Brady takes aim at Chelsea (A Face, unfinished business here)

[A face]

Brady takes aim at Chelsea


Former Arsenal and Republic of Ireland midfielder Liam Brady has re-ignited the war of words between the Gunners and Chelsea by claiming the Premiership champions have caused a lot of hassle in the English league.

Brady, who is head of youth development with Arsenal believes that Jose Mourinho’s arrival at Stamford Bridge along with Roman Abramovich’s bottomless well of funds has had a negative affect on the game in England.


Read more at www.eleven-a-side.com (http://www.eleven-a-side.com/offthefield/irish_soccer_detail.asp?newsid=24468)


Complete and utter sour grapes from Brady, but then again its typical from a guy of his calibre. He is just a cretin and it typifies what the man is about. Its guys like him that are bad for football, he is should stick to coaching and shut his mouth.

He has failed his country and he is now failing the game.

[bennocelt]

yeah and .how many youngsters have arsenal had come up through the ranks..........count them on one hand

[Karlos]

How many of youngsters at Arsenal have been given the skills to make a living out of the game at Championship & Premiership Level?

I'm sure anyone who knows the slightest thing about the Arsenal youth system in which Brady is integral knows all about the Jerome Thomas', Steve Sidwells, Paul Dickov's, Ashley Cole's, Matthew Upson's, Jermaine Pennants, Ryan Smith's, Fabrice Muamba's & Justin Hoyte's of this world......(to name just, a very select few of british players).

Add into the mix the international players such as Bendtner, Lupoli, Senderos, Djourou & Fabregas developed further in the crucial 'development to win' phase under Brady & Banfield and you can see what type of player is being moulded and given the best skills to have a career in their chosen field even if that means they never end up playing for Arsenal.

Brady's development record at Arsenal is superb and would be wrongfully judged without the full picture of what the aim of Arsenal's youth system really is.

If this is what 'failing the game' is all about then give me another big pile of that please!! :) :ball:

[LeixlipRed]

Excellent point well made Karlos. What Chelsea youngsters have made it anywhere? Terry and Huth with Carlton Cole on his 89th club at West Ham now. What ever happened to Harley et al? Nothing. Brady has a total Arsenal bias but criticising the excellent work he's done at Arsenal is idiotic

[geysir]

Complete and utter sour grapes from Brady, but then again its typical from a guy of his calibre. He is just a cretin and it typifies what the man is about. Its guys like him that are bad for football, he is should stick to coaching and shut his mouth.
He has failed his country and he is now failing the game.

A cretin? then what word to use to describe somebody who will use a shíte article like that for justification to continue a prejudiced baseless hysterical tirade against Brady.

Karlos, good to have back on topic.

[Marked Man]

And how exactly did Brady fail his country?

[OwlsFan]

He has failed his country and he is now failing the game.[/B]

Explain he has failed his country ?

[bennocelt]

How many of youngsters at Arsenal have been given the skills to make a living out of the game at Championship & Premiership Level?

I'm sure anyone who knows the slightest thing about the Arsenal youth system in which Brady is integral knows all about the Jerome Thomas', Steve Sidwells, Paul Dickov's, Ashley Cole's, Matthew Upson's, Jermaine Pennants, Ryan Smith's, Fabrice Muamba's & Justin Hoyte's of this world......(to name just, a very select few of british players).

Add into the mix the international players such as Bendtner, Lupoli, Senderos, Djourou & Fabregas developed further in the crucial 'development to win' phase under Brady & Banfield and you can see what type of player is being moulded and given the best skills to have a career in their chosen field even if that means they never end up playing for Arsenal.

Brady's development record at Arsenal is superb and would be wrongfully judged without the full picture of what the aim of Arsenal's youth system really is.

If this is what 'failing the game' is all about then give me another big pile of that please!! :) :ball:


how many of arsenals team were english today:rolleyes:
youth development!

[Karlos]

how many of arsenals team were english today.
youth development!

Not that it's in any way relevant but I do wonder if you do actually have the faintest notion of how many british kids have or are currently going through the Arsenal youth system. :confused:

I'm can only apologise that I didn't realise you could only develop english kids who play in your first team to be classed as having a successful youth development system. :rolleyes:

If only I'd have known that, I wouldn't have embarassed myself by listing off a small portion of the players that have successfully made a career in the game on the back of a now obvious non existant youth development system at Arsenal. Cheers for the enlightenment :rolleyes:

[gustavo]

well it is kinda why you do have a youth development system isnt it ,to develop players that one day will be good enough for your first team

[Macy]

Add into the mix the international players such as Bendtner, Lupoli, Senderos, Djourou & Fabregas
I have to say the pillage of other countries young players disgusts me. Arsenal aren't the only one's at it, but certainly lead the way in the premiership. Robbing players of clubs that found and developed them, with the intention of short cutting paying proper fees. Not something to be celebrated imo.

[First]

He has failed his country and he is now failing the game.[/B][/QUOTE]

What are you talking about :confused:

[Billsthoughts]

The mind boggles at the inherent self delusion of Karlos' post and the other posters who buy into it.
Put simply if I spent X amount of cash on a youth development programme and none of the players went thru to the first team I would deem that a failure and pretty bad value for money. robbing other clubs of their good young players is evidance of a good scouting sytem not a good youth development system. Providing other lesser clubs with players shouldnt be in Bradys remit.

[bennocelt]

Not that it's in any way relevant but I do wonder if you do actually have the faintest notion of how many british kids have or are currently going through the Arsenal youth system. :confused:

I'm can only apologise that I didn't realise you could only develop english kids who play in your first team to be classed as having a successful youth development system. :

If only I'd have known that, I wouldn't have embarassed myself by listing off a small portion of the players that have successfully made a career in the game on the back of a now obvious non existant youth development system at Arsenal. Cheers for the enlightenment :rolleyes:


oh now i see it..arsenal is a feeder club to others then.except (unllike west ham) most of the players that leave are.not actually that good
ashley had a cracking gaqme yesterday.didnt he!:eek:

remind me .how did manure utd dominate football again in the early 1990.s?

and how come you NEVER hear of young fellas getting trials with arsenal

[Karlos]

The mind boggles at the inherent self delusion of Karlos' post and the other posters who buy into it.
Put simply if I spent X amount of cash on a youth development programme and none of the players went thru to the first team I would deem that a failure and pretty bad value for money. robbing other clubs of their good young players is evidance of a good scouting sytem not a good youth development system. Providing other lesser clubs with players shouldnt be in Bradys remit.


Self deluison....cheers :rolleyes:

As someone who has trained in youth development football I understand the main priotities involved with developing youth and getting players through to the first team is certainly an element but by no means the main priority and should never be.

I'd love to hear of one club where they push 11 players through the sytem into their first team club a season. People talk about united in the 90's but the reality is they pushed 5 top class players through in one go and 15 others didn't make it and 20 or so more year after year to the point where they spend 30 million each on Rooney and Ferdinand.

In percentage terms you could call that a poor youth system but of course that would be absolutely ridicuolous much like the wide of the mark views here of what a 'youth development system' should be

And some of you wonder why we don't develop better kids..... :rolleyes:

[Karlos]

and how come you NEVER hear of young fellas getting trials with arsenal

You obviously don't work in youth development football in Ireland so.....:rolleyes:

[Billsthoughts]

when you get on your " as someone who knows youth development...." horse it always makes me smile....
wow you did a course. congratulations. nothing nobody else could have gathered from watching a couple of BBC documentaries.
get over it. A clubs objectives are different from a football associations objectives when it comes to developing talent.
its self evident to anyone looking at it that brady is a failure at developing youth at arsenal no matter what way you try and spin it. what did you do your course in? Public Relations?
West Ham was mentioned earlier as a club that pushes youth development.
Man U at least gave a lot of players a chance to prove themselves in the first team. Arsenal never do. In yesterdays game they had fletcher, o shea, scholes that came from inside the club. who did arsenal have?
God help the future of football in this country if it is in the hands of such self righteous people as your good self.

[Karlos]

when you get on your " as someone who knows youth development...." horse it always makes me smile....
wow you did a course. congratulations. nothing nobody else could have gathered from watching a couple of BBC documentaries.
get over it. A clubs objectives are different from a football associations objectives when it comes to developing talent.
its self evident to anyone looking at it that brady is a failure at developing youth at arsenal no matter what way you try and spin it. what did you do your course in? Public Relations?
West Ham was mentioned earlier as a club that pushes youth development.
Man U at least gave a lot of players a chance to prove themselves in the first team. Arsenal never do. In yesterdays game they had fletcher, o shea, scholes that came from inside the club. who did arsenal have?
God help the future of football in this country if it is in the hands of such self righteous people as your good self.


You show a distinct lack of knowledge on what 'youth development' actually involves and you cover it up with some veiled attacks on me. Pathetic in the extreme and I won't stoop to that level. :rolleyes:

I'm just glad coaches in this country still get up in the morning despite the idiotic views that their hours of dedicated training amounts to nothing more than the value of a BBC programme. :mad:

[NY Hoop]

Brady takes aim at Chelsea


Former Arsenal and Republic of Ireland midfielder Liam Brady has re-ignited the war of words between the Gunners and Chelsea by claiming the Premiership champions have caused a lot of hassle in the English league.

Brady, who is head of youth development with Arsenal believes that Jose Mourinho’s arrival at Stamford Bridge along with Roman Abramovich’s bottomless well of funds has had a negative affect on the game in England.


Read more at www.eleven-a-side.com (http://www.eleven-a-side.com/offthefield/irish_soccer_detail.asp?newsid=24468)


Complete and utter sour grapes from Brady, but then again its typical from a guy of his calibre. He is just a cretin and it typifies what the man is about. Its guys like him that are bad for football, he is should stick to coaching and shut his mouth.

He has failed his country and he is now failing the game.

How has he failed his country? A new manager in the championship failed his country a lot more son.


KOH

[Marked Man]

Are mods allowed do WUMing, then?

[Poor Student]

Which mod is WUMing? Use the report button and bring it to our attention.

[Billsthoughts]

You show a distinct lack of knowledge on what 'youth development' actually involves and you cover it up with some veiled attacks on me. Pathetic in the extreme and I won't stoop to that level. :rolleyes:

I'm just glad coaches in this country still get up in the morning despite the idiotic views that their hours of dedicated training amounts to nothing more than the value of a BBC programme. :mad:

You are the one who continually refers to your own "qualifications" on this subject so it hardly amounts to a personal attack if I criticise you for doing so.
Again you are dancing round the issues cause everyone has proved you wrong.
When someone points out the obvious i.e. that brady as head of youth development at arsenal has failed to provide any young players for arsenal ,you skirt around the issue by trying to imply that you have some greater understanding of what constiutes "youth development" than anyone else. Are you implying Arsenal, so overburdened by their own sense of altruism set up their academy in order to provide other clubs with players ? Football Clubs arent renowned for doing anything that isnt motivated by self interest. Maybe you should take the course again as a lot of it seemed to have gone over your head.

[NeilMcD]

when you get on your " as someone who knows youth development...." horse it always makes me smile....
wow you did a course. congratulations. nothing nobody else could have gathered from watching a couple of BBC documentaries.
get over it. A clubs objectives are different from a football associations objectives when it comes to developing talent.
its self evident to anyone looking at it that brady is a failure at developing youth at arsenal no matter what way you try and spin it. what did you do your course in? Public Relations?
West Ham was mentioned earlier as a club that pushes youth development.
Man U at least gave a lot of players a chance to prove themselves in the first team. Arsenal never do. In yesterdays game they had fletcher, o shea, scholes that came from inside the club. who did arsenal have?
God help the future of football in this country if it is in the hands of such self righteous people as your good self.


If you are of the view that coaching courses and badges are the same as watching a few BBC documentaries, well then the mind boggles. I for one would rather the future of football was in the hands of someone who involves themselves in coaching like karlos does and regularly attends coaching courses and football matches and has a clear love for the game rather than a hurler on the ditch.

[Billsthoughts]

That isnt what I was saying. What I was saying is I have never heard anything new from him that wasnt in a couple of documentaries on the BBC not long ago on the development of football. He goes on as if he is privvy to info that noone else is when the reality is that all this info has been in the public domain for a long time. I have no problem with people doing whatever courses they want but if they are going to use the fact that they have in order to dismiss anybody elses with a contary opinion ;thats when I do have a problem with it.

[NeilMcD]

I dont think Karlos did that. He has an opinion and backs it up with first hand information. Surely the nature of any good debate is to use the information at your disposal. I have had debates with Karlos on many issues and I never felt he was speaking down to me but he was using information at his disposal.

[Billsthoughts]

I have no idea what you are talking about. You seem to have turned this into another all about neil thread.good luck with that.
I will simplify it for you.
It was said that Brady was a failure as head of youth development at arsenal.
Karlos countered this by saying he has produced a lot of players that now have a career in football outside of arsenal and (hilariously so) claimed they brought in a lot of players as part of some "develop to win" stratagy thus implying that they wouldnt have been the players they are unless they had come under Bradys wing. went this was pointed out as complete ****e he implied that anyone who thinks otherwise to him doesnt know about youth development. He does cause he done a course.
did he mention he done a course by the way????

[NeilMcD]

The point I am making is that he did not say or imply that other people dont know about youth development. He was arguing his point and backing up with his take on things and his experience of doing a course etc. You made a cheep dig about BBC documentary.

[John83]

Much as I hate to break the flow of the delightful argument, I'll repeat several people's question:
How did Brady fail his country, A Face?

[Poor Student]

How did Brady fail his country, A Face?

I'm wondering too.

Bill, Neil, Karlos, you have differing views on youth development. We get it. It's getting too personal now. Drop it.

[bennocelt]

You obviously don't work in youth development football in Ireland so.....:rolleyes:

oh yeah how many young irish fellas have came up then through the ranks of arsenal youth................wasnt brady the last one!:)

[Marked Man]

[QUOTE=Poor Student;537597]
Which mod is WUMing? Use the report button and bring it to our attention.


It's only a question. Best interpretation I can put on A Face's claim that Brady failed his country.

[Karlos]

Karlos countered this by saying he has produced a lot of players that now have a career in football outside of arsenal and (hilariously so) claimed they brought in a lot of players as part of some "develop to win" stratagy thus implying that they wouldnt have been the players they are unless they had come under Bradys wing.


.What I was saying is I have never heard anything new from him that wasnt in a couple of documentaries on the BBC not long ago on the development of football.

Strategy!! No.....it's actually a commonly known phase in the development of young football players. They must have skipped discussing the phases of development and the associated psychology through the 'development to win' phase of youth development football on that bbc programme eh....:rolleyes:

Hilariously (as you described it), I brought some actual facts on youth development into the debate and they were shot down and attacked! In fact in some ways I was rightly shot down as really I should have based my argument on Brady & Banfield's work in both the 'training to compete' and 'training to win' phases of development.

Their work throughout these phases of development has particualry been magnificent, in my humble little opinion. These phases are universally accepted as being critical in moulding a tactically astute and sustained performer such as Cesc Fabregas who arrived at the club during Phase 3 of his development.

I think it's naiive in the extreme to assume players are complete at 15 years or age. When it comes to professional football, I believe research shows that the last years of development are as crucial as the first.


Phase 1 - The FUNdamental Phase
Age: Males 6 to 9 / Females 6 to 8 years
The main objective of this phase is to learn all the fundamental movement skills using a well-structured, positive and fun approach. Soccer skills should be introduced, with an emphasis on fun, skill development and small sided games. Appropriate and correct running, jumping and throwing techniques are taught using the ABC's of athletics. Participation in as many sports as possible is encouraged. The development of these fundamental movement skills will contribute significantly to future at achievements.

Phase 2 - The Learning to Train Phase
Age: Males 9 to 12 / Females 8 to 11 years
The main objective of this phase is to learn the specific soccer skills in conjunction with FUNdamental skills from a range of other sports. These skills form the cornerstone of all player development. An emphasis on technical development should be a key part of this phase, with the 7 v 7 game being introduced, progressing to 9 v 9.

Phase 3 - The Training to Train Phase
Age: Males 12 to 16 / Females 11 to 15 Years
The main objective of this phase is to consolidate basic soccer skills, introduce the basic elements of tactics and to address the two critical periods of physical development namely the aerobic base and strength of players. It should be noted that both aerobic and strength trainability is dependent on maturation levels and not solely chronological age.

Phase 4 - The Training to Compete Phase
Age: Males 16 to 18 / Females 15 to 17 years
The main objective of this phase is to optimise fitness preparation and soccer, individual and position-specific skills as well as performance. More advanced tactical elements of the game are introduced. During this phase, high intensity individual, and position-specific training is provided to players. Soccer specific skills are performed under a variety of competitive conditions during training. Special emphasis is placed on optimum preparation by modelling training and competition.

Phase 5 - The Training to Win Phase
Age: Males 18yrs and older / Females 17 yrs and older
This final phase of player preparation aims to maximise fitness preparation and soccer, individual and position-specific skills as well as performance. All of the player's capacities are now fully established and players are trained to peak for major competitions. Training is characterised by high intensity and relatively high volume with frequent periods of rest.

Phase 6 - The Retainment Phase
This phase refers to the activities performed after a player has retired from competition permanently. The aim of this phase is to retain players for coaching, sport administration, officiating or recreational participation in the game. For semi professional and professional players this phase will include career planning and transition


.Again you are dancing round the issues cause everyone has proved you wrong..

I'm out on this one, I foolishly thought there could have been an interesting debate on youth development on foot.ie. and apologise to everyone else if it's got bogged down. I wanted to drop it a page back but based on the crap that has been written about me since my last post on the thread I felt I deserved the right to reply despite having so obviously been proven wrong. :rolleyes:

I'll stay well clear in future

[geysir]

FWIW, here's a link to an article about a Brady/Howe evening coaching seminar held at Liberty Hall some years ago.
http://www.unison.ie/irish_independent/stories.php3?ca=37&si=527870&issue_id=5404

[bennocelt]

for fecks sake man.......................
remind me again of the great coaching ability of brady.when he was with celtic!
and all those badges did a feck lot of good when kerr had them!:rolleyes:

oh by the way, i have a few too
but you dont hear me going on about it!;)

[Thomo]

ok a few things...


Arsenal are being criticised here for not developing talent and raiding other clubs young talents? so because arsenal have a superb scouting system, that means they can't develop players? correct me if i'm wrong but the word 'development' implies taking the unfinished article and attempting to encourage that talent to develop to its full potential, in which case the nationality of the player should surely be irrelevant. Just because arsenal are able to use an international, wide reaching, intricate scouting system to regularly bring in players they feel they can 'develop' into first team regulars, or useful additions to the squad, in what way is this not a youth development system?

Also, how has brady failed the country?

[Billsthoughts]

God its like some david brent seminar round here.....

"Phase 5 - The Training to Win Phase
Age: Males 18yrs and older / Females 17 yrs and older
This final phase of player preparation aims to maximise fitness preparation and soccer, individual and position-specific skills as well as performance. All of the player's capacities are now fully established and players are trained to peak for major competitions. Training is characterised by high intensity and relatively high volume with frequent periods of rest."

correct me if I am wrong here but this sounds like Brady just tweaks their fitness levels to take in a season? Also good to hear arsenal are working on their "soccer" at this age. :D

[geysir]

for fecks sake man.......................
remind me again of the great coaching ability of brady.when he was with celtic!
and all those badges did a feck lot of good when kerr had them!:rolleyes:

oh by the way, i have a few too
but you dont hear me going on about it!;)
Well Bennocelt now we have heard you go on about it. If you didn't find them at the bottom of a cornflakes box then maybe you can enlighten us as to Brady's coaching ability at Celtic? In what way did his shortcomings as a coach affect the team that he managed?

This thread wasn't about Brady and his coaching job.
As I say hasn't offered one word to back up his hysterical claim that Brady has failed Irish football. He has done this before, post some juvenile tripe about Brady,then not return to back up his statement. A hit and run poster.
Brady is one of probably 4 Irish footballers who could have walked into almost any class team in the world, an absolute favourite of football fans wherever he played right down to his last game at the end of his career.

[Karlos]

God its like some david brent seminar round here.....

"Phase 5 - The Training to Win Phase
Age: Males 18yrs and older / Females 17 yrs and older
This final phase of player preparation aims to maximise fitness preparation and soccer, individual and position-specific skills as well as performance. All of the player's capacities are now fully established and players are trained to peak for major competitions. Training is characterised by high intensity and relatively high volume with frequent periods of rest."

correct me if I am wrong here but this sounds like Brady just tweaks their fitness levels to take in a season? Also good to hear arsenal are working on their "soccer" at this age. :D

I'm not debating this anymore as I said. You can continue your snide comments on it if you want but I won't be discussing them.

An overview of the development framework was posted. Find a BBC programme which deals with it, if you want further enlightenment.:rolleyes:

[Billsthoughts]

You havent said or posted anything to change my mind.
In fact your post just backs up what I said.
"Phase 5 - The Training to Win Phase
Age: Males 18yrs and older / Females 17 yrs and older
This final phase of player preparation aims to maximise fitness preparation and soccer, individual and position-specific skills as well as performance. All of the player's capacities are now fully established and players are trained to peak for major competitions. Training is characterised by high intensity and relatively high volume with frequent periods of rest."
Hardly having a massive influence on a players development here. Arsenal poached other clubs talented players and then in the "crucial" training to win phase just trained them to be fit for a season of top level football. Brady is in no position to be pointing the finger at other clubs when his own club behaves dubiously at best and in the case of the infamous battles of old trafford absolutely disgracefully.

[Fingal hoop]

he failed his countryOne of the most commited Irish players

Did he not go on a tour of south america in the 80s when all the other stars refused???

[NeilMcD]

Seems to be two debates going on here. One regarding Brady and his role at Arsenal and their youth structure.Secondly how Liam Brady failed his country.

[drinkfeckarse]

.Secondly how Liam Brady failed his country.

There's no debate about that at all, I haven't seen anyone give an example and we're still waiting on A Face to divulge what he meant.

[NeilMcD]

I agree.

[John83]

There's no debate about that at all, I haven't seen anyone give an example and we're still waiting on A Face to divulge what he meant.
Looks like we'll be waiting a while.

[bennocelt]

Well Bennocelt now we have heard you go on about it. If you didn't find them at the bottom of a cornflakes box then maybe you can enlighten us as to Brady's coaching ability at Celtic? In what way did his shortcomings as a coach affect the team that he managed?

This thread wasn't about Brady and his coaching job.
As I say hasn't offered one word to back up his hysterical claim that Brady has failed Irish football. He has done this before, post some juvenile tripe about Brady,then not return to back up his statement. A hit and run poster.
Brady is one of probably 4 Irish footballers who could have walked into almost any class team in the world, an absolute favourite of football fans wherever he played right down to his last game at the end of his career.


if you bothered to read the posts you might have noticed that it has decended into a thing about coaching youngsters and brady the great coach!
:rolleyes:
stealing young fellas from africa and the like when they are 17 etc is hardly good youth development,
how come arsenal have not had a wayne rooney, john terry or a paul scholes, etc?


i have no problem, i like his tv analysis, and he was a great player
but , as a coach, he didnt do particularly good at celtic, i can remembr when celtic came 4th one year, and didnt get into europe!

[John83]

Okay, in an effort to stimulate a response from A Face, let me say the following:
A Face is a weasel, a left handed fisherman turned novelist, a car thief, skilled in the art of fixing broken pens and he screams at the sight of the colour purple.

I'll justify all of that after he justifies the Brady jibe, like people have been asking for the past couple of days.

Anyone else have any unsupported statements to make about A Face?

[Lim till i die]

Anyone else have any unsupported statements to make about A Face?

It's not really A Face at all........... it's A Mask :eek: :p :o

[4tothefloor]

Complete and utter sour grapes from Brady, but then again its typical from a guy of his calibre. He is just a cretin and it typifies what the man is about. Its guys like him that are bad for football, he is should stick to coaching and shut his mouth.

He has failed his country and he is now failing the game.

I think Brady's dead right. Chelsea are poison. They're tapping up players left, right and centre through out Europe. From 15 year olds right up to the top players like Ashley Cole. They've taken Leeds Utd's best schoolboy players recently, which left Ken Bates fuming. They were filmed last night on Panorma tapping up a 'Boro U15 international and offering him £150,000 to join. Look at the Jon Obi Mikel situation - They end up paying £12m to Man U for a player that they clearly tapped up after he signed for Utd. £16m altogether as they had to pay £4m to Lynn Oslo as well. It's disgusting. They even tapped up Frank Arnesen to take him from Spurs.....

I hope they fall to pieces behind the scenes as well. It was Roman Abramovich who signed Shevchenko, Kenyon who signed Ballack and Cole, and Kenyon who let Gallas go to Arsenal behind Mourinhos back. José isn't calling the shots transfer wise and there's a problem down the line there. SWP is being messed about disgracefully and it's no wonder that Damian Duff and Gallas wanted out completely. They could probably see it coming. Should be interesting. I'd like to see Shevchenko and Ballack flop big time (good chance that they will too), Mourinho resign in a sulk and I hope the Russian Mafia go after Abramovich :D

[renovater]

Chelsea like all Clubs with clout will do what is in there interest regardless what other clubs think.
other clubs would do the same if they had the clout.
Chelsea were long enough the poor relation,now they will do as they feel regardless of what you and I think.
Regards to Brady he should stick to what he does best and thats coach and leave chelsea to what they do best and thats win.:)

[gustavo]

it's no wonder that Damian Duff and Gallas wanted out completely. They could probably see it coming.

Doubt it , I'd say They'd both be laughing all the way to the bank with their roubles if they were both first choice at the time of leaving