FA Cup: Chelsea 3 - 1 Ipswich Town

Has anybody seen the game actually? There was no online stream or any other way of watching it! I can not find the goal highlights yet. Probably might be only tomorrow.

Found that

LINK

Really want to see this when it becomes available. Oh well.

Seems the press is still harping on about "Crisis at Chelsea!"™ Must sell more papers or something. When you look at what happens in the FA Cup- Villa held by Doncaster, Fullham keeping it very late against Kettering- conceding two with their new, less leaky defense, West Brom held by Burnley, and above all, Pompey going out-

You can't take these games for granted.

I think, above all, this club should appreciate that this year.


Ballack is back to scoring form. We scored on set plays- we haven't done that in a while. Maybe it was a touch dicey, but 3-1 seems to be a fine result for the smash-and-grab nature of this competition.

Mark, I don't doubt what you saw, and especially since most of us haven't had the chance to see it, but I wonder if the poor ratings for most have to do with the fact that we are all not convinced that we have a good team right now. Anelka created one of the free kicks- he also sent Ballack the ball that was bundled early, before his first goal. Drogba created the second freekick. Kalou apparently had some good shots that were saved.

When you look at the stats, we had 18 shots to their 5, 60/40 for possession, no cards to their 3, and 8 corners to their 2. Not bad.

I'm happy to save the fantastic result for Liverpool. The way they have been playing recently the game might come down to a freekick or two. Good to know we are back on form there.


Oh, and I agree with Hnrey/Moffat/nom du jour... clearly we need to sell Lamps. Offers nothing, shoots too much, doesn't score, no vision, wasteful with the ball, didn't contribute to this win, his magnificent 35yd freekick was a lucky abberation... did I miss anything?

Somehow I don't think we'll be hearing much from him this week.

Fantastic.

Good work Oligarch!

That Lampard goal... my god.

Does anyone have any other links? Those don't work for me.

Try this link...

LINK

The lads must have been practising free-kicks these days... just like firing laser-guided missiles!

@ 2. OLIGARCH
Thanks for the highlights!!!

@To all
Well Herr.B is trying to justify his "play as you go" new contract with Chelsea. What can I say, if he continues to play like this why not, why not!!! Chelsea is back to their normal condition midfielders score the goals strikers running around. Good old days...

Free kicks are superb simply superb!!! I do not want to scare our luck, if it finally decided to return! However, there are good signs, some very good signs!!!

@ 3. Be_Champions

Mark, I don't doubt what you saw, and especially since most of us haven't had the chance to see it, but I wonder if the poor ratings for most have to do with the fact that we are all not convinced that we have a good team right now.

Well possibly. It's a bit like the recession where negativity can spiral and it's too easy to think poorly of everything. However if you've only seen brief highlights that show 3 excellent goals it would be easy to conclude that we played well. The reality is that Ipswich scored from a set piece and should have taken the lead 5 minutes later so I don't feel that I can give more than an average score of 6 to a top 4 Premier team that failed to convincingly outplay a mid table Championship side.

When you look at the stats, we had 18 shots to their 5, 60/40 for possession, no cards to their 3, and 8 corners to their 2. Not bad.

Stats can be misleading. Had the groundsman raised the blade on his mower by 2mm most Anelka shots wouldn't have reach the goal line.

THE CHELSEA TEAM ARE GETTING BETTER NOW THEY SHOULD KEEP ON IMPROVING AS THEY ARE DOING AT THE MOMENT. WITH TIME THEY WILL DEFINATELY GET BEST AS WE HAVE ALOT OF CHALLENGING MATCH AHEAD OF U THIS SEASON AND I STRONGLY BELIEF WE CAN WIN TITLE.

As one of the "lucky" ones at the game I think you are spot on Mark. Whatever the stats/ITV mini-highlights suggest it was in truth another unconvincing, scuffed win against minor opponents and a testament to our still fragile confidence, as we conceded another dumb goal from a set piece even though parish/regional marking seemed to have been abandoned for traditional man-to-man stuff. Considerably brightened by 2 spectacular goals from set pieces in the 2nd half though.

Returning to Blue Bayou's question on current status of CPO [@263 on last blog] there is a section on the official website under "Club" which reveals there are still only 14,400 shareholders owning an unstated total of £100 shares.

There is a "Non-recourse" loan of £10m [whatever that means] which I believe is owned by Abramovich now. Perhaps someone who understands business law can explain what the limit on any share holder to 100 votes no matter how many shares they own would mean if someone bought up the millions of shares still available in different nominee names - would we still be stuffed?

I thought Lampard's goal was just fantastic! If that had been ronaldinho or Ronaldo or messi the whole media would have been going on about how great a goal yet there is hardly a murmur in any media about it! I suppose the anti-anybody but man-u or anything the usual anti chelsea winning anything is still out there.

I have looked at Frank's goal several times and I can't work out whether it deflected off of a defender or whetehr Frank caused it to dip vicously by himself. Any views in Chelsea blogland?

Great draw for us today in the FA Cup. Getting Watford away will enable ITV to talk endlessly about this being "the year of the underdog" and how "plucky Watford encapsulate the magic of the FA Cup by giving it a good go" but personally i'm looking forward to facing Brendan Rodgers and Lamps Sn. Brendan reminds me a lot of a mini Mourinho and i think is the most likely to become a future Chelsea manager out of the group of ex players: Poyet, Di Matteo, Zola, Wise, Hughes, Clarke...

Pretty crucial week for us. On current form i can see us grinding out another good result against Boro and then it's the hugely important visit to Anfield. Defeat would end our title hopes in my opinion but i'm a lot more optimistic than before our trip to Old Trafford. Liverpool are stumbling, even with a fit Torres, and ever since Rafa's mad rant, they've gone off the boil. I know Scolari has looked like an idiot every time we've come up against a member of the Big 4, but this is such an important game that the team must be more up for it than the embarrassingly weak performance against Utd. And with our very own Captain Fantastic in great form (where's Moffat to tell us how shit Lamps is?) i can see us doing a smash and grab, and running away with a 1-0 win. The only caveat to that prediction is that we have a fit JT and Ricky. After watching Alex again fail to defend a set-piece, i'd worry for our title chances if he had to play.

@13 Zone-

I thought it didn't, and then I kept looking, and my best guess is that it might have had a slight deflection.

The ball "jumps" upwards right after the wall. But it is so hard to tell...

I'll try to get a copy of the game.

@Mark

I don't doubt that we weren't totally convincing... yet Arsenal drew nil-nil today, in addition to all of the games I previously mentioned. I think we did what we were supposed to do- which is escape. Even if it is at home.

I think we should offer Liverpool 12 million pounds for Robbie Keane!!

LINK

Obi Wan arrested and charged for Drunken Driving.

Luckypool strike again.

LINK

The Torres backheel was nice, but the shot was utterly poor. How did Tim Howard let that sneak through?

So far, Gerrard has scored twice against Everton on absolute gifts. Such a shame...

The replay should be great, however!

Well, a win is a win is a win and if we can chalk up another on Wednesday it will at least signify a return to form of sorts, even if the opposition have all been flimsy and the performances inconclusive. Still, if it's good enough for Fergie.

Nice draw. Will we ever leave London? Will we ever draw a Premiership side again?

And good to see Villa, Arsenal and Liverpool all dragged into replays. All the better for us.

Radio was adamant there had been a deflection, but can't see one on the highlights. Good to see we've been practising taking set pieces even if we haven't bothered learning how to defend them.

@17 - he isn't the first and he won't be the last.

I dunno ...youngsters today......

#17
One does not want to prejudge the situation but speaking as someone who imbibes alcohol

If I was in SW London and lived in Surrey (not a great distance)
I had been drinking
If trousered a few pound a week more than your average herbert
Knowing that living the football lifestyle you might find yourself out late...

Rather than drive why not

1 Avail yourself of Uncle Kens motel c/w a capacious car park (one might even get a discount although now they only have tea and sandwiches at training perhaps not) - admittedly booking in to the hotel owned by the club at 5.30am might prompt a few questions but you could claim that your having a sleepless night in anticipation of your team's peerless performance in the FA Cup that afternoon.

2. Utilise Cabbage or the slightly posher name one might have for a driver service when your paying big bucks in the early hours. One would have several numbers on ones phone.

Mystified by it all.

Everywhere reporting that Carlo gone on a free to Spurs.

What the fuck is wrong with the club now? Why are we selling when we are supposed to be buying and strengthening. Instead of having a squad with depth, we are actually making it worse! We need to sack Ray Wilkins and Peter Kenyon. Both of them talk too much...

Yes, sounds like a done deal for Carlo. Good luck to him; owes us nothing and in terms of service against what we paid for him, there can't be many better Chelsea acquisitions in the last 10 years. Rather he'd gone to Citeh though...

@Blue Bayou

Equally as bewildered as you on the Mikel thing. Aside of anything else (and I speculate as to the make of his 'ride' here), you'd guess that even the the most alcohol-sodden individual might think that driving a Cadillac Escalade / X5 type vehicle with tinted windows and probably a personalised plate erratically at 5.30am through the streets of SW6 a little too conspicuous?

'What the fuck is wrong with the club now? Why are we selling when we are supposed to be buying and strengthening. Instead of having a squad with depth, we are actually making it worse! We need to sack Ray Wilkins and Peter Kenyon. Both of them talk too much...'

For crying out loud Jang, he's our nearly pensionable third-choice goalkeeper, not Michael Essien.

Wage bill pruned and a young player steps up. What's wrong with that?

"We need to sack Ray Wilkins and Peter Kenyon. Both of them talk too much...'

And what's this go to do with Ray Wilkins? I've touted that Carlo needed replacing for some time now - so a good chance for Rhys Taylor to make the leap, which in turn allows us to break Heimann in (sorry couldn't resist)...........

You could put together a half decent side of Chelsea/Spurs players now

Carlo
Clive Wilson
Graham Roberts
Jason Cundy
Colin Lee (er...)

Micky Hazard
Glenn Hoddle
Gus Poyet
Terry Venables

Jimmy Greaves
Bobby Smith

Sad to see Carlo go but agree that we have to look to the future. At any other time he would have been our No.1 for his entire time at the club.

The fact that he's going to Spurs made me ponder about the tranfer dealings between the 2 clubs. It gives ample scope for a card game or perhaps a sort of inverted tennis. So we serve Terry Venables they return Jason Cundy that's Love -15 unless someone wants to argue the relative value of the two players. That sort of thing anyway. I'm sure there's someone steeped in the research who can give us a full account of all the to-ings and fro-ings.

@KJII

Some sort of Range Rover by all accounts. Laying aside some unresolved personal issues regarding Range Rovers and not because I'm a bitter envious old git but surely all young men under 25 should be forced by law to drive the modern equivalent of the clapped out cortina, escort, viva, marina etc. It will give them backbone and an appreciation of true motoring. (I believe PeteW's daily mail reading is starting to spread like an unstoppable virus).

Back on-line - was it just mine or did everyone's go splatt? I guess by the time-stamps that it was a shared experience.

Not much happening anyway at the moment, a bit like the calm before the storm of our next 'Most important game of the season' and I do mean 'Borough and not the poo.

Reading Mark's Observer/Guardian intro link it looks like Ballack and co. need to get their minds focussed:-

"We have another game on Wednesday [Middlesbrough at home] which we have to win," said Ballack, "but the Liverpool game [on Sunday] is always in the mind. We have not had good performances this season against the big teams and, of course, that has to change. We know it's difficult to win at Anfield but it's not impossible. If we want to go back to the top of the table, we have to win."

Herr B., if we don't beat Borough then Anfield becomes almost academic. While a draw on Sunday might not be total disaster, the same cannot be said of a single point on Wednesday, and let's not even talk about defeat!

It beggars belief that after three not entirely convincing wins (only one against PL opposition) we can so easily dismiss Middlesborough.

Everyone comes to the Bridge now expecting to get something so get used to it.

@ BB

Agreed - in my day he'd have had a second hand Escort MK II and liked it. Don't know they're born, these youngsters...

As I was discussing with a mate earlier, back in the days of Chopper and Ossie the copper would have pulled the car over, noted a hirsute footballing type in the Capri Ghia and let him off as long as he was promised access to the players' bar at the next home game. All sorted there and then, no need for a tabloid frenzy etc.

How many more players are Spurs going to sign that they previously off-loaded?

I won't be surprised to see them playing with Gilzean and Chivers up front at this rate.

Surely Robbie Keane next?

So farewell then
Carlo
You were completely brilliant that one year
So brilliant that
You will never really be a Spud.

I struggle to see it happening, but if we beat Middlesbrough and the scousers over the next few days I'd like everyone to be a bit positive! Even if we struggle, as long as we get six points.

I think we should beat boro obviously but Anfield will be tough with the fat spanish waiter playing for a 0-0 at home.

LINK

Good blogger this, and a Chelsea fan, with a well-aimed dig at Ipswich's 'anti-modern football' banner.

Slogans are cheap, unlike modern football.

@30

Give 'em a pushbike each, maybe then they won't need the more intense training they've been after (save pollution too).

Wasn't Essien prosecuted last year for a similar offence, perhaps Obi Wan is just using him as a role model.

On saying that I've just fallen foul of the local "cuntstabulary" by doing 35mph in a 30 zone. Not as bad as drink driving though, and have opted for one of those Speed Awareness Workshops.

Do they teach you to drive faster more safely? just don't know what to expect. :-)

And good luck to Carlo, shame it happened to be Rottenham though.

@ PeteW - What about Gordon Durie instead of Colin Lee?

@ LTB - I detect a touch of Private Eye in your ode. You forgot to sign your poem 'E.J. Thribb'

@ Clive

one of those Speed Awareness Workshops

Always good to know one's amphetamines, I feel.

Pass the oilskin, looks a bit wet out there...

Pass the oilskin, looks a bit wet out there...

@JD
I think you might require matching wellies and a brolly as well.

@LTB #33 and #38

reminds me of my Doctoral Thesis

From Coleridge to Thribb - A Journey in Poetry (out of print)

Is there any hope that we can bring in some reinforcements? Our squad wasnt that good as those Manures. Now we are making it worst. Why not we do a Liverpool and put all the eggs in the CL basket. That way Scolari and his players can cope alot better.

Dissapointed to lose Carlo, Especially to Spuds but we shouldnt get too down about it. We have 2 very capable backups in Hilario and Rhys Taylor although obviously you wouldnt have the same faith as we have in Cech. Jang, I would like to see some new players brought in aswell but what position do you have in mind?
I would say a new winger because of Joe Coles injury but we have the likes of Stoch coming through who are young and only getting better and they wont complain if they dont play every week.

Absolute stunner from Frank by the way. If it was Gerrard then pundits across the world would be raving.

Ballack is getting back to his best aswell. Hopefully his and Franks good form can get us on a run because Man-Yoo will sooner or later. The game at Anfield is a must win game for me. Not only would it give us 3 points on them, We would also move up on the Mancs.

@Clive - I did 34 in a 30 and attended a Speed Awareness Workshops since I thought it was better than getting points. It wasn't such a bad event aside from the fact I had to drive to Northampton which is where I committed the crime.

Anyhow it got me more interested in observing the rules and after that I took the Advanced Motorists course. Must dash because I need to visually inspect my vehicle before I pick my wife up from the station. Now where did I put my driving gloves ...

@Mark
Nice to know that I'm not the only criminal on the blog.
By the way where did you buy your driving gloves? ;-)

@Mark
Am I right to say that you have been busted for driving 34 miles per hour where limit was 30?

Can anyone explain why we let Carlo go to Spuds on a free, when his contract wasn't up 'til the summer?

I think its a massive rick. Even money Cech will pull up at Boro.

49, I guess because like you said he only has 6 months left however it is still a stupid decision to let him go for nothing. Carlo is quality even at 34

@50 fck me! I'm as sentimental as the next man and I can see that the club would want to do the right thing by him, but that is monumentally stupid.

I can't help but think no-one's minding the store. Can you imagine Jose pulling a stunt like that?

Carlo will probably keep those sh1theads up!

How many more transfer blunders before baldy gets the boot?

Carlo would have been due a testimonial this year which would have made it very easy for him to stay. He could happily have hung around and tried for a year extension or walked away for nothing in the summer (he's 35). What would we have got for him with 6 months left on his current deal when he is perfectly entitled to talk to other clubs anyway?

This takes a fairly high earner off the wage bill, allows Rhys Taylor (who is supposed to be a decent prospect) up to third keeper spot behind Hilario. Not really a bad deal for anyone overall.

This from The Times:

"Chelsea are expected to complete the signing of Marco Storari as a replacement for Carlo Cudicini, who joined Tottenham Hotspur on a free transfer yesterday, after the goalkeeper has a medical on Thursday. The Italian has spent most of his career playing outside Serie A. Storari joined AC Milan two years ago, but has since spent time on loan at Levante, Cagliari and, this season, Fiorentina. The 32-year-old, who has been called up to the Italy squad but never received a cap, is expected to move to Stamford Bridge on loan until the end of the season."

Good news for Rhys Taylor then. It reminds me of those chaotic times under Claudio when we needed to call upon our reserve keepers after some injuries and in the end Sullivan may have cost us the title against Arsenal and Marco Ambrosio was at fault for Monaco's 3rd goal in the CL semi.

We were all for rewarding Carlo's loyalty if it meant he could get regular first team football and that Rhys Taylor would be given a shot. But when Gomes gets fit, i still think he'll be first choice and now we're looking to sign some reject from Italy. So as some of you have predicted, Cech will almost certainly get injured now and then it'll be Hilario or Storari to the rescue!

For all this negativity, i've still got a slight feeling we'll sign someone in the next week. I know Kenyon's full of bullshit but even he said we'd sign someone if we got a serious injury (Joe) and getting rid of Bridge and Carlo whilst bringing in no-one, doesn't exactly breed confidence for the title run-in. And i also think Roman will be looking to once and for all confirm his love for us and shut everyone else up by making a big signing. Rumours are that we want Robinho but i'll think it'll be someone a little less expensive, perhaps Mickey Owen. That's my tip anyway for the next week.

A great article on Brendan Rodgers and how he's almost the heir apparent to Jose:

LINK

"There are those who preach about having a hotline to God. Pick any from a long list of fervent believers, born-again Christians or blinkered Bible-bashers. Yet Brendan Rodgers can go higher, much higher. He has a hotline to José Mourinho.

It is not a lame claim. To borrow the favourite catchphrase of an emotional Rafael Benítez, the Liverpool manager, “it’s a fact”. Rodgers can call Mourinho at any time, from any place, on any subject. And his tutor, his friend, will be waiting.

“I will always have a link with José,” Rodgers, the Watford manager who is looking forward to a prompt reunion with Chelsea, his former club, in the FA Cup, said. “I can pick up the phone to him, I can text him and he replies very quickly. If I need advice, I know he’ll be there. And he’ll give it to me straight and honest.”

Nor is it an idle boast designed to impress his peers. It is the result of the four formative years that Rodgers spent working with Mourinho at Stamford Bridge, the iconic Portuguese hand-picking him from the relative obscurity of Reading’s academy.

Within two seasons, Rodgers had been promoted from coaching the youth team to the reserve team, from cajoling kids to fine-tuning superstars. Mourinho welcomed him into his inner sanctum; Rodgers listened and learnt. “José gave me the opportunity to move up and work closer to him,” Rodgers said. “Maybe he saw something in me, here was a guy who felt I could do it. With him, it’s either this way or it’s not.

“Many people ask me, ‘What’s he got?’ Well, he’s got that X factor. It’s not one thing, there’s so many facets to him. He is deemed a brilliant coach but, though nine out of ten people will never get the chance to see it, he’s a better man. He’s a big family man with a big respect for people and their work. He mentored me, he...

...supported me, he helped me. He put me under pressure. That’s why I have such a great affinity for him. Some people make you feel good, but there are very few who make you feel great. José can make you feel great.”

Standing up to the “Special One”, daring to question his judgment, was not a problem for the softly spoken Northern Irishman, who grew up in the quiet village resort of Carnlough on the Co Antrim coast. “There was a small circle he would embrace and, once you were within it, you were accepted. If you felt that something wasn’t right, you could tell him.”

Rodgers and Mourinho, two peas in a pod. From their failings as young players to their sponge-like absorption and implementation of training tactics and techniques. At 20, Rodgers realised that he would not make the grade on the pitch. “I wasn’t going to be good enough,” he said. “But from my first course, my aim was to be the very best I could be as a coach.”

Joined at birth? Not quite but, almost spookily, as Rodgers turns 36 today — the youngest manager in the Coca-Cola Championship — Mourinho turns 46. Anton, Rodgers’s son, is 16 today and, continuing the Chelsea theme, the goalscoring midfield player will join the club’s academy at Cobham, Surrey, when he leaves school this summer.

“I may happen to have some similarities with José,” Rodgers said. “How we’ve developed, our progress, how we treat people, how we see football as a love and a passion. But I’m just at the beginning of my career and he’s achieved so much in the game. He is a big personality, I’m just a young man.”

But what about the languages? Mourinho is multilingual, Rodgers speaks Spanish and is learning Italian. And the dark overcoat that Rodgers wears as he stalks his technical area on the touchline? Not so much Mini-Me but Mini-Mo. A thoughtful and intense character, Rodgers breaks into a smile."

"As John Terry stepped up to take the penalty that would win Chelsea the Champions League final in Moscow last season, the club’s backroom staff prepared to celebrate. Terry slipped, his spot-kick struck a post and Manchester United went on to win the shoot-out. Brendan Rodgers recalls the drama . . .

“It was an unbelievable moment. We were all on the bench, in a line, in a hug. When John was walking up, I had my phone in my trouser pocket. I was so sure that he was going to score that I thought, ‘I know what’s going to happen here. John will score, we’re all going to be on the pitch and I’m going to lose my phone.’

“So I took it out, loosened my arms from the chain and then put it in a zipped pocket. I rejoined the chain, he ran up . . . and I just felt for him. Chelsea is his life, his club. He is more than an icon. He is the heartbeat of Chelsea. I know how much it meant to him, he was devastated.

“We flew back from Moscow the next day and I drove up to see him at his home. We had a chat, private stuff. He couldn’t believe it and it’s something he’ll probably never forget for the rest of his life. I wanted to be there for him. He’s a great footballer, a great guy. A really good friend.”

It's almost spooky how similar their paths to management are. As well as the fact that they share a birthday, that Brendan wears a trademark "Jose-style" coat, uses the same philosophy and tactics as Jose and is learning many European languages. In my mind anyway, he seems the best equipped to be a Chelsea manager in the future.

@ Habs.....

Nice article, shame we were daft enough to let both of them go!!!!

As for Carlo, as much as I wish him well, I would rather he had gone anywhere but Spurs. Any chance that maybe he is a secret agent, conspiring to send the Spuds to the Championship?

Rumours that Juve want Malouda on loan:

LINK

That would be really stupid, we'd be getting no transfer fee, we play them in the Champs League (although he'd be ineligible) and we'd be losing another player, a wide player.

Seems like Arsenal are getting Arshavin, I think he would have been a good signing for us, but it seems obvious we're not going to spend any money. I don't mind, I think it's about time we started behaving a bit more normally but I hope Scolari uses this opportunity to get a few of our brilliant youth players involved. It seems like his hand is being forced in a way, we really should be using our younger players, we have some great ones.

Only problem is the mancs. Look at the size of their squad and they keep signing players, like the two young Serbians. But no one mentions the amount of money they've been spending.

Tony _ I try to forget about Durie as much as possible (although his first game against us at the Lane, a clinical 3-1 win with a classic strike from our moustachiod maestro Kevin Wilson is one of my favourite ever games).

Does seem odd to let Carlo go if we are just going to bring in another aging Italian keeper to take his place, but assume it saves on wages, which seems to be the critical thing at the moment. And, let's be honest, Carlo's recent performances haven't exactly been spellbinding.

Rumours about an announcement surrounding the ground are intensifying. Kenyon has said a couple of times that there will be significant confirmation of Roman's ongoing interest in the next budget report (or whatever they call it).

@55
This makes the tie with What Ford? (Must be one of those dodgy motors the guys used to drive) much more interesting.

As for Carlo, he's looked increasingly nervous to me since he lost 1st choice and I think this is best for all concerned.

Obviously wish him all the best too, but it's like he's ultra aware of every mistake and knows that he's being compared now with the form he had before. Best move on and start again.The only purpose for keeping him would be to scupper the tots. and that might be worth screwing someone over who's been a great servant, but hopefully not.

No LB cover and weak GK cover now - and during a season when we have had so many injuries already!!

Just like it is now inevitable that teams will score a goal against us from a free kick or corner - it is inevitable now that Ashley and Petr will get injured soon.

I still think we should put in an offer for Robbie Keane though ... his days seem numbered at LiverScum.

Our centre backs are beginning to show their age / wear LINK

If it's not one it's the other which is why I'd be very disappointed if we sell Ivanovic who hasn't let us down every time he's been called in.

So why don't we give more playing time to some of the irregulars? Chances are they'll be needed soon enough.

If we're waiting for a comfortable game to bring them on, then Ivanovic and co. may have to get used to sitting on the sidelines.

Chronicle of a Debt Foretold

I've been contemplating world finance.

As usual when coming up against anything vaguely serious and complicated, I’ve ended up with more questions than answers and a blinding headache.

But the current situation, with the British pound (gawd bless it) so much weaker against the Euro and Dollar, must have an impact on the transfer market, perhaps not so much now but in the summer when the big money foreign transfers are more likely to happen.

Am I right in thinking that all transfers between English and Eurozone clubs will be in Euros? Now I know there be cunnin’ financial instruments to help against major currency movements but only to a point. The fact is that any business done in Euros, is already costing clubs in this country about 20% more. A player worth 20 million euros a few months back is still priced the same but an English club has to fork out another £4 million.

The other question is around wages. If you are a foreign player over here and you get paid £50K a week, I assume you are paid in sterling. Do they repatriate most of their money, send it offshore in clever tax avoidance schemes? Unless they keep it in the UK and spend it here, players thinking in Euros or Dollars have seen a cut in wages. Those on contracts can’t do much but a new offer of £50K a week needs to be £60K.

This is probably simplistic as other countries are having economic difficulties, but it points to the fact that as with everything else imports are going to be more expensive and the wedge we are offering has lost significant value and we will have to pay more to attract players.

tbc

If this is a mere blip of a few months then there isn’t a problem but if we are looking at a major re-alignment of the £, which some would say was overvalued for the last 30 years, then football like the rest of the country’s economy has to adjust to an environment where there is no longer a strong currency making imports cheap and given us buying power abroad.

If I understand matters correctly we may be heading for a period where the pound remains low even though Europe and the US are going through a similar crisis. (not the place or time to try and give the reasons.)

What about clubs who still owe money on previous European/World transfers. Do they pay in Euros and Dollars. Will they catch a cold?

British players now become cheap for European teams should they want to buy them However historically few go abroad. But if good foreign players are becoming expensive both to buy and to pay, then good British players due to their scarcity, will be at a premium for EPL clubs. So they will be caught both ways. Does the overall quality of the EPL go into decline if the currency situation persists for several years.

I suppose the upside is that TV rights etc. will be cheaper for foreign broadcasters. Clubs will be cheaper to buy too.

With respect to the loans we’ve had from Roman. If we owe £500 million in sterling then he has lost money on paper. If we have to pay in dollars then the debt just got worse. If its roubles then I don’t know ‘cause I haven’t followed it all. But if Roman wants to put more money in then if he holds his wealth in dollars or whatever if can pay less for more as it were.

I’m sure someone with greater acumen will shed some light on these matters and put me right.

Hi BB,
all interesting speculation, sure I've read in a few places that the currency situation is one of the major reasons why English clubs will not be spending abroad this January, and also the speculation regarding wages - somebody pointed out that given the exchange rate, Kaka's wage increase if he'd signed for City would 'only' have been 100k rather than the 250k that was being proposed.

@BB - I recall reading something somewhere recently about Ballack's relative drop in salary because he is paid in GBP rather than Euros, but can't remember details if we were trying to recompense him or what.

Since the first[?] rule of investment finance is diversification I think we can assume Roman's money is spread across a range of currencies and asset types.

@64 FSTS - JD in particular, I think, has waxed lyrical on this topic on here - basically the ethos from the top seems to be win trophies instantly or you'll get sacked. Therefore, no manager can afford the risk of giving youngsters lots of 1st team chances given their propensity for variable form and making mistakes that cost us goals/wins.

You just have to read the torrent of doom/gloom/panic on here everytime we so much as draw one game to see what CFC managers are up against these days. The instant success that TSO brought to the club leaves his successors with little room for anything close to failure until Roman clearly signals a change of approach.

The good old days!

LINK

That was ironic, by the way.

@68
Yes, JoMo's immediate success may turn out to be too much for others to follow, a real double edged sword.

On the exchange rates: I guess the only ones certain to benefit will again be the agents who as 'international traders' will have every base firmly covered.

@ PeteW #70

Phew, glad to hear it. I thought "first the daily mail and now he's joined the Tractor boys anti-modern football crusade"

@69 - It was the Derby fans what started it! ;)

"A coin hit me above the eye and another on the head. They were little nicks and those bleed like hell. The referee suggested I go down. 'I'm not going down for that shower of shit,' I said. The Chelsea fans could see something was up and started chanting my name. We were in our lovely yellow away kit and as I turned to give them the fist, they saw my top was covered in blood. That was it. They went berserk and started ripping out seats and throwing them at the Derby lot and it all kicked off." - Joey Jones

Several of the points made in pt.3 of the video still apply today, 26 years down the line.

40,000,000 people a season went to football matches just after the war; that was down to 20,000,000 in the early eighties, according to Nationwide anyway. Wonder what the number is today?

Ha ha, where's that Joey Jones quote from?

Love the fact we took 5,000 to Derby and they brought 50 to the Bridge.

Crowds post-war were absolutely phenomenal.

The 1980s Bridge always looks like some sort of Soviet open-air prison.

"Today it is estimated that between 4-5 million people attend a football match in England and Wales every year, though it is difficult to be precise with these figures." - 'Football and Football Hooliganism' fact sheet published by Leicester University in 2001. LINK

Coincidentally today's Metro states that after tonight's matches, 200m will have watched PL games, but I'm not at all sure what that figure is supposed to represent.

@74 - PeteW - The Joey Jones quote is from one of my Chelsea books, 'Cult Heroes' I think. LINK=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1233074157&sr=8-1 Well worth a read.

Quotes are displayed randomly towards the foot of the home page (took me forever to type them all in!). :)

@76 - FSTS - Probably 200m since the PL's inception in 1992 - just over 11 million people a season then. Not bad.

I thought we were performing a public service and demolishing the Baseball Ground for free in advance of the move to Pride Park?

I'm guessing the 4-5 million people is individuals, whereas the 40 million is collectively (ie, Mark25 makes 50 visits a season, but is only person).

Except when I'm suffering another schizophrenia attack

@ Petew - perhaps my memory is fading but I remember the Bridge as being almost entirely trouble-free in the 80s - inside the ground at least, partly because our crowds were often miserably small.

Spurs in the FA Cup 6th round in 1982 being a rare exception - can't recall if that was the impetus for Bates threatening to install electric fences and use cattle prods or not?

"Today it is estimated that between 4-5 million people attend a football match"

I suppose you don't get much of a view up the back of the stand........

@BBD #81

It probably also had something to do with the fact that from many parts of the ground, particularly the Shed, the away fans could only be seen by the use of the hubble telescope on a clear day. Unlike modern warfare, with its remote weaponry, embedded journalists and satellite images of destruction etc., in those days you needed to be up close to the enemy in order to engage as it were with the limited weaponry to hand....

I appreciate that the current financial gloom and the up and down form of our beloved Chelsea has got us all worried and causes some angst among bloggers. But cheer up things could be worse, we could be passengers with Virgin Atlantic LINK

@83 - Clive - Brilliant. Doesn't quite live up to Virgin Atlantic's latest TV ad though, which is also brilliant. LINK [video]

United were awesome tonight and just to confirm how well they're playing at the moment, they took our league record for not conceding. It's definitely their title to throw away but we're not out of it. We may now be 4th but victory over Boro (surely that's a formaility) will regain our 3rd position and then our title hopes will be decided on Sunday. Whatever happens on Sunday though, it looks like Fergie will be holding that title come May. Better him than Rafa and those idiots Stevie G and Carragher.

mmmm as if beating our defensive record wasn't enough Mr Styles ensures that Manure can score a hatful and with one bound our superior goal differnce is gone.

Like last year we're now playing catch up.

Still must focus and stay positive.

Rob Styles is an idiot. Despite that nobody can argue Man-Yoo fully deserved to win that game 5-0. Habs, I dont believe that Sunday is a must win game but for sure its one we cant afford to lose if we want to win the league.

I know it may seem like an overreaction to Utd's great recent form to say that Sunday is a must win but we've got to make up the points against the other big boys at some point and going through a whole season without beating another member of the Big 4 means that we simply can't be Champions. We have to beat one of them at some point if we want to be Champions and it'll come down to the results at Anfield and the Emirates if we are to be Champions.

while we had a goal difference thagt could always count as a point. Now that has gone too!! well we are still level and hopefully surpass that tomorrow although Man-u still have a game in hand.!! hope Scholari chokes!!!! and evn more I hope jose beats Man-u just to embarass both united and the premier league!!! We need to win tomorrow and on Sunday, that;s it. Surely we should try to beat Liverpool! if we can then Man-u still have to play them but somehow I feel a draw or them nicking a goal by a Gerrard penalty or free kick with the ref giving them a helping hand knowing Scholari and the board will say nothing!!!

Squad for Boro game

Cech, Hilario, Taylor, A Cole, Ferreira, Bosingwa, Belletti, Terry,Ivanovic, Mancienne, Alex, Lampard, Ballack, Deco, Obi, Kalou, Malouda, Stoch, Anelka, Drogba, Kakuta

Interesting to see Kakuta and Stoch in the mix.

@85.

I don't think beating the bottom of the table when they are down to 10 men really shows your premiership winning credentials.
Still a long way to go this season. I'd be surprised if Chelsea don't put a few past Boro tomorrow.

@ 13Joe13... 90

Interesting Joe, but in a squad of 21, I can't see either getting a look in.

As for the Liverpool game, this is a crucial game, if nothing more than just to put them back into 3rd place by beating them. I think the Scousers are mentally as vulnerable as we are at the moment, having had a number of woeful home draws in games they should have won. A win now will turn up the pressure, and we can watch them wilt!

I think we just might be getting ahead of ourselves a bit with the Looserpoo game. It's a tired old cliche but one game at a time, so let's get through tonight with a win, because anything less won't be good enough. Boro are there for the taking, and if we can get near the 5-0 hammering we gave them last Oct it'll be a nice boost for the confidence. On saying that I'll take a scrappy 1-0 win with the ball bouncing off the ref into the net.

And on a side issue, as I don't read the Sun for fear of going blind or insane, or both. Have they offered a financial reward yet to any player that scores a goal against Manure, or was that little nugget just reserved for us?

After Liverpool it's plain sailing to the finish line

Not sure if I've just awoken from a self-induced coma due to football-related boredom, but where the hell did Aston Villa come from?

I arrive at my desk this morning to find we've been relegated to 4th place by a team that's not Arsene Wengers Superkid World-Beaters.

What the hell does O'Neill think he's playing at? We'll have none of that thank you, how dare you suddenly start charging up the league, disrespecting us like that ;-)

Seriously though, never ever realised we needed to be keeping that closer eye over our shoulder. To look at tonight as a formality is just stupid given our current home record and our ability to give goals away from set pieces as generously as that bloke in a red suit gives out gifts in late December.

Disappointing that there is zero indication of us signing anyone in the last week of the window. We're definitely short of a wide man with Joe injured - it seems TSSO wont utilise the chance to try out Stoch - Saturday would have been the ideal opportunity.

As things stand, it wont be our form that costs us a title challenge, it'll be the challenge of fielding a fully fit, competent side.

There amy be no truth in the allegation LINK but it looks like we had a lucky escape

May well be right Mark, but I would say the only sexual assault he's committed is, he's well and truly f***ed Citeh over.

@ Fiftee #95

If you feel like pouring some bubble bath of doom into the morning hot tub of footballing gloom then you may wish to note that the Arse are 4 points behind.

Another trip and stumble on the poorly installed carpet of performance as we climb the ever steepening stairway of Premier League success and we'll be looking up at them as well.

But let us not sit over long on the toilet seat of speculation staring at the kazi door of negativity, but jump up grab the toilet paper of positivity and..........well I'll stop there eh!

Just a thought, but do you think the reason so many Brazilians like to be known by their "nickname" rather than their full name, is so they can avoid any potential liability for any alleged sex offences??

Without wishing to wallow in BB's metaphorical toilet of doom I'm with Fiftee and can't believe the number of entries above that seem to be dismissing tonight as an automatic-3-points-in-the-bag-good-chance-to-improve-the-goal-difference, so-let's-talk-about-Liverpoo-already.

Have you watched some of our recent performances against mediocre sides?

I don't see Sunday as make or break either. With all the top sides regularly dropping points any team putting together a strong run of wins is in with a chance. Sadly at the moment that looks like being ManUre unless some of their scraped 1-0 wins start turning into draws soon.

@BBD
Exactly my thoughts in post No.93.... Hands up who thought Stoke was a given and three easy points?
And considering all the turmoil that went on with certain bloggers (cough.. me) I don't want to be going through that again this evening.

Is there no TV coverage of tonight's game, apart from Match of the Day? I was hoping to go to the pub to watch it but Sky's showing the West Ham game.

I'm with Fiftee and BBD - not at all confident it's going to be as easy as many have predicted.

After Sunday, Villa away on the 21st Feb could prove to be one of the most important games of the season.

@Clive post 93.....I was thinking just the same thing this morning into work.!!! it does'nt surprise me one bit though. I have always said that the whole Chelsea original 10 year project which Kenyon espoused when they bought in Jose was to knock Man-U off their pedestal as Man-u did to Liverpool and because of that the media were always going to be against us....and this proves it. it is just a pity our owners and board decided to give up on the project less than half way through......

Oh! and I forgot, just scouting ahead for Sundays game on opposition blogs. Something of interest from the rascally scousers, some of them are saying that a draw is of no good to either team as it will only benefit Utd.
Not rocket science I admit, but what they also say is, if they can't win then they want us to win the game, and attempt to push Utd all the way, as they couldn't face seeing them equal their nnnnnnn nineteen (crap song) titles.

I'm warming to those loveable rogues, and perhaps I've been too hasty in my dislike. If anyone would like to give me a cyber slapping to bring me round feel free.

I going to the Holy of Holies tonight. After years of season ticket holding, its all too rare an occurance these days. It may be "only" 'Boro but there's still something exciting about a midweek night game.

My last visit was for the Villa game. A similar performance and result would do very nicely. However my natural pessimism coupled with our recent form and the regular calamities that seem to overtake us mean I will be boarding the clapped out "football special" of hope rather than the sleek fast Pendolino of expectation.

@BB
Will be expecting a well written match report full of toilet references then.

Damn, it must be something else LINK

Clive, your wife's a doctor, right? Can I email over a photo for a diagnosis?

Nick,

No, just MOTD I'm afraid (well, I'm sure there'll be internet streams, but they dont really go with sitting in a pub)

At least with MOTD being on the Beeb, highlights often does mean highlights and not just 'All the goals, and anything that hits the woodwork TM' that Shite-E-V speeds through with it's FA Cup coverage. I blinked and missed the Chelsea v Ipswich 'coverage' on Saturday night. Utter swamp water.

In the longer term, not really sure Villa have the staying power to maintain a charge. Pompey are dire at the moment, and Villa miss Ashley Young and Laursen.

They're just as likely to trip up and find themselves out of the race as Liverpool.

Oh, and us.

@Mark
I've told her that she's the blog doctor, and she's happy to apply the magic sponge, but don't expect preferential treatment, just get in the queue.

And to help to relieve the tension prior to tonight's game, after having warned people to take a packed lunch aboard any Virgin Atlantic flight. This next link is a survival guide on how to deal with any disasters should any fan be watching a Chelsea match from behind your sofa.... LINK

Going to watch tonight's game and taking one of my foreign friends, for him it is a first time at stadium!!! Hopefully the result will be good for us, so he will remember it as a happy adventure!!!

@Clive - while you're warming to the loveable Scouse rogues may be the moment to point out - as I read in the Observer Business Section at the weekend - that those of us who are British taxpayers, via our 70% stake in Royal Bank of Scotland, have a significant interest in the Hicks/Gillet £350m loan due for re-financing in 6 months time.

Is now the time to lobby our MPs to ensure no extensions/ early call in ;-)

@BBD
Does that mean if they can't refinance, and RBS call in the loan they will effectively be bankrupt? And does that also mean they could get a 30 points deduction, by the Premier League? And will that probably mean they could get relegated?

So many questions so little time. :-)

The Handsome Family once sang "There's only so much wine you can drink in one life", well I'm off down the Bridge to imbibe a few pre-match snifters and test whether that theory equally applies to beer. Much depends on the ability of the bar staff to keep'em coming but at the prices we have to pay to watch football, seeing two games at the same time means value for money.

Here's hoping for that hatful of goals (in the right net of course)!

@Mark 107

Sorry to hear about your humiliating scrotal condition. I can indeed do something to help, but it will involve you lying down and doing exactly what the nice lady doctor tells you....

Alternatively, just post a picture here, I'm sure the boys would like to support you in your hour of need.

Or just have a good laugh!

Sorry to intrude, don't worry, my access here will be severely monitored and limited, as I'm a mere girl, and don't know much about footie, except that I like Mr Lampard's legs :-)

"that I like Mr Lampard's legs"

i wish i was a three-legged-monster like our lampard.

clearly mr. lampards' honeymoon ends today. scousers on sun, and a very fevrish february with juve. and others. i have a feeling that urge to play with vowels in 'Ballacks' will return on sunday. good news is...essien is back in training, i don't rate that boy but at least he is diff. kind of player from both frank and ballack.

Waaahhaaay!!!! we won and liverpool drew!!! and everton won!!!!! I know it was'nt great but does anybody agree that once drogba came on, just his presence even if his overall performance was'nt great, made more space and made us look more of a threat? even the commentators noticed this!

I'll avoid Moffat's ramblings as i have no idea what he's on about.

But tonight was a great night for us. It may not have been a great performance but the points were all that mattered. Kalou scoring twice was a bonus but we seemed to play much better with Didier on the pitch and no Malouda. To top it all off Liverpool fucked up yet again. Rafa's tactic of playing for a 1-1 every week and trying to ruin their own title challenge is laughable. His decision to take off both Gerrard and Torres when ging for the win was worthy of the Ranieri award for worse tactical decision since that Monaco debacle.

Up into 2nd and now we roll on to Anfield.

Sorry guys, my internet stream defrauded me!!!! Arsenal drew in the last minute!!!

Kalou to the rescue. Didn't see the game, spent most of the evening playing pool. Now sitting around waiting for Match of the Day.

Had a look for Internet stream links before going to the pub; struggled to find any. Apparently the Premier League is cracking down on sites that link to them. MyP2P.eu is one of the sites affected. Any other decent ones out there?

Anyway, Blue Bayou's going to write a report; it'll be up tomorrow.

Van Persie equalized for Arsenal in injury time. Still, they remain five points behind Villa.

Pretty good night all round.

Game was shown over here, but unfortunately work intervened and I only got to see the first half. To be honest, the first half was the usual continual pressure and passing, without actually going anywhere or creating much.

Still result was secured and more importantly the Scum will now need to come at us on Sunday and win, rather than play for a point. Excellent to also see Arsenal now well adrift of 4th place.... Could be in trouble if they don't make the Champions League and all of Wenger's frugal penny-pinching will have been for nothing. Long way still to go though.

Nice to see Kalou and Malouda contributing to our performance more and more over the last few weeks. Can anyone tell me how Drogba performed after his introduction? Did he look interested and out to prove a point?

My (free) suggestion for saving Roman's disappearing assets: fire Neil Friggin' Barnett.

Join me, if you will, on a wet Wednesday evening in January, at Stamford Bridge. It's been piddling down all day long, the traffic is miserable, it's glum, and the visitors are quite possibly the most utterly pointless team to have somehow managed to hang around the Premier League for the last decade or so. Ten minutes before kick-off the stadium is half empty. Fans huddle together and drink coffeee laced with rum. The away fans are a feeble rabble of miserable-looking joyless addicts, squeaking out "come on Boro" once every ten minutes or so at a decibel level which on Stoke fan could probably manage on their own. Our beloved boys start quite well but after ten minutes they are back into their sludgy sideways passing in front of the inevitable ten-man defence. Obi's doing OK, Frank's doing OK, the new Kalou's running around a bit, but essentially we are horrible. Yet despite all this there is singing. There is chanting. The MH stand gets to its feet and makes enough noise that even we silent ones in the East Upper catch the mood and get the songs rolling around the stadium. 25 minutes pass and the crowd becomes desperate to see the team playing direct football. We groan as Anelka taps the ball backwards every time it comes to his feet. We sigh as Herr B misplaces his passes. We grumble noisily as the wingers cut it at every opportunity, with no fullbacks running around them. We wonder aloud why, having nearly scored from the first cross of the game, no one seems to think that maybe we should try another cross some time. We are, in short, intensely involved in the game. We scream "come on Chelsea", and urge faster balls forward and more direct play in possession. And when the players come off for half-time, after 30 minutes that typify the worst of our recent troubles, there is some booing.

And then ...

... and then Neil Friggin' Barnett waltzes in with his mike and says "Liverpoo are winning. You need to get behind your time."

Time-serving, toadying, classless, ignorant pillock.

[oh dear -- I sort of blew the punchline. What he said of course was "you need to get behind your TEAM."]

Sometimes BBC-Football match reports really make me wonder.

All right, i did not watch the game tonight, but reading BBC's report I see:
- the scoreline 2-0,
- then "below-par Chelsea" in first sentence and then,
- a few paragraphs below, Middlesborough "well-drilled tactic of maintaining 10 man behind the ball".

and how on earth winning 2-0 against a team with "parking the bus" tactics can be described as below par ???

Hooray - a small nugget of good sense from the PL in keeping the 'product' away from the ham fisted fuckwits of ITV

LINK

To Chelsaeblog and all others wanting internet streams of non-Televised Chels games.

I pay under $10 (US) a month for absolutely reliable top quality streams for every single Chelsea game that is televised pretty much anywhere in the world. (As well as cricket and pretty much every other significant sporting even)

To me, the small monthly fee is infinitely worth it compared to the unreliability and poor quality of free streams.

PM me if you want the link....

@115. MrsClive

Thanks Mrs Clive. I've uploaded a photo LINK which is only a small cross section because I didn't want to fully expose myself. Obviously I've zoomed in for you to have a closer inspection.

Does this look normal or am I worrying unnecessarily.

@Mark
The Doctor is not in the house at present as she's left for work, but I dare say a diagnosis will be forthcoming at some point this evening.

@Tony
ITV dropped their F1 coverage before their contract was due to finish so they could grab more football from the Beeb. They must have overstretched themselves financially with their cuurent CL and FA cup coverage, and couldn't afford to outbid the BBC. Or the PL might have realised that their coverage of football was distinctively average and generally thought Andy Townsend is just a twat.

Bayou's tardiness is noted.

He's probably getting over the shock of Kalou scoring twice in a game like the rest of us.

Still, cracking point blank range header he missed at 0-0.......

Sorry, couldn't resist. Glad he's looking like there's been an improvement, more than can be said for Malouda. Just fuck off to Turin now, eh?

Alternatively, Bayou may be trying to work out if TSSO is still alive, or if it's just a Scolari shaped puppet we see on the sidelines. Havent seen him talk to the press post-match for ages now. Something's not right.....

*Taps watch, Ferguson style*

Bloody awful first half, much better second. Two very well taken goals; Drogba looked lively and made a difference and whilst we're some way from our best, there are at least some encouraging points to build upon. Will ramble further when the review is up.

Think its best that Scolari concentrates on the football and leaves the media to Butch for the time being.

Some points from last night

1. The crowd was a bit livelier than usual, particularly the Shed End. However the atmosphere improved considerably after the Liverpool score was shown so maybe we could enhance the atmosphere at the Bridge by showing Liverpool live on the big screen during our games.

2. Kalou got rewarded for his 2nd by being immediately substituted - that'll teach him.

3. Ashley Cole made a great goal saving tackle. You could see he felt it as he limped away. Whatever might be said about his personality / personal life there is no doubting his commitment to our cause.

4. Stoch appeared at last but his only contribution was to tread on the ball and fall over!

'4. Stoch appeared at last but his only contribution was to tread on the ball and fall over!'

He didn't do this quite as well as well as Kalou, I thought.

He didn't do this quite as well as well as Kalou, I thought.

Just needs a run in the side...!

reality sacks but truth is that days for chelsea as top 4 Team are likley over because abramovits is bust and wont spend a penny going fwd,team is old and lets finally admit it,avram was good after all despite all the bashing he got especially on this site. You just dont replace mangers when you finish second in the leage on a tight race and make it to finals of champions leage...every piece of good stat that was holding chelsea was thrown away this season, stamford bridge went from being a fortress to being swiss cheese..