The race for Europe

[the count]

Chelsea one nil up on spurs after ten minutes courtesy of an Oscar goal.
Who do we want to qualify for the champions league or do you give a shirt?
My thinking would be that Spurs are often our level/rival in the transfer market and they would be less attractive a destination without champions league footy.
Chelsea will pay massive wages so will get who they want regardless of what European competition they are in.
To be fair they are both probably more attractive a destination for most foreign talent regardless

 

[Modo]

rafa ftw.

 

[ILD]

I want Chelsea to get it.

 

[localny]

Me too, I know I shouldn't but I want Spurs taken off their ambitious Perch, and also Rafa to be restored somewhat!

 

[Hansern]

I absolutly detest Spurs, their fans and cunting Bale.
If they dont qualify I'll laugh and enjoy every minute of it.

Chelsea will pay megabucks regardless and Arsenal will continue with the same strategy as always.

 

[Jack D Rips]

I would have liked to see Arsenal missing out just to see Piers Morgan's head explode

 

[Modo]

YAY ramirez

 

[localny]

YAY ramirez

Cough

 

[peterhague]

Chelsea all da way. Are Suprs fukt if they don't get something tonight?

 

[Modo]

Chelsea all da way. Are Suprs fukt if they don't get something tonight?

Nope they can still catch the Arse.

 

[Hansern]

They're not fucked but are 2 points behind with an inferior goal difference.
Arsenal would need 4 points against Wigan and Newcastle

 

[the count]

2-2

 

[Hansern]

Very strange that Rafa leaves Torres on the pitch, he's been absolutly gash

 

[the count]

and bring on Benayoun

 

[Hansern]

Torres has probably lost the ball 8-9 times in the last 15-20 mins. Horrendous

 

[LeTallecWiz]

I watch Torres and I almost feel bad - you can tell he still thinks he can do all these things he once did for us (more often than not successfully) and Atleti (hit and miss), but his body doesn't work with him. He loses the ball a lot, puts his head down and runs when he has good passing options and is afraid to shoot when he has an opportunity. He still gives it his all, but he's finished. He'll never even come close to the player that hit 10-15 goals a year for Atleti, let alone the one who hit 25-35 for us.

 

[gene hughes]

Well I was hoping Chelsea would win but if Torres had a truly awful game then I guess that kind of makes up for it.

 

[#roadred]

Chelsea one nil up on spurs after ten minutes courtesy of an Oscar goal.
Who do we want to qualify for the champions league or do you give a shirt?
My thinking would be that Spurs are often our level/rival in the transfer market and they would be less attractive a destination without champions league footy.
Chelsea will pay massive wages so will get who they want regardless of what European competition they are in.
To be fair they are both probably more attractive a destination for most foreign talent regardless

With our season fizzling sheepishly out last Sunday, my three wishes from the genie-lamp are, 1) We pip Everton on goal difference on the last day, 2) Tottenham don't make CL and Bale fucks off, and 3) Newcastle go down, thus proving there is even worse ways of spending £35m

 

[peterhague]

I watch Torres and I almost feel bad - you can tell he still thinks he can do all these things he once did for us (more often than not successfully) and Atleti (hit and miss), but his body doesn't work with him. He loses the ball a lot, puts his head down and runs when he has good passing options and is afraid to shoot when he has an opportunity. He still gives it his all, but he's finished. He'll never even come close to the player that hit 10-15 goals a year for Atleti, let alone the one who hit 25-35 for us.

His decline has been amazing. He had a great season in 09/10, then really struggled at the World Cup, and has been shit ever since. It's very odd.

 

[LeTallecWiz]

His decline has been amazing. He had a great season in 09/10, then really struggled at the World Cup, and has been shit ever since. It's very odd.

I just wonder was it a injury or confidence - he was scoring pretty regularly for us before he was sold, and it's just dried up. I just don't get it -- it's not like his movement isn't good, or he's not making the effort either. I wonder if a move back to Atleti, or a 2nd tier team in Italy/Germany will re-ignite his career.

 

[LarryHagman]

Spurs goals were great.

 

[peterhague]

I just wonder was it a injury or confidence - he was scoring pretty regularly for us before he was sold, and it's just dried up. I just don't get it -- it's not like his movement isn't good, or he's not making the effort either. I wonder if a move back to Atleti, or a 2nd tier team in Italy/Germany will re-ignite his career.

No, it's gone now. Players don't just go to shit for 3 years then come back. I think somehow the combination and succession of injuries suddenly started taking their toll towards the end of that season, and what initially looked like a loss of form gradually revealed itself as something more serious. At no point since that World Cup has he looked the same player.

 

[hamstrung_pigeon]

Still, he's scored 21 goals this season for the club, which is a great improvement over the 11 and 1 goal returns in the preceding seasons. He hasn't delivered in the league for them obviously, but 8 goals in 13 European competition games does suggest he's not done. I don't think he's happy at all at Chelsea; perhaps he needs to go back to Spain / Portugal / France to spend the remainder of his career.

 

[LeTallecWiz]

Still, he's scored 21 goals this season for the club, which is a great improvement over the 11 and 1 goal returns in the preceding seasons. He hasn't delivered in the league for them obviously, but 8 goals in 13 European competition games does suggest he's not done. I don't think he's happy at all at Chelsea; perhaps he needs to go back to Spain / Portugal / France to spend the remainder of his career.

It is an improvement - but they've come against shite opposition mostly. It's unfortunate, but I wonder if he'd been better off staying with us (though I think we were desperate to sell based on what Peter, and many others in the past, have alluded to - his injuries)