Arsenal = Hypocrites?

Me : Arsenal are in a fix now, aren't they? 

Either 'break' their 'moral values' and bring in established talents by offering high wages like LOLpool did or accept the fact that they're indeed a sinking ship and 'keep faith in the youth system and hope that they will eventually come good'. 

What would you as an Arsenal fan prefer?

(Die hard) Arsenal Fan :  Not asking to break the moral code here. I'd not be an Arsenal fan if we went all Lol-pool over our wage structure. All I want Wenger to do is spend at least HALF the money that he got from players leaving ONLY. Forget the transfer budget. Because even if he does that, we should be fine. #ReleaseTheArsenalMillions

The Emperor returns.

The Champions League draw is out, and Chelsea are placed in Group E along with Valencia, Bayer Leverkusen and Genk.            

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

While Chelsea are expected to go through comfortably, this group is not as easy as it appears. Bayer Leverkusen finished second in the Bundesliga last season, which speaks volumes. Then there is Valencia who can be a threat to any side. And let us not underestimate Genk, who are the Belgian Champions, making them not an easy opponent.  

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

So, where does the key lie?           

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

According to me, our three home games will be vital, winning away against Leverkusen and Valencia will be very difficult - The earlier we reach the 10 point mark, the better.   

                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

Return of the Kaiser!          

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

Michael Ballack will get his richly deserved welcome from Chelsea fans when he visits Stamford Bridge with his Leverkusen side on the 13th of September.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Mata hoped he would meet Valencia in the Champions League final, well, he’ll have to made do with the group stages for now.   

Match report : Chelsea 3-1 Norwich.

It was a game filled with emotions, contentment for the 3 goals Chelsea scored, anger at Chelsea’s lacklusture performance overall (though the scoreline suggests something different), fear at Drogba’s head injury and finally delight for Mata’s debut goal as Chelsea overcame Norwich 3-1 after a determined performance from the Blues in the 2^nd half.

It was a walk in the park for Chelsea in the opening few minutes as the Blues capitalized on Norwich’s bleak start by scoring a goal in the 6^th minute. The goal came from an unlikely source in Jose Bosingwa who scored stunningly from 25 yards out.

Chelsea were cruising in the first fifteen minutes with the 70-30 possession in our favour doing much of the talking. But things rapidly changed after that as Norwich started attacking, and Hilario was forced to make a couple of saves, one from Holt who headed the ball straight into him, and another from Hoolahan who shot from 30 yards out.

2 horrible free kicks, one each from Drogba and Lampard added to the frustration of the Chelsea fans as an unconvincing Chelsea lead 1-0 at Half Time.

Things looked better in the 2^nd half as Chelsea created a few chances in the opening minutes and would have been 2-0 up had Drogba intercepted a juicy cross from Malouda.
Things remained the same till the hour mark, until a header by Ivanovic took the ball away from Hilario only to be intercepted neatly by Holt who scored a spectacular goal. Chelsea 1-1 Norwich.
7 minutes of stoppage soon followed as Drogba was knocked unconscious in the air by a punch from Norwich Goalkeeper Ruddy who was trying to clear the ball. The punch, unintentional, knocked Drogba immediately who fell head first to the ground. A stunned Stamford Bridge crowd stood silent, helplessly watching the medical team treat Drogba.

The Stamford Bridge crowd ruptured will applause as Drogba was stretchered off and Mata was brought on, not as Drogba’s replacement, but Malouda’s. Anelka replaced Drogba and the game resumed.

Chelsea looked close to going 2-1 down when Morison had a clear chance, but took too much time to make up his mind. By then, Captain John Terry was at the spot and cleared the ball.

Mata immediately showed his class as he put in a dangerous ball from the left flank which was intercepted by none other than Torres, and which forced a save from Ruddy.
In the 80^th minute, Ramires made a scintillating run into the box, took the ball away from Ruddy who brought him down. What followed was a penalty converted by Lampard and a red card for Ruddy.

Things were never going to get any easier for Norwich after being down to 10 men as Chelsea were back from where they left after 15 minutes. Debutant Lukaku, who came on for Torres, worked a yard and shot only to be saved by the substitute goalkeeper Rudd. Lukaku looked sharp in the 17 odd minutes he played.

While Branislav Ivanovic missed a simple header in the 90^th minute that would have ensured 3 points, Mata capitalised on a misplaced pass from De Laet in the 101^st minute and finished coolly past the substitute goalkeeper Rudd.

In the end, it wasn’t the most convincing win but it was 3 points that most would say Chelsea deserved. 

She's the one.

If there's one person we can learn management skills from, its our Mom.

Match report : Chelsea 2-1 WBA.

Football is a game of two halves and it was clearly evident today as Chelsea, after a woeful first half performance and being a goal down, managed to pull back 2 goals in the 2^nd half to register a much needed victory.

Chelsea’s looked sloppy in the first few minutes and were made to pay in the 5^th minute as West Brom’s new recruit Shane Long managed to outmuscle Alex and hit the back of the net with a cool finish. Even Cech couldn’t have done any better. Stamford Bridge suddenly went quiet.

Things were going as per plan for West Brom as they defended deep and relied heavily on counter attacks. The closest Chelsea came were with two shots, one from Kalou and one from Torres, both of which went high and wide and added to Chelsea’ misery.  

Albion looked close to doubling the lead through a brilliant counter attack when Long zoomed past Terry and Alex but somehow failed to find Tchoyi. The score remained 1-0.

After 35 minutes of stale and sloppy play, AVB made a brave decision and took off Kalou who was replaced by Malouda who instantly added more pace to Chelsea’s game.

Nearing the end of the first half, Anelka, and most of the Shed End crowd had a blatant penalty appealed rejected by the referee when Anelka felt he was fouled inside the box by Foster. Replays suggested that Foster got Anelka but got none of the ball. Another poor refereeing decision?

The first half drama was far from over as Chelsea came close to scoring in extra time at the end of the 1^st half after a foul on Torres just outside the box resulted in an Alex free kick which got deflected only to be saved by Ben Foster.  

Andre Villas Boas’ team talk after a shocking first half probably made all the difference in the 2^nd. Chelsea looked an altogether different side and played with more pace and looked determined to get the two goals which would ensure 3 points.

Chelsea got the first breakthrough in the 53^rd minute when a Lampard pass was efficiently intercepted by Anelka who found the back of the net with a trademark finish from a tight angle, his first Premier League goal since February.

Chelsea continued to pile on pressure and West Brom continued to be resilient to the wave of attacks that ensued post Anelka’s goal. Apart from one instance where Tchoyi’s shot forced a heroic save from Hilario, Chelsea were completely dominating the proceedings.  

The Stamford Bridge faithful had to wait until the 83^rd minute when Bosingwa ran past two defenders with the ball only to provide a brilliant, yet lethal low cross. Result? An uncomplicated finish from Malouda which ensured 3 points for Chelsea and gave Andre Villas Boas’ side a much needed win.

Chelsea managed to knick 3 points inspite of a dreary first half performance, and as the saying goes, things can only get better for Chelsea from here on. 

Will passing the bill help?

‎1 Question : Will we become any less corrupt 'if' the Jan Lokpal Bill is passed?

I personally would still prefer giving a pandu 50/100 bucks than make a pavti, surrender my licence, visiting the nearest police station, pay the fine and then get my licence back.

Point? Our system forces us to be corrupt and we're so used to it that life will become much more difficult without it.

Nothing against anyone or anything, just a random thought.

Future Captain?

Wearing the captain’s armband is very prestigious for any player - especially the Bridge where it means you will put on the same armband which famous names like Zola, Desailly, John Terry and Ossie among others have all worn with pride.                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

Every player who puts on the Blue shirt aspires to be the the captain, the player his peers look to for advice and inspiration.

 

John Terry has been our ‘Captain, Leader, Legend’ for a long time now, have you ever wondered who’ll lead us once he hangs up his boots? Here’s a look at the contenders who have a realistic chance of taking on  the prestigious captain’s armband and will lead the team in the future:   

 

Torres: He will eventually come good for Chelsea, and when he does, he will be unstoppable - But the age old question will remain, is a forward capable enough to lead the side?                                                                                                                                                         

Mikel: Yes, he found his feet last season with some brilliant performances,  but I’m not too sure if he’ll stay long enough to become our captain.

 

Ivanovic: Young, dynamic and already a fan's favourite - He is my clear favourite to replace John Terry as our future captain, especially as he has a good seven to eight years left in the top flight.

 

David Luiz: Another fan favourite, whilst he is new to the club he's a great defender, and a good contender to lead the side.

 

Personally, I think Ivanovic will, and surely deserves to lead CFC after John Terry passes on the armband. The Serbian is an incredible performer, he’s been flexible and has played in any position where the manager has wanted him to play - Doing so without any fears or complaints. A type of person everyone would love to see as our captain, plus he's a defender.                                                                                                                                                                                                      

The next 'Captain, Leader, Legend'? I hope so.