Monday, August 11, 2008

Who’s losing their place - Lampard, Ballack, Deco, Essien & Joe Cole?

Just when we are saying that Chelsea has got the best squad in the premier league, rumours are everywhere that Kaka could still join Chelsea this month. Kaka or no Kaka, we have a fantastic squad in terms of talent and experience. Fergie’s daily dose on Blues’ aging squad is a testimony to our squad depth. If Kaka comes in, I think that would again be primarily for non-footballing reasons. Everyone inlcuding Scolari knows that the squad is complete. Even without Robinho, we have a squad that can win the league title. I don’t see Scolari pressurising Roman or Kenyon that he needs Kaka. Highly unlikely. Here is what Kaka’s agent says:

"I spoke with Kaka yesterday (Saturday). We know that the clubs are talking about the transfer, although they have not reached a conclusion yet. I think an August transfer is still a possibility, though Kaka will only talk about that when they do a deal. He is waiting for a deal and then he will start to negotiate with Chelsea. Normally, Milan do not sell their best players. We think they like the proposal, but it is not so easy for them to accept it. For now we must just wait and see."

I hope this is not just another stunt by a continental player to get his contract suitably improved. As a player, what does Kaka bring to Chelsea? He is a great player who’d be a big plus for any team. He is a kind of player who would warrant a change in Chelsea’s playing formation and style readily. If he is here, we may not be in a position where were are unsure if 4-4-2 or 4-3-3 is going to be our primary formation. Also, his presence would make one or two players redundant straight away. If Kaka’s going to be here, we need to take some tough calls. Kaka’s signing would put immense pressure on Scolari to deliver success. Signing of Kaka means there would be no excuses and Roman’s tolerance level might also come down. A win will be taken for granted, draws will be condoned and defeat? Let’s not even go there. But even if Kaka is unable to make a sudden impact, he is young, he can come good the next season.
The reason quoted for Kaka’s renewed interest in Chelsea is that he wants to play champions league football and not UEFA cup football. Despite showing no promise, Milan has not really strengthened their side, except one big singing in Ronaldinho. That could also be one reason why Milan could let go Kaka for a great price. If Chelsea were to buy Kaka, we’d shell out about 75 million pounds with which Milan can buy three good players plus they already have Ronaldinho. Doesn’t look that bad, eh?

To catch up on the form news of our rivals, Man Utd won the FA community shield in the penalties this year too. When Diarra was walking up to take the first shot, I was telling my mate that he’d miss. I said that jokingly because he had some Chelsea connections. He then missed quite gloriously. I was saying the same thing about Glen Johnson and he emulated Diarra. The penalty curse of Chelsea seems to be chasing all Chelsea players - past and present. Man Utd weren’t any great today but they were the better team certainly.

Spurs beat Roma 5-0 yesterday where Bent and Bentley scored two goals each. Spurs are really turning the heat on. Darren Bent’s new found form is gonna come in handy for Sergio Ramos. Arsenal struggled profusely against Sevilla before they luckily held on to a 1-1 draw with Sevilla. Fabianksi was reported to have made 10 proper saves in this match. And yes, Sevilla did find the woodwork too sometimes. I wonder what the defence were doing, if the goalkeeper has to make 10 saves?!

It’s gonna be the fans’ day at Stamford Bridge. If you’re in and around London don’t miss this opportunity. Some of the things that you can do are (a) watch Scolari hold the training session with all players including new signings (b) catch hold of the otherwise secretive activities such as the drills and formations of the squad (c) take a penalty on the Stamford Bridge turf, if you win the membership competitions (d) entertainers to interest you in with juggling, stilt walking, face painting and balloon-modelling (e) get some unforgettable photographs and autographs, provided the players can do it considering the security requirements and visiting population. I’d love to be in London just for this.

If you happen to be there on fans’ day and watch the drills and formation, please let the rest of us know what the mood is like. I hear more and more people saying that it would be Ballack who may not be an automatic starter under Scolari. I don’t know people think this way. If Scolari is particular about keeping the English core of Chelsea on the pitch, Ballack would be the casualty. A 4-5-1 with Ballack, Lampard, Deco, Essien and Joe Cole looks like a remote possibility. I don’t think Scolari would have a certain formation just to accommodate all his key players.

We have this ‘Fab Four’ of Lampard, Ballack, Deco and Essien. I’ll extend it to ‘Fab Five’ to inlcude Joe Cole. Mostly, these players start as long as they are fit. But not all can play every single match. So who do you think would have to lose their ‘untouchable’ place this season? Choose the two players among these 5 midfielders, that you think may play the least number of matches in this season’s premier league.




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