bridge views - the thinking fan's chelsea blog

Why Chelsea fans should support Liverpool this evening

It’s one of those counter-intuitive things that feels wrong; that just isn’t done. Like gravy with chips, wearing a hat indoors or not pointing fun at the French. Or maybe drinking red wine with fish, complementing another man on his appearance or publically admitting Cristiano Ronaldo is a half-decent footballer. Regardless of how it feels however, there is a good argument for Chelsea fans to support Liverpool tonight as Gerrard and Torres (and a few other players) look to overcome a 2-1 first leg deficit in their Europa League quarter final tie against Benfica.

Chelsea and Liverpool have had too many bitter clashes over the last few years for it to be a friendly rivalry. But a crucial game at Anfield awaits Ancelotti’s men on the weekend of 1 May – just 48 hours after the Europa League semi finals are currently scheduled. It’s a game that, going on current form, Chelsea should win, but we’ll take all the help we can.

Like Man Utd, Liverpool haven’t had the greatest of records so far this season in league games following European fixtures. Of those 11 league games, Liverpool have a record of winning just five, drawing three and losing three.

Admittedly, the fixture calendar hasn’t been kind to them. Of those eleven games immediately following European fixtures, five have been against current top four opposition (two against Utd, one against each of Chelsea, Arsenal and Man City) and obviously the forthcoming game against Chelsea also falls into this category. Of those games against top four opposition, Liverpool only won one – against Man Utd at Anfield.

The Anfield game – which would probably be rescheduled for the Sunday if Liverpool were to progress in the Europa Cup – could be pivotal in Chelsea’s challenge for the title. Just like Man Utd were a little jaded when we played them on Saturday, having a slightly off-colour Liverpool can only help when the penultimate game of the season comes round. For information, Chelsea face Stoke at Stamford Bridge the weekend before Liverpool.

And another thought has occurred: how much do you think Liverpool want Utd to win their 19^th league title, eclipsing their record? Hmmm. Maybe they’ll be rooting for us, too…

Why Liverpool's Champions League elimination is good news for Chelsea

Following Fiorentina’s one nil defeat over Lyon last night, Liverpool were eliminated from the Champions League. There was public weeping on the Kings Road.

Whilst many Chelsea fans will take much amusement from Gerrard, Carragher and Torres being assigned to Europe’s second division this season, there is perhaps an even greater reason to celebrate Liverpool’s elimination: the guarantee that Chelsea won’t draw them in latter stages of the competition.

Liverpool fans can probably take this as a back-handed compliment – their team is probably the last Chelsea fans would want to play in the knockout stages of the Champions League. Chelsea have been drawn against Benitez’s side as a matter of course since 2005: four times in the knockout stages (each side winning through twice) and once in the group stages. The saying goes that familiarity breeds contempt and, as far and Chelsea and Liverpool are concerned, never a truer word has been spoken.

Earlier fixtures in this period were all drab affairs – low on goals, flair and attacking football (but high on referees awarding goals they shouldn’t). In contrast, ties over the last couple of seasons have been high octane thrillers pairing uncharacteristic bad defending with cut-throat finishing. Whichever brand of game the Chelsea and Liverpool Champions League fixtures have thrown up however, there has been one constant: almost unbearable tension. During last year’s quarter final second leg tie – which somehow finished 4-4 – I’m convinced I aged at least several years.

So this year I’m delighted that Liverpool took the matter in their own hands and considerately prevented us from having to through either epic tedium (as was the case when they’ve bested us) or agonising, stomach-turning stress. And it’s a relief also because we’re now presented with a much greater chance of at least playing a different team in Europe: of the 59 Champions League games Chelsea have contested since the 04/05 season, the Blues have faced either Liverpool or Barcelona 18 times. That’s nearly a third of all games. In that time, half of all the knockout ties Chelsea have contested have also been against those sides.

So it’s good that Liverpool are out – at least it could provide us with some variety. Knowing our luck, we’ll probably end up drawing Barcelona in the first knockout stages this year. Me though – I’m keeping my fingers crossed for a trip to the Bernabeu or the San Siro.

Or perhaps you’re starting to miss Liverpool already? For those of you who are disappointed that our annual angst-fest against the Scousers in the Champions League has been cancelled, console yourself with some memories from back in May below.

Preposterous £140k wages make Liverpool's Glen Johnson a great miss for Chelsea

Rather hilariously, the Daily Mail have revealed that Liverpool are playing Glen Johnson a staggering £139,000 a week.

It was widely rumoured that – for some bizarre and unfathomable reason – Chelsea were also competing to re-sign Johnson back in June (along with 50 or so other players), continuing the club’s recent tradition of collecting right backs. The Mail seems convinced that, in order to ensure he wasn’t lured back to West London, Liverpool had to offer him wages of £139k a week, making him probably the highest paid full back in world football and at least on par with the likes of Fernando Torres at Liverpool.

Johnson hasn’t had a bad start at Liverpool (I realise their defence has leaked five goals in three games), and his attacking displays have started to point towards why Benitez was willing to pay Portsmouth £17m for his services. But this is a player who, despite what he has since said, had plenty of chances at Chelsea (50+ appearances) and did not impress defensively, especially when compared to the rock solid Ferreira. I’d wager that as the season progresses Liverpool fans will increasingly come to realise that Johnson is a little naïve at the back and probably not up to it against the very best opposition.

In light of all this, Chelsea ‘having’ to rely on the current meagre options in the squad – Bosingwa, Beletti, Ferreira, Ivanovic – seems to have worked out pretty well. Not only does £139k a week vastly overrate Johnson’s ability, paying him that much would surely have sent Ashley Cole into a new round of tantrums – apparently he’s just been offered only £120k a week…

Chelsea fans – am I wrong and should we have been in for our old right back? Liverpool fans, is he worth £139k a week? Post a comment... 

You might also be interested in reading:

• Chelsea need to abandon their ‘off the shelf’ transfer policy
• A preview of rival Liverpool's chances in 09/10

Premier League preview - Chelsea rivals part II: Liverpool

A series of posts this week will look at each of Chelsea's main rivals for the Premier League. Yesterday it was Man Utd's turn - today, it's Liverpool.

Liverpool's title challenge last season died only marginally after their fans' statements that it was 'their year' stopped reverberating around internet messageboards. In reality though, last year's Liverpool was a much improved side and one that, towards the end of the season at least, Benitez had finally let off the leash.

Scoring more goals than any other team in the league, it was only their lingering propensity to put in sub-standard performances against mediocre sides that prevented them from winning league (that said, arguably it was only a series of lucky escapes early in the season that put them in the running). Can they find the consistency they've been looking for and challenge this season? A stuttering pre-season and the loss of an important player indicates no...

Ins and outs
Whilst not the same as United losing Ronaldo, losing Xabi Alonso is a very significant blow for Liverpool's title challenge. An excellent holding midfield player with excellent passing range alongside the defensively almost-flawless Mascherano, Alonso formed one part of an excellent central midfield partnership rivalled only by Chelsea's options. As a reminder of his quality, look back at Liverpool's fourth goal against Chelsea in the second leg of the Champions League quarter final last season - his first time volleyed pass wide may not have been the last touch before Kuyt headed in, but it was the definitive one. He will be diffiuclt to replace, bringing one to wonder why Benitez was so keen to get rid of him last summer. There's no love lost with Chelsea, though...

New signing Aquilani's talents are less clear - I haven't seen too much of him play. But he is more defensive than Alonso, and if Benitez plans to pair him with Masherano it will surely result in Liverpool being less liberal attack than they had been in the second half of last season. Time will tell, but one thing's for sure: he'll need to tone down his public comments of respect for Mussolini (honestly look it up, it's appalling). He is a little injury prone, too - Liverpool fans will have to wait six weeks before he recovers from his current injury.

Other players have come and go - notably the hugely overpriced Glen Johnson coming in and Arbeloa and the long-serving Hyypia going the other way, but none will have either the impact of Alonso or his replacement on the title race.

If he steps up, they'll win the league
An easy one. Aside from Gerrard and Masherano, Liverpool only have one other top-quality player - Fernando Torres - and it's the Spaniard alone that has the ability to move Liverpool on a step. On song Torres is probably the best striker in the world, and he's scored hatfuls of goals for Liverpool in relatively few appearances. If they can keep him fit and provide him with the service, he could score enough goals to propel Liverpool towards the summit. My bet however is that they won't - his legs are made of glass.

Where they'll lose it
Liverpool aren't entirely unlike Chelsea - where they'll come unstuck is through a lack of truly top-drawer creative players. Once again I'd expect them to struggle intermittently against stubborn defences, and a squad lacking quality across the board will hamstring them.

That said, there's another weakness. Perhaps it's down to the fact that none of their squad have won the league before, but last season it could be argued that Liverpool never really performed when the pressure was on. Beginning of the season, too early for anything to be at stake - play well and win. Mid-season, top of the table with United and Chelsea stuttering - favourites for the title Liverpool fade out of the race as United respond. End of the season with the league almost decided - Liverpool start to play better again. Actually the Champions League quarter final second leg against Chelsea was like Liverpool's season in microcosm - when they were out of the tie they played well, when they were in it they came unstuck. It's yet to be proven that this Liverpool team has the unerring tenacity needed to win the league.

bridgeviews.co.uk prediction
Looking at their team sheet, I simply don't believe Liverpool have the quality to replicate last season's performance, let alone win the league. They'll start unconvincingly, pick up a little mid-season but not have enough to challenge, eventually finishing third.

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.