Chelsea 2013-2014: Insufferable & Unsuccessful but Better than Arsenal

[Bailey10]

This Chelsa potential hijacking of the Willian to Spurs move only makes sense in the context that Mata is leaving, most likely for Manchester United.
 
Mourinho's willingness to sell Mata in favor of Willian feels like pure hard headedness and ego to me. Like Jose wants to prove he can win at Chelsea with his own splayers and is even willing to sell Chelsea's best player the past two seasons to prove it. Selling Mata, not only to the defending champs no less but at all, would be madness.

 

[Stanley Steamer]

Agreed, in that I wouldn't think of selling Mata, given his performances over the past two years. Yet they keep bringing in more talent in the attacking mid role, and it seems there won't be enough PT for everyone. They seem loaded in midfield-- if anything, they could improve up top or in the back. A feast of riches at the top of the table. For me, if they can't prise Rooney away from United, a guy like Eto'o makes sense. Someone with a predator's instincts. Too bad Grant Holt's off the table.

 

[Bailey10]

A Mata move makes the most sense in the context in a swap for Rooney. Ironically, I think more Chelsea fans would be against this move than Manchester United fans. 

 

[Seven Costanza]

My fiancee and her family are die hard Chelsea fans. 
 
They HATE Wayne Rooney.  I can't emphasize HATE enough.  I don't think they are in the minority. 

 

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

My fiancee and her family are die hard Chelsea fans. 
 
They HATE Wayne Rooney.  I can't emphasize HATE enough.  I don't think they are in the minority. 

Sure, and we've already seen what the fanbase did to Rafa despite doing well there.
 
But if Rooney comes over and scores like crazy, particularly against ManU, you'd have to think the fans would get over it....right?

 

[Snakebauer007]

Mourinho again stated(today) he has no plan on selling Mata, he's still the teams best player.
 
Also, on Rooney, I don't think you will find such a negative opinion on him, like the one posted above. He is nowhere near as disliked as Rafa, and unlike Rafa, wouldn't be a pointless and stupid hire
 
I don't feel we need Willian perhaps, although he give us a natural player to play out wide, but as a Big F-U to Spurs over  Modric, I find it humorous
 
Gotta imagine if this Willian stuff is remotely true, Moses is the casualty, and ba would have to go for Rooney to come.

 

[URI]

I guess I don't see the similiarities on out bidding us for a player from another team and us refusing to sell you a player.
 
But I know why you find it humorous

 

[Snakebauer007]

I guess I don't see the similiarities on out bidding us for a player from another team and us refusing to sell you a player.
 
But I know why you find it humorous

I think it was more like agreeing a fee for the transfer to chelsea, and then pulling a Levy. 
 
Also, Chelsea clearly had no interest in Willian and only a small need for him.

 

[Snakebauer007]

Also, I am not still bitter over Modric......

 

[URI]

Good use of £32 million then. 
 
But ultimately, the Willian and Modric situations have, at best, tenuous similarities.  Find it humorous for Chelsea flexing it's financial muscle again for a surplus player (ManCitying) or because you gadzumped a rival...otherwise it makes it seem like you're still crankypants about Spurs not acquiesing to the might of Chelsea.  Which is arrogent by proxy at best, and kinda sad in general.

 

[URI]

Also, I am not still bitter over Modric......

 
Oh certainly not. I'm still not bitter about half of Spurs getting food poisioning right before the last game of the year in '06 either.

 

[Morgan's Magic Snowplow]

Is Lukaku ever going to start a match?  So far he's a terrible pick for my fantasy EPL team.

 

[Snakebauer007]

 
Oh certainly not. I'm still not bitter about half of Spurs getting food poisioning right before the last game of the year in '06 either.

that had conspiracy written all over it.

 

[OCST]

Is Lukaku ever going to start a match?  So far he's a terrible pick for my fantasy EPL team.

 
Right there with you, buddy.  Even made him my captain last week.  Ouch.

 

[soxfan121]

Grant Wahl interviewed The Special, Humble One. Best segment (it's all a great read):
 

Wahl: I want to have a little fun here. I'll read off some coaches' names, and you give me one sentence with your opinion on each.
Mourinho: OK.
Wahl: Carlo Ancelotti.
Mourinho: He loves to go after me. (laughs)
Wahl: Pep Guardiola.
Mourinho: Great coach.
Wahl: Arsene Wenger.
Mourinho: He represents what we all want to represent, which is stability in the club and work, always thinking in the future, and without the pressure of the present.
Wahl: Sir Alex Ferguson.
Mourinho: The best ever in English football, and nobody can arrive where he arrived.
Wahl: David Moyes.
Mourinho: Very good guy, very good coach. I can't wish him very much luck because he's an opponent, but a good guy and coach.
Wahl: Manuel Pellegrini.
Mourinho: Manuel Pellegrini? Manuel Pellegrini is a coach that had a big occasion in Madrid to do it, and he couldn't do it. And I know why, because it is not easy. And now he has a second great chance to prove what I think he is: A very good coach. But I hope he doesn't prove it! (laughs)
Wahl: André Villas-Boas.
Mourinho: He's one of the best young talents, a young coach.
Wahl: Rafa Benítez.
Mourinho: Rafa Benítez? He's a coach of my generation, more or less the same age. He's one of the successful ones. He won a few important competitions. And now, because he's in a championship that is not my championship, I wish him well.

 

[URI]

I kinda love the Ancelotti answer.

 

[soxfan121]

I almost posted it in the Arsenal thread, as Jose's opinion on Arsene is the most trolling thing ever said by anyone. 

 

[sachmoney]

Mourinho is a card.
 
Semi off-topic, is Special 1 TV supposed to come back for this season?

 

[cjdmadcow]

Here's two quotes after tonight's game, admittedly from Liverpool fans, but tell me they're wrong:

"If Benitez did what Mourhino is doing now, he would've got slaughtered by fans and the press"
"New manager, drops double Player of the Year, plays boring football. Fans love manager. Chelsea logic.

 

[Snakebauer007]

Mata isn't fit, Chelsea hasn't lost a game. 

 

[veritas]

Mourinho is a more charismatic and media friendly version of Belichick and I hate to admit it but I love him. He knows he's smarter than everyone else and he trolls hard.

As a Spurs fan Chelsea is getting a lot harder to hate. Other than Terry there just aren't a lot of hate-able players on the team at the moment.

 

[URI]

That's why I resort to calling Lampard fat.

 

[Snakebauer007]

That's why I resort to calling Lampard fat.

This never gets old 

 

[URI]

This never gets old

Neither do your rants and quasi-racism about Rafa Benetiz, but it never stopped you.

You can combine the two

"Who brought Frankie his 13th burger tonight?

A FAT SPANISH WAITER!!!!"

 

[soxfan121]

Neither do your rants and quasi-racism about Rafa Benetiz, but it never stopped you.

You can combine the two

"Who brought Frankie his 13th burger tonight?

A FAT SPANISH WAITER!!!!"

 

 

[teddykgb]

Here's two quotes after tonight's game, admittedly from Liverpool fans, but tell me they're wrong:

"If Benitez did what Mourhino is doing now, he would've got slaughtered by fans and the press"
"New manager, drops double Player of the Year, plays boring football. Fans love manager. Chelsea logic.

 
I know you guys are mostly just trolling Snakebauer at this point, but you guys do understand why Jose Mourinho gets the benefit of the doubt where Rafa Benitez doesn't, right?  Benitez has a good record, but there aren't many people who can stand toe to toe with Mourinho's accomplishments.  It's really not surprising that he has a bit more rope with not just fans of his own team but with the general public as well.

 

[SoxFanInCali]

Rafa's record or Jose's record have nothing to do with it.  It's all about this:
 

 

[Vinho Tinto]

That might be the dumbest comment from a smart man that I've ever read. 

 

[SoxFanInCali]

I don't even remember the question that resulted in the comment. I just remember it was before one of the Champions League semi-final matchups against Chelsea.
 
Rafa claims it was said to inspire the Liverpool fans, but obviously both sets of fans have taken it as a criticism of Chelsea and their fans.

 

[Zomp]

and now you have your first choice striker.

 

[teddykgb]

and now you have your first choice striker.

 
I assume you mean Eto'o?
 
I can't say I've seen much of him in Russia, but I think Chelsea are making a mistake if they don't give a ton of game time to Lukaku.  Think he's a real star in the making.

 

[PedroSpecialK]

Eto'o is only on a one year deal, and given his wages at Anzhi I imagine the fee was minimal - and it's official.

 

[Zomp]

He's still a fantastic player.  I don't think one or two seasons in Russia will have slowed him down too much.  Lukaku is definitely one to keep an eye on but Eto'o in front of that attacking 3 is a scary prospect.

 

[DLew On Roids]

Lukaku has said recently that he thinks he's still developing the physical ability to play 90 minutes at the very top level.  He may be in impact-sub-land for another season.

 

[soxfan121]

Nobody bails out a Russian oligarch like a Russian oligarch. 

 

[Snakebauer007]

never seen Chelsea press like this, also glad to see pep brought that douchebaggery and instilled in Bayern so quickly

 

[Snakebauer007]

Luiz sparked that Hazard goal, with skill really only he possesses at the position, Neuer looked real bad on that, I wonder if Michael Owen wants to take back calling him the world's best keeper?

 

[Williams Head Case]

God damn

 

[Snakebauer007]

poor Lukaku

 

[Snakebauer007]

Much better game than I expected, glad to see chelsea starting to build something under Mourinho that is going to be very difficult to deal with.  Luiz getting back into the lineup is a big step, and Mata getting there is the next one, as is ability to score goals and hit the vital pass is still a step beyond Oscar and Hazard. 
 
Schurrle is quite the player, works very very hard for an attacker and is not out of place linking up with the other skilled guys.
 
It boggles my mind some how much time Lampard and Ramires have already played, and this area still looks a bit weak, we shall see I suppose. 
 
I was also curious as to which RB Jose would prefer, and I am glad he has gone with Ivanovich, who is clearly one of our big game players, and a real quiet leader out there who i would have a hard time not picking in my lineups. 
 
A much welcomed 2 weeks off now. 

 

[cjdmadcow]

I honestly don't intend this to seem like I'm just on Chelsea's case again but can someone please explain to me the logic of letting Juan Mata go...it doesn't matter where he goes, do you really give up a top-quality player that's been PotY for the last 2 seasons and is highly respected by colleagues, fans and even opposing fans.
 
It just doesn't make any sense to me at all, even after the purchase of Willian. Do you really let someone like Mata go so easily?
 
And what about Lukaku going back to West Brom (possibly) after only just being brought back into the fold? Again, the purchase of Eto'o pushes him ahead of Lukaku but what was the point in bringing him back?
 
What's Jose up to? I'm fascinated on fans thoughts here. If anyone other than Jose had done this there would be uproar, surely?

 

[PedroSpecialK]

Eto'o coming back opened the door to the Lukaku Everton loan, I really believe if an acceptable (both financially and by Roman's standards) offer came in for Torres Lukaku would have stayed.

However, the timing of it can't give him a lot of confidence. Lucky for him he'll get a ton of playing time in an arguably better side than West Brom.

Also, looks like Mata is staying.

 

[Snakebauer007]

Glad we can stop the mata is leaving BS

The reason Lukaku went out on loan is because no one would take our garbage(Torres and Ba) leaving too many guys for one spot, there was no intention to loan Lukaku until everything else failed

 

[JayMags71]

Ba also insisted on Champions/Europa League Football. That also limited his options.

 

[Snakebauer007]

Just a shame, I was looking forward to watching Lukaku with our team this season

 

[DLew On Roids]

I honestly don't intend this to seem like I'm just on Chelsea's case again but can someone please explain to me the logic of letting Juan Mata go...it doesn't matter where he goes, do you really give up a top-quality player that's been PotY for the last 2 seasons and is highly respected by colleagues, fans and even opposing fans.
 
It just doesn't make any sense to me at all, even after the purchase of Willian. Do you really let someone like Mata go so easily?

 
I heard a convincing argument a few weeks ago, and unfortunately I can't recall where, that Mourinho isn't a fan of the Spanish national team players.  Mourinho, the argument goes, like to cultivate his guys and rally them against the world, and creating a self-policing squad.  He's not the only coach or manager who's done this; Bill Parcells did it wherever he went, most notably with the Giants.  Guys like Harry Carson and Pepper Johnson ran that team the way Terry and Lampard did during Mourinho's first Chelsea stint.  Apparently the Spanish national team is a really tight group, though, and Mourinho had trouble building that culture at Real because players like Sergio Ramos, as much as they played for keeps on the pitch, wouldn't buy into hating Iniesta, Xavi, and the rest of their pals from the national team.  Mourinho thought he could never get the full loyalty of a Spanish national team player, so Mata was paying the price of being associated with those guys.
 
Obviously, the issue of dealing with the Spanish national team are a lot different at Chelsea, where he really only has to worry about building up enough hate if he's matched up against Real or Barca.  But Mourinho, as smart as he is, is also a pretty odd guy, and I wouldn't put it past him to dismiss a player for something like this.  He's also confident enough in his ability to manage a team that he wouldn't laugh off the idea of selling his squad's best player.

 

[Snakebauer007]

That is just beyond ridiculous, what passes for convincing or believable these days is mind blowing

 

[DLew On Roids]

Thanks for providing a coherent counter-argument.  You add value to this site every day.

 

[Snakebauer007]

Thanks for providing a coherent counter-argument.  You add value to this site every day.

Why would I waste my time with the dumbest, most fabricated story I have ever read regarding chelsea or Jose, and there are many. 

 

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

Why would I waste my time with the dumbest, most fabricated story I have ever read regarding chelsea or Jose, and there are many. 

 
Look, a thoughtful, non-trolling comment was posted by someone trying to talk about the club and you responded in the most dismissive way possible with no explanation whatsoever. I mean, go ahead and tell us why it's so absurd. Just dismissing it with a hand wave isn't really helpful.