Ding dong the Blues are dead.
Perhaps I'm spending too much on the demise of Chelsea Football Club. (Bear with me, didn't see too many matches this week with a wedding and all.)
When you factor in that Chelsea has been, arguably, the biggest story in club football the past three seasons, their face from grace is just too juicy to resist.
It's especially pertinent to Americans, because Chelsea seems to be a very popular team Stateside, coinciding with their first Prem title in 2004-05 and the rise of the Fox Soccer Channel. America is probably the biggest Chelsea stronghold outside of England, too. As much as the club wants to be global, the name Chelsea doesn't carry the cachet of the Manchester Uniteds, the Arsenals, the Real Madrids around the globe. And the Blues didn't even learn from the Galatico disaster, that a collection of star players can't just step on the field and expect to win.
Hell, I was almost seduced by the Blue. (As documented here.)
Isn't it great for all the Chelsea fans to get their comeuppance after rich Russian daddy Roman Abramovich spent all that money on players to help buy back-to-back titles? Karma is a bitch.
After ruthlessly running through the competition like a German Panzer attack for two-plus seasons, the Blues are finding how the other half lives (albeit a lot more expensively.)
Wasn't it in a sick way wonderful Saturday against Fulham to see the Blue without Frank Lampard...and then John Terry to a fractured cheek bone (call up Joey Franchino in the hospital)...and then Didier Drogba? Wasn't it wonderful to see a hapless Claudio Pizarro try to lead the attack back? Or Claude Makelele taking corners? Or the totally hapless ginger Steve Sidwell?
Wouldn't it have been delicious if Clint Dempsey only could have gotten on to one of those balls at the end to make it a 1-0 loss instead of a 0-0 draw? (Gasp...a clean sheet for Fulham...with Kasey Keller involved?!! Cash out the life insurance.)
Above all wasn't it wonderful to hear Chelsea fans pine for Jose Mourinho to return to Stamford Bridge? (Get over it.)
Chelsea, aside from some moments in 2004-05, never played that beautiful a game. But four straight league matches without a goal -- a goalless month of September?
Obviously Chelsea's downfall with forever be linked to a pair of names -- Michael Ballack and Andriy Shevchenko. Prior to this, though they spent more money on players than the GDP of most African nations, they did it intelligently. Mourinho had a plan and Abramovich listened.
Then for some reason, the Russian lost the plot, got envious about Europe -- probably started by all the loses to Liverpool and went overboard. Hate to keep using a wrestling analogy, but Abramovich morphed from Vince McMahon, the CEO of the WWF to "Mr. McMahon", the insane owner that wrestled (and did more 'supplements' than Jason Giambi, Gary Sheffield and Barry Bonds combined.)
Meanwhile, the nefarious Mourinho became a "Face" and is now longed for by fans and non-fans alike.
Now, post Mourinho, who valued team spirit more than anything else, is gone and left is a bunch of mismatched parts with huge salaries.
Chelsea probably isn't totally dead. They still have way too much talent, yet their chances of winning anything are slight. They show no signs of pulling out of the tailspin, though, not likely Wednesday's trip to the Mestella to play Valencia in the Champions League. Rock bottom might not have even been achieved yet.
Perhaps the answer is pretty simple -- David Beckham.
________________________
As stated before, didn't watch anything from the Women's World Cup...except for that great Marta goal. Yet, the treatment by the USSF of goalkeeper Hope Solo is pathetic. Another prime example of the Federation's utter short-sightedness and pettiness. Instead of chastising the coach for an incomprehensible decision, they go after the player.
Yes, Solo threw her team under the bus, but she was just speaking her mind. Isn't that a tenet of American life? Of course, she touched on the sacred cow that is the 1999 Women's team, which if they had it there way would STILL be playing on the international level.
There's really no sense to get worked into a lather, either.
Solo will come out of the whole affair looking and smelling the best. For one, she didn't give up four goals against Brasil, which she was 100 percent right about -- they could have been stopped. More importantly, from the whole three-week affair in China, she's the only American player that anyone from the general American public will remember, for better or worse.
Don't worry Hope, we all got your back.
Perhaps I'm spending too much on the demise of Chelsea Football Club. (Bear with me, didn't see too many matches this week with a wedding and all.)
When you factor in that Chelsea has been, arguably, the biggest story in club football the past three seasons, their face from grace is just too juicy to resist.
It's especially pertinent to Americans, because Chelsea seems to be a very popular team Stateside, coinciding with their first Prem title in 2004-05 and the rise of the Fox Soccer Channel. America is probably the biggest Chelsea stronghold outside of England, too. As much as the club wants to be global, the name Chelsea doesn't carry the cachet of the Manchester Uniteds, the Arsenals, the Real Madrids around the globe. And the Blues didn't even learn from the Galatico disaster, that a collection of star players can't just step on the field and expect to win.
Hell, I was almost seduced by the Blue. (As documented here.)
Isn't it great for all the Chelsea fans to get their comeuppance after rich Russian daddy Roman Abramovich spent all that money on players to help buy back-to-back titles? Karma is a bitch.
After ruthlessly running through the competition like a German Panzer attack for two-plus seasons, the Blues are finding how the other half lives (albeit a lot more expensively.)
Wasn't it in a sick way wonderful Saturday against Fulham to see the Blue without Frank Lampard...and then John Terry to a fractured cheek bone (call up Joey Franchino in the hospital)...and then Didier Drogba? Wasn't it wonderful to see a hapless Claudio Pizarro try to lead the attack back? Or Claude Makelele taking corners? Or the totally hapless ginger Steve Sidwell?
Wouldn't it have been delicious if Clint Dempsey only could have gotten on to one of those balls at the end to make it a 1-0 loss instead of a 0-0 draw? (Gasp...a clean sheet for Fulham...with Kasey Keller involved?!! Cash out the life insurance.)
Above all wasn't it wonderful to hear Chelsea fans pine for Jose Mourinho to return to Stamford Bridge? (Get over it.)
Chelsea, aside from some moments in 2004-05, never played that beautiful a game. But four straight league matches without a goal -- a goalless month of September?
Obviously Chelsea's downfall with forever be linked to a pair of names -- Michael Ballack and Andriy Shevchenko. Prior to this, though they spent more money on players than the GDP of most African nations, they did it intelligently. Mourinho had a plan and Abramovich listened.
Then for some reason, the Russian lost the plot, got envious about Europe -- probably started by all the loses to Liverpool and went overboard. Hate to keep using a wrestling analogy, but Abramovich morphed from Vince McMahon, the CEO of the WWF to "Mr. McMahon", the insane owner that wrestled (and did more 'supplements' than Jason Giambi, Gary Sheffield and Barry Bonds combined.)
Meanwhile, the nefarious Mourinho became a "Face" and is now longed for by fans and non-fans alike.
Now, post Mourinho, who valued team spirit more than anything else, is gone and left is a bunch of mismatched parts with huge salaries.
Chelsea probably isn't totally dead. They still have way too much talent, yet their chances of winning anything are slight. They show no signs of pulling out of the tailspin, though, not likely Wednesday's trip to the Mestella to play Valencia in the Champions League. Rock bottom might not have even been achieved yet.
Perhaps the answer is pretty simple -- David Beckham.
As stated before, didn't watch anything from the Women's World Cup...except for that great Marta goal. Yet, the treatment by the USSF of goalkeeper Hope Solo is pathetic. Another prime example of the Federation's utter short-sightedness and pettiness. Instead of chastising the coach for an incomprehensible decision, they go after the player.
Yes, Solo threw her team under the bus, but she was just speaking her mind. Isn't that a tenet of American life? Of course, she touched on the sacred cow that is the 1999 Women's team, which if they had it there way would STILL be playing on the international level.
There's really no sense to get worked into a lather, either.
Solo will come out of the whole affair looking and smelling the best. For one, she didn't give up four goals against Brasil, which she was 100 percent right about -- they could have been stopped. More importantly, from the whole three-week affair in China, she's the only American player that anyone from the general American public will remember, for better or worse.
Don't worry Hope, we all got your back.
Labels: Chelsea, Premier League, Soccer
I would note that the majority of Chelski's lions were brought there, or brought through the system, by Ranieri. That includes Lampard, JCole, Brave John Terry, Makalele, Gallas (who should NEVER have been sold), Robben (who should NEVER have been sold), Petr Cech, etc.
Yes Mourinho made some quality buys (Drogba, Essien). But he also made a LOT of poor decision: Tiago, Kezman, Ferreira, Cashley Cole. Can't blame him for Ballack and Sheva of course.
So I would suggest that Mourinho is a damn fine manager - but maybe, just maybe, he did NOT have the best eye for raw or emerging talent. Maybe - and is this the biggest irony? - Abramovich was right, and Mourinho DID need a Director of Football (ie. Avram Grant).
You know why a 1-0 loss to Fulham would have been really Special? It would have been the club's first home loss in the Prem since...well, since the Ranieri Era. I thought that would have been so appropriate -- no losses at home over Mourinho's entire managing career > first loss in first match at the Bridge for Grant.
As for Hope Solo (I sense some Star Wars-related Photoshops), I think it sucked that she got chastised, but she should NOT have thrown Scurry under the bus. Blame the coach, blame the system, blame everything you want, but you do NOT bag another player on the same team. You just don't. There's a level of trust there. Otherwise, I agree.
I think women's soccer is akin to to a div III men's squad. That said, Marta's goal was incredible - no matter what the level or the competition - its still pretty.
As a former GK - its all about playing time and rhythm. A keeper without a competitive match in months just doesn't have it.
KK
Loved the wrestling analogy. Face/heel terminology is applicable to almost any topic. It is indeed crazy that Jose turned into a face (akin to The Rock shifting from the Corporate Champion to the People's Champion).
Perhaps the best thing about this for women's soccer is that they can finally move on from that '99 team. I agree that she shouldn't called out Scurry, but at the same time Ryan made a terrible call. Ya dance with the one who brung ya.