With Didier Drogba hogging the headlines telling the World that he wants to leave Chelsea, what else can go wrong?

Chelsea travel to the Riverside with new coach Henk Ten Cate witnessing his first game and the Riverside hasn’t been a happy hunting ground for the Blues in the last couple of years.

Last season, Sheva scored his first Premiership goal, then Chelsea lost 2-1 with ‘Boro scoring twice in the last five minutes. The season before that Chelsea was trounced 3-0.

After today Chelsea return to action at Stamford Bridge for three home matches, first on Wednesday in the Champions League against Schalke 04, followed by Man City in the Premiership, followed by Leicester City in the Carling Cup.

KTBFFH

Earlier on today Chelsea and England captain John Terry declared himself fit for England’s crucial Euro 2008 qualifier against Russia on Wednesday.

England trained this evening on the plastic pitch for the last time before Wednesday’s game and it has been announced that right at the end of the training session, JT broke down with problems to his knee and is OUT of tomorrow’s night game.

Lets hope the news isn’t bad, already Chelsea COULD be without Ashley Cole for the next three months after sustaining ligament damage in Saturday’s victory over Estonia.

The game kicks off 4pm UK time, which is 7pm local time. So wherever else you are in the World, work out your kick off time yourself.

I will be lucky to catch the last half-hour!!!

COME ON ENGLAND

KTBFFH

Frank Lampard came on as a second-half substitute for England against Estonia on Saturday and was booed. Not for the first time and I am sure until Super Frank retires from representing the England national team it won’t be the last time.

Why is Frank being booed from so-called England fans? Well lets start off with the last World Cup. Frank didn’t have his best time, but then England as a team didn’t either!

The consenus of opinion regarding the whereabouts of the ‘booers’ is that they reside from the supporters of West Ham and Liverpool. First West Ham. West Ham was the club that ‘Super Frank’ signed from and the only reason he left West Ham is because his Dad Frank and Uncle, Harry Redknapp left too.

Frank left West Ham because he realised that he had a better chance of winning trophies at Chelsea (Two titles, two League Cups, one FA Cup and one Community Shield}, and Frank played under Ranieri too!!!

Irons fans problem with Frank, was that Frank ‘kissed’ the Iron’s badge everytime he scored. Frank does it for Chelsea and has done the same for England too!!

Wayne Rooney ’till Saturday hadn’t scored for England for 3 1/2years… so where is the difference?

As for Liverpool fans, until Liverpool sack the ‘rotating weeble’ Benitez, Liverpool and Gerrard will never win the League!!!

HAVE YOU EVER SEEN GERRARD WIN THE LEAGUE? NO WE AIN’T!!

HAVE YOU EVER SEEN LAMPARD WIN THE LEAGUE? YES WE HAVE!!!! 2-0, Bolton at The Reebok

KTBFFH

BOLTON 0-1 CHELSEA

Kalou on 41 mins

Half-time from the Reebok

Bolton 0-1 Chelsea

41 mins and almost 4 1/2 Premiership games gone
Kalou gives Chelsea the lead

Bolton 0-1 Chelsea (Kalou 41mins)

Bolton 0-0 Chelsea 30mins

Malouda has hit the bar, Malouda has had another chance saved brilliantly by Jussi and Diouf has been booked. Reports suggest it is an open game and Bolton are playing the long ball

Bolton 0-0 Chelsea 15mins

Chelsea Team:

Cech

Belletti
Carvalho
JT (c)
A Cole

Makelele
Lampard
Sidwell
J Cole

Kalou
Malouda

subs: Cudicini, Ferreira, Ben-Haim, Pizarro, Shevchenko

Bolton

Jaaskelainen

J O’Brien
Meite
A O’Brien
Gardner

Guthrie
Campo
McCann

Davies (c)
Anelka
Diouf

subs: Al Habsi, Cid, Stelios, Wihelmsson, Braaten

Ref: Alan Wiley

Chelsea travel to the Reebok this afternoon (3pm UK time) looking for their first League goal since Frank Lampard struck in the 1-0 win over Portsmouth at Stamford Bridge back in August.

Could there more Chelsea turmoil on the way as credible rumours suggest that “Mr Chelsea, Mr Loyal” and Assistant Manager Steve Clarke could be leaving the club after today’s game?

Clarke feels that his role at the club would be reduced, especially if Henk Ten Cate joins the coaching staff, but Grant claims that he wants to continue working with TWO assistants as he has done throughout his ‘career.’

Clarkey however feels it is time to move and become manager elsewhere in his own right. Perhaps this decision was born when Clarkey was ‘overlooked,’ for the manager’s job when Jose left office.

Steve Clarke joined Chelsea in 1987 from St Mirren and made over 400 appearances and scored 10 goals. Clarke joined the Chelsea coaching staff but left to become Assistant Manager when Ruud Gullit went to Newcastle Utd. When Gullit left, Clarke was appointed caretaker manager at Newcastle (for one game I beleive), and then he came back home to Stamford Bridge where he became Assistant Manager to Vialli, Ranieri and Jose.

Chelsea are definitely without Obi Mikel and Didier Drogba who are both serving suspensions for their recent sending-offs – Mikel against Man Utd and Drogba against Fulham.

Back in the squad is Frank Lampard who was also named in McClaren’s England squad on Friday.

John Terry is set to lead the team still wearing his protective face-mask after having his cheekbone smashed last weekend.

Today’s game is not being televised live in the UK so I will be finding other means to keep-up-to-date with the action as it unfolds at the Reebok.

COME ON CHELSEA

KTBFFH

Now unless you are a Chelsea fan living outside of England, the following information is not going to be of any use to you.

England’s manager Steve McClaren has named FIVE Chelsea players for the forthcoming Euro 2008 qualifiers against Estonia at Wembley next Saturday and away in Russia the following Wednesday.

John Terry (Chelsea and England Captain)
Ashley Cole
Frank Lampard
Joe Cole
Shaun Wright-Phillips

Chelsea players have dominated the representation of the squad.

COME ON CHELSEA

KTBFFH

Never in a million years did I expect to write such a surprising scoreline as written in the the subject header line. I have always believed that you should always ‘EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED’ when it comes to the fortunes of Chelsea Football Club and that statement is so Chelsea in the light of events that have happened over the last couple of weeks.

It will take me an eternity to be convinced that Mr Grant IS the man for the Chelsea job. Only one person is convinced that Grant is and that is ‘Rich Boy,’ but I am still of the impression that Grant’s position as manager will blow up in ‘Rich Boy’s’ face BIG-TIME!!!

But do I really care? NO not at the moment. Chelsea are top of their Champions League Group as top seeds should be.

Grant has also taken us into the 4th round of the Carling Cup so all that needs to be sorted is progession and points in the Premiership, continuing at Bolton Wanderers on Sunday afternoon.

It was great that Ricky played after his lengthy injury spell and JT donned the ‘mask of Zorro’ and played, Dids played (despite his forthcoming 3 match Premiership ban), Mikel returned and Joey oh Joey Cole is returning back to his best.

After nine minutes when David ‘Aston’ Villa (sorry Cesar) put Valencia ahead - the writing was on the wall! The goal came after a Chelsea clearance bounced off Essien’s chest and the ball landed perfectly into the path of David ‘Aston’ Villa who took it on and scored with aplomb past the helpless Cech.

I called for Chelsea fans to support the club and the fans way up high in the sky at the Mestalla did the Blue shirt proud. From as high as they were, the TV mics picked up their support all night, and these fans just sum up the ‘true’ support that Chelsea has at this moment in time.

I still wish I had ‘forgotten’ the mortgage payment and got meself out to the Mestalla!!!

Chelsea equalised twenty odd minutes later from a Moretti own goal from great work from Malouda out on Chelsea’s left. You knew straight away that Joey didn’t score ‘cos of the way he ran back for the re-start!!!!

David ‘Aston’ Villa had a second half goal disallowed for offside when the score was 1-1 and then the ‘unbelievable’ happened. Nineteen minutes from time Joey picked up the ball from inside Chelsea’s half and with the outside of his boot, sent a 25 yard plus pass to the Dids who took on and beat the last defender to score with a rifle shot into the bottom right of Valencia’s net.

2-1 to Chelsea and on an unbelievable night – Grant the ‘who-man’ had reproduced the result that Jose had acheived only five months before.

Be warned:

NEVER EXPECT THE EXPECTED!!!!

KTBFFH

FULL TIME

Valencia 1-2 Chelsea

71 mins

Valencia 1-2 Chelsea

Didier Drogba

to be fair Valencia did have a goal disallowed for offside which was offside just after half-time!!!

Half-time

Valencia 1-1 Chelsea

in a half empty Mestalla

21mins

Valencia 1-1 Chelsea

Joe Cole

9mins

Valencia 1-0 Chelsea

Villa

Chelsea Team

Petr Cech

Paulo Ferreira
Ricardo Carvalho
John Terry
Ashley Cole

Claude Makelele
Michael Essien
Mikel

Joe Cole
Didier Drogba
Florent Malouda

For Valencia team news – go find it!!

Its nights like this when Chelsea’s backs are against the wall (and whatever the politics of the club… F**K it) I wish I’d taken the bull by the horns and sod the mortgage… well they ain’t gonna evict for missing one payment (are they?), got me passport out, take sick from work and get me fat hairy arse out to Spain to cheer the boys on to what, if I am honest, seems a certain defeat!!!!

Can lightning strike twice in the same place?…. nah…. lets be realistic. Thanks to ‘rich boy,’ to me Chelsea are on a hiding to nothing tonight and Valencia know it. They will be looking for revenge after April’s encounter and they will be bearing their teeth and baying for blood and I am talking about the Valencia fans LOL LOL Cesar.

You know the score with me. Chelsea SINCE 66. Been there with Chelsea, seen it, done it and somewhere got the t-shirt. BUT and a BIG BUT too!!!

I am so up for this match tonight and I will be for every game that Chelsea play until some sense of normality is restored at the Club. Chelsea need the fans support.

Support the club and keep everything crossed from 7.45pm UK time!!!

COME ON CHELSEA

I WAS THERE WHEN WE WERE S**T

I WILL BE THERE WHEN WE ARE S**T

KTBFFH

Team news will appear when available

COME ON CHELSEA

I feel so jealous that my fellow ‘bloggers’ can post goal action of their favourites from the weekend’s action and ‘appen from the last few weeks LOL LOL LOL!!

Anyway. Will he or won’t he? Thats the question that is being debated and discussed on the varous Chelsea chat boards concerning our own Captain Marvel – JT – who had his face smashed in by the ‘Lonesome Star’ from Texas, Fulham’s Clint Demspey in the West London derby on Saturday.

The FA announced today that they would not be taking any action against Dempsey, despite this incident being the second he has been involved inside a week. In Fulham’s home game against Man City, he had a similar set to with City’s Micah Richards.

Anyhow ’nuff of that. The matter being debated on the WWW – Should JT risk playing so soon even with a protective face mask? (Despite Chelsea’s dismal run of form and with England’s important Euro 2008 qualifiers on the horizon). Or should JT take a well-deserved rest and get his broken toe better as well as his face?

Opinion seems to be divided – equal yes and no. A top injury expert said today that JT can make the decision himself.

Personally I think if Carvalho suddenly becomes available then JT should rest. But JT is JT and as well as being Mr Chelsea he is also Mr England and an extremely hard man to keep down.

If the first team had a bad day at the office on Saturday, then the Academy had an even worse day. On Saturday morning they travelled across to East London to play West Ham and were soundly trounced 4-1.

West Ham scored first after 13 minutes and West Ham scored a further three goals within nine minutes of the second-half starting. The Academy’s consolation goal came from schoolboy Frank Nouble, four minutes from time.

Chelsea:

Sam Walker, Nana Ofori-Twumasi, Jeffrey Bruma, Jack Saville, Ben Gordon, Tom Taiwo (Nikki Ahamed), Jordan Hibbert (Daniel Philliskirk), Gael Kakuta, Jacob Mellis, Morten Nielsen (Frank Nouble), Adam Phillip.

The reserves are in action on Tuesday night in their own version of the West London derby when they travel to Fulham, the game kicks off at 7pm UK time and then on Wednesday night Chelsea return to the Mestalla for Champions League action against Valencia.

KTBFFH

I WAS THERE WHEN WE WERE S**T!!

Three minutes into yesterday’s West London derby, Fulham’s Clint Dempsey rose in a challenge with Chelsea’s captain John Terry and left the mark of Dempsey’s home state of Texas across the cheek of JT’s face.

A deliberate elbow because I saw it as Dempsey’s elbow struck JT’s face I was in line of it from my seat at Stamford Bridge. I saw it, everybody on my side saw it, but the referee and assistant referee didn’t and for me that set the tone for the rest of the afternoon.

Seventeen minutes from time Drogba’s boot almost took Baird’s head off – yellow card followed by a red – no complaints there. Drogba gave away his first yellow card so cheaply in the first-half by arguing with the ref that Chelsea should have had a penalty. As it was at the other end of the ground from my seat, its difficult to tell.

Terry didn’t come out for the second-half and Drogba was given the armband.

Chelsea’s lack of a goal yesterday is the fourth league game in succession where they haven’t scored and its the 2nd home game on the spin where the game has ended 0-0 and the away tema and their fans have been the ones going home happiest.

Chelsea’s next home game in the League is not until the end of October, but before then with Champions League and two away fixtures to play – Chelsea has to find goals from somewhere!!!

Its not that Chelsea didn’t create chances, they did and missed. For those shots that were on target, Kasey Keller pulled off two tremendous saves, the first from Kalou and then from a Drogba thunderbolt.

Fulahm could have easily won the game at the end, where they created three decent chances, once A Cole was substituted for Malouda and it appeared that Grant gave Alex license to do what he wanted, leaving horrendous wide gaps at the back.

Cech saved well from Konchesky and then Belletti and Alex both blocked brilliantly.

The unbeaten home record is still intact but only just, but if Chelsea continue in this vain, it won’t be on the home record that will be lost so easily!!!

I WAS THERE WHEN WE WERE SHIT!!

KTBFFH

Fulham are the visitors to Stamford Bridge this afternoon in the first Premiership game since Jose Mourinho left the club and the match is new coach Avram Grant’s first home game in charge. I believe there is still lots of anger and resentment at the way Jose departed and it will be interesting to see how the fans react for the first time in force today.

Good news for Chelsea fans. Yesterday in the pre-match conference, Grant announced that Didier Drogba is expected to be named in today’s squad, Lampard and Carvalho are ‘only days’ away from retuning to the squad themselves.

Chelsea hasn’t scored a League goal in three – two defeats against Aston Villa and Man Utd plus the 0-0 home draw against Blackburn last time out. But the team’s confidence must be high after the midweek win over Hull City.

For Fulham however, they crashed out of the Cup after extra-time in midweek and reports suggest that Volz and McBride are two of six players that are unvailable today. Also unvailable are Christanval, Jimmy Bullard, Lee Cook and Ian Pearce.

But this is Chelsea v Fulham, a West London Derby (not the biggest derby in the World) so anything can happen!!!

In six Premiership matches at Stamford Bridge since 2002, Chelsea has won 4 – 2-1, 3-2, 3-2, 3-1 and there have been 2 draws – 1-1, 2-2 (last season).

KTBFFH