I SUPPORT CHELSEA FC
-
JOSE CRANKS UP THE PRESSURE
Jose Mourinho has cranked up the pressure for Sunday's game with Liverpool by declaring anything but a win for Rafa Benitez's side will be fine for Chelsea.
The Chelsea chief believes if Liverpool are to stand any chance of competing for the title then they must not allow the gap between themselves and his own side increase.
Talking about the midweek UEFA Champions League stalemate between the two clubs, Mourinho was quick to point out that Liverpool's style was more direct than his own.
Chelsea have been criticised in the past for playing a 'long ball' game but the Portuguese tactician has now defended his approach, in light of Liverpool's own aerial assaults towards Peter Crouch.
"In the Champions League we started the game with the same number of points and we had the same objective to go into the next round,'' said Mourinho.
''So it was not a bad result for us and it was not a bad result for them.
"In The Premiership the points difference is a minimum eight points, so I think a draw for them on Sunday is a very bad result.
"Now nobody can speak anymore about the long ball because when you read some of the statistics, there is fewer for us, no doubt about it.
"I think the debate is finished. There is always a lot of debate but the reality is in six matches Liverpool have only beaten us once and we know in which circumstances they beat us.
"But at the same time we know also that in the last three games we couldn't score because they defended really well.
"We have to give credit to a team that defended well and defended with a lot of aggression.
''There was not a lot of space to create situations. Then there was the direct play of (Peter) Crouch. Some people like the direct style, some people don't.
''It is not a question of (what we) like, we have to cope."
- credit: Alex Dunn, Sky Sports -
LIVERPOOL 1 - 4 CHELSEA
Chelsea strengthened their stranglehold on the Premiership in impressive style, with a crushing victory at Liverpool.
Frank Lampard gave Chelsea the lead in the 27th minute from the spot after Djimi Traore fouled Didier Drogba.
Steven Gerrard levelled quickly for Liverpool but Damien Duff put Chelsea back in front from eight yards before the interval after good work by Drogba.
Drogba was crucial as Chelsea cruised after the break, creating close-range goals for Joe Cole and Geremi.
It leaves Chelsea nine points clear at the Premiership summit and 17 ahead of Liverpool - a stark statistic for Reds boss Rafael Benitez to accept after their worst start in 13 seasons.
Chelsea drafted in Asier del Horno and Cole from the side that played in the Champions League draw at Anfield on Wednesday, while Liverpool replaced Djibril Cisse with John Arne Riise.
Liverpool had three penalty appeals rejected in the European tie - so it was with some irony that Chelsea took the lead from the spot.
Traore was badly at fault, striking a clearance against Drogba before needlessly hacking down the striker.
Lampard's spot-kick was perilously close to Liverpool keeper Pepe Reina but it just crept under his body.
The Chelsea midfield man's celebrations were over-exuberant in front of The Kop and led to a yellow card from referee Graham Poll.
Liverpool responded with fierce commitment and quality - and they deservedly drew level through Gerrard nine minutes later.
Riise's corner was flicked on by Jamie Carragher for Gerrard, who almost joined Chelsea in the summer, to fire a powerful, angled finish past Petr Cech.
But Chelsea showed the resolve of champions to regain the lead with a sweeping move two minutes before the interval.
Drogba produced a clever trick to escape the desperately ponderous Sami Hyypia and he pulled the ball back for Duff to beat Reina from eight yards.
Hyypia almost had another nightmare moment just after the interval when his poor headed clearance landed at the feet of Drogba but he shot tamely at Reina.
Chelsea extended their lead after 63 minutes - and, once again, Drogba was involved.
He broke clear and when he shot across the face of goal, Cole was perfectly placed to tap into an empty net.
It was Cole's final contribution as Mourinho made an instant change, sending on Arjen Robben for the goalscorer.
Liverpool were not lying down, however, and Riise was only narrowly off-target before Peter Crouch brilliantly controlled a long ball on his chest - only to waste the chance he had created for himself.
Chelsea were in ruthless mood and they added a fourth with eight minutes left, Drogba escaping from a corner before his cross was missed by Robben and turned in by Geremi at the far post.
- credit: BBC Sport -
Thats why we are the champions..
-
REALITY CHECK for Chelsea critics, particularly those from a certain camp of late ...
The LONG-BALL SPECIALISTS are none other than LIVERPOOL!
Take a look at these percentages of long passes from the various teams
LIVERPOOL 40.8%
Sunderland 36.4%
Everton 35.8%
Fulham 34.1%
Bolton 33.9%
West Brom 33.5%
Charlton 33.5%
West Ham 33.3%
Wigan 33.2%
Middlesborough 33.1%
Birmingham 31.9%
Blackburn 31.7%
Tottenham 31.5%
Aston Villa 30.7%
Man City 30.2%
Man Utd 30.1%
Newcastle 30.1%
Portsmouth 30.0%
Arsenal 28.4%
CHELSEA 26.8%
* Chelsea do more short passes than any other team in the league
This straight from The Sunday Times, 2 October 2005
-
but Chelsea's buying off of everything, isn't doing the game any good...
oh well.. still wonder why the other teams don't go attack Chelsea... with the kind of firepower Chelsea has, every game has the prospect of a great game.. however, the other teams keep trying to "contain" Chelsea, playing into the hands of Mourinho...
makes for lousy football.. -
Perhaps the hammering poor Liverpool got was because they over-estimated their abilities (coach included). Chelsea isn't just an impressive team on paper, they have a whole lot more than what the critics/other teams want to give them credit forOriginally posted by stellazio:Thats why we are the champions.. 
ALL THE WAY, CHAMPIONS CHELSEA! -
If you think of it, Chelsea isn't just running about like a headless chicken buying off everything. There aren't any big names amongst them (unlike Real Madrid and Chelsea certainly have the funds to head that way). Their reliables like Terry, Lampard, Gallas, Gudjohnson, etc were already in the squad before Abramnovich came along. Del Horno wasn't bought with mega bucks. Robben chose Chelsea over Manchester United. Joe Cole was guided into becoming the player that he is today.Originally posted by the Bear:but Chelsea's buying off of everything, isn't doing the game any good...
oh well.. still wonder why the other teams don't go attack Chelsea... with the kind of firepower Chelsea has, every game has the prospect of a great game.. however, the other teams keep trying to "contain" Chelsea, playing into the hands of Mourinho...
makes for lousy football..
As for other teams playing into the hands of Mourinho ... how is that Chelsea's fault?
But of course, this is just a Chelsea fan's opinion -
Originally posted by miss_soojung:
Spot on..Benitez was abit too cocky,he needs the humble pie..
Perhaps the hammering poor Liverpool got was because they over-estimated their abilities (coach included). Chelsea isn't just an impressive team on paper, they have a whole lot more than what the critics/other teams want to give them credit for
[b]ALL THE WAY, CHAMPIONS CHELSEA![/b] -
Del horno WAS bought with mega bucks, before swp and essien, he was the most expensive player in the summer signings, chelsea managed to break the most expensive thing twice!!!!!Originally posted by miss_soojung:If you think of it, Chelsea isn't just running about like a headless chicken buying off everything. There aren't any big names amongst them (unlike Real Madrid and Chelsea certainly have the funds to head that way). Their reliables like Terry, Lampard, Gallas, Gudjohnson, etc were already in the squad before Abramnovich came along. Del Horno wasn't bought with mega bucks. Robben chose Chelsea over Manchester United. Joe Cole was guided into becoming the player that he is today.
As for other teams playing into the hands of Mourinho ... how is that Chelsea's fault?
But of course, this is just a Chelsea fan's opinion 
-
hey hey.. there were a few... Kezman comes to mind
i guess megabucks enables mistakes like that...
still, the mischievous inside me, hopes the little clubs do them in, major bigtime
-
ASIER DEL HORNO
Del Horno became Chelsea's first signing of the summer in 2005 as manager Jose Mourinho looked to complete his back-line with a new left-back.
He was signed from La Liga side Athletic Bilbao for a fee of £8million to become the new first-choice left-back to fit in alongside Petr Cech, Paulo Ferreira, Ricardo Carvalho and skipper John Terry.
'Asier is an outstanding international player who will add quality to the squad in a position we needed to strengthen,' Mourinho explained.
'I'm sure he will be a key player as Chelsea continue with the goal to achieve greater success both in England and in the Champions League.'
Chelsea had been short at left-back after selling Celestine Babayaro to Newcastle United in January 2005. And a bad injury to Wayne Bridge just weeks later meant William Gallas had to play out of position on the left for the remainder of the Championship-winning season.
Del Horno joined Athletic in 1992 as part of their youth team and went on to make his professional debut on September 9, 2000, in a 2-0 defeat to Deportivo La Coruna.
He would have to wait until February 16, 2002, to net his first ever goal, scoring the winner in a 2-1 victory over Real Madrid.
The player came on leaps and bounds throughout 2003/04, and at the start of the 2004/05 season he was called into the senior Spain squad for the first time. He was handed his debut in a 1-1 draw with Scotland in Valencia.
English fans got their first real glimpse of the defender a couple of months later when Spain played host to Sven Goran Eriksson's men at the Bernabeu - and Del Horno was on target with the only goal of the game in the 10th minute.
He signed a three-year deal with Chelsea.
- credit: ESPNsoccernet -
del horno was second most exp after hleb, before SWP and essien.
only arsenal and newcastle spent ard the amt of money chelsea spent on a single player. smaller clubs still can't match -
Kezman ... I felt it was more his inability to get the hang of the premiership style of play than it was a purchase error.Originally posted by the Bear:hey hey.. there were a few... Kezman comes to mind
i guess megabucks enables mistakes like that...
still, the mischievous inside me, hopes the little clubs do them in, major bigtime
But many other clubs make mistakes when they buy players, Man U is no exception. Real Madrid ... they sold Makelele to add Beckham to their 'collection'. -
CHELSEA'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Sunday's events at Anfield are sure to be seen as clear statement of intent from champions Chelsea.
Jose Mourinho's side used the occasion to prove their worth as a world-class side by heaping a heavy defeat on Liverpool with a 4-1 success.
The Blues seemed stung into action to make their case after a series of slender victories in recent weeks.
The West Londoners were widely labelled as a side that bored the neutral viewer with a style of football that proved efficient in claiming results but failed to inspire much in terms of entertainment.
With questions over the entertainment value of The Premiership seemingly being the issue of the day, Chelsea took particular criticism following their goalless draw at Liverpool in midweek.
The Blues were not at their best in the UEFA Champions League group clash on Wednesday and fortunate that match referee Massimo De Santis did not deem William Gallas's hand ball a penalty in the second half.
It was a match that left satisfaction with both sides in terms of their European ambitions but Liverpool's second half performance left suggestions that Chelsea were not as invincible and that they could claim something from Sunday's Premiership contest.
Yet, no two matches tend to evolve in the same way between the same two sides, and Sunday proved a positive and clear response to many of the questions that have been asked in recent weeks.
Chelsea left no doubt of their intention to remain at the summit of The Premiership by taking The Reds apart in the second half and they did it in a fashion that was worth watching.
It was also a performance that underlined Didier Drogba's quality in the Chelsea attack, as he had pivotal role in every one of his side's four goals on Sunday.
The Ivory Coast international has been maligned at times for some of his displays this season but the former Marseille man might have put in his best Chelsea performance in front of a packed Anfield audience.
The African hit-man might have turned the tide of the contest when his run into the Liverpool box forced the back-tracking Djimi Traore to make a desperate lunge and foul - thus allowing Frank Lampard to score from the penalty spot in the front of The Kop.
Despite Steve Gerrard equalising, Drogba produced one of the moments of the match when he neatly eluded Sami Hyypia before setting up Damien Duff to restore Chelsea's lead by the break.
Drogba picked up where he left off in the second half and set up an unmarked Joe Cole for 3-1 before making another surge down the left flank to produce Geremi's goal in the dying stages.
It was a display that showed Chelsea can attack top sides with great ability and play a brand of football that is pulsating when they want to.
Mourinho might have been justified to demand more respect from his critics when he spoke after their thrashing of The Reds and their title challengers are sure to have heeded that display as a type of warning.
For Liverpool, the despair and lament that was written on the faces of the Anfield faithful was clear to see - even Rafa Benitez looked helpless to explain how they succumbed to such a heavy defeat.
It is a result that will likely rule them out of challenging Chelsea for the title and the priority will likely be matters in the Champions League and the domestic cup competitions.
Bookmakers Paddy Power might have initially looked foolish in already paying out on Chelsea retaining the title but Sunday's victory might prove that decision to be spot on come next May.
- credit: Simon Fudge, Skysports -
glory hunters...
first man u... now chelsea?
the win on sunday was a fluke... chelsea reserves better? remember statements by carvalho, robben and joe cole at the start of the season? lets see if there's still any good chelsea reserves left at the end of the season... -
Reaction: José - "We are in front and they have to chase us"
If Jamie Carragher was looking for “dignity” there was precious little on offer from a curt Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez after Chelsea’s record-equalling 4-1 win at Anfield.
“My team played really well,” he said, stone-faced. “I don’t want to think about Chelsea.”
Pressed for his impressions of the Blues, who had ruthlessly produced their best performance at LiverpoolÂ’s home since Christmas Day 1907, he professed it was impossible to believe the scoreline on his sideÂ’s first 25 minutes today.
“We know that they play with the mistakes of the other teams,” he said. “They play deep, counter attack, we make mistakes and they score.”
José Mourinho, who didn’t attend the post-match conference, was very happy with his team’s performance and the dominant position in the league, but warned on TV against complacency: “We are in front and they have to chase us but they have the quality for that,” he said. “What is the difference between us and United, Arsenal? Six points, seven points, eight, what is it? It’s something that gives us permission to make a mistake, but not to sleep on that.”
He will be hoping that his internationals all come home in one piece from the international break, ready for Bolton at home in 13 daysÂ’ time.
- credit: Rick Glanvill, Official Chelsea FC website -
the chelsea reserves are definitely better than those sitting at the liverpool bench..Originally posted by mett:glory hunters...
first man u... now chelsea?
the win on sunday was a fluke... chelsea reserves better? remember statements by carvalho, robben and joe cole at the start of the season? lets see if there's still any good chelsea reserves left at the end of the season... -
good things don't come cheap,and cheap things are never good..Originally posted by the Bear:hey hey.. there were a few... Kezman comes to mind
i guess megabucks enables mistakes like that...
still, the mischievous inside me, hopes the little clubs do them in, major bigtime -
he's good at athletico madrid now, gronkjaer too.Originally posted by stellazio:good things don't come cheap,and cheap things are never good.. -
RESPECT IS DUE
by Alan Hansen, BBC Sport football expert
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho believes his team are not getting the respect they deserve - and that is absolutely great.
And by that I mean great for Chelsea, not for their detractors.
It is great because it is such an incentive for an already outstanding group of players and it will only strengthen their resolve to claim the big prizes.
Regular readers of this column will know I have championed Chelsea and Mourinho from day one.
The players are a credit to themselves and their manager. They deserve total respect for what they have achieved - and if anyone continues to bang on about "boring Chelsea", then they are crazy.
The old saying when I was at Liverpool was the title was never over until you had the medal in your hand, but it will take a fantastic team embarking on a fantastic run to take the title away from Stamford Bridge and I just don't see that fantastic team out there.
The warning signs are being posted in very large letters for the rest of the title challengers and if Chelsea still feel they are not getting the credit they deserve, it will only drive them on.
When I was at Liverpool we never felt we got the respect we deserved. Indeed when three points for a win were introduced, many cynics said it would be the end of us because they regarded us a team that ground out results rather than won games.
It was a theory that didn't do us any harm when it came to motivation, and I suspect Chelsea feel the same now.
They were brilliant against Liverpool and showed the resolve of true champions in those crucial moments after Steven Gerrard equalised.
Most teams, especially with The Kop in full cry, would have had a wobble.
Chelsea simply kept playing in exactly the same way, almost saying to Liverpool: "OK. You've scored a great goal, but we're still here and we'll score one of our own."
Those who prefer to carp go on about Chelsea's money. There is a tinge of jealousy in this.
Money does not equate to success unless it is used wisely and there is a hunger and desire in the camp.
Huge sums of money do not necessarily mean hard work - in some cases it can mean the opposite.
But you watch those Chelsea players when the chips are down like places at Anfield and they are burning with desire, hunger and determination.
They are playing for themselves and their manager - their success is a huge reflection on how good Mourinho is.
As for being boring, nonsense. They can hit you from all angles.
They have got pace, width, can go through the middle and can score goals from 25 yards: they have got variety.
They have got outstanding players all over the pitch and a giant of a leader in John Terry.
How football fans the length and breadth of the country would love to be bored by that sort of winning football.
It is this commitment, determination and hunger I admire about them as well as their ability.
Everyone is entitled to an opinion about Chelsea's style of play. I can only give my own, and my belief is that they have every single attribute you want in a football team.
For my old club, it was certainly a sobering experience to be on the receiving end of their worst league defeat at Anfield in 36 years.
And yet I feel they acquitted themselves pretty well over the two games they played against Chelsea.
The first rule of playing against Chelsea is to make them do something special to score. Liverpool did not do that. The first goal was a giveaway, with Djimi Traore doing what I've seen him do 100 times - letting the ball go past him because he has no right foot in football terms.
Traore's clearance then strikes Didier Drogba, and I'm afraid Djimi's tackle after that can be best described as a non-event.
Liverpool have a foundation and have answered questions about their commitment, but the big problem is that they have no pace through the middle of the team.
Jamie Carragher is a brilliant defender, but he is not lightning quick, while Sami Hyypia has also done great but isn't quick. Peter Crouch has not get the speed to get away from you in attack, so options are limited.
Chelsea exploited this because they have so much variety and came at Liverpool from all angles.
You are not sure where the threat is going to come from, so this leads to fear which in turn leads to mistakes.
Didier Drogba would never make a list of my favourite players, but among all their other qualities, Chelsea know they can knock the ball over the top and he is the big, strong type who will go for it.
Liverpool were also lacking in width, and even though they have a 6ft 7in striker in Crouch, I don't think he has any decent balls into the box to go for.
He had a chance against Birmingham, but he was stretching at the far post and that's not the service he needs.
So while I think Liverpool are improving, aspects of the game certainly need tweaking and they were on the wrong end of a very bad result on Sunday.
As for Chelsea, they deserve respect and they will certainly get it from me. -
COLE REAFFIRMS CHELSEA COMMITMENT
Chelsea and England midfielder Joe Cole has insisted he sees his long-term future at Stamford Bridge.
The 23-year-old has been in and out of Chelsea's first team this season and had been linked with a move away from the club in search of regular games.
But Cole said he was determined to establish himself at Chelsea.
"Leaving is not something that crosses my mind - every day in training is an chance to make an impression on the boss," Cole told the Evening Standard.
"I've enjoyed everything I've done at Chelsea. I've had some great moments and some frustrating ones but I love being around the place."
"I'm still learning and feel I can go on another few levels as a player."
Cole, who is also looking to cement his place in Sven-Goran Eriksson's plans if England reach the World Cup, made his third start of the season and scored in Chelsea's 4-1 defeat of Liverpool on Sunday.
"When I came in on Sunday, I was thinking I had to do well for the team," he added.
"I was not thinking I had to get on the scoresheet or anything like that. That is a mistake I've probably made in the past.
"But I have 100% belief in myself. The objective has always been to become an important member of the team like Frank Lampard and John Terry. That is what I strive for every day."
- credit: BBC Sport -
that's BS and you know it
the best things in life are freeOriginally posted by stellazio:good things don't come cheap,and cheap things are never good.. -
Kezman is a frigging 5M flop..If he was free still nvm..Originally posted by the Bear:that's BS and you know it
the best things in life are free -
actually, Made In Korea.. the MUFC win over Fulham at Craven Cottage!
-
CHELSEA CRUSH BOLTON
It was a tale of two halves at Stamford Bridge, as Chelsea fought back from a goal down to thump Bolton 5-1.
The Trotters more than matched the Premiership leaders in the opening 45 minutes and were deservedly in front thanks to Stelios Giannakopoulos' early strike.
Jose Mourinho has attempted to patent his name and he may well try and do the same with his team-talks, as his charges flew out of the traps like greyhounds after the interval to take the game from Bolton's grasp.
Braces from Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard and a cool finish from Eidur Gudjohnsen killed off Bolton's spirited challenge and extended Chelsea's perfect run to nine games.
The margin of victory may have been large, but it could have been different judged on the opening exchanges as Stelios swept Bolton ahead on four minutes.
A deft pass from El Hadji Diouf exposed John Terry and Asier Del Horno and allowed the Greek forward to stab his side ahead.
Del Horno almost brought Chelsea level with a header, while Joe Cole saw a fizzing shot parried to safety by Jussi Jaaskelainen, but it was Bolton who were in the ascendancy.
Sam Allardyce's men refused to bow down to Mourinho's men and Gary Speed saw a header loop over before he crashed an effort against the bar from 25 yards with Petr Cech clawing at thin air.
Chelsea were frustrated by a combination of poor finishing, as Cole and Lampard fired off target, and the linesman's flag as Drogba's neat finish from a Shaun Wright-Phillips cross was chalked off for offside.
A battling first half saw Michael Essien lucky to escape a red card for a fould on Tan Ben-Haim which drew just a caution from Rob Styles.
The half-time break allowed Mourinho to work his magic and the pendulum swung in Chelsea's favour shortly after the interval as Drogba showed excellent predatory instincts to stab home after Jaaskelainen failed to deal with a Lampard free kick.
Chelsea turned up the heat after the goal and Drogba twice went close before Lampard swept home on 55 minutes when the ball fell into his path on the edge of the box.
Things went from bad to worse for Bolton as Ricardo Gardner was dismissed for deliberate handball and Lampard rubbed salt into the wound when firing home the resulting free kick - although he was helped by the Bolton rearguard as he was allowed enough space to drive a bus through the gap between wall and post.
Lampard turned provider on the hour, as his excellent corner picked out Drogba who volleyed home in excellent style.
Bolton were a spent force in the final 20 minutes and substitute Gudjohnsen escaped down the left to tuck home a neat finish against his former club.
Chelsea were tested to the full at Stamford Bridge and it is sure to be a worry to the chasing pack that they came through in such devastating style.
- credit: Alex Livie, Sky Sports