Dead man walking
Tue Apr 15 08:53AM
Yesterday, Early Doors mentioned Justin Hoyte as one of those people whose presence on or near the pitch increases his team's chances of failure by about 300 percent.
We can probably add to the list the names of Alex, Wayne Bridge, John Obi Mikel, Florent Malouda and Chelsea's dead man walking Avram Grant.
The Israeli's decision to leave out Joseph and Ashley Cole, Didier Drogba and Ricardo Carvalho against Wigan was compounded by Frank Lampard's last-minute withdrawal due to his mother's illness.
Meanwhile Petr Cech appeared with a chinstrap possibly borrowed from a royal guardsman. Had he also loaned a bearskin hat, to create a deluxe version of the David James afro, he might also have headed Emile Heskey's equaliser off the line.
Chelsea were clueless in the first half. So completely and hopelessly inept the notion that they were in contention to win 'The Best League In The WorldTM' seemed not just fanciful but borderline insane.
Joey Cole perked them up after the break, but it was inevitable that their inability to finish teams off would eventually haunt them, as the prolific Heskey popped up to snaffle his third goal of the season.
Grant's team selection was dodgy at best but, as always in football, you only get pilloried when you fail to win.
Had Manchester United lost to Arsenal on Sunday, more questions might be asked about why Park Ji-Sung played instead of Ryan Giggs or Carlos Tevez. But United won, so nobody cared.
- - -
However bad the Chelsea players were, they paled in comparison with the crowd, who exceeded their fickle, complacent, pampered reputation.
You don't have to like Grant, but when he has led your team to the brink of the title, playing much the same football as Jose Mourinho, it's probably time to cut him some slack.
But instead of getting behind their team as they laboured through the first half, the audience (a better word than crowd, as it reflects their passivity) chose only to show their displeasure, booing them off at the break.
Had Manchester United, Liverpool or even Arsenal conceded a 90th-minute equaliser, their fans would have whipped up a three-minute cauldron of noise, hoping to inspire a dramatic injury time winner.
The only sound at Stamford Bridge was that of plastic seats flipping back to their upright position as a mass exodus ensued.
The few who stayed jeered the introduction of Andriy Shevchenko, booed at the final whistle and booed again as the players left the field.
These players have not been vanquished in a league game in front of their ungrateful 'supporters' for over 80 games, and yet Heather Mills would have got a better reception at a Beatles gig.
As well as remaining unbeaten at home since something like 1963, Chelsea have 75 points from 34 games.
If they won their three games against Everton, Newcastle and Bolton, and draw against United, they would end the season with 85 points.
While less than they managed in each of their two title-winning seasons, it would still have been enough to win the championship both times (the runners-up had 83 in both 2004-05 and 05-06).
And 85 points would have won the title in the first four years after the Premier League was reduced to 20 teams.
All of which statistical mumbo jumbo goes to show - you'd have to be an idiot to boo Chelsea off after a draw.
- - -
Amazingly, Chelsea do not have the worst fans in the world (they are equal second with Groningen supporters, who carried out an arson attack on their own stadium at the weekend).
That honour goes to Beitar Jerusalem, who may lose their league title after a pitch invasion forced the abandonment of their game on Sunday.
Four minutes from time Beitar led 1-0, a result that would have given them an unassailable 15-point lead. But as jubilant fans poured onto the field, the referee had no choice but to abandon the game.
Beitar now face a possible points deduction and owner Arkady Gaydamak (daddy of Pompey big cheese Alexandre) prepared a superb rant to put the club's errant followers in their place.
"It's my team, not their team. They should go out from the stadium, they should go out from Beitar, they should go out from our lives. Those people are hopeless, they are insolent...and stupid," he stormed.
So you see: Avram Grant is actually having a whale of a time in England.
- - -
QUOTE OF THE DAY: "I know all about Gazza and I feel I can help him. A lot of top sportsmen have suffered in their private lives, including me, and that is why I want to help. I still see him as a superstar and would like to meet him if he feels up for it. Back in 2005, Wayne Rooney was on a downer and I met him and lifted his spirits. I am sure I can do the same for Paul Gascoigne." Aren't you the same Mike Tyson who once gnawed a guy's ear off and promised to eat Lennox Lewis's children?
FOREIGN VIEW: Ronaldinho won't even arrive in Milan until July, and yet the backlash has already started. Marco van Basten says the rossoneri don't need him, while Clarence Seedorf tells Corriere dello Sport the transfer is "not a priority".
TALKING POINT: Harbingers of football doom: Djimi Traore, Andriy Voronin, John O'Shea, Andy van der Meyde, Zinedine Kilbane, Lasagna (sic) Diarra and, er, Emile Heskey. Want to reconsider, gossagemartin?
Today: Who has the worst fans in the world?
COMING UP: Bums in the Championship have been squeaking for some time. There is action at both ends of the table as Wolves play West Brom and Barnsley take on Hull. Follow those live from 7.45pm.
Woo First Comment.
From aquapond1 on Tue Apr 15 09:03AMYeah. First Comment.
From aquapond1 on Tue Apr 15 09:03AMI agree with ED. At any other time Grant would be hailed as a good manager. He dishes out the same brand of football as Mourinho, yet the Chelsea "I dare say Rupert" lot give he no support back. Reprasing Hillary Clinton's beration of Barack Obama - Shame on you Chelsea fans.
Also, give O'Shea a break. As a United fan, i always feel a sense of confidence when he comes on for us. Besides he's the only player in the premiership to have played EVERY SINGLE POSITION for his team. Yes, that's right, even goal-keeping, left winger e.t.c
From aquapond1 on Tue Apr 15 09:13AMlike me, it appears you have also so far failed to grasp the subtletly of genius billionaire and his mate avril's strategy; they would seem to be fully now following the raffa school of management to achieve their chosen goal of the champions league, by resting players for important matches so that the team can be free from the pressures of winning the premiership and sundry other competitions and thereby be able to concentrate solely on working out ways to garner in the luck needed (along with more than moderate skill) for that supreme quest.
When they do show us all and achieve it, that is when we shall see the smile that avril has been hiding all season, and ronan will no doubt clap his hands (and maybe even have a shave . . . ?)
And yes, they are right up there with the football crowds expecting entertainment for their £40 or so . . . but i agree they are not much fun to be among generally, which is one of the reasons that jose was so refreshing for those of us that believe soccer is also about irrational belief and passion (sorry for going on so long - you just touched a nerve in me)
From c.hawcroft on Tue Apr 15 09:20AMYestarday display by Chelsea was awful not to say the least. But one positive out of all that is that it might be the end of Grant. He looked like he doesn't have a clue what was going on on the pitch. Liverpool, do us a favour, kick us out of Champions League and let's hope, or better say, pray, that this Grant dumb **** will be out.
From al_pachino666 on Tue Apr 15 09:20AMWell seems people are dreaming again, what manager would have done better than Grant???? Every replacement, should have the success of Del Bosque in his first season?? Remember he lost like 4-2 in his first games before winning the Champions League...
Worst fans ever, no need to look for them: Lebanese fans (I am one of them): we always sheer the visiting team, and am not kidding, just watch even a friendly you will see a big part of the home crowd sheering the other team...
From jacquesbittar on Tue Apr 15 09:32AMWisemen say u can never be sure about football stuff but Avran Grant is proving us wrong. From now on I guess we can be so sure that Feggie will always chew a gum during games and Grant will always get his tactics wrong.
From atokoi2002 on Tue Apr 15 09:34AMTo aquapond1:
This is the same Chelsea as it was under Mourinho. Nothing has changed apart from ridiculous changes and bizzare starting line-ups. It is still old tough Chelsea. Grant (god I hate the guy) did not do much. He didn't changed nuch, we play with the same formation we did with Jose. But at least Jose knew what he was doing. He was able to change the game. There are no better manager for Chelsea. It was a perfect marriage.From al_pachino666 on Tue Apr 15 09:36AMworst fans would have to be Chelsea's. their "fans" don't back their team, and half of them only jumped on the Chelsea bandwagon when Roman came in
From alexlalovic on Tue Apr 15 09:37AMchelsea fans by far
From alexlalovic on Tue Apr 15 09:41AMYour list of Chelsea players at the beggining is a pile a @#$%. for 1, Alex played loads of games mid season n was amazing in every one of them. And saying Chelsea fans leave early. Every game on t.v u notice the other so called big clubs fans leaving earl n its usually the Chelsea ones that stay.
al_pachino666 I dnt believe ur a Chelsea fan.
And the starting line p of Chelsea was fine. bette thean fine actually, it was better than Liverpools 1st choice team, and Arsenals probably. Chelsea deserved to win the game by a good few goals and Wigan get a lucky late equaliser. Grant didnt need to make changes as Chelsea were coasting n then got unlucky, it happens. Chelsea have been as unlucky as Arsenal this season and last now I think of it.
From sav46e on Tue Apr 15 09:43AMshut up alexlalovic. people say they jumped on the bandwagon cause they're jealous ofhow big a club Chelsea have become. They dnt sing really loud but they also dont have the biggest stadium. What about Man U fans who leave at 70 min most games. Most there fans are only fans cause of the size of the club.
From sav46e on Tue Apr 15 09:45AMHey al_pachino666 ....u should be the title for ED as the worst fan alive for chelsea. How the hell can u call urself to be a part of chelsea by using the word "us" in ur sentence. I rather see chelsea win the title and the champions league with Avram Grant or who ever it is as long as CHELSEA wins!!...Thats what really matters. If he wins any of those he deserves to stay.
From rohit0110 on Tue Apr 15 09:48AMtake a look at the picture, the woman on the left just looks at grant. Her face tells me: "Oh No! What the hell is he doing now?!". That is exactly how I feel, every time I see this hopeless blob of a coach.
From k.ruedisueli on Tue Apr 15 09:50AMI think the best thing for chelsea to do is to change their manager, after all, don't all the successful teams have a rotation system when the manager is involved?
Just look at Champions to be Man U who have only had the same manager since....oh
Okay then how about this seasons revelations Arsenal who have fallen just short despite a young team, that Arsene has only been their for about 5 minutes hasn't he?
And then we come to the last british team to win the European Cup liverpool, Doesn't Souness still manage them? RAFA'S BEEN IN CHARGE FOR HOW LONG!!!!
From paulchappell82 on Tue Apr 15 09:53AMHey....al_pachino666....u should be the headlines for ED as the WORST CHELSEA FAN ALIVE.!....How can u use the word "us" in ur sentence. I rather see chelsea winning the champions league with Grant or who ever it is as long as they win. Thats what matters.!...People like u r the reason we true chelsea fans get a bad name....kick us out of the champions league????......ur a disgrace.
From rohit0110 on Tue Apr 15 09:57AMColombia - Andras Escobar assassinated in brutal fashion by his own fans for a world cup own-goal. The killer callously shouted "goal" for each of the 12 bullets he fired into Escobar. He was sentenced to 43 years but has since been released after serving only 11.
And Portsmouth - That fat guy with the bell... really annoying.
From simondenham on Tue Apr 15 09:58AMNICE ONE WIGAN-TUFF LUCK BLUES, YOU KNOW YOU HAVE BLOWN IT NOW BLUES, NO PARTYING DOWN ON KING'S ROAD THEN EH????!!!! ALL THERE'S GONNA BE IS A QUIET ONE DOWN AT THE WORLD'S END PUB BEFORE CATCHING THE NIGHT BUSS/LAST TRAIN HOME WITH YOUR TAILS BETWEEN YOU LEGS.
& WHEN YOU GOT IN THERE IS NEWS HEADLINES/INTERNET SITES REMINDING YOU HOW YOU WENT OUT OF THE TITLE RACE WITHOUT EVEN A WHIMPER - AT LEAST THE ARSENAL GAVE IT A GO AND WENT OUT FIGHTING-MUCH MORE DIGNIFIED.
SO NOW US MANCS CAN EVEN LOSE AT YOUR PLACE AND WE WILL STILL WIN THE TITLE, OR WE MIGHT JUST DECIDE TO PUT ON AN EXHIBITION MATCH AT THE BRIDGE AND CRUCIFY YOU (DEPENDING ON WHAT OUR LEGS ARE LIKE AFTER THE BARCA TIE),ANYWAY, DEEP DOWN YOU KNOW YOU'VE BLOWN IT (AGAIN),
From michaelebohon on Tue Apr 15 09:58AMNICE ONE WIGAN-TUFF LUCK BLUES, YOU KNOW YOU HAVE BLOWN IT NOW BLUES, NO PARTYING DOWN ON KING'S ROAD THEN EH????!!!! ALL THERE'S GONNA BE IS A QUIET ONE DOWN AT THE WORLD'S END PUB BEFORE CATCHING THE NIGHT BUSS/LAST TRAIN HOME WITH YOUR TAILS BETWEEN YOU LEGS.
& WHEN YOU GET IN ALL THERE WILL BE IS NEWS HEADLINES/INTERNET SITES REMINDING YOU HOW YOU WENT OUT OF THE TITLE RACE WITHOUT EVEN A WHIMPER - AT LEAST THE ARSENAL GAVE IT A GO AND WENT OUT FIGHTING-MUCH MORE DIGNIFIED.
SO NOW US MANCS CAN EVEN LOSE AT YOUR PLACE AND WE WILL STILL WIN THE TITLE, OR WE MIGHT JUST DECIDE TO PUT ON AN EXHIBITION MATCH AT THE BRIDGE AND CRUCIFY YOU (DEPENDING ON WHAT OUR LEGS ARE LIKE AFTER THE BARCA TIE),
ANYWAY, DEEP DOWN YOU KNOW YOU'VE BLOWN IT (AGAIN),From michaelebohon on Tue Apr 15 10:00AMExactly....The guy is facing teams with great players and settled managers...and mind u still giving a fight. Replacing the manger again would have been stupid and sticking with Grant we've done ok. If someone told me that chelsea would lose Mourinho midseason...(right before man utd away match mind you)...and still hold second position and have an outside chance to win the title and a good chance to win the champions league being in the semi's, I would have gladly accepted.
From rohit0110 on Tue Apr 15 10:04AMAfter the AFC in 2000, the ivory coast national team was locked up in a military camp to prevent them from being eaten alive by the fans. Reports also said while they were in the camp, they were beaten by the military...
From toksonice on Tue Apr 15 10:07AMChelsea were woeful in the first half, and deserved to concede the late goal. Well done Wigan. Man Utd thoroughly deserve to win the league and it certainly looks as though they've ensured that now.
Naughty ED though with your question of the day - watch the local derby / big rivalry flood the forum! My contribution to this? Worst fans in the league? Burnley fans, because, well, they're mostly from Burnley.
From northern_hamster on Tue Apr 15 10:10AMI don't know if man utd. are going to win the title this season.....but RONALDO "its a one man team" UNITED sure will take it...if at all they do....
From rohit0110 on Tue Apr 15 10:16AMTo rohit0110; sav46e.
You guys can belive whatever you want, I have been a Chelsea fan since 1998. Long before the Abramovich era. By the way I'm russian and I was really against him buying the club (but I have to admit I was wrong). No, I'm not the worst fan, I really suffer this year, believe me. But I would rather see them lose this year than see that dumb coach at the helm of the club. He is by far the worst manager I remember. And if you ask a Chelsea fans, I'm sure the 2/3 of them will share my view.From al_pachino666 on Tue Apr 15 10:18AMMan Utd have the worst fans and everyone should agree, no noise at the stadium (only when they score) and I'd comfortably say that 95% of them aren't even Mancs, just people who saw who was top of the table and got themselves a ticket.
As for Chelsea fans, jesus give it a break..grants done a good job, no less than mourinho did at chelsea last season give him a chance..youre 2nd in the league and you COULD win it and i think over two legs you could do liverpool who were lucky to beat us (arsenal) i feel. BUT your performance in the Carling Cup was woeful and how can you always blame the manager? surely the players should come in for some stick..but oh yeah its chelsea "we spent £155 million on player so it MUST be the manager".
From samir.trenerry on Tue Apr 15 10:22AMIf you would have follow ED on the daily basis as I do, you would remember the voting - Should Grant stay at Chelsea, I'm not 100% sure on numbers but the majority was against it. So it's not just me. And you can stick your comments about worst fan up yours .....
From al_pachino666 on Tue Apr 15 10:24AMwhat are you expecting out of Grant to do.???.....Win the carling cup??...out of the big big 4 chelsea made it farthest....Win the FA cup also???....also out of the big 4 chelsea made it the farthest along with man utd.(knocked out the same round.) Win the Champions league....YES they can!!...still there in the semi's....Win the title?.....Picking up midseason....getting acustomed to the team...following up on one of the greatest managers arguebaly....he's doing fine with an outside chance to win it....he's done fine for the half of the season he's been there. The injuries to lampard terry African's nation cup...he's done fine
From rohit0110 on Tue Apr 15 10:28AMafter last night's game, emile heskey should be in the PFA list too! and yes ED, i know he doesn't have an afro but 'we' (read Man U) love hime anyway!
john o'shea is a great squad player and would walk into many of the EPL team's first 11.
From baydo12 on Tue Apr 15 10:30AMi agree with al_pach, this is the same chelsea as it was under mourinho, nothing has change, Grant is just a ground there that cannot talk, the players use there experience to play. Avram grant cannot get even a point if giving chance in clubs like, wigan, derby, sunderland. its a shame to bizzare line up every time and wrong changes in every given match. i suppose he may not seeing well. pls call optician for him- give us mourinho, we are ANNOY. 4m nigeria fans chapter
From prettyprof2004 on Tue Apr 15 10:32AMA comment on who's fans are the worst could only be given by a person who has surely been fortunate enough to witness each and every teams fans first hand? All football fans are fickle to be fair, everyone can berate and lose faith in their chosen team, especially when things are going wrong, and we all revel in the glory when our team win trophies, so in this country , I don't think theres a logical answer to the question.
From barny1158 on Tue Apr 15 10:32AM
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