We're Going to be More Chelsea than Man Utd ...

[RPAS]

Prediction for 07/08 season;

We'll have loads of power, will be very hard to beat, we'll have an excellent front man; but we won't have a huge amount of guile ... we'll suffocate teams and try and wear them down ... we're going to be effective but not pretty - we'll rely on individual pieces of ability from Xabi/Gerrard/Torres to win the big games but we'll be focusing on not loosing them.

I think we'll come up just short this season ..... we're still short of a worldclass creator. Without that I worry about our ability to create enough clear cut openings in tight games to convert - I have a concern overall about Kuyts role and what he brings to the team (as opposed to say a natural creator and scorer ala Dalglish/Litmanen/Beardsley).

Thoughts?

[Marky]

Thoughts are Steven Gerrard MUST be bang at it all season.
Same for the rest of the squad but Stevie is our main man, our captain and our inspiration.
He has to start showing his leadership qualities and get that desire back that he had in the season before last. If he does...
Anything is possible, he's that good and he can can have that much of an influence, he has that rare quality of making the difference in winning and not winning a game which MAY ultimately leed to us winning the premiership/another trophy.

[Iceman]

If we end up known as the crushing machine, as Valencia were, I will have no complaints.............. if we have to grind teams into submission so be it......... I have waited so long for number 19 ( having seen virtually all of our previous 18)........ I dont give a **** if we win it ugly..........once we have won it we can concentrate on winning it nice

[Kopite_Colin]

Thoughts are Steven Gerrard MUST be bang at it all season.
Same for the rest of the squad but Stevie is our main man, our captain and our inspiration.
He has to start showing his leadership qualities and get that desire back that he had in the season before last. If he does...
Anything is possible, he's that good and he can can have that much of an influence, he has that rare quality of making the difference in winning and not winning a game which MAY ultimately leed to us winning the premiership/another trophy.

Then Rafa needs to leave him in the middle where he can do most damage and influence the game, and support the strikers. But I fear he won't do that.

[Darth Marty]

If we end up known as the crushing machine, as Valencia were, I will have no complaints.............. if we have to grind teams into submission so be it......... I have waited so long for number 19 ( having seen virtually all of our previous 18)........ I dont give a **** if we win it ugly..........once we have won it we can concentrate on winning it nice

****ing right.....

Lets beg borrow or steal the league this year and then we can move up a gear and play with the confidence and flair that being champions brings!

[breffniboy]

I agree with RPAS. A combination of Rafa's traditional caution and time-honoured tactics, as well as our 'creative signings' being less than the world class guys we had hoped for, means that possibly, not too much will change. Huffing and puffing against portsmouth, pre-season though it is, was like watching us last year all over again. I can't escape the notion that we need ten chances to convert one and don't make many chances sometimes either.

That said, we have a vastly improved strike force and I still have faith in Harry Kewell so should nick more wins on the road than last year - provided Rafa goes for it - so we'll be closer, but still no cigar IMHO.

[dww]

I think there is a difference between Chelsea when they had Duff and Robben and last season. The Robben/Duff team played some great football, it was just that as soon as they had their noses in front they shut up shop. If we can reach the level of attacking play of the Robben/Duff team I don't see Rafa reigning the team in as much as Mourinho did.

Having said that I don't think we will see a marauding attacking team like United and we will always base our play on a solid defensive foundation.

I think we will be able to challenge if at least one of our attacking midfielders can get their name on the team sheet on a regular basis. I actually think a team we don't get compared to often which is the Arsenal team with Pires and Ljungberg and Vieira. Where the wide midfielders often did not play wide and probably contributed more goals than the second forward (usually Bergkamp). I think we are a ways away from that standard of team, but I think we have a more physical approach which could help to compensate.

[Marky]

Then Rafa needs to leave him in the middle where he can do most damage and influence the game, and support the strikers. But I fear he won't do that.

I disagree entirely, he played his best football when he was out on the right wing in the 05-06 season.
I still think he's better in the middle but i don't just because he isn't playing there is an excuse for a bad display.
He simply must perform next season and big time.
The pressures on the skipper...can he cope with that pressure? I'm sure he can, he's that type of player and character to do so.

[Kopite_Colin]

Sorry Mark I think not. He's a bigger threat coming from central areas: the goals and key events in big matches shows that:

Goal v Olympiakos CL 2005
1st Goal CL Final 2005
His run for the pen CL Final 2005
2 goals in FA Cup Final 2006

And of the 23 he scored in 05/06 many of thoser cam from playing CM

[CJ]

sorry colin i have to agree with Mark,

his best season was the one before last. and he played on the right alot.

[willa1975]

Thoughts are Steven Gerrard MUST be bang at it all season.
Same for the rest of the squad but Stevie is our main man, our captain and our inspiration.
He has to start showing his leadership qualities and get that desire back that he had in the season before last. If he does...
Anything is possible, he's that good and he can can have that much of an influence, he has that rare quality of making the difference in winning and not winning a game which MAY ultimately leed to us winning the premiership/another trophy.

I agree. As much as we like to talk about having a 20-goal striker, United won the league last season and Chelsea the league the last two before that without one. Sure, improving our strike force will help, but we also desperately missed Gerrard's goals from midfield last season, the goals from midfield that United got from Ronaldo last season and Chelsea from Lampard over the past couple of years. If we can get ~30 from our top two strikers and Stevie returns to the goalscoring form of the 2005-06 season, our points total will improve significantly.

We're still not winning the league, though. Maybe next year.

[akjs123]

Sorry Mark I think not. He's a bigger threat coming from central areas: the goals and key events in big matches shows that:

Goal v Olympiakos CL 2005
1st Goal CL Final 2005
His run for the pen CL Final 2005
2 goals in FA Cup Final 2006

And of the 23 he scored in 05/06 many of thoser cam from playing CM

There were 2 other CMs on the field when he scored all of those goals. He was playing an attacking role in those games not a CM (although I dont remember his position for any of those games)

[Johnny]

Where SG plays is not important,there are 10 other players with Carlsberg on their shirt.They all have to stand up this yr and play like they want to win the league.