Chelsea FC - Supporters' Rally

[Glen2712]

GILES SMITH: CHANGING MAN (CITY)

The secret may be in the timing reckons supporter and columnist Giles Smith as he begins the build-up to an ultra high-profile encounter.


Traditional footballing wisdom has it that there are 'good times' and 'bad times' to play another club.


A 'bad time' to play another club might, for instance, be immediately after they have appointed a new manager. Players, desperate to impress - or even, in some cases, to remain employed - are likely to buzz all over the pitch like the Duracell bunny for 90 minutes, turning the game into more of a chore than it might have been otherwise.


Conversely, a 'good time' to play a club might be directly after its manager has abruptly resigned, against a background of jaw-dropping boardroom chaos, leaving only a cloud of bitter smoke and an all-enveloping air of uncertainty. This is why it is almost always a good time to be playing Newcastle.


Tottenham? We have to set them aside as a special case, for the purposes of this theory. There is never really a bad time for Chelsea to be playing Tottenham. That's just the way it is. It's about history, in that instance. Science doesn't really come into it.


What we have to decide, though, heading into the weekend, is whether this is a good time or a bad time to be playing Manchester City. And from what I can gather, there are a number of people who have weighed up the available evidence and more or less come to the conclusion that this is, if not actually a bad time to be playing City, then, at the very least, a not particularly good time.


These people point out City's overnight transition from permanently marginal, second-tier club, and home of Danny Mills, to potentially the world's most cash-rich footballing organisation (and home of Danny Mills). They maintain that this Cinderella-style transformation might have put the place in a fairly good mood.


Well, maybe it will. But at the same time, of course (and many City fans are already intuiting this), the rejoicing occasioned by the club's great good fortune is bound to be tinged with sadness and a sense of grievous impending loss.


After all, who ever felt anything other than well-disposed towards Manchester City up until now? Apart from a few United fans, obviously. Otherwise, nobody. But that all changed the other Monday when money walked through the door and national sympathy left via the window. And now, succeed or fail, it is City's poignant - and actually quite unfair - destiny to be routinely reviled and held up as the embodiment of everything that is wrong with the modern game. There will be more than a trace of that inevitable anxiety among City supporters in the atmosphere on Saturday evening, I'm sure.


People making the case that this is a 'bad time' also refer to the presence on the field of Shaun Wright-Phillips, a player who, given that he was only recently sold back to City by Chelsea, could reasonably be said to have 'something to prove' on this particular occasion.


That is, I suppose, a potentially troublesome thought. At the same time, there were plenty of occasions here at Chelsea when Shaun also tangibly had 'something to prove', and still the crosses came over at a height of approximately 25 feet, so you never really know with players who have 'something to prove'.


Then there's 'the Robinho factor'. Here's another player who, some speculate, will be 'fired up' for Saturday - although, what, exactly, it is that fires up Robinho remains a topic for wide-ranging discussion.


My own entirely unbiased analysis of the Robinho situation (that the dream move to Stamford Bridge which had been rendering him tearful and misty-eyed since childhood was denied him by the cruel and avaricious machinations of his draconian employers) has not quite been borne out by things the player has said subsequently.


Instead a notion has taken hold that the player was, in the end, perfectly happy to accept a higher offer from elsewhere - and despite the fact that the 'elsewhere' in question was an almost total mystery to him at the time. Indeed, some commentators have even gone so far as to suggest that the player might well have (and one trembles to write this) moved 'for the money'.


We can't possibly comment on that kind of allegation here. We would only point out that our own Deco noted this week that a move from Real Madrid to Manchester City was an unusual one, looked at in purely footballing and historical terms.


But the main point is, of course, that, here at Chelsea, when it comes to financial transformations, we have been there, done that and come out the other side, stronger and more likeable. Indeed, the waves of sympathy one has felt from neutrals over the last week on no longer being technically the country's richest club have been profoundly moving.


We'll take that feel-good factor into Saturday's match, I've no doubt, plus our own confidence that nothing much, in fact, has changed - that it's still City, that they may still have to call upon the services of Danny Mills, that three points remains the goal, and that the goal should be, for a team of our quality, ambitions and, one might say, recent history, an achievable one.

P.S: List Of UPPEES is not in full due to the capacity limitation of the signature function (not be longer than 300 characters excluding BB Code markup). Rest assured I've all ur nicks n u'll be awarded. If I do missed u, kindly PM me.


Appreciate the PM, Bro BatistaSG, Bro steamystreamsg, Bro Linkus, Bro Regaine, Bro evo7_5, Bro Thongchai, Bro curiouslooker, Bro PS3SG, Bro Red-Card, Bro jerrystockton, Bro Cytan7, Bro =WK=, Bro dbhh, Bro awesome04 and Bro skyhawk958!

[redlord]

I'm proud with your post ,my friend Glen2712 .will up you soon .

[Glen2712]

P.S: List Of UPPEES is not in full due to the capacity limitation of the signature function (not be longer than 300 characters excluding BB Code markup). Rest assured I've all ur nicks n u'll be awarded. If I do missed u, kindly PM me.


Appreciate the PM, Bro BatistaSG, Bro steamystreamsg, Bro Linkus, Bro Regaine, Bro evo7_5, Bro Thongchai, Bro curiouslooker, Bro PS3SG, Bro Red-Card, Bro jerrystockton, Bro Cytan7, Bro =WK=, Bro dbhh, Bro awesome04 and Bro skyhawk958!

[Adidas020108]

Man City 1-3 Chelsea.

congratulaion to all the Blues here.
it shows that not everytime money can buy success.

[Cum_Luver]

Chelsea 4 - 0 Bordeaux

14' 1 - 0 Frank Lampard
30' 2 - 0 Joe Cole
82' 3 - 0 Florent Malouda
90' 4 - 0 Nicolas Anelka

Congratulation to all Blues !

[SBF Cleaner]

congratulation to all Chelsea's fans and supporters.
another good performance.
you are hot hot hot at the moment.

this is good for this weekend match against Man Utd.

[Glen2712]

TERRY BAN LIFTED

John Terry will be available to play against Manchester United on Sunday and the two domestic games that follow after his appeal against a red card at Manchester City proves successful.


Terry was sent-off in the second half by referee Mark Halsey following a foul on Man City striker Jo.


An FA statement released this afternoon (Tuesday) reads:


At an Independent Regulatory Commission hearing today, a claim for wrongful dismissal from Chelsea's John Terry was upheld.


Terry was shown a red card for serious foul play during Chelsea's match against Manchester City on 13 September.


As a result of today's hearing, Terry's three match suspension has been withdrawn.

P.S: List Of UPPEES is not in full due to the capacity limitation of the signature function (not be longer than 300 characters excluding BB Code markup). Rest assured I've all ur nicks n u'll be awarded. If I do missed u, kindly PM me.


Appreciate the PM, Bro BatistaSG, Bro steamystreamsg, Bro Linkus, Bro Regaine, Bro evo7_5, Bro Thongchai, Bro curiouslooker, Bro PS3SG, Bro Red-Card, Bro jerrystockton, Bro Cytan7, Bro =WK=, Bro dbhh, Bro awesome04 and Bro skyhawk958!

[Glen2712]

Lampard Hopes To Face Full-Strength Champions And Open Lead At Top

The Premier League campaign may only be in a fledgling state but already Chelsea are spying Sunday's visit of Manchester United to Stamford Bridge as a rare opportunity. A remarkably easy Champions League win over Bordeaux has served to focus minds; victory this weekend would extend the Londoners' lead over the title holders to nine points.


There would still be plenty of time for United to recover such a deficit, and they would boast a game in hand, though the psychological advantage would be Chelsea's and the early season momentum with Luiz Felipe Scolari. "A win would certainly open up a nice gap over them," conceded Frank Lampard. "There's a chance Cristiano Ronaldo could be back, but we're good enough to deal with United at their strongest. We shouldn't want them weak."


Such is Chelsea's confidence at present - joint top of the league with Liverpool and barely tested by Bordeaux - that they will relish the challenge presented by Sir Alex Ferguson and his team. The Football Association's decision to rescind John Terry's red card, accrued at Manchester City, has further buoyed the club. Ferguson may be fuming, but the Chelsea captain only offered a smile - "I'm delighted to be available" - in the aftermath on Tuesday. United will be without Nemanja Vidic for the game, offering Chelsea a soft underbelly to exploit.


"Of course it's important that we have John Terry available for United," said Lampard. "If you have a leader like this, the captain, it's always important that he stays on the pitch. We were happy when we heard the news. It's never easy, such a decision, but I think if you see the pictures on television you could see that maybe it was not a red card.


"This is the sort of game that everyone gets up for, regardless of the circumstances, and we'll be going full pelt to put a nice bit of daylight between us. We know there's a long way to go whatever happens but, over the next month, it's important not to fall too far behind. You just want to keep your noses in front of the pack because that gives you the confidence and that bit of an edge."


Chelsea have not been used to keeping United at arm's length in recent times. As Avram Grant's side charged up the table earlier this year, they were always playing catch-up with the league leaders. Even when United were within sight, the Londoners would find themselves thrown into televised league games after Sir Alex's side had already played and therefore forever attempting to regain lost ground. Gasping in the leaders' slipstream, Chelsea never hoisted themselves above their rivals.


"It's not easy if you're always behind and you have to close gaps," said Michael Ballack, recovered from a foot injury though likely to be on the bench for Sunday's match. "The way it went, we would always play one day later than United. It was not an easy situation but we dealt with it and maybe we could do the same to them this year. That's why it's important that we win on Sunday. We have to repeat what we did towards the end of last season, when we beat them 2-1. That is our target.

P.S: List Of UPPEES is not in full due to the capacity limitation of the signature function (not be longer than 300 characters excluding BB Code markup). Rest assured I've all ur nicks n u'll be awarded. If I do missed u, kindly PM me.


Appreciate the PM, Bro BatistaSG, Bro steamystreamsg, Bro Linkus, Bro Regaine, Bro evo7_5, Bro Thongchai, Bro curiouslooker, Bro PS3SG, Bro Red-Card, Bro jerrystockton, Bro Cytan7, Bro =WK=, Bro dbhh, Bro awesome04 and Bro skyhawk958!

[Glen2712]

CHELSEA v MANCHESTER UNITED

The red mist which descended on the Premier League may not have cleared by the time Manchester United travel to Chelsea.


An early season meeting between the reigning champions and their main title rivals at Stamford Bridge is already guaranteed to be bursting with needle, tension and drama.


But throw in the added dimension of John Terry's availability to Luiz Felipe Scolari following the FA's decision to overturn his late red card in the victory at Manchester City and the blue touch paper has been well and truly lit.


Sir Alex Ferguson was predictably apoplectic at the verdict, launching a scathing attack on the first person in his cross-hair. Although given unfortunate referees' chief Keith Hackett had nothing to do with the Terry ruling, Ferguson was somewhat off target, although his point was made.


An added irony is that the Red Devils' first-choice central defensive pairing will be split up through suspension, thanks to Nemanja Vidic's late dismissal in the defeat at Liverpool.


Terry's last act against Manchester United was to miss the penalty which would have won the UEFA Champions League for the Blues before slumping in tears on the Moscow turf, so he has more than his fair share of demons to face and ghosts to exorcise.


I'm sure rival skipper Rio Ferdinand won't mention it as they line up before the match in the tunnel. Can I show you my medal, John?

P.S: List Of UPPEES is not in full due to the capacity limitation of the signature function (not be longer than 300 characters excluding BB Code markup). Rest assured I've all ur nicks n u'll be awarded. If I do missed u, kindly PM me.


Appreciate the PM, Bro BatistaSG, Bro steamystreamsg, Bro Linkus, Bro Regaine, Bro evo7_5, Bro Thongchai, Bro curiouslooker, Bro PS3SG, Bro Red-Card, Bro jerrystockton, Bro Cytan7, Bro =WK=, Bro dbhh, Bro awesome04 and Bro skyhawk958!

[Glen2712]

Bridging The Gap

Scolari setting the pace, but write Fergie off at your peril

You can dress it up anyway you like, but the start to the season Manchester United have had is not good.


They have started badly and although you can say 'well they're used to it, they'll come back', you don't want to be giving teams like Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool a head start this early in the season, or you'll have a major problem catching them up.


I don't read too much into it myself, but I have seen most of their games this season and apart from Portsmouth - when I thought they played well - their general play has not been great.


Against Newcastle I thought they weren't great, at Liverpool, apart from 30 minutes they weren't great and against Villarreal, they were OK.


Admittedly if you take Dimitar Berbatov, Paul Scholes, Cristiano Ronaldo, Michael Carrick, Wes Brown and Nemanja Vidic out of any side you are going to struggle, because that's half the team out, but it's not what we expect of Manchester United.


But, Nani was also suspended and Anderson has been a little tired after the Olympics, so there are a lot of things United will get better at as the weeks go by.


I don't worry about them as such because they have got too many good players at their disposal but I would be concerned - and well might Sir Alex Ferguson - if they lost on Sunday and give Chelsea too much of a start.


Asset

They can lose at Stamford Bridge and still get back into contention because it is that early in the season, but they won't want to, that's for sure.


There's six points' difference right now and suddenly if they lose that becomes nine - albeit with a game in hand - and that is a massive gap to close, even for United.


Ronaldo will probably start at Stamford Bridge, Scholes will be back, Berbatov they hope will be back, so there's three players alone that will make United a better side than we saw in midweek.


I wouldn't judge Berbatov on his debut at Anfield. In the second half he looked like he was carrying an injury and that's what has happened, but we just haven't seen enough of him at United to make a judgement.


He's been bought to play in the future, he's been bought to score goals for the next four years for United - and he will be a massive asset to them. I wouldn't worry about his debut.


We can only wait and see what Sir Alex does with him though: if he's going to accommodate Berbatov, Carlos Tevez and Wayne Rooney in a front three, or if he's going to play three across the middle in front of someone like Michael Carrick and play Rooney wide as he did at Anfield - where it didn't work.


Impressed

As for Chelsea, they have clicked under Luis Felipe Scolari, no doubt about that. I think I everyone has been impressed with what we've seen.


It is very Scolari. When he was in charge of Brazil he played the same system, with the two full-backs bombing forward out wide as he's doing with Jose Bosingwa and Ashley Cole here. He sits a holding player in front of the centre-backs as insurance when they go forward, and we will see if that remains the case.


As long as they don't get any injuries it's looking very good. And don't forget they've got Michael Essien to come back, Didier Drogba to come back and Michael Ballack to come back. They've got big, big players that have hardly played this season. I do think right now, they are the team to catch this season.


They have also got the added bonus of their captain, John Terry, being available on Sunday, despite being sent off against Manchester City. I have to say, I thought that was a strange one.


It was nothing to do with him being last man, nothing to do with there being other defenders around, it was a simple case of the referee deeming it a rugby-type tackle. There is no place for that in the game and that's why he was sent off.


Now serious foul play carries a three-match ban, simple as that. I was really, really surprised that the FA overruled it. Mark Halsey refused to change his mind which shows how determined he was to stick by the decision, and I was amazed they overturned it.


To go against Mark Halsey in the way they did was, I think, wrong. He didn't get it wrong; he didn't send Terry off because it was a professional foul and he was the last man, he sent him off because it was a cynical tackle - and that carries a three-match ban.


Disciplined

I did say on these pages before the season started that it will be between Chelsea and Manchester United, but it's never that straightforward.


Arsenal have played better than Liverpool have so far, but Liverpool have got results without playing really well. I don't think they've hit true form yet but the positive for them has been they are top of the table even if they have not been playing at their best. They are going to have to play better and they know that.


Arsenal are Arsenal. They will get results, they will play well, they'll be really difficult to beat and I do think the other Premier League sides are going to find it very, very difficult to break into the top four this season.


As for Sunday, I expect United to be tough, organised and disciplined. I don't think they'll go gung-ho at Chelsea but they do have a fabulous record at Stamford Bridge - probably the best in the Premier League.


They do like going there and winning and although they didn't last year, they have a pretty good record in west London. They will take that into account.


But I tipped Chelsea to win the title this year. I think they've got a fabulous squad, an experienced squad and there is also enough youth in there to keep going as well.


They have made a great start, which is a plus for them, but it doesn't automatically mean they are going to win it.


But if you get off to such a good start it becomes very difficult to shift you out of the top two or three and I think that's what people are going to find this season - that Chelsea are there to stay.

P.S: List Of UPPEES is not in full due to the capacity limitation of the signature function (not be longer than 300 characters excluding BB Code markup). Rest assured I've all ur nicks n u'll be awarded. If I do missed u, kindly PM me.


Appreciate the PM, Bro BatistaSG, Bro steamystreamsg, Bro Linkus, Bro Regaine, Bro evo7_5, Bro Thongchai, Bro curiouslooker, Bro PS3SG, Bro Red-Card, Bro jerrystockton, Bro Cytan7, Bro =WK=, Bro dbhh, Bro awesome04 and Bro skyhawk958!

[uncle gg]

great to see the blues settling at the top over the international break.

di santo and ivanovic impressed me during the villa's game but there's still room for improvement for both players.

[Glen2712]

High 5

If this is what happens when Chelsea's squad is stretched, Blues supporters will never fear injury news again.


Having responded to facing an in-form Aston Villa last game with some big players missing by putting on a display the opposing manager described as brilliant, the top-placed team followed it up with our biggest away win since Wolves were beaten 5-0 five years ago.


As he sat back and surveyed the state of his side after a Saturday lunchtime victory in the north-east, Felipe Scolari acknowledged that he is continuing to learn more about some of his players, especially those who are so ably deputising for stars such as Didier Drogba, Ricardo Carvalho, Ashley Cole, Michael Essien, Michael Ballack, Joe Cole and Petr Cech.


'They are sending a message to me - a message that I am here, I have good form, please look at me more times,' Scolari said.


'Today is good for us. I put some players in that haven't played many games and they showed they are in good condition to play for Chelsea. It isn't only 11 and this spirit of a group is what I want.'


The scoresheet alone, containing as it did two goals from Salomon Kalou and one fantastic strike from Juliano Belletti, plus a 100th Chelsea clean sheet for Carlo Cudicini, was testament enough to the contribution made by some of this season's lesser-used players.


Scolari asked the flexible Belletti to fill a different gap, this time playing him centrally, ahead of anchor man John Mikel Obi.


'I know Belletti very well, I am Brazilian and I know him from when he started to play in Sao Paolo,' Scolari explained. 'I played against him many times and I know his potential, and he helps us in whatever position you put him.


'It was a good performance from the team but I think they have played many games very well. Sometimes we score many goals, sometimes one or two but in the 11 games, only one or two I am not happy with my team.


'If we win all the games 1-0, I am happy, but we need to understand that Middlesbrough or other teams in the Premier League, they have good quality and if we make any mistake, they kill us.


'If we put two goals in, it becomes easier to work the ball, there is more space. Sometimes you need to have possession and in that time if we don't make more goals, we need to accept 1-0. But today they gave chances for a second goal, a beautiful goal for Belletti and after a few minutes more, a third goal for us.


'It opened the space and it was calm for my players.'


The Wolves side despatched 5-0 on their own patch in 2003 were relegated that season. At this early stage of the season, Middlesbrough are clear of the drop zone at the moment but a shell-shocked Gareth Southgate was not hiding from the truth.


'It was a humbling experience for us and when play a side of Chelsea's quality, that can happen,' the Boro boss said.


'I don't think Chelsea had to be at their best. We made bad mistakes and looked edgy in possession, but the reality is we have been outclassed.


'I told my players that if they are even beginning to think they are top players, that is what they have to look to aspire to.


'Chelsea had about the same number of players missing as us today, but a difference was who they could bring in.'


Scolari was able to put an even bigger grin on the face of Chelsea fans by announcing he hopes to have Didier Drogba back in a week's time - but he is refusing to go as far as agreeing that Chelsea are the league title favourites, even after such a crushing win.


'We have many games in front of us and we have won one more game. If this was game number 35 or 36 and we were three points in front, okay, favourites, but other teams will arrive at that stage with us, and we need to play every game as if it is the last game of the season.'

P.S: List Of UPPEES is not in full due to the capacity limitation of the signature function (not be longer than 300 characters excluding BB Code markup). Rest assured I've all ur nicks n u'll be awarded. If I do missed u, kindly PM me.


Appreciate the PM, Bro BatistaSG, Bro steamystreamsg, Bro Linkus, Bro Regaine, Bro evo7_5, Bro Thongchai, Bro curiouslooker, Bro PS3SG, Bro Red-Card, Bro jerrystockton, Bro Cytan7, Bro =WK=, Bro dbhh, Bro awesome04 and Bro skyhawk958!

[five83]

CHELSEA..CHELSEA..CHELSEA!!!!!!!!!!!!

Support chelsea..

[BabyJane]

Hey guys, anyone knows where I can get a water bottle with the Chelsea logo? It's for my little godson!

[Glen2712]

Sis BabyJane, you may try La Vanita @ Peninsula Plaza.

P.S: List Of UPPEES is not in full due to the capacity limitation of the signature function (not be longer than 300 characters excluding BB Code markup). Rest assured I've all ur nicks n u'll be awarded. If I do missed u, kindly PM me.


Appreciate the PM, Bro BatistaSG, Bro steamystreamsg, Bro Linkus, Bro Regaine, Bro evo7_5, Bro Thongchai, Bro curiouslooker, Bro PS3SG, Bro Red-Card, Bro jerrystockton, Bro Cytan7, Bro =WK=, Bro dbhh, Bro awesome04 and Bro skyhawk958!