending in unison. Gerrard is not an idiotic footballer as has been shown by his ability to adapt his game somewhat over the last few years but under a better manager I think this would've been accelerated. Writing Gerrard off in that manner reminds me of when opposition fans used to criticise Lamps by saying that he had to have a holding midfielder or two behind him to get the best out of him. Fact is we used Makelele and Tiago/Essien like that to get the balance right so each could play to their strengths.

 

I just think sometimes it's hard for people to admit that he was a very good footballer, partly because of the old Lampard-Gerrard debate fuelled by the stupid tactics employed at international level. The team should've been constructed around that midfield pairing. 

I would rather win it a game before then. Liverpool would have to do the guard of honour and that is something i would love to see and something i know the Liverpool fans would hate to see.

You're on the money again Scott. Seem to remember United having to do the guard of honour a few years back :)

I just think we are making a little hard work of it at the mo, the way we were pegged back to 2-2 Sunday is a great example.

Desperate to see us boss a team for 90 minutes and get a statement win.

Then I'll be confident.

 

this

 

someone is due a hammering by us. the dip in performances is to be expected as the majority of the players are absolutely burnt out... completely and utterly fried, but at some stage when the finishing line is in sight surely those same players can find that extra edge and charge towards the finishing line

 

hopeful that we can win our next two, convincingly. a proper thrashing of both stoke and qpr would do marvels for the confidence. 6 points from those two games and then yeah, pretty confident. 

 

i do worry about our trip to the emirates, and also the liverpool game which is so close towards the end of the season - they will be looking for payback for last year and it wouldnt surprise me to see them nick it at the bridge. 

 

f**king dippers

Right, if I am right and this sounds a probability, if we beat Stoke, Palace beat city, and dippers and arse draw come that Sunday night we should be 9 points clear with a game in hand.

Then I will really start thinking about nipping down to Aldi and getting a few bottles of champagne in.

 

if this happens then it is over. i actually think i would be saying "its over" already if we had those extra two points from the southampton game. no way on earth would we drop an 11 point lead (assuming we win our game in hand) at this stage in the season. 

 

just wish we had the f**king points from that game in hand on the board already. lose that and its on. 

Resurrecting this one, win today and I will definitely be more confident.

Very confident. I think arsenal or United will have to win every game from til the season end to even put us under real pressure. Arsenal would have break the record consecutive wins to do that. Man United will be out of it by the time the whistle is blown at Stamford Bridge.

Edited April 12, 201511 yr by big blue

Very confident. I think arsenal or United will have to win every game from til the season end to even put us under real pressure. Arsenal would have break the record consecutive wins to do that. Man United will be out of it by the time the whistle is blown at Stamford Bridge.

What is the record?

Very confident. I think arsenal or United will have to win every game from til the season end to even put us under real pressure. Arsenal would have break the record consecutive wins to do that. Man United will be out of it by the time the whistle is blown at Stamford Bridge.

That's more like it.. They must win EVERY SINGLE game until the end, which in itself is unlikely, plus we would need to lose more in the run in than we have done all season.

It's NOT us under pressure, they are the ones who cannot afford a single slip up, if Arse lose or draw one more game it's over for them, and it's even more improbable for manure.

C'mon the Chels !!

What is the record?

14, Arsenal.