Credit again to Rafa-Dodd
THE OPPO: CHELSEA (H)
CHELSEA FCLeague Position - 4th (after 1 game)
Summer Transfers - S. Sidwell (Free - Reading)
- C.Pizzaro (Free - B.Munich)
- F. Malouda (£13.5m - Lyon)
- T. Ben Haim (Free - Bolton)
Recent Encounters between teams01 May 2007- Champions League - (H) W1-0 + P3-1 (Agger)
25 Apr 2007 - Champions League - (A) L1-0 (J.Cole)
16 Jan 2007 - Premiership - (H) W2-0 (Pennant, Kuyt)
17 Sep 2006 - Premiership - (A) L0-1 (Drogba)
13 Aug 2006 - Community Shield - (N) W2-1 (Riise, Crouch) (Shevchenko)
22 April 2006 - F.A Cup Semi - (N) W2-1 (Riise, Garcia) (Drogba)
05 Febuary 2006 - Premiership - (A) L0-2 (Gallas, Crespo)
06 December 2005 - Champions League -(A) D0-0
Club HonoursFirst Division/Premier League[63]: 3
1954-55, 2004-05, 2005-06
Second Division/Championship: 2
1983-84, 1988-89
FA Cup: 4
1970, 1997, 2000, 2007
League Cup: 4
1965, 1998, 2005, 2007
FA Charity Shield/Community Shield: 3
1955, 2000, 2005
Full Members Cup: 2
1986, 1990
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup: 2
1971, 1998
European Super Cup: 1
1998
And now thanks to the lads and lasses at
CFC.net-----------------------------------------------------------
Another season is underway and Chelsea go into expecting to win everything, what are your hopes and aspirations for the season ahead?BridgeJunky: We most certainly don't expect to win everything. There are questions about the squad so this is a big season ahead for us. It will reveal whether we're ready to kick on or if it will be time for a re-build.
hanuma:
I don't think anyone sensible 'expects' to win everything. I'm sure everyone expects us to win something, or at the very least be one of the best contendors. I hope we regain our title. Nothing would please me more on its own (anything else would be a bonus). I think we have a squad capable of winning the title and the Champions League.1jonnyspencer:
Firstly, I hope the injuries clear up. Secondly, I hope we reach the Champions League Final. But the Premier league remains the priority.A relatively cheap summer for Chelsea this year, what do you make of the lack of money spent and the new signings that have been brought in?BridgeJunky: I'm sure fans of all clubs would agree with me when I say that I not concerned by the amount that is, or is not, spent. It's the quality that matters of course. As to that, I don't know enough about any of the players to have a real view on their chances.
hanuma:
Value for money. Our first XI always seemed to me to be the best last season. We now have cover in a season where we'll need it most with ACN. Malouda and Ben Haim have been instant preseason hits. Sidwell and Pizarro look like solid players. Would like Alves though.1jonnyspencer:
Seems like good business. Sidwell and Pizarro's signings were clearly made with the African Nations in mind.
Malouda looks better than I thought he'd be. And I think there'll be one more player coming in. Maybe Alves, maybe Drenthe.Chelsea seemed to be in turmoil for pretty much all of last season with infighting etc, do you think you have put it all behind you now or is it going to get worse?[/color]
BridgeJunky:
If there was indeed such infighting and
if it was about our style of play then I imagine the tensions will remain. I simply do not believe we have the squad to play football that is both open & winning. If we want to win then Jose is going to have to work with a style similar to the one which brought him successive titles. That said, I think much of the criticism of our game is misdirected. Often when we are said to have played boring football it is because we have in fact just played
bad football. All too often we fail to put our passing together, struggle to retain possession and come off the field without looking like the better side regardless of the result. If we can improve on the quality of our play then a lot of the questions about our style will go away.
hanuma:
I don't think it's getting worse, I'm sure it's got better. But the reality of our situation is that Jose will inevitably at some point down the line have his opinion and authority undermined due to the new nature of the clubs structure. I don't think Jose is so naive as to walk away because of that (he might have done already if he was), but it means things aren't always going to be hunky dory. Hopefully 'not hunky dory' is a good substitute for the complete meltdown that we saw at one point last season.1jonnyspencer:
Whilst things were clearly far from fine, most of the turmoil was media hype and wishful thinking on the part of those who object to Chelsea's recent success.
Let's not forget that the whole malarky began with the papers insisting that Jose would be leaving this summer. That opinion was based on the fact that he had never stayed at a club for more than three years. The hype increased from that.
I can understand if Roman is getting fed up with the teams dour performances, he's spent a lot. But Mourinho has lifted the club to another level. There has to be pragmatism in a team, but a bit more flair would be appreciated here, at least.Terry recently signed a new £135,000 a week contract, what are you thoughts on that and whats going to happen with Frank Lampard?BridgeJunky: The amount is obvously absurd but, since this is the going rate, I'm happy that we've reached agreement with him. JT is JT; there can be no higher praise. Lamps meanwhile isn't going anywhere. He's an inteligent man and he must know that this is absolutely the best place in the world for him to be. Nowhere else would he find fans and staff so wiling to accentuate his strengths and to overlook his weaknesses. Leaving Chelsea would be the stupidest thing Frank could ever do and, as I said, he ain't dumb!
hanuma:
He's club captain...The One, if you will. He probably deserves the most money. I think we're paying the price for the silly wages of Sheva and Ballack. As everyone will tell you, it's market driven. These sorts of wages might seem mediocre in 10 years time. Imo, Lampard is every bit as important to the club as JT. He'll stay with the club, simply because no-one else is going to be able to afford him and I doubt he'll want to leave so much that he'd take a dramatic wage cut. Might have said that about Gallas...but there were 'other factors' involved with that fiasco.1jonnyspencer:
JT's the captain and should be kept at all costs. I'm not sure I can believe what the papers print, but if that's what he's on, then fair enough.
Frank is a conundrum. He has been superb for us for six seasons. But he'll be gone sooner or later and we have plenty of talent there (Essien, Mikel, even Ballack). I would hate to see him leave, but you get the feeling, if his marriage survives the tabloids, that he'll head to Spain sometime.
(Be warned, just mentioning Lamps will open you up to a few vitriolic Lampard-Gerrard posts).Your favourite and worst memories regarding Liverpool?BridgeJunky: Favourite was Kenny Dalglish scoring a goal to reduce your deficit from 4-1 to 4-2 and The Shed indicating that we didn't care by greeting the goal with a chant of, "We've won, we've won, we've won, we've won, W-e-'v-e-w-o-n!" Great day.
Worst was the CL semi before Istanbul. No football result has ever hurt as much as that one did.
hanuma:
Fav: 4-2 comeback in 97. Worst: Probably 'the goal that never was'.1jonnyspencer:
As a Chelsea supporter the worst could be either of the two CL second legs at Anfield. Maybe this year's was worse as I really didn't see us losing it, whereas in 2005, we looked a bit tired after winning the league.
Best as a Chelsea fan has to be the 1997 FA cup tie at the Bridge. Two-nil down, winning 4-2. Hughes, Zola and Vialli at their best.
The best and the worst, as a human being, would be the Anfield Rap 
What are your views on Rafa's transfers this summer, how will they fare in the English Premiership?BridgeJunky: Vorronin looks good, Torres I don't believe in and never wanted when he was linked with us. The rest I don't know enough about.
hanuma:
Average, overpriced, slow starters, unlikely to be stars. Probably still upgrades even if they will take time to integrate.1jonnyspencer:
He always buys in a lot of players, this time it seems to be half of eastern Europe. Buying so many must destabalise the squad a bit.
Torres has got most of the coverage, but I've never been convinced by the limited amount I've seen of him. He never looked like he'd be much more prolific than a Kuyt or a Crouch in front of goal. He will surely take some time to settle into premier league football.
Babel could be good. Or he could be like last season's 'wonder winger' Mark Gonzalez.Have you seen our new stadium, what do you make of it?BridgeJunky: Looks absolutely fantastic, can't wait to see you playing there.
hanuma:
Only in photos. Nice.1jonnyspencer:
The drawings look interesting. More so than any other project I've seen in this country. Good luck with it.What are your views on the Liverpool squad this year, can we seriously challenge yourselves and the Scum?BridgeJunky: I wouldn't use the word scum to describe anyone, not even that lot at Three Polint Lane! As for the prospects, I'm expecting a United/Arsenal 1-2 this season with our clubs contending for 3rd & 4th.
hanuma:
No depth in defence. No great wingers. No obvious solution as to what to do with your midfielders. Good strikers, but none prolific, none particularly strong. Better than last year, but not nearly good enough to challenge yet.1jonnyspencer:
You should be closer, but I can't see it yet. Chelsea and United are still superior.
You don't seem to have much cover at the back if Agger or Carragher gets crocked.
In midfield I like Alonso and Mascherano. As does, it seems, Rafa. That means Gerrard remains an enigma. Alonso seems to have greater positional discipline and tactical sense, so he tends to get the nod in the centre. But Gerrard's wasted, to an extent, on the flank. Maybe Torres will play a lone strikers role and you'll have three in the middle. But Crouch, Kuyt and Sissoko will all miss out then. It's a difficult juglling act.
I don't rate Pennant. He got quite a lot of praise for his CL final performance, but I couldn't see why. Milan's full-back was atrocious and rarely tracked back. And Pennant must have made twenty to thirty crosses, only one of which led to a goal. Your winners of the following:BridgeJunky:
Prem - Man U
FA Cup - It's a cup so any prediction is little more than a guess.
Carling Cup - Ditto
Champions League - Ditto
hanuma:
Premiership - Chelsea, just ahead of Utd
F.A Cup - Liverpool
Carling Cup - Arsenal
Champions League - I'd say we'll do best in England if we get lucky with injuries, or if Liverpool still think they have a chance in the league come February time. From elsewhere I expect Inter or AC Milan will mount the biggest challenge.1jonnyspencer:
Premiership - Chelsea
F.A Cup - Sp**s
Carling Cup - Who cares? Man City?
Champions League - Chelsea (hopefully) or Barca or MilanFinally can you predict the score for the forum?BridgeJunky: Liverpool 1 Chelsea 1
hanuma:
1-1 draw if JT and Drogba are out still.1jonnyspencer:
With our current injury list, I'd take 0-0. If we get most of them back, we'll one-nil it.--------------------------------------------------
Magic MomentsLittle Luis and that goal!
Agger's goal
Kuyt wins it!
The lads
Make us Dream 2005
Well, as expected they don't seem to rate us too much, I wonder how many more times we have to beat them before they do?
Interesting to see their views on Lampard, there was a time when they would have been devastated if he left, now it seems they wouldn't mind as much, and one of them even pointed out that he has weaknesses
They're quite realistic about the score though, but I don't quite see how they only expect to draw against a team they regard as 'nowhere near good enough'.
Roll on Sunday
