Russian Railways Cup and the 39th Game

Predictions for the Railways Cup:

Chelsea vs Lokomotiv Moscow: 2:0 with Anelka to continue his impressive form.

Final: Chelsea vs Milan: 1:0 with Sheva to sign off his Chelsea career with... another anonoymous performance. I'll go for Deco to win it for us.

I mean anonymous

BLUEBAYOU

Are you a trainspotter by any chance? :D

@ HABS

I'll go with you on Sheva putting in another lacklustre performance..
Won't go with you on Deco though. I remain unconvinced about him and shall remain so until he proves himself worthy of being a Premiership player..I can't see him keeping up with the pace but i'm hoping to be proved wrong..

BB - Think you could be right about the play-off idea.

Given the already ridiculously over-crowded end to the season for those still involve in 2 or 3 competitions and the need to finish in time for World Cup/Euro competition every 2 years I guess it would need to be combined with reduction in league to 18 [or 16?] and involve 8 teams to convince enough sides they had a chance of being involved regularly enough to vote for it?

Should we anticipate some more railway-themed flights-of-fancy from you this season....

@ BB - poetic, emotive, at times haunting but always evocative. May, an 'established' contributor to this upstanding and very fine tome welcome you to the team. An outstanding effort and I hope you contribute many more going forward.

Plus I agree with every word. The lure of filthy lucre promised by Mammon has the loudest and most persuasive of voices. I quote my hero's Waters, Gilmour, Mason and Wright when united as well known popular beat combo, Pink Floyd

Money, get away.
Get a good job with good pay and you're okay.
Money, its a gas.
Grab that cash with both hands and make a stash.
New car, caviar, four star daydream,
Think Ill buy me a football team.

Money, get back.
Im all right jack keep your hands off of my stack.
Money, its a hit.
Dont give me that do goody good bullshit.
Im in the high-fidelity first class traveling set
And I think I need a lear jet.

Money, its a crime.
Share it fairly but dont take a slice of my pie.
Money, so they say
Is the root of all evil today.
But if you ask for a raise its no surprise that they're
Giving none away.

This blog is an education!

Hell yeah, I'm gonna be there, August 1st! The best part is that you get to see TWO matches with just one ticket! So it's Milan - Sevilla warming up the show before Chelsea and Loko hit the pitch! I'm so excited, hopefully it's gonna be an exciting match, Loko are an alright team, a bit chaotic at times and they do tend to lose a lot of points during easy games (concede 2 goals in the last 5 minutes and stuff like), but nevertheless they can be quite exciting and they at least try to play free-flowing attacking football!! They have some great young attacking players, hopefully they'd be stoked to test their skills against the world's best.

If anyone wants, I can write a match review exclusively for this blog, I'd be honored!

So yeah, Keep The Blue Flag Flying High!!

@Lolli #3

I don't have an anorak and have never stood at the end of the platform taking down numbers. However now that I have children I inwardly wince when plans for a loft conversion mean there wont be any space for their 10m2 model railway that I've been planning to build and operate for them...the responsibilities of parenthood don't ya know

@BBD #4

Yes there is the issue of where they fit it all in but that won't hold them up for long.

There's always room for a bit of railway themed nonsense.

@CT #5

You're too kind. I'm still laughing at the Home Cinema scenario. Quality

@GLEB #6

Nothing like having a man on the spot.

2 final thoughts

Did we get invited because our ground is by a railway?

Farewell and thanks to Tal Ben Haim. An honest pro I think. Always difficult when you're judged against JT and Ricci. I wish him luck.

Nice one Blue Bayou, and indeed, seconded that it is good to see you in a headlining slot on here at last.

All very odd, this Railways thing but it does at least pit us against some half-decent opposition at arguably the right time in pre-season. Not sure how much all the (terribly unromantic and far less poetic) air travel we've undergone recently will have affected us though. Our close proximity to a railway might have something to do with our participation, but where are Crewe then, I ask you?

(If we're doing music / film references on a railway theme, might I offer "Waiting for A Train" by 1980's one-hit wonders Flash and the Pan? OK, thanks...)

@ #6 Gleb - good to see you on here again, been a while! We'd be delighted to have a match report - if you mail something over to Nick I'm sure he'll be able to do the honours.

Flash and the Pan - 'Waiting for a Train' LINK

@Gleb - Nice one. As Blue Bayou said, nothing like having a man on the spot. You can contact me at chelseablog AT gmail DOT com.

I sure hope we don't go down the playoffs route. The local footy (AFL) here in OZ has 16 teams playing over 22 rounds and at the end of this the top 8 then qualify for a final series where 1st plays 8th and so on. You can be the best team all year finish on the top of the ladder and still not be crowned premiers/champions.

Of course it is gripping TV watching the cut throat finals and it is rare that a team finishing 5th to 8th ever wins but it can happen and is a bitter pill for the team who wins the "minor" premiership as it is called.

The beauty of soccer leagues in Europe is the team who is most consistent over the year wins. Leave the knockout games for separate cup competitions and leave the league to be a league... Which is what the CL should be in my opinion.

KTFFH

Excellent contribution BB..... 'Don't have an anorak"....Take one of the anoraks from the often bulging coatstand on this blog and get yourself off to a platform closeby.

Sort of agree with your comments about Tal Ben Haim.. competent player, just not good enough for us. Assuming he was on about $50K a week, and we sold him for 3-4 Mill, he didn't cost us anything, so should go with our best wishes.

There is also a good article about Anelka in the Express /Telegraph (can't remember which) today.... He seems to be genuine with his comments and seems up for proving a few people wrong this year. If I comes good, I will be at the head of the queue to say I was wrong about him. I have a feeling he could almost be a new signing this year if he is used upfront, rather than on the wing.

just testing if I can use italics

Your intro made a lot of connections with me and it's good to shunt around these ideas. I think the play-off idea is first-class but might be parked in the sidings for a while; then again it may be fast tracked.

Anyhow it's simply great that we have a platform to express our thoughts. We're now building up a head of steam for the season ahead. All aboard!

Good post Bayou, although you sound a little too informed about rail travel, for someone who's not a trainspotter ;-)

What irks me about this Malaysia / China / Russia pre-season is that while it's all well and good the club wanting to rake in 'X' million quid in shirt sales - and, somehow, thats only possible if the team travels around the globe - what it does is not give those fans at home (and there's plenty of them) a chance to watch the team.

Shock horror, but there are more CFC fans than those that go during the season. I'd love nothing more than a reduced price ticket to see us steam-roller someone in pre-season at the Bridge, but it seems to me that we're happy to charge the Earth and sell out the stadium for competitive matches and so aren't at all bothered about those people at home who've been part of the fan-base for years and either can't afford the full prices, or cant make every Saturday due to commitments elsewhere (in my case, playing a ridiculously Noddy level of amateur football).

Yes, it's all part of modern football, but I'm pretty sure if you check all the pre-season games of the Premier League teams we're one of, if not the only ones, who havent played in England, let alone at home.

Have we already begun an un-official 39th game (and, in our case, 40th, 41st, 42nd and 43rd) ???

I guess what I'm getting at is that while I agree it's in the best interest of the club to generate a bit of revenue and increase the fan base by playing all these games elsewhere, is there not a danger of alienating those people at home who, by location alone, are the ones that pump most of the gate receipts into the club anyway ???

@ Fiftee

Excellent point and one that should be put to the club. Wouldn't it be good if the club played 2 pre season games at home against some local clubs (maybe those 2nd and 3rd tier teams that have our loan players). These games could be promoted as 'Fans' games where cheap tickets are on offer (or god forbid free entry). It would certainly give something back to the fams and provide a nice warm up for everyone involved.

Won't happen though with the way clubs are now run as businesses....

KTBFFH

Hands off our defenders... at least I now know what Ivanovic looks like!

LINK

I have to agree that the pre-season globetrotting worries me both in what it does to players and how it deprives fans who can't afford the big ticket games of an opportunity to see the team. Coming on top of the post season tours plus all the travelling for international games its a wonder they are ever here.

Taking PTG's point in #15, if we played against clubs we loaned players to at their ground it would spread a little financial happiness around lower down the league.

I will shortly be reviewing all the published research on the effects of high levels of air travel on elite athletes. I suspect the findings wont be good. I will then be writing to PK and the club doctor to recommend that we only play in competions where games can be comfortably accessed by rail.

my prayers answered: i had once called for bluebayou to be given a run in the first team

LINK

and there it is. and, boy, what a post!


"JD
shall we offer Blue Bayou (hell of a nick, btw) the chance of proving himself by writing the preview column?"

Very generous spirited of you, but its worth noting that I'm a johnny come lately who can only gaze in admiration at the the members of the first team squad. I may not even have a future in the reserves

In the opinion of the hardbitten coaching staff I'm going to struggle to make the grade, "Look son, you can't touch type with your right. which would be OK if your left was any good. But it isn't. And we've been waiting for you to bulk up a bit, but you can't seem to get past a couple of paragraphs. Your use of the adverbial phrase beggars belief and you struggle with form and authorial voice. We're a team that thrives on effective syntax. We can't see you coping against outfits like the Russian Formalists or the post-structuralists. They'd take you apart son."


it seems that some hard training has produced the desired effect son.

A very welcome addition to our already impressive stable of quality writers.

Bring on the Russian Formalists.

@ Bluetone 18........

In keeping with current club policy, I suggest we offer Blue Bayou a 5 year contract on twice as much as anyone else is prepared to pay, to ensure that we don't lose him to the Arseblog!

@ KJ II and CB #8 & 9

Outstanding.

Just looked at the link. God I'd forgotten that one. But, how could I when "What's cooking in the house tonight? Stew and beans." is possibly the greatest song lyric of all time?

The video is hilarious, particularly at the end where they have obviously run out of portentious and pretentious ideas and just get everyone to form a snaking line and dance off!

Many useful and pertinent points here.

Of course, BlueBayou - if I've read him correctly - will already be aware of this fine ode to the railway.

LINK

The play-offs - seems inevitable, very horrible thought.

Farewell TBH, even as a stop gap you weren't very good.

BB - Your point about the limited dramatic possibilities of films involving air travel was illustrated by one which turned up on terrestrial TV last week - Jodie Foster's Flightplan which attempted to transfer the classic train film The Lady Vanishes to a plane.

It had to create a career as aero-engine designer for the Foster character which apparently made her intimately familiar with the layout of the entire plane including baggage hold/air ducts etc and shoe-horned in a ludicrously contrived conspiracy of cabin crew members and mortuary director to foist a "bomb in a coffin" blackmail plot in too.

Give me Margaret Lockwood, Miss Froy and Caldicott and Charters fighting off pseudo-Nazis in a European siding any day.....

Does anyone else think that David Bentley has always got a smug look on his face that just make you want to punch him on the nose? LINK

BBD,

No sign of Bentley with pen and/or kissing of the Spuds badge. Yet.

Mark,

Yeah, he does have one of them faces you love to see set on fire and then put out with a trowel.

Surely this is the worst transfer window story so far :

"AC Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed Chelsea striker Andriy Shevchenko will not return to the San Siro this summer. (Press Association, 1356 BST)"

I've been wracking my brains for literally minutes, and can only conclude that we're keeping him as he's so bloody awful, he's keeping up the confidence of the younger players (Di Santo, Sinclair etc.) who now realise they're better than a former World player of the year. Either that, or the realisation that the footballing World has become sensible and have realised their teams would have more attacking threat by sticking a scare-crow in the penalty spot than playing Shevchenko.

"AC Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed Chelsea striker Andriy Shevchenko will not return to the San Siro this summer"

@ FIFTY

Cheers..you have officially ruined my afternoon!!

Come on guys, lay off baby Bentley..he's a cutie pie!
Plays for a shite team, mind..

@24 Fiftee - Bentley and Keane have been disappointing in failing to keep the visual cliches going - haven't seen yet if Ben Haim might get us back on track....

@Lolli,

That's a bit of a surprise, I expected more from you. I 'get' that there's something about Lamps as Mrs Fifty is the same, but Bentley has all the charm and charisma of roadkill. And he's got a big chin to boot. Literally, it needs to be booted.

@BBD,

Maybe it's only something that's apparent in early window signings. These players who move clubs with only two weeks till the season starts have half way round the Globe to fly for some pointless tournament against Chukotka lumberjacks or something similar.

No time for posing with pens and club shirts. And, based on his 'legendary' reactions against Torres last season, can you imagine how long photographers would be standing round waiting for TBH to pose ???

@ FIFTY

You're getting rather aggressive towards Mr Bentley..calm yourself down!!! :D
He's a cutie, definitely but compared to Our Boy Frankie..there's zero competition!!!

Regarding the lack of badgekissing, just seen the aforementioned Mr B on SSN saying that he's "always wanted to play for Spurs" and he "never really wanted to go to any other club"..
guess he hasn't got great ambitions then!!

Cutie certainly, but he don't half talk some bo****ks!!!

It seems that Roman hasn't taken a liking to the old humble pie. He may have swallowed his pride to rid us of Avram, but he doesn't seem able to admit that he was wrong with the Sheva deal. It was an honest mistake as the world and Chelsea fans were rejoicing when we signed Sheva. He was the best striker in Europe and after watching him against Liverpool in the Charity Shield, we all thought he would be a huge success. But after last year, he should just get rid of him. Sheva has simply lost his legs and his first touch, which makes him a pretty useless forward. His performance against the Malaysia XI was one of his worst. Can't remember him having a good first touch or even a shot.

Many seem to still be laughing at Spurs, but this year they could be a threat. We know that they're all tossers and any loss or draw to them is an embarrassment for us, so thanks for last season Avram. But now, Ramos seems to be building a very good side. It may seem blasphemous to compare him with Jose, but this pre-season does have some of the feeling of Jose's first summer. He's cleared out most of the crap and spent shed loads of cash (where did Spurs get that much?) on some bright young talent. Many say that they don't have the best squad, but we won the league with Tiago, Smertin, Geremi, Kezman and Jarosik in that first year. I'm not saying they're going to get anywhere near the top of the league, but an outside bet for 4th? Put simply who would you rather have, Dos Santos or Malouda? Modric or Sheva? Bentley or SWP? This season, Spurs could be a surprise.

Afternoon all.

Life often imitates art and so I found my self at Kings X station this afternoon (for work related matters not train spotting before you all start).

This took me to Platform 1 where extensive refurbishment work is taking place in the old offices there. While waiting to get on site the security man related how one of his colleague was dying to relieve himself and having calculated that the toilet of the train on Platform 1, which was opposite the entrance to site, was much nearer than the on site facilities, hopped aboard for a quick wee.....

Yes sadly for him departure took place almost immediately and the train didn't stop until Peterborough. (that's a long way, some 85m (136km) for those not resident in or familiar with Gods own country)

He then had to pay a fare back.

@BBD

Fine piece of comparative film studies there.


From now until 23.00 I will be mostly drinking beer.

Adieu

btw

Can any one tell me why a liitle blue shirt has suddenly appeared on my picture????

@ 31. BlueBayou

The icon shows your Status Level as a Trainee. LINK

@ BLUEBAYOU

Hmmmmm.....definitely a trainspotter!!!!

The blue shirt signifies that you're a lowly trainee..
Your shirt colour changes the more "fan points" you earn..

It's all very exciting, nay? :S

SIMONT

Beat me to it, you little tinker!! :)

Given the predilection of virtually all of us on this blog for stating the obvious (and corny if at all possible) I'm most surprised no-one has accused Malouda, Shev amd SWP of playing like Strangers On A Train as Hitch decreed, or getting on the Train In Vain (as per London's Calling). For once the powers that be at Chelsea have got us playing in an aesthetically pleasing competition pre-season, presumably we're in training for the season

Got a One Way Ticket to the Blues...

LINK

Bring home the RR Cup!

@Fifty/Lolli - perhaps it's now the verbal cliche only part of the transfer season.

We have Keane doing the " I've always wanted to play for this club" while Ben Haim has already managed the "It's cold oop North, but the people are warm" in his first scintillating interview for the MC official website - see link for full details if you need a cure for insomnia and proof that the website's photographer had the dedication to stand round waiting for TBH to pose lifting the shirt at least:

LINK

Lolli...

I beat you every time, that's life! :-)

@ BLUEBOYDAVE

It's certainly looking that way isn't it? Is the professing your undying love and commitment to a club you've never played for but "have always wanted to play for" the new black as such?

@ SIMONT

You must have too much free time on your hands sweetcheeks! ;)

Lolli...

Not much free time for me darling, but...

There's a choo choo train tucking down the track,
gotta travel on it and never coming back.

I've got a one way ticket to the Blues!

Looks like we might not be putting all our eggs in the Robinho basket:

LINK

At least he can be a replacement for Malouda.

Cheers for all the replies! I'm not yet sure whether I'll attend the Milan - Sevilla game, as having to sit through an entire match before seeing Chelsea (which is the whole point anyway, with all due respect to Italian and Spanish football) might take its toll and might hinder my excitement, as I also have a couple of private lessons tomorrow. But then again, who here really cares about Sevilla or Milan? And since Ronaldinho isn't playing (used to be a great player to watch, we all remember the goal he scored against us in the CL), watching a bunch of over-30 players and a once-great-but-now-shite Sevilla is a hassle, methinks.

As for Chelsea, I'll gladly write a match report, with all the pre-match post-match stuff as well, and email it to whoever's in charge. Don't be harsh on me though, it's been a while since I've written something longer than 2 pages in English, used to write quite a lot while living abroad, so it might come back to me. And hey, football has a universal language, doesn't it?

Wanted to ask you all something, am I the only one who can't resist being interested in Inter now? I hate Italian football and I used to hate all the teams, but... I just can't make myself not care, since TSO's in charge... I wish Jose luck, anyway, he's a great manager and he deserves all the success he can get. Just not against Chelsea FC.

Either way, it's Scolari now, and I guess he needs our support, hopefully he'll instill some confidence and self-belief in our players, that's all that matters now, after the bland and totally uncharismatic Grant (wish him luck as well, he seems to have ended up in the wrong place at a wrong time, can't imagine the strain that man must have been under). Tactics and discipline are important, yet I think our players are good enough without the excessive guidance tactics-wise. What the team in general needs now is confidence and the legendary attitude on and off the pitch that we had under Jose.

'Great' I thought, as I read the gossip column this morning, at least we're being linked with someone.

And then it turns out to be Diego, who's another midfielder. What a load of nonsense, like we'd sign someone else who plays down the middle.

Can't we just sign a striker and a winger and be done with it ??

@FIFTEE

Its more about them being Brazillians than being central midfielders. We need a left winger and yet no bids for David Sila have been made. Im still baffled but the likely reason should be that he fancies Brazllian flair than European efficiency. Wait. Silva plays with flair too. So whats stopping us from getting him?

any explanation as to why my profile pic doesn't appear? not that anyone's concerned, i know, but it's a bit odd...

suddenly it does, but not on the previous post. odd becomes odder

1038: Sky Sports News claim reports in Spain are saying Real Madrid have signed Rafael van der Vaart from Hamburg for £6million. More as we get it.

How much do you think it would have cost if we'd been involved?
Most teams hate us because of Roman and show their contempt by asking for stupid transfer money i.e.Real Madrid

I wish the Robinho saga would end soon,it's becoming as tedious as Lampard,Ronaldo,Barry etc.

From Setanta Sports

Real Madrid have agreed a deal for the transfer of Rafael van der Vaart from Hamburg, according to reports in Spain.

The Spanish champions are reported to have agreed a €9 million (£7m) for the Holland international, who will be unveiled as a Real player on Monday.

Spanish radio station Cadena SER reported on Friday morning that Los Merengues had reached agreement with the Bundesliga side over the transfer of the 25-year-old.

It would be nice to adopt a more youthfull policy in the transfer market but then again what do I know,I'm only a lifelong Chelsea supporter who has no influence whatsoever in what happens at Stamford Bridge.
Since when have the board listened to what the fans want?

I'd prefer it if the board listened to what the manager wants before the fans when it comes to buying players. And the presence of a few terribly ancient 30 year olds hardly makes us some sort of refuge for Help the Aged. Don't believe everything Fergie tells you.

Do we have to subscribe to Chelsea TV to see this Russian Railways Cup malarkey then?

KaiserJonny_II,

LINK

LINK

These are pretty good sites for footie on satellite...

@Gleb - I often watch Italian football, mostly the Sunday games because they're live on TV over here. (Not sure who has the rights to show next season's games. Channel Five?) Like you I will be making an effort to watch some of Inter's fixtures now that Jose's there.

Looking forward to reading your report on today's Railways Cup game. chelseablog@gmail.com.

@JD - Yes, I believe you need to subscribe to watch pre-season games live. I subscribe to the online version (£3.99 a month). Recently they started broadcasting all of Chelsea TV's output live on the web to non-UK subscribers, but there are ways around that. ;-)

I'll do a text commentary if I'm home in time to watch tonight's Railways Cup game against Lokomotiv Moscow.

For those who watch via SopCast etc., here's the MyP2P link: LINK Also here: LINK

If the reports are true, i will be absolutely gutted. For the same amount of money we paid for Deco or even slightly lesser, we could have got Van der Vaart who is younger and equally good. On top of that he is left footed, which gives us more balance in midfield than Malouda does. Wasted...

For what it's worth, i agree with JANG.
Van der Vaart could run rings around Deco, who i've just got a really nagging feeling about and don't know why. I just haven't got any confidence in him at all. OK, he's done ok in the Asian Tour but let's be honest..I would of done well in the Asian Tour!!!! There would've been something seriously wrong if we hadn't of won those games! I just think the Prem might be too much for him..

As i said yesterday though...i'm hoping to be proved wrong..

I've chirped on about going after VDV nearly as long as I have about Villa.

Quite simply, VDV with age on his side would have more time to adjust to the Premier League and the flourish in it than Deco.

In my eyes, it's one that's got away, not that it appears we were remotely interested in him anyway. I'll only feel consoled if it means Robinho is more likely to become available, but we know that's not the case.

Here's to hoping that somethings going on behind the scenes. Which, I'm guessing, isn't.

@Fiftee - The Robinho signing is looking less and less likely - Real will offer him a new five-year contract this weekend, according to several reports.

@Blue Bayou - This is for you: LINK

Completely off-topic - anybody out there got a copy of The Feelies' first album Crazy Rhythms in mp3 format? It's out of print and thus very hard to find - about £40 for the CD on Amazon.

@ NICK

Who on God's Earth are the feelies??? :?

@Lolli - LINK

I've found a copy of Crazy Rhythms. ;-) Looks like their back catalogue's going to be reissued later this year.

@ NICK

OOOOO-KKKK...
Still don't have a clue who they are!! Forgive my ignorance! :S

Official clubtext message sent out this morning:

Kenyon explains Robinho move held up by real quaet for replacement. Drogba NOT to be part of any deal. CFC links to Bremens Diego pure speculation.

Now what was that about Robinho again? Expect an announcement soon ......

I know van der Vaart doesn't seem like a replacement for Robinho on paper but would his signing be sufficent to allow Madrid to let him go.It will be very interesting to see if he plays against Hamburg in Arsenals' tournament tomorrow.

Very pleased that Kenyon's come out and said that Drogba's not leaving but I'm not convinced that Kalou,Pizarro and Sevchenko would provide quality cover if Anelka and Drogba were absent for whatever reason.
Kalou will be missing for at least a couple of weeks anyway through his Olympic commitment,so it will be interesting to see what happens regarding another signing.
I somehow doubt that Kenyon's busily working under the radar to sign another player besides Robinho.Madrid have kept raising Robinho's transfer price and it would be nice to call their bluff.

I forgot Di Santo but it will be interesting to see if Scolari throws him in at the deep end.

Kaka staring for AC Milan against Sevilla,Pato and Ronaldinho both in Bejing.

Sevilla 1-0 Gattuso o.g.

Sevilla should be at least 3 goals better,Fabiano having a great game and Milan starting to look slow and uninspiring.

Seviila win 1-0

Milan looked very poor,can't remember Kaka doing anything of note.

Chelsea team
Cech
Ferreira
Carvalho
Terry
Cole
Deco
Mikel
Lampard
Essien Anelka
Cole.J
Subs
Everybody else.

Please tell me Lokomotive line up

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LINK