What Should We Make Of The Confrontation At Cobham?
by Graham MacAree on Feb 16, 2012 5:02 AM GMT
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It will come as no surprise to anyone following English football to learn that Chelsea are having a hard time of things lately. I'm going to go ahead and assume that's true of everyone here, so there's no need to go into too much detail about the horrible slump we're currently mired in*. There's no denying it, anyway. Something is wrong with the club - we're playing badly and on a string of miserable results.
*If you somehow managed to stumble upon this site immediately after emerging from a sheltered life under a rock, I would advise you to go seek medical treatment immediately because you're probably malnourished. You should consider suing your parents.
Over the past few weeks, we've been hearing more and more complaints about the reign of Andre Villas-Boas, and now we've hit the apparent boiling point. The fans are mad, the football media's been itching to take the manager down a peg since he showed up in England as a handsome, well-spoken young man with as much respect for them as they deserve and now the players are apparently getting involved.
Rumour has it that there was something of a contretemps between the players and the manager in front of owner Roman Abramovich, with things getting rather heating as everyone blamed each other for the debacle at Goodison Park last weekend. I'm skeptical that things are quite as bad as they're portrayed - if they were we probably wouldn't be relying on the Sun for all of our misinformation - but there's no doubt whatsoever that there's a problem at Cobham.
So what should be done about it? I've been having my difficulties with Andre Villas-Boas recently, what with the failure to play a 4-2-3-1 and continued insistence on a defensive scheme that is murdering us and all. That said, I've long advocated the need for a huge change in the way the player/dynamic works at the club, and so I have some sympathy for the manager here. Even if I, like many players, am beginning to question his competence.
If there really is a player vs. manager struggle at the club, it wouldn't be the first time, and this sort of thing always has a huge impact on the way the team plays. If the unruly players are just going to do their own thing this has to be stopped, and permanently. Player power has to be broken if we're ever going to have a team that isn't rooted in the old ways, something that will become increasingly ineffective as the years roll by.
Even if Villas-Boas doesn't turn out to be any sort of answer to Chelsea's other problems, I hope Abramovich gives him his backing to rule the roost without interference from his charges. From the outside, the team has looked dysfunctional almost since the first title. Breaking the hold certain players have on power can only be good for the club in the long run, because unless dealt with, this is going to be a problem that plagues every Chelsea manager for years.
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I don't want him to be sacked, I rather like his long term vision
And while I’ve had my concerns about his tactical and man-management competence since just about the beginning of the season (remember when he started Kalou in the first two games? go back and check the comments. I was furious), I am sick and tired of the power plays in the Chelsea locker room. For that reason, more than anything else, will I be happy to see Drogba, Malouda, and co leaving this summer (hopefully). So in that regard, I hope the owner and the back room stand behind AVB 100% as he asserts himself in the dressing room.
AVB needs to crack skulls, and he’s gotta do it ASAP. And it starts with having the balls to play some youngsters when the older guys aren’t performing. Ashley Cole should absolutely not be starting games given his form. Neither should Torres (although you might argue that it’s in Chelsea’s best interest, long-term, to play Torres into form. That’s sort of a special situation). And Malouda should be nowhere near the pitch. I think we’re all excited to be getting Drogba back from ACoN, but let’s remember he wasn’t playing much better than Torres before he left. He was putting up stinkers left and right, Valencia game notwithstanding. If he comes back and plays like shit, drop him.
No one should have a guaranteed spot in the lineup. Bench guys who play shitty, and play guys who are hungry. Period.
evrything u said your sooo right, its exactly what i was thinking…til now i dnt understand why doesnt avb play romeu?! the kid played against a team like man city and he performed thats against the best midfield in the league then he drops the boy agaisnt a team like everton?!!
No he did not...
How in the world did he cost us the game? He looked bad and gave the ball away, but “single-handedly cost us the game”…C’mon man. The team did not lose because of Romeu’s performance; our loss had many contributing factors, and Romeu was a minor variable at that.
by CFCBlueBlood on Feb 16, 2012 3:12 PM GMT up reply actions
with 13 games left I don't think we can afford to play Torres into form.
Play Sturridge central and try Kalou on the wing
Playing Torres into form does us nothing if Torres doesn't regain his form
Thus far, Torres has shown nothing to say he’s going to be a first-team striker. Through 25 games. I don’t understand how that denotes a ‘special’ circumstance.
Also, I don’t think it’s fair to blame Drogba for the locker room mess, because while I’m sure he’s had his part in past quarrels, he was busy missing a penalty shot by 15 feet in Africa while Goodison was serving as our recurring Theater of Nightmares.
Confused
AVB confuses me as well, i just dont know what has gotten into us. It like watching a bunch of relegation clubs playing. the confidence i had when we were under mourinho is lost., What i fail to understand is whther its AVB at fault or the bloddy players who just dont want to play. I mean have you noticed?? we havent created any chances like we used to before, maybe the players want to get rid of him?? anyone knows the inside story?
These players have been lazy for 3 managers in recent years
Scolari, Carlo (last season), and AVB this year. It’s probably not the manager. The only guys who got anything out of them were Avram Grant (here for less than a year), Hiddink (likewise), and Ancelotti in his first year. It’s like the players only get excited when the coach is new and good, but give them long enough and they’ll turn on him and play lazy sloppy football. And then Roman fires the coach and buys a new one. This has to stop already. Keep the manager and get rid of the older players.
by FootieFromAfar on Feb 16, 2012 5:49 AM GMT up reply actions
can't agree with you more...
The core players have become lazy and are motivated by new ideas and coaching staff, but they get easily exposed later on.
Ancelotti got plenty out of the players down the stretch
It was just he had worn them down to shadows of themselves when they were involved in Cup and CL. Remember how often Carlo was playing Drogba – when he had malaria?
Completely agree, Graham. I've seen people taking the players' side over AVB's and
I just can’t see why. Sure, we’ve known them for longer and some of them are legends, but they aren’t going to be beneficial to us in the long term (unlike AVB). They’ll all fuck off to retirement soon, in one way or another, so we might as well back the manager who wants to, once and for all, destroy their player power.
Both the players and the Coach are at fault here
The coach has made some rash decisions all year which have in turn lost the confidence on the players. This has nothing to do with players having too much power, it has more to do with trusting a manager who has proven to be incompetent at different stages in the season.
The only way this gets better is with new players and a new manager. AVB can go coach Inter bring back Mourinho and buy the elder’s go this year.
Nothing to do with the players having too much power? The manager is the MANAGER.
They don;t get to choose whether or not they decide to do what he says. Why do I get the feeling you’re only double guessing AVB so he can make way for your “daddy”? Your “daddy” has the same problem at Real Madrid, believe it or not. Does that make him a shit manager too?
FOOTIEFROM FAR
Well footie i think your right, the likes of JT,lamps,drogs and Malouda should be shipped off, give torres some more time under new midfielders.But do you think these players will be shipped off?? Roman doesnt have much paitence does he??
I can't see JT and Lampard being shipped off, they're just too legendary in terms of club history
They’ll be afforded the honor of choosing to leave or stay, and retire in a blue shirt if they should so desire. As far as Malouda and Drogba are concerned, I would be very surprised if Chelsea doesn’t ship them out this summer, assuming they can find buyers. Malouda is crap and has been crap for about two years now, and AVB doesn’t seem to like using him unless he absolutely has to. And Drogba, as far as I know, has yet to sign a contract extension, which is suspicious and I think he’ll probably leave this summer, maybe back to France.
But what do I know?
Also, just use the reply button dude.
by FootieFromAfar on Feb 16, 2012 6:04 AM GMT up reply actions
Madrid got hit badly
For selling him away. Everyone was absolutely furious with how they dealt with Raul. I’ll be furious if Lampard was sold instead of choosing or leaving on own accord. No matter what you think about him being slow or not fit for this formation, AVB needs him.
And the weird fact is, he’s still Chelsea’s top scorer for this season.
From Wikipedia:
“Although new coach José Mourinho wanted Raúl to continue, Raúl did not want to spend another season as third or fourth choice striker and he thought that it was better if he left as he was still able to deliver a good performance in another club.”
Raul was the one who wanted to leave. He had a lifetime contract at Madrid, as does Casillas.
If you really want to change the atmosphere in the dressing room
it would mean getting rid of Terry and Lamps! they are the fixtures with the most influence since they are english and have the most respect from the fans as you have demonstrated! Drogba has no sway, he may sulk but once Torres was purchased it was clear what they thought about him
I want the player power broken
I’m so sick of this story line. This play is abysmal, I hate watching it, I hate hearing about it. I cannot stand this. If the players were trying as a squad, I’d support them. But you don’t get to slag off the manager when you’re putting in 80% of the effort of the guy on the other team.
I’m so sick of lazy, shitty, sloppy play. And if we weren’t sponsored by Samsung I’d go all Herb Brooks and say that the name on the front is a hell of a lot more important than the one on the back. I don’t care about Torres, I don’t care about England or Captaincy or who’s leaving in 4 months or who’s coming in in 4 months or how adorable training ground antics are on ChelseaTV.
If JT and Lamps (legends or not) are causing problems in the dressing room, get them the f[un] gone. If it’s anyone else, get them the f[un] gone. I’ve been in a simmering rage for the last 7 weeks about this gd club and I’m sick of it.
Stop being awful. Stop making me hate watching. Play like you want to be there, or don’t pick up your check.
by Culain on Feb 16, 2012 7:04 AM GMT reply actions 1 recs
Hey now, Samsung consistently provides a high-quality product at a competitive price.
Samsung does its thing way better than Chelsea at the moment.
Author and Official Fernando Torres Apologist for We Ain't Got No History!
by Kevin Kostka on Feb 16, 2012 7:24 AM GMT up reply actions 4 recs
and a rec for you
I didn't order assholes with my whiskey
by White Lightning on Feb 16, 2012 3:32 PM GMT up reply actions
Thats right
its been ages since i last watched chelsea play, teams like swansea,norwich, sunderland and the others would have been eaten alive by us a few years ago,its not the same anymore.i have lost the confidence,all we can do is sit and pray that our game improves and we get rid of the baggage . But guys honest opinion you think AVB IS RIGHT FOR US, HAS BEEN TACTICALLY FLEXIBLE THIS SEASON, I HAVENT WATCHED MANY GAMES SO I WOULDNT KNOW
by trippyintrance on Feb 16, 2012 8:04 AM GMT up reply actions
On AVB
I feel like I can’t really say if I feel he is right, because I am not sure I’ve gotten to really see how he would perform. If I go on the pre-season and earlier matches when the players seemed to buy into it… things were looking up. The style of play was different, less predictable, there was a focus on quick 1-2 passing in small spaces to break down defenses that packed the box. More creative chances were being made, despite not really having the line-up completely suited to the formation/positions. We had depth in the squad and the type of players that seemed to suggest we could play a couple of styles depending on the opposition, or we could rotate players to keep up with a busy season. Then QPR happened and from there, it feels like everyone was looking for a place to lay blame… and more poor results happened, only they came accompanied by more poor performances.
If that early stuff is an indication of the direction AVB wants to go, then I am for it. He’s a bit stubborn about his formation, but I don’t know if that is that he doesn’t know how to manage a team without that formation, or if he is trying to get the players to accept that maybe they can play that way if they put some effort into it. I sort of feel like judging AVB is difficult because it seems to me the players aren’t actually playing their parts, and that is stalling the changes or throwing him off. I am a little unsure if he has what it takes to destroy the player-power thing at Chelsea. I mean, for that to change, ultimately the players in control have to give in or get out… but the best way to get change to happen is to get the influencers to buy in that it was their idea in the first place. That seems to be the challenge here.
Agree with you that they have to give in or get out...
But if we look at the players that are usually reported to be behind this atmosphere, they’re all the wrong side of 30 and most of them reaching the end of their contracts. I think that if Drogba and Malouda were to leave in the summer we’d have a much healthier dynamic in the locker room.
If AVB is sacked, and the players win again.
We revert back to our “comfort zone”, and are stuck all over again with the same situation we had last year with Ancelotti. [Some] of our players just seem to get sick of a manager, and generally they win, because it’s easier to get rid of your manager than it is to get rid of a bunch of players.
The more I think about it, the more we really need a cleanout.
Player power....just cracks me up
You all support a club that demands success. Only continued success allows CFC the opportunity to break into a special elite group of clubs that have become world-wide brands. Everyone at the club feels the pressure, not just the manager. Ancelotti is a great manager. Jose is a great manager. Guus is a great manager. Grant, Scolari, and AVB are not at that level. Now Guus left due to other obligations, so leave him out this. What JM and CA have in common is they were both undercut by the board or RA by having a “superstar” forced on them. Jose never wanted Sheva at Chelsea. He knew what he had and was managing a team with a culture he created. I cannot imagine a more disruptive thing to drop into a dressing room. So did RA or the board learn anything, nooooooo. They just plopped 50M for Torres and CA not only didn’t want him, he was now forced to choose between Drogba and the guy who has to play because the owner just went all Championship Manager 2011. Player power?? More like owner/board undercuts manager. If you want to put players under pressure to perform, you cannot then make it harder for them to perform by getting the tactics, line-ups, and substitutions wrong game after game and then wonder why they’re so disgruntled. Terry, Lampard, Cole, Drogba, and Ivanovic want to win, period. They’re not looking for more money, they want to respect and believe in their manager. It’s a little hard to do when the board/RA show no respect to the managers wishes and make decisions that should be left to the manager.
When I go to the press conference before the game, in my mind the game has already started.
Jose Mourinho
"Player power" is the culture that Mourinho left us with
That’s what needs to be broken.
RA had been a meddler, but hiring AVB with an apparent long-term vision of changing the whole club and culture seems to show that is changing (for the better).
That statement is so myopic
I guess by creating all that success and bringing league championships he really screwed CFC up, but good!. You Mourinho haters just crack me up. Here’s a list of some other things Jose Mourinho is responsible for:
1) Osama Bin Ladin
2) Break-up of Charles and Diana
2b) Diana’s death
3) Greece riots
4) London riots
5) the French
6) Arab spring
7) Susan Boyle
8) That bird at the pub who wouldn’t sleep with you so you said she was a lesbian but then she ended up going home with that guy you hate from work
9) Girl’s aloud
10) Jedward
When I go to the press conference before the game, in my mind the game has already started.
Jose Mourinho
You know what's awesome?
Turning shades of grey into black and white. It makes you come across as an incredibly bright, well adjusted human being.
by Graham MacAree on Feb 16, 2012 5:41 PM GMT up reply actions 2 recs
Thanks
When I go to the press conference before the game, in my mind the game has already started.
Jose Mourinho
Hey, you're not Graham from the two G's radio show are you??
When I go to the press conference before the game, in my mind the game has already started.
Jose Mourinho
too bad, that was a great fottie show on Sirius radio
When I go to the press conference before the game, in my mind the game has already started.
Jose Mourinho
I stand corrected
When I go to the press conference before the game, in my mind the game has already started.
Jose Mourinho
I wonder if the players still want to win
Roman gotta get in that dressing room and tell the players in their face AVB is here to stay, they play for him or they’re gone. Don’t forget, in Chelsea, the big boss still has the gun.
Chelsea has too many big egos, they think they’re still in their prime and can win without effort, as shown match after match.
I see no desire to win at all, is it the manager’s fault? Partly is. But the main thing still lies in the players. Let’s face it, the players were crap in the past few games. I wonder why are we still in the top 6. Look at Newcastle and Tottenham, they play like they live to win, and they show it. Chelsea’s squad is filled with winners, but they do not display their desire to win at all.
This needs to stop immediately, the manager should always be on top of the players, and never the other way round. We’ve gone with a rather young manager, and its logical that players may get above him, but that’s AVB’s responsibility already. Get rid of the players who do not want win, and get some burning youngsters who wants to prove themselves. We’ve definitely have those youngsters, but I wonder what is AVB afraid of to play them, instead he keeps playing those old, disinterested players. Sick of it.
Prepare your gun for the summer, Roman, you may need a machine gun for I see a mass exodus nearing.
AVB not at fault (well a little, but not entirely)
I am getting fed up of the media and every one blaming all of our problems on AVB. I do think he is at fault for some issues, but I also think he needs to be given time to understand the EPL and mould his own team.
I mainly get frustrated with the players, world class players that seem to be incapable of playing any other system than the one they are used too. How can a team like Swansea (all credit to them) who play a similar system to the AVB mould, out play world class stars every week? Why do our players constantly do individual errors that lead to sloppy goals? Why can’t seasoned internationals play together and adapt to what is going on the pitch?
In my mind, I lay the majority of the responsibility of our shocking recent form squarely on the players shoulders. As the players do not perform and seem to have zero ambition or drive, it leaves AVB between a rock and a very hard place. He can set up the tactics, select the team (sometimes questionable) but he can do very little when they are underachieving and underperforming on the pitch, only playing to 40% of their capability.
I don’t blame AVB (well a little), but its the players who arent performing and the manager is getting the blame for it. The results are shocking we are aiming for 4th place!!!! we are fighting for the last champions league spot.
The likes of Ashley,JT,Malouda and Drogba are earning massive wages and aren’t performing, we need to give the youngsters a shot, Bertrand,Conor Clifford,Lucas Piazon, will all give 100% week in week out and a little bit of competition would be fantastic for Ashley so he would have to fight for his place in the team. Milan Lalkovic should have gotten a chance instead ages ago, before he went out on loan, he couldn’t have been any worse than Torres!! Whats the point in having a youth academy if we aren’t going to use??? Im sick of hearing about players mutinying against the managers, if they aren’t happy with the manager then bench them, Roman needs to give a his clear and dedicated support to Avb. If the youngesters are performing better than the first teamers then they will have to fight for their place in the team!! We cant just throw the players in at the deep end next season when/if Lamps, Drogs and JT are moved on we have to break them in slowly.
Whilst what you say is true...
AVB is employed for one reason: To get these players to perform well. If they’re not performing, then he isn’t doing his job properly. Your comments about the youngsters echo those of many people at the moment, but let’s be serious for a minute; they’re not good enough yet. Maybe they would give more effort than the senior players, but the fact is that they’re still developing both physically and mentally. If one of the youngsters were to pick up an injury now (due to being matched up against far superior opposition) there’s a reasonable chance they would never fully recover.
You’re well within your rights to be frustrated (I think we’re all feeling like that these days) but running out a bunch of kids is probably not the answer.
yeah i do agree.
I’m not talking about just dropping Ashley or any other player but just bringing in Bertrand or whatever player for the last 20 mins and make Ashley or whoever fight for their place in the team. AVB is there for just that reason (to get players to perform) but it cant be easy when they aren’t performing and your job seems to be on the line but I think if they have to compete for their place they will only improve.
me either.
He seems to be one of the players putting out effort consistently. Players who don’t put out 100% effort are Meireles, Malouda, sometimes Cole, and sometimes Torres. I think Lampard gives effort but just he’s just not good enough.
by TheColorIsBlue on Feb 16, 2012 3:39 PM GMT up reply actions
It's not all about performance.
Nick Swisher was highly regarded in MLB because he was a net positive to the clubhouse environment. His dugout, practice, behind the scenes behavior mattered almost as much as his defense and hitting.
If JT is handling his duties as captain and pointing out areas that the players haven’t been happy with, that’s part of his job and he’s correct to do so. But if he’s doing it in a subversive undermining way (which JT would never do, being the choirboy that he is) then he needs to go.
We weren’t there, we can’t know for certain who said what, or how it all went down. But you can’t keep clubhouse cancers around, regardless of who they are or what they bring.
Agreed
There is a reason that performance doesn’t save all athletes. I can think of quite a few examples of athletes that are great achievers in the sport, that don’t do well in other areas.
For those that might confuse this statement with something else, I am not suggesting that JT is one of those types- I really don’t know for certain. But they do exist, and they can be damaging to team morale more than they help through performance sometimes.
I think part of the problem recently has been Terry's absence due to that dastardly bone oedema
Due to him being hurt, and in Portugal, and generally rehabbing himself. Which is fine, the team shouldn’t need its captain at all hours of the day – but, in this case, Chelsea appear to be sorely missing their leader
general comments
Carlo wanted torres, but I don’t think he deserved to be fired. And now I don’t think AVB should be fired. What I would also note is that both managers behave(d) as though there are constraints on them as to who plays and where. If so, those constraints come from one place: roman. If players have too much power, there’s only one man who can give it to them: roman. The fish rots from the head first, guys. If there is too big a penalty on managers for playing young players and losing a few games because of it (in games we might lose anyway because so many players don’t try), then that is roman’s fault. To his credit, he’s investing in large numbers of young players, but he’s still being too soft-hearted where the stars on the club are concerned. By the way, Terry still always tries hard and plays well. Lampard doesn’t lose us games and scores. I suspect both are locker room peacemakers rather than shit-stirrers. But the rest? Cech, cole, malouda, drogs, not so sure.
by ososdeoro on Feb 16, 2012 3:38 PM GMT via mobile reply actions
No Win Situation for AVB
Despite what anyone says, I can totally see a power struggle between the younger and newly acquired players(Mata, Luiz, Romeu, Meirelies, Torres) and the former generational players sloping down from their prime (Lampard, Drogba, Malouda). As the head coach, AVB is the scapegoat, but also not helping himself. Trying to keep the peace between all these world class players is a difficult job for anyone, especially with AVB being their contemporary. There are so many dynamics in his relationship to the owner, team, players and fans that I can’t imagine him overcoming this and becoming successful as expected for a top club like Chelsea. What he needs to do is follow through with his initial strategy and play the system he wants despite outcrys and pressure from the senior players. The worse thing he can do for himself and the club at this point is continuing being inconsistent and not follow through with what he believes. It shows a lack of confidence and I can imagine that’s what is causing a lot of the unrest stemming from disrespect from the players young and old at Chelsea as well as management.
agree
In the light of this backroom struggle coming out its clear to me that Avb is a bigger man than those twats, he was even willing to accept the blame, but they instead blaimed him. Unfortunately he is stuck with these saboteers till end of season.
by MrkS on Feb 16, 2012 9:03 PM GMT via mobile up reply actions
He confirmed today in the press conference
that he didnt have the backing of alot of Chelsea players.
Really? I missed it...what did he actually say?
He’ll have the last laugh, though, when he’s still here next season and they’re not :-p
The English press is going wild with his comments as well
Some journalist asked him what he thinks of when his players don’t agree with him or his philosophy. He said “That is normal, they don’t have to back my project. It’s the owner who backs my project.”
http://www.football365.com/news/21554/7525319/-Some-Don-t-Back-Me-
“They don’t have to back my project. It’s the owner who backs my project.”
No, what he said is that he needs the backing of the owner, not the players for his "project"
As we saw with Alex & Anelka…it’s his way or the highway. As long as RA stands behind him, the players can either shape up and get in line or get sold.
Very simple. I love it.
While I agree
when it comes down to it, AVB would be substantially better off if he could get the players to believe in his project. While shipping out is a very distinct possibility, he needs someone to play the remaining games in the season, and the results impact his long-term project somewhat, so having the current players buying in would be nice. Maybe AVB needs to learn to influence (read; manipulate) a little better :)
Of course, if all this hoopla is to be believed, I get the feeling that the ones that don’t want to buy in are the ones that know the long term project means they might be seeing the door or less time on the field, or that they’d have to adapt and that means extra work, and that’s bruising their egos.
by alynne4307 on Feb 16, 2012 5:13 PM GMT up reply actions 1 recs
I too believe AVB should try and get the current lot(esp. the old guard) to play better, at-least for remainder of the season..
He can go on shopping spree early in the summer, buy players that can actually suit his project, get them play as much as possible in the preseason and finalize on the formation & player combination so that we do not have to experiment much when the season starts.
i'm fairly certain
he IS trying to get them to play better, but it’s difficult b/c quite a lot of them have turned to shit.
That could change!
They’ll be looking to trade Torres for him soon enough ;)
i think any coach's ability to "manipulate" only goes so far
he can’t “convince” Malouda or Bosingwa to stop being crap, and to regain their form from 2-3 years ago. he can’t convince Cole to regain his legs and ability. he can’t convince Lampard to have more energy to press and play a better overall game. these players have simply deteriorated and are fundamentally incapable of playing a quick, pressing style. now that our squad strength is returning, they can sit the fuck down. Malouda for one will surely get less minutes. hopefully Terry and Luiz will man the middle so Iva can take his rightful spot at RB. as for Cole, hopefully Bertrand gets some time now to show if he’s worthy of seating the Ghost of Ashley Cole on the bench.
*as for Lamps
our best run of form this year came with him on the bench. too bad Meireles has turned to shit now, but i wouldn’t mind seeing a midfield of Essien Mata and Ramires with Kalou in that LF spot.
Cheers for that
I was hoping somebody would give some context to what he actually said, rather than just going with the one line that the media chose to write about.
Agreed 100%.
Hopefully that’s the way it is, and both he and Roman stick to their guns.
I think one of the main worries...
over the summer was whether AVB with his relative youth and inexperience would be able to command respect from some of the more influential of the senior members of the squad. When things start getting rough for the team the manager needs to have the backing the players backing.
I don't even know what to put in here knowing Steve can just change it anytime he wants (the jerk) :cP also something about trolling CFC and WAGNH
by Sabrina Dessipe on Feb 16, 2012 4:30 PM GMT reply actions
I've posted this elsewhere before but it's worth it again to cheer us all up
by Samfrazher on Feb 16, 2012 5:00 PM GMT reply actions 2 recs
Where I am inclined to get all conspiracy-theorist about this:
I don’t know if player power is as dramatic as it is made to be at Chelsea, and I don’t mean to pick on Lamps, but after the Everton game, he talked about the poor performance. He mentioned the players do need to look at themselves… but he also had what sounded like a defensive quote, suggesting something like “you can’t say that guys like Terry, Drogba, or myself don’t have anything to offer. we have lots to offer.” Well, yes, that is true… but maybe some of it is in a different capacity than it was in the past.
Not sure if that quote was totally twisted, but he’s said similar things about them being the spine, and stuff about what Chelsea’s always been built on. It’s hard to let go of, but the guys simply are not forever-young, as much as they and many fans wish they were. And if they really care about the club they way they like to wax poetic that they do, then they’d realize the need for transition to occur and to start right about now.
by alynne4307 on Feb 16, 2012 5:08 PM GMT reply actions 1 recs
Agreed. They're trying to hold on to their youth, and can't come to grips..
…that things they are a changing. And it’s either be on board with the changes or be left out. And their ego’s just can’t fathom that their time is started to pass. It’s sad really.
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by Timm Higgins on Feb 16, 2012 10:15 PM GMT up reply actions
I suppose it happens to the best of them
and it’s a pretty human response. Fans react to it sometimes harder than the players themselves. I just wish that they’d eventually come to terms with it and try to play the bigger man in a sometimes cruel world (that sees everyone get older, lol). I mean, I know that it doesn’t earn them bigger bonuses and paychecks to start to withdraw from regular starting and full-90 games, but it would earn them much appreciation from the club and fans for years to come if they were to take part in transitioning the club to continue to be successful. And who knows, there may be other rewards related to that?
I guess it goes on what I think is an appropriate model for leadership- you should never leave a post open with no one else prepared to try to fill your shoes. If (God forbid) someone in a leadership role on the team just up and vanished tomorrow, you are wrongly prepared as an organization, and the leader was not actually a good leader, if there isn’t someone that can help steer the ship in the interim.
I just want them to WANT to win.
Is that so hard? We used to have such a swagger on the pitch. I don’t even want to talk about how we look now.
Player power is a problem...
BUT I feel that the manager should be able to manipulate that to his advantage? Carlo was able to manage it pretty well until Torres came…Hiddink did well with it. Mourinho practically started it with his ‘untouchables’ thing. But I wouldn’t mind another generation of untouchables at Chelsea-with a manager for the long term…
by Avinash Mohan on Feb 16, 2012 6:27 PM GMT via mobile reply actions
And then suddenly
I may not know much about life, but what I do know has taught me to believe in Chelsea.
While the nostalgia-ridden me appreciates his care for the team
The 99% of my body that isn’t just wants him to shut the [fun] up and go away.
I may not know much about life, but what I do know has taught me to believe in Chelsea.
by CanadianBlue on Feb 17, 2012 12:26 AM GMT up reply actions
However, this is weighed out...
…by this
I may not know much about life, but what I do know has taught me to believe in Chelsea.
by CanadianBlue on Feb 17, 2012 12:32 AM GMT up reply actions
Wow, that article is special...
“Luiz Felipe Scolari and Avram Grant were both ousted by powerful players who did not like their style.”
And there was me thinking that Avram was only ever a temporary solution and Scolari was sacked for being shit. Not really sure what the ‘powerful players’ had to do with either of these incidents…
word
i mean, Grant inherited a team that basically ran itself at that point. Scolari’s training methods were inadequate and he stubbornly refused to play an in-his-prime Drogba, which smacks of idiocy. no wonder when Hiddink (renowned for getting players into top shape) came in that team looked fuckin sleek and dynamite.
Mind you, Ranieri just got spanked 0-3 AT HOME by relegation-threatened Bologna
That’s coming on the heels of a losing, also at home, to bottom-of-table Novara 0-1.
Looks like my prediction about his sacking just might come true.
I think ol' Claudio should be more concerned with his pitiful side than ours
Also, stay classy Mirror.
I am divided on this one….
If information that is coming out from the backroom is correct, that to me this means:
a) What we saw on the field maybe was not what it seemed as players were sabotaging AVB thus his subs and strategies didn’t work as he was planning
b) AVB is a better and bigger man that all those brats – he is trying to take the blame to protect them while they are blaming him too in front of the owner
But all this info could be just blown out of proportion and distorted by the media who are sure enjoying the show. And we are swallowing it hook, line and sinker. Maybe I am naive but I don’t see anything wrong with a frank exchange of ideas between manager and the players, especially if things are not working, as long as they all have the best interest of the team in mind. When JT was jumping ahead of the steam train last year, trying to help Carlo, even calling a special meeting, was that wrong too? I didn’t think so, I thought he wanted to help his team (maybe in his clumsy was). If media would just leave AVB alone for a while…
agreed
but for this:
“But all this info could be just blown out of proportion and distorted by the media who are sure enjoying the show.”
i would replace “could” with “is, like always”
lotta speculation in these comments
results have gone to shit and everyone’s tempers have frayed, from the manager to the fans. certainly the players are exhibiting that, but we don’t know who said what. i find it odd that Drogba was implicated by some people, when he was at the AfCON during this bizness. also looking at what he had to say earlier this season, Drogba was one of the older players who came out vocally in support of AVB and clearly understood AVB’s project. most of all, Drogba (and Terry) seem to be the older players who are able to bridge the gap with the younger generation on the field. Drogba’s ability to hold up the ball and spread the play has certainly benefited Sturridge, and he started combing with Mata and Ramires quite well. Terry’s on-pitch leadership and commitment has been the same as always. there is already a very solid core of younger, extremely committed players at Chelsea who work well with AVB’s style … Ramires, Mata, Sturridge, Luiz, Romeu … this is the new spine of Chelsea and i feel like recent results have simply clouded the vision of what our new era will be like.
certainly we need to salvage this season and the Champions League. but this winter (like always) was a fucked up time beset by injuries and absences, where we were forced to play the likes of Malouda, Bosingwa, and Torres (whose only competition was an unproven 18 year old). i mean, Mourinho got fired when Drogba was out injured. Carlo’s “bad moment” came when Drogba had malaria and Lamps was injured. a weakened squad leads to weakened form, and that’s what’s happened again. i’m much more concerned with what happens this coming month, when we have a full squad once again. i think AVB needs just a bit more patience.
AVB is a fake
Do not be fooled by his fancy words and overtly complex discourse with reporters, he is a fraud, he will not build anything noteworthy if he stays, this is not the Portuguese League, this is the Barclays Premier League and as such he will not replicate the success he had at Porto here at Chelsea, he is not Mourinho, he is like Scolari, stubborn and not able to rethink or reassess his own ideas to fit the current reality. He insisted on the highline for eons before he realized that these are not the players you can do that with. He loves Bosingwa which to me is the first sign of madness especially when you consider the fact that a) He was brought in by Scolari, b) A defensive genius in Ancelotti (owing to his Serie A upbringing) thought it wiser to play Ivanovic at RB to great success. Do not be fooled by his bright eyes, he is a fraud and the sooner he goes and Hiddink comes back as it should have been since the beginning of the season, the sooner we can then assure ourselves of Champions League football and then see about building for the future in the summer with a real coach, not this philosophy student.
by GianfrancoZola on Feb 17, 2012 10:08 AM GMT reply actions
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