Early Doors - Your morning briefing blog

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 World^TM' 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.

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rohit0110 couldn't have said it better myself. samir.trenerry you also talk sense.
From sav46e on Tue Apr 15 10:40AM
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Shouldn't Chelsea be more worried about stopping Arsenal from taking the 1st place loser's position instead of chasing Man United??? From what I know, Arsenal is closer to Chelsea than Chelsea is to Man United!! Food for thought... A word to the wise is enough. I see Everton take a point off Chelsea and Man United beating them; don't forget Arsenal is lurking 4 points behind...
From yawboakye86 on Tue Apr 15 10:40AM
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When the merseyside derby was on, Some of the everton fans had put up
"Welcome to merseyside" (to the liverpool fans of course!). Worst fans im going to say not as one particular team but ... WOMEN!!!... they havnt got a clue... NUFF SAID!!
From goodechuff2001 on Tue Apr 15 10:41AM
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This is for rohit0110.....Are you talkin about the same 'RONALDO "its a one man team" UNITED that beat Arsenal 4-0 without Ronaldo in the team??oh wait the beta Roma without him either...hmm...Its also nice to see Chel-ski fans @#$% about their team amongst themselves...
From jpaes28 on Tue Apr 15 10:43AM
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Back to the comment #12 by sav46e. Its a little unfair to criticise "Man U fans who leave at 70 min most games"; remember that, on average they have a lot further to travel than the fans of any other club.
From khsnowball on Tue Apr 15 10:49AM
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oh....so out of the 50 odd games played this season in which hea's scored 37 goals and crated the rest... ur giving me the 2 ....maybe three games he didn't play in....ok...ur right.
From rohit0110 on Tue Apr 15 10:50AM
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to goodechuff,
Oh well I was hoping for a sexist free day on ED which would make a nice change, but there you go, us women are "Clueless," When all else fails, bring on the sexist remarks ,at least they will provoke a reaction, eh?
From barny1158 on Tue Apr 15 10:54AM
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give me the name of another player on any team in the world who bank so heavily for one player to perform.
What would be chelsea's 37 goal getter....no one...cause its a team effort. We've made till where we r with r top player being out for quite some time this season. u take ronaldo....and at max rooney out ur no better than a blackburn....
From rohit0110 on Tue Apr 15 10:55AM
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Back to the worst fans:
Newcastle - They appointed Kevin Keegan as boss.
From jjss.rm on Tue Apr 15 10:58AM
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To jpaes28.
I think you don't really fully understand word @#$% or something. We are not talking about the team, we talking about manager. Read the comments better.
From al_pachino666 on Tue Apr 15 11:03AM
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to rohit0110
ur having a laugh arent you? yeh ronaldo has scored the majority of the goals but look at the quality in that team. rooney, tevez, giggs, hargreaves, nani, and of scholes, are all more than capable of stepping up and scoring their fair share. Its a squad game and every player has performed for man utd when needed and watchin as a neutral, thats where chelsea, arsenal etc have fallen short this season
From marcgrant7 on Tue Apr 15 11:04AM
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oh yea It must have been ronaldo running around in his diapers when United won their 8 other league titles....My bad...Al pachino, Grant has not even been in charge for a complete season...& u'll want him out...u'll were in 3rd for most of the season & now ure in 2nd...U'll threw Mourinho out n hes was your most successful manager yet...someone in the boardroom has their brains all the way up their @#$%...
From jpaes28 on Tue Apr 15 11:08AM
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If u remove all the goals ronaldo has scored for man utd. in the league they would be at 59 points rraher than 80. And if u remove all the goals that lampard and drogba both have scored for chelsea this season in the league Chelsea would be at 62 points rather than 75. Not taking assists into account. lampard and drogba haven't even played as much as ronaldo did.
From rohit0110 on Tue Apr 15 11:08AM
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The Early Doors ‘wish it was a forum’ fans - conceited inane self-important quarter-wits that leave loads of boring uninspired banal comments to each other every day.
You know who you are... ;o)
From simondenham on Tue Apr 15 11:08AM
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Who has the worst fans in the world?
From claudiadennis77 on Tue Apr 15 11:09AM
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I guess thats the diff rohit...u'll spend idiotic amounts of money on EVERYONE & United spend it on players who actually make a difference to the squad...
From jpaes28 on Tue Apr 15 11:11AM
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To jpaes28
Couldn't agree with you more. Sacking of the Mourinho was a sadest day.
From al_pachino666 on Tue Apr 15 11:19AM
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Leeds have the worst fans. May 1990 when the animals claiming to be fans rampaged through Bournemouth, causing £1m+ of damage and injuring a dozen police officers in the process. How constructive...
From ianbec on Tue Apr 15 11:23AM
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Jpaes28....u don't get it do u....first of all lampard cost us 11 mill pounds in 2001....and hes been worth every penny. His goal return thru the yrs as a true midfield player is better than ronaldo(who is actually united's striker)...drogba who i would say is easily our top striker has been a great addition too...if thesse2 player played as much footall as ronaldo did...things would be alot diff. right now in the table....few injuries to lampard and drogba and then the cup of nations....if ronaldo went out with an injury for 4 games u would see what man utd really r...and i'm talking of this season....don't rant about ur past laurels. U've been lucky. At the start of the season...rooney injured,ronaldo suspended..go check ur record.
From rohit0110 on Tue Apr 15 11:25AM
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As far as worst fans.....All clubs have their share of them.
From rohit0110 on Tue Apr 15 11:27AM
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To rohit0110
Agree.
From al_pachino666 on Tue Apr 15 11:28AM
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not really seein your point, is that not why you buy quality players?? if ronaldo wasnt playin then u would still fancy man utd to pick up the majority of their points as they still have enough quality through the team.
From marcgrant7 on Tue Apr 15 11:32AM
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lol its so much fun winding up u chel-ski idiots!!! U'll are not winning the title...the sooner u learn to deal with it the better...& stop f**king whining about who is injured & who played in the African Nations cup...the amount of money spent on that shithole of a club is more than enuf to have built TWO first team sqauds....If that isnt enough for you to win a title then obviously the players arnt good enuf!!!
From jpaes28 on Tue Apr 15 11:33AM
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Time out people.!! You can argue till the cows come home, will not change the prem league status will it? Chelsea fans are obviously feeling it just as Arsenal fans were. We all want to blame our teams failures on something or someone, thats human nature I guess. But the best team over the course of the season wins the league. Thats the reality.
From barny1158 on Tue Apr 15 11:37AM
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no ones getting wound up....I know what chelsea is, i've supported them for long and will stick with them thru thick or thin....I'm not not pointing fingers at ur team u nut....am actually commending them....If Team Ronaldo do win the league and i admit its looking like the case then they deserve it. Ronaldo is a great player he deserves to be recognized for his performances...and if rest of the team benefit frm it...thats how it goes. best of luck for the remaining games.
From rohit0110 on Tue Apr 15 11:41AM
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I'm a Liverpool fan but the true Chelsea fans have every right to show their frustrations toward this football club. The wages of Terry and Ballack combined will probably cover the payroll of all 16 Wigan players, and they couldn't hold onto an 1-0 lead at home. No disrespect to Barnsley but this is the team they failed to score against and knocked them out of the FA Cup. They "owned" the Spurs when they were under Mourinho and they lost the League Cup to them.
Speaking of Mourinho, while the team selection against Wigan was questionable, what are you going do with Grant? The best manager available at the moment is Mourinho! The guy Grant replaced!
To make things worse, the future looks blur. While Man Utd and Arsenal have young players to look forward to, the gazillionaires backbone on the Chelsea team are getting older and won't get any better. Of course Chelsea can always buy more but bringing in superstars will hinder the team chemistry again. Just think about what they've won ever since they brought in Shevchenko and Ballack.
From rexy_27 on Tue Apr 15 11:42AM
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...ur right barny...truce jpaes28...no hard feelings...
From rohit0110 on Tue Apr 15 11:44AM
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lol alrite we'll pipe it down...cheers boys!!
From jpaes28 on Tue Apr 15 11:47AM
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rohit0110
Same here rohit. I think the true fan can critisize the team performance and show his displeasure towards something, but in the end he will still love the club no matter what. I've been there, know that Don't want to go into that road of arguing about the money spent or other players. My main point here is that Grant is not the man for this club.
From al_pachino666 on Tue Apr 15 11:47AM
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The FA cup and the Carling cup...... last yr.....sigh... Mr. Russian Billionaire is running the show at chelsea...i admit its not the most comfortable situation for chelsea fans...maybe because all these big names come in with such amazing reputations that u can't help but expect wonders...oh well
From rohit0110 on Tue Apr 15 11:53AM
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