The week ahead: Charlton, Werder Bremen and Jose's old friend Rafa...
Friday, 08 September 06, 01:21 PM · Comments (8)
In a little over twenty-four hours, fans of all things Blue will turn their attention to the pitch at Stamford Bridge. After a week of international football and the never-ending Gallasgate soap opera, the sight of eleven men in Chelsea shirts on the glorious green turf (Charlton fans, take note) will come as a truly welcome relief. Football, rather than statements and slanging matches, is the primary business of the club lest we forget.
With three home games in eight days, two of which could be regarded as having huge significance on the outcome of the season, Jose Mourinho will have been relieved that the players on international duty returned to him unscathed. The added bonus that none of his men tasted defeat will also have been pleasing.
More specific details of the games are available here, but the highlights proved to be John Terry’s superb performance against Macedonia while new boys Ballack and Shevchenko both scored in victories over San Marino and Georgia respectively. In terms of the Germany game, it might be impolite to suggest that not scoring when your team put thirteen goals past the opposition would be fairly shameful: viewpoints differ greatly, but the debate over such farcical international mismatches rages on.
And so to Charlton. The departure of Alan Curbishley after more than 700 games in charge was always likely to leave a sizeable hole, so it will be interesting to see if engineering genius-turned-manager Ian Dowie can fill the void and maintain the stability that his predecessor bought to the club. Having shipped three goals in each of their first two games against Manchester United and West Ham, the Darren Bent inspired win against Bolton will have calmed a few nerves down at the Valley.
Stamford Bridge old boy Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink could feature, while a Chelsea backline which may include Ashley Cole for the first time will need to be at its most vigilant to curtail the threat posed by Bent, scorer of the goal that prevented a clean sweep of nineteen home wins in the league last season. Hermann Hreidarsson is suspended, having been sent off in the game against Bolton.
Then the fun really starts. Next Tuesday sees the return of Champions League football to SW6 for the fourth consecutive year: German side Werder Bremen being the first hurdle to negotiate if the Blues are to return to Athens, scene of the club’s first-ever European triumph thirty-five years ago, for the final next May.
While the almost inevitable meeting with Barcelona was the talking point when the draw was made, last season's Bundesliga runners-up are a tricky proposition and could well upset those who have their money on Rijkaard and Mourinho progressing to the knockout stages.
Bremen's coach Thomas Schaaf, now in his eighth year in charge is highly regarded in German football and took the club to a domestic league and cup double two years ago. In the league, their current position mirrors that of the Blues: fifth after three games, having won two and lost one.
Schaaf has built a flexible, intelligent attacking side with numerous goal threats at his disposal. World Cup Golden Boot winner Miroslav Klose and former Porto star Hugo Almeida both have two goals apiece in the league this season, while Egyptian international Mohamed Zidan and Croatian Ivan KlasniÄ are equally capable of causing problems for even the meanest back four. Having missed out on the World Cup squad, Brazilian new boy Diego has shown signs of the form that previously won him fourteen caps with the national side, starring in the 2-1 win over Bayer Leverkusen three weeks ago. With German internationals Torsten Frings and Tim Borowski providing the midfield heartbeat, it promises to be an enthralling opener to the European campaign and Chelsea’s toughest test of the season so far.
And once that’s over with, there is the small matter of Liverpool a week on Sunday. William who?
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William! How is that you're able to see a very positive situation into a negative one. I doubt whether Chelsea is really your beloved. The team has struck a perfect balance wrto skill levels and positions. Now we have a team that can play any formation and you have players for any formation. Once Cole and Robben are fit, we are near invincibles, unless there is a Carvalho error. Hiddink is not waiting on the sidelines. If you read and start believing in all tabloids then I pity your naivety. For a team that had won only one title in 100 years, we have won back-to-back titles and odds are for us to make the hattrick. In fact, our only real challenge is the champions league. We let about 4 or 5 players go (one of them was desparate to go). Well, this happens in every team in every transfer window. And about the handling of William Garbage (not you, Gallas) situation, I think Chelsea did the right thing, in fact, they did the perfect thing. If Chelsea were true, then they have every right to expose such an unprofessional and indisciplined player. I dont see from where you get this doomsday feelings - Don't tell us you believe the Arseblog.
William has a point. Jose is pathetic, we're where we're because of our Bank Manager. I hope it won't be long before we have Hiddink.
...and its not 'three games into the season', the chaos is just continuing from last season. I wonder what's taking you lot, so long, to see Jose's is nothing but serendipity(at its best). Even thinks is above Kenyon. Shame on him.
'The team has struck a perfect balance'(?????)
Do you see this balance on the pitch?
'Carvalho error'
Something is wrong here!
Carvalho does a lot of good stuff at the back, good distribution(best). He's probably made one mistake(costly). Ferreira is the one who makes mistakes every game, yetn we have an unbeatable Geremi on the bench. Pick on Drogba, Ferreira, Mouron-then i am with you.
William Tell, for every reason to worry about Chelsea there are reasons to believe in the team.
-The Cole/Gallas crap is over and we still have an excellent defender
-Those players brought in are some of the finest in the world, and add Kalou to the list
-Those who are still in, Essien, Drogba, Lampard, Terry, are playing well thus far
-J Cole and Robben will not be injured forever
-Chelsea didn't get into a slump after loosing to Boro
-Even if it were true about Hiddink, heck how many PSV, S. Korea, and Aussie fans hate him?
-3 wins and 1 loss at the start of a 38 game season is no measure of a manager losing or winning it
Dude, it's okay to have a doubt or two. Bremen won't be slouches and Liverpool will play hard Sunday. But, don't loose hope this early in the season.
Great weekend's footie all round really - Chelsea beat Charlton at home to keep up the 100 percent home record thus far, even allowing former hero JFH to get on the scoresheet for the visitors (and get a great ovation from the Chelsea faithful for doing so!). Drogba continuing his fine form with the opener.
The red scousers fall to their first defeat of the campaign and in comical fashion to boot. Hapless defending left, right and centre. Funny how Tubby seems to escape criticism for his continual rotation of the starting eleven up there when it fails - surely he must be bordering on 'tinkerman' status up there.
Arsenal again fail to win at home in the new corporate stadium, and new signing Gallas is forced to play left-back. Looks like the loss of the advantage of the Library's old narrow pitch is difficult to cope with for them. They can't seem to adapt to all that new found width that they now have.
And Tottenham lost, which is always good. Shame it was Man Utd who beat them!
This week's game against bremen should be tough, but we very rarely fail to win at home, so I have every confidence of grabbing the 3 points.
2-1 job done. Didn't end up the mauling it threatened to be but hey, what's that they say about great teams being able to get the win even when they're not at their best? We'll be awesome again soon.
Funniest moment of the weekend? Apart from Rafa's boys going down 3-0 to the Toffees, it has to be Fergie insisting that Manure did well to get a win after the international break despite the fact that hardly any of his players were involved in anything more strenuous than a dust-up over an ASDA model.
Oh and nothing like a little instant karma to lift The Blues after all Economy Class Gallas' recent mouthing off:
"William Gallas made his Arsenal debut and was employed at left-back...and he was caught napping for Boro's goal." - BBC Sport
8 Comments · Add yours
I worry about my beloved Chelsea:
Here is why:
- William Gallas saga, Chelsea is so far away from the real meaning of football, that it is no longer amusing.
- Ballacks, Sheva, Ashley, Obi Van Kenobi, and the Cannibal - in
- Crespo, Gudjohnsen, Duff, Gallas, DelHorny, Huth - out
- Hiddink is waiting on the sidelines, behind Peter Kenyons round head, and Mr. Abramahovich stupid smile.
- José Mourinho is loosing it
Oh dear, what is about the "Doom & Gloom" merchants? Three games into the season, 3 points off the lead, Jose being reasonably civil to the press, apart from Gallasgate & Colegate affair (and not the toothpaste)
It is true, you can please some people some of the time.......