bridge views - the thinking fan's chelsea blog

Joe Cole's loyalty

The whole John Terry issue isn't clear at all - and many fans have taken his silence over the last couple of weeks badly. In light of all that, when I stumbled across a press cutting with the following quote from Joe Cole I warmed to it all the more. Here's hoping he's back to full fitness soon.

He's here, he's there, he's every fu*king where...

 

Terry leaving Chelsea – the pros and cons

It’s all gone a bit quiet on the John Terry front today – I still think we’ll know the full picture by the end of the week – but in the meantime there have been a couple of related articles in the papers, for example Matt Dickinson in the Times discussing the need for stability at Stamford Bridge and Stuart James of the Guardian suggesting Terry has had renewed talks with his agent over the potential move.

This brief pause in what was otherwise relentless gossip about the Chelsea captain’s future has given me time to think through the potential implications of Terry leaving a little more, and I’ve come up with a handy list of seven pros and seven cons. Have I missed anything?

Terry leaving: for

1. The fee. Upwards of £35m for any central defender (let alone a 29 year old) is a lot of money – money that could be used to strengthen the team where it’s most needed
2. Alex. The Brazilian centre-half developed into a fine defender last season and, as he is actually a player in the same vein as Terry, his presence might mean the captain’s departure wouldn’t be so impactful
3. His head has been turned. It seems unlikely, but there is at least potential for his commitment on and off the pitch to have diminished if he stays
4. Whilst clearly not yet a first team player, Terry leaving could mean more opportunities for Mancienne. Ivanovic might also get the chances his performances at the end of last season deserve
5. We have a ready-made replacement captain waiting in the wings in the form of Frank Lampard
6. Injuries. At his age and with his recent record of niggling injuries, Terry is certainly a declining asset. He claims he could play until he’s at least 35, but it seems unlikely. The money offered by Man City certainly doesn’t reflect his true value and he isn’t in his prime
7. It’s arguable that Terry has too much influence at the club. Rumours from Makalele suggested Terry had a hand in Mourinho’s departure (seems unlikely) and the papers have claimed that Terry has been demanding certain signings – certainly not the way a club should be run. If indeed Terry is looking to hold the club to ransom over signings rather than wages, it might be that his power at Stamford Bridge has gone a little bit too far

Terry leaving: against

1. Terry is the club’s most successful captain, and the core of both the team and the side as a whole. Technically he is still an excellent player and amongst the best in the world. Criticised for his lack of pace, his detractors fail to recognise how the rest of his game is of sufficient quality to compensate
2. Leadership. More than an ordinary captain, Terry is one of a kind in the league. The relative success in 07/08 – in my eyes – can be at least partially attributed to Terry’s leadership and the little bit of Jose that the captain maintained. What is Terry’s role in bringing through youngsters such as Mancienne, and surely the loss of such an influential figure would have a huge impact of squad morale
3. The likely loss of Carvalho. Can we really afford to lose our two best and most experienced defenders in one summer? Losing Terry and keeping a demotivated and injury-prone Ricky might be no better
4. Chelsea have changed more managers than I’ve had Stamford Bridge hot dogs over the past six years (and that’s saying something). Add to that the loss of Steve Clarke, John Terry pretty much represents the club’s only chance for any form of real continuity
5. In a world (created by Real Madrid) where standing still is the new going forward, it is imperative that we hang onto our best players
6. Status in the game. Whatever club you are, it’s difficult not to flinch when someone offers you £40m. But Chelsea should have no desire to set a precedent for being a club that sells its best players
7. Manchester City. I’m still convinced that it’s too early for them to be a threat to Chelsea this season (though football365 have them finishing third ahead of us – one good season and they think Liverpool are a great side. We’ll see). But Terry would be an acquisition that would help them pick up the pace in the search of a top four finish

Chelsea are getting it right on Terry

The Terry saga is causing a bit of a stir, isn’t it? Not surprising really – if it were to happen (and I’m still far from convinced that it will), it would probably be the most remarkable transfer of the summer, perhaps more extraordinary than Owen’s move to Utd.

We’ve already posted on the gossip and what Terry brings to the club. We’ll probably post on it again. But one thought that has occurred to me is that, for once, Chelsea might be playing their cards right with how they’re dealing with this one.

The board and Ancelotti have unquestionably made clear their commitment to keeping JT a the club and, if reports are to be believed, are refusing to be held to ransom by the club captain’s wage demands.

So on the one hand Terry should be left in no doubt that he is wanted by the club, and should he end up staying we could almost legitimately say a move was never on the cards. If he does end up forcing a sale the price needed to prize him away from Stamford Bridge will be kept high. It will also send a further clear message to current players, prospective players and other clubs that Chelsea won’t continue an unrestrained open-wallet policy. Finally of course, if the unthinkable does happen, fans won’t be able to blame the club for not making a concerted effort to keep our most successful captain.

Now that we’ve all had the chance to think about it a little more, I’ll put a proposition to you: perhaps getting good money for Terry will allow that little bit more freedom in the transfer market and help us to get the creative influence we desperately need in attack. If it meant we could sign Aguero or Ribery (and secure a solid English replacement for JT like Upson or Taylor), would you let Terry go?

Transfer Gossip: Ribery to Liverpool?

Shock news this morning from Sky that Liverpool are planning a big money bid for Ribery, a story given credence by the fact that Skybet have slashed the odds of Ribery joining the Scousers from 66-1 to odds on.  Skybet have said that "every price we have put up has been taken on Ribery moving to Liverpool, which has left us stumped as in recent weeks he has been linked with every club except the reds!"  Skybet similarly slashed the odds of Owen going to Man Utd just days before the deal was signed.

All this follows a Rafa Rant, this time aimed at the other half of Manchester.  In a press conference yesterday, Benitez slammed Barry for going to Man City, calling him "100 per cent" mercenary.  "It is not a bad thing to miss out on him.  The most important thing is the passion of the player."

Contrasting stories this morning on Terry's future.  The Sun has reported that Terry is likely to get a £25k-a-week payrise, and that his discussions with Lancelot went well yesterday.  Meanwhile the broadsheets have been reporting that his future is very much in the balance.  There's also further evidence that we're looking to the future with this year's transfer purchases - The Telegraph today reported that we're interested in buying England U21 player Adam Johnson (a player Real Madrid were interested in last year) for £8M from Middlesbrough.

Rumours are fast growing that Fabregas is off to Barcelona.  The Spanish press has been full of it for days.  This would be a huge loss for Arsenal, especially with Man City pressing hard for Champions League football.  The loss of a player of Fabregas' calibre damages any side, but it also confirms the growing feeling that Arsenal can't keep their biggest players, and are functioning as a development ground for some of the game's biggest teams.

And finally, Ronaldo has addressed the question we've all been wondering: is he really worth £80M?  His answer: "I'm worth more".  Well that solves that then...

John Terry Update

We were all waiting for the rumours to start on the outcome of John Terry's discussions with the Club today.  So far nothing, but we'll keep you posted as soon as we hear anything.  Whatever the result, JT hasn't yet felt the need to reassure fans as to his future.  The Independent has an interesting take on Terry's position: they're attributing his departure to two factors - the first is money, but surprisingly the second is ambition.

"The England captain's restlessness is not just about the money on offer from City - though that undoubtedly plays a part - but also the ambition that Ambramovich is prepared to show in buying the kind of players who can seriously challenge again for the Premier League and Champions League...  Terry is understood to be doubtful about the potential of a club that has not come close to competing with City this summer, much less Real Madrid, in the acquisition of new players."

Really? If so, I'm stunned.  Terry should remember that we've come pretty close to winning the Premiership and Champions League for the past couple of years, missed penalties aside.  (Sorry, low blow, and I don't really mean it - I respect the man no-end for having the balls to stand up when needed.)  If The Independent's source is accurate, it seems likely that JT's conversations with the Club will be about our plans for the transfer window, as well as the size of his pay packet.  Terry's certainly got the power to influence club plans - I'm sure you'll all remember the furore caused by Makele's claim in his biography that Terry gave Ambramovich a Mourinho-or-me ultimatum - one that the Armani-clad manager lost (though it must be said that Terry has strongly denied these claims).

The talk coming from Chelsea implies that we're not going to willingly sell him, so if JT is to leave he will have to make continued life at the Bridge untenable, perhaps even putting in a transfer request.  My gut still says that this won't happen, and much of this is just paper talk.  But I'm starting to lose my faith.  Fingers crossed JT's around for long enough to help me believe again.

Chelsea FC: Transfer Gossip

Those of you who read yesterday's Fiver will already have seen the rather amusing commentary around Zhirkov's pre-destined arrival at the Bridge:

New Chelsea signing Yuri Zhirkov is worried his lack of English will hold him back at Stamford Bridge.  "Abramovich came to our [CSKA Moscow] dressing room to congratulate the team on winning the Russian Cup Final in May 2006.  Then, he suddenly turned to me and said, 'Yuri, start learning English'.  I didn't say anything, just smiled.  Unfortunately, I still have not learnt the language.  Now I know I should have taken his advice more seriously."

Perhaps he could take lessons with Carlo?

The Sun today reported that John Terry has demanded talks with Abramovich to discuss his contract.  Apparently his silence over Man City's bid is not so much because he's secretly planning a move north-wards, but instead because he intends to use City's interest as leverage to enhance his current £115k-a-week contract.  Rumour has it he's not happy that Frank's contract (signed last summer) is richer at £135k-a-week.  I love JT, and have always been a massive admirer, but he's fast becoming injury prone, is unlikely to age well given his back and lack-of-pace issues, and has always been dependent on a strong partner alongside him.  Given he hasn't come out to declare his loyalty to Chelsea, should we really be upping his contract by another £20/30k a week at this stage in his career?  If he's willing to call our bluff and go to Man City for a bit of extra cash, he may not be the man I thought he was...

And finally, The Times is reporting that we're still in the market for Ribery.  Given that Real Madrid have stated that they've been priced out of buying him, it seems crazy to suggest that we'll be prepared to splash enough cash.  But this is football, and stranger things have certainly happened...

Ancelotti's First Day in Charge

Some good news - Ancelotti faced the media today, showing off some not too shabby English, and even chucking in a joke or two to keep the journos amused.  Even better news, Ancelotti reiterated that JT will remain a Chelsea player: "he said he wants to stay, there is no problem for him for us, the story continues - Chelsea and Terry".  He went on to compare Terry to Maldini, high praise indeed.

Worryingly, Ancelotti once again took the opportunity to reiterate that he's joined us to win the Champions League, so whatever the fans may think, it seems definite that we're prioritising Europe over the Premiership this year.  He also commented that he "would like that Chelsea have an identity to play, and this identity we want to build".  This harks back to earlier comments Ancelotti made that Roman was unable to recognise the Chelsea side, and that they lacked personality.  This is crazy - we might lack world-class wingers, on a consistent strike force, but personality we have in droves (the home-leg against Barca was some of the most committed, disciplined and driven football I've seen in years).  Team spirit is one of our greatest assets.  Let's hope he spots that once pre-season training gets going.

Back to the good news again - Chelsea also announced today that they've completed the signing of Yuri Zhirkov from CSKA Moscow for £18M.  He's very versatile, able to play left-back and left-midfield, so provides much needed cover and competition following the departure of Wayne Bridge.  He's only 25, so adds a bit of youth to the side.  Given his versatility and our need for genuine cover on the left, he's probably a better buy than Johnson would have been.  Combined with recent purchases of Sturridge and Turnbull, it seems like we might have abandonned the policy to buy ready-made stars (that the team may or may not need), and instead to focus on building a team for the future.  It remains to be seen whether they're good enough to take us to the title next season.

Let us know whether you think this is a good start to Ancelotti's reign, and what you make of the Zhirkov signing.

Chelsea reject bid for John Terry

Good on us.  Terry is not only key to our defence, but also the heartbeat of our side.  We certainly couldn’t replace what he brings for £30M.  Much as Utd will find it impossible to find one player who can bring everything Ronaldo offered (even with £80M burning a hole in their pocket), we wouldn’t be able to find one player to replace JT: technical excellence, leadership, bravery, a few key goals, and a better passer of the ball than many people credit.

But good on Man City too.  Far from being England’s answer to Real Madrid (will they play any defenders next season?!?), they’ve identified what it takes to win – not just fancy buys from Brazil, but also top quality passion and fight. 

And that’s why Terry’s staying at the Bridge.

A month in the life of Chelsea FC and bridgeviews.co.uk

Yes, today is formally Ancelotti’s first day at Chelsea, and we’re all hoping to hear something of his plans for the club. Maybe we can even expect a signing over the next 48 hours (Zhirkov, we’re looking at you).

In the meantime, it occurs to me that bridgeviews.co.uk is a month old. Certainly, the 30 days or so that have passed were first exciting before waning a little, but plenty has happened. Chelsea sealed the FA Cup, Hiddink left and Ancelotti arrived, and since then we’ve been linked with pretty much every player under the sun.

In that time there have been posts on this blog reviewing the FA Cup final win, laughing at Spurs’ bullying epidemic, worrying about Ancelotti's fixation with the Champions League, looking back at the squad’s 08/09 performance, berating Wembley's stewards and pondering Malouda’s renaissance. Along the way I’ve had a couple of rants about UEFA, too.

For those of you new to the blog, I’ve picked the top five posts of the last month – if you haven’t seen them, have a read.

1) Abandon ‘off the shelf’ transfer policy – amidst all the transfer gossip, here was an argument for a more long-term view at the Bridge

2) Introducing the ‘guusrate’ – a tongue-in-cheek look at Hiddink’s record at Chelsea, ably assisted by bridgeviews’ bean counters

3) Should Ancelotti step out of Mourinho’s shadow – a call for Carlo to plan for evolution, not revolution

4) What Ronaldo’s transfer means for Chelsea – love him or hate him (I’m guessing the latter), this post looked at what the mammoth deal means for the Blues. With price tags of £50m being put on Pato and Aguero, you can see there have been far-reaching implications…

5) It’s English football that’s failing, not Chelsea – a post pointing out that it isn’t just Chelsea that aren’t signing ‘galaticos’, but English football as a whole. And it’s always been that way…

Any readers got any one month in feedback about how I can improve the blog, or anything you would like to see written about? Would love to hear it – post a comment! 

Just who is Scolari trying to kid?

Yesterday quotes from our ex-manager – the venerable Mr. Scolari – appeared all over the web. Luiz alleged that it was player power, and specifically the power of Drogba, Cech and Ballack, that got him the elbow in February.

He goes on to say that it’s always the manager that gets fired first, not the players, because the directors and owners of European football clubs end up siding with the latter. You can read an overview of his comments in the Sun here.

Nice deflection, Scolari. The fact is that the best managers of the game don’t get fired before players. How many players, for example, have left Old Trafford in the last ten years because their actions led them to fall out of favour with the boss? And how many from Arsenal?

The difference with Scolari of course, was that he didn’t have the record of success to back him up when players (who have better records in European football than he does) started taking issue with his methods and, as a consequence, the board didn’t really have much choice.

So, wake up Scolari. Chelsea were sliding towards 5th in the table and out of the Champions League spots. Hiddink came in and scored more than a point per game more than you did (see here for the full statistical breakdown). Player power played a part in your demise, but wasn’t the primary factor – that was you.

Oh, and good luck with Bunyodkor.

Am I being too harsh on the big man? Post a comment.

Are Chelsea preparing for 6+5?

The transfer gossip linking Chelsea with the biggest players in world football has gone quiet over the past week or so. Dull, dull, dull.

We do need one or two choice additions but it’s not time to get worried just yet – the transfer window isn’t even formally open. Let’s see who Abramovich, Kenyon and Ancelotti rustle up in the next few weeks.

In the last week however, Chelsea have been linked with a few lower profile players. Firstly Sturridge, whose move on a free transfer (ish) from Manchester City seems to be all but done. Secondly we’ve been linked with Charlton playmaker Jonjo Shelvey – just 17 years of age and supposedly one of the hottest prospects in the country (see how Sky Sports reviewed him here). Finally, Ross Turnbull, the Middlesborough goalkeeper. From what I remember, Turnbull has been at a number of clubs (mostly on loan) before finally deciding to leave Middlesborough this summer. At 24, he’s still very young for a goalkeeper.

Clearly at least two of these deals are still to go through, but two thoughts immediately occur: one, that Chelsea do finally seem to be making their threat to buy for the future look genuine; and two, that they’re looking at English players.

New Champions League rules introduced last season placed new restrictions on the number of foreign players that could be named in each squad, so perhaps ‘buying English’ is merely the club’s attempt to give us as many options as possible in that competition. But the rumours also left me wondering if Chelsea are also preparing for the possibility that UEFA and FIFA will somehow get their way on 6+5, and are buying English players that could stay at the club whilst the new rules are being rolled out over the first half of the next decade. I’ll write more on the 6+5 debate over the next week or so, but fingers crossed these transfers aren’t being made now because the club know something we don’t on the issue.

On the other hand, many see having an English core as a desirable thing and the club might be looking ahead to a time when Terry, Lampard and the Coles have retired. Whatever the motivation though, I’m almost more encouraged that Chelsea are being linked with these type of players than I was a few weeks ago and the string of outside-bet, big money transfer rumours.

Know more about what we might expect from these three players if they joined than me? Have a different view on our supposed transfer targets? Post a comment.

It isn’t Chelsea failing to make ‘big’ signings, but English football

A couple of weeks ago I wrote a post here that took issue with Paul Parker questioning Chelsea’s ability to sign the world’s best players.

Last Sunday, Rod Liddle published another of his weekly anti-Chelsea diatribes on the Times' website which skirted along a similar argument. To save you having to read the whole thing (and it is rather tedious), key extracts include:

“Carlo Ancelotti will be anxious to secure the services of a marquee striker, a superstar. But he is not likely to get one, because…the very top players do not wish to play for Chelsea. That small band of galacticos who can genuinely turn a game, while at the same time ensuring a rapid turnover in replica shirts…always seem to spurn the chance of playing at Stamford Bridge”

“The list of players who have decided against a move to west London is long and a little humiliating. No Kaka, no David Villa, no Ronaldinho, no Andrea Pirlo, no Steven Gerrard. Even Robinho preferred the dubious, perennially underachieving madhouse of Middle Eastlands”

“Those gilded moppets from the south of Europe and America complain about the weather in Britain, but it does not stop them signing for Man United and Liverpool”

Now, clearly Rod has an anti-Chelsea agenda, and we'll ignore the fact that he doesn’t seem to know that both Robinho and Gerrard weren’t allowed to join Chelsea, the first by Real and the second by his own death-threat-making fans. But it is hard to see how he fails to look beyond the most superficial arguments (if pushed I might guess it’s because such journalistic approach might stand in the way of his - self proclaimed - position of the ‘most controversial commentator on sport in the British media’).

His point that Chelsea have failed to sign the greatest players in the world at their peak is true enough. But he narrowly associates that failing with Chelsea and, through his insinuation that the (to borrow a Redknappism) top, top players might choose Liverpool or Utd, has completely missed the point. In reality, there are less than a handful of clubs that have made these kind of signings – perhaps Real, Barcelona, Milan, Juventus….and no English clubs. It isn’t Chelsea that is failing, but English football as a whole. I decided pick up what Liddle started and take a proper look.

Firstly I looked at the profile of the best players to have played for those two rival clubs. In the history of the European player of the year awards, Man Utd players have won the top prize four times (Charlton, Law, Best and Ronaldo). Charlton, Beckham, Best, Cantona, Edwards and Ronaldo all also experienced finishing second or third. None of these players were signed by Utd as ‘galaticos’ in high-profile transfers and while at the peak of their abilities. Liverpool have had but one winner of the award – Michael Owen – and Dalglish and Gerrard came second and third respectively. Again, none of those three were galatico-style signings.

It’s a similar story with the world player of the year awards, with Man Utd players placed in the top three including only Ronaldo and Beckham, and for Liverpool only Torres. High-profile transfer Torres was, but certainly not seen as a world beater when he arrived (though subsequently proved since).

After looking at the best players to have played for our greatest rivals, I took a look at the top transfers in footballing history. Of the current top ten list of football transfers (by value), three involve English clubs – Ferdinand and Veron to Utd, and Shevchenko to Chelsea. The latter deal would have by far the greatest claim to ‘galatico’ status, regardless of age or eventual success.

There’s a similar picture when you look at a list of the progress of British transfer fee records over the last 50 years (take a look at one here). A lot of the deals include players moving abroad. Significantly very few – or none – could be described as being among the world’s very best at the time of their signing for an English club. And Chelsea aren’t the only club to have tried to lure those kinds of players – we know Ferguson tried and failed to lure Ronaldinho, for example.

It was interesting to read Ray Wilkins’ comments last week that perhaps some European footballers are turning down the chance to play in the Premier League because of the challenges the game here presents. I think there is probably some truth in that: it is renowned for big tackles, low-space high-pace play and there’s no winter break. There’s also only one ‘glamorous’ city. Perhaps our historic reputation for hooliganism and our default admiration for graft over skill haunts us too.

So, Rod – if you’re reading this – I appreciate you’ve got your ‘controversial’ reputation to uphold, but perhaps you could think your arguments through a little further next time? Besides which, you wrote your article on June 21. There’s ten long weeks to go before the transfer window closes, and who knows what could happen before then…

What do you think? Post a comment.

Chelsea make first signing of the summer

Chelsea has made its first signing of the summer, according to reports. No, not Aguero, nor Ribery or Maicon, but…Jan Sebek.

Rumours that the 18 year-old Czech goalkeeper is a distant relative of Sebek, the ancient Egyptian crocodile god, are wide of the mark, but here’s hoping he can build on a solid showing against Arsenal reserves during a trial last year.

Good to see us a) sign another keeper and b) look to youth.

If you’ve been on this blog before, you might have noticed that I’m keeping an updated list of all the players Chelsea are linked with this summer here. Looking at it you’ll see that, not only does Sebek not feature, but also that we so far haven’t yet signed anyone from the list, and two of the players have moved to other clubs (Kaka and Johnson).

Anyone know anything about Sebek? Post a comment.

Chelsea squad review 08/09: Part III - the forwards

It’s pretty much clear where Chelsea’s weakness – if it can be called that – lies: in attack. After parts one and two of bridgeviews’ squad review, now it’s the turn of Drogba et al to come under the spotlight.

With remarkable consistency, Chelsea scored 64, 65 and 68 in the 06/07, 07/08 and 08/07 seasons respectively. In those three seasons Chelsea scored first 19, then 15, and then 9 goals less than the leading goal scorers. So, in terms of putting the ball in the net, it looks like we’re improving. But are we, and from what base?

Aside from the 05/06 season, when Chelsea and Arsenal both scored 72, the club haven’t been Premier League top scorers in any of the last five years. Liverpool have now outscored Chelsea for two consecutive seasons (who would have thought it?).

To compound a general lack of goals over the past three seasons (and often against the most conservative teams), Chelsea have been overly dependent on the midfield for goals. In 06/07 Drogba and Shevchenko managed 24 (38%) and the next season they contributed even less, 13 (20%). Anelka and Drogba scored 24 (35%) in 08/09. Compare that return to the 01/02 season when Hasselbaink and Gudjohnsen scored a total of 37 league goals, 56% of Chelsea’s 66. Very good players both, but consider their comparatively meagre combined transfer fee of £19m to prices paid for Drogba, Anelka and Shevchenko…

It’s far from a new problem for Chelsea, but despite trying a number of options over the past couple of seasons the club has yet to hit upon the right combination up front, keep them fit when most needed or support them adequately with forwards playing off the wings. It’s been said on this blog before, but renewing our options in that area must be the priority for this summer if we are to continue to compete.

A quick look at each of the players in turn:

Drogba – there’s a little of the angel and the demon in our Didier, and we’ve seen a little of each this season. On form he’s the world’s most powerful lone striker. When not on form however, it’s hard to overlook his petulance, oft-awful first touch and inconsistency in front of goal. Regardless of all that he is probably (along with Lampard and Terry) Chelsea’s most important player. The team is built round him: he moves on, and Chelsea will need to rip up the rulebook and start again. Scored less goals in 08/09 than we might have the right to expect, but played a major part in Chelsea’s revival in the closing months of the season.

Anelka – One of the more successful big-money striker signings of recent years, Anelka ended 08/09 as Chelsea’s first golden boot winner since Hasselbaink. Technically an excellent player, his 19 league goals is an impressive return, especially having been played out wide for large parts of the season. Whilst an important part of the squad and a player that offers something genuinely different from Drogba, some question marks do remain however. Can he play in as part of a front two with Drogba? Does he spend enough of his time in the box? Does he score enough against top opposition?

 Kalou – I’ve always admired Salomon and defended him in debates with other fans. He chips in with a good number of goals and his attitude – both in defence and attack – is unquestionable. But my opinion is changing. Up until now he has been a good squad player that we hoped had the potential to develop into something more exciting. Unfortunately, he simply hasn’t improved enough over the last couple of seasons, and is still guilty of occasional profligacy in possession and in front of goal. His relative youth alone shouldn’t make him invulnerable and, as one of the few players in the squad who could command a £10m+ transfer fee, I’d consider cashing in to help fund a replacement.

Will be most intrigued to see – what happens with Pizarro and Shevchenko. Surely Pizarro doesn’t have it in him to return to England and be a success, but after such a strong season in Germany could Chelsea get a reasonable transfer fee for him? And where will Sheva end up? Last we heard even French clubs were turning him down. How the mighty have fallen.

Biggest disappointment – Ben Sahar’s recent transfer to Espanyol. Another youth prospect bites the dust.

Look out for – Di Santo. We didn’t get to see too much of our fuzzy-haired youngster this season, but he did look confident, fast and good in the air. Has scored plenty in the reserves too. Fingers crossed he’s good enough to get more time next season. 

These are my views – but what do you think? Post a comment.

UEFA’s attitude is the real disgrace

In response to UEFA’s ruling yesterday, I posted on how the club should seek to turn the situation to its advantage.

This is all a very contentious issue. For all Chelsea fans – me included – the injustice of that evening still burns bright. Drogba called Ovrebo’s performance ‘a disgrace’. It was. But turning to look at the bigger picture, the real disgrace is UEFA’s attitude in their running of the game. There has been no public admission that the referee’s performance was sub-standard and no hint that it has (or will) come under review. Which of us, in whatever walk of life, could make mistakes on that scale without serious repercussions?

UEFA is a strange, confused kind of organisation. On the one hand, it seeks to be the stern ruling body of football. Trouble with this is, they accept no accountability for their (or their referees’) actions and punish anyone who dares to criticise them – a very dictatorial style of government.

On the other hand, UEFA sees itself as the ‘protector of the game’, as embodied by the ongoing public ramblings of Platini. But much of this they get wrong. For the UEFA chief to be publically backing teams ahead of the biggest games of the season is misplaced favouritism on an epic scale. Imagine what the reaction would be if, in recent times, Gordon Brown or Barack Obama had publically discussed a private hope that a certain bank would survive the recession because it employed the people wearing the most colour co-ordinated ties and working in the mot stylish offices? Any governing body – whether of a country, profession or sport – must first and foremost be objective if it is ever to gain lasting respect. Unfortunately, and unlike politicians and their governments, there is no comeback against UEFA.

Where am I going with this? In essence, it’s a simple point: there must be parity in football. If UEFA scrutinise clubs like Chelsea for their actions, they should accept a level of scrutiny of their own. They should be an accountable body, open and willing to look at failings and challenge itself to improve. Perhaps a UEFA statement on a review of Ovrebo’s performance will be forthcoming. But I wouldn’t bet on it.

As a final point: most crucially, UEFA’s lack of accountability spits in the face of football fans. When Chelsea went out of the Champions League to that late Iniesta goal, it was after a 12 game campaign that saw Blues fans watching 18 hours of football. Supporters going to all the home games would have paid at least £300 (plus programme, food and travel costs). It is an investment of time, money and emotion that was made redundant by a single inept performance of a referee. UEFA would do well to not take that so lightly.

Have a view on this? Post a comment.

UEFA’s punishment of Chelsea: is the club’s response the real issue now?

Much will be written today and tomorrow about the punishments doled out to Didier Drogba, Jose Bosingwa and Chelsea by UEFA following the second leg semi final tie against Barcelona in May.

For those that haven’t seen it yet, Drogba has been handed a six match ban (with two of those deferred for a probationary period of two years) and Bosingwa has been banned for two matches (with one of those deferred). Chelsea itself has been fined £85,000.

I suspect that journalists, commentators and fans of all clubs will be divided on whether the punishments are too severe or not severe enough. I’ll leave the intricacies of that debate to other blogs until tomorrow, but my initial reaction is that Drogba’s punishment could have been worse, Bosingwa’s is harsh and £85k is a drop in the ocean to Chelsea.

What I would like to raise briefly is a separate but related issue about Chelsea’s typical response to criticism or controversy. Whether you care about it or not, it our club has a poor external reputation - disliked by UEFA and the refereeing fraternity and seemingly lacking in admirers from other impartial football fans.

This poor reputation stems from Abramovich’s wealth, the club’s recent success, accusations of players diving, our behaviour in the transfer market and of course the antics of people like Didier Drogba. But it also comes from the club’s ‘voice’ – our official responses to developments such as which we’ve seen today – which is regularly aggressive and rarely showing sign of humility or remorse. We’ve seen it on the pitch, but off it too a poor reputation is costing the club.

Was today’s UEFA announcement an opportunity for Chelsea to start to rebuild our reputation with that organisation, to start providing reasons for Platini to embrace the club rather than shun it (as reprehensible as he is it would be useful to have him onside) and encourage them to stop including clips of Chelsea players diving as case studies on their referee training videos?

It most certainly was – and the club (or rather the club’s publicity machine) missed a trick. The statement issued on the website within twenty minutes of UEFA’s ruling merely suggested that the club is considering it’s response, nothing more. At the very least, the statement on the Chelsea adds absolutely nothing and was entirely needless. Surely anyway the club knew what to expect and could have planned it’s position ahead of time?

The game is lost, an appeal is unlikely to be successful and the reputational pay-off from an alternative response could pay dividends in the long run. Would it have hurt to have immediately reiterated our acknowledgement of some guilt over the whole affair, accepted the judgement and requested an opportunity to move on from the incident? Drogba could even offer 25% of his weekly salary for each game he misses to charity.

The result of such a response? UEFA don’t have any further ‘Chelsea headache’. The newspapers write entirely different headlines in tomorrow’s papers. Rival fans who criticised Drogba for his actions soften their view and perhaps even consider that those actions were rooted in a dire refereeing performance.

Longer term, improving our reputation could have far further reaching impact, helping us both win refereeing decisions on the pitch and fans off it. One can also imagine it would make us a more attractive club for the world’s top players to play for.

Don’t get me wrong: as a Chelsea fan I don’t actually condemn Drogba, Bosingwa or the fans’ actions that night. In the heat of the moment, a big part of me wanted Drogba to thump Ovrebo. There is a time to fight injustice, but what’s done is done, and now thoughts should turn to how we can make the best of a bad situation.

What do you think? Post a comment.

Chelsea squad review 08/09: Part II - the midfield

Following swiftly on from Saturday's first part of bridgeviews' squad review, here's a look at Chelsea's engine room: the midfield.

But has it been the engine room? Chelsea's midfield - from left to right - has for the past couple of seasons been a little bipolar: at once the team’s strongest suit and its Achilles heal.

Defensively, the central midfield is arguably second-to-none in world football - borne out by the low number of goals conceded in the league and the technical excellence displayed in stifling Barcelona for 184 minutes. It majors in controlling games, dominating possession and disrupting all-comers. In contrast however, has been its form going forward, perhaps partly due to Ballack's stuttering form, Deco's failure and Essien's injury. All-to-often it felt like Lampard was the only attack-minded player willing or able to attempt something different from the centre to try and unlock opposition defences, and free-flowing football has been rare.

Wide of the centre is a similar story. The sale of Arjen Robben and failure to sign Robinho, despite their questionable injury record and temperament respectively, have been the single most damaging developments to Chelsea's challenge for major trophies this year and last. Who can say how the season may have panned out had Malouda turned up between August 2008 and February 2009 or Joe Cole had played ten more games (Joe Cole’s injury against Southend was one of bridgeviews’ five most disappointing moments of 08/09)? Aside from perhaps Liverpool, Chelsea have the weakest wide players of any of England’s big four, and they don’t contribute enough goals. Despite Malouda’s renaissance and the return of Joe Cole for next season, the number one priority for the summer must be the signing of a creative player who can play off the wing, cross the ball, take a man on and shoot straight. Here’s a look at each of Chelsea’s midfield players 08/09 in turn.

Lampard – no real need to write anything new here: simply Chelsea’s most influential player with consistently excellent all-round performances. It’s easy to forget how close he came to signing for Inter – who can say where Chelsea would have finished if he hadn’t signed a new contract.

Essien – we almost forgot how important the Bison is to the team during his lengthy lay-off. Yes, after a 2-3 game burst of impeccable form following his return he did seem to suffer from a lack of sharpness, but his energy and dynamism is invaluable. His goal against Barcelona was worthy of winning any Champions League semi final.

Ballack – an excellent footballer who didn’t hit top form this season. Too often looked a yard short and sloppy in possession. Having signed a new one year deal, fingers crossed the big German’s form last season was more a blip than the impact of age.

Mikel – vastly underrated. At his age he has no right to play with the maturity and quality he has shown in the holding role this season. One of the best players in the squad for the first half of 08/09, his form improved again in the last month following a brief spell on the bench. His distribution could be better (not just sideways please, Obi), but towards the close of the season he started to show potential as a more distinguished passer of the ball. He was expensive, but has been one of the only young players bought by the club to have made it in recent years.

Malouda – you can read what we think of Malouda in-depth here, but suffice to say his renaissance during the latter half of the season was one of the more remarkable developments of the season. New attitude; new player – so that’s why Jose bought him. More of the same next season please, Florent.

Joe Cole – a genuinely massive loss to the side when injured against Huddersfield. A one-of-a-kind player in the squad, the variation he can add to Chelsea’s play really helps the midfield tick. Look forward to seeing him back next season.

For the transfer list – Deco. After a few good performances early in the season, he very soon descended into a period of dire form that saw him all but disappear from the Stamford Bridge scene. Look forward to seeing him play in blue and black stripes next season. Mineiro – who we perhaps saw 20 minutes from – should be shuffled off the wage bill too.

Look out for – Stoch next season. Small and quick, here’s hoping he gets more of a chance to show what he’s made of next year. Who can say if he’s good enough, but his showing against Stoke alone suggests he’s worth another shout. Apparently Katuka’s not had a bad season in the reserves either…

Disagree with any of the above? Post a comment.

Chelsea’s Premier League fixtures 09/10

So the fixture list for the 08/09 Premier League season is with us already (quite why it needed to be released so early is a bit of a mystery) and at first glance it looks like it has treated Chelsea fairly well.

Ancelotti will have the easiest start to life in English football he could have hoped for with early games against Hull, Sunderland, Burnley and Stoke punctuated only with a trip away to Fulham. Once again (and as with five of the last six seasons) our first game will be at home.

The first ‘big four’ encounter will come against our old chums Liverpool at Stamford Bridge on 3rd October, with home ties against Manchester United and Arsenal following in November. It’s worth noting that – like last year – all of our home games against our greatest rivals fall in the first half of the season. 

Christmas fixtures don’t look too challenging either, with fixtures against West Ham, Birmingham and Fulham falling on the 19th, 26th and 28th December respectively.

Three tough games against Man Utd, Liverpool and Spurs are scheduled for the last month or so of the season in what is an otherwise simple-looking run-in including games against Bolton, Stoke and Wigan.

What does all this mean? Clearly you can’t read too much into the impact of fixture timings. But the relatively straightforward start to the season is ideal for bedding in a manager new to the league. It’s also a good opportunity to start well and get our noses ahead (Man Utd play Arsenal and Man City before the end of September). 

Results against big four opposition at Stamford Bridge during 08/09 arguably cost Chelsea a title challenge. Once again these all-important games fall in the first half of the season and, coupled with a not-disastrous looking set of Christmas fixtures, we can expect to have a fairly good idea of the strength of Chelsea’s title challenge come 1 January 2010. 

Chelsea’s fixture list will be posted here soon.

The case against Chelsea buying Tevez

On Sunday it was Aguero, yesterday it was Gattuso and today we’re back to Tevez. Some of this morning’s papers, most notably the Sun, seem convinced that Chelsea are now favourites to land the Argentinean following a personal call made to the forward in Buenos Aires from Carlo Ancelotti. But should Chelsea really consider splashing at least £25m on him?

My gut reaction is no – if Tevez’s purchase would be intended to improve on Joe Cole, Malouda or Kalou we’d be better off keeping the money. He is unquestionably a good player – just not a great player, which is what teams like Chelsea and Man Utd need to improve on already good sides.

The clamour from Utd fans for their club to sign him, and the media’s bemusement at Ferguson’s stubborn refusal to do so (so far), seems to have amplified his supposed worth. The kind of figures being quoted for his signature are hugely disproportionate to his ability and certainly don’t befit someone who is essentially a Utd cast-off (in a normal marketplace – not the Man City/ Real Madrid parallel universe). If Utd aren’t prepared to spend that sort of money on a player they’ve retained for two years then we shouldn’t be either. 

Furthermore, he just isn’t the type of player Chelsea need at the moment: an attack-minded terrier who doesn’t score enough goals. Chelsea need inspiration off the wing, not another grafter.  

Looking over his performance in the league last season (and yes, he did have a better 07/08) the stats support the argument that he isn’t the man to replace players already at the club. Scoring 5 goals and making 3 assists in 1,858 minutes of football equates to a goal ever 372 minutes. Malouda has a superior scoring rate, scoring once every 337 minutes, and made 4 more assists than the Argentinean. Kalou – a candidate for the transfer list having seemingly reached the limit of his abilities - has a vastly superior scoring rate, with a goal every 214 minutes, and made 1 more assist. Joe Cole, who was obviously injured for the large part of the season, had a lower scoring rate than Tevez (1 every 480 minutes) but managed double the number of assists in that time. Hell, even Shaun Wright-Phillips, who Chelsea sold for £10m because he wasn’t good enough, had a scoring rate of one 1 every 487 minutes and managed 2 more assists than Tevez.

The numbers don’t stack up. Chelsea, leave him to Man City. That’s where he belongs. And let’s hope that’s where he does end up – another side rumoured to be interested in his services would be improved by him joining. They play in red…

nb. as a final point:  Tevez scored less points in the official Premier League ‘fantasy football’ competition than Bolton’s Kevin Davies, Fulham’s woeful Bobby Zamora and Aston Villa’s Emile Heskey. Not a perfect scientific measure, but interesting nonetheless…

Disagree and want to see him in Chelsea's blue next season? Post a comment.

Chelsea squad review 08/09: Part I

For all the talk of finances, managers and formations, football basically boils down to eleven men (uniformly dressed in a shade you'd never choose to wear in public) frantically shuffling a ball towards a net suspended between two posts and a bar.  The quality of these eleven players determines how frantically and with what frequency the ball is shuffled over the line.

Long-winded way of saying that football is about players.  So, as part of the series of posts looking back at the 08/09 season, here's the first part of bridgeviews' squad review - a focus on the defence.

Man Utd's impressive new record for most consecutive clean sheets, and the subsequent Van der Saar love-in, contrived to deflect from the fact that Chelsea's defence was the joint-best in the league.

Chelsea's defence was blighted by injury for the third season in a row, depriving us of any consistency at the back, and making the number of goals conceded all the more impressive.  The season also saw the sad departure of Wayne Bridge, the renaissance of Ashley Cole, and the emergence of Alex, alongside different but equally impressive contributions from Bosingwa and Ivanovic.  Terry, who has set such high standards, had his best season since Chelsea last won the league. 

Here's a brief look at each player in turn.

Cech: consistently high performer, a mid to late season blip caused undue scrutiny of his form.  It's difficult to imagine a signing Chelsea could make that would put his place in the side under threat.

Cole: best season in blue by a margin, defensively excellent and back to his attacking best under both Scolari and Hiddink.  With Wayne Bridge's departure his upcoming contract extension becomes all the more important.

Terry: some question marks were raised about Terry's performances last season as he lost some of the composure that had made him one of the best in the world.  Back to his combative best, a handful of his performances single-handedly kept Chelsea in games that we might have otherwise have lost.

Alex: while sometimes guilty of suspect judgement, Alex has been the biggest surprise in the defence this season.  Excellent in the air, a wicked shot, and his reading of the game is much improved.  A good bet to be first choice as Terry's partner in 09/10.

Carvalho: undoubted quality - on his day the best defender at the club.  Injuries have severely blighted his season however, and when coupled with Alex's improvement he must be a candidate for the transfer list.

Bosingwa: such a shame the second half of his season didn't match the first.  Excellent attacking performances dwindled, but he still made an important contribution.  Defensively suspect at times, he's got a lot to learn in the Premier League, but it's only his first season...

Ivanovic: haven't seen much of the Serb, but his performances at right-back against Liverpool in the Champions League proved he has more than enough quality to remain an important squad player.  Versatility is a major asset.

Question marks for next season: a place in the squad for Belletti and Ferreira? Chelsea seem to be collecting right-backs and younger players need to be given an opportunity above ageing third string players.  Sad to see both leave, especially with Belletti's goals this season.  Cash in?

Look out for: Mancienne to make more appearances next season.  Could he be the next Chelsea youngster to make it through the ranks?

What do you think?  Post a comment.

Top five disappointments of 08/09

Hot on the heels of Monday's top five moments of Chelsea's 08/09 season (take a look at that list here), it's time to briefly abandon positivity. Here's bridgeviews' top five disappointments of 08/09.

5) The unbeaten home record coming to an end

All records come to an end, but at times during Chelsea's 86 game unbeaten run it felt almost impossible that we'd lose at home. Of course, the first defeat in four seasons of football would have to come against Liverpool - and a deflected goal at that - but the performance itself probably didn't warrant a loss.

4) Tickets

It promised so much. Back in June 2008, season ticket holders received a shiny new card in the post, complete with the technology for fans to scan their own card to get through the turnstiles. The big hope was that there was now a chance more time might be spent watching the game than queing to get through the three tiny gates at the centre of the Matthew Harding Lower. Net result: longer queues, more staff to get fans through turnstiles. Nice one Chels.

3) Michael Essien and Joe Cole's injuries

A lot has been said about Essien's injury - which saw him miss most of the season - and rightly so. On his return he scored two goals, one in each of his first two games, and his energy and dynamism was a pivotal part of the side's rejuvenation under Hiddink. Less is said about Joe Cole's injury however, but I would argue that his availability would have been just as vital as the Ghanain's in the closing months of the season. It's not just about Joe's quality - he also brings something to the side that was otherwise lacking: a different ball, run or trick to add another dimension to the side's play. With both Essien and Cole fit for longer periods, the premiership could have looked very different.

2) Man Utd 3 Chelsea 0

Chelsea hadn't played well for a while, but going into the game there was a realistic hope that our players were good enough to potentially pull off a win that could inspire a renewal of the club's title challenge. Unfortunately, Scolari's side put on one of their worst performances of the season, and Chelsea stumbled to a humiliating three nil loss with a limp display.

1) Ovrebo

I could talk about that Iniesta goal, which is undoubtedly the most heart-breaking moment in football I can remember in recent years. But I'd rather focus on the referee himself, whose performance was so shambolic it caused pandemonium both on the pitch and in the stands after the game. Potentially even more disappointing is UEFA's refusal once again to hold a referee publically accountable for their errors. Strangely quiet on that one, Plantini...

Abandon 'off the shelf' approach: Chelsea's transfer policy

Everyone has a view on who Chelsea should be signing - or who they will sign (check out what the papers think here). Aside from a few token names, papers and fans alike almost exclusively seem to discuss the biggest names in football - Ribery, Aguero, Villa... This time last week we were buying Kaka for £73.5m.

If Abramovich is prepared to spend the kind of money needed to secure the services of these players, then that's all well and good, and of course exciting for the fans. But an 'off the shelf' transfer policy that revolves around looking for players that are established, world names shouldn't become the norm. We unearthed Robben in 2004. Man Utd found Ronaldo the same year. Barcelona found Messi when he was in his young teens. It can be done and not at such exorbitant cost. Much as been made of Chelsea's world class youth set up (by Chelsea it must be said) but - as Mourinho complained - it hasn't yet delivered. To become sustainable it has to, and the club need to show far greater nous in the transfer market.

The likes of Mancienne (who played and scored for England U21s on Monday), Sahar, Stoch and Katuka look promising, but in the push for honours the team hasn't been performing well enough to provide them with opportunities to play. Furthermore, the constant changing of managers over the past few years has left the club devoid of continuity and decidedly short-termist in approach, lessening the chances of these players breaking through further still.  Now rumours circulate that they are up for sale. All of this stands in stark contrast to Man Utd's purchase of Fabio and Rafael (the Brazilian twins) who have made an immediate impact in the first team at Old Trafford.

Of course, there is a balance to be struck - I'm not suggesting reverting to an Arsene Wenger-style policy of only blooding youngsters (which itself is inconsistent - compare the respective chances awarded to, say, Gibbs or Denilson over the past two or three seasons with Walcot, despite the potential of the latter). Some players of this ilk, like Kalou, have been given a chance, but Chelsea have been far less willing to take a risk on a player and have the prospect of a Nani or a Dos Santos on our hands than the rest of the so-called 'big four'.

This summer, Chelsea have been linked with younger, lower profile players - Sturridge and Arnautovic, for example - and perhaps this does suggest a desire to move  to redress the balance. Maybe Ancelotti will achieve success quickly enough to stay in the job and allow the club to follow a coherent transfer and youth policy. But therein lies the problem: purchasing these sorts of players presents risk, and if you set expectations sky high and won't countenance not meeting them, all risks become unnacceptable.

Top five moments of 08/09

With Ancelotti joining the club and a plethora of transfer rumours filling the back sheets last week, posts over the last few days have mostly been looking to the future.

Time to take a deep breath and take a look back over last season. The full, month-by-month, blow-by-blow bridgeviews Chelsea 08/09 season review can be read here (settle down with a cup of tea).

In the meantime, we’re also pulling together a series of ‘top fives’. First up – the top five individual moments of Chelsea’s season. So, in reverse order:

5) Lampard’s winner against Stoke 

Approaching the 89th minute at home to Stoke and still one-nil down. Plenty of fans had left and the atmosphere had turned distinctly sour. Stealing a goal back to level the scores lifted the crowd but wasn't good enough. Then up stepped Frank to slam the ball into the net for the winner. Magic. Check out our link to Phil Thompson’s reaction to the goal in our season review here.

4) Scolari sacked 

Might seem a bit mean spirited, this (and it probably is), but quite simply results and performances hadn’t been good enough. The team looked rudderless,  we were sliding down the table towards fifth position and you think Clownio’s substitutions made no sense... Even on hearing the newsit seemed sudden, but of course in hindsight we know that Abramovich got it right.

3) That quarter final


Actually, maybe it should be the 3-1 win at Anfield…or maybe it should be Lampard’s second and Chelsea’s fourth at the Bridge. Who cares? Let’s defy convention and put the whole 180 minutes down as one moment. You’ve seen the goals a thousand times before – but take a look at Thompson and Hasselbaink reacting to the second leg’s events on Sky Sports News. We didn’t know you cared, Jimmy.

2) We want you stay… 

Football can be exciting, frustrating, heart-stopping and thrilling. But the Chelsea fans at final game of the season against Blackburn, and Hiddink’s reaction, showed that it can also occasionally be touching. Again, read more about this in our season review.

1) Lampard’s winner in the Cup final

As Lampard hit the back of the net from 25 yards with his ‘weaker’ foot to put Chelsea 2-1 up in the FA Cup Final, it felt like the fans’ excitement was almost balanced out with relief. After the disappointment in the Champions League and our terrible mid-season performances in the league, lifting the FA Cup was a fantastic consolation and a great send off for Hiddink.

What moments have I missed? Frank’s genius chipped goal against Hull? Beletti’s thunderbolt against Middlesborough? The moment when Malouda decided to become a footballer, or Zola’s refusal to celebrate a West Ham goal at the bridge? Post a comment.

The Chelsea week that was

It might have petered out slightly, but what a week it's been at Chelsea football club. Expect more next week...

Saturday 30 May - Chelsea go behind thanks to a record-breaking Saha goal but fight back to win their fifth FA Cup. Frank Lampard scores the winning goal - his twentieth of the season. Highlights from the game can be seen here

Sunday 31 May – the plaudits roll in for Hiddink as the Dutchman leaves Chelsea. Speculation that Carlo Ancelotti will be named the new manager reaches a crescendo as it’s announced that he has left AC Milan after eight years. The club announce that Michael Ballack have signed a new contract

 

Monday 1 June – Carlo Ancelotti is named Chelsea manager

 

Tuesday 2 June – the transfer gossip starts. Chelsea are linked with a swathe of top European talent from Kaka and Pirlo through to Ribery and Villa

 

Wednesday 3 June – rumours fly that Chelsea have outbid Real Madrid with a massive offer of £73.5m to Milan for Kaka’s services. The club quickly moves to quash the rumour, denying they’ve ever made an offer for the player on chelseafc.com

 

Thursday 4 June – both John Terry and Frank Lampard are quoted discussing their excitement at the prospect of working with Ancelotti and the potential for new top-class signings

 

Friday 5 June - The transfer gossip dies down (Glen Johnson being the only name consistently linked with a move), Lampard suggests he’ll consider management when he retires from playing football. He and John Terry are expected to line up for England tomorrow

Some tasty-looking friendlies next month...

Chelsea have just announced a pre-season friendly game against the mighty Reading.  Exciting times.

But what had slightly gone under the radar (for me at least) is the two tasty looking friendly fixtures against Italian opposition in July...first Inter (22nd) and then AC Milan (24th). Its almost as if they knew Carlo was coming to Stamford Bridge...

I for one am looking forward to seeing Jose back on our screens for a day or two in and around the Inter game. Tickets to the States, anyone?

Introducing the ‘Guusrate’: a statto’s paen to Hiddink

The statisticians at bridgeviews.co.uk have been frantically working at their abaci (or abacuses – we don’t want to start an etymological argument) over the past few weeks, mining the 08/09 season for figures-based trinkets.

Amidst a flurry of equations, formulae and funny-looking Greek symbols they unearthed a remarkable finding: the ‘Guusrate’. Now, it all gets very complicated from here but the guys from the numbers dept. have broken down some of their key findings for us little people.

 

Firstly, Chelsea under Scolari achieved a 56% win ratio, with 36 games comprising 20 wins, 10 draws (28%) and 6 losses (17%). This included 25 games in the league, of which 14 were wins (56%), 7 were draws and 4 were losses. This league record added up to 49 points in total, or 1.96 points per game.

 

Under Guus however, Chelsea achieved a monumental 73.9% win ratio, with 23 games made up of 17 wins, 5 draws (25%) and 1 loss (5%). Again, this included 13 league games, of which 11 were wins, 1 was a draw and 1 was a loss. 34 points in total, or 2.62 points per game.

 

It’s clearly a flawed measure, but for interest’s sake the boffins worked out that, if Chelsea had scored points at what they came to term the ‘Guusrate’ across the entire season, they would have finished with a record breaking 99 points (well, 99.6, technically), and won the league at a canter.

 

To conclude the study, the bridgeviews stattos dusted down their solar-powered Casio to take all this analysis and apply them to the two respective halves of the season. So, if one assumes that:

 

Scolarirate + Guusrate = fleeting hope ending in disappointment atoned for with a glorious FA Cup win

Then one can also assume that:

Guusrate + Guusrate = victory on all fronts

Similarly:

Scolarirate + Scolarirate = total shambles

 

Of course, you can take all this a bit too far (Hiddink’s reign was very short and you can’t assume results) and I’m obviously writing this post intentionally tongue-in-cheek. But the central point of course is that Hiddink’s record at the club is virtually immaculate, and the turn-around of fortunes he managed to inspire remarkable. Mourinho could only dream of an 86% win ratio in the league.

 

Perhaps more impressive, Hiddink took a side that couldn't buy a win against top half of the table opposition and nabbed victories against Villa, Juventus, Man City, Liverpool, Arsenal (twice), Fulham, West Ham and Everton. 

 

It’s mathematical nonsense, but thank you Guus – you saved our season. For heaven’s sake though, please no-one mention Ancelotti’s win ratio of 57% at Milan…

Déjà vu: silly season again

Evening Standard, 13 June 2008

“Scolari, 59, who will take charge of Chelsea…has been promised a massive transfer budget by owner Roman Abramovich”

The Times, 13 June 2008

"Luiz Felipe Scolari has been presented with a list of targets by Chelsea that features Fernando Torres, Robinho and Franck Ribery. The Brazilian...will be given an unlimited transfer budget by Roman Abramovich...(who) has proposed signing Kaka and Deco"

Sunday Telegraph, 15 June 2008

“Talk of a pounds 100 million transfer budget for next season is interesting. I wonder if it includes the pounds 16 million already paid…for Jose Bosingwa”

 

Daily Mirror, 19 June 2008

“Owner Roman Abramovich is backing boss Scolari with an unlimited transfer budget as the Blues bid to bounce back from last season's failures in the title race and the Champions League Final”

 

Any of these sound familiar? Once again, this summer Chelsea are being linked with pretty much every player out there – from the sublime suggestions (Kaka, Villa) to the more ridiculous (Alonso). I would think that the chances of us signing Kaka this year are as strong as our chances of bagging Torres last – nil.

 

We can therefore read very little into much, if not all, of the transfer speculation that’s doing the rounds in the papers at the moment. There is one key difference this year however, and that’s the way the club itself is discussing its transfer policy publically. Last year Kenyon did talk openly about the prospect of buying Robinho (a debacle in itself), and he did pay homage to recent Chelsea mantra of adding to the squad sparingly and only if the right player becomes available. This year, the noises have been different: there has been talk of a number of players arriving to replace a similar number leaving, and the possibility of one, high value addition to the squad funded by Abramovich himself.

 

So suggestions that Ancelotti will have a £100m transfer budget are almost certainly wide of the mark - not that £100m would go very far with the players we're being linked with anyway. Nevertheless, we can expect the transfer speculation to rumble on until 1 September – Chelsea is just too good a story for red tops and broadsheets alike. Perhaps we should just try and enjoy it...

Just for fun, I've started to keep a list of all the papersthe papers tell us Chelsea will be buying with their £100m, and the REAL chances of them playing in blue next season. Take a look at it here.

I'll keep adding to the list, but post a comment if there's any transfer gossip I've missed.

We’re in the league too, Carlo

I’m steadfastly reserving judgement on Mr. Ancelotti. Or rather I’m trying.

 

Over the past few weeks as the rumours about him joining Chelsea have intensified, I’ve found it hard to overlook his poor domestic record or his one-dimensional experience (where he clearly suffers in comparison with, say, Hiddink).

But I have to say that as a supporter of the club I find the focus he has placed on the Champions League in all his interviews to date a little disconcerting. During his interview on Chelsea TV – the transcript can now be read at chelseafc.com - he barely registers the existence of the league, rather waxing lyrical about the ‘beauty’ of the Champions League.

I fully understand Abramovich’s supposed desire to win Europe’s premier cup competition, and lord knows it would be great to put the disappointments of the last five years to rest by lifting the thing. But I would suggest that the team’s first priority should be to tackle winning the league head on, not least because winning the Champions League relies not only on ability but also on luck.

 

It is interesting that, in complete contrast to his new manager, John Terry’s end of season message to the fans doesn’t even mention the club’s prospects in Europe next season. Instead, he focuses purely on third place not being good enough, placing emphasis on improving that next season. And I think the fans agree with him.

 

Who's right - Ancelotti, or Terry? Let me know, post a comment…

Carlo confirmed

So, as we all expected, Carlo Ancelotti is the new manager.

 

There will be plenty written about his appointment across the board, and I'll add my humble thoughts to the mix, but in the meantime, check out this video interview with the new manager that was posted on the Chelsea website in the last ten minutes here.

 

Those web editors and cameramen must have had a busy evening/ morning...

 

Fingers crossed this is the man who can kick-start a new period of success for the club.

Ballack stays and Carlo quits

Breaking news this afternoon: Michael Ballack has signed a one year contract extension at the club. A slight surprise, this one: there’s been plenty of speculation that 08/09 might be his last year at the club. He certainly hasn’t had his best season – from my perspective he’s always looked half a yard off the pace – but I think on balance he’s worth another year. On song he’s the footballing equivalent of a Rolls Royce but, aside from his ability, I’d like to see him get another chance at winning the Champions League. For a player of his quality to have missed out on the biggest trophies in football is a travesty.

 

More significant, Carlo Ancelotti has left AC Milan ‘by mutual consent’. Technically I suppose he could still join another club (Real Madrid?), but I’d lay money on the journalists being proved right and him being unveiled as Chelsea manager tomorrow.

 

I’m no expert on Italian football, but he would seem a strange choice for a number of reasons:

1. One Scudetto during his tenure isn’t a good enough return for a club of Milan’s stature and with the players they’ve had available – points deductions or no. Making a more effective challenge for the premiership is what the fans will prioritise next season – if not Abramovich

2. Roman supposedly wants the team to play more attractive football. Italian teams and coaches aren’t renowned for their style and flair, and Ancelotti’s Milan have been criticised by fans this season for their negativity

3. The importance of speaking English – does Ancelotti speak it well enough and does it matter?

4. The comments he made in his autobiography. Leaked last week, Ancelotti's comments seem both unprofessional and misguided. Surely it's a gross misjudgement to reveal the club's negotiations with prospective managers? Worse still, he states that during discussions Roman Abramovich said the team had no character or 'identity'. How will this make the players feel? Does the boss want this in the public domain? Furthermore, no openly slate Mourinho won't help him win over the fans. Good start, Carlo. The Telegraph wrote a good overview of all these autobiography comments - you can read that article here.

Of course, he has won two European Cups – something not many others have achieved. Sure I’ll post more on the subject if and when his appointment is announced...