At the start of the 1980’s, a financially-stricken Chelsea Football Club were knocking around the second tier of English football. An institution with a proud history had gambled on success almost ten years earlier with delusions of building the best stadium in the world and now found itself on the verge of destitution. A successful […]
Read more "The Day The Dream Died"It was at the 40km mark that the pain truly arrived. It had first announced itself after 17km – or 10.5 miles in old money – as I ran through Rotherhithe, my groin at the top of my right leg suddenly screaming at me. Its companion on the right would begin harmonising with it 10km […]
Read more "No Distance Left To Run"For years, one of the favourite pastimes of Chelsea fans was laughing at Arsenal. As the Blues reeled in trophy after trophy, their London neighbours would find new ways of looking good while achieving nothing. Style over substance. Image above outcome. There was no consequence for the systems or personnel that caused their failure. Only […]
Read more "Chelsea risk replacing Arsenal as London’s laughing stock"After a pleasantly surprising start to the Premier League season, grumbles have become ever more audible around Stamford Bridge. Chelsea’s increasingly laboured performances at home have sparked the complaints with the side having struggled to break down opponents in the Premier League since beating Crystal Palace 3-1 at the beginning of November and even that […]
Read more "Sarri-ball needs to adapt to quell the groans growing around Stamford Bridge"Chelsea’s 2-0 defeat at Arsenal was no surprise to anybody that has been watching the Blues recently. Although Arsenal’s own form has been ropey of late, they simply followed each of the two different templates that have emerged in the last couple of months on how to frustrate the Blues .
Read more "Sarri needs to look in the mirror if he wants to motivate his players"Loyalty in football has always been a contentious topic. Fans routinely demand it from players yet can be just as happy to throw them under the proverbial bus after a sloppy pass or defensive error. Managers exhort spectators to back their team even if the fare on offer is dire and a ticket to watch […]
Read more "Mourinho, Lampard & the meaning of loyalty"Now that the final pre-tournament friendly has been played, all eyes in England are focussed on their first match of Euro 2016. The meeting with Russia in the renovated yet still iconic Stade Velodrome in Marseilles on the evening on Saturday 11th June will command the nation’s attention and will provide the first evidence as […]
Read more "English sport teetering on edge between glory & usual failures"And so a new chapter in the life of Chelsea Football Clubs begins on Saturday with what might justifiably be called a relegation six-pointer against Sunderland. The first match following the sacking of Jose Mourinho will be an intriguing affair and the chants from the terraces could be as interesting as the action on the […]
Read more "Chelsea players can expect short shrift from fans after Mourinho exit"My wife is an Arsenal fan. She is magnificently wonderful in every single way and I wouldn’t change a single thing about her but there is no getting away from the fact that she supports Arsenal. She is not quite a dyed-in-the-wool supporter so she is hardly one of those nauseating Away Boyz (if you […]
Read more "Wenger, My Wife and Me: How the Arsenal boss tested my marriage"The news that emerged last weekend revealing Chelsea’s request to use Twickenham Stadium for at least a year to allow Stamford Bridge to be redeveloped will have been music to the ears of the club’s supporters. The revelation has confirmed that the long-term ambition of the club hierarchy is to remain at their spiritual home […]
Read more "Proposed Twickenham switch is positive move for Chelsea fans"