The TT Football Club

[PureAlph4]

Yep - agree with all of that.

I also don't think that we're stronger as a team than the sum of our parts, unlike the likes of United, where players who are decent but not exceptional can become real top performers when coupled with world class players. Most of our better players (Wilshere, Cazorla, Arteta) would be able to contribute more playing for another side (i.e be more effective, not just win things).

I really hope Wenger can turn things around, as it'd be a shame for his legacy to be as a manager perceived to have not been able to adapt with this times.

[Dave M]

Originally Posted by Feña14

Well, I was nearly right!

I should of just said West Ham by 2.

I'd of been even more suprised than i was!
Did you watch it? I thought that as nice as Chelsea passed the ball about in the 1st half they were lacking any urgency and if it'd of been the hammers missing those chances i'd of bet my house on them loosing in the second half, I didn't however expect CFC to look as startled in the 2nd half as the Irons did in the 1st. A cliche but two very different halves, Coles' goal, (firstly) no i don't think it was a foul,I just really didn't think (was it Ivanovic?) seemed to want it, people never used to fall that easilly under a centre halves challenge I think he'd of dealt with it no problem if he'd of stood his ground. I want players to challenge for the ball and I didn't think the time Cole was bumped down in the pen area at the end of the first half was either.(Though i did shout at the tv when he just sat there thumping the ground, get up and chase the ball!) It looks like your keeper doesn't really trust his cenrtal defenders by soem of the decisions he made.
Think you'll sign Gerrard in the Jan window to supply TOrres?(I was sure he'd score against us!)

[NickC]

Torres is crap. Benitez's tactics are horrid. Surely by now he should know what the rest of us have known for ages, which is that Obi is sh*t and isn't good enough to play for a my 5-a-side indoor team, let alone for Chelsea.


Re: Wenger, I think now's the time he needs to put principles aside so he can salvage a Champions League spot. If the reports that he's got $40 million at his disposal, he should drop all of that on 2 players MAX. See if he can bag a good striker and a midfielder to compliment Arteta and Carzola. I'd buy Isco and maybe see if Valencia would part with Banega. Someone along those lines who sits deep. Maybe bid 35 million for Kompany ? Or perhaps he should get a better Asian than Park, maybe Honda or see if he can get Sahin for next season?

[Feña14]

Originally Posted by Dave M

I'd of been even more suprised than i was!
Did you watch it? I thought that as nice as Chelsea passed the ball about in the 1st half they were lacking any urgency and if it'd of been the hammers missing those chances i'd of bet my house on them loosing in the second half, I didn't however expect CFC to look as startled in the 2nd half as the Irons did in the 1st. A cliche but two very different halves, Coles' goal, (firstly) no i don't think it was a foul,I just really didn't think (was it Ivanovic?) seemed to want it, people never used to fall that easilly under a centre halves challenge I think he'd of dealt with it no problem if he'd of stood his ground. I want players to challenge for the ball and I didn't think the time Cole was bumped down in the pen area at the end of the first half was either.(Though i did shout at the tv when he just sat there thumping the ground, get up and chase the ball!) It looks like your keeper doesn't really trust his cenrtal defenders by soem of the decisions he made.
Think you'll sign Gerrard in the Jan window to supply TOrres?(I was sure he'd score against us!)

I thought we were great in the first half, it was surprising! The main problem was Torres, he had a couple of chances to kill the game and we should of probably had 3 by the break. A top striker would of also occupied the centre backs and given Moses, Hazard and Mata even more space and time to do things.

Diame was the huge difference in the end, Ramires and Mikel couldn't handle him. Worrying to think that they're our only 2 midfielders!

I thought Cole's goal was a foul, he did go over the top. Ultimately it didn't really matter, the result would of been the same.

I think firing Di Matteo and giving the job to Benitez could well be the worst decision made by Abramovich, and he's made plenty of bad ones. Benitez hates Chelsea, which we don't really have a problem with. We had a huge rivalry with Liverpool and it's natural he doesn't like us, just as we don't like him. It's just not going to work, not in a million years. You couldn't choose a worse option if you tried.

[NickC]

Originally Posted by Feña14

I think firing Di Matteo and giving the job to Benitez could well be the worst decision made by Abramovich, and he's made plenty of bad ones. Benitez hates Chelsea, which we don't really have a problem with. We had a huge rivalry with Liverpool and it's natural he doesn't like us, just as we don't like him. It's just not going to work, not in a million years. You couldn't choose a worse option if you tried.

Really? I'd of thunk that signing Scheva was pretty bad, and Torres not far behind. The Mutu signing was pretty horrendous too.

Hopefully we get smoked at midweek in the Champions League and Rafa finds the dignity to quit.

[Dave M]

Originally Posted by Feña14

I thought we were great in the first half, it was surprising! The main problem was Torres, he had a couple of chances to kill the game and we should of probably had 3 by the break. A top striker would of also occupied the centre backs and given Moses, Hazard and Mata even more space and time to do things.

Diame was the huge difference in the end, Ramires and Mikel couldn't handle him. Worrying to think that they're our only 2 midfielders!

I thought Cole's goal was a foul, he did go over the top. Ultimately it didn't really matter, the result would of been the same.

I think firing Di Matteo and giving the job to Benitez could well be the worst decision made by Abramovich, and he's made plenty of bad ones. Benitez hates Chelsea, which we don't really have a problem with. We had a huge rivalry with Liverpool and it's natural he doesn't like us, just as we don't like him. It's just not going to work, not in a million years. You couldn't choose a worse option if you tried.

He did go over the top but football is a contact sport, i don't actually think a defender should assume (and normally be given) a free kick for that, (i include my teams players in this) I want a defender fighting off an attacker not hoping for a free kick.There was one in the 1st half that Cole went down under a defender, rather than get up and chase the ball he was sat there thumping the ground, I don't want to see that, get up get it back and keep having a go at the opponents.
The subs made a huge difference didn't they, we actually have some quality with some decent players waiting on the sidelines too at the moment, which is not something one is accustomed to as a West Ham fan!
I was so sure Torres would score, he always scores against us!
Didn't realise the anti manager stuff was so strong, banners were already on show demanding him out of the way (a week in!) if he does well, gets them playing and scoring freely and Pep can't be tempted, he could get the job?

[Feña14]

Originally Posted by NickC

Really? I'd of thunk that signing Scheva was pretty bad, and Torres not far behind. The Mutu signing was pretty horrendous too.

Hopefully we get smoked at midweek in the Champions League and Rafa finds the dignity to quit.

Those were bad choices, no doubt.

As bad as sacking a Chelsea legend, who just won the Champions League, was playing the attacking football the owner had craved for a decade.. in favour of a pretty poor manager who is known to hate the club as much as the fans hate him? Yeah, Torres was a masterstroke compared to this latest Abramovich idea

[Dave M]

^^ Do you think anyone has "the ear" of RA or does it seem as if every so often he goes, "i've watched this guy score goals and i want him" ?

[NickC]

Originally Posted by Feña14

Those were bad choices, no doubt.

As bad as sacking a Chelsea legend, who just won the Champions League, was playing the attacking football the owner had craved for a decade.. in favour of a pretty poor manager who is known to hate the club as much as the fans hate him? Yeah, Torres was a masterstroke compared to this latest Abramovich idea

Anytime the words "Torres" and "masterstroke" are found in the same sentence you know it's pretty bad. Torres should be sent packing next month, his time is up. Off to Serie A for him.

Rafa should quit.

[Feña14]

Originally Posted by Dave M

He did go over the top but football is a contact sport, i don't actually think a defender should assume (and normally be given) a free kick for that, (i include my teams players in this) I want a defender fighting off an attacker not hoping for a free kick.There was one in the 1st half that Cole went down under a defender, rather than get up and chase the ball he was sat there thumping the ground, I don't want to see that, get up get it back and keep having a go at the opponents.
The subs made a huge difference didn't they, we actually have some quality with some decent players waiting on the sidelines too at the moment, which is not something one is accustomed to as a West Ham fan!
I was so sure Torres would score, he always scores against us!
Didn't realise the anti manager stuff was so strong, banners were already on show demanding him out of the way (a week in!) if he does well, gets them playing and scoring freely and Pep can't be tempted, he could get the job?

Torres had 4 chances I think, a top striker would of taken at least 2 you'd of thought.

As for the manager, well yes. The banners calling for his head were on display before the start of his first game when he was introduced before the match the boo's were unanimous.

It's Mourinho who most of the Chelsea fans i've heard from want. Abramovich wants Guardiola though. They both want to go to the two Manchester clubs, that's what i'm hearing. Hopefully that doesn't mean we end up with Rafa full time!

[NickC]

Originally Posted by Dave M

^^ Do you think anyone has "the ear" of RA or does it seem as if every so often he goes, "i've watched this guy score goals and i want him" ?

I think it's the latter.

I don't think he watches much football to be honest, outside of Barcelona and the occasional Chelsea match.

[Feña14]

Originally Posted by Dave M

^^ Do you think anyone has "the ear" of RA or does it seem as if every so often he goes, "i've watched this guy score goals and i want him" ?

I think alot of people have his ear, unfortunately they are the wrong ones to listen to. The people around him seem to all be "yes" men, who tell him what he wants to hear.

He needs someone with some balls to tell him to get Mourinho back, sign Falcao, get a few more midfielders in, and then sit back and enjoy. He's the owner at the end of the day though, he can do what he likes, and don't we know it

[NickC]

Originally Posted by Feña14

Hopefully that doesn't mean we end up with Rafa full time!

That would mark the end of humanity. Hopefully, if Rafa is appointed full time, the world will end on the 21st or whenever that whole thing is supposed to happen.

I'd hate to see that fat ba$**** appointed as full time manager. He's extremely inept with his selections and his tactics are awful.

[norbac]

Roman has made Chelsea to be a joke of an organization.

[PureAlph4]

Originally Posted by norbac

Roman has made Chelsea to be a joke of an organization.

Yet the fans won't openly criticise Abramovic to his face (i.e at the stadium) because without him they know Chelsea wouldn't have won a single league title or the CL in the past decade, and would probably be in a similar predicament to Spurs (which is not bad, but is below what Chelsea now consider themselves to be).

Of course the heart of a football club is its fanbase and the roots of this are sunk far deeper than the Abramovic era (e.g the average Chelsea fan recognises di Matteo deserved better as someone who has contributed to the club as a player and coach, and always conducted himself with dignity), but in spite of their principles being offended by Abramovic's capricious nature it's clear to everyone that money talks at this level and if you're not the dominant force in your media market (Bayern, Real, Barca, Utd) / don't have a sugar daddy backing you, you can't compete for the biggest prizes.

Is there any sense of an anti-Abramovic movement at any level of the Chelsea fanbase? I'd think most fans at most clubs would forget what they considered to be the principles of their club to have a shot at being as successful as Chelsea have been.

[SempreSami]

Originally Posted by NickC

I think it's the latter.

I don't think he watches much football to be honest, outside of Barcelona and the occasional Chelsea match.

Chelsea were his second choice anyways.

[Ross K]

Dave - well done, mate. CFC may be in some chaos but a victory over the CL winners is still a great victory.

RE Benitez appointment - it seems to be another example of when chairmen, at their peril and great discredit, choose to ignore the fans and their deeply held views. The example I always cite is George Graham with us. He may have redressed the balance formwise to a significant degree, but he was never accepted - and of course, why should he have been given his gooners history? Plus also, you can reverse this in the sense of what is Benitez doing going to Chelsea given his Liverpool history? Does he not owe the reds and their fans some sort of allegiance? There are very few clubs in the world that it doesn't seem right that managers like Rafa should hitch themselves too, but certainly Chelsea and Benitez seems a golden example. Anyway, it's another case of p****** on the fans IMO.

Re Spurs - 3-0 win V Fulham. Gooners turned over. Chelsea beaten. What a great weekend. If AVB can now rack up more wins coming into 2013, his own difficult relations with the fans (and press) might be smoothed. And it can't be denied, Defoe is playing out of his skin.

[SempreSami]

The North London Derby's becoming like Arsenal's cup final.

[Dave M]

Originally Posted by Ross K

Dave - well done, mate. CFC may be in some chaos but a victory over the CL winners is still a great victory.
, Defoe is playing out of his skin.

I didn't think of it like that, I may claim that we are the best in Europe (until our next game)
Oh Defoe............

Originally Posted by PureAlph4

Yet the fans won't openly criticise Abramovic to his face (i.e at the stadium) because without him they know Chelsea wouldn't have won a single league title or the CL in the past decade, and would probably be in a similar predicament to Spurs (which is not bad, but is below what Chelsea now consider themselves to be)..

were they not pretty much broke the summer he bought them? I seem to remember someone (if he was still there then maybe Zola or Wise someone from that time)saying that they were told if they didn't get into Europe their wages couldn't be guaranteed.
Most clubs without chairmen are not a going concern.

Originally Posted by Feña14

I think alot of people have his ear, unfortunately they are the wrong ones to listen to. The people around him seem to all be "yes" men, who tell him what he wants to hear.

He needs someone with some balls to tell him to get Mourinho back, sign Falcao, get a few more midfielders in, and then sit back and enjoy. He's the owner at the end of the day though, he can do what he likes, and don't we know it

That is probably more likely true!

[Feña14]

Originally Posted by Dave M

That is probably more likely true!

Tomorrow's papers are saying Abramovich is already sounding out Grant to take over from Benitez, ouch.