Chelsea, FA Cup winners. Has a nice ring to it, no? Maybe it’s because we are getting so familiar with that phrase. The Blues won their fifth FA Cup on Saturday with a 2-1 win over Everton and, despite an early scare, it never even looked in doubt. Louis Saha rocked Wembley with the fastest [...]
It’s the big one. Although it is eclipsed by Rome and the events of Wednesday, the FA Cup final is still, in its own right, a colossal event. It’s a goodbye for Golden Guus, a chance for silverware, and above all, a very special day out at Wembley. Standing in the way of a sweet [...]
Continue reading …Back in March, just one month after I started working at Chelsea, supporters from the Fans’ Forum came to visit us at Cobham. I can remember the supporters telling me then that although they knew we were trying hard to win the Premier League and the Champions League, we should not underestimate how much the [...]
Continue reading …Classic FA Cup finals have become almost as rare as Chelsea being awarded penalties by Norwegian referees. Looking ahead to next weekend’s Wembley showdown, what are the chances of it being one to remember for Blues fans as well as neutrals? Well, for most supporters all it takes is a win for a cup final [...]
Continue reading …Chelsea’s current interim manager Guus Hiddink is a legend in footballing circles and tellingly, has achieved success wherever he has chanced his hand. Hiddink, born in November 1946, started his career as a player with De Graafschap in his native Holland. His time there was punctuated by an unsuccessful season at PSV Eindhoven, before a [...]
Continue reading …A bizarre event in Italy went unnoticed by all but the most seasoned European football correspondents. Thanks to Gabriele Marcotti for picking up on the farewell provided for Paolo Maldini by Milan’s Ultras over the weekend. Paolo is probably one of the most respected left-backs in the history of the game but that seemingly wasn’t [...]
Continue reading …They say that the road to hell is paved with good intentions, but what about the road to Wembley? It’s hardly been a street paved with gold for Chelsea this season; indeed there’s been more of a cobbled feel to it as the Blues had to huff and puff their way past some of this [...]
Continue reading …When Jose Mourinho tried to buy Frank Lampard last summer, a CFCnet staffer wrote an impassioned article telling Frank to leave, not in faded glory but Cantona-esque with his reputation intact. The theory being it’s best to leave on a high rather than let your sporting reputation die in front of everyone’s eyes…..you know, Ricky [...]
Continue reading …Monday 18 May Germany apparently expect Michael Ballack to play in their next friendly, which you might think is fair enough, until you realise that it is on Friday 29 May. Given that the match is against China in Shanghai he’d find it difficult ot get to Wembley for three pm the next day.Tuesday 19 [...]
Continue reading …Chelsea ended their league campaign with a flourish by virtue of another away win, our 14th this season, this time at the Stadium of Light. Sunderland knew that wins for both Newcastle and Hull would see them have to pick up 3 points to guarantee survival; as it was, all four teams still fighting relegation [...]
Continue reading …Guus Hiddink said goodbye to the Premiership with a win in his final match. For us, there was little at stake, having all but come third. For Sunderland it was the polar opposite, still in relegation danger, a win would have ensured Premier League survival. Drogba’s effort hitting the roof of the net within the [...]
Continue reading …Chelsea are unwittingly involved in the relegation battle this season, as our final match of the season takes place at the Stadium of Light, against Sunderland. By the end of Sunday, two of Hull City, Middlesbrough, Newcastle United and Sunderland will be relegated, joining Tony Mowbray’s West Bromwich Albion, whose division bouncing continued for another [...]
Continue reading …With the 2008/09 season drawing to a close, it is time to take a look back at where it all began. May has produced more agony than ecstasy so far, but with an FA Cup final on the horizon the month could still end on a high, however before we look forward to the Wembley [...]
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