Can Chelsea win the quadruple?

[Belem]

Interesting.

 

Article

[limbo]

First they'll have to sort a 80 million Dollar deficit in their book keeping.

 

First grain of sand in the machinery?

 

Other than that, untill theyare knocked out of either competition, it's possible, VERY VERY difficult, but sofar possible.

[Steve]

Part of me wouldn't mind them winning it if only to stick it to Fergie..er...sir Fergie...if that would happen I'd love for them to play Man Utd in the semis of the FA cup and give the Mancs a 5-0 thrashing in the CL final.

 

They are good, having a great season but its highly unlikely. You need too much luck. I recall a quote from Fergie about how they won their treble. He said he he used up all his luck in one season.

 

In fact, I don't think they'll beat Liverpool in the league cup final. That final is on the 27th. A few days earlier is their Barcelona game. Win, lose or draw in that game, they'll be mentally and physically drained. They have a deep squad but I think it may be asking a bit too much of them to win a CL game and a cup final in the span of 4 or 5 days. Throw in FA cup and PL games around that as well. They still haven't been able to beat us in the league yet and only one win in many tries over the last several years. Who's to say they can get past us if we meet in the FA cup?

 

Mourinho has gotten a lot of luck to win the CL last season. He took one of the easiest routes to a CL final that any winner has ever had. He beat a imploded Man Utd side that had gone from 1st to 3rd in the PL by the time his Porto side played them. Beat Depor, a side that was struggling in la Liga in mid table and the referee gave them a gift by reducing Depor to 10 men in both legs. Then Monaco, who didn't have a deep squad and who were trying to fight off Lyon in the French league and were tired. Porto had sewn up the Portuguese league and rested key players in the league and put all in the CL.

 

Anyway, he won't be as lucky as he may have to face Milan, Juve or Real Madrid....or even us. Having to go through them is a totally different proposition than beating PL sides. They haven't proven they can beat the big boys in Europe yet.

[Steve]

Liverpool are still eligble for a quadruple as well ::

[Zaad]

Mourinho has gotten a lot of luck to win the CL last season. He took one of the easiest routes to a CL final that any winner has ever had. He beat a imploded Man Utd side that had gone from 1st to 3rd in the PL by the time his Porto side played them. Beat Depor, a side that was struggling in la Liga in mid table and the referee gave them a gift by reducing Depor to 10 men in both legs. Then Monaco, who didn't have a deep squad and who were trying to fight off Lyon in the French league and were tired. Porto had sewn up the Portuguese league and rested key players in the league and put all in the CL.

 

I understand your point but don't exaggerate, will you?

Both Depor and Monaco had NO interest in their league position whatsoever since they had no chance of winning that anymore. So they TOO rested their key players and that's one of the reason they were able to beat AC Milan and Chelsea respectively. They may not be the greatest teams now but they were in very good form last season.

Porto failed to beat a team of name (excluding Man U) but they did beat teams in very good form.

[Steve]

Zaad said:

Mourinho has gotten a lot of luck to win the CL last season. He took one of the easiest routes to a CL final that any winner has ever had. He beat a imploded Man Utd side that had gone from 1st to 3rd in the PL by the time his Porto side played them. Beat Depor, a side that was struggling in la Liga in mid table and the referee gave them a gift by reducing Depor to 10 men in both legs. Then Monaco, who didn't have a deep squad and who were trying to fight off Lyon in the French league and were tired. Porto had sewn up the Portuguese league and rested key players in the league and put all in the CL.

 

I understand your point but don't exaggerate, will you?

Both Depor and Monaco had NO interest in their league position whatsoever since they had no chance of winning that anymore. So they TOO rested their key players and that's one of the reason they were able to beat AC Milan and Chelsea respectively. They may not be the greatest teams now but they were in very good form last season.

Porto failed to beat a team of name (excluding Man U) but they did beat teams in very good form.

 

Me, exaggerate? Certainly not :: First, Depor, I had stated they were mid table at the time in la Liga that also emphasizes my point about them being out of form. They were not the Depor that was beating Man Utd a few years ago. They played Real Madrid May 1st and then Porto May 4th. Their first team was playing 2 huge matches in 3 days, no rest on the CL squad. They were fighting for a CL spot in la liga at the time. Valencia was running away with the league but Real Madrid was faltering at the time, also as I noted they were playing with 10 men in both legs. Also, this was the same side that got beat 8-3 in the group stages by Monaco as I noted.

 

Next, Monaco. Disagree totally. Monaco was very much involved in le Championat. They ended up 3rd but only 4 points from the winner Lyon. Lyon 79 pts. Monaco had 75. They were in it all the way my friend. They couldn't afford to rest players. Had Lyon lost they'd only be a point out of contention. They were challenged the whole way in the league and in CL.

 

As for Man Utd, that was noted. They were downright awful when Porto played them. As I've noted they had dropped from 1st to 3rd by that time and everyone in the PL, even lowly Wolves were taking points off them. And Porto had a bit of luck. They were down 1-0 and had a late equalizer, had that not happened they'd be out on away goals.

 

Credit to Mourinho, no one wins the CL without a bit of luck though. They had the by far the easiest route to the title by any club in a long time. Monaco and Depor are not CL powers. They didn't win their group, Man Utd the only pedigree of the bunch, they caught at the perfect time. And still a Man Utd club that has only been past the quarters a couple times.

 

And as I said, can anyone think of a CL champion that didn't have to play one of these clubs (Bayern, Juve, Milan, Barca, Ajax or Real Madrid) to win the title? He had the luckiest of breaks as he avoided all the clubs with the most experience. You can onlly play what's in front of you, admittedly, but he had a lot...and I mean a lot of luck with who the draw.

 

Now, he lucked out and got a club where he can spend to his hearts content. A a club already 2nd in the league and a CL semifinalist when he got it. Not much to build on. Modesty aside, I think I could get Chelsea a league title given 3 or 4 years to sort out what the hell do (Froggo, limbo, gunneruk and kman would be my able bodied asssistants of course...gotta keep it in the gooner family..hehehehe).

 

If he had taken the Liverpool job, it would have been a true test of his managerial genius.

 

Okay, a bit of sour grapes perhaps. I'll admit, but winning with Chelsea is like winning at Real Madrid in the early part of this decade with Ronaldo, ZZ and Raul.

[Zaad]

Stevie Wonder

 

Porto also beat Lyon btw after the group stages, they were first in Le Championat (as you say) and were certainly in form, no?

But I agree though that Porto had luck with the draw. Especially not having to play Juve or Milan.

 

As for "I think I could get Chelsea a league title given 3 or 4 years to sort out "

 

Firstly, you don't get 3 or 4 years. You get one or two seasons if you're lucky and if you've done squat than that's exactly what you get

 

Secondly, don't underestimate the job of a manager/coach. Having great players in your squad is one thing but maintaining their form, motivation, discipline, stamina, devotion (thoughts on the same line) and teamwork performance is a completely different ballgame.

[chelseafan]

limbo said:

First they'll have to sort a 80 million Dollar deficit in their book keeping.

 

First grain of sand in the machinery?

 

Other than that, untill theyare knocked out of either competition, it's possible, VERY VERY difficult, but sofar possible.

 

Errm POUNDS dear boy, POUNDS....thats nigh on 150 million dollars (US)

No grain of sand, this loss covered 2003-2004, where Ambrovich took over, so there's the 80 million debt he immediately covered. Moving forward, providing we show some success this season, the club will be very profitable.

 

We have also set up a 8 year deal with Addidas which will bring in something like 12mill per season.

 

Things are looking very peachy (famous last words)

[chelseafan]

chocolat steve said:

Part of me wouldn't mind them winning it if only to stick it to Fergie..er...sir Fergie...if that would happen I'd love for them to play Man Utd in the semis of the FA cup and give the Mancs a 5-0 thrashing in the CL final.

 

They are good, having a great season but its highly unlikely. You need too much luck. I recall a quote from Fergie about how they won their treble. He said he he used up all his luck in one season.

 

In fact, I don't think they'll beat Liverpool in the league cup final. That final is on the 27th. A few days earlier is their Barcelona game. Win, lose or draw in that game, they'll be mentally and physically drained. They have a deep squad but I think it may be asking a bit too much of them to win a CL game and a cup final in the span of 4 or 5 days. Throw in FA cup and PL games around that as well. They still haven't been able to beat us in the league yet and only one win in many tries over the last several years. Who's to say they can get past us if we meet in the FA cup?

 

Mourinho has gotten a lot of luck to win the CL last season. He took one of the easiest routes to a CL final that any winner has ever had. He beat a imploded Man Utd side that had gone from 1st to 3rd in the PL by the time his Porto side played them. Beat Depor, a side that was struggling in la Liga in mid table and the referee gave them a gift by reducing Depor to 10 men in both legs. Then Monaco, who didn't have a deep squad and who were trying to fight off Lyon in the French league and were tired. Porto had sewn up the Portuguese league and rested key players in the league and put all in the CL.

 

Anyway, he won't be as lucky as he may have to face Milan, Juve or Real Madrid....or even us. Having to go through them is a totally different proposition than beating PL sides. They haven't proven they can beat the big boys in Europe yet.

 

Agree with you Steve. Personlly, if we win the premiership I will be very happy indeed. It's always nice to win trophies, but I really think its a tall order to win two, let alone four.

 

The league cup will be a hard match - Liverpool will want to win this match as it would galvanise something from a poor (league) season.

 

Providing we get past Newcastle - a tricky tie indeed - We will invariably meet Arsenal (as we always do), incidentally, Arsenal and United are the only two teams to knock us out of the cup in the last 7 years. Arsenal will do one on us, I can guarantee it.

 

Champions league ? No, not this season, there are too many better teams out there than us, beating Barca is beyond us and as you say, IF we manage to get past them, there are still plenty of more decent teams left..it will need a lot of luck.

 

Premier League - Well, I'll probably jinx it now, but I think this is our most realistic chance of a trophy.

[chelseafan]

Zaad said:

Mourinho has gotten a lot of luck to win the CL last season. He took one of the easiest routes to a CL final that any winner has ever had. He beat a imploded Man Utd side that had gone from 1st to 3rd in the PL by the time his Porto side played them. Beat Depor, a side that was struggling in la Liga in mid table and the referee gave them a gift by reducing Depor to 10 men in both legs. Then Monaco, who didn't have a deep squad and who were trying to fight off Lyon in the French league and were tired. Porto had sewn up the Portuguese league and rested key players in the league and put all in the CL.

 

I understand your point but don't exaggerate, will you?

Both Depor and Monaco had NO interest in their league position whatsoever since they had no chance of winning that anymore. So they TOO rested their key players and that's one of the reason they were able to beat AC Milan and Chelsea respectively. They may not be the greatest teams now but they were in very good form last season.

Porto failed to beat a team of name (excluding Man U) but they did beat teams in very good form.

 

What annoys me about that monacco game is that had we played them 10 times, we would of beaten them 9 of them. No disrespect to the French side, they played exceedinly well, I just felt that we were the better side but played poorly, if memory serves me tight, Duff and Gallas were out ill in the 1st leg and didn't someone get sent off or let in a stoppid goal.....