In Praise Of Eastern European Players...

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Growing Old Gracefully
An interesting point touched upon by Gaz, Ireland in this morning's mailbox is the apparent behind the scenes histrionics from Lampard and Cole over being left out. Indeed watching Cashley's face as AVB was briefing him before he came on was interesting as it suggested a perfect cocktail of smugness, contempt and anger.

Compare for a moment the reaction of so called senior Chelsea players with their equivalents at Liverpool (Jamie Carragher) and United (Ryan Giggs).

Both Carra and Giggs have transitioned into the autumn of their careers with dignity and grace. Accepting that time and football moves on and that no player is bigger than the club and using their influence to positively impact the younger squad members around them.

If Lampard was furious with being left out as has been leaked (by Lampard obviously) then he needs to have a word with himself and stop listening to the pandering to this "golden generation" mentality that permeates certain sections of the footballing narrative.

In other words, grow old gracefully f**kwit!
David (EIRE)


No Respect For Lifelong Supporter
I'm guessing that you are very young and that you've only been supporting Chelsea since 2003.

"Save our club before it is too late, Mr Abramovich" - seriously, sod off you drama queen. You're level on points with 4th, still in the FA cup and still in Europe. Try to gain a modicum of perspective.
Rich, London (Newcastle fan)


...For a lifelong Chelsea supporter, this morning's correspondent seems to be rather lacking in long-term knowledge. And sense, but let's stick with the former for now. He begs Roman to save Chelsea "before it's too late" - didn't he already do that? Not sure if Mr Lifelong Supporter is aware of this, but Chelsea used to be quite awful. A couple of decent seasons in the BSR (before stolen Roubles) era may have suggested otherwise, but given that this brief flirtation with decency nearly took the club to its grave it is probably not the best example that Chelsea's history can offer. The reality is that Chelsea FC is a club that wasn't particularly popular nor successful until a massive cash injection made it so. An obscene and absurd sum of money took a middling club to a level beyond any sense of reality, and now the 'concerned' fans are demanding another huge outlay to give another dead cat bounce to a club that is seemingly desperate to return to normality.

Given the hero-worship of Mourinho and dismissal of Villas-Boas for being "unproven, green behind the ears (&) young", all I can deduce is that Mr Concerned is also Mr Confused. Their respective records, prior to joining Chelsea, are rather similar. Both won the league in dominant fashion, won the UEFA Cup/Europa League, and the domestic cup too. AVB lost his chance to repeat the CL feat by jumping ship to Chelsea to be insulted by grown men who display a truly hilarious obsession with their swarthy former figurehead. And why? Because Jose "changed the club philosophy forever". To what, exactly? Because to most outsiders it seems that this philosophy is little more than pandering to certain players so much that they are utterly incapable of accepting instructions from any other manager - to the severe detriment of the club as a whole. And you celebrate him for this? You beg for his return? How wonderful.

AVB could have led Chelsea out of the darkness to come, a gloom inspired by the refusal of those surrounding the club to accept that Terry, Lampard and their little gang are at the end of their respective careers and that the club has become neolithic in comparison to those around it. Instead he will be drummed out by people living in the past, clinging onto that short spell when Chelsea were a force rather than just another football club. It's understandable. It's all they've got, and - based on their current behaviour towards an excellent manager - it'll be the best they ever have.
Thayden


...Lifelong Supporter, you do realise that we only started dreaming of all these great things once Mr. Moneybags bought us, right? I hate the fact that everyone is knee-jerking and calling for AVB's head. Give the guy at least 2 seasons and some money to give his case.

That's what Mourinho got, loads of money to spend, and no player power to fight against which IS a real issue. And I highly doubt that even if Mourinho came right now, he won't be able to turn everything around. Our captain and main central defender is injured, and we are in desperate need of a left winger. And even scratching all that, if you look at the game last night, you will see that the players and their woeful finishing let us down. If Sturridge had not been selfish and passed to Mata when we were 1-0 up, we would have won the game.

I don't believe you to be a lifelong Chelsea supporter. Or, you might be, but you are definitely not are REAL supporter. If you were, then you would be quiet, and get behind the manager, and give him time to prove himself. How can you expect him to be inspiration and feel confident when you are questioning him at every turn? Get behind him, have faith. Things will change.
Mohammad Ali, 18, Southampton (Impatient fans p*ss me off)


...You are indeed correct that both David Luiz and Gary Cahill are to blame as players. Indeed, your reasoning is also correct.

However, what you fail to mention is that AVB paid £7m for Gary Cahill, a player in the last 6 months of his contract, just one month ago. Should he not be blamed for this?

As an Arsenal fan, I don't blame Diaby, Squillaci, Djourou, Chamakh, Park (the list could go on and on) for being poor players. That isnt their fault. I blame the manager for continuing to pick them for games at the highest level and for keeping them at the club or indeed bringing them there in the first place.
Ryan, London. AFC Fan


Mental Left-Backs
On the subject of mental left-backs;

Mauricio Taricco.

That is all.
Jarvis, Nottingham


...One Word

Psycho!!!!!
Adam - Cov Fan - Coventry


...By far the most mental (and boy, there have been a few) left-back to grace a Birmingham City shirt was Martin Grainger, loved by Bluenoses for his tough tackling and for having a rocket of a free-kick.

Grainger was the most mental left-back because he played for 20 minutes against West Brom with a broken leg. And even then he was only forced off the pitch because he thought he'd torn a calf muscle. He didn't realise he had broken his leg until the next day. When interviewed about it he underlined his credentials as most mental left-back by saying he didn't know he'd broken it "Because I'm daft".
Dan (Chris Hughton for Manager of the Season), London


Freebies
I've decided to put together a squad of free players you could have got in the last two years: Probably missed a few but reckon the team and subs below would be competitive enough in the league barring injury/jail time etc.

Friedel

Reid
Upson
Woodgate
Gallas

Seb Larsson
Barton
Hargreaves (A stretch i know as he's constantly injured)
Martin Petrov

Bellamy
Demba Ba

Subs
Vaughan
Senderos
Nigel Reo-Coker
Jenkinson
Scharner

Scholes was technically free this year but that's a hell of a stretch since i'm already trying to get away with Hargreaves
Martin (Going to do a most expensive 11 flops tomorrow)


Eastern European Wonders
John Mac has sparked my interest. Not all of these are creative per se, just brilliant.

10) Robert Prosinecki (not the Pompey version, y'know, when he was good)
9) Slaven Bilic (Coolest man in Football management)
8) Georghe Hagi (Mental)
7) Pedrag Mijatovic (was just really, really good)
6) Davor Suker (partially because he missed that penalty in the UEFA Cup Final when playing for Arsenal, partically for winning the Golden Boot. FOR CROATIA)
5) Pavel Nedved (because he looks like Bodhi from Point Break)
4) Dejan Savicevic (1994. European Cup Final. Amazing)
3) Zvonimir Boban (Had great hair, named a bar in Croatia after himself, was awesome for Milan and Croatia)
2) Nemanja Vidic (Just immense)
1) Hristo Stoichkov

Honorary mentions for Patrik Berger and Karel Poborsky of that Czech Republic team from 1996, "Big" Jan Koller and Popescu.
Jonny Dodds


...John Mac forgot the greatest player ever to come from eastern Europe, Robert Prosinecki , then it struck me that Robert Prosinecki maybe needs to be brought to the attention of a generation that has never heard of him, because he seldom gets mentioned in debates about the best player ever.

Forget Pele or Maradona because Prosinecki was a genius and the best footballer ever to play the game, Prosinecki is the perfect antidote to people who seriously come out with statements like 'Scott Parker is world class', just check out what Prosinecki could do with the ball, he could and would dribble around every opposition player, twice, and then score. He was not an athlete, he did not make 100 tackles a match, he was simply a message form the gods of football, the message was "This is the beautiful game."
Dave, Pompey


Tad Harsh Part II
Re:Jonathan Horrocks "Anyone who refers to Cristiano Ronaldo as 'CR7' deserves to die"

Anyone who finishes their email with "that is all" deserves to die.
Graham, Dublin


Taking An Idea And Running With It
Further to Zdravko Tashev's (must be an anagram in there somewhere) idea about penalties, how great would it be if the person who commited the foul had to go in goals for it? Instant justice or glorious redemption!
Joe Donohoe


Booing
In reply to Michael's request for crazy acts of booing I remember being at Wembley for Capello's first match in charge of England. We were playing Switzerland and some definite booing ensued around the half-way point when England were level and had the temerity to try to retain possession. In hindsight, the lack of acceptance then kind of set the tone for the latter days of his tenure.

In fairness, not sure that beats the utterly mental act of booing in an Arsenal pre-season friendly.
Simon, London


...The worst case of booing clearly took place at St James' when after a 1-1 draw with Wolves on the final day of the season and finishing 5th - narrowly missing out on the Champions League - Sir Bobby and the players were booed on their ill-advised lap of honour.

Pathetic and I hope the 'fans' who did it have appreciated our relegation and the subsequent shower of sh*t that has followed (with a few obvious exceptions such as this season).
James Katirai (ROBSON OUT)


Apologies, Christopher
To Owen (cue a pile of Graeme Souness Worst XI mails) Cork.

Due to my haste in which it was knocked up I must concede I was a bit harsh on Christopher Wreh, he did pop up with minimal - but important - goals in that double winning season. So apologies to Christopher. Kaba Diawara was quantum times worse.

Also disappointed I left Amaury Bischoff off the list, which kind of epitomises how forgettable and rubbish a transfer he was.
Stu (Hopefully Tomas Eisfeld won't be making this team in the future) Woodburn, Arsenal


Two-Footed
Following up Al (LFC, despite the mentions of UTD players) Cousins' point.

When Trevor Brooking was growing up in the 50's his dad seemingly had a great tactic to make him two footed. He would make him and his brother wear a football boot on their 'wrong' foot and a plimsoll on their 'right' one. Bear in mind that back then they would be playing with a heavy leather ball and not the fancy balloons of today.

It would hurt to hit the ball with their good foot and so improved the use of their wrong one. Trev could shoot, pass or whip in a cross with either foot so it seemed to work.

I'm guessing Health & Safety rules may prevent this sort of cruelty today.
Al Meyer, (WHUFC - obvioulsy, why else would I own The Trevor Brooking story on VHS?), London


...There are two footed players, and there are one footed players.

Ok, i understand your point that for the vast sums of money and the amount of time that these guys spend training, they should in theory be able to use both feet. Cristiano Ronaldo, Zidane etc mastered the art of using two feet and they are amongst the best players in the world.

Let's then look at the one footed: Giggs, Valencia, Ashley Cole, Van Persie - all top, top Premiership players with the use of only one foot. Go onto a broader scale and while Messi can use his right foot, more often than not, he chooses not to. Is that really hindering him at all?

Your comment about a one handed typist etc is just redundant, because if at my office there was a one handed typer and he was by far the quickest and most accurate typer, i'd say fair play to the lad, well done. You are one sick one handed typer. I would not say, what the f**k are you doing with your lazy hand, put it to some use (and not down your trousers) just to put him out of his comfort zone when really there's no need to.

These players have reached the top of their game with their style, if it's one footed, then so be it. They are still pretty damn good. It winds me right up when people insist on players being two footed. As long as they can use it if NEEDS be, which they all can, then what is the issue if they choose not to use it?!
Grash, Cologne


Woy's XI
In response to Ved, Japan dismissal of Roy Hodgsons signings. This team would certainly give Rafa's XI a good game:

Mark Schwarzer

Javier Zanetti
Roberto Carlos
Taribo West
Brede Hangeland

Paul Ince
Youri Djorkaeff
Aron Winter

Ivan Zamorano
Martin Dahlin (For Malmo NOT Blackburn)
Kanu
Ryan (This is how i've used my afternoon, instead of working), Cumbria