The 2011/12 Gary Speed Memorial Thread

[Adam]

Reality TV show judges are highly respected?

You need to fix your sarcasm detector ...

I don't, I just perhaps need to figure out a way to express a sarcastic response to sarcasm on the internet...perhaps there is an emoticon for it. >_<

[Liam]

So basically Piers Morgan's qualification as a football 'expert' is being English.

To be fair, that automatically puts him ahead of the US population.

[Gazz]

So basically Piers Morgan's qualification as a football 'expert' is being English.

To be fair, that automatically puts him ahead of the US population.

But it puts him behind me and I need a job.

[HailtotheYo]

So basically Piers Morgan's qualification as a football 'expert' is being English.

To be fair, that automatically puts him ahead of the US population.

... parts of the US population .... parts.

[Hobo]

So basically Piers Morgan's qualification as a football 'expert' is being English.

To be fair, that automatically puts him ahead of the US population.

Canada gets Craig Forrest to talk about football. This is the example to follow.

[Colly]

That Cisse goal looked stunning live, after seeing replays it was unbelievable (Jeff). Toppest corner of all top corners, looking forward to seeing what he can do. Raw, but exciting, so hopefully a Martins-esque screamer at Spurs next Saturday.

[Clawson]

So basically Piers Morgan's qualification as a football 'expert' is being English.

To be fair, that automatically puts him ahead of the US population.

Canada gets Craig Forrest to talk about football. This is the example to follow.

Then we get James Sharman and Kristian Jack on The Score which is the equivilant of getting bacon with every meal. Heavenly.

[Guest mr. potato head]

So basically Piers Morgan's qualification as a football 'expert' is being English.

To be fair, that automatically puts him ahead of the US population.

Canada gets Craig Forrest to talk about football. This is the example to follow.

Then we get James Sharman and Kristian Jack on The Score which is the equivilant of getting bacon with every meal. Heavenly.

Then when everybody's on vacation we get Brad Fay reading off a teleprompter and Dick Howard becoming more and more senile with every passing moment.

That was a difficult week to get through.

[IAceI]

So according to Talksport this morning, and some Chelsea fan, Villas-Boas out. 3-0 to 3-3 is unacceptable. Wouldn't have happened under Jose. He's obviously not good enough, get rid.

So, Stoker, while I have no doubt that that is the usual 'extreme opinion' that Talksport normally get, what is the general feeling at Stamford Bridge? Knowing that the team is old and it'll take a little while to get the team exactly how Villas-Boas wants it so a poor year is understandable or does everyone think he should still be at least comfortably top four despite needing to change parts of the squad?

[Dingle]

Didn't get chance to watch the match at the time, but caught it this morning. What a game it was. I was hoping for United to drop points to give City a bit of a chance but the comeback made it worth seeing to a draw. Torres did well but his confidence in front of goals seems terrifyingly low, De Gea made two vital saves and Mata's goal was wonderful. Really enjoyed that one. Chelsea should've really won it when they were 3 ahead, bad play to allow United back into it but they got away with an early penalty claim and from how each team played, a draw was probably fair.

On the penalty situation, the two actual given penalties, I really didn't think the 2nd was worthy of being given. But like I say, Cahill could've been dismissed with that foul for being the last man (IIRC) so Chelsea probably count themselves lucky as far as decisions go.

Edit: On AVB, I really hope he gets enough time to really start to pull a new team together. They're still doing well despite changing to a new system, and obviously they'll be hoping they can still get champs league football next year, but even if Mourinho goes for the job, I hope they stick with AVB for the time being.

Edited February 6, 2012 by Devil In Jouzy City

[DavidMarrio]

Poor Frimpong. Been really unlucky on loan at Wolves.

Gets kicked in the face and has now found out he has a ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament so is out for the rest of the season.

[Dingle]

Fuck sake Frimpong. He looked like it'd be a good learning experience for him, absolutely gutted for the lad.

[stokeriño]

The best I can say about Chelsea fan opinion is that it's divided. There isn't even anything close to a majority consensus.

For many it's a matter of heart-versus-head, which is only complicated further when Mourinho's name gets dropped in. Not that I believe he would actually come back to Chelsea anyway.

[MJB]

I think Mourinho would return to Chelsea, but not under Roman's administration.

[stokeriño]

But if it weren't for Roman we'd have no money, and could you really see Jose at a club with no money?

I think a lot of Chelsea fans probably feel something akin to the following:

Would you want AVB out? No.

Would you want Jose back? In a heartbeat.

AKA between a rock and a hard place.

[IAceI]

But if we assume the Premier League clubs most likely to hire Mourinho would be Spurs and at a push Man Utd, dependant on timings (which is easily in Spurs' favour it seems) - then what's the consensus amongst Chelsea fans?

Do you want AVB fired? No. But... "these results really aren't good enough" - would that seem fair?

No real reason for asking, other than I quite like Villas-Boas and think he's a talented manager but to all intents and purposes if he wants to succeed he needs to be given time for reshaping the squad. If Villas-Boas was under the impression he didn't have time on his hands I doubt he'd be signing some of the players he has and wants to, nor do I think he'd have took the job as such (money would have swayed him I suppose) because mostly managers were coming in and seemingly setting up for short term success knowing that a dip in performance would be tantamount to a sacking. If Villas-Boas isn't given the time then you have to assume that Chelsea will struggle given then old guard, Terry, Lampard, Drogba et al are just that now: old (in a footballing sense, obviously), so a bit of time is needed for Villas-Boas to get the team ready, but given time I think he will be able to do a grand job for Chelsea - but already it seems he's the media's favourite whipping boy, so hopefully he can succeed.

I loathe to say it, because in 6 months it has essentially become cliché, but Chelsea are in a transitional stage and I think Abramovich knows this. If Chelsea manage to finish in the top four - and even come away with perhaps the FA Cup - surely this could be considered something of a success? Perhaps not to the usual high standards Chelsea and their fans have come to expect lately but it would be a decent outcome - at least it would seem so to me.

To be honest a 3-3 draw with Man Utd doesn't seem that bad on the surface, only when you see the manner of the result would you question it, and in hindsight I'd say a draw was a fair enough result.

[Matt]

Chelsea would be utterly retarded to get rid of AVB, their problem has been a lack of investment in good young players over the last few years, something that AVB seems to be trying to rectify. He needs at least another 18-24 months.

[stokeriño]

IAceI: I'm pretty sure everyone would be happy with Top 4. It's just a bit of unknown territory regarding what happens if we finish outside it. We can't know for sure how much of a problem that would or wouldn't be.

[Dingle]

Chelsea would be utterly retarded to get rid of AVB, their problem has been a lack of investment in good young players over the last few years, something that AVB seems to be trying to rectify. He needs at least another 18-24 months.

This.

So many players need replacing. Cahill needs to be implemented into the team, although how they'll juggle Luiz/Terry/Cahill I'm not sure. I'd have thrown Luiz into CDM, but with Essien back I'm not so sure. I still think Luiz needs a more advanced role up the field, I guess we'll see if that ever happens or if one of the full backs doesn't advance as much.

What's Bertrand like, any good? Because whilst Bosingwa hasn't been dreadful lately (Shock horror), I wouldn't want him as a starting XI for Chelsea, nowhere near good enough for my liking.

Any chance Hulk will make the move to Chelsea? I've seen rumours and we've seen that AVB like's having his 'boys' around him, so could it happen? Although with the current formation, there wouldn't be much room for him that far up the pitch I imagine, not with Sturridge and Mata on the wings anyway.

[stokeriño]

Porto will only sell Hulk for stupid money, last I heard. I've seen figures as high as £85m and no lower than £50m quoted.

If he were in Chelsea team he would be taking Sturridge's role on the right flank, so perhaps Studge could go to the left of a 4-2-3-1 with Mata in the middle.

Bertrand is decent but not good enough for Chelsea managers to 'risk' in a game that means anything...or at least that's how it appears. Difficult to tell when I never see him play.