A mere five seconds, Pogue wisely pointed out, made the difference between a normal day at the office and a horrendous one – Bayern Munich scored with the last kick of the game and Wayne Rooney got injured. A critical five seconds that completely destroyed our season, people though, a five seconds of bliss for Bayern Munich that was a five seconds of nightmare for us. But all is not lost – we do have the final say. Over the course of the next two games, we have the chance to deliver 10,800 seconds of pure determination and turn the season back in our favor. We may have our backs against the wall with Rooney possibly out for both matches, but this is our real chance to prove that we are not a one-man team. We are Manchester United; we can do anything – especially at Old Trafford.
Chelsea fans share their views before Saturday’s game.
1. It is well known that Roman Abramovich has been pursuing the coveted Champions League trophy ever since he bought Chelsea FC in 2003. After two heartbreaking defeats in the past two seasons, Chelsea were knocked out in convincing fashion to Inter Milan this year. Next season, do you think Abramovich will set his top priority as the evading trophy and place less emphasis on the league and FA Cup?
Orange Blue – Top priority will always remain doing well in the league, because that’s where you really can measure your strength. Roman’s greatest desire might be winning that big-eared trophy, but he knows it’s a competition where you need a little luck to win it. The only thing Roman can do is make sure there’s a proper squad available which can cope with playing 60 games a season at a high level. Surely we’ll get to the promised land one day.
Bridgejunky – I think Roman would say that we are a club with the same ambitions as Man United. As a club, United prioritise winning the CL every season but they also prioritise the domestic league. We’re the same and while it does seem clear that Roman covets the CL crown, I can’t see him being willing to sacrifice an attempt on the League in order to win it. Certainly as fans we want the PL more than anything else and I’m guessing that you feel the same.
Sciatika – For clubs like Chelsea, we want to win everything. The league, CL, FAC, CC, Charity Shield. We’d also like to win the Johnson’s Paint Trophy, the FA Vase and the London Senior Cup if they would let us enter them. CL may be a priority for RA, but he is not fool enough to think that the way to achieve that is by disrespecting any other competition. Be competitive and stay competitive.
That memorable slip…2. A recent proposal by UEFA president Michel Platini hopes to reduce the influence that extremely wealthy owners have on their clubs. In an effort to curb the “financial doping” of said clubs, Platini plans to force clubs to break-even, allowing them to spend only what they earn. Chelsea’s current losses are covered by Abramovich, but once UEFA’s measures are in place, there are several problems that the club will face. For example, numerous Chelsea players are around or over 30, and the club’s youth academy isn’t renowned for producing a plethora of top-level graduates. How do you think Chelsea will cope with this?
Team Brian GB – Whilst I believe any such attempt to institute financial restraints will not come about for various reasons, in the scenario that it should Chelsea in the medium term will be in a greater position than many other Premier League clubs. There is a vast downward trend in our losses in the past five years whilst our revenue has increased – in the last financial year we made a loss of £45 million down from £65 million the year previously despite the recession cutting our revenue slightly. The club isn’t far from being able to become a closed system and quite possibly profit making. The next generation of transfers we will need would come before any imposing of tight regulation anyway.
The second part of your question regarding the youth academy, whilst the progression isn’t obvious to the football world entire it is vastly improving as last year the team were youth cup finalists and they have just qualified for the final again. This season we have seen the continued presence of Fabio Borini and Gael Kakuta around the first team squad and given our full back problem of late Sam Hutchinson would have been worthy of a first team breakthrough though he has been injured as well and in the last two games have seen Patrick Van Annholt make appearances who has had successful spells at Coventry and Newcastle this year as well as for the Dutch U21 team.
Sciatika – As far as I can see, Platini’s proposal seems to be entirely about maintaining the status quo for the biggest clubs in Europe because the new rules make it all but impossible for any other club to join the elite. I don’t see it as a problem for Chelsea because the truth is that we are moving back towards break-even. Given the changes to sponsorship, the increase in EPL revenues and the change to the TV rights in CL from next season, we should break-even next year. We have an owner who is just a football fan (albeit a rich one) and has little or no interest in making a profit. We have no debt and so no interest payments to make. As far as the squad is concerned, we only need to refresh parts of the squad on year-by-year basis. We do not need wholesale changes.
Khobar – The youth policy was always going to take time. Having seen a number of youth and reserve games this season, I think we look pretty well served to get the odd player or two through from there. One or two a season would be a great return. Platini’s other proposals are quite strange: on one hand they will create a closed shop of the ‘biggest’ clubs in Europe with smaller clubs unable to compete, yet it is this very event that he is supposedly trying to prevent. Of course, the real reason for this policy would be to make the Premiership less powerful in Europe. It rankles with the grandees in mainland Europe that the big money is in the Premiership. Furthermore, there are so many legal obstructions to UEFA carrying out such a plan, and even if these were overcome, there are countless ways in which a wealthy owner can pump money into the club. Strangely, corruption and big money deals never seems to cause much of a barrier to Italian and Spanish sides as far as UEFA are concerned.
Bridgejunky – This is really several questions rolled into one and at least two of them could merit a blog of its own. (Look at my earlier blog).
I’m all in favour of ‘competitive balance’ and would support the introduction of measures designed to aid that. Things like a salary cap, maximum squad sizes for domestic football, reduced number of match day substitutes, more equitable distribution of TV revenues would all get my vote. Platini’s idea is incredibly stupid however and must be resisted by the Premier League as a whole.
Least anyone get the idea that I’m against it because it would seem to penalise my club I would point out that we would cope just fine. Chelsea consistently return one of the largest turnovers in world sport. Our current debts represent the cost of the extraordinary spending, including ridiculous salaries, it took to transform our club into one that could challenge the elite clubs of the world. In the long run our cost base will settle down (in fact this is already happening) and only yourselves, Arsenal, Bayern Munich and the Spanish giants will be able to spend as much or more than us based on Platini’s formula.
No, it’s not out of self-interest that I reject Plantini’s elitist piece of snobbery. By some combination of fortunate timing, luck and good management certain outfits were able to establish themselves as ‘super clubs’ during the second half of the 20th century. As a result they can already outspend other clubs and this allows them to monopolise, more or less, the game’s prizes. (Every major league in the world is dominated by its richest clubs.) Platini’s absurd thinking would move this from a de facto state of affairs to one where it was set in stone by the regulations of the game. Other clubs would not be allowed to break in.
Platini’s pathetic notion is just one more example of why, with only a few exceptions, ex-footballers should stick to giving ill-judged opinions in a TV studio where they can do no harm!
Although our academy is struggling to produce starters we should remember that the bar has been raised. Were we the same Chelsea as in the pre-Roman era, several of our current youngsters would be starting, but in recent years we have aspired to be one of the best teams in the world. That’s a tough squad to break into. Even you own vaunte youth system is not producing the goods like it used to; better than ours I grant you, but how many out-and-out first choicers have come through of late? Fletcher and…?
My point is that the bar is higher for everybody, not just Chelsea.
3. Will Carlo Ancelotti stay as manager if Chelski don’t win the league (or FA Cup) this season?
Six managers have been at the helm of Chelsea since Abramovich’s takeoverOrange Blue – Absolutely, no manager has been sacked by Chelsea solely for not winning anything. Ranieri and Grant didn’t have the status and name Chelsea wanted, their results weren’t that bad. The Scolari situation was deteriorating by the week. It wasn’t so much about not winning anything, more that the board was afraid Chelsea would drop out of the top 4. Ancelotti is maintaining a certain level of quality and he has the status and he’ll be given the time to improve the team.
Russ – I would like to think we have learnt our* lesson (* read Roman ). The media circus that has followed admittedly poor results recently is just that– media induced hyperbole and I believe CA is here for the long run. He’s pushing for honours in his first season in the league and learning about his squad as he goes along. Age and economics will dictate changes and only when ‘his’ players are in place can we judge his impact. Most people have realised that.
EJSpencer – Yes. We’ve pretty much exhausted the stock of available, proven, top level managers. Who else could we turn to next?
duffer – Yes. It would be madness to sack another manager. I’m not a huge Ancelotti fan but you can’t just come in and win in your first year in a new country (unless you are very special of course).
4. Was Fabio Capello correct in his decision to strip John Terry of the England captaincy?
Team Brian GB – At the time I believed he deserved to lose it but now I’m now sure, Capello was certainly incorrect in given the captaincy rashly to Rio Ferdinand given his continued injury problems this season raise a question mark over his availability in the summer. He would have been wise in sharing the captaincy around for a while as he did when he first took the job.
Orange Blue – Capello said the England captain should be an example not only for his teammates, but also for the public. In that philosophy I can understand why Terry was stripped. If I were manager, I’d only look at the football side of it, and see what way the squad would respond. If you can be a leader for them, you can be England captain. Still, Ferdinand will do a fine job, and Terry’s behaviour on the pitch won’t change one bit.
simon – Tough one really. What JT did was stupid and needless. He could bone any glamour model but chose one of his best mate’s Mrs who he plays with on International stage. I personally felt Capello had little choice.
Khobar – No. It was touted as a purely football matter and on purely football terms it was pointless. Wayne Bridge has still refused to play whether JT is captain or not, so it makes no difference in that area. Presumably, Beckham travelling with the England squad to South Africa despite being unable to play is also a ‘football decision.’ The new captain and vice captain are hardly devoid of scandals themselves, are they?
Russ – Interesting question and difficult to answer. The only positive I can see from FC’s decision from his point of view is the diverting of negative attention from the England before the WC. In all other areas it’s a failure. Terry still plays, so any friction in camp is still in place. Bridge still doesn’t want to play (No one should ever turn down the England shirt btw) so no result there. If JT was demoted due to footballing terms as stated, you have taken the armband from someone who allegedly conducted an extra martial affair with the ex-girlfriend of an ex team mate in his own time, but given it to someone who received a ban for missed drugs tests, was punished for kicking a female steward when leaving the pitch, and serving a ban for violent conduct when promoted to captain, all of which are football related offences. Where’s the moral high ground in the decision? Anyways, what done is done, and JT will play his normal game whatever and the hacks will attempt to undermine England to sell papers.
The who-has-a-bigger-mouth competition5. Who are your top transfer targets this summer (realistically)?
Team Brian GB – Related to the earlier question, I honestly believe and I’m sure the club does as well that Borini, Kakuta and also Sturridge can step up and resume responsibility within the first XI and as such I’d be surprised if any high profile strikers will be targeted – and I believe that was indicated when our transfer ban was initially lifted only temporarily yet Ancelotti decided not to buy anybody. Ribery is a name heard often though I doubt that purchase would be made given the form this season of Florent Malouda, what we really need is a decent centre-back and a playmaking central midfielder.
Orange Blue – Difficult to say. I don’t really know who’s interested in joining Chelsea, but this squad will drastically change in the coming 5 years, and I believe this summer we’ll see 1 or 2 bits of the new foundation of Chelsea. If you want names, there are a few players in the Dutch league I’d like to see have a go in a quality league, like Ruiz, Suarez and Afellay.
Russ – I think we are entering a period of transition with CA hopefully looking to make his mark. I don’t expect wholesale changes, more of a trickle of in’s and out’s over a few windows. That being said we have talent emerging so I’d like to see the younger players come through. We do need some pace wide right though, but with hyper inflated fees I’m not sure of a realistic target.
duffer – Deco is off at the end of the year and Ballack and (sadly) Joe Cole look on their way out so I’d imagine a midfielder would be a top priority. I think any top performers at the World Cup would be targets.
6. Line-ups and Predictions?
Khobar – Given that Mike Deane is reffing, I’d say it’s over already.
Orange Blue – 2-1 Man Utd, only because Mike Dean is the referee, and I haven’t forgotten about this same fixture, two seasons ago.
EJSpencer – Ref to have a shocker. Not much from either Drogba or Rooney in the way of attacking output, but lots of running and being fouled. Although, I have a sneaking suspicion Rooney may score a penalty. But I’m not predicting that at all!
Russ – Just seen that Mike Dean is reff’ing. Anything could happen and probably will….
Sciatika – (In the event that Rooney is out injured). Berbatov is a decent player despite the fact that your own fans constantly get on his back. However, the way I see it, games are not won or lost by one player but rather how teams as a whole perform. Take the game against Bayern. Evra and Neville were pretty crap, the central defence looked really nervy, Carrick was poor and the midfield failed to achieve any level of domination. If Chelsea dominate the midfield the way BM did, which is very possible, I don’t see the strikers getting the ball enough to see whether Berbatov can take the place of Rooney. Currently, I am hoping Scholes plays because, if so, I would task someone to run at him and make him “tackle” me.
That said, with Dean as ref, frankly, anything could happen.
fillerywhereru – I though 1-1 before I knew who the ref was.
Predicted Line-up:
Cech
Ferreira – Terry – Alex – Zhirkov
Mikel
Lampard – Ballack – Malouda
Anelka – Drogba
I also had an interesting dialogue with a Chelsea fan regarding the Green and Gold campaign:
youthy – Would you buy your new away kit next season if the marketing men at Manchester United decided to be sarcastic and produce a green and gold kit?
my reply – No, I wouldn’t buy the official G&G away kit, although I probably would buy the home kit — not from the megastore though. I don’t know what would happen to the G&G campaign if the club indeed did that. It would be a kick in the teeth.
Sciatika – It’s what I would do if I were the Glazers. The thing that gets me is the whole “Red Knights” thing. I don’t understand why they think the Glazers would sell them the club for anything less than its value plus the profit they might expect to see coming out of it. Given the increased revenues likely to be generated in the next few years in the new Far East markets and the extra money I mentioned before, I would expect them to set an asking price a little below a couple of billion. But, and here’s the rub, even if the Red Knights could get the money, why does any MU fan think this would make the blindest bit of difference? They would still have to get it from the money markets, they would still have the interest to pay, they would still operate it as a business and they would still expect a return on their investment. In the world of business, big sharks eat little sharks, but they are all sharks in the end. The only outcome of this is that your fans will be “squeezed until the pips squeak”.
Thanks to Elvis for his exceptional perspicacity.
Also, here is the shout out that I promised to Mr Chutney (newbie king) and cold-zebra (Irish rapist).
