Originally Posted by The Dean

OK.........

A quick opinion poll/sweep thingy..........

"How many English or England-qualified players will be in the starting 22?"

I say 8......... how say you?

Originally Posted by BangleMan

I know it was a gross exagerration....

This is what really pisses me off with Chelsea....they always were a small London club. When I was a kid, living in London you never, and I mean never saw any kid in a Chelsea shirt. I went to school with 300 boys and not one can I remember was a Chelsea fan

The yo-yo'd between the 1st and 2nd divisions constantly, and had a shite ground / pitch. Their attendances were 15,000 / 16,000 a week at best.

Abramovich comes along and saves them from extinction at the 11th hour, and I honestly have no problem with that or the amount of money they have spent or success they have had

What really "gets my goat" is that if you go to the ground it is so commercial / so corporate, there are fans there, who wouldnt have touched them with a barge pole years ago, and who know **** all about the club or its history, they are just attracted to them because of the big name players

They will NEVER be a big club, no matter what Peter Kenyon tries to tell you, because on a "support" level in London and surrounding areas, let alone elsewhere they are way behind Arsenal, Spurs, & West Ham

Its not a jealousy thing at all....good luck to them

I know that I go to West Ham as a life long fan, I dont expect them to win a trophy or get to a final, I go to to watch attractive football (dont always get it mind you !), and I sit next to the same people I have sat next to for years and who's father's sat there before them.....I cant imagine there are many "life long Chelsea fans" over Stamford Bridge !

Originally Posted by Inselaffen

there will probably be 5 in the United starting line-up
Brown, Ferdinand, Scholes, Carrick (or Hargreaves), Rooney

Chelski will probably have 2
Terry, Cole.

so only 7

Originally Posted by BangleMan

I know it was a gross exagerration....

This is what really pisses me off with Chelsea....they always were a small London club. When I was a kid, living in London you never, and I mean never saw any kid in a Chelsea shirt. I went to school with 300 boys and not one can I remember was a Chelsea fan

The yo-yo'd between the 1st and 2nd divisions constantly, and had a shite ground / pitch. Their attendances were 15,000 / 16,000 a week at best.

Abramovich comes along and saves them from extinction at the 11th hour, and I honestly have no problem with that or the amount of money they have spent or success they have had

What really "gets my goat" is that if you go to the ground it is so commercial / so corporate, there are fans there, who wouldnt have touched them with a barge pole years ago, and who know **** all about the club or its history, they are just attracted to them because of the big name players

They will NEVER be a big club, no matter what Peter Kenyon tries to tell you, because on a "support" level in London and surrounding areas, let alone elsewhere they are way behind Arsenal, Spurs, & West Ham

Its not a jealousy thing at all....good luck to them

I know that I go to West Ham as a life long fan, I dont expect them to win a trophy or get to a final, I go to to watch attractive football (dont always get it mind you !), and I sit next to the same people I have sat next to for years and who's father's sat there before them.....I cant imagine there are many "life long Chelsea fans" over Stamford Bridge !

Originally Posted by BangleMan

I know it was a gross exagerration....

This is what really pisses me off with Chelsea....they always were a small London club. When I was a kid, living in London you never, and I mean never saw any kid in a Chelsea shirt. I went to school with 300 boys and not one can I remember was a Chelsea fan

The yo-yo'd between the 1st and 2nd divisions constantly, and had a shite ground / pitch. Their attendances were 15,000 / 16,000 a week at best.

Abramovich comes along and saves them from extinction at the 11th hour, and I honestly have no problem with that or the amount of money they have spent or success they have had

What really "gets my goat" is that if you go to the ground it is so commercial / so corporate, there are fans there, who wouldnt have touched them with a barge pole years ago, and who know **** all about the club or its history, they are just attracted to them because of the big name players

They will NEVER be a big club, no matter what Peter Kenyon tries to tell you, because on a "support" level in London and surrounding areas, let alone elsewhere they are way behind Arsenal, Spurs, & West Ham

Its not a jealousy thing at all....good luck to them

I know that I go to West Ham as a life long fan, I dont expect them to win a trophy or get to a final, I go to to watch attractive football (dont always get it mind you !), and I sit next to the same people I have sat next to for years and who's father's sat there before them.....I cant imagine there are many "life long Chelsea fans" over Stamford Bridge !

Originally Posted by Inselaffen

don't you mean Essex where your local club was the Daggers?

Originally Posted by The Dean

I have just read a post by Bangleman.

I agreed with every word of it.

Those are not two sentences I ever thought I'd write.

Spot on, my Luton-hating chum.

And I'd query LH's assertion that there were 58,000 there when they played Leeds in 1969-70-71-ish (?). I know it could take that many way back when but not at that time, surely?

Originally Posted by BangleMan

Benitez out...???.....Is Mourinho in the frame ...???Or better still maybe Curbishley and the Hammers can have Jose instead .....(cant live in hope I suppose !)

Originally Posted by BangleMan

Benitez really is a Dumb Spanish Waiter......winds up Drogba = Scores 2 Goals...

Criticises Italian Referee......Ref gives Chelsea a Penalty...
Ref denies stone wall penalty for foul/trip of hyypia in Chelsea box...

Maybe benitez will watch his mouth in future...

...and what about his substitutions...no real striker on ..when they needed to get 2 goals...

Benitez out...???.....Is Mourinho in the frame ...???Or better still maybe Curbishley and the Hammers can have Jose instead .....(cant live in hope I suppose !)

Originally Posted by lionheart

You are more than welcome to Sven Goran Ericsson

Originally Posted by Inselaffen

there will probably be 5 in the United starting line-up
Brown, Ferdinand, Scholes, Carrick (or Hargreaves), Rooney

Chelski will probably have 2
Terry, Cole.

so only 7

Originally Posted by lionheart

Eh? First, both Carrick and Hargreaves will probably play. Second, there is Ashley Cole and Joe Cole...what about Lampard...with Sean Wright-Phillips as a possible sub, there could be 11 excluding Giggs and Fletcher, who are British...

Originally Posted by lionheart

Eh? First, both Carrick and Hargreaves will probably play. Second, there is Ashley Cole and Joe Cole...what about Lampard...with Sean Wright-Phillips as a possible sub, there could be 11 excluding Giggs and Fletcher, who are British...

Originally Posted by BangleMan

Hargreaves is Canadian !!