John Terry has made it very public what we have been discussing over the blog for many days now. He says there is heavy competition for every place in the team, including his. It takes a man of great self-confidence to come out and say this. With a band of like-minded people with fighting spirit, he’s surely going to see everyone staking his claim for a starting place.
Terry says that Jose has made it very clear even to him, on the rush for places:
It’s very exciting when you know you’ve got players behind you always pushing. Every game is vitally important to keeping your place, you can’t let a performance go astray. If you do the manager or the other players behind you are going to be knocking at your door. No-one is safe, no-one at all, the manager made that quite clear to me when he gave me the armband. I certainly know that with Chelsea and England and I definitely won’t be taking that for granted this season.
See, he calls it exciting, when someone’s knocking at his door. That’s what I call a champion mentality and that’s why Jose loves him. Not a very nice thing to say when you give the armband, but you know, Jose is never the man for niceties. You gotta agree that no place in the Chelsea XI, except may be the goalkeeper, can be taken for granted by any player.
Well, if you’re worried about his reportedly broken toe, it is not confirmed by Official Chelsea website. So, that could be a scratch on the toe, zoooomed in by the Press, to be a broken toe.
Also, it’s nice to know that Terry is not losing sleep over his contract. That shows that I ignore those rumours about his agreeing to the contract. I’d wait for the news in the official website. Terry says:
It is very promising and I am hoping things can be done. It has moved a step closer. We have spoken since we have been here and we have moved closer. Aaron is over here, not only for that, but hopefully things can be done before the start of the season. Terry stressed that negotiations over a new deal had not stalled and were just taking time. It has not dragged on. These things take time. I said at the end of the last season that it was important to finish the campaign. We won the FA Cup and I wanted to get away and have a complete break with my family and I’ve done that. I’ve come back and we are speaking again. These things don’t happen overnight. It is a case of minor details that need to be looked over not only by myself but by solicitors from my end, from Chelsea’s end.
Well, if this is the case, he can take his time. I, for one, am not against players taking time for signing their contracts or negotiating with the clubs. I don’t see anything wrong in players asking for more money. I’m not going to accept anything less than what I deserve and I it holds good for you too. They have a right to request/negotiate and the club has the right to accept or refuse. It’s all well within their professional framework. I would not call this as ‘holding the club at ransom’. Another thing is, the contracts are negotiated and dealt with by the agents, who are trained professionals in such matters. They know what they are doing. The club has a big team of people working out on players’ contracts and the player is not supposed to leave such things to the expertise of his agent?
Much to the disappointment of the Press, Avram Grant seems to be at peace with Jose Mourinho. Avram clarified that his and Jose’s roles are entirely different and mutually exclusive:
I have no intention of interfering with his decisions. I don’t have anything to do with determining the team. My role is crystal clear and it is not meant in any way to undermine Mourinho. My relationship with Mourinho is wonderful. He just said he didn’t want anyone interfering with his team and he is right.
I know you’d be interested in Robben news, given that’s the hot Chelsea topic. Telegraph quotes the below from a top Real Madrid source:
Mijatovic spoke with Abramovich but the reply to Robben’s move was very clear. Abramovich said he didn’t care if the offer was £10 million or £50 million. Jose Mourinho has said the player is not for sale.
With such strong intentions from the coach, owner, players and fans, Robben should certainly reconsider his ideas. Agreed, Real Madrid is the mother of all clubs, but he surely has a better understanding of the English league and Chelsea, he has excelled here and he has a bright future at Chelsea, under a great manager.
If you ever believed in stories of Drogba leaving Chelsea, read this. Drogba has been very compassionate of the worrying fans and has issued a statement in the Official Chelsea website, that he’s not going anywhere:
There are incorrect media reports that I am considering leaving Chelsea. These are totally untrue. I have not given any interviews discussing this matter and I signed a new contract with the club last year. I have had a great three years at Chelsea and look forward to several more.
There cannot be more official line than this, about his future at Chelsea.
I’m eagerly waiting for the LA Galaxy match for it would be very competitive in all respects. We could see more realistic substitutions and Jose would have to make his first selection of starting eleven that could send out his real intentions on the composition of the team on the pitch at kick-off.
Finally, if you’re interested in writing for Blue Champions, click here, or there is also a link in the top menu. There are some pre-requisites I’d like you to know, that would save your time time and mine too. Goodluck!
[tags]Chelsea, John Terry, Terry, Jose Mourinho, Mourinho, Roman Abramovich, Abramovich, Arjen Robben, Robben, Arvam Grant[/tags]
28 Responses - Add your comment!
Awesome, awesome, awesome!!! I love that you’ve opened it up for us to help out with the articles, I’m sure it’s gonna help the blog keep growing. I love this site, thanks BC!!
About the article, I hope Terry’s deal gets done as soon as possible. I find him the best defender in the world, when he’s on. And I think the toe is a “hairline fracture,” nothing too serious.
I hope Robben changes his mind, if he has decided to move. But we shouldn’t keep him if he doesn’t want to stay, it’ll be very dangerous for our locker room.
What’s the latest on Tevez??
Great BC. looks like you are taking the blog a little further. Good step we would hear more views.
I am looking forward to the 4-3-3 formation this year. Hope Aug 5 gives us some insight. 2 weeks to go.
Thanks Adonis & Giridhar! That’s exactly my idea. I want this to be more of a community where Chelsea fans can come, discuss and free their mind. I know Chelsea fans get the maximum flak in whichever blog, forum or chatroom they get into and also realised that we need a place of our own to rant.
Thanks for the support!
I hope for ruthless attacking football form Blues coming season…I would infact go for total football…no worries about defence…just bombard opposition with attacks….12 goals per match for Blues…if it happens then who cares about defending….
That attitude is perfect Manish , i strongly recommend it , this was the reason Manure won the title ,they went all-out in the first 20 minutes , bombard the opposition , score 3 goals and sit back and relax!!!!
The benefits of such a policy…………
1.The Goal Difference is always very high
2.The opposition players are completely broken and cant muster the courage for a fightback
3.It sends a clear message to the rivals and challenges them to go and do better
this constant pressure payed off in the end , and even after a few stumbles , Manure were so far and properly in the driving seat that we had no chance!!!
Yeah Manure did it last season…I think they could do so because they have a good passing team and their coach deserves credit for it….they were moving ball extremely well…I am not sure if Blues can do so…though we have better players but I am not sure JM can get it done…then their MF has Giggs and Scholes, 2 seasoned veterans who understand their team very well..these 2 were very instrumental in Manure’s success last season….they blend the team together….we miss such MF players too much…and then JM always insists on direct approach rather than passing and flair….I hope JM this time allows players like Robben, SWP, Cole etc to express themselves more…this will certainly help team and player like Sheva….all the best for new season.
I think the player who can be a big star , is Joe Cole , he is one of my fav players , hes fast , direct , skilful ,versatile , dependable and consistent!!!
But JM has to understand how to use him ,he needs to be played just behind the strikers , where he cannot be marked and can slip his excellent passes thru , this way the creativity will also be there!!!
My strategy no. 1…………..(a solid team ,with ample strength and set-piece specalists , Cole is the main man carving out chances)
……………….Cech……………….
Jonno…..Terry……Carvy……Bridge
……..Essien……………………….
…………………..Lampard……….
…….Ballack……………………….
…………….J.Cole………………..
……..Sheva……….Drogba……….
My strategy no.2……….(Time to put on a show and show dem whos boss)
……………….Cech……………….
Jonno…..Terry……Carvy……Cole
……………….Mikel………………
…………Essien…..Lampard…………
…J.Cole………………….Malouda…..
………………Drogba……………..
So you’ve given up on Robben, Joeblue?? I still haven’t, but I think your starting lineups would be fantastic.
Manish, you bring up a little point here, that you want JM to “allow players like Robben, SWP, and Cole to express themselves.” As if he sat them down and told them, “you’re not allowed to be crafty, experimental, or creative. If you dribble fancily, I will sub you. I hate to see you dribble past defenders and if you attempt a no-look pass, I’ll sell you to Arsenal.”
I hate hearing how JM has not “allowed” players to be creative. He’s established a system where you can’t lose the ball. If your flashy carelessness is going to cost the team the ball, then do away with it. That’s all. But if you can pull off the flashiness, then good on you. That’s been the policy for the past four seasons.
Now I agree that the 4-4-2 limited creativity, speed, and width, so the 4-3-3 will help, but it wasn’t Jose sitting these players down and saying, “you’re not allowed to do these things.”
Adonis, I didn’t mean it that directly….I mean to say that JM’s syle of football is more of like a ironcage which doesn’t give players much space….he always wants ball within safe areas, no taking chances….I think Chelsea moves ball within its half 60-70% of its total possession time…with such strategy no attacking player can ever prosper and we will continue to scrap 1-0 wins.Surely this cautious approach dears costly.
i agree with adonis. JM has a system which has specific objectives and prohibitives. he does not prohibit creative play, he only prohibits losing the ball. if your so-called creative play is going to result in losing the ball cheaply 8 out of 10 times, he’s going to say no. when we were playing 4-3-3 in 04-05 and 05-06, we played the best football in the league and we won the titles too. i dont know some of you say JM does not encourage creative football. i dont want chelsea to experiment everything and lose crucial points, after which again you’d bash JM.
Any team with such talent at its disposal must not be afraid of loosing ball…they must be concerned about attack and scoring goals only…our defense is too strong for any attack….JM’s style showcases our defense but undermines out attacking potential…Robben,Cole,SWP,Sheva,Calou,Drogba…its too much of ammunition for any team….with such a aquad I can
never agree with JM’s style.
i have to agree with JM because he has delivered two titles and he was so close to delivering the third, despite all problems. he has been highly successful in his career, not without a reason. in the world of football management, the playing style on the pitch is only a small percentage that can contribute to success. there are so many things on and off the pitch that he takes care of and fits that with his playing style and that’s why he is successful.
You see Manish, the only thing that will cost our defense which is “too strong for any attack” is to be caught unaware and with our pants down, so to speak, and that mostly happens when someone loses the ball stupidly. I think there needs to be a clarification, of course we love to see flashy, stylish moves by the Blues, but we hate it much more when they lose the ball doing these unnecessary things than we love it when they pull them off. And we most likely get punished more for losing the ball than we gain from a flashy pass. I mean, there’s nothing at all wrong or bad about the flashiness. It’s losing the ball that’s hazardous. I found the simplicity of a player like Mikel dazzling last season. He wasn’t the flashy dribbler, but his football amazed me. Seriously, the second half of the season he was fascinating. But it’s because his passing was impeccable, not because it was flashy and super-stylish.
I’m looking forwards to a 4-3-3 which is more effective than flashy. I’d prefer Mikel to SWP style football any day, if you know what I mean.
Adonis, what do u mean by ‘flashy stylish’ football…passing, dribbling, dodging this all constitutes football…infact it is FOOTBALL, not the one JM believes in…u think so called flashy football can’t be as effective as the one follwed by JM….its ur misconception….football is a game not meant for possessing the ball and moving it in its own half,otherwise Brazil wouldn’t have been world champions 5 times….what JM follows is not football, its like strangling football…a team with limited resources can resort to such style but I think Chelsea can play ‘flashy stylish’ football and still win consistently…u are worried about defense being caught unaware but does it mean team should not attack…infact too much defensive play may burden defenders too much…what I want to say is that Chelsea can play attacking dominating football and win but JM will not allow this….he is satisfied with 1-0 wins.
do you think jose’s chelsea did not play good football in 04-05 and 05-06? we played the best football in the league and that’s what won the title for us. if you’re going to judge jose on last season alone, you’re wrong. if you judge any coach on a season that he did not win the title, your conclusion could be wrong. also, i would be happier with a 1-0 win than a 3-2 win. football fans enjoy much more than just goals. i love the way chelsea control the ball and dominate and dictate the game, which no other team can match with us. Watching chelsea defend is pure fun. i love watching us neutralising an opponent attack with clever piece of tackling and collective defending. i dont want jose to change anything at all except the formation. we should retain the mentality and strategy that got us two titles. no need to re-invent the wheel. jose is the best and we’re back with a bang!
‘Chelsea dominate the game’…u call it dominating the game….pity on you.
when you hold the opponent by the scruff of his neck, you are dominating the game, even if you don’t score 500 goals per match. my tuppence.
rightly said Cruz….we were sort of crawling and pleading last season.
manish i said we dominated the game by holding the opponent by the scruff of his neck. we sometimes crawled and pleaded for reasons that i dont have to explain a chelsea fan, i hope.
how many times did we hold the opponent by the scruff…
do u people still belive JM’s football is beautiful or polished , i pity ur tastes , u r those people who r sitting in their beds watching test cricket and comenting ‘oh wat a fine touch , look at it race towards the boundary’ encore!
Unfortunately pals football is not cricket and u guys r watching the wrong sport , football’s essence is end-to-end entertainment , even if JM wins a thousand trophies it will never justify his tactics , if Manure can play sexy football and win the title then why cant we????
Barca can tantalize people with their accurate crosses , the beautiful lobs , the excellent set-ups , win 2 titles in a row and even after all the internal bickering can end up losing the title by a whisker!!!! what allows them this privelage????
Money????………… we r not spending any less
Players???………….r our players in any way lower than theirs???
Ability????………….do we lack any of it????
then why r the fans being irritated with this machine like football, as a FAN who has grown up watching Zola , i cld hav never imagined that CFC wld be playing this shit!!!!!!
The only difference btw us and the other clubs is the management , the coach , the manager in our case Mr.Know-it-all Arrogance personfied Mourinho decides that we play this garbage , we endlesly pass in our defence , come one step forward and 2 steps back , and finally wen our opponents r all bored off their socks , sneak in a goal , defend like a team in rags for the last 20 minutes and L0………CFC hav done it , its another record , they havent lost at home or they hav not conceded a goal!!!!A mazing , JM knows everything , he has won us 2 titles , lets celebrate , who cares if we kill football , who cares if we bore the hell outta our own ppl , who cares if we play like shit , we still win!!!!!
U kno wat guys this mentality sux , and win as much as we might , the respect and awe Manure or Barca produce are pure delight for their fans , but wat to say more than half of u hav no respect for the sport , no respect for football, but i agree JM is good in boring his shit to the tilte!!!!!
we lost just 3 times – least in the league. only the draws cost us. you should know why we had a ‘poor’ season where we could win only two trophies, finish second in the league by six points to a team that were playing at their best and lose on penalties in the semi finals to a fresh liverpool team.
these young new chelsea fans know nothing about winning. you’re all pampered by jose. we should have stayed at 4th or 5th which would have you either shut or we would not have you here at all. arguing with you is below my intelligence. try supporting the team. i’m signing off.
hey joeblue . . you finally agreed that we are a better team than yours he he . . man utd for life . . chelsea to relegate . . ronaldo and rooney are the best . . fergie the best coach ever . . die blues.
u make me laugh Cruz , show me one place where i hav written that we had a poor season , stop inventing ur own thoughts and daydreaming , and before u talk crap like ‘new fans’ and such shit just check this blog and u will find that i hav been a regular on this blog since last season and hav been supporting CFC sice 2001, maybe u hav been supporting CFC much before that but that aint my problem UNCLE!!!!
And stop all ur daydreaming self invented blabbering!!!!!!!!!
And reds4eva , i admit u WERE the better team ,but stop counting ur chickens before they hatch cuz CFC r cumin to break ur eggs!!!!!!
oh and looks like u r cruz’s friend as well , stop imagining shit , CFC wont be relegated and ur CROONIE-CRONALDO r losers!!!
joeblue you must be less than 10 years old, for sure. very childish. where did i say that you said we had a poor season. read comment #22 again. being a regular on this blog (that too for one season lol) will not make you a long standing fan. i’ve been following chelsea since 1971. i know the real meaning of the words – victory, title, trophy, cups. bye forever you spoilt kid of the new generation
fool cruz this blog was made abt 11 months ago joker , so i cant just call up BC and ask him to make the blog earlier cuz i am a fan can i ???? no wonder ur so old m sorry i called u uncle , it should be GRAMPS!!!! stop daydreaming oldie!!!
Haha, you guys, no need to fight about Chelsea’s most effective style. A mix of both is the obvious solution.