Chelsea Banter Archive February 22 2012

22 Feb 2012 21:22:56
Ed I'm wondering if u could answer this question for me. What were the reasons Mourinho left Chelsea? Was he sacked? {Ed013's Note - I think it was classed as a mutual split, but as far as I know Mr Abramovich lost confidence in him. I miss Mourinho in the English game and would love it if he went back to you guys}

22 Feb 2012 20:28:09
At this rate Torres will have had more managers at Chelsea than goals ....... ha ha ha

Even if torres never scores for chels again hell probably have more goals that you have friends...

Loved that comeback!

Believe Torres got knocked for being the new face of lorel for men! when he had to say "coz i'm worth it" the whole crew were falling about laughing!

22 Feb 2012 16:50:57
cech
wiel vertongen cahil a.cole

ramires montolivio

mata hazard/goetze lavezzi


el nino

in
wiel-8mil
vertongen-10mil
montolivio-free
hazard/goetze-30mil
lavezzi-18mil

out
bosingwa-free
malouda-free
mikle-5mil
kalou-free

subs
hilario
terry
lampard
essein
drogba
sturidge
ivanavic

Agree with some players on the list but J.Moutinho could do a job for us. Cheaper, younger and better alternative to Modric who we were after.
BLUE G

Wheres Luiz gone?

Hopefully Luiz would just be GONE! He's the worst defender in the premiership! Embarressing.

22 Feb 2012 15:12:08
I was going to post something on the forum yesterday, hoping to get in before some of the more reactionary voices, but I decided it would be appropriate to reflect on yesterday's game first. Having done that, here goes…

The most obvious thing that seems to cause discontent with AVB is selection: Malouda, Mereiles, Bosingwa; perhaps as importantly, those players instead of Lampard, Essien and Cole.

I think the Ed has already pointed out that Cole was thought not to be quite ready for 90 minutes - albeit he ended up playing for nearly the full game. So that one is fairly easily dealt with, although I have to say there were a couple of moments when it appeared Cole was treading water, which points to the view being right. The others would seem to hinge on what AVB was trying to achieve.

Napoli are a team built to counter attack. They also attack from all angles with Cavani, Lavezzi and Hamsik switching position regularly. In those circumstances, away from home, and particularly with Terry out, it made sense to put up a barrier in front of the back 4 and playing 4-2-3-1 seems a sensible way of doing it. The question then is who should form the barrier.

Essien is one option, but seems - a bit like Cole - some way short of full fitness. Certainly, he was less energetic against Man Utd than one would expect. Romeu is another option - and I must admit, might seem a better one - but he is , after all, a young player who only last year was playing for Barcelona B. Then there's Lampard.

I wrote at the beginning of the season that Lampard would need to adapt his game to continue with Chelsea. He has since come out saying he still wants to be the player arriving in the box and scoring goals, which he has done successfully when he has played. He has also played in the holding position for England, without notable success.

AVB chose Ramires there, which is not his best position, but which reflects his speed and tenaciousness, which would seem logical against the Napoli's speed on the break. And, of course, he chose Mereiles who made an individual error for the first goal, and indeed made another later that led to a chance. The question really is whether any other midfield player - Mikel, perhaps? - really had a stronger case given fitness, form and preferred position?

The other player who comes up a lot is Malouda, who actually had a fairly decent game in patches last night. If you are choosing a 4-2-3-1 and - as has been argued here a lot - Mata has to play more centrally, who else can play wide left? You could play Sturridge there I suppose, but then the question of who plays right? Ramires could, I suppose, but you would be giving up his energy in the defensive third. You certainly couldn't play Lampard there in this system.

So, to all those who call for a new manager, I wonder what you think they would do differently given the squad at Chelsea's disposal? Play a diamond accomodating allowing Lampard to play left of centre, as he has done brilliantly for Chelsea over the years? Against Napoli, you'll be overrun in midfield and have inadequate protection in front of the back 4. Play 4-3-3? Mata would be shunted out wide and, the way Napoli's right back attacks, you'd need him to stay there.

This is not the football AVB wants Chelsea to play. In an ideal world he would press higher up the pitch, condensing the space in midfield and looking to recover the ball in the opponent's half - there was a twenty minute spell in the second half, just before the 3rd goal when Chelsea did this, Ramires in particular closing the ball down before Napoli could release it to Cavani etc. when I thought Chelsea would recover to 2-2. Another individual error put paid to that.

Duck

Couldnt agree more with you m8, sensible post.

PB

Cech
Ivan Cahill Luiz Ashley
Essien
Ramires Lampard
Mata
Torres Sturridge

4-1-2-1-2.....that looks pretty good to me...

This made me completely change my opinion, good shout.

22 Feb 2012 13:46:42
Just too much of a coincidence that Capello leaves the England job and the players look to undermine AVB. My bet Capello at CFC in two weeks.

22 Feb 2012 12:45:58
Do you think with so many managers coming and going that the players seemed to have almost had to look after things themselves and have formed a tighter bond, so when a new manager comes in it's getting harder and harder for the incoming manager to break this bond?

22 Feb 2012 10:54:15
We might need to offload some more dross at over-inflated prices in the Summer if you're interested?
ANFIELDPETE

Looserpoo is certainly full of overrated and over-inflated dross !

Much Love

Yeah, much love...
and you guys always seem to buy them...HA

You can have Christian Poulsen for 50m

No you can have him for nothing

22 Feb 2012 10:21:08
Frank Lampard is a living legend, an immaculate pro and a top bloke too. If he has got a major problem and no respect for AVB then something is seriously wrong, We, and Frank know he cant play every minute of every game now, we all know he will have to call it a day soon at this level. There is something else on top of his decreasing playing time getting too him. And too all those that branded me not loyal for wanting AVB out, wheres YOU'RE loyalty to Frank. Regardless of the future, Frank is one of my hero's, one of the very few current players i actually RESPECT, if he doest think AVB is right, AVB ISNT right.

He is sticking with the same team and tactics that doesnt beat lower league opposition and struggles week in week out against premier league strugglers. Enough is enough. How can he be good enough to rebuild us

Think of it like this, if you went to a surgeon to have a mole removed, and he had a shakey hand and sliced you up a bit, would you trust the same surgeon in giving you a heart transplant, because the exact same logic applies here, Loyalty at what cost?

SHED END

I couldn't agree more. The fact that the so called old gaurd are prepared to stand up to the manager proves that they care about the club and want to win. If they did not care they would just warm the bench and take the money.
The fact that AVB perseveres with players like Merielies, Bosy, Luiz and co proves that either he does not have a clue what he is doing or he is just tryng to boost his ego by leaving out lamps, ash etc. either way it is destroying our club.
I really wish he would stop calling our club a project, I find it disrepectfull.

Bring back Ray Wilkins until the end of the season!

This is surely the funniest post ever. Are you being sarcastic or are you for real.

If lampard doesnt feel a manager is right then he isnt right? ??? So if lampard wants a new manager,he gets a new manager????

Sk

At the moment i agree on one thing AVB is on thin ice, and his selections are STRANGE.

But player power is something i will never agree to because they should play for the badge and the fans.

Shak

Anyhow you have the right to your opinion which i mostly agree to but the lampard bit.

I think rafa benitez is going to be our short term fix as mooted alot. I think he can bring the best out of a few players

Lampard has been a non factor all season just like a vast amount of other Chelsea players, but if your telling me a 33yr old who isnt anywhere near the level of player he was 5 years ago should have more control over tactics, squad selection and influential decisions over the CLUB MANAGER and coaching staff is ridiculous.

You post 3 or 4 new posts a day saying get AVB uim a blue till i die i go to all the matches im a real fan, we get it. top repeating yourself, this is a Chelsea forum with 15 regular posters probably, we get your point and view.

PB

Perhaps wouldn't agree to the same surgeon due to it being a LIFE and DEATH situation

I would never compare that to a game of football where you are talking about players that get more a week than all of us here put together. Would i trust someone on a pitch YES because worst case scenario aint nowhere as bad as Dying.

POOR comparison. If you want AVB out due to his tactics than just say that because not many of us agree with his tactics anyway BuT players should because they are getting paid to do so.

SK, dead right im being serious, id side with Lampard over AVB anyday, Alltime great vs 8 months of rubbish, are you being serious in siding with AVB??at what point will you say enough is enough? if you can give me the smallest bit of hope that this isnt an absolute disaster please do because im losing sleep over it

SHED END

So if Scholes or Giggs don't think Ferguson is right then does that mean Fergi isn't right??

If Lampard was so Proffesional he would respect the managers authority. Id like to see lamps react to players criticising him if he was a manager and they felt his tactics were wrong.

Shed i understand you want AVB out but i surely disagree with your Lampard comment mate. He gets paid to do a job and Surely not to question his superiors or show a lack of passion. If anybody wants to be a utter pro, they should play for the Badge than anyone else.

Shak

Its a stupid hypothesis though because your saying ANY manager who comes in, if Lampard or Terry dont like his tactics or squad selection then their wrong because 2 club legends have more of a say over the manager?? You tell me 1 manager in the world that would take a job where club legends have more of a say than him in MANAGERIAL decisions? I cant think of 1.

Lets stop writing AVB hate posts and actually get behind our team. The club looks like their going to stick by AVB so thats what YOUR CLUB THAT YOU LOVE has decided, if they do end up firing him then you've got what you want, but please stop posting daily that you h8 AVB to the same forum of people and making silly metaphores about surgery?? Your a respected poster whos angry at the clubs current state of affairs, its real supports like you and me and the other posters who show how much we love the club at times like this and get behind the manager and the team reguardless.

PB

It is nowhere near the same as a giggs/ferguson pal to be fair. The current training isnt working, the current system isnt working, the current selections are not working, should the players just shut up and continue doing something they know is wrong?? Im glad the players are standing up and saying this isnt right, it shows they care, id be more concerned if they said nothing, accepted that we arent a good team anymore and just collected there wage.

and BTW, AVB out isnt my first choice, my first choice has always been for him to succeed, i like the bloke, if i had the option now of having AVB stay and do well, or havin another manager come in and do well and definitely choose the first. He wont do well though because he isnt a very good at managing a football team at this level

SHED END

Well said PB. No man is bigger than the club not even dear old Frankie! The problem with everything at Chelsea is that RA is playing a huge great game of reality playstation . He just wants to win, at any cost and has ripped the heart out of the club, buying,selling, sacking.....its a meaningless pastime for him and thats where all the problems lie. Do you think JM would have moved on if it wasn'tfor him.....think about it...

Surely AVB just needs to be given a couple seasons...it took ferguson 3 years to see any return at man utd....abramovich needs to back him and sell who AVB wants and buy in some players who fit into the style he wants.

I agree AVB has made mistakes, when he didnt have the players he wanted for his system he should have used lampard, etc in a system to get the best out of the current crop until he can replace them in the summer with his own side. Thats his mistake....moving old players on is fine its just the timing and how he handled it.

ToonFan

I am no AVB lover. I am as frustrated with AVB as a lot of you guys but have supported chelsea since the 90s. We were only a good cup team then BUT regardless of manager AVB or JOSE. If as a player you are bigger than chelsea DO ONE!! Fergie has got rid of top players for questioning him! Did it bite him on the ass? No! Chelsea will still be here long after any of the current team. Lamps is a legend but if he is so out to change us. Retire, get his badges, then come back as manager. I would welcome him back as manager. Nobody likes what the boss tells us to do but that life. If I went against my boss the way some of our players do, I would be on the DOLE, simples!
BLUE G

Manager
^
|
|
Players(Including Legends)
(Basic Heirarchy)
End Of !!
hims_red

22 Feb 2012 09:37:26
AVB needs help now! Too many players are letting the club and themselves down with their perfromances and antics right now....someone at the club needs to get people pulling together asap.

Benitez shortening bigtime in bookies markets.....I really hope not!

When you look round the candidates for the job if AVB goes, there really are very few credible options....Brendan Rogers and Poyet would suffer same fate as AVB from this dressing room, Guardiola is surely fantasy, Capello and Mourinho the only real candidates I can see......

22 Feb 2012 07:52:07
Great news! Bossy is out for awhile! Now we have a chance! Next up... Raul!

22 Feb 2012 07:25:23
AVB...one word...CLUELESS 
his team selection and tactics are on a par with Sunday league!
We look and play like a team of strangers, we scored but it wasn't due to us playing well it was a mistake by canavaro. 
I'm not one for sacking the manager but what a costly mistake hiring him with such little experience was when we had ancelloti who the club had been after for years and was a world class manager.
We need some serious work over the summer as we are way off challenging the Manchester clubs anytime soon, but if we don't get CL football I can't see big names coming. 

We bought in a manager who would be ruthless enough to build a new team and squad. Acne lotto wouldn't have done that

22 Feb 2012 06:33:56
Morning Ed's
Im a LFC support and will probably get slagged for coming on here but here goes

To the bridge brigade
Whats gone wrong? Every time you seem to have a foothold in the game the wheels fall off in defence.This aint the Chelsea of years gone bye.You still have a chance in the second leg at home but the defending needs to improve.
Do you guys think its time for a clear out of players? or is it just taking time for the manager to get the team playing as he wants it to? I will be interested in responses as you see the team week in week out

Best of luck in the second leg
REEDFORLIFE {Ed013's Note - The players there are good enough, but something is really wrong! Even though they are classed as getting old! they should still be able to do the basics that every footballer should be able to do}

Players ave been here for too long needed changing earlier our squad aint good enough. bosingwa, meielles, malouda wouldnt get in manc teams or milans or real n barca so y chelsea, torres will be fine when we have players hu wanna play for AVB and actually a midfield tht create haf a chance. need to get rid of, bos, cole, lamp, terry, mikel, meirelles, kalou , malouda , drogba 1st. kakuta 4 malouda , mceachran 4 meirelles, de bruyne for kalou, piazon for mikel. then the rest new signingslik pjanic, hazard, lucas moura , subotic thn well be ok

22 Feb 2012 06:02:51
Lampard as next manager!

Hehe Haha! what about his dad?

Why so he dont sit on the bench again!

22 Feb 2012 04:55:44
Must be 36/48 hours since my post about AVB not being good enough, i got called stupid, branded a disgrace an got told too support Man City. Im a 3rd generation game goer and i love the club. AVB IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH. i dont care who insulted me the other night, surely, surely now it MUST be sinking in, seriously, IS THIS THE RIGHT MAN TO TAKE US FORWARD??, Please, if anyone has any crumbs of hope for me too cling on to please share, because im actaully losing sleep over it, 3-1 flattered US big style, No grudges or gloating, just please wake up before its too late, AVB is a nice bloke, but as a top level manager, hes terrible, we need him out, not for my ego, but for the good of the club, can you seriously trust chelseas future in the hands of this man??

SHED END

It was dissapointing and as a fan i am really gutted. His selection last night was so BAD, more strange than anything. Favouritism in favour of the portugese players. SHOCKING. Leaving Essien and Cole out was LIKE STARING IN THE FACE OF DEFEAT before the game started.

All the taddy little passes in defence and then a long ball from merailes to a napoli player....id actually want to see merailes's pass completion rate. Doesnt AVB look at these stats??? But for devine intervention it would have been more because Bosingwa was an utter joke. Malouda??

Losing Patience with AVB. Surely somethings wrong. Players are to blame but why arent they responding to him.

People are talking about rafa benitez as a short teem fix. One thing is certain he will get torres scoring. If anything is going save us now it is the goals. If i could get one player hitting form it surelt would be him. BAD TIMES at the Bridge. I'm contemplating do i go the Bridge and watch them against Spurs or is a complete waste of money??

Shak

22 Feb 2012 02:53:08
through the good and the bad there has been one common denominator and its abramovic is there any Chelsea fans brave enough to call for him to go or do you believe if he leaves any chance off sustained success will leave with him

22 Feb 2012 01:01:18
Chelsea fan's should shout for Roberto Mateo next home game..he can't be any worse than AVB LOL. Or wdh even Michael Emenalo!

Tekneek

22 Feb 2012 00:05:01
Dissapointing result and i could see most of you are absolutely frustrated and i dnt blame you to be fair. Chelsea have put us the emotions this season.

Anyhow i wouldn't blame AVB solely for todays defeat. Surely he played his part because i cannot understand the decision to leave Essien for Merailes....... Strange.

Anyhow i don't feel the players are giving their 100 percent for AVB, just like Cech said in his interview.

AVB tries and shows more passion via his celebrations and emotions throughout the match from the dugout than any chelsea player does. Our own mistakes cost. So easily could have been prevented. It wasnt that napoli were good, it was more that we gifted them the chances and credit where its due for the finishing.

Certain players like cole,malouda,merailes, bosimgwa, lampard, drogba, all need replacing. Changes need to happen.

Shak

As to Ashley cole not playing, supposedly he disagreed with AVB's tactics and thus got dropped alongside Lampard. Again player power trying to overcome the managers authority. Again shows these players dont back AVB hence why i still believe we need to allow him to build his own squad and thus give him the time.

But i understand the negativity il get from you guys regards this but i feel the alternative is to get a manger who puts up with the player power and ultimately the life span of these selfish players increases and we dont solve our problems. AVB will surely replace these players in the summer.

Shak

He wasn't playing because he was still coming back from injury.

You cant still want him pal, surely it must be sinking in, He is the man picking these players that arnt trying, at what point will you say enough is enough, it could of been 5/6/7-1 last night EASILY

SHED END