Terry & Lampard Dropped For League Cup Final?
BBC reports that Avram Grant may not choose Terry and Lampard for the League Cup final on Sunday against Tottenham at Wembley. This sounds strange because there was a widespread belief that they did not play against Olympiakos, only to rest well for this final.
I guess it won’t go down very well with the captain and vice-captain that they have to miss the Wembley showpiece. It’s very clear that both Terry and Lampard are fit and raring to go. Grant may want to reward Alex and Ballack for their contribution so far in the competition but nobody wants to miss a final at Wembley. As expected the problem of plenty has started surfacing slowly but surely. Here is Frank Lampard saying things about rotation, settling down etc.
I don’t know how much rotation there’ll be in the future, but it’s important we get a settled team in the run-in. Any good team I’ve been involved in has had a pretty settled line-up, and it’ll be down to the manager.
I want to be in a successful team, simple as that. Of course I want to play, but you have to understand that you’re in a strong squad. I want to play, feel very fresh and have a lot in my legs considering I never normally have injuries and have missed three months of the season [with a thigh injury], which has been very frustrating. I don’t want to miss any more games. I think we’d have been fresh anyway because a cup final against Tottenham is a huge game.
If we can perform with all the talented players we’ve got in our squad, we can do what we have to do. Last year we didn’t have the squad to cope with injuries, particularly at the back. We were playing midfielders and full-backs at centre-back. Fortunately now we do have the back-up in key positions and that could be important.
A very clear message from Lampard to Avram. He does not want to miss anymore games. And he’s not in bad form or something. He returned from injury, scored two goals in a match and took his tally to 101 goals for Chelsea and rested well while the rest of the team played Olympiakos (last time he was dropped for a european game was in 2003 under Ranieri!). Terry has not made any comment about this yet. If Avram does drop the duo for the final, that would be confronting the two of the best contributors to Chelsea’s recent successes.
Terry and Lampard are mainstays at CFC and, as consistent players, have been shown some disrespect by their new manager. These men have poured their souls out for the club only to be replaced by the first lucky replacements that have come around. It’s actually disgraceful. While they have been shelved for injury, players of Terry’s and Lampard’s leadership and talent cannot be benched. It will destroy the dressing room and morale. I hope Grant realizes that before what should be his most reliable lieutenants turn on him. Innovation and motivation are great–but they don’t win games. Experience, leadership, determination and attitude win games. Grant won’t get that without these two men in the squad.
Nope!!! I do not think so this is gonna happen… its just hyped up as always press does against chelsea !!
One who is gonna miss is ashley cole though because if grant doesnt plays bridge in this game we are gonna miss him next season. But will bridge be able to control lennon or ashley might be better?
lets see what grant does.. i hope we dont loose any players because of grant as i think roman will send him to the directors boss next season replacing him with a good manager !!
BC nice theme… could you add the home button?
@BC
This is what i have talked about earlier……….when grant played frank against rotation fc…………everyone voiced their disagreement……….the point is you and majority of cfc fans are just here to critisize the man in whatever he does…….i bet my arse on it that if lampard hadn’t played against rotation fc…….the everyone in here will be crying about bad man management by avram and how influential is lampard in such games…….and the result was down to lampard not playing…………….alex and ballack both have performed at the highest level……….what’s the point of removing them from starting 11 when they have performed atleat on par if not better than the “untouchables”
Grant should know who should he trust forever and who should be his second choices. Ballack moved to Chelsea only for money and nothing else. If Grant is going to choose Ballack over Lampard, that will be a grave mistake.
tbf – yes, i will criticise every single thing avram does because he deserves them. avram should go. sack avram. he screwed up our chances, he has made chelsea’s attack/defence impotent, we have no playing style now, he has created imbalance/unrest in the dressing room and in this process he is getting richer.
tbf don’t you see the point or just pretending? lampard should not have player against liverpool, it is very clear. he was just back from a long injury and plays straightaway against liverpool? nonsense. and now, he has played two matches and scored two goals and rested against olympiakos and he doesn’t play against spurs in wembley? what utter load of bull. grant doesn’t know what he is doing!!!
Chelsea boss Avram Grant will start the Carling Cup final with Frank Lampard on the pitch.
The Sun says Grant has told him he will play – and Michael Ballack is likely to start as well. Didier Drogba is set to be partnered up front by £15million signing Nicolas Anelka as Grant bids for the first leg of an unprecedented Quadruple.
news from tribalfootball………no news on terry
and it says abramovic has spent 578M pounds in chelsea which include tranfer spendings
@Mister
you are big piece of crap devoid of logic or reasoning……………..ballack came for money and lampard plays with his heart………..lol……………who cares for me the concern is who plays better………
*yes, i will criticise every single thing avram does because he deserves them. avram should go. sack avram. he screwed up our chances, he has made chelsea’s attack/defence impotent, we have no playing style now, he has created imbalance/unrest in the dressing room and in this process he is getting richer
and who are you………..some football pundit or something…….sack avram why not devoid earth of muppets like you?????that’s better for humankind as a whole……..atleat this guy can talk sense sometimes
@BC
Pro Jose or Anti Jose……..it’s ur job to see that muppets like mister don’t infltrate this wonderful blog
hey friends
jus hold on. imagine a scenario where you have slogged like a dog work ur socks off and complete a project/assignment etc and then a dormant team member takes all the credit!!!!!!! he gets the plaudits etc but the actual worker didnt get any…..wake up friends …this is just the carling cup and then FM and JT didnt contribute much there…it is ALex and Ballack who were the main stays and they deserve to be a part of the success/failure. theyare trhe ones who are responsible for getting us this far…and then in the final if our main players walk in it doesnt give a good account of CFC..it sends out a bad message to them and then hits them below the belt in a way. jus think over it
lol………..tbf……………we know about you ………
why can’t you talk to me and without abusing. why are you running away from the argument. dont behave like a schoolkid going around complaining.
btw who are you? a football pundit. if only pundits are allowed to make comments what are we doing here???? ballack is playing well for few weeks and lampard has done that for many seasons. now if you have an option of upsetting one of these two what would you do. “who plays better now” thing is a very short term opportunistic approach. of course grant is a master opportunist. when ballack starts failing, he will stab him also in the back and hail lampard. backstabbing comes naturally for grant.
and you said it right. ballack has only money on his mind and lampard plays with his heart.
tbf – you lose and better luck next time. BC – pls keep tbf here and that adds entertainment value to this blog.
bestboyvijay @ 9
good logic mate. but please extend it to many seasons. when there was no roman or money, it was terry and lampard who were slogging it out like dogs. even in the last three seasons they gave their best to win us the titles. and now suddenly a couple of new guys come in and they get the honour of playing the final at wembley?
if you’re john terry, captain of chelsea, who has come through the ranks, wearing your hear on your sleeve, being with the bluc through the thick and thin, being with them when they were sh*t, and when there are enough back ups, you’re being looked over for an important final at wembley.
and what do you mean by actual workers? in the revival of chelsea over the last few seasons, did not terry and lampard play important enough role to merit a place in the final at wembley?? terry and lampard are really the actual workers, in your terminology.
let’s assume that chelsea reaches the champions league final with alex and ballack. in the first champions league final, would you give that historic chance to terry/lampard or alex/ballack? same logic.
why can’t grant play lampard and ballack together and put alex as left back (gallas, a centre back played so many matches as left back)??
@Mister….Chelsea has beocme impotent in attack…no playing style..
so u think we were great in attacking under Mouringo…lol..joke of the century…Mourinho assembled strikers and MFs who can’t dribble past a single opponent…with all the money RA pumped in, our team can’t weave together few passes…can’t score against lowly placed opponents…this all is due to Mourinho…I am quite sure 99% of his coaching time goes into improving defense…he will never be bothered about attack or MF as for goal he relies on setpieces,deflections etc…
Mourinho was boring but grant is horrible!
@12. Did i talk about mourinho? NO. Did i talk about grant? YES.
Why dont you just talk about grant? He is our manager now, right? If u know enough football to talk just about grant, please do.
Grant is slowly ruining our club! You’ll realise soon but you won’t admit.
@12 by the way. you talked nonsense there. Better watch cricket or kabbbaddii
@Mister
lol……..who was abusing you??????
* ballack is playing well for few weeks and lampard has done that for many seasons. now if you have an option of upsetting one of these two what would you do. “who plays better now” thing is a very short term opportunistic approach. of course grant is a master opportunist. when ballack starts failing, he will stab him also in the back and hail lampard. backstabbing comes naturally for grant.
agreed lampard has hoofed the club for three seasons……“who plays better now” thing is a very short term opportunistic approach.
going by your logic let’s remove drogba and replace him with sheva…….well for your kind info jose was sacked by roman not grant
* ballack has only money on his mind and lampard plays with his heart.
well i guess football is a profession for them…….and they are into it for earning bucks……..if boulahrouz starts playing with heart for cfc…….will you have him????and for your kind info lampard is not playing in chelsea for charity or love……he is doing it caus he is getting on par with the highest paid in here………
*hoofed the club ….replace it with hoofed the ball
@14…Why dont you just talk about grant?
Because Grant is carrying Mourinho’s burden..till he hasn’t atleast 5-6 of his own buys in team I can’t judge him….
@15…Better watch cricket or kabbbaddii..
if u r from Brazil,Argentina,Spain,Portugal or Germany I will heed to your advise as these are great footballing nations….but if u r from England then we have more or less same footie knowledge as u r out of Euro Cup….lolol….
Goals scored and clean sheets by chelsea in different seasons
2004-2005
Arsenal – 87 goals with 16 clean sheets
Chelsea – 72 goals with 25 clean sheets
Man Utd – 58 goals with 19 clean sheets
2005-2006
Chelsea – 72 goals with 20 clean sheets
Man Utd – 72 goals with 18 clean sheets
Arsenal – 68 goals with 16 clean sheets
2006-2007
Man Utd – 83 goals with 16 clean sheets
Chelsea – 64 goals with 22 clean sheets
Arsenal – 63 goals with 12 clean sheets
2007-2008 *till date
Arsenal – 54 goals with 11 clean sheets
Man Utd – 50 goals with 15 clean sheets
Aston Villa – 48 goals with 7 clean sheets
Chelsea in 26 matches 38 goals and at 7th position with 15 clean sheets.
And you say we played boring football? Thats why we were champions in 2004-2005 , 2005-2006. Wake up.. dream is over!!
Only reason if grant wants to drop either of lampard or ballack may be his inability or technical acumen to play them together.I have seen he thinks having more strikers means more goals as in post match he tells we ended the game with 4 strikers etc. cmon grant get us a good game plan and get us the carling cup..!! and dont dare underestimate spurs..
great post mate i hope we get atleast 3 of those silverware this season
@Nihongo Blue
let’s see for all the hype about our brilliant football during 1st and 2nd season in charge………arsenal and man yoo were still ahead of us in goalscoring department and not far behind in defence either.
if you have noticed that clean sheets are the same and max simply caus our team has the best defence and the worst attack which revolves around ony two persons drogba and lampard who have been out for max period of time this season………add to that robben[possibly our only goal scoring threat apart from the above mentioned]you will notice the stats you have put up show something completely different from what you wanted to……….
@Nihongo blue
sorry nihongo blue but unless you are mentioning that”beauty lies in eye of beholder” there is no way you can say we didn’t play boring football……..please wake up from mourinho love bug……our best football was in 1st season with JM In charge which is miles off from what barca,arsenal,man utd play.
@BC
Good news is that like all good businessman roman has learnt ther lesson as far as galactico signing is confirmed………ronaldinho will never ever wear blue………if bruce buck is to be believed………….and in another good news for everyone…….lampard is wanted officially by the club for long term
1 ticket available for Champions League Night in London. Chelsea v Olympiakos @ the Bridge. contact me at iheart2partay@googlemail.com for details.
I dont know what you saw in those stats which made you believe saying “let’s see for all the hype about our brilliant football during 1st and 2nd season in charge………arsenal and man yoo were still ahead of us in goalscoring department and not far behind in defence either.”
Man utd 2004-2005 scored less goals less clean sheets than chelsea and arsenal 2005-2006 scored less goals and less clean sheets and still sayin chelsea play dull football. The point is very simple “Everyone hates a winner and jose was a winner right from start. If you understand the word “consistent” you will appreciate the fact that it is so difficult to achieve
If head you win and tale i loose there is no point in discussin anything.. anyways past is past.. i always liked football played under jose. he has a immense contribution to chelsea . Others also play good football but no way we play bad football.
BC A master of putting things in the wrong context,
I have read this article as well and that was far from a report based on facts as BC trying to make us believe ,
It was more like putting a question mark based on the fact they both did not played the first 11 at Olympicos game.
If I’m not wrong the all 11 did not played the game before .
All this in order to create an anti grant atmosphere in this blog.
Reading the comments here one may think AG already told the press that these guys are out of Sundays final.
As for me As for all of us we don’t have any idea how’s goanna play and how’s goanna start on the bench.
I agree the Lampard should have played longer in Olimpykos game, but it’s not so hard to understend that maybe AG wanted him to rest.
I can not forget how so many of you guys where saying only few days ago how both Lampard and Terry are not missed so much at the long time they couldn’t play.
Once AG let them rest you are all over him, did you all forgot the problem of plenty?
Now when the bench will be dipper and dipper we will see how the ones on the bench should have played and vice versa????
AG will play both JT and FL,he is only pretending that he is in charge, the man has no tactics knowledge to leave those 2 in the bench.
Yes ballack played some good matches but he is a 45 minutes player now, FL is a 90 minutes.
Alex played well also, but JT plays better with Carvalho and they know each other’s play inside out.
Nope I do not think AG will leave JT n FL in the bench, it is only AG comments to try to impress his authority, just BS from AG with an arse like his (AG) plenty of shit in that body.
Watched Spuds last night, hmmm Ramos have lots n lots to do the team is very poor only Berbatov has any class, but he looks tired, so this is a foregone conclusion, Chelsea will keep the cup, a crapy cup but still a cup.
@TSF
what a dick you are cant u see AG is a talentless idiot?
JM may have been boring but all oevereurope and uk teams didnt want to draw chelsea, very much unlike now.
@Nihongo Blue
sorry nihongo…………..i don’t buy media hates winner theory…………..man utd is still loved by media………so is brazil,barca……..you find the games interesting that’s a different case as i said”beauty lies in the eye of beholder”…..in both seasons someone had scored more than us….that’s what i meant.
bc tries to force the propaganda that we played absolutely out of world football during jose’s tenure and especially first season
@AGFriend
just curious to know to which part of world you belong…….
Mourinho quit because he knew he would never overcome newly rebuild Manu,Arsenal….he had no answer to attacking football of these 2 teams..he knew time of his defensive boring suffocating football has come to an end and so he quit…even had he stayed Chelsea would not had been able to give a title challenge…
@Nihongo Blue
mates i am not here to claim i am the best………i m not protecting grant for the sake of it………..i call a spade a spade……….we played poorly against l’pool and olympiakos…i never said that we played good just to protect avram
@AGFriend
except for cfc fans……….ask anyone who is better among frank and ballack………..that will give you an answer to who is better
@26. israeli
No one is trying to create an anti AG atmosphere in this blog, what you talaking about? it was AG that created that anti feeling against himself with his lies and stupid commments in the beginning, or dont you remember? We only comment his tactics, knowledge of footbal and man management skills, there are none we all know that, so does he(AG), but the anti-AG atmosphere in this blog is only the window of 95% of the chelsea fans over the net, and the pubs around SB etc etc, even death threats are sent to AG.
AG didnt tell the press anything, it is the press that try to put words in his mouth, because most press know the guy is useless, except the journalists that share his faith, so when the press sniffed that JT n FL were going to miss the final, they will help to create uneasy with chelsea players because most want to see AG lose, thats all.
The only reason AG rested JT n FL against olympiakos was that the greek team is crap, he may do the same against Barnsley or whatever is called the next team we playing in the FA cup.
Israeli isnt the “ass” nickname appropriate to AG? look at the draws that chelsea is having?
AG is a manager that plays not to lose, is not a born winner or a made winner, he is terrified of losing, at least JM used to play 4-3-3 or 4-4-2, this guy (AG) plays with 5 in midfield so you tell me .
Let’s forget the whole manager saga and concentrate on the game ahead
most probable spurs line-up
robinson/cerny
hutton
woodgate[reliable]
king/dawson
chimbonda
lennon[pacy...excellent player for counter]
jenas
zakora/huddlestone
malbranque[underrated]
bebatov[brilliant]
keane[excellent poacher]
my cfc line-up
cech
belletti
alex
carvalho
cole[like this guy or not.....imo he is a better defender than bridge.....can mark lennon easily...won't give us much goin forward]
mikel[holding role]
essien
ballack
joe
anelka
kalou
geant has to build a side to win the champions league and if that means lamps and terry have to go so be it,grant has to win or fail onhis own decisions not on the team of another manager. Chelsea have turned anew page in its history, saying thanks to the past and wellcome to the future.
Only way Chelsea can change its game with the current squad is to play the more technical skilfull players and adjust their position .
As far as Iam concern Drogoba need to go ! T
Only way Chelsea can change its game with the current squad is to play the more technical skilfull players and adjust their position .
As far as Iam concern Drogoba need to go !
Playing with Drogba is limiting the options for chelsea and relying solely on his ability to score.
And no more holding player- but rather creative player who can defend as well as attack- Essien.
I have seen Kalou in the African nation cup .He was amazing .Mikel and Drog.didnt play well and they don’t fit a team who wants to play passing football.
This is my team that AG should work to synchronize and mold into an attractive attacking team :
………Chec…….
Beletty – Carval.- Tery – A.C.
………Essien
..Balack ……..Lamp.
J.C……Anelka……Kalou
Terry & Lampard Dropped for League Cup Final? In the words of the American rap music group Public Enemy, “DON’T BELIEVE THE HYPE!”
@39…agree with u regarding Drogba…he can never make a team play creatively…he makes a team resort to long balls….but Mikel is young and a perfect replacement for Makelele…with time he will evolve and can become a flair creative passer along being an ‘efficient’ one…Essien is no doubt the engine of Chelsea midfield…he attacks,he defends,he tackles,he controls midfield…he does everything warranted from a midfielder…if we can get another attack minded creative midfielder who can connect well with striker and flanks then we can be a complete team….
Israeli @ 26 – Do you have any personal grudge against me? Do we know each other other than through this blog? Did I hurt your career or something? LOL!
I did not want to MAKE YOU(OR ANYONE) BELIEVE as you claim. Read it again. I started with the words “BBC REPORTS” and I had also given the hyperlink to the BBC article. How does this amount to me trying to make you believe?? I want you to come back on this point and substantiate your claim or admit your mistake.
I did not say that Grant said that Terry/Lampard did not play against Olympiakos because they were rested for the league cup final. I did not say that. I used the words “WIDESPREAD BELIEF”. Didn’t I?
Also I did not say if it was the right thing or not on Grant’s possible decision to drop Terry/Lampard. I rather ran an opinion poll.
And you said “All this in order to create an anti grant atmosphere in this blog”. Stop your self-pity mate. It won’t help anyone. By the way, that was a very funny statement. Please realise that in normal world, people have different opinions, some with strong ones, and people have discussions based different points of view. I’m very sure I cannot influence people, if that’s possible, you and I won’t have differences. Everyone has a brain of their own to make up their mind about things despite my evilish attempt to ‘create an anti-grant atmosphere’ and ultimately destroy the mankind and the world.
I wonder why are you having a go at me? I expect you to come forward and clarify. I absolutely expect.
BC
Don’t get me wrong, I really think highly of you and didn’t I started my post calling you
“A Master”?
Disagreeing with you does not mean I got a personal grudge against you, it’s only what my eyes see that I write about, and I sure see an anti grant atmosphere in this blog witch you lead, after all its your blog and your entitle for any atmosphere you wish to lead.
Just as I think that article in the BBC was a poor journalism, I think it was poor of you to call it a report, the one thing it was not!
You could have call it a question put in the air, you could call it an assumption ,but for sure it was not a report based on facts as you tried it to look like,
You ask me
“How does this amount to me trying to make you believe?? I want you to come back on this point and substantiate your claim or admit your mistake.
The answer to that Question was given by you at your new pre match post for the final, there you say
“There were rumors yesterday that Terry and Lampard will be dropped” now you take it one step up and calling it a rumor and by that manipulating once more a chip article in the BBC witch you had to dig deep inside their web site to find.
Any ways I am sorry if I sound as I got something against you personally, all I really mean to do is to make a point and have a true argument with you, telling me about self pity or about my career that might got hurt won’t help you establish your ideas or views, you’re doing fine without it .
PS: once again I call you to take off racist posts as AGfirend keep doing in his@33
That’s the 3ed time I see it.
What’s so racist about AGFriend’s post no.33?? It’s all fine!!
TBF@28,
the reason Jose and chelsea were hated by british media is that they dared topple the established kingdoms of liverpool, Manure and arsenal. overtime a new generation of media folks will emerge who are used to chelsea success and will have no such jealousy and fear inspired hate for the blue revolution- till then we just have to put up with it.
Israeli – It’s so funny that you say that I had dig deep into BBC to find that article. I don’t know how familiar BBC (or other news websites) are for you. This story was on the front page on many news websites and this news is on the BBC Chelsea team page which I have bookmarked and always visit (like many of us here!). Do you call this digging deeeeep? Funny!
It was not poor journalism by BBC. That is modern journalism for you. If this was poor journalism by BBC, what do you call the below?
Reuters, Guardian, Telegraph, Independent & TimesOnline
There was the cream of British news websites. Do you think one has to dig deep to get this story? C’mon, you know you just want hold on to your point. Do you still think it was improper to discuss that topic?
I too see nothing racist in 33rd comment.
We out everythinged you today, outplayed, out sang, out fought. Order is restored
C’mon bite or are you all hiding again
Right so you lost £76 million again, for what? You ain’t going to win anything.
Where are you? All decided yopu now support Man Utd/Arsenal