Bleacher Report - Articles by Ramkumar S

Darren Fletcher Trapped By Arsene Wenger?

Ramkumar S — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:31:19 -0500

"There are other points [than diving] that, for me, are more urgent – players who play only to make fouls and who are never punished; players who make repeated fouls and who get out of the game without a yellow card. That, for me, is more anti-football than a player who did what Eduardo did."

"I have seen a player who plays only on the pitch to make repeated fouls,Look at how many deliberate fouls some players make and get away with. I think that's a bigger problem [than diving] because it cuts the flow of the game. And people come and pay to see football. They do not come to see freekicks. You should ask the referees."

Those were the words of Arsene Wenger after the Manchester United. Were they stong enough to make the referees take notice and decide to "punish" the players in future games?

Yes, according to the United midfielder Darren Fletcher. "It was clearly not a foul. I knew at the time and I have watched it again on the replay. I back-heeled the ball and Cole just jumps up in the air and the ref gives a foul.

"I think we are starting to see Mr Wenger's comments starting to influence referees which is a shame really. Now we have to raise our game and ensure these decisions are not affecting the game."

Really, Fletcher? Could it not be, that the referees had made a mistake? You know, the way they have done so in the past ? Could it not have been the "12th man" as Wayne rooney seems to suggests?

It was Arsene Wenger that influenced that decision? And it took seven games after the comments were made for the referees to get influenced? Must be one of the slowest referee association in the world!

Fletcher has been one of the most improved players in the United squad and seems like a nice chap, but these recent comments do seem extremely puerile. Wenger had always been one of the most respected managers, even among rivals, and such words that slander the reputation of such a wonderful gentleman is shocking.

It is unknown if Fletcher's eruption was something that occurred in the heat of the moment, was it a grudge that he held against Wenger for the earlier comments or something else. Whatever the case maybe, Fletcher should do the right thing and apologise.

Chel-Shocked: Wigan Defeats Chelsea 3: 1 at The JJB Stadium.

Ramkumar S — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 13:09:28 -0400

Ancelotti's first defeat since taking charge of Chelsea did not come against the big four, but against Wigan Athletic. Wigan gained the lead early in the game thanks to a goal by Titus Bramble. Charles N'Zogbia's cross found an unmarked Bramble who headed the ball past Peter Cech.

Chelsea fans, though, did not lose hope. They had seen their team surrender the lead early on only to make a swashbuckling comeback towards the end of the game. The score remained Wigan 10 Chelsea at halftime.

After halftime, the Chelsea faithful were keenly awaiting some goals to propel them to take the lead over Wigan, and Drogba did not disappoint. Hardly five minutes into the second half and Drogba scored a simple goal.

Malouda, who was playing at the tip of the diamond, made a cross to Drogba who then netted it past Kirkland. Alright, so the Chelsea machine has now picked up steam. Another inevitable goal and Chelsea will be back on top of the game and on top of the table again. But wait, history need not repeat itself, sometimes things can be different

That was the best of times and now comes the worst of times. Rodallega's amazing run into the Chelsea box was halted with a foul on him by Peter Cech. The referee wasted no time in rightfully awarding a red card for Peter Cech and a penalty for Wigan. This really was the turning point of the game. The loss of Peter Cech not only left Chelsea more vulnerable at the back but they were also a man down.

Ancelotti immediately responded by bringing in Hilario for the ousted Cech and removing Malouda who was playing well at the tip of the diamond. Rodallega scored the penalty by slotting the ball past Hillario and Wigan were leading 2 - 1.

Chelsea now had a truly uphill task trying to salvage something out of this match. Chelsea was trying to get hold of more posessions but Wigan was getting more and more comfortable. In an effort to bolster the attack Bosingwa was replaced by Kalou with Belletti taking the right back position. The change did see Chelsea press harder for the ball but Kalou sadly was not the change that Chelsea needed.

Kalou and Lampard tried to improve their chances but the final goal remained elusive. Wigan, too, was attacking at the other end with Rogadella looking dangerous.

At the end of 90 minutes Chelsea was a goal down with five minutes of stoppage time added. That should have been enough time for Chelsea to secure the equalizer. As Chelsea pressed on further Ashley Cole had to be sidelined with an injury and Chelsea was not playing with nine men. They were unable to sub Cole and Wigan then helped themselves to another goal, courtesy Scharner, to seal the game 3 - 1.

Wigan had finally defeated Chelsea in a premier league game. The defeat comes at a crucial time for Chelsea with Cech now unable to play in the Liverpool game.

Wigan played well to win the game, but one is curious to know what Ancelotti was thinking by bringing on Kalou for Bosingwa when the Russian playmaker Yuri Zirknov was still on the bench. Also how much will Chelsea miss Peter Cech in the crucial match against Liverpool? Time will tell. For now a huge congratulations to Wigan for defeating Chelsea and to Drogba for scoring the hundredth goal of his Chelsea career.

Chelsea Have Agreement With Delac

Ramkumar S — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 16:02:34 -0400

Chelsea may have been banned from signing players till 2011 but that has not detered Chelsea from having contracts with the players and signing them once the transfer ban is lifted.

The player who they have chosen to "sign" is a young Bosnian goalkeeper called Matej Delac.

The contract is 5 years in length and allows Delac to play for his current club Inter Zapresic, however, his salary will be paid by Chelsea. He will however be frequently training with the Blues squad when ever possible.

Delac already has first team experience playing for his club. The 6 ft 3 in goalkeeper is part of the Croatian senior squad at a young age of 17.

This surely calls into question Chelsea's plan for Rhys Taylor and Jan Sebek, two goalkeepers currently in the Chelsea youth squad.

Ancelotti was delighted with the move and said "He is a young goalkeeper getting very good experience in his country and we think that he can be very good in the future. I think FIFA are happy. He is a very young goalkeeper and this is a solution for our future, not for the present."

Let us hope FIFA has nothing to say about this.

Ancelotti Shall Succeed Where Scolari Has Failed

Ramkumar S — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 09:57:01 -0400

So Chelsea began the new season the same way they began the last season: two victories in two games. And before you know it, the prophecies have started.

One set of prophesiers says that Chelsea is going to win the title this year. As a Chelsea fan, I too share the same optimism, but im also aware of the fact that Arsenal and Liverpool look dangerous as does Manchester United. With Manchester City also vastly improving their squad and with room + money for further improvements I (as do many Chelsea fans) can only conclude that this year there are no firm or logical favorites to the title. Not yet.

The other set, however, says that Chelsea shall follow the same path that they took under coach Scolari. This is what im surprised about. Scolari was a good man, a good coach with a good vision, but he was not really cut out for taking such strenuous jobs esp. ones that demand more planning. He was out of touch with club football for a long time before he took over at Chelsea.

Scolari's vision did help the team play fluid football with a lot of passing, but that is sadly where the positives ended. His training methods were not intensive enough, something that the players themselves complained about, he did not make enough tactical substitutions when the team needed a change in momentum. He often complained about Chelsea's lack of creativity and cited that as the reason why Chelsea have failed to do well. True, but if a manager is going to cite lack of creativity as the reason why Chelsea struggled against teams like Hull (no offence Hull fans, but our first 11 is better than your first 11) then it shows poorly on the manager and on the preparedness of the team. Scolari also had no plan B (something I dont wanna go into), and lets not forget Chelsea's struggle to understand zonal marking. Add to it a disgruntled Drogba and Terry and the fact that we, with lesser problems than Arsenal, were on our way to gatecrashing out of the top 4. So, was anyone truly surprised when Scolari got fired?

And now let us compare that with Ancelotti's track record. Did you know before Ancelotti took over the reigns of Chelsea he was the manager of a team called AC Milan? Yep, the same Italian team that went to the Champions League final thrice under his helm and won it twice too. He is also the very same manager who gave Pirlo his reverend role, introduced Kaka to the big stage and more recently Pato. During his time in AC Milan, apart from guiding them to many cup victories and three Champions League finals, he also managed to keep AC Milan high enough in the league to qualify for the champions league spot except once.

To sum up, Ancelotti is no stranger to club football. He has experienced the pressure and understood the importance of making changes to formations and on game substitutions. He also knows the importance of rotations when the squad is old or getting tired. He knows how well to study the opponent and exploit their weakness. He also knows how to change the formation for the better when the opposition does find a weakness in the formation. It is this experience that will see him succeed with Chelsea where Scolari has failed.

My Prediction: Chelsea will be in the top three in the league table. And to those who question how one can consider that a success, let us not forget that not long ago Chelsea were in real trouble of crashing out of the Champions League spot had it not been for the revival under Sir Guus Hiddink.

Chelsea's Scott Sinclair Loaned to Wigan

Ramkumar S — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 08:44:52 -0400

Chelsea youngster Scott Sinclair has moved on a season-long loan to Wigan.

The 20-year-old Chelsea forward has been finding it tough to get a first team place and was on loan previously with Birmingham, QPR, and Crystal Palace. Wigan should provide the youngster with a good chance of tasting premier league football.

Sinclair is Wigan Manager Roberto Martinez's fifth signing for the season.

Chelsea's Franco Di Santo earlier moved to Blackburn and it now remains to be seen if Michael Mancienne will also be loaned, with the Wolves interested in him.

Chelsea's Franco Di Santo Goes on Loan to Blackburn Rovers

Ramkumar S — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 16:30:23 -0400

Chelsea's young Argentinian striker Franco Di Santo has moved to Blackburn in a loan deal that will keep him there until the January transfer window. Blackburn then have the option of further extending the loan and keeping Di Santo at Ewood Park untilthe end of the season.

This move will mark a positive for Chelsea and Di Santo who will hope to see more playing time as well as for Sam Allardyce, who is in the search for a new striker after Roque Santa Cruz moved to Manchester City.

And What About Andriy Shevchenko?

Ramkumar S — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 14:42:07 -0400

The rise and fall of Andriy Shevchenko has been all too well documented and this article will not attempt to do that yet again.

In this article, we shall discuss the impact of Shevchenko's new hair style. Just kidding; there will be a separate article for that. This article questions if Shevchenko can still make an impact in Chelsea.

As we all know, Shevchenko is down to his final year at Chelsea. His years at Chelsea have witnessed Shevchenko lose his speed and form as a result of seeing a lot of bench time and injuries.

Chelsea did try to help him out by hiring professionals to help him improve his speed and also sent Shevchenko back to Milan hoping that he can renew his lost form there.

That too did not work and Shevchenko is back with Chelsea.

The world football challenge is where we saw Shevchenko playing for Chelsea most recently. His display of hear and the way he was chasing after every ball was encouraging.

I do not know if he is injury free and is trying to get himself back into the first team, or was the opposition of such low quality or did not care enough to challenge him that he looked good.

Versus Reading, Shevchenko never featured, especially when Chelsea were down two goals and the substitutes turned out to be Kalou and Sturridge.

Perhaps a sign that the manager has no real plan for the Ukrainian, or coach Ancelotti thought it was more advantageous to let Kalou and Sturridge have a run?

Shevchenko still remains Ukraines best goal scorer; he still has not lost his natural insticts to score.

But such positives are lost in the long list of negatives.

Add to it the fact that we have two youngsters in Sturridge and Di Santo, who are keen to break into the first team, the fact that Chelsea attack is still being led by Drogba and Anelka—both of whom have signed contract extensions and the return to form of on-loan striker Claudio Pizzaro.

It is safe to say that the competition for chances to be a striker in the first team does seem intense. Does Shevchenko still have what it takes to challenge for a first team spot, even a substitute role ?

Can Chelsea still find use for Shevchenko, or has he crossed the line of no return?

Schumacher Returns? Who Cares!

Ramkumar S — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 12:16:03 -0400

Shumacher is back. Everybody is excited. But is he good enough ? Maybe not, and here is why -

Too old to rock n roll

Age and fitness plays a major part in any sports and Formula One is no exception. Shumi has stayed retired for some time now and the G Force did not. It is not something we can get used to in a week's time. Physical fitness of a person is very important for such long and strenuous drives and the Ferrari car is not exactly as comfy as first class seat aboard Lufthansa nor does it have the mystical power to transform the person to become physically fitter. (Hey it did work for Prince Adam to become He Man).

The Cars have changed

When Schumacher was still driving in formula one, the cars had electronic aids that helped the driver a lot. Sadly it was taken away and a few weeks is too little a time for someone to get used to driving in a racing atmosphere without such aids.

Opportunity Wasted

Ferrari could have used this chance to try out some of their upcoming talents to take a trial at the Formula 1 race to help them gain valuable experience. Instead they rely on a veteran who is not going to make any impact for them in the future - Unless Shumacher plans to race for another year or so.

The Party is Over

Button is too far ahead in the Drivers standing for any Ferrari driver to touch him unless something terrible happens to him. Mark Webber is the closest rival. Brawn GP have a really good car , top the Constructors list and only a miracle can help Toyota now. In other words, this season is inconsequential for Toyota and their drivers, and they only have their pride (and champagne) to drive for.

Will the bad guy please stand up ?

Michael Shumacher Versus ? In the past it was Mika Hakkinen and no matter whom you supported the clash was something to look forward to, but this year the rivalry is a new and developing one, between Button and Webber. Infact the rivalry that is making headlines today is FOTA VS FIA.

So what will Shumachers return bring to us in terms of racing ? a little bit of nostalgia...nothing more !

Chelsea Still Interested In Pirlo?

Ramkumar S — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 12:31:17 -0400

Ancelotti is still interested in the Italian playmaker Pirlo. The Daily Mail reports that Chelsea were willing to give €10 million plus Claudio Pizarro and Michael Mancienne on loan in exchange For Andrei Pirlo. It was, however, rejected by AC Milan.

It is surprising to see that Chelsea are still pursuing the 30+ veteran midfielder when they already have the likes of Ballack, Lampard, and Deco. So it appears that we Chelsea fans must be open to the idea that our marquee signing might be a 30+ midfielder of beautiful skill who may or may not adapt to the Premier League and not a smashing striker whom we hoped for.

I'm receptive to the idea of Andrei Pirlo joining us. He is skillful, creative, and has a few years of service left in him. Also he might be an eventual replacement for the retiring Ballack or the inconsistent Deco. Either way if Pirlo can adjust to the premier league, we do have a lot to gain. Also if we are to get Pirlo I would prefer that we send more decent players that way than more money.

It also makes sense for Milan to buy more players before the transfer window closes because, judging by their preseason form, they are in dire needs of reinforcements. Also with Silvio Berlusconi hesitant to sign any one above 23, Pirlo's wage scale and AC Milan's reduced finances is it just a matter of time before Pirlo moves from Milan to London?

Have You Seen My Stromboli?

Ramkumar S — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 12:09:09 -0400

It was a boring day in the hotel. Thought I would go for a swim. So I went to the pool deck and who do I see ? Christiano Ronaldo and Steven Gerrard. Yup. They were diving...in the pool.

Didn't wanna disturb them so thought I would grab something to eat instead from the food joint. Hey, Frank Lampard was there eating a salad. Might be fun to go there grab something to eat and chat with him.

I went there and asked the vendor "What do you have to eat? "
He said "Sorry, we are closing but there is a slice of pizza and a Stromboli if interested."

I asked the vendor for a pizza slice. He was about to give it to me when Mark Hughes came and offered the vendor 50,000 pounds for that slice of pizza ! Yes sir—the pizza would proceed to his mouth after clearing the medical. Shocked at the proceeding I had to buy the only other available piece of food—a Stromboli.

I had the stromboli in my left hand and with my other hand I reached into my pocket to take out my wallet. Suddenly out of nowhere a man dressed in a referee's TeeShirt came, snatched the Stromboli and ran towards the exit. Bosingwa who saw the incident started shouting "The referee is a thief! The referee is a thief!"

All the players in the food joint started chasing the referee. As we were chasing, the vendor came running behind us and said "Hey you did not pay me! " ...Drogba immediately turned around and threw some coins at him, hopefully he did not overpay for the Stromboli.

The chase was hard and we were losing him. Torres had pulled a hamstring while Terry slipped as he was about to catch him. Adebayor just gave up the chase while Nani was doing back flips. I thought all was lost until I saw Tevez sitting near the exit. He was sitting alone on a bench.

I thought I would ask Tevez to stop him. So I stopped chasing and got out my cellphone and sent a text message to Tevez - "Tvz stop ref!" But Tevez just sat there as the thief ran by (later on—Tevez said he never got my text message!!!!!!). Rooney reached the exit but the thief had disappeared by then.

Wenger just walked in through the exit door and Rooney asked Wenger "Which way did he go? Which way did he go? " Wenger replied " I did not zee anything."

And there ended the stromboli chase. In these tough economic times I find it hard to digest the fact that somebody is digesting the stromboli that I had worked hard for. So dear people, in case you see a referee with he smell of Stromboli coming from his mouth, please contact the local authority and let them know. Thanks.

To Say Or Not, Jose ? Chelsea 2 : 0 Inter

Ramkumar S — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 08:45:09 -0400

Chelsea defeat Inter. Ancelotti Defeats Jose Mourinho. The Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California, saw another game of exciting football - this football was played by kicking the ball and the leader of each team was called the captain and not Quarterback. So, when Captain John Terry and the Solid Ricardo Carvahlio showed up to play against Inter Milan, they formed a solid pair that helped Chelsea keep a clean sheet. Infact the first lapse came when Ricardo Carvahlio was subbed by Alex who let the ball slip to Mario Ballotelli.

Chelsea carried its winning form from the game against the Seattle Sounders and played some real slick football. Chelsea totally dominated the first half and led the score line by two. The first goal came in the 11th minute courtesy of none other than Mourinho's favourite striker Didier Drogba. A smooth pass from Frank Lampard found Drogba who smashed the ball into the bottom right corner of the goal.

The second goal came when Ivan Cordoba was adjudged to have "hand"-led the ball. Frank Lampard guided the ball into the bottom right and the score line read 2-0. Inter did try hard and played well, but sadly they lacked the final finish. Chelsea saw many substitutions with youngsters, Di Santo, Michael Mancienne, and San Hutchinson all getting a chance to play along with the newly acquired youngster Daniel Sturridge.

Mario Ballotelli was amazing,and should Inter lose Zlatan Ibrahimovic, expect to see more of the brilliant Ballotelli. Another vital point to note is how right Mourinho was in asking Inter to get Deco and Carvahlio. They both had an amazing game for Chelsea and if Inter are to challenge the big teams in Champions League then it will do well for Mr. Moratti to listen to Jose Mourinho and buy Deco and Carvahlio.

Chelsea Preseason Tour: See Chelsea Across the Sea Shore

Ramkumar S — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 09:18:40 -0400

Chelsea fans have a reason to get excited: the preseason is here.

This preseason promises to be more exciting than previous ones. Not only do Chelsea fans get a preview of what their team will look like under new coach Carlos Ancelotti, but there's also a lot of sentiment attached to these matches.

The preseason games are played in the USA, and tour kicks off with a match against MLS team Seattle Sounders on July 18.

Following that, Chelsea participate in the inaugural World Football Challenge.

The World Football Challenge tournament has four teams playing in them—Chelsea, Club America, Inter Milan, and AC Milan. Chelsea's first match of the tournament is versus Jose Mourinho and his Inter Milan squad.

Chelsea will have to battle the very man who took them to the pinnacle of success—Jose Mourinho. If that's not reason enough for us to get excited, also factor in the fact that Jose Mourinho and Carlos Ancelotti were bitter rivals in Seria-A.

The rivalry extended to a war of words with Jose saying that, "Carlos is not my friend."

Can Ancelotti lay the first strike on Jose Mourinho in this new season?

Pasadena, California will be the place where all eyes will be watching on July 21.

Chelsea's next match is on July 24 in Baltimore, and their opponents will be Carlos Ancelotti's ex-team AC Milan.

Rumor has it that, had Silvio Berlusconi not pulled the rug from under Carlos Ancelotti's feet, that Carlos would have still been in charge of the team. Carlos now has a chance to avenge himself by taking on the very team which he guided to two Champions League finals.

Chelsea's last game of the tournament is against Club America in Arlington, TX on July 26. Club America have won the CONCACAF Champions' Cup five times, and the Mexican Primera Division 10 times. They will present a unique challenge to Chelsea.

Round Up:

Saturday, July 18 : Chelsea FC vs. Seattle Sounders
Tuesday, July 21 : Chelsea FC vs. Inter Milan
Friday, July 24 : Chelsea FC v AC Milan
Sunday, July 26 : Chelsea FC vs. Club America

These games will be telecast in ESPN, ESPN2 and Chelsea TV.

Serbian Midfielder Nermanja Matic Moves to Chelsea?

Ramkumar S — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 13:28:17 -0400

Nermanja Matic, the Serbian midfielder, has told the Dinnik Sport that Chelsea has offered him a four-year contract. Nermanja Matic, 6'4", plays for MFK Kosice. He was tracked by Tottenham, Sunderland and CSKA Moscow.

The move represents another young signing made by Chelsea following the signing of promising young striker Daniel Sturridge.

Is Benitez Right: Did Gareth Barry Move Only For The Money?

Ramkumar S — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 08:57:28 -0400

"In this market now, money is not the main thing. Everyone at this level earns big money. If it's just for money, sometimes you will make mistakes. I was surprised by some decisions this year, like Gareth Barry. I won't say too much but clearly it was 100 percent for money. The most important thing for me is the passion of the players."

Those were the words of Liverpool coach Rafael Benitez, a man who has really not been media shy of late.

Liverpool were in for Gareth Barry last summer and could not match the asking price of $17 million by Aston Villa. Gareth Barry was also on record for stating that he wanted to play Champions League football. So a move to Manchester City, a team that could not offer him Champions League football, was surprising.

Or is it?

At Manchester City, he is drawing a salary of $92,000 a week for five years. That is much more than what he got at Aston Villa.

So is it just for the money?

In a letter to the Birmingham Mail, Barry had stated that the move to Manchester City was purely for a "new challenge".

Well Champions League football is a new challenge, right?

On the other side, City are a team with new owners and these owners are rich beyond one's wildest dreams. They have enough funds to afford to bring in stellar signings to Manchester City. City is definitely a team on the rise and this is just one phase of the rebuilding process. City has the potential to emerge as the new member of the big four.

Was it this potential that maybe swayed Barry's decision to choose City?

Was Benitez right to say that Barry's move to city was only for the money? What do you think was the real motive behind Barry's move?

Cit(y)ing in the Cold

Ramkumar S — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 11:05:39 -0400

So Manchester City wants to bid for John Terry, the man who is "Mr Chelsea" himself. What City fail to understand, after repeated attempts, is that some players are too big to be bid upon. They bid high and large for Kaka, Villa, Terry only to get rejected. Why?

Cos for these players, this is not just about the money but also about achievements. Those players want to win and win now. City is a long way away from rebuilding. Flashing money works sometimes but not always.

Money + Ambition + Plan is greater that Money + Ambition. And this has been an issue that City really have been struggling to comprehend.

So what is wrong with City? City's rebuilding plan as of now is—Buy Now, Think later! Why are they trying to buy each and every striker without deciding on who they want to play ? City currently have up to six first-team strikers and are being linked with Tevez and Eto'o.

I dont know what City is planning but i think it is safe for me to guess that they are not planning to play six strikers up front. If a mass exodus is what City is planning then it will only cause insecurity and loss of morale in existing City players.

Jo was terrible at City, but in Everton he was good. What was the reason for that—lack of faith, lack of patience or lack of managerial skills? They have loads of money to spend on the likes of Tevez and Bellamy but they cant increase the weekly wages of their own talented youth—Daniel Sturridge.

While one cannot question, City's ambition but to have the likes of a talented youth product come up through their academy and then give up on him so easily is quite shocking.

When City were taken over by Taskin, he hired suave Sven who was able to attract more talent and he did improve the squad. With that squad he managed to get into the top 10 and also did the double over rivals Manchester United—not an easy feat, mind you.

Mark Hughes started with a much better squad and did a lot worse. Sure, he lacks the experience, but does that help in attracting stars? Are you going to tell KaKa that he should join City cos he gets paid well but will not be able to win anything cos the manager is still learning?

Hey, managers have time 'til they are 60 and sometimes even beyond but once a player reaches the 30+ mark it is all downwards for his career. If City want instant success and stars joining them RIGHT NOW, then it will do them a world of good to hire a more experienced and established manager for their team.

If they want to persist with Mark Hughes then perhaps it would be better if they tried not to climb ten steps at a time.

Formula None! The End?

Ramkumar S — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 08:43:34 -0400

"The teams have declined to alter their original conditional entries to the 2010 F1 Championship, We've no alternative than to commence preparation for a new championship." .

Those were the words of FOTA who have now confirmed that they will not be taking part in the Formula 1 races from 2010 and onwards. No more Ferrari, McLaren, Renault, BMW Sauber, Toyota, Brawn GP, Red Bull Racing and Toro Rosso. Simply put there will be no more Formula One.

The teams have been patient with with Mad Max and his mysterious ways but when he decided to introduce the "voluntary 40 million dollar budget cap" He really had pushed too far. Teams that did abide by the 40 million dollar budget rules had one set of rules while teams that could not keep their costs below that would play by another set of rules. It is this disparity in rules that most teams were against. The FOTA tried to rationalize with Maxley but sadly it was fruitless.

The FOTA's statement reads:

"The wishes of the majority of the teams are ignored. Furthermore, tens of millions of dollars have been withheld from many teams by the commercial rights holder, going back as far as 2006.

"Despite this, and the uncompromising environment, FOTA has genuinely sought compromise.

"It has become clear, however, the teams cannot continue to compromise on the fundamental values of the sport and have declined to alter their original conditional entries to the 2010 world championship."

The FIA's response was as follows "We are disappointed but not surprised by Fota's inability to reach a compromise in the best interests of the sport.". Yeah, right.

But, there is still good news in the world of Formula 1 folks - Force India now has a realistic chance of winning the Formula 1 title. Yay!

Goodbye, and Thank You, Sir Hiddink

Ramkumar S — Sun, 31 May 2009 20:07:33 -0400

The Chapter Ends; The Page shall turn.

Hiddink Leaves; And Chelsea Mourns.

The reign of power has ended in a high. An FA Cup victory over the determined Evertonians...a perfect goodbye present to the captain who steered the Chelsea vessel through the storms of the English League and into the clear skies.

The exit of Scolari left Chelsea coachless yet again and had already surrendered the league title to Manchester United and runners up Liverpool and were struggling to hold down their own against a surprisingly mighty Aston Villa.

Guus Hiddink, a close friend of Roman, and the coach of the Russian Football team was asked to be the caretaker of the Chelsea team until the end of the season. It was a daunting job.

The Chelsea team at that time were at sixes and sevens, low on confidence and seemed often clueless in defending set pieces. His mission was simple: help Chelsea qualify for the Champions League next year.

Hiddink started his reign with a victory over Aston Villa in Villa Park, something that had not happened in over a decade. Many people could recognize the return of the old Chelsea.

The defence was back and working. The determination was there to be seen. The offense was chipping away useful goals.

Malouda was looking more like the Malouda of Lyon. Drogba was playing well again. The whole team was playing well.

Suddenly, Chelsea were one of the favourites to win the Champions League. Hiddink had managed to outclass Juventus and outplay Rafael Benitez and his Liverpool team.

The only thing that stood in Chelsea's road to Rome was Barcelona. They were another favourites to win the Champions League.

The clash between the two can best be described as a battle between the sword and the shield. At the end of the day Chelsea had managed to keep a clean sheet in Barcelona, a feat that only three teams had done that season.

The next round saw a more attacking Chelsea. Chelsea were leading Barcelona 1-0 and were favourites to win until Iniesta's godly strike scored the equalizer and Barcelona went ahead thanks to the away goal rule.

If not for the miracle strike, the finals would have seen the clash between two of the greatest tacticians in the world of football: the Golden Hiddink vs. Sir Ferguson.

The defeat was soon put behind their back as Chelsea demolished a depleted Arsenal side and went on to fight the Premier League til the end, securing third place.

Hiddink's 13 league games reign saw 34 points, that was more points than Manchester United and Liverpool for the same 13 games.

The last piece of silverware that Chelsea could hope for was the FA Cup.

Chelsea had cruised past Arsenal while Everton had defeated Manchester Untied. Chelsea were expected to win a bitterly fought contest and win they did.

Everton had laid a blow in the first minute. However, Chelsea had enough time and strength in their hands to launch a controlled 2-1 victory over the Toffees.

The cup was won and Gus Hiddink added the oldest cup in soccer history to his collection of victories.

Thus ended the reign of Guus Hiddink. Not only did he leave behind his imprint on the Chelsea team in such a short span of time but he also left behind a footprint too large for any coming manager to fill.

While Hiddink will be replaced by another manager, make no mistake that Guus Hiddink can never truly be replaced in the hearts of Chelsea faithful.

Barcelona vs. Manchester United Result : 10 Points To Think About

Ramkumar S — Thu, 28 May 2009 00:46:39 -0400

10. Okay, Messi is known to have a low center of gravity, but how high can he leap?

9. Was Christiano Ronaldo's not diving as much as he used to, a factor in United's loss?

8. So why exactly was Berbatov bought, and are you going to buy Tevez for $30 million too?

7. Will Liverpool fans be as happy as Barcelona fans?

6. If you want to defeat Barcelona and you are not as good as Barcelona, is the Chelsea way the best way?

5. What chewing gum does Fergie use? It seems to last for the whole duration of the game!

4. Was Henry talking about his ex-club, or talking in general, when he said "You always remember winners, that's the difference. You can play good football, pass the ball well but unless you win silverware sometimes it doesn't count," after the game?

3. Did Pep Guardiola just set the best record for the best rookie coach?

2. When you are going to face Barcelona, never wear a Real Madrid White, no?

1. Platini doesn't look so evil when he is smiling, does he?

Should Van Persie Renew Contract with Arsenal?

Ramkumar S — Tue, 19 May 2009 15:40:28 -0400

When he arrived in Arsenal from Feyenoord he was joining an Arsenal team that were at their best, but five years down the line things have deteriorated for the worse in Arsenal.

An FA Cup and the Community Shield is all he has won with Arsenal.

Contract negotiation time yet again. Van Persie's agent and Arsenal representatives must be busy battering out a new deal—a deal that is best for both parties. But is it in the interest of Robbie Van Persie to remain with the club?

Woe be Arsenal

The recent troubles in Arsenal have been too well documented. If they sell more of their star players like Adebayor or don't make any experienced purchases then they will find it harder to challenge for trophies, let alone win them.

Woe be Persie

Van Persie's injury record is scary. He could very well be a Michael Owen in the making. Given that injury record, Van Persie really does not have much time in the football's elite scene and has to make the best of the time that he has.

Replaceable toys

As footballers age their salary also increases. At the same time the number of new footballers that enter the scene also increase. Clubs—if they feel that they are spending too much on an aging star—have the option of going for a younger replacement.

Thierry Henry was not indispensable. Van Persie will not be.

Loyalty is not a two-way street

When players walk away from clubs they are vilified (Flamini), but clubs too can chose to offload you (Henry). Fans can choose to boo you ( Adebayor)—even abuse you.

Simply put, every one is in charge of their life and loyalty is not always rewarded.

At 25, this contract will be a contract that can really define his life. This is the age where his value and talent are at their pinnacle. The next time he signs a contract, age and form may not be to his advantage. The number of big clubs that wait for his signature might not be around. His salary or contract length might not be the same.

So, what should Van Persie do?

Is Ancelotti the Right Coach for Chelsea?

Ramkumar S — Thu, 14 May 2009 08:42:17 -0400

There is no doubting the genius of Carlos Ancelotti.

Carlos Ancelotti has achieved a lot of success in football for a man of his age. He has won the highest accolades as a player.

His coaching career is equally impressive if not more. After taking over AC Milan from Fatih Terim, he lead them to three Champions League finals and won two of them. It is this amazing feat that perhaps put him in the radar of the Pensioners.

Champions League has been the one major trophy that has eluded Chelsea for long. They have come tantalisingly close to the trophy many times only to lose it. That quest has left Chelsea changing many coaches since the Abramovich era hoping to find the messiah who can lead them to the ultimate glory.

Can Carlos Ancelotti be the man to do it?

Carlos has demonstrated tactical ability in the past but he has never ventured outside of the Seria A. How well can he adapt outside the Seria A especially in a league which is perhaps the most competitive league in current times? What about communication issues that might arise?

Also the failure of Ancelotti in the last season to win the champions league or even hang on to the champions league spot in the league bores as a black spot in an otherwise illustrious career. What went wrong back then? Why couldn't he rescue AC Milan?

This year too, he has failed to lead them to success in the UEFA cup and he lost the Seria A to the new coach on the block, Jose Mourinho. All this after a season that saw the arrivals of big shots like Flamini and Ronaldinho and the loan arrival of Beckham and Shevchenko.

If something similar happens in Chelsea will this failure be tolerated? The loss of the champions league spot and the revenue it brings is will be lost. This will not be good for Chelsea—a fact that was highlighted by the firing of Luiz Fillipe Scolari, halfway through the season.

With all the media rumors predicting that Ancellotti will take the reigns of Chelsea next season, the sole question that pops up to mind is - Is he the right person for Chelsea?

Chelsea Win the Battle of the Broken Hearts

Ramkumar S — Sun, 10 May 2009 13:12:19 -0400

The mood was not as bright as the day. The two teams that faced champions league exit in the semifinals, Chelsea and Arsenal were pitted against each other.

Both teams started the half brilliantly but it was Chelsea that had the first breakthrough. A foul by Francesc Fabregas on Drogba led to a Drogba free kick that was guided home by Alex from the centre of penalty area.

The second goal came some 10 minutes later. Mikel made a good pass to Anelka who slotted the ball into the bottom corner of the net. The halftime ended with Chelsea up by two but the goals did not stop there.

The second half began and this time it was Arsenal in the form of Kolo Toure who found the back of the net. Sadly though, it was an own goal from him and that mean that Chelsea were now three up.

Arsenal did get a score on the board thanks to the effort of substitute Nicholas Bendtner who headed an easy one past Peter Cech. The last goal of the game was scored by Malouda.

Malouda shot the ball from the center of the penalty only to have Fabiansky punch it away to Anelka—whose shot on goal bounced off the post and towards Malouda and the Frenchman did not make the same mistake again.

Final score - Arsenal One : Chelsea Four.

Killing Two Birds with One Stone: By Tom Henning Overbo

Ramkumar S — Wed, 06 May 2009 22:37:51 -0400

How often do we come across a referee that makes Mike Riley seem like the Dalai Llama of football referees? Today, we witnessed a great spectacle turn into a great debacle. This game too shall go down in history as a game known for its botched refereeing rather than football quality.

The match can be described as a decent game of football with both teams creating chances. Chelsea opened up to attack some more while not compromising on their defense, and Barcelona was doing what they do the best—retaining possession and creating chances.

The first goal came courtesy of Essien. Chelsea held on well to their lead until an injury time goal from Iniesta shattered their dreams. The scoreline read 1-1 with Barcelona advancing, thanks to the away goal rule.

That should have been the main story of the match, but that is not what will make the head lines, folks. The real story will focus on one of the worst officiating that the history of the game has witnessed in recent times.

Three clear penalties were denied to the home team: Abidal's challenge on Drogba, Malouda being bought down, and a Pique handball. Gerrard Pique acknowledged the handball after the game—a noteworthy mention for the man's honesty. The referee, however, did not award any penalty to Chelsea. How can a referee not see three clear penalties is truly surprising, considering the importance of this game for both the clubs.

Another shameful incident worth mentioning is the sending off of Abidal for a foul he did not commit. Replays clearly showed that there was minimal contact between Anelka and Abidal. Barcelona now have to face Manchester United without many of their first choice defenders.

Perhaps a parting gift from the referee to Barcelona? When the dust settles and the party music dies in Barcelona the truth will be realized that they too were on the receiving side of an injustice.

Anyways, moving on to the awards section for the Chelsea-Barcelona game:

The award for "Most Honest Player" goes to: Gerrard Pique and his acknowledgement of the handball

The award for "Best Summing Up" goes to: Didier Drogba's excellent summation of the refereeing for the match

The award for "Karma Gotcha" goes to: Eric Abidal, for receiving the red for not tripping Anelka while he escaped a penalty for the foul on Drogba

The award for "Golden Boot" goes to: Victor Valdes and his boot for saving Drogba's shot on goal with his Boot-y.
The award for "Im hot cos im fly" goes to: Andres Iniesta for giving Barcelona the lifeline.
The award for "You Aint Cos you not" goes to: All the Chelsea shot missers.
The final award for the "Peter Kenyon lookalike that even Chelsea fans hate" goes to: Tom Henning Overbo.

2009 PFA Awards: When Statistics Lost To Sentiment

Ramkumar S — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 10:11:37 -0400

How does a player who has started 27 games, scored four times, and has only 14 assists win the PFA award ?

The Professional Footballers Association Players Player of the Year award is given annually to the player who is judged, by their piers, to have been the best player of the season.

Often described as an award for the pinnacle of achievement, the PFA award has been received by many big names in football like Thierry Henry, Eric Cantona, Kenny Daglish, Dennis Bergkamp and the likes for their outstanding contribution to the team for that respective season.

Ryan Giggs has been an excellent footballer who has given his very best to Manchester United and has been with the team long enough to be considered a legend in his own right. He has been with the United team through their victories, successes and near misses. His passion, skill and leadership quality cannot be doubted and it is surprising that the veteran Giggs has only two personal awards to his name—the PFA Young Player award for the years 1992 and 1993.

He was worthy of a PFA award somewhere during the peak of his career when he was one of the pillars of the all conquering Manchester United. Sadly, he was overlooked and never won the award, till now.

2009 saw five United players—along with Liverpool's Steven Gerrard—compete for the PFA award. Nermanja Vidic deserves a noteworthy mention as he was the bedrock of an impressive United team that had an unprecedented run of clean sheets.

Steven Gerrard had led Liverpool to many unprecedented victories and Cristiano Ronaldo was the top scorer for United, despite all the drama that surrounded him. The three popular choices were pipped and it was Ryan Giggs who undeservedly won.

Undeservedly may be a harsh word, but what can you say about an award that has overlooked the contenders who had contributed more to their teams that season than Giggs?

Sentiments should play no part in deciding the winner and if an award must be given, then a lifetime achievement award is more worthy than player of the season.

The number of clean sheets that were kept by Vidic, the number of goals scored by Ronaldo helped Manchester United reach the top more than the number of appearances by Ryan Giggs.

Statics may not tell the tale, but they definitely tell the results and a look at the statistics of each of the contenders for the award brings us back to the question: How does a player who has started 27 games, scored four times and has only 14 assists win the PFA award ?

Chelsea De-"Liver" The Heartache: Chelsea Through To Next Round

Ramkumar S — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 17:22:02 -0400

The stage was set for the perfect fight in the next round of Champions League: Liverpool were down 3-1 in their first-round clash with Chelsea in the Champions League and needed three goals at Stamford Bridge to proceed to the next round.

Liverpool is not a team new to the art of comeback victories, and Rafael Benitez is the mastermind tactician in Europe who can get that sort of thing done, so history would state that this club can do it again.

But is history an indicator of the future?

Chelsea had lost John Terry, their influential captain, to suspension, while Mascherano would be making his return for the Reds. Gerrard's status was in question with his injuries, but Liverpool had managed to defeat Manchester United without the help of him before. And while Liverpool sharpened their axes by demolishing Blackburn 4-0 over the weekend, Chelsea leaked goals against a weaker Bolton in a span of 20 minutes.

The clash between the two storied opponents began with Liverpool's Aurelio giving a warning shot to Cech. That did not wake Chelsea up, and they paid the price when the Liverpool fullback went straight for goal as Cech stepped away from his line.

The next goal came soon after, as Alonso slotted one past Cech. The Liverpool dominance alarmed Hiddink, and he bought in Anelka for Kalou before the halftime.

But the break saw the fortunes reverse, as both Drogba and Alex found the net in the span of 10 minutes to bring the score to 2-2.

An outclassed Benitez then substituted Torres, their main threat to Chelsea, and Lampard proceeded to add another goal to his tally. Surely this will put an end to Liverpool's chance of qualifying?

Though their main weapons were sheathed, Liverpool never lost their spirit. Lucas found enough spirit to carry the fight and slotted home a 25-yard kick that needed deflection. Dirk Kuyt then joined the rebellion burying a nice cross from Reira in the net. The fight was back on.

With less than 10 minutes remaining and Chelsea suddenly looking worried, the Blues captain slotted in a nice pass from Nicholas Anelka to seal the team's victory. Lampard had saved the day yet again.

The final score line read 4-4, with the aggregate favouring Chelsea 7-5.

Chelsea are through to the next round to face another familiar foe: Barcelona.

Did Benitez make a mistake by calling Torres and Mascherano a bit too early? That question will remain unanswered.

Chelsea Spoil Shearer's Party: Newcastle 0-2 Chelsea

Ramkumar S — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 12:00:56 -0400

Alan Shearer's first match in charge ended in an optimistic defeat, Owens returned to the 4-4-2 employed by Shearer. The game started slowly, with neither team looking dangerous. It was a game of midfield battle, with Salmon Kalou missing a dangerous header for the visitors. Martins also came close to scoring a goal but sadly overshot the crossbar.

The first half did have some ugly moments though, with Frank Lampard getting a yellow card for diving when the replays clearly showed that Nicky Butt had clipped his heels. Lovenkrands had the wind knocked out of him by Malouda and was replaced by Duff.

Terry was involved in a shirt pulling incident with the quicker Owens. Terry was solid for Chelsea, although the same cannot be said for his partner Alex.

The second half started the same way the first half ended, although a Lampard goal changed all that. Coloccini was hanging to the ball a bit too long, allowing Anelka to rob him of possession and fancy a shot that rebounded off the crossbar and fell straight towards Lamaprd, which Lampard headed home.

The second goal came immediately. Cech hailed a long ball to Lampard, who smartly nicked it to Malouda and he slotted it home.

NewCastle were not without their moments, with Owens pulling a bit of magic only to have Ashley Cole knock it out. Replays clearly showed that the ball had crossed the line, but the assistant referee did not award the goal to NewCastle.

From then on, it was all Chelsea, with the Magpies not giving up hope. Chelsea should have had more goals, but Harper clearly was able to handle what was thrown his way.

Sadly, the damage had already been done! The result did not change and Shearer's big day ended with a loss.

Alan Shearer to Newcastle? Smart Move Ashley

Ramkumar S — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 12:46:39 -0400

So Alan Shearer is returning to Newcastle in a new role. This is a smart move that is a win-win for all parties involved.

For Alan Shearer

Shearer has managerial ambitions and what better place and time to start than at Newcastle? Newcastle this season has suffered from managerial problems and a relegation battle.

They have almost reached rock bottom with relegation confirming their ignominious season. Shearer will be forgiven for his failure for at this time he is being thrust in the middle of scenario that he never was a part of.

He can use this experience as a learning board, with both the fans and the owner sure to be patient. He can experiment and learn and with time steady the ship. He can also be known as the legend that returned to save the day.

For Mike Ashley

Mike had it going rough with the fans. With fans boycotting games and openly protesting his actions and plans for Newcastle, he was alienating his fan base and income source.

Also with his popularity rock bottom and the club value declining with no buyers interested, He needed some move to not only bring the fans back into the stadium but also bring steadiness into the club and make it viable for suitable buyers.

JFK's health problems meant that he will not be a long term solution. With Newcastle being so low as they are, no established manager will be willing to take over without having proper transfer funds.

Appointing an inexperienced little known manager will drive away the fans, which in turn further devalues the club.

Alan shearer is a perfect fit. The fans love him and will give him time even if he makes mistakes. Shearer needs some managerial experience in EPL and hence will be eager for this chance.

Shearer's age also makes him a viable long-term candidate ensuring continuity.

For the Fans & the Club

The return of a legend is always bound to bring smiles in the faces of fans. Also, a legend will know what it feels to play for the shirt and will do his best to bring back the glory days to the club.

His youth makes him not only a long term option but also it brings in fresh blood and new look to a team that is often plagued by misery and gloom. Shearer will try to get the club winning again.

He will try to make the players play for the Newcastle pride. He will try to bring the trophies back to Tyne-side and given enough time he can succeed, too.

ColdPlay- Lets Talk .... As Sung by Tevez If He Could Sing

Ramkumar S — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 15:12:37 -0400

Carlos Tevez Sits on the United Bench yet again while Berbatov starts. He knows he should have started ... he should have been signed ... Berbatov has usurped his position and his contract.

He is worried about his future ... his contract ... where will he be? He wants to talk to Fergia about his contract but ahhh ! Sir is ever so busy. He tries to forget about it ... He plugs in his iPod and listens to Coldplay's Lets Talk .... suddenly his vision gets hazy ......

(Sung to the tune of Let's Talk By Coldplay):

Oh Fergie I can't, I can't get through
I’ve been trying hard to play now 'but the bench will have to do
Oh Fergie I can't believe it's true
I’m so scared about the future and I wanna talk to you
Oh I wanna talk to you

I've been playing like a donkey, for the team
But Berba seems to be the queen of your dreams
Tell me in Berba what do you see
Am I not sexy like Wayne rooney ?
Or Sung, Park Ji Sung, Sung Sung !

I seem lost and incomplete.
I feel like a sandwich with just pickles and no cheese !
Tell me how I feel?
Well I feel like they're talking in a language I don't speak
And they're talking in English

So you take a picture of something you see
In the future where will I be?
You can climb a ladder up to the sun
I'll stay right here and stare at your bums
Or do something that's never been done
Or do something that's never been done

So I don't know where you're going and I wanna talk
And you sign Berbatov for Seven million more
You tell anyone who'll listen but you feel ignored
Nothing's really making any sense at all, let's talk
Let's talk, let's talk, let's talk.

It's Not Easy Being Roman

Ramkumar S — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 14:38:07 -0400

A short time ago, before the existence of the Champions League and the money that rules it, local teams gave their manager enough time to develop a squad to challenge often through their youth system and rarely importing players. Failures were considered learning experiences.

That trend of having stable managers helped teams in having a system well put much before their current owners came in. The current owners never had to make any tough decision because they already had a manager with the knowledge, passion and intelligence that cannot be replaced easily.

What is at stake now is not just the pride, but the money involved, the exposure, the ability to attract talent and fans and merchandise sales. When a team misses a boat to cash in on these opportunities, it becomes more and more difficult to catch up with the ones who are in the top tier.

Football has become a lot more than just the game—A fact that we all have to live with and accept rather than reject.

Roman is far too often being criticized as being a bad owner. On the contrary he is one of the best owner in the English premier league. the brand of football he craves involves winning with entertainment.

Now who would not want that? Roman has often acted on best interests of Chelsea and has always tried to ensure that Chelsea are moving in the direction of a team that can provide entertaining and winning football.

Before Abramovich bought the club, Chelsea was a light weight team that was punching above its weight. He gave Ranieri enough funds to assemble a squad strong enough to break the monopoly of the then Big three.

Ranieri was successful in challenging for the title in an entertaining fashion but he lacked the finish. Winning is very important for a club not only from the monetary perspective but also in terms of establishing a cult status and attracting other established and promising players to the club.

Ranieri was too nice a guy to install the winning mentality and sadly had to be replaced.

Ranieri was given the sack and in comes Mourinho. The titles and cups started coming and it was a honey moon period in the blues history. Mourinho bought the trophies but he did not bring the style than Roman craved.

The style of play shifted to defense and a possession based linear offense. Roman bought an Ukrainian specialist Shevchenko for a then world record fee and the German midfielder Ballack to add flair to the Chelsea team.

Mourinho however used them sparingly and did not shift from his style of play. With patience wearing thin and the draws increasing the date with Rosenberg was Mourinho's last game in charge. Many fans were disappointed by this and sometimes I wonder if deep in his heart Roman regrets it too.

Avram was never a long term solution and nobody expected him to be! But he turned out to be a sweet surprise and led Chelsea to two finals and an exciting premier league finish which was the closest title race in a long time.

Clenching a victory in any of those would have maybe secured his managerial post, but he could not lay his hands on the golden eggs and was shown the doors. While Chelsea fans are happy that Avram is gone Roman was blamed by many neutrals as being trigger happy.

What Roman saw in Avram was a manager who could not motivate the players beyond a certain point, a manager who did not have a clear style of play but only continued what was started by the predecessor with help from Steve Clark (some say he was the real motivator) and Henk Ten Cate.

He also did not have the glitz in his CV to attract star players.

Scolari was thought to be the answer for all of Romans problems. Chelsea started playing the attacking football that made them a joy to watch. Benitez however threw the spanner in the works and teams now knew how to stop the Chelsea engine.

A pinball offense and a shaky defense saw Chelsea nose dive from top spot to fourth. Scolari's firing came as no surprise except to some. Scolari's Chelsea were leaking goals from set pieces and the the zonal defense instead of man marking did not work as Scolari expected.

The offense could not get past the opponents defense and the will to win was slowly crushed. Scolari could neither bring the winning mentality nor show the tactical acumen to change the formation/ substitution.

He was also alienating many of the clubs players. His firing was harshly criticized but the truth was this was one firing that made perfect sense. Roman was spot on about this.

Guus is a temporary appointment and will make way for yet another manager and the new manager will not be new to club football. Also the new manager will be given enough time to develop his own team and style provided Chelsea will not sacrifice their champions league spot to do this. The investments are too big to risk a failure.

Another Blue Revolution ?

Ramkumar S — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 22:12:07 -0400

Is Chelsea poised for another Russian Revolution in the summer ? Bruce Buck, the chairman of Chelsea said three to five players might leave and new faces may arrive. Should there be player changes in Chelsea ? The answer is a no brainer ! The aging and depleted squad needs fresh legs to last till April. Changing managers may help in winning the tactical battle for a few games but when age has caught up with the players no manager can save the team. Not in the premiership.

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Chelsea-Liverpool: Hello, Old Foe!

Ramkumar S — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 10:24:05 -0400

For the fifth consecutive time, Chelsea and Liverpool are drawn against each other in the Champions League. So often is it happening that this is forming a kind of tradition. History sides with Liverpool, but it has not all been one way. Last year, Chelsea managed to knock Liverpool out of the competition (with some Liverpool help).

This year has been very dramatic for both the teams. Chelsea and Liverpool were ruling the domestic table in the season's beginning. Then a series of uncharacteristic draws and losses found Chelsea and Liverpool competing for second place with Manchester United probably securing yet another League victory.

This year was even more special for Liverpool, as it has been ages since they have been this close to the much-coveted domestic title.

They even did a double over their long time rivals Manchester United. All this will probably still not secure the title for Liverpool. Champions League trophy now is their only realistic shot at silverware.

Chelsea replaced Avram Grant with Luiz Felipe Scolari and the Brazilian started the campaign with flair.

However, when Benitez provided the blue print to combat Scolari's tactics, it has been a rocky progress from then on. From ruling the table, they had slipped to fourth place, and the season that started with so much hope suddenly looked a lost cause.

The blue print was so good that Liverpool have done the double against Chelsea too (a moral boost that should give them the mental edge over Chelsea).

So rocky was the road that the club felt it had to part ways with the Brazilian even before the season was over. Hiddink's arrival has helped Chelsea regain their winning ways. But, they seem to have found their lost form a bit too late to win the domestic title. The Champions League trophy now is their only realistic shot at silverware.

Hiddink and Benitez remain two successful managers who will both be keen to deliver some silverware to their respective team. This will be Hiddink's first clash with Liverpool and Rafa can scrap his blueprint that helped him defeat Scolari's Chelsea. Another chapter in the clash of the titans is about to be written.

Are we ready for it?