The Chelsea Thread

[kyhadley]

self-explanatory

 

[kyhadley]

Some behind the scenes videos from this season:

[youtube]9qe7IvFyr9c[/youtube]

[youtube]W__9xhMDEiU[/youtube]

[youtube]xE2n4gCxbH8[/youtube]

[youtube]YbRZGtXy8P0[/youtube]

[youtube]alc1yVJydNU[/youtube]

 

[kyhadley]

2012/13 home kits. Will for sure be purchasing one in the fall. Love it.

 

[1ke]

Here is whats going to happen with this team. They will hire some "big name Charlie", pay him way too much, and falter again for all the same reasons they have in the past. Around January or February, they will fire that guy, and appoint some assistant, and go balls out to recover and finish top 4.

Just let Roberto have the job. I think he is good enough, im probably the only one though.

 

[kyhadley]

I pretty generally agree with this assessment about the Chelsea boss situation:

http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-t...does-not-matter-who-is-the-manager-of-chelsea

Until the old guard starts to depart, I don't think it really matters who the manager is. Which is why I think RDM should just get the job. He might be qualified, he might not be, whatever. Just give him the reigns until they're gone.

And I feel like if they do give it to some big name then they're just starting this cycle all over again, as you said Ike.

 

[kyhadley]

Well that was a pretty sweet week.

Gotta say RDM has been great with his player selection, but the one thing he changed (that was a pretty glaring one) that AVB was too stubborn to, was starting Mata underneath the striker on a more permanent basis. Under AVB, Mata predominantly started on the left wing, then would naturally drift into the center where there was less space because some other Chelsea player had started there.

This left a big 'ole hole on the left wing that made Cole feel compelled to try to supply some sort of width with. Now the hole is at left back, trying to be covered by the adjacent CB and dropping midfielder(s). Thats why our defense was so porous under AVB.

Now with RDM, Mata starts in the center and someone else (Kalou/Sturridge/Ramires) starts on the left wing, not only supplying width themselves, but allowing Mata more space to create, and Cole feeling less responsible for providing that width himself and keeping better track of attackers, letting the CBs as a result work together better.

This is also why Torres has improved, because he has Mata consistently supplying chances for him, along with a more stretched defense. It was a small change with a big effect.

/soapbox

 

[kyhadley]

[youtube]UkXw12oZSdk[/youtube]

Included:

• Drake frontrunning (maybe)
• Some impressive tennis ball juggling skills by Mata
• Jeremy Clarkson cameo
• Some unimpressive dancing skills by the Chelsea reserves(?)
• 1st team drill-work
• Messi cameo!
• sweet youth team bicycle kick goal

 

[1ke]

They would be foolish to let RDM walk. They even sign Mirko Marin cuz he said he wanted to play for RDM......

And they are more than likely going to let RDM walk.

 

[kyhadley]

Giving RDM the job just seems like suck a clear, easy way to break their current (ineffective) pattern with managers. And the results!

 

[1ke]

For my sake, I hope they dont.

 

[calgaryballer]

Papisse Cisse, he scores when he wants!

 

[kyhadley]

Papisse Cisse, he scores when he wants!

 

[BigHouseUSA]

 

[kyhadley]

Chelsea bid to buy Battersea power station in £1bn stadium plan

60,000 people in there? Badass.

 

[mgoblue2290]

Didier Drogba is a disgrace of a player and of a man. Can't believe anyone can even root for him.

 

[kyhadley]

It's all about the silverware, I do recall.

<How's that?

 

[1ke]

I feel Ive been too nice to Chels since I have a soft spot for their manager.

Now that they keep winning, they can fuck off.

 

[kyhadley]

haha everyone loves RDM. My friend (Roma, Tottenham fan) was jokingly saying how he's going to start rooting for RDM instead of a team, and just root for whatever team he's managing, so he's currently a Chelsea fan.

At this point it would probably a terrible PR move to not give him the job.

 

[Bigpapa42]

Congrats to Chelsea on the FA Cup. Should've watched the match... but the Avengers called...

 

[kyhadley]

In hindsight, hard to expect much when you change eight players from your FA cup-winning squad three days earlier. The three that stayed were Terry and Ramires (don't have to worry about the final) and Ivanovic (literally no other choice). RDM clearly stating he thinks it's more prudent to save/not risk players for the CL final than have hoped other teams pull through for us this weekend.

And that's not saying that Liverpool didn't dominate us, they still get credit for that. We tried our best and got smoked. But one would be hard-pressed to find a worse Chelsea lineup this year.

Here's my ideal lineup for the final:

                  Cech
Ivanovic - Cahill - Luiz - Cole
	Lampard - Mikel
    Ramires - Mata - Kalou
              Drogba

Obviously hoping Cahill and Luiz return from injury in time. If one of them don't then Ivanovic could play CB and Bosingwa right. But Bosingwa has been intriguing at CB lately so he might end up there. If both of them don't then it'd be Bosingwa and Ivanovic at CB, with some combination of Ferreira/Cole/Bertrand at fullback.

After looking at that lineup some more, Kalou is the glaring weak spot. I'm wondering if you don't move Ramires to the left and start Torres on the right. I think he's proven himself far more capable than Kalou on the wing.