Stalemate..But Still Advantage Chelsea!!

Barcelona 0-0 Chelsea

Yeah thats right..Barcelona -0!!!thats the first time a team has kept a clean sheet at the Camp Nou this season..Incredible defensive performance..and most importantly ouur much critisiced beloved Petr Cech had his game of the season..I have absolutely no doubts he is the best shot stopper in the world..he has no doubt lost his ability to claim crosses like he did earlier but he's still one of the best..Bosingwa made short work of Messi..Iam amazed..Bosingwa marking Messi on his wrong side and doing such a job!!I didnt even see him have the ball in the second half..now for the next leg we'll have Ashley Cole back..so Messi better not mess with us..for Barcelona I would say the only person who looked a little threatening was Iniesta..his movement and passing were brilliant..but the the rest of the fab five were just sleeping so it didnt really make that much of a difference..but despite all our heroics in defence I must say we never really wanted anything but a 0-0..Chelsea had very little posession and not once did they seem to use it properly..players were more interested in clearences than counter attacks..but thats what frustrated Barca..Hiddink has played another masterstroke here..Barca are boiling right now to not have scored..and guess what they have Real Madrid away this weekend..a loss there could very well mean the so called best team in Europe might end up Trophy-less..we on the other hand have Fulham..and we are out of the Premier League race so Ican see a lot of players being rested..lets hope Di Santo gets a start..another interesting fact is that the last 3 Chelsea-Barca fixtures have been won by the team playing the second leg at home..so that tradition should continue..Barca's already weak defence lost two more men last night..Puyol and Marquez..things are looking quite bright for us I can say..

**KTBFFH**

Barcelona Vs Chelsea..Brace Yourself

Chelsea Vs Barcelona..yet again..another classic in the making..Whatever happens,Football will be the real winner tonight..absolutely no doubts that this is the biggest test for either team so far this season..Chelsea have been on a high ever since Hiddink took over..Barca too have been on a high ever since Guardiola took over..theres just a minor difference that Guardiola took charge about 8 months before Hiddink..Barcelona have been rated favourites ever since the start of the competition..and now its no difference theres a whopping difference between the odds offered for the two sides..Chelsea are going into this game with the 'underdogs' tag..this is after we dispatched Liverpool 7-5 on agg..so that surely says that Barca have been the best so far..now is our time to change all that..
Our biggest worry in this match is absence of Ashley Cole..had he been present I wouldnt even have cared about Messi..but now with Bosingwa expected to play on the left(his unnatural) side its quite worrying..Bosingwa I dont think is good enough to stop players when he's playing his usual right back and in a make-shift left back?Ok i'd be glad if Bosingwa makes me eat those words..but the positive here to be taken is that despite including Bosingwa our defensive line is much stronger than theirs..Drogba if given the proper supply will wreck their defence..for me the most important player in this match has to be Didier Drogba..If he can take the chances he creates we'll be leaving a Blue painted Camp Nou..Drogba is a big game player..and games dont get bigger than this..he'll score..and I get a feeling it'll not be just 1..Another place where we'll beat them is the air and set pieces..we have many stronger players them..Drogba in particular will be very effective here..Cech must have won back some of his confidence with that penalty save against West Ham..even after guessing correct he had a lot to do,which he did perfectly..so thats that..we have a better goalkeeper..stronger defence..physically strong midfield and a towering striker in Drogba..then how are we not the favourites?In five words..Messi,Henry,Eto'o,Xavi,Iniesta..those names are good enough to scare many out their wits..and they do gel well..this isnt a Liverpool side run by a Gerrard or a Torres..these are five world class players who on their respective days can win games single handedly..ok now i'll try not to sound too glum..we've got out own five in Drogba,Lampard,Essien, Ballack,Terry..Terry because he's the person who never lets the team fall apart..born leader..
My Prediction- 2-1 Chelsea

**KTBFFH**

Goal,Match,Championship Man Utd..

Chelsea 0-0 Everton

For a moment in the first half I had begun to feel that LFS had secretly taken charge once again..it was typically the LFS Scolari performance..atleast in the first half..the second half was better..we created more goal scoring chances..but still it wasnt convincing..Everton get their credit here..they were brilliant..and on a luckier day would have won too..anyway with draw we're out of the Premier League race..actually we were out just when Man Utd got their second against Portsmouth..They'll win it now..ok no more about that dull match..

Now what this does do is help Chelsea focus on the other tournaments..or rather the Champions League(we're already in the FA cup Final)..We play Barcelona who dispatched Sevilla with near perfection..they're playing the best football of their lives..but in the Champions League you never know..plus its proven that they're back four isnt great so we might as well sneak in an away goal or two..now one story I've heard is that Michael Mancienne will be employed against Lionel Messi in the abscence of Ashley Cole..first reaction 0_O..what??Mancienne against Messi?but then looking at it carefully I think it might not as well be that bad an option with no recognized left back I guess a pacy Mancienne would be good against Messi..lets see what Hiddink does here..either way we need a very strong back four..given that they'll be playing Messi,Eto'o,Henry,Xavi,Iniesta..If chelsea go into this game with a defensive mindset they'll lose..they'll lose bad..I think it'll be a high scoring draw..maybe even 4-4 again..

*BLUE IS THE COLOUR*

From Africa with Love..

Chelsea 2 - 1 Arsenal

It just had to be this man..Didier Drogba just cant go without scoring against this club..he just loves sinking them..The match yesterday was exactly as I thought it'd be..when Arsenal scored the first goal I was sure we'd win..and win we did..Arsenal had gone a little too far beyond themselves after a win over Villareal(that too without Senna) plus the got the first goal, now thats the perfect formula for self destruction..It was all Chelsea after that..and most deservedly Malouda scored after a fantastic ball from Lampard..Malouda has become a completely different player..he's so confident now..he takes on defenders and beats them..but then his hairstlyle?:O:O:O well some things you get right and some things you dont..as long as the right things are on the field I dont mind:)..
Ok now here comes Guus praise paragraph..he is a GENIUS..big GENIUS..he knew perfectly about Arsenals weaknesses and then hit them right at the spot where it pains the most..look at Arsenal..Fabregas was invisible..Adebayor hardly took a touch after the goal..Van Persie found the top corner quite a few times..of the stands i.e..Drogba made their already incompetent defence look like a bunch of street footballers..their midfield was outplayed,outmuscled and outclassed..Incredible..now there Mr. Wenger you see how Expirience owns the immature..
Still without any doubt the player of the game was Lampard..he deserved half a goal in both the goals we scored..two absolutely brilliant balls..credit to the finishers as well..Otherwise I saw a much better than usual performance from Alex..Essien again played the magician who makes the other teams main man vanish..Fabregas was literally just GAS yesterday..
Now with that we have our first final of the season..and we're playing either Man Utd or Everton..on current form this one could go either way..lets hope for an all Blue final..
*BLUE IS THE COLOUR*

Chelsea Vs Arsenal..Bring The Gooners Back To Earth

Ok its time for another Cup game..and this time its knockout..lose this game and you're out..And its against our local rivals Arsenal..well I can bet my life savings on this one(even though I barely have any)..Arsenal and they're supporters feel that by beating Villareal at home they've become invincible..poor chaps..This is what is precisely going to be their demise..They feel they've conquered the world..It'll be a nice homecoming for them this Saturday..homecoming to the Earth i.e..and on the other hand Chelsea have had two games full of complacency which would have jolted the players enough..plus with Hiddink here I just cant see us losing a game..Against Arsenal I feel we would be brilliant given their fragile nature and Wenger's youth fetish..Chelsea have a horde of powerful players in Essien,Drogba,Ballack,Mikel and the centre halfs Terry and Carvalho..Iam sure Hiddink would have realised this and already worked out a strategy..Whats great about this guy is that he always has a backup..always has a Plan B..which is precisely what Scolari lacked..look at the Liverpool game for instance..We're down 2-0 and just 30 mins on the board..He knows his defensive strategy isnt working..Anelka comes on..and BOOM!!..The match turns on its head..well Iam not saying that Anelka was the one made all the difference..It was the change in approach..Ok that sums up my Hiddink praise for the day..my prediction 3-1 Chelsea..yeah Arsenal to score 1..maybe of a dubious penalty or an offside like last time..
Now theres this news about I read about Ancelotti coming to Chelsea in the summer on a 3 year contract and about him getting a 57M budget..I know your reaction 'PLEASE NO!!!'..now heres the good part..I read this on Goal.com..hah..so no need to break sweat just yet..
And the last thing..as you know I'd turned 18 about a week back..so that means Iam eligible and Adsense account..and most of you would already have noticed the ads on the blog and feed too..So yeah..officially i've started monetizing the blog..well I dont really feel I'll be making any money..I dont really want to either..so you know just to experience..
*BLUE IS THE COLOUR*

Sweet Revenge..Barca Beware!!

Chelsea 4-4 Liverpool

What a Game!!!its still not completely sunk in..now the good thing is that we're through and have avenged the two times Liverpool knocked..now according to me Liverpool were the best team in the competition..and believe me we have been fortunate that the second leg was played at Stamford Bridge and the fact that we have Hiddink and moreover they have Rafa Benitez..I mean a 4-4 in the first leg and Anfield to come..Liverpool would have gobbled us..

The scoreline was quite just I'd say..although the first half was all Liverpool..and Hiddink has revealed that an Angry Team talk had been behind the teams revival..but the way we fought back was brilliant..from 2-0 down to 3-2 up..quite brilliant..but then after that the same old complacency story..let in 2 goals in no time and if it werent for Lampards last goal I think Liverpool might as well have got the last one..It wasnt before the Second half that our wonder midfield of Lampard, Ballack, Essien began to show its potential..Drogba finally appeared to have woken up from his sleep..for me he was the player of the match..Hiddink showed again why he was called the tactical genius by bringning on Anelka in only the 35th minute..The goals by Drogba(I simply cannot believe that was given an own goal) and Alex were superb..Alex showed some real brazillian muscle in that shot of his..and Reina well stop blaming him..that shot couldnt possibly have been saved..now the worst thing to happen was Ashley Cole yellow..iam not arguing as to if it was a yellow or not..no use..he'll miss the first leg in Nou Camp with Messi left alone to a new comer if Ferriera isnt fit..now thats scary..but one thing I feel is that Barcelona are nowhere near the team in Defence that they're in attack..and plus Terry and Carvalho both together create a wonderful pair of centre halfs so I guess Barcelona isnt as threatening as many have proclaimed..

Meanwhile elsewhere Bayern restored some pride with a 1-1 victory at the Allianz..Pretty Boy's 35 yarder helped ManU through( I lost Rs.30 on this one) and well Arsenal just ran over Villareal..so now that means we will have atleast one english team in the final..If we can beat Barca..which we will!! then I want to face Man U..theres some unfinished business from last May..

*BLUE IS THE COLOUR*

Bolt(on)ed at The Bridge..Watch Out Blues

Chelsea 4-3 Bolton
Fist of all apologies for a late post..been busy with an exam..an exam that didnt got too well..I got a little depressed but thanks to a walkng-talking human 'anti-depressant' Iam fine now...ok anyway the match..yeah we won..although I think Chelsea played for just the 70 minutes compared to Boltons 90..Complacency at its best..but as long as we win I dont mind..now the single most positive thing I picked from this game was Ballack!!He was superb..ok now if you feel Iam overstating matters then I have excuses..Its not everyday that you favourite player scores his first BPL goal..but even apart from the goal he was much better than usual..Lampard was his usual best and Drogba got two goals but Iam still sure that he'd be disappointed with his finishing..now the difference when these two were taken off was so very obvious..Deco couldnt take a proper touch entire match..all I saw him doing was trying to kick the ball back above his head..Anelka well cant blame him too much..he was kind of isolated in the end..even after what happened I still support Hiddinks decision..he kept these two for today..plus he gave a chance to Deco and Anelka..
Ok now tonights match..I've seen a few Pool supporters saying that if Bolton can score three we have a decent chance..but then i dont know why they ignore the fact that we still scored FOUR..anyway Iam supremely confident of Hiddink outsmarting Rafa once again..A double here would be just revenge for what Scolari helped them do in the league..Now Terry's absent, but we've got Carvalho back..and I dont think many here would agree but if we take only the Defensive abilities in consideration I rate Carvalho above Terry..so that means Alex and Cavalho as centre-halfs and Ashley Cole and Ivanovic on the sides..well actually I'd play Ivanovic in place of Alex and give the Right back spot to Mancienne..but yeah theres a reason Hiddinks the coach and not me..Gerrard WILL play..no matter what..Iam completely sure..I guess they just made this a big story to make us feel more complacent..and perhaps they just used this injury to show people that Essien wasnt the reason Gerrard wasnt at his best..typical Rafa type mind-game..but Hiddink is no Ferguson..my prediction 2-0 or 2-1 Chelsea..
Now the mangerial issue..see If Hiddink agrees to stay there'll be nothing like it..this guy is the coolest manager I've seen since JM..otherwise please "NO ANCELOTTI" or Ancelloti or whatever..no I cant even imagine what the BPL would do a coach from the Serie A..Rijkaard would be better..but then still not convincing enough..ok perhaps I should just shut up..I found Scolari convincing..hah.

Now thats CHELSEA..RIP Liverpool

Liverpool 1-3 Chelsea

Pure Chelsea..I knew it'd happen..Todays was our Best Match and Best Performance of the season so far..Incredible..Two teams at their attacking bests..well and quite obviously our best was better than theirs hence the scoreline..ok now before I go on my customary routine of praising all the players I would like to pay special tribute to Guus Hiddink..He demonstrated Tactical Brilliance which quite clearly outfoxed Rafa..now with Essien having scored twice already after his comeback many would have wanted him to play infront and influence play but Hiddink had other Ideas..he put him on Gerrard..and now except for one poor shot scuffed wide I dont remember Gerrard having any worthwhile contribution to the game..See its quite obvious that Liverpool like to play around their two main men Gerrard and Torres..Hiddink knew that he wiped off Gerrard and Liverpool were in tatters...of course Essien deserves a lot of praise too..He played his role to perfection..afterall Steven Gerrard isnt a man you can mark and keep quiet with ease..Terry could have done a little better with Torres but still the goal we conceded was the entire backlines fault not just his own..today a lot of players played near their respective potentials..Malouda was the same Florent Malouda from Lyon..Ballack was much more better..infact Ballack produced two absolutely killer balls..one of which was wasted by Drogba and the other one which led to the third goal..The guy with the Black headgear was actually Petr Cech only..coming out jumping and claiming crosses before the opposition even knew..Kalou was a little quiet but whenever he got the ball he seemed to do well enough..Lampard was a little down from his usual best..but we all know who the man was for us anyway..Brainslav Ivanovic!!..The Corner Lord..he took both his goals really well..now intially I was a bit skeptical about Mancienne not playing(instead of Alex with Ivanovic Centre Half) but Alex too like many others was much better than normal although he's still nowhere near Carvalho..Now John Terry got a yellow card..so he'll miss the second leg..but I guess its good..we're in a great position so I'd rather take the suspension now rather than the Semis..plus Carvalho should be back next week..ok now i know Drogba wasnt at his best yesterday so I'll not really say much about him..Basically I feel Liverpool had started to experience this new found self-belief after beating substandard teams like Real Madrid,Man Utd and Aston Villa..well Fulham gave them a jitter..and now I guess Rafa is already thinking of the BPL only..where he'll finish third no matter what happens..well unless Man Utd can beat even their level of low performances..

Now this simlpy means that Liverpool are out of the Champions League..not even by their standards can they score 3 goals at Stmdord Bridge..not with Hiddink at helm in any case..he's going to know perfectly what to do..this is why the home return leg has an advantage..now the intelligent will have noticed that I havent talked about Bayern vs Barcelona..and if you know what happened in the Nou Camp you wouldnt really blame me..Barca were better no doubt..and there too its more or less settled..we're getting a Chelsea Vs Barcelona Semi Final..Epic in the making..

Back To The Ground Newcastle United

Newcastle 0 - 2 Chelsea

Yes No problems..We dispatched Newcastle in the most professional display of the season so far..Newcastle were bound to be good in the beginning and Hiddink knew that..perfectly planned..One big positive i saw was Malouda..with or without his goal i was he was great..didnt give away the ball,didnt get caught offside,actually made turns to beat defenders..ok thats encouraging enough..Ballack was demoted to the bench for this one..now I dont really think this was done because of his performances..rather I feel Hiddink was keeping him for the Liverpool matches coming up..He did come on in the second half..where again I would like to appreciate Hiddink..He kept both Essien and Ballack from being jaded..Ballack looked much more better to me..although he fired a shot straight at the keeper but he made up for it with his superb overhead pass leaving Kalou 1v1 vs the goalkeeper..Kalou missed but I wasnt too dissapointed..a 3-0 would have been unfair on Newcastle..they had already had a legitimate goal not given..

and now the disappointing part..both Liverpool and Man Utd pickd up victories with injury time goals..tch..this isnt good..this means we havent really made up any ground this week..now just 7 games left..Ok come on Man Utd show us your real skills..lose three games..

Ok now i was wondering if everything goes as I want it to then we'll have a Bayern vs Chelsea semi final in the Champions League..now you already may know thats the last match i want to see..but i still do need to chose 1 team..although I blog about chelsea,I dont miss any of their matches etc.. Bayern still remains closer to me..so if its a Chelsea vs Bayern..Iam gunning for Bayern Munich..but then that would be a rare occasion where I'd be happy even after my team would lose..

**BLUE IS THE COLOUR**

New Template..Again

Now as you can see(unless you're a feed subscriber) I have changed the Template again..see dont blame me..this International Break isnt what I wanted to write about and I had a little time so I though why not..So far the reviews to this new design have been positive and most probably it'll stay..no infact it'll definitely stay..except for the green i like everything..I'll see if iam skilled enough at HTML to convert it to something else..otherwise I hold no responsibilty of glared pupils..You can write if you like this or not in the comments form or the shoutbox if theres a lot of negetive feedback i might just consider restoring the old one..
Ok now however reluctant I may seem about this I do have one point to talk about the International Break..Germany!! and Ballack in particular..now look at his performance there..awesome!!I wish he retains his form..I strongly feel Ballack isnt really given the proper position at Chelsea..because he's proven time and again he's a much better player than what he is right now..I feel Lampard and Ballack should both play a little more forward..ah well iam not Hiddink so no use..
Ok short post..I'll write the Newcastle Preview post in a few days..
***BLUE IS THE COLOUR***

So Near,Yet So Far

Tottenham 1 - 0 Chelsea
So it happens..Guus Hiddink's Chelsea are not invincible afterall..This was a real opportunity to put Man Utd under extreme pressure after their 9 men defeat at craven cottage..The way they *bounced back* after the 4-1 thumping was incredible..in fact thats the only reason i still feel we have a small chance of stealing this title..Now iam not worried about Liverpool as far as the title goes..They'll definitely finish below us..i can bet anything on that..but Man Utd too looked good for 2-3 more defeats so I dont think its over yet..They play Villa next..if Villa can beat Liverpool today than Iam sure they will atleast get a point against Man Utd..well nothing wrong in being wishful..
The match was poorly played..by both teams..but i must say Spurs were a bit more clever..their counters were quick and fast moving..and BOSINGWA!!!omg!!someone please go and tell him he is a Right Back..not a CF..the moment he gets the ball he starts running with it trying to beat every person in his way..and not once have i seen him do it succesfully..well Mancienne roll up your socks..and Ballack..I just dont get whats happening to him..how can my favourite player play like he is nowadays..I very dearly hope he gets back to his instrumental best..Soon..Well the end was frantic..we could have scored so many..but Gomes..well the blunder king produced his best performance..I dont really feel talking about this match..for obvious reasons...So i'll move on..
The UCL draw was made..and quite predictably we got Liverpool again..This time we're going to thump them..real bad..yes we are..Return leg at Stamford Bridge=Bye bye Liverpool..but the unfortunate thing is that we play the winner of Barca-Bayern match..now I cant get a Bayern Chelsea final..:sob:..

Lead Cut..Beware Man Utd

Chelsea 1-0 Man City
Another Win..another narrow win..although iam delighted with the win but iam really beginning to worry about the inability of our team to finish games off..Yesterday we did just what we've been doing in the past 6 games..We got the early goal but we never got the second that would have put the game beyond the opponents..We had loads of chances..loads of clearcut goal scoring chances of which we didnt make much..But the good part is we're back into second place and just 4 points behind Man Utd having played a game more..now last season if i remember correctly we were 5 points behind Man Utd when there were 10 games remaining..this time we're 7 behind..so it is very well possible..although not probable but still quite possible..
Now another point i'd like to bring up is Michael Ballack's recent underperformance..it really makes me sad to see a player of his calibure produce performances like he has..anyways Iam sure he'll get over it..I still remember how he came up in the final third of last season lets hope it happens again..and now the 'Bison'..He's back and he's back with a bang..2 goals in 2 games..although he got a little lucky with the finish yesterday his work rate was as usual very high..it seems like he never stopped playing..Although Mikel played his role wonderfully but Essien is still a class apart..the other sad news coming is that Deco could be out for the rest of the season..and yes one more point does anyone else feel Bosingwa is trying to be the next Messi?I say so because whenever he gets the ball he tries to beat every possible defender in his way and get inside the box and shoot..now the bad point is he is simply not capable of doing it..he's much better of delivering those curling crosses inside the box rather than ape Messi..
Iam not writing about the Man Utd Liverpool match because I am not good at writing about other teams..and moreover it would just be full of abuses and insults to the MANUrians..but one things for sure..Liverpool really have set up this Title race now..it could go to either of the three..although i doubt it'll go to Anfield..because Liverpool show a little too much respect to the midtable teams..
**BLUE IS THE COLOUR**

Quarter Finals!!!We Won..End Of The Story

Juventus 2-2 Chelsea (2-3 Agg)
Ok so we're finally in the quarter finals of the Uefa Champions League..and believe me when that happened my first reaction was relief rather than joy..the sort of football chelsea were playing before the Iaquinta goal made me feel we're already out of this..but thankfully we won..
Ok so iam editing it..finally got some time..
Basically we did exactly what i feared in this match..concede..Juventus have shown me that the 'new' Chelsea isnt perfect but still i'd rate it much higher than the old one..if it were Scolari we'd have lost 3-0 after that first goal..we were really really poor before the first goal..and after our own first goal we were dominating..anyways the bottomline is that we won..we're through..although not as convincingly as the other clubs but still we're there..the draw isnt yet out so we dont yet know who we're playing..I'd take any team but Bayern..not because they mauled Sporting 12-1 but because they're my childhood favourites and i hate clash of the favourites..it becomes so difficult to watch..anyways doing a match analysis at this time is pointless because its been long now so i'll move on..
Today Liverpool visit Old Traford to keep their (as well as ours) title bid alive..well i do think i win for liverpool could just spark of a nosedive for the ManUrians..Liverpool after they routed Real Madrid are looking really dangerous and I hope they do us both a favour..well maths exam coming up..so bye..
**BLUE IS THE COLOUR**

FA Cup Semi Finals..Iam Beggining to Love this ''New"Chelsea

Coventry 0 - 2 Chelsea

Yeah this proves it..Chelsea is well and truly back on track..I know the opposition werent too great but 5 wins on the trot(including Aston Villa and Juve) is good against any sort of oppositions..The only thing that was worrying me in this post Hiddink era was the inability to finish things off..and yesterday we did exactly that..The alex goal sealed it..and this man right here..Didier Drogba..he's back..he sure is back..He personifies determination and thirst for success..and iam supremely confident that he will maintain his form untill the end now..another huge positive was the return of the 'Bison'..yes Essien is back..and Carvalho too(almost)..suddenly the team has started to feel so much stronger..The 'New' Chelsea as I called it earlier..well actually I can see a lot of similarities between the 'New' and JM time Chelsea..mentality wise..well lets hope it remains this way..A win against Juventus will be a huge boost and will shut up all those critics who are terming this as a temporary new manager effect..

I cant really comment much about the match as I didnt see it..Iam still wondering why Sony Pix got the broadcasting rights for the entire FA Cup if all they want to do is show Man Utd matches..

P.S-That Cross by Quaresma..0_0

100% Maintained..Hiddink's the Man

Portsmouth 0 - 1 Chelsea
Ok I couldnt watch this match live thanks to Espn's decision of telecasting it at 3.30 AM in the night, and with exams going on that was a little too difficult for me..anyways from whatever little i could make out from the highlights I saw the same sort of game i had been seeing in the last 4 matches..Anelka was ruled out of this one due to a bruised toe so Malouda got the nod..and that is precisely the reason why it took us almost 80 mins to open the scoring..Drogba was the only person playing as a proper striker..well anyways as long as we can win i'll have no complaints..This small little run we've put on reminds me of the JM era where we used to notch up those 1-0 and 2-1 results right at the death..Now we're just 4 points behind Man Utd but they do have 2 games in hand so they're still in quite a comfortable position..But lets not forget they still have to play Liverpool, Arsenal, Villa whereas we've got only Arsenal..so its not yet over..but still realistically i dont think we can win the title unless we dont drop anymore points this season and put on a run like Man Utd have..possible..with Hiddink I have started feeling confident of this Chelsea team again..One of the major advantage which Hiddink has over Scolari is his English...Its not flawless but its good enough..not like Scolari's "I no Idea, We Bad,They good" type..its quite evident that players seem to be responding better to him than they did to Scolari..The one i would like to single out here will be Didier Drogba..Believe me If Chelsea win anything this season he'll have to play a big role in it..Anelka is good but he is a typical poacher..doesnt do much in terms of creating out goals for others or even himself for that matter..thats why Drogba and Anelka form a good partnership..another good news is that our "Engine" Essien is back..he played a reserve game and even scored..now he may play in the Defensive Midfielder's position but he does make great runs and often scores..another player who'll benifit from this i feel is Ballack..he's been playing in a way too defensive role for his liking..but with Essien back he'll get to go forward(and stay there) more often...I seriosuly feel we will indeed win atleast one trophy this season..lets hope Hiddink can continue this great run of his..
*BLUE IS THE COLOUR*

Back To Second..God Bless Lampard!!

Chelsea 2-1 Wigan Atheltic

Phew!!! What a match!! The greatest thing about the result is that we're back in to second place after we overtook beaten Liverpool..The match awesome..I havent seen two teams attacking as freely as they did yesterday..but then what is worrying is that teams like Wigan are doing this at Stamford Bridge..I can imagine what other teams might do..Iam sure the only mistake we made was to not kill the game when we had the chances..but we won the game nonethless so Iam not complaining..

Standout performer of the day was Terry no doubt..he took his goal really well..and for a Centre half that was some finish..not to forget the contribution he made in defence..Mancienne was brilliant..it never looked that he was making his league debut..I think Hiddink made a great decision to play him infront of Belleti..and I really feel the need for Carvalho now..Alex is just not good enough..he's nowhere near the centre half of a top team like chelsea..Drogba put in another hard working and dangerous performance..Anelka was his usual low profile self..so was Ballack..We had so many chances..and the creation of most of them i'd attribute to Drogba's strong physical and Lampard's intelligent play..the only problem was when it came to finishing them..

Ok i cant write much..I have and exam tommorow.. so gtg..

Juventus Beaten,Keep Going Guus

Chelsea 1-0 Juventus
Ok two great results in as many games for Guus Hiddink..I must say iam very impressed with the sort of change he's brought to this team..It had been a long while since I had seen Chelsea dominate play like they did yesterday on a few occasions..It was brilliant..after the first 20 mins i thought we'd settle this one in the first leg itself..but then Juve did eventually get going and forced a tight finish in the end..but if I were given this 1-0 victory over Juventus in the beginning I'd have taken it..now I can even go to the extent of saying that Hiddink has already done more than what Scolari did in his entire regime..why? because Scolari never beat a top team..instead he got beat every single time except the game against Man Utd at SB..now Hiddink comes in and has to face two Top teams first up in his first two matches and he wins them both..The start is indeed rosy..lets hope it continues..Drogba getting the goal in this match was such a great thing.he is slowly but surely coming back to his real self..For me Kalou was one of our best players on the field..the assist by him was awesome he took the Juventus defence and me too( i didnt realise the quality of the ball unltil the goal was scored) completely by surprise..theres no doubt the players have upped their performance..a clean sheet is the most vital thing in home matches because even one away goal gives the other team a big advantage..thankfully Cech was not beaten..
Now I dont want to keep drooling over this win and forget the future..a 1-0 at home doesnt by any means mean qualification..not against a team like Juventus..I do think they'll score in the second leg..it'll be up to us to get that away goal..but what this win does do is that it brings back the lost confidence..The confidence i had lost when we lost those games to Liverpool and Man Utd..Ok lets hope for the best..
and the other matches..Sporting 0 - 5 Bayern!!!!Yay!!I atleast have one of my favourites in the quarters alerady..Goal.com says they already have one foot in the quarters..I say they have both except one little finger..Liverpool beat Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernebeau..I still feel theres something left in this one..Return leg should be interesting..Man Utd 0-0 Inter..fair result i should say..both teams dominated one half each but noone scored..Old Trafford should see a great match..I hope Jose repeats that touchline run of his..Arsenal too grabbed a win over Roma and should qualify..Sorry iam short on time..until next..
*BLUE IS THE COLOUR*

Manager Insecurity,Phil's Demise..

Ok people did I tell you that this soccer betting website www.gambling-guru.com has agreed to write articles for me in return for the new link that you see in my blogroll??Ok even if i didnt iam now..so here's what they've come up with..

Chelsea’s management crisis – where to now for the Blues?

It’s a big ask for any football club to win the premier events year in and year out but when a group of players are expected to perform at their optimum under the unforgiving eyes of a manager, who turns on them with ferocious and humiliating public criticism, then it is not surprising the Blues have battled to reach the top of the Premier League table.

Scolari did the unthinkable by criticising players in the public domain

Recently axed manager, Luiz Felipe Scolari simply did the unthinkable by ripping into the form - or lack thereof- of individual players in the public domain and he paid big time. Instead of taking the responsibility of a flotilla of bad performances on his own shoulders, Scolari chose to embarrass some of the outstanding talent he had at his disposal, inducing the wrath of his men and Chelsea fans the world over.

The Brazilian may well have a career resume that rivals the best in the business but his aggressive management style did not suit the West London Club. Granted, a fiery personality and theatrical chest thumping may well have gone down a treat in Brazil, Portugal and even Kuwait, but it clearly didn’t wash at Stamford Bridge,

Revolt of sorts in the dressing room

Although German midfielder, Michael Ballack, has strongly denied rumours that he and two other club members approached billionaire boss, Roman Abramovich with concerns over Scolari’s poor people and management skills, it is clear there was a revolt of sorts in the dressing room with only 2-3 players said to have backed the beleaguered coach.

Scolari smacked of arrogance as well as having a dire lack of organisational and leadership skills – who will ever forget his comment when asked whether he would consider the transfer market to remedy the club’s ills, a comment that has proved to be rather insightful “More players? I don’t want more players, I have very good players. Either we go to the top with these players or I go down”

It sure is ironic that it was the players themselves, and the traditional impatience of oil baron boss, Abramovich, that led to the untimely demise of Luiz Felipe Scolari.

As many coaches in as many years

Let’s face it, any club that has had as many coaches in as many years is going to find it darn difficult to find the consistency and flair necessary to rival the other football behemoths out there and with Guus Hiddink only in as a caretaker coach until the end of the season, Chelsea’s problems may become even more exacerbated.

In the words of arch rival and Man United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson “Their haste (in firing Scolari)is a reflection of the sad way the game is going, with everyone from owners, the board members, the supporters and the media demanding instant success and showing absolutely no patience."......in a couple of words, ‘immediate gratification’, something billionaire boss, Roman Abramovich, has clearly taken to heart and with a veritable sword of Damocles hanging over any future manager’s head; it’s going to be a fascinating and possibly painful couple of months ahead for Chelsea fans.

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Bring On The Old Lady!!

Chelsea VS Juventus - 25th Feb,2009
Yeah so its here..The Uefa Champions League Knockout stage..and frankly I havent seen a more exciting First Knockout Round in many years..Now some days ago i had absolutely no hope on this one..the way we were playing with no shots on goal, no clear cut chances..Basically what i mean is that against a team like Juventus who are masters at defending we'd have gone down hard..but now the last two matches have been encouraging but by no means can we be supremely confident(although the post title suggests otherwise)..
Now I would go in with the same side that beat Aston Villa last time..with just one change..Alex..if Carvalho is back well and good otherwise i'd want Ivanovic playing..I cant stop imagining what Del Piero would do if we have Alex as our Centre half..Terry is going to have a tough night..I guess Kalou will retain his place in midfield or perhaps could even be replaced by Deco/Quaresma but its highly unlikely..I wonder what happened to AshleyCole in the last game, Ferriera definitely wasnt picked above him on basis of ability..I hope he'll be back..he adds that width to our attacks..
Juventus arent exactly strolling either they're second in the Serie A 9 points behind Inter..but they've got their magic man in Del Piero..He was extremely impressive in the group stages..plus not to forget the worlds best goalkeeper Buffon and in form Amauri..A win at Stamford Bridge with no away goals becomes quite crucial for progressing because if they play a 1-1 draw here then Iam sure they'll get their 0-0 back in Turin for sure..my prediction on the 1st leg is 2-0 Chelsea..
In the other matches I think Liverpool will be the only other English team to advance or maybe even Arsenal..but Iam quite sure Inter(JM in particlar) is going to beat Man Utd(Fergie in particular)..I heard one Inter player say that Man Utd are better but we have Mourinho..Elsewhere I expect Bayern and Barcelona to advance pretty easily..
*BLUE IS THE COLOUR*

Normalcy Restored..Villa Ousted

Yeah i know i seriously couldnt find any better picture..btw you're looking cool Nic..:)
Aston Villa 0 - 1 Chelsea
First of all YAY!!!We got a win against a Big Four Team..well the way Aston Villa were playing I dont think Arsenal's catching anybody now..Now first of all the most positive thing in this match was the inclusion of two strikers..I was seriously hoping to see both Anelka and Drogba start..and they did..Hiddink on early impressions seems to be a no nonsense type guy..Take the lead,close the doors,three points,goodbye..well as long as the three points keep coming I dont give a damn as to how they come..the defence was fairly good..Alex being the exception..Sorry Ivanovic but Alex always seems to have connections with managers..Scolari and him were the same nationality so he got picked..now Hiddink..well Alex was a part of his hattrick Eredivisie winning PSV team..but I think that Hiddink will not persist with him if he keeps performing like this...In the midfield Lampard was at his very best again..Ballack supported him well..Ballack has taken more of the central midfielder role rather than his favoured Attacking midfielder one..He was unlucky to not have scored with that last thunderbolt..Deco came in for Kalou and looked much better than normal..and Anelka's finish was again pretty good..well Anelka has scored all the goals in this new formed partnership with Drogba but I guess Drogba's prescence has facilitated them..Both these guys love playing with each other..otherwise you wouldnt have found them crying against their manager to put them together..but unfortunately Scolari had his own ideas..anyways I must admit that the second half was all about Villa..with Chelsea getting the odd corner or counter..now thats like a typical away game..Cech made a few not-so-difficult but crucial saves..with Essien and Carvalho on comeback trail I can see a Bright Future for CFC..One thing I liked was the time wasting tactics employed in the end..I dont care if we got 3-4 bookings in the process..
This match is sure to have a huge impact..Hiddink as I mentioned earlier will now become an instant hit..We're back in third position now so all that talk about our priority being the Champions League spot will disappear..not to forget the next match is against Juventus so we needed a morale boosting victory like this..
*BLUE IS THE COLOUR*