Chelsea F.C [2007-2008] Thread

[Mandieta6]

CHELSEA F.C

Stamford Bridge

​

The Squad
1- Petr Cech
3- Ashley Cole
4- Claude Makélélé
5- Michael Essien
6- Ricardo Carvalho
7- Andriy Shevchenko
8- Frank Lampard
9- Steve Sidwell
10- Joe Cole
11- Didier Drogba
12- John Obi Mikel
13- Michael Ballack
14- Claudio Pizarro
15- Florent Malouda
16- Arjen Robben
17- Scott Sinclair
18- Wayne Bridge
19- Lassana Diarra
20- Paulo Ferreira
21- Salomon Kalou
22- Tal Ben-Haim
23- Carlo Cudicini
24- Shaun Wright-Phillips
26- John Terry
33- Alex
35- Julliano Belleti
40- Henrique Hilário
51- Sam Hutchinson



On Loan
--- Juan Sebastián Verón (Estudiantes (August 2008))
--- Hernán Crespo (Inter Milan (August 2008))
--- Alcides (PSV (August 2008))
--- Slobodan Rajković (PSV (August 2008))

Transfers

In:
Tal Ben-Haim (Bolton)
Claudio Pizarro (Bayern Munich)
Steve Sidwell (Reading)
Florent Malouda (Lyon)
Jacob Mellis (Sheffield United)
Danny Philliskirk (Oldham)
Juliano Belleti (Barcelona)

Out:
Yves Makaba-Makalambay (Hibernian)
Geremi (Newcastle)
Nuno Morais (Apoel Nicosia)
James Russell (Stevenage)
Glenn Johnson (Portsmouth)

 

[Mandieta6]

So, thoughts on transfers. Geremi looks like he might be leaving soon, SWP seems like a cert move away, too. Boula, although I'd like him to stay and prove his worth, might be leaving, too, particularly now that both Ben-Haim and Alex are coming. I'd rather see these two fight for a place than Boula. He's a great defender, in CL, he completely immobilised Ronaldinho, but he's a savage. Fouls a lot, very risky to play him. If he can cut down on the fouls, I'd love to see him get a place.

Transfers in, well, I dunno anything about these young wonderkids, but I don't think we really need anything else. Even though I preferred the tactics used two seasons back, with wingers, that doesn't seem like the case anymore, so I buying more wingers isn't necessary. I would like to see striker come in, hell, I'd love to see Huntelaar in Chelsea uniform, but I also want to see Sahar get some time.

Anyway, with what we have currently, I'd go with something like this:

Cech
Carvalho--Terry--Ben-Haim
Makelele
Ballack--Essien
Cole---Lampard---Robben
Drogba

This would never happen though, although I think it could work well. Works for my FM.... meh.

 

[treble41]

Nope, a four back, take Makelele out and put one striker/supporting forward with Drogba.

Geremi's leaving YESSS.

 

[Mandieta6]

Makelele OUT? I'd rather see Ballack out any day of the week. With Robben/Kalou/Cole/SWP on the wings, you don't need another striker. Shevchenko and Kalou have been supporting all year, we've played best when we had the two supports. With Makelele, we won't really need 4 back, it would simply mean breaking wide further up, which allows a higher element of surprise. Robben and Cole are great in seeing spaces, this can work wonders. Essien and Ballack help Lamps build the game, we control the ball, pass to Cole/Robben, chips it in, Drogba finishes.

That's what I envision, and Chelsea can win the Premiership easy with this tactic, they have the perfect players for it.

Also, whilst Geremi doesn't really fit with what I envision, he fits with Mou's views, he just has a lot of competition. Great player who doesn't get enough chances.

 

[pede54]

New thread......New season.....and what a cracker it promises to be.

Geremi on his way to Newcastle is the latest news. SWP is staying according to his dad Ian Wright speaking on Talk Sport tonight. Ian says that SWP has no intention of leaving Chelsea and Chelsea have already assured him that they want him to stay. Good, I like the guy.

Real Madrid are trying to get Alex, but Chelsea have told them to get stuffed. RM have said that they have already talked to Alex's agent about a move to Spain which if true, is the second time in the off season that RM have tapped up one of our players. Shame really because they will be getting neither of them.

Mandieta6....No Ashley Cole or Wayne Bridge mate? I don't think Ben Haim will replace either of those guys somehow.

 

[Mandieta6]

I've always been offensive minded, and I just can't bear to leave out any of the 3 I mentioned. If Ben-Haim can adapt to being rightback, then I'd have Bridge. Not that Cole is bad, but I just find that Bridge affects the play better. I have not been wowed by A.Cole yet, I have by Bridge plenty of times. I'm sure that he, like Ballack, Sidwell, Shevchenko and every other new transfers will prove their worth.

I still think that with the proper training, my formation could rule the Premiership. We have the perfect team for it, but having 3 defenders never works for a full season. Kind of a shame, I think we need more options in attack, since no one on the wings (Ferreira, Bridge, etc.) has ever provided that much in attack. Ballack and Essien together behind Lamps, with Robben and Cole on the wings? Come on, there's no play they wouldn't be able to pull off.

 

[pede54]

It could be effective for sure. Jose has played a pretty defensive minded game up to now, but he says that this season we will see a more attacking style so you never know how he'll play it. I still think that he will favour a back four though.

I think we will definately see a more settled Sheva, Ballack and Cole this coming season. I'm intrigued by the signing of Pizzaro too. I think he could turn out to be a nice surprise for us all.

Lets just hope that injuries can be kept minimal this time around. We have great cover this season I know, but I wouldn't like to see players get injured to the extent that they did last season. We just need to be alert when we play Reading this time around.

 

[Mandieta6]

Pede, who, if anyone, do you want to see in Chelsea uniform this season?

 

[Stotty]

Thats tactical bollocks.

 

[Mandieta6]

Ok, you probably know more than I do, to be honest. Why are you of this opinion, though?

 

[Stotty]

Its incredibly unbalanced. Having three defenders is naturally going to leave your defense narrow. Your cover in the form of Makelele, maybe Essien and to a degree Ballack is still going to only be enough for central areas, leaving you exposed out wide. You can't pull your wingers back, as Joe Cole and Arjen Robben dont offer you the required defensive ability to effectively play as wing backs.

 

[Mandieta6]

I didn't think of that. I always imagined Essien and Ballack moving to cover the wings during counters, but now that I think of it, I dunno if Ballack has the form to keep up with it, Essien probably does, though. I wonder whether this would work:

-------------------Cech-------------------
---------Carvalho--Terry--Ben-Haim---------
---Geremi--------------------------Bridge---
------------Lampard---Essien---------------
---J.Cole---------------------------Robben--
-------------------Drogba------------------

I don't really like this one, but with 3 defenders, Essien and two wingbacks, Makelele isn't that essential. This can be varied many ways, but the main idea is having Robben and Cole wander towards the centre, and the wingbacks take their positions when attacking. Meh, I suck at tactics.

 

[pede54]

Pede, who, if anyone, do you want to see in Chelsea uniform this season?

As long as our current squad players all play to their potential, there really isn't anyone else I have any great desire to see at Chelsea. Anyone that I might like to see at Chelsea are just not available, so there's no point in thinking about it.

I'm very satisfied with the squad as it is.

Hi Nick.....you alright mate?

 

[Callum]

Why would you include geremi if, in the 2nd post, you say he is on his way out? Are you retarded?

 

[treble41]

I'm satisfied with the squad as long as there aren't any injuries (specially to wingers but Pizarro should be cover enough for strikers). And he's right, we don't have enough width to leave out full backs. Hopefully Ashley Cole will play more offensively like he did with Arsenal this season and make those runs up the left flank.

 

[Mandieta6]

Why would you include geremi if, in the 2nd post, you say he is on his way out? Are you retarded?

Before you call people retards, why don't you take a good look in the mirror a-hole?

I said that I thought he might be leaving, not that he was leaving. My lineup was also one that I wanted to see, not one that I would see. So, adding those two together you find out that I want Geremi to stay, and would like to see him play, despite the possibility of him leaving.

It's these instances that show the truly dim, the times when the subtleties go unnoticed. Thank you for the insight into a true retard's mind.

Now go away if you don't have something good to say.

 

[jatin]

Well, Malouda could be coming to the Bridge is the recent news.
And Geremi to Newcastle, Babayaro and now him, i think geremi is nice as a back up. And he did score some crucial goals last season, but he just cant replace anyone in the starting 11.

Malouda could be the required backu for cole/robben. Kalou is more of a striker, cant get the crosses (well..so cant robben). Joe Cole needs to shine this season!!

 

[Callum]

Malouda is in no way a back up, it would be ridiculous to buy him just to bench him, he is much better than that.

 

[Mandieta6]

I dunno whether he's 'too' good, but I don't think he's coming, anyway.

 

[Moreira_Benfica]

you forgot about Paulo F in your squad on the 1st post...