Yes, a new day awaits us all. By now you are well aware of the latest development in the brief but cracking existence of Chelsea Offside. In short, this space, in just a few hours, will be no more. A redirect – and a lovely archive at our new home, We Ain’t Got No History – will be all that’s left of this small slice of the web I called home for a good long time.

This, my friends, is indeed a sad day. However, it is also an incredibly exciting one. The possibilities ahead are immense, and the idea of partnering with a flagship site like WAGNH is mouth-watering. We’re geeked about this transition – you should be, too.

We Ain’t Got No History.

Bookmark it. Evernote it. Sleep with it. This site, the finest Chelsea blog on the web (by a fucking distance), had at its disposal a stunning arsenal of talent already. Now, with Devin and myself inducted into the fraternity, it’s become, well unfair. People are talking. They’re questioning this move in the era of FFP. El nuevo Galácticos, they have begun to call us.

And you know, I can’t really argue with them.

WAGNH is for the future, though. Today is about The CO.

Nearly six years have passed – and more than 2,100 articles posted – since Chelsea Offside launched on Oct. 16, 2006. Four writers, three distinguished, one not so much, have contributed to the site. Each brought with them a unique voice to the joint, this to go with the key component – a shared love of the Chels. Andy, a True Blue since 1966, laid the foundation before leaving the site in winter 2007. I assumed possession of the baton (sweet Olympics reference, bro) in January 2008, whipping up a rather unconventional take on everything Chelsea for three flawless years. Seeking diversity, and fresh points of view, I sought a co-creator(s) in January 2011. It was the best move I made during my time here. Easily.

Jamie was the first person to respond to my public cry for help. Already a blogger, working at Werder Bremen Offside, Jamie brought a sense of reason to a discussion that had mainly been driven by a psychopath. She, of course, also provided the site Chelsea news and analysis from a female perspective. Heaven sent, she was. Oddly enough, Devin was second to respond to the announcement. As you know, he is still in the mix – thank God. I initially wasn’t looking to add more than one writer to the staff, but I didn’t really have an option after taking a look at what Devin had to offer. I was sold on the Californian immediately after reading the opening line of his sample post, which hit my mailbox on Jan. 19, 2011.

Death to The Offside servers

Curious what Devin cooked up? You’re in luck:

Transfers? Child please..

Admit it. You’re been scared into an almost catatonic state of denial by the rumor mill. Every day, the famous CFC are linked with another tantalizing prospect, another hot-shot center back, another dream striker. But progress, measured in inches and pounds, never amounts to much of either these days. It used to be that we’d enter the month of January strapped with an endless supply of greenbacks and a sweet-tooth for big-name bambaclads to bolster our already superior squad, but those days of lore are long since a hazy memory. In this period of austerity, featuring a wage reduction and a drastically reduced transfer kitty, our famous Blues have been rendered inert by age, injuries, and fatigue. Though we’re saying all the right things, and preaching that youth will get a go this year, you me and the guy at the pub know the only ailment for what pains us is an injection of life and experience. So lets run the names, numbers, and attempt to make sense of this hazy mess that we call the January transfer window.

Really? Not only did the kid have talent, but he also reminded me of, um, me. Rae & Ghost.

We’ve been developing what we believe has been incisive content, blended with a lemony twist of humor, crassness and pop culture, ever since. We’ve enjoyed it immensely, and you, the readers, seem to have found it entertaining as well. We both started out at Chelsea Offside simply looking for a creative outlet in which to discuss the football club we support. In the end, we found much more.

What we unearthed here at Chelsea Offside was a place to live life, essentially. We share our views and interests, our dislikes and frustrations. We debate, sometimes even in a constructive manner.  We argue. We fight. We earn another’s respect. Sometimes we don’t. We laugh. We cry – see Manchester United 2008. We riot – see Barcelona 2009. Within this small, seemingly insignificant space, we’ve lived Chelsea, and a hell of a lot of other aspects of life, over the past six years.

That, in my opinion, is pretty amazing.

A stray Google search led me to The Offside network in 2007. Shortly thereafter I stumbled onto The CO. While I found it a good read, it was nothing more than that at first, really. Personally, I had never gave much thought to the concept of blogging about soccer. I was a sports journalist, sure, but I never thought I’d write about Chelsea, much less write about Chelsea on a platform as substantial and accessible as this. Coupling Bill and Ted references with Gang Starr videos, to support tactical analysis on Chelsea? For an audience? Not a chance.

Yet here I am, some four years later. Loving it as much now as when I started.

I look forward to the future, We Ain’t Got No History and perhaps beyond. This next step in the evolution of The CO – that’s what it is, an evolution not an extinction – is going to blow people away, we feel. You are in store for something special over the next few months. Where we’re going we don’t need roads – or WordPress. Or rubbish web servers. WAGNH, as you know, already is an epic website; Devin and I simply plan to crank up the volume to 11.

11? 11.

Slight case of overload

I would be remiss if I didn’t thank a myriad of people prior to casting The Chelsea Offside off into the sunset, Last Crusade style. First, to the founding fathers – Daryl, Ian, Martha, among others – who not only guided me during my early stages with The CO but also made The Offside, as a network, what it eventually became. You might not know that, in March 2008, the Guardian named The Offside the 35th most powerful blog in the world. High praise. World Cup Blog x The Offside – the partnership may have never reached the heights it potentially could have, but for a period it was one of the best dedicated football hubs on the Internet.

To the writers I’ve had the pleasure to work with here, many thanks. Jamie – you brought repose to the chaos if only for a brief spell. Devin – my man. Thanks for grinding, and excelling, through it all. Thanks for stepping up when I was on the road. Thanks, simply, for being a friend. Speaking of friends – thanks to all of you who have provided inspiration, needed criticism and, most importantly, love during this insane trip. To my better half – thanks for being a rock (a gorgeous one at that) and providing that hard dose of reality when I need it. I’ll see you in DC soon, permanently.

Lastly – to you, the readers. I can’t say enough about you guys. You are the heartbeat of this community. Without your dedicated presence, your energy, your unmatched passion for Chelsea – The CO doesn’t exist. You built the house, Devin and I just added some killer furniture. That heartbeat isn’t dying, mind you. It’s just shifting to a new, improved locale. We expect to see all of you – I mean all of you – at the new mansion.

It’s been a hell of a ride, Chelsea Offside. I’m going to miss you.

Love

I haven’t been at this craft for too long. This much I can admit with absolute certainty. When Jack sent out an APB in January of 2011 asking for help, I naturally jumped at the opportunity to participate in the Chelsea dialogue. My expectations were that I’d pop in periodically and add a bit of banter to the news, throw a few analysis pieces up here and there, and generally attempt to add a mix of wit and color wherever necessary. I had no idea that I would be so incredibly swept up in the art, the process, that it would become less an obligation and more a passion. In the time that I’ve called The Offside home, I’ve met the love of my life, gotten married, and settled into domestic bliss. In that time, Chelsea have fired two managers, won the FA Cup and Champions League, and increased the tally of grey hairs on my head three fold.

In my time, I’ve had moments of pure madness. I remember a piece I did on Jose Mourinho, who at the time was mooted to be ready to take over for Sir Alex. I recall the vitriol mixed with pure rage in the comments section. How dare I, you said, call out one of our own- a legend at that. I should have known better than to deride Jose, but we all make mistakes and I suppose I’ve made plenty of my own that I should be accountable for. Over the course of the last campaign, Jack and I tried to, as best as we could, give you the reader as much insight and analysis as we could afford. More tactical work, more posturing, more long-lens thinking. To engage at all costs was the modus opperandi. In many ways, I feel we’ve succeeded on that mission. Our readers, all of you, are the heartbeat that kept this site breathing. Without your loyal following, we’d have no reason to do this- considering it’s essentially volunteer work. But we’ve persisted now for months despite our personal lives taking the forefront, simply because of our love for the club.

At times during our sabbatical this summer, I’ve thought about the upcoming season. I’ve thought about the hours of work it entails to cover the news, provide match previews, moderate match day rant boxes, recap the proceedings, and continue to analyze the various nuances of Chelsea Football Club. That we were able to do it last year as a two-man band was a feat of epic proportions that required a great deal of time management and personal sacrifices on our part. To do it all again? It would be unwise I’d say. Simply put, I’m running out of bandwidth to be able to cover everything and I know Jack is in a very similar situation. We talked openly about the future and thought aloud about what was best for both the site and for the two of us. Would it be fair to you, the reader, if we continued in this space but posted less frequently? Or was there an alternative that would satisfy both our needs and yours?

Enter, We Ain’t Got No History. If you’re unfamiliar, shame on you. If you are, kudos. In short, we’re taking our talents across the internet to the definitive Chelsea blog. Graham and company welcomed us with open arms to the team and we’re delighted to let everyone know that we’ll be bringing our same band of wise-cracking, misinformed wit and brevity along for the ride. Joining with the WAGNH crew gives us all the chance to cover more in-depth pieces, while still reporting on news at happens. Plus, they really are the absolute best locale on the inter-webs for this sort of thing. Just cruise through their back catalog and marvel at the work they’ve produced. Genius stuff. Jack has his thoughts to share, and rather than paraphrase on his behalf I’ll let the man do his thing later, and for now I’ll speak from my vantage point.

Being a part of this site, this community, and this process, has been a privilege. I may not be everyone’s favorite voice on the subject, and at times I might get it all horribly wrong, for which I apologize, but I have been honored and humbled by the support you have demonstrated. To you, the reader, who regularly visits this site to validate the hours we put in behind the screen, thank you. To Jack, who took a chance on me when I had no idea what I was doing, thank you- sincerely. To Graham and company, who have welcomed us into the WAGNH community- thank you. To our families, who have tolerated this unhealthy obsession of ours for what seems like a century- thank you. To my wife, who reads every one of these posts and manages to let me watch every match, even at ungodly hours- thank you. Truly, sincerely, from the bottom of my heart, thank you to all of you. It’s been one hell of a ride- but I promise we’re just getting started. Follow us at our new domain, and keep on commenting. Carefree, friends.

Up the Chels.

I’ll miss Sheva.

Team sheets
Chelsea
Petr Cech; Branislav Ivanovic, David Luiz, John Terry (c), Ashley Cole; John Mikel Obi, Frank Lampard; Ramires, Eden Hazard, Raul Meireles; Romelu Lukaku. Bench: Jamal Blackman, Paulo Ferreira, Sam Hutchinson, Nathaniel Chalobah, Gary Cahill, Michael Essien, Marko Marin, Florent Malouda, Lucas Piazon, Fernando Torres.

AC Milan
AC Milan: Marco Amelia, Luca Antonini, Mario Yepes, Daniele Bonera, Djamel Mesbah, Massimo Ambrosini, Bakaye Traore, Mathieu Flamini, Kevin Prince-Boateng, Urby Emanuelson, Stephen El Shaarawy. Bench: Mattia De Sciglio, Antonio Nocerino, Francesco Acerbi, Riccardo Montolvio, Ignazio Abate, Bryan Cristante, Simone Andrea Ganz, Mattia Valoti, Edoardo Pazzagli, Philipp Prosenik, Antonio Cassano.

Streaming:
ESPN3
My P2P
First Row Sports
Sport Lemon

Awkward.

Team sheets
MLS All-Stars
Jimmy Nielsen, Steven Beitashour, Aurélien Collin, Jay DeMerit, Justin Morrow, David Beckham, Osvaldo Alonso, Landon Donovan, Graham Zusi, Thierry Henry, Chris Wondolowski.

Chelsea
Hilario, Ivanovic, Terry, Cahill, Cole, Essien, Lampard, Ramires, Benayoun, Marin, Lukaku.

Streaming:
ESPN3
My P2P
First Row Sports
Sport Lemon

Ben Franklin’s town welcomes Chelsea this evening as the club’s preseason tour of the states continues with the MLS All-Star Game at PPL Park. There will be no Fernando Torres unfortunately, but at least we’ll be blessed with the flowing grace of one David Beckham. Score.

A couple of days ago the boys were frolicking about at Yankee Stadium in a well attended, but ultimately drab, affair with Paris Saint-Germain. The game, as you may recall, finished 1-1 thanks to another properly executed counter attack – finished off by young Lucas Piazon. We finished well against PSG, sure, but the match was still largely a dull affair, a perspective my girlfriend shared throughout the festivities. You know, I can’t argue with the woman.

Now, on to tonight. As this friendly represents our third of four preseason matches stateside, one would expect a noticeable jump in rate of performance. Improvement not only execution but also in collective energy should be on the docket.

Who: MLS All-Stars
What: 2012 Major League Soccer All-Star Game
When: 8:30pm EST (1:30pm GMT)
Where: PPL Park, Chester, Pa. (18,500)
How (tube): ESPN2 (DirecTV 209, Dish Network 144), Telefutura (USA Spanish), TSN (Canada)
How (web): ChelseaTV, ESPN3

Why: Because these bastards (likable bastards, mind you) defeated us 1-0 in the 2006 All-Star Game. A rather horrible ‘why’ considering that only seven of the 22 squad players were part of the club then. Really, though, that’s all I got. It’s an exhibition for Christ’s sake.

As mentioned previously, Chelsea enter their third exhibition of the preseason. That would presumably mean we will see a stronger overall lineup than we have seen in the previous two matches. Roberto Di Matteo seemed to imply such in his pre-match presser, suggesting a few players could receive a full 90 minutes against the all-stars. Who those players are remains to be seen (Romelu?).

Our shape will likely remain as is, though I’d imagine both Ashley Cole and John Terry will slot into the first team – in turn providing us with a much more defensively solid unit. Frank Lampard and John Obi Mikel will probably continue in the pivot, though Josh McEachran could have some pull after a pretty efficient second half against the Parisians in the Bronx. Ramires featuring from the off would also be a rather lovely site.

Don’t forget Raul Meireles, either. Like Torres, he’s back in the fold.

Projected XI:
Cech, Cole, Terry, Bob, Bane, Lampard, Mike, Marin, Hazard, Ramires, Lukaku.

The MLS, meanwhile, have a first team already in place, as voted on by fans. Though it could (probably) endure some shifting prior to kickoff, this XI shouldn’t differ much from the way it looks at present.

MLS All-Stars XI:
Jimmy Nielsen, Steven Beitashour, Aurélien Collin, Jay DeMerit, Justin Morrow, David Beckham, Dwayne De Rosario, Landon Donovan, Graham Zusi, Thierry Henry, Chris Wondolowski.

De Rosario, who will captain the side, has sufficient experience against Chelsea. The DC United veteran midfielder scored a wonderful goal, the lone strike, against us in the 2006 edition of this contest. Beckham is in the mix, and is in proper form. DeMerit and Donovan have experienced against Chelsea. Then there is Henry, who has been on absolute fire this season for NY Red Bulls. His totals (10 goals, 6 assists in 14 appearances) are, well, superb.

All of this reads well for the all-stars. Will they be more of a threat than PSG? Unlikely. However, this team will certainly offer stiff resistance.

That’s all I got. Leave a comment, and then get your ass back around these parts for the match rant box. Eden Hazard, bro.

Chelsea have finally announced that the club has completed the signing of Oscar from Internacional for a fee widely being reported to be around £25 million (though that figure is probably in euros, not pounds). The 20-year-old, a Brazilian international, adds even more creativity to a side that has been bolstered by the likes of Eden Hazard and Marko Marin already this summer.

Maestro.

This transfer, of course, represents another inspired move by the club. You really have to love the direction we’ve taken this summer. Well done to Roman, Michael and the rest of the hierarchy. Not to sign greedy but here’s to hoping a range of other signings, including a right fullback (Cesar Azpilicueta?), have moved to the forefront of the club’s progressive plans after today’s announcement.

Now, let’s welcome Oscar to the club shall we?

Derp

Ray and Graham Wilkins, Ron and Allan Harris, John and Peter Sillett and Chris and William Ferguson. Now, the Brothers Hazard.

Not sure if this was part of the package to land Eden, but regardless, his younger brother has signed up to ply his trade at Chelsea. The younger Hazard is 19, and plays a variety of attacking positions like his elder. He’ll join the club from RC Lens (you recall we had our issues with them in the wake of the Gael Kakuta saga, but it’s nice to see us on speaking terms once more) and immediately link up with the U-21 side.

Elsewhere, the club confirmed today that attacking midfielder/forward Ulises Davila will head on loan to Spanish second division team Sabadell and striker Milan Lakovic and goalkeeper Matej Delac to Guimaraes in the Portuguese top flight. Good moves all around.

Welcome aboard THOR-GAN, SON OF ODIN, GOD OF THUNDER.

]]> http://chelsea.theoffside.com/chelsea/thorgan-hazard-signs-inferior-brothers-everywhere-rejoice.html/feed 5 http://chelsea.theoffside.com/chelsea/the-merits-of-movement.html http://chelsea.theoffside.com/chelsea/the-merits-of-movement.html#comments Tue, 24 Jul 2012 19:31:09 +0000 Devin http://chelsea.theoffside.com/chelsea/the-merits-of-movement.html After two tune-up fixtures on opposite coasts of the continental United States, Chelsea are bunkered down in the city of brotherly love for a Wednesday evening showcase against the MLS All Stars. Fernando Torres has rejoined the squad, along with Raul Meireles, leaving our only outstanding players the Spanish duo of Juan Mata and Oriol Romeu. There have been flashes of brilliance, mired by a general lack of sharpness and fitness. At moments, we appear to transition from defense to attack in seconds, at others, we plod from side to side. Clearly, there’s work to be done. But after having an easy outing in Seattle, Chelsea faced a much-improved PSG side that offered more defensive resistance than previously anticipated. The result, a very labored 1-1 draw. More, after the jump:

Fernando and the Giant

If you had to grade our collective performance thus far it would land somewhere in the realm of C+/B-. Neither good nor bad, but certainly indicative of rustiness coupled with fleeting moments of brilliance. Individual players have impressed with a selection of skills (see: Hazard, Marin) while others have been slightly disappointing. Still, I believe Roberto and the wrecking crew can be pleased thus far with what’s on offer. With Fernando joining the squad it presents the very real prospect of an alternative to the Lucas Piazon masquerading as a false nine up top. Here’s hoping his presence can impact Romelu Lukaku, who’s performance against PSG can only be described as poor.

With regards to the PSG match, if you watched, you can summarize it better than I can. I spent the first 45 minutes with one eye on the match, the other on Skype. The second interval? Yeah, much the same, but I did make time to watch the final 15 minutes, including Lucas Piazon’s well-taken goal. Tremendous moment for him, but lets not get carried away. I distinctly remember being in Dallas several years ago when a certain Franco Di Santo scored a poacher’s goal against Club America. So yeah, happy as ever for the kid, but tempering my expectations to say the least. (Editors Note: I got burned severely on the Di Santo flame-out. The Doc can attest to this, I went so far as to buy a kit, which permanently resides in the back of my closet).

Piazon is, by all accounts, a decidedly different player. I was impressed by his movement and reading of the game in the final third, and could anticipate him evolving into an Inzaghi-type goal scorer in the future. With our offense presently over-loaded with playmakers that can fill the ‘hole’ (Hazard, Mata, Oscar, Marin, De Bruyne, Lampard) it would be prudent to develop Piazon in an alternative direction- perhaps as a striker? His inclusion in the first team is something that has many of us excited, but we shouldn’t get particularly carried away with joy just yet. Let Roberto spell it out for you:

‘He is still a young boy but he has been very impressive in training and in these friendly games. Playing up front as the striker is not his natural position, but in these two games he did very well and he scored a very good goal tonight. He is certainly one to watch for the future.’ – RDM

Some other observations from Sunday evenings PSG fixture:

• Delighted as I always am to see John on the pitch. That standing ovation? Fantastic.
• Pastore is, in short, brilliant. Didn’t realize he was as tall as he appears last year. Disappointing to miss out on him but …
• Eden is a game changer. Simple, no filter. He didn’t have the best of nights but his work rate never dropped.
• Paulo, Yossi, Hilario, all need new homes.
• The buildup to Lucas’ goal was excellent. Beautiful one-two combination between him and Ramires, loved the cut and run maneuver. The strike was also brilliantly finished with the inside of his weaker foot while going to ground. He was hailed as the new Kaka last year. Maybe he’ll be something better if we give him time.
• KdB is almost certain to head out on loan this season. Just not up to snuff so far, though that could all change tomorrow if he puts in a shift.
• It needs to be said again: Ashley Cole is the best in the business. Glad to see him get a run about.
• The indication that Sam Hutchinson or Nathaniel Chalobah are going to slot in as a RB alternative is false. Neither player looks particularly adept at the position, but would be fine as a third-string selection. Chelsea still need to enter the market for cover in this regard, with Todd Kane still a few years off the boil from matriculating.
• Minus the services of Danny and Fernando, Romelu has done as much as he could to solidify his stature in the rotation. He might have ‘wasted’ an opportunity against PSG to shine, but his work against Seattle remains. The boy is a man-child, and when he mixes that raw ability with some maturity, he will thrive.

There’s more to say, certainly, but we have a preview for tomorrow that needs to go live shortly. So sit tight and more will follow. Carefree.

Training Day

Preseason just got that much more interesting. Chelsea have left the comforts of the northwest to visit Gotham for a date with Carlo Ancelotti and his selection of weapons. In our last foray, a handful of players shone, while others looked relatively poor. With stiffer competition on offer, it will be interesting to see just how things develop. I’ll have my eye on Lukaku to see how he fares against sturdier defenders, on Marko to see if he’s willing to use that left foot instead of cutting inside on the right, and on Eden to see whether that sublime touch of his stands up against the might of Paris’ finest.

Team Sheets:

PSG

Chelsea

Cech; Hutchinson, Cahill, David Luiz, Ferreira; Lampard, Mikel Obi; De Bruyne, Hazard, Kakuta, Lukaku.

Streaming:
ESPN3
My P2P
First Row Sports
Sport Lemon

Chelsea make the move from Seattle to the Apple for the second match of their preseason tour of the United States. Some wealthy Parisians await. This should be pretty good for a meaningless, insignificant friendly, I reckon.

Making room.

Who: Paris Saint-Germain
What: World Football Challenge, Game 2
When: 22 July, 7pm EST (midnight local time)
Where: New York, Yankee Stadium (50,291)
How: Fox Soccer Channel (DirecTV 619, Dish Network 149)

Why: Because Carlo Ancelotti is in the opposite coach’s box and, while a likable figure, we shouldn’t be interested in allowing him a grin and a loosey at our expense.

Though our opening match of the preseason brought with it some excitement – and, of course, a win – it wasn’t exactly blanketed with sublime play. That’s to be expected – it was our first match of the season, featuring a handful of debuts and a scattering of youth players. Still, I think we all know that Sunday’s fixture will require a little more efficiency, on both ends of the pitch.

PSG are, well, loaded. The newly-rich French side has been tossing stacks around more recklessly than any club on the planet. They aren’t even remotely interested in FFP, snatching up the likes of Ezequiel Lavezzi, Thiago Silva and Zlatan Ibrahimovic already this summer. Make it rain, Carlo. Thankfully for us, Thiago (Olympics) and Zlatan (swimming in cash) have not made the trip to New York. Even without the former AC Milan duo, PSG will have a excellent assortment of talent on display at Yankee Stadium. Alex, of former Stamford Bridge free kick fame, will surely be involved as will a host of other proper footballers such as Javier Pastore and Nene.

Chelsea, meanwhile, will probably field a lineup in similar form to the one that defeated Sounders FC but significantly stronger. That would mean starts for the likes of Petr Cech, Frank Lampard and Gary Cahill. Maybe even Ashley Cole, depending on how Paulo Ferriera is moving this weekend (walker?). Romelu Lukaku should retain his place after notching a brace against Seattle, while Marko Marin and Eden Hazard can expect to start as well after impressive debuts for the club. Will Josh be in the fold from the off? Doubtful. I’d assume John Obi Mikel will anchor the double pivot alongside Lampard.

What else? I don’t know. Whatever the result, it should be a solid contest. This is a noticeably step up for the guys as they move across the U.S., and a win would be a nice result – not that the result is really of any significant here. Another solid outing from Hazard and Marin and continued progression from our younger contingent, however, is of significance.

I’ll be in attendance, meaning Devin will be in charge of the in-depth thoughts. Word. Me, I’ll talk to you soon my friends. Carefree, bitches.