Chelsea FC - Supporters' Rally

[BabyJane]

Originally Posted by Glen2712

Sis BabyJane, you may try La Vanita @ Peninsula Plaza.

Thanks dude

[spotter542]

Chelsea must wait on a seventh straight appearance in the knockout phase of the Champions League after Bordeaux held them 1-1 while the Blues also had Frank Lampard sent off on a night of European drama here on Wednesday.

Bordeaux captain Alou Diarra headed home from a corner with seven minutes remaining to cancel out Nicolas Anelka's opener as the French side carved out a well-deserved point to send Group A down to the final round of action on December 9 and 10.

Chelsea keeper Petr Cech said Chelsea should not have dropped points.

"The moment we scored the goal I thought it was over. I think we should have done better - we should have closed the door," Cech told Sky Sports.

It was not a virtuoso performance from last season's finalists and they were somewhat fortunate to escape with a point despite taking the lead on the hour mark.

Chelsea manager Luiz Felipe Scolari was annoyed with his team for giving up a late equaliser especially as the goal was the first they've conceded from a corner.

"If you look at the first 45 minutes and the final result, it is normal but I am not satisfied that they scored from a corner which is the first one since I'm the coach.

"We were strong in attack and it should have been an easy game after we scored. We gave up the goal and lost a player and I'm not satisfied with the goal".

The West Londoners had to wait until the 60th minute for their first shot on goal but when it came, Anelka made Bordeaux pay for all their wasted first half opportunities in the most clinical fashion.

The French international then did the rest as he raced clear, faked a couple of shots that brought keeper Matthieu Valverde to his knees and then coolly tucked the ball inside the right hand post for his second goal of the competition and 14th of the season.

It was harsh on the French runners-up, who had given their more illustrious opponents a torrid time up to Anelka's strike.

The goal rattled Bordeaux as Scolari's side sensed the perfect away win that would send them into the next round and they settled back into their possession game, assuming the hard work had been done.

But Diarra sent the Bordeaux faithful home happy with his near post header that also keeps Laurent Blanc's side in the chase for a place in the last 16.

Blanc was evidently delighted with his team's fighting spirit and late goal.


"I know it's the first goal Chelsea have conceded from a corner and we have been working on set-pieces so I am happy about that.

"Our game plan was to reduce the space and pressure them but that's the best game we've played against a team as good as Chelsea," Blanc said.

Chelsea must now get a result at home to CFR Cluj in their final match while Bordeaux travel to Roma to determine who claims the top two spots in the pool.

"Everyone thought Chelsea and Roma were the favourites to go through but now there's a third team and they're called Bordeaux," said Blanc.

Chelsea will be without Lampard for the Cluj showdown following his red card for a second bookable offence with four minutes left.

Chelsea had no shots in the first half while Bordeaux peppered Cech's goal with seven good attempts but they improved after the break and looked as if they had wrapped up qualification with Anelka's strike before Diarra came to Bordeaux's rescue.

[Glen2712]

Chelsea Need Perfect Record Over Christmas, Admits Cech

Petr Cech has expressed his frustration at Chelsea's lack of cutting edge at Stamford Bridge and has targeted the Premier League programme over Christmas as the time to make amends.


The goalkeeper is aware of how vital the period can be, noting that in both of the club's title-winning campaigns under Jose Mourinho they boasted a 100% record from their festive fixtures while in the past two seasons, when the championship has gone to Manchester United, they dropped points.


This time out, three rather than four Premier League matches have been scheduled and for Chelsea, they will be squeezed into seven days. They face Everton at Goodison Park on Monday before entertaining West Bromwich Albion at home on Boxing Day and travelling to Fulham on Sunday week.


"We need to win the games, even though it's three matches in such a short period," Cech said. "But I think we prefer that many games coming so quickly. You don't really have time to think about the matches when they come at you so swiftly, you just go out and play."


"Over the years when we won the title, it was our strongest period, when we had to reel off games that were coming like this so we have to look to do it again. We have to at least keep our position in the table over this period, if not improve it, because what happens over Christmas will have a big impact on what happens in the New Year."


Chelsea could only draw 1-1 at home to West Ham United on Sunday and they have dropped 14 points at their own ground this season. By contrast, they have taken a maximum 24 points from their eight away games. It could have been worse on Sunday had Cech not saved in injury-time from the West Ham striker Carlton Cole.


"It's hard to explain why our form is so different. You can see the effort and the way we try to break our opponents down [at Stamford Bridge] but getting the early goal is the key. We've been doing that away from home and it has made the games easier. We are not taking our chances at home. When we play away, we are really efficient, usually the first chance we get goes in. But we've not had the luck this season at home to score the quick goal and start from there.


"We need to get our home form back again. When you win three points away, it is good but you need to make the most of it by winning the next home game as well. The most disappointing thing is that we've now had two chances to go top of the table and we've not taken them. Whenever everybody else has drawn, so have we."

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[JWNY]

Blue fans are invited to the Boxing Day Bonanza



JWNY

[JWNY]

Come on you Super Blues!!!

[Peter_North]

I like your optimism, but we lost few glorious chances to go on top. Scolari's football is nice to watch mainly because of Bosingwa. Other than that, there is very little difference. And most importantly, we lost that 'cockiness' that Jose instilled.

[JWNY]

Super..Super Frank

Super..Super Frank

Super..Super Frank

Super Frankie Lampard!

[Glen2712]

Running Scared? No Chance…

The CFCnet, 9th January, 2009

It’s the big one, Manchester United at Old Trafford today, and without wanting to admit I’m just that little bit scared…sod it, I’m dreading the game. We’re out of form, out of sorts, some may say we’re out of ideas. Not the ideal time to visit a side which recently added a World Championship to last season’s Premier League and Champions League trophies, and were stung in mid-week by Championship side Derby in the League Cup semi-final first-leg. Ferguson is apparently still stewing over a lacklustre performance by his United side, and it appears as if we are the side to receive the overspill of his crimson red anger.


But then remember back to last season, the tail-end to be precise. We were chasing Manchester United in the league, and they possessed the superhuman Cristiano Ronaldo who in turn possessed the Midas touch. Everything he tried came off to great effect and when United came to Stamford Bridge at the end of April, we weren’t massive favourites to take three points. But a spirited display full of passion, guts and drive saw Chelsea run out 2-1 winners with Michael Ballack scoring both.


Fast-forward to May and the Luzhniki stadium. We weren’t at the races at the beginning of the Champions League final and conceded a cheap Ronaldo goal. But we galvanized, picked ourselves up, equalised and could realistically have added to it in the second-half. A sending-off and an untimely slip were our banes.


What I’m saying is that Chelsea-Manchester United is a cup final in its own right. An anomaly in terms of the form books, a complete metaphor for football as a sport which intrigues because of its unpredictability. We could lose badly, we could win emphatically; who can stand up and say that neither will definitely happen? Sure we’ve been underwhelming in the last few weeks, or months even, but perhaps the trip to Old Trafford is the catalyst we’ve been waiting for, the spark to ignite our true form. The side we possess now isn’t vastly different to that which came so close to winning in Luzhniki. Reasons to be frightened are suddenly disappearing.


We are likely to be without Alex and Florent Malouda while Michael Essien is still at least a month from full fitness. John Terry returns from a recent suspension to partner Ricardo Carvalho at the back. Scolari must make a decision in terms of the Anelka/Drogba debate while midfield and its occupants is also a contentious dilemma.


Alex Ferguson is without reserve goalkeeper Ben Foster, defender Wes Brown and holding player Owen Hargreaves, all of whom are definitely out. Rio Ferdinand is apparently a doubt with a back injury, but will in all certainty make a miraculous recovery to take the field on Sunday afternoon.


Two of our previous meetings have already been mentioned, while one must be glossed over quickly or it will ruin the tone of this piece. The last time we visited Old Trafford was in Avram Grant’s first game back in September 2007. We lost 2-0 with a debatable red card for us and a dodgy penalty for them. Fancy that. The 1-1 draw at the Bridge earlier this season is also a memory not worth bringing back up.


With Liverpool looking strong at the top of the league, both sides will be looking to catch Rafa Benitez’s side as quickly as possible. Defeat for us would most likely be the beginning of yet another crisis (and probably crash the Live Match Forum) while a win would put the world of Chelsea to rights again. With José Mourinho reportedly set to attend the game, in close proximity to Roman Abramovich in the directors box, the spectre of success looms upon us. The past can never return, but we can show we can still have a bright future. It begins at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon.

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[chelsea4me]

My favorite team had lost to man u 0-3......sob sob.......

[Peter_North]

Chelsea has been declining since we lost two instrumental wingers in Arjen Robben and Damien Duff. Even in the latter stages of Jose's reign, we had difficulties because the replacements were not good enough. Kalou and Malouda are just not in the same mould as Robben and Duff. Robben is making waves at Real Madrid at the moment. When Robben was around, Joe Cole was his understudy. And Cole played extremely well when Robben was injured because of competition.

Say what you like about Big Phil, but had he won the World Cup with Portugal I would have faith in him. You won the World Cup with Brazil, people will think you should win because of the talents at your disposal.

At the moment, discipline is clearly lacking in Chelsea team. They're poorest in the league when it comes to defending set pieces.

[chelsea4me]

Look like last yr, only two horses race between us and man u. hopefully this yr chelsea can turn the table. i think we can if drogba and anelka start bang in tons of goals!

[ROCKERS]

At the moment, discipline is clearly lacking in Chelsea team.
I like your optimism, but the blues lost few glorious chances to go on top.

[JWNY]

[Glen2712]

That looks like Chelsea gives '1/4 ball' to Liverpool, Bro JWNY.

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[JWNY]

Bro Glen2712

Torres has broken my heart in the 88th minute...heartbreaker

JWNY