Gallas sniping angers Chelsea

Five words: All hell is breaking loose.

I just hope this isn't the start of the apocalypse as we know it. I am of course siding with the club on this argument (they wouldn't dare release a statement that controversial if they couldn't prove every single word), but my main thoughts are with the boys on the pitch. This entire business is likely to distract them, which could be disastrous.

Let's just hope that we can maintain our composure in this awkward time and keep on doing what we do best: winning matches.

BLUE IS THE COLOUR.

Well, another season is well under way and I just know you've been missing me.

I recall, during our fascinating discussions, last season, that one of your regulars was askance when I suggested that while neutrals didn't like Chelsea, many had a genuine liking for Liverpool. This didn't go down at all well and I was treated to a diatribe on why Liverpool were universally disliked. Well...

LINK

Meantime it seems Chelsea are so disliked that even their own players want to score against them.

Now if only Sheva could contract a touch of Gallasitis... should be good for about ten goals a season.

Which reminbds me, I also recall that another of your contributors was adamant that you wouldn't get Sheva (as a rebuttal to my opinion that your dosh means that you can pretty much sign whoever you want, Gerrard excepted) and that I said I beleived you would probably still get him.

You really ought to learn to trust me.

Lots of fans like teams other that their own. For example, I find I'm developing a deep affection for Middlesbrough.

Seriously, I think this could be a much more open and "interesting" season.

Ashley Cole: Sneaky meetings with a rival club, had a mysterious "injury" for the entire 2005-2006 season which cleared up nicely in time for the CL final and world cup, tells all and sundry "he has been fed to the sharks", turned up for training this season and left after a few minutes "feeling unwell", released a few nice statements to the fans and starts training when it looks like his move to CFC was about to collapse, is about to savage Arsenal in his book....how do Arsenal respond?

They thank him for his service.

CLASS

Shanks old son, that link is knackered...

Sorry, don't know that happened. I didn't want to take up this much room on your site, but, this is the story...


Liverpool were today unveiled as England's most popular team amongst rival fans in a poll conducted by a national men's magazine.
Weekly magazine Nuts commissioned the poll to try and find out who the country's football fans considered their second favourite club behind their own team.

The results made interesting reading with 15% of all those asked revealing Liverpool would be their 'second' team or the club they'd most like to achieve success after their own side.

Liverpool topped the pool by a clear 5% with West Ham United and Wigan coming in second and third respectively. Aston Villa finished bottom of the Premiership popularity table with Arsenal and Chelsea completing the relegation places.

"Liverpool have provided a huge amount of entertainment, over the last year or so starting with the Champions League win and culminating in the stunning Steven Gerrard goal in the FA Cup Final," explains Gershon Portnoi, the Nuts Sports Editor.

"I think The Toon's popularity may have taken a dip during Graeme Souness' time at the helm. It's great to see Wigan and West Ham up there. Everyone loves an underdog and they certainly entertained and gave many of the bigger clubs a scare last season."

The Premiership Popularity Table in full

1. Liverpool: 15%
2. West Ham: 10%
3. Wigan: 9%
4. Newcastle: 8.5%
5. Tottenham Hotspur: 7%
6. Bolton: 7%
7. Charlton: 6%
8. Manchester United: 6%
9. Portsmouth: 5%
10. Manchester City: 4%
11. Watford: 3.5%
12. Reading: 3.5%
13. Everton: 3%
14. Fulham: 3%
15. Blackburn 3%
16. Sheffield United: 2.5%
17. Middlesbrough: 2.5%
18. Chelsea: 2%
19. Arsenal: 1.5%
20. Aston Villa: 1%

It is true that it's possible to have fondness for other clubs and teams other than your main club. Though I don't support them by any means, I do prefer Blackburn and Portsmouth to win in the league over other teams.

No surprises that we're near the bottom, but Arsenal are worse off than us!

Just for the record, the discussion I am referring back to was one in which a contributor to this site said that although there were any number of ABUs, ABCs and ABAs, there was no significant number of ABLs, because Liverpool were so irrelevant that people couldn't be arsed disliking them. A variation on the old "You're not famous any more" jibe.

It's probably true, though, as the Nuts editorial says, that Liverpool's recent exploits have captured the imagination and the affections of the uncommitted.

It was in Nuts, so it must be true. They're also running a 'Blondes v. Brunettes' battle too - I shall be sure to refer to their findings when I want the definitive answer on that particular burning issue.

But if the uncommited are following Liverpool, fine by me - might keep the number of bandwagon jumpers at the Bridge down to something approaching a manageable level... :-)

I'd be inclined to be similarly haughty about Nuts, but in terms of magazine demographics, they probably have a 100% football fan readership, so I think I'd trust this particular survey more than if it had appeared in the FT.

Always had a thing about redheads, myself (How do you feel about blue rinses?).

Blue rinses are fine (subject to the proviso that they're in possession of all their original teeth...)

er, wasn't this discussion supposed to be about a defender who doesn't want to play, wants to score an own goal and get paid lots of money who now plays for Arsenal (now that's class).

We seem to have strayed from the point here chaps!

If Mr Gallas has a problem with the statement he can sue for libel - now that would be interesting!

BTW last time I looked professional football was not a popularity contest.

Guess Jose has learnt a big lesson, you cant keep unhappy players. They will score own goals! But if he was refusing to play wasnt that a breach of contract? By the way, i thought Gallas wanted to play in Italy or Spain? Is arsenal now in La Liga?

Biz Blue - it probably would have been a breach of contract but it did not suit the club in the circumstances to fire Gallas as they wanted to either:

(a) punish him by letting him rot in the reserves; or

(b) use him as a makeweight in the Ash deal.

I think they took the best option with (b). However slating him in public was perhaps not the greatest idea.

It makes a change to be able to come onto another clubs chat site and not get slagged off too much, as is the case with spurs and west ham. Agree that the deal is good for both clubs. Only downside is that Bridge will now have limited appearances, thus reducing his England chances, which I think is bad for England, as I still think that Bridge is a better out and out left back. Granted Cole is better going forward but is still suspect defensively.
Shame that Chelsea have come out with all this shit today about Gallas scoring own goals etc. Why not just let it be.
Keep up the good work on this site. I’ll leave you all in peace now and go onto a spurs blog and wind them up.
Au revoir
MTG

The whole Gallas affair has become sordid to say the least. The PR men at Chelsea need to go back to PR school. I have always disliked Gallas and his love of using the papers to vent his often ridiculous gripes. Let him be, let him do the same to the gunners!

LINK - they read your blog......!

It would be interesting if they did a poll asking fans to pick their LEAST favorite team in the premiership, rather than their favourite team other than their own team.

I think we would have a great chance of finishing top of that poll! But I would say Liverpool would also be up there in the top few places.

Also, I wonder how many closet Liverpool fans actually voted for Liverpool in this poll, pretending that they support someone else. It tends to be the more 'fervent' fans that actually bother voting in these sad magazine polls, so the results have to be somewhat questionable.