₦airaland Forum

Lampard ruins a golden moment.
Very lazy penalty.

Penalty.

David Luiz monent.

Meanwhile, the biggest test for AVB begins tomorrow and this is how I believe he should line up.


Cech
Ivanovic Luiz Terry Cole
Romeu Ramires
Mata
Sturridge Torres Anelka

4-2-1-3 that works hard in defence and pacey attack to catch them on the break.

debosky:
This is a bit concerning though if AVB, after buying (according to you) his own choice of 3 midfielders still requires two wingers AND two CMs to see a different Chelski. I mean, which side won't be different if you add two wingers and two CMs? You know that's virtually half a first 11?

I find it difficult (and I'm sure many fans would as well) to accept that after near £40m on his choice of midfielders he still needs 4 more CMs/wingers to make Chelski work.

Adding two CMs and Wingers to Chelsea is not what they 'want' but what they 'need' - a result of failing to refresh when we should have. Chelsea is the only club with a massive gap between the very experienced and the young talents. What we are doing now should have been done long time ago. Persisting with a Manager, signing young talent and easing out the old players.

Returning to what I meant about arguing with perspective, Jose Mourinho when appointed as Manager sold the following players in one summer.

Marcel Dessaily
Mikael Forssell
Emmanuel Petit
Craig Rocastle
Marco Ambrosio
Celestine Babayaro
Alexis Nicolas
Neil Sullivan
Boudewijn Zenden
Jesper Gronkjaer
Mario Melchiot
Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink

and brought in[b] Jiri Jarosik, Paulo Ferreira, Ricardo Carvalho, Tiago, Mateja Kezman[/b]. And that's on the back of the previous summer with the signings of :-

Arjen Robben
Petr Cech GK
Scott Parker
Neil Sullivan GK
Claude Makelele
Hernan Crespo
Alexei Smertin
Adrian Mutu
Joe Cole
Juan Veron
Wayne Bridge
Damien Duff
Geremi Njitap
Glen Johnson
Craig Rocastle
Yves Makaba-Makalamby GK



So do we say there was a problem with Jose Mourinho and which club won't be different after signing all of these players? The truth is 2005 (Ballack, Essien and Ashley Cole) was the last time we signed a player who went straight into the team and became a big hit. JM came with a philosophy in mind and needed a set of players to execute that. AVB has come with a a different philosophy and will need players who thrived on the JM set-up out of the team just like JM did when he arrived.


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My point is, though debatable, AVB has got to have what he wants before we can all judge if indeed it's all talk and no clue.

@Diva,

I will be totally naive to suggest that Torres has not been a flop. The only thing you will see me defend though is that it is not all Torres.
Though debatable, you will find though that the only striker who has found success is Drogba and that's because he had the team playing to his strengths. If the team plays towards Torres, he has the ability to become whatever he wants to.

I am trying not to argue. I cannot sustain the arguments. What is the yard-stick of AVB's performance? I do not know entirely. However, my gut feeling tells me if he was not fully being backed by the board, he would be gone now. I am very sure the board is exploring the options of the worst case scenario - being knocked out of the CL. If Roman wants to prevent that from happening, he could have fired him and brought in Hiddink. He has the time to do it. At least we know, Hiddink will not hesitate to park the bus against Valencia and get a result and then proceed to the next round. AVB will play a high line again and risk not qualifying. They know that and still have the time to change but they haven't.

This, amongst a few other things, tells me AVB is here for some time. He just gave an interview a few hours ago claiming "How do I know my job is safe? Because I am here on a 3-year project"

We all do not know what Roman is capable of. We know he can fire managers but what we all do not consider is that he can absorb losses. If Chelsea fails to qualify for the next round, Roman could absorb the losses from lost revenue and allow the AVB project to continue. That may affect us come FFP's enforcement but if Roman believes AVB can get us playing in the way he desires, then the yardstick of performance is very different from what you and I think.

Whatever the case, I will stand by AVB because I know he has the smartness, knowledge and capability to take us to the next level. His methods however heavily depend on other things being near-perfect. Is that good or bad? I do not know but what I know is it is achievable and if Roman gives him beyond the year, people will fast forget what happened over the his first few weeks and be calling him JM2.


Come January, AVB will get another chance to go into the market, and hand-pick what and who he wants. If the board backs him like I believe, many dudes will either have to step up or step out. If AVB is able to sign at least two wingers and two CMs, you guys will see a different Chelsea and only then will we truly see the change occur.

Firstly, no one knows where the actual line is drawn.
Secondly, like I told you, the buys I know that AVB made by himself are Mata, Meireles and Romeu.
Thirdly, Ancellotti and especially Hiddink flourished with these players for a number of reasons.

1. Ancellotti reverted back to what worked. Hiddink did not attempt to change anything at all. History tells us that with these, current set of players, those who succeeded always used what worked. Ancellotti, Hiddink and Grant.

2. These guys managed Chelsea 3, 4 years ago. While 2 years may not make a massive difference to a footballer in his 20s, for the guys in their 30s, it does.

3. The average strength of the premier-league has increased. There weren't Man City, Liverpool, Arsenal, United, Spurs, Chelsea, ManU all who have what it takes to finish in the top four. The league is considerably stronger while our squad has become weaker.

4. All managers have come with a different job description. AVB has arrived with a mandate to change things. Whether it has to be rapid and wholesome, I do not know. However, it is evident that the older players become, the less the ability to change patterns. That is one of the prime reasons he is struggling.


These are some of the reasons that are visible to the average supporter. There may be other reasons in the background that we do not know. e.g AVB's age.

That said, it must not be quickly forgotten that we had a very similar implosion under Ancellotti in his first season. It was the first season then we went out of the CL in the quarter finals against Inter in a very unedifying manner beaten home and away. The form was so bad, Ibime took a bet around February/March 2010 - £100 we won't win the league and another £100 we won't finish in the top two. (even though he denies it now). It was not all so rosy for Ancellotti as well. The season ended on the back of 7 or 8 very fine team performances and Arsenal and United failed to consolidate on their advantage. Before that it was a total disaster and Ibime, Diva and FBS came here after every game asking why we should not sack him.

Again it was not all so rosy for Ancellotti as you make seem. It was paper over cracks and the problem manifested in his second season. The problems AVB has inherited and the same problems a new Manager (if there is an AVB successor) will inherit as well.

The success got to our heads and we missed the train to refresh. Plus our transfer policy until this season has been shabby to say the least. The managers are the least of our problems. If we bring in a new one now, the new manager buzz will rapidly spur the players into action. Out-of-favour players will become Messis over night and we will ask what the previous manager was doing. 3 months after, we'll be wondering what happened to the new manager's tactics and why he hasn't been sacked yet.

Has this not been the trend over a few years?

I just like when the conditions of the 'subject' under scrutiny is taken into consideration at all times.
A generic application will not suffice.

It's not news that at Chelsea, the Manager does not hold all the aces. Therefore, I think it is unfair to heap all the blame of not doing away with the old guard on him. Likewise, it is unfair to accuse him of offering Drogba one more year.

Unless you want to change your stance, it's looking more like arguing on two sides.

I like when Debo argues on two sides always!

Absolutely abysmal form. I dey go sleep.

0-2.

Mata and Anelka coming on.
Dangerous! With 3 defenders already on yellows.

Ibime:
Yet we dont have any right-winger.

10 strikers, no winger, yet dem one sell one of the only few guys that can play there (and very well).

You know you cannot sell a player if he doesn't want to leave.

Now 3 out of the back are on a yellow.

Ibime:
What system is AVB playing here? No right-wing. Torres, Lukaku, Lamps or McEachran should come off for a right-winger.

Why bros dey beef Anelka sef?

Anelka is presumably leaving in January.
There is no need for him to continue to take the spot of a player who will be here after Jan.

Silly Ryan almost ruined the game. That was a red card.
What was he thinking?

McEachran is injured. Sugar.

Savvvvedddd. Turnbull you are a god!

How can that be? That is a stone cold penalty!
Luiz now on a yellow and I fear another red card yet again in the Carling Cup.

Bellamy and Carroll will surely be a problem for us.

It's appalling to learn that a grown man cannot see the difference between

He did not left his office "to arrest the offenders"

and

He did not leave his office.


Why do people argue like this?

Nice game, 3pts, clean sheet. When was the last time we said that?

Drogba's technique is just painful to watch.

Very good half. Wolves are hardly any challenge but it's nice to know that even if we can't presently beat the big teams, we can still get a result against the small which puts us at around the top four area until January when we can make some purchases.

Mata of fayaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
3-0

Goallllllllllllllllllll

1st goal.

Abeg. . I can use a few more avenues. Nateevs@yahoo.com

Ibime:
Meanwhile, during the match. . . .
This mid-life crisis is somethin else.
Nateevs, go get some poooossy.
You're losing it!!!!!

Hehehe.
That's your defence? How empty! As usual.
You cannot refer to my post as a defence for your st.upid utterances.
My 'AVB learning something' post had nothing to do with suggesting Alex as the main man in defence, demoting Bosingwa to the reserves and moving Ivanovic to RB instead. Instead it was a reaction to what I saw in the Malouda and the Alex change hence 'hmmm'

AVB saw that Johnson was getting a lot of runs down the right and Mata is not as defensive as Malouda (not that Malouda is great at defending but better than Mata) and he made that change. Then the Alex change suggested to me at that time that AVB wanted to be a little defensive and that was the reason for my comment. . .

Contrast that to your ridiculous suggestion. . . . If we had won, you'd be boring us with the idiotic and moronic "I told you so" rants.
Why you no see this one? Especially as you had seen it since the Arsenal game. . . Anuofia!

coogar:
with all due respect, i actually think you are the one with floating testicles in your cranial cavity.

against liverpool:

mata: 43/45 pass completion, 3 key passes, 3 scoring attempts
lampard: 58/72 pass completion, 1 key pass, 1 scoring attempt.

even a dork knows mata played better in spite of being played wide.

overall this season

mata: 407/476 pass completion, 23 key passes in 704 league minutes
lampard: 587/691 pass completion, 24 key passes in 945 league minutes.

khaki is not leather, mata is a better player than the current lampard.
take the penalty kicks out and lampard is not better than charlie adam!

Dude. . Heavens bless you.
I was just compiling these stats for him.
Along with it, debunking the lie he told us two pages ago when I pasted the heat map of Lamps' contribution against Liverpool.
He came back to tell us Chelsea barely got out of their half in the first 45 and Lamps withdrew to a deeper position in the second half . . What an absolute load of tosh. I will post the overall heat map of Chelsea's movement in the game and the slowpoke should come back and tell me again Chelsea barely got out of their half. . . What nonsense.

loyika:
Everyone knows there is a mafia at work in Chelsea, so unless Roman gives AVB a free hand to get rid of; Drogs, Lamps, and Terry nothing will move forward. If you bench anyone of them for too long a period that might lead to unrest in the dressing room.

When the coach is as young as he is, you really need to give him the power to move along players that he feels won't necessarily listen to or respect him. Just like Anelka (who has accepted that his time is up), wetin AVB go tell am again wey he go listen

Paper rounds say AVB will be given a budget for Jan Lose to Wolves tomorrow and against Pool in the CC , and get knocked out by Valencia in the CL. I believe that Guus should be expecting that call by Xmas.

GOONER 89

Haba Oga!
You are making too much sense.
It is not allowed in here.
In fact suggesting that it is time for Terry, Lamps and Drogba to leave to some is akin to incest.

Some think they will be here till 36 as long as they are fit.

Ibime:
Nateevs must be arguing with himself. When you see such foolishness, you just cross am pass.
Dude is yapping about Meireles this, Meireles that.
Meireles had a decent game at DM till he was subbed. Certainly much improved on the sluggish Mikel.
But with Nateevs, that is not enough. Meireles must create something for him. . . . the only problem is, Nateevs would not first ask why Mata didnot create anything.
Nateevs is the kinda guy to ask why the DM did not create anything, but would say nothing about the forwards.
That is what I call. . . .

The height stupidity. Nateevs will never ask what Mata created because Nateevs has got eyes.
Anuofia! Mata is one helluva of a player capable of playing LW, LCM and CM. Oya let's stick Lampard on the wing.


The height of foolishness.
So Nateevs is making conclusion about Meireles based on "only" the midweek game abi?
You are a dunce if you think Meireles is any better than Ramires.
An average player who cannot get a goal, lazy at defending and has very bad positional discipline.
Oya go bring stats commot. Ode!

I phocking do not care what stats you go bring. . . All I care about is Chelsea.
Bar Mata, no single one of our players is good enough at this moment to start for Madrid, United or Barcelona.
That's a slap on the face.

Like I said, a few weeks ago you were boring us with gist that leaving out Alex and promoting the cretin Bosingwa to the first team instead of Ivanovic at RB. Well the two goals mid-week were caused by the same two players you thought will revolutionise Chelsea's defence. Abi na high defence make Alex no jump well to defend corner. On the contrary, Bosingwa was fixture at LB even though he is right-footed.

Oya come and defend this. . Abi na Nateevs cause am?
No it's the shape keeping that caused it.

You double-mouthed cretin.

Chelsea must evolve. All average players must take a back sit.

You are a classic dunce. You have now gone from they were AVB's signings to Chelsea's transfer policy. That is topic for another day.
No Manager since the arrival of Roman has 100% say on transfers.

I honestly am struggling to understand what you are arguing about any more.


It is not news that Chelsea wanted to buy Luca Modric, Kevin DeBryune and Alvaro Perriera and did not achieve it. There's a reason we wanted to buy them. Now you seem to be arguing that we did nothing about the burning house, instead we were focusing on buying to loan out.

Why are you desperate to prove a point?