Ballack and Chelsea

[BobbyBiscuit]

http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/sport/2007/09/...just_doesn.html

 

It's December 11, and Chelsea are 1-0 down at home to Valencia in the final group game of the Champions League. Michael Essien is suspended, Frank Lampard's got another muscle injury and Chelsea's makeshift central-midfield pairing of Claude Mak

[ZeroTolerance]

Also, does anyone know if those squad rules about "club trained players" apply to the UEFA Cup as well?

 

Wouldn't be a problem for us though - Mackie, Hart, Foster, Diamond, Considine, Clark, Dung and Maguire would all qualify

[The Proclaimer]

You might think that it's not a great loss. But there is another dimension to this story, one that Chelsea have been quite happy to leave largely unnoticed. It's a tale of gross incompetence and of dubious dealings in the transfer market. A quick count of Chelsea's Champions League list shows they have in fact nominated only 23 players, despite being allowed 25 by Uefa. None of the other 31 teams in the competition left any places open. Somebody at Stamford Bridge has obviously made a very serious blunder. They didn't simply forget to nominate two more players, they actually found themselves unable to. New Uefa regulations stipulate at least three members of a side's Champions League squad must be "association-trained players", who are affiliated to the domestic national association, and a further three "club-trained players", who have been registered with their club for three years between the ages of 15 and 21. Chelsea, however, only have one player who meets the latter criteria - captain John Terry - and thus had to leave two places open.

 

:laughmad:

[uni_don]

A very good point well made. It usually annoys the hell out of me in Football Manager because I have a habit of completely revamping squads and getting rid of all the crap young players. I sign loads of good youngsters to replace them, but they're not 'nationalised' for some time.

[robbo]

A very good point well made. It usually annoys the hell out of me in Football Manager because I have a habit of completely revamping squads and getting rid of all the crap young players. I sign loads of good youngsters to replace them, but they're not 'nationalised' for some time.

 

thats the reason i scour the transfer market to find 15 yr olds who look remotely decent. if they are crap, no loss, if they come good then theyll be nationalised and have been with us in the academy so 2 birds wi 1 stone. yes i sign alot of crap players, but 3 have come good enough to register.

 

i dont see the big issue wi ballack not playing. if hes not going to be fit for the majority of games theres no point in registering him. they are already lacking space for squad players so this presents the oppertunity for fate to help them out re: picking players.

[BobbyBiscuit]

i dont see the big issue wi ballack not playing. if hes not going to be fit for the majority of games theres no point in registering him. they are already lacking space for squad players so this presents the oppertunity for fate to help them out re: picking players.

 

Then why was Wayne Bridge picked?

[The Proclaimer]

i dont see the big issue wi ballack not playing. if hes not going to be fit for the majority of games theres no point in registering him. they are already lacking space for squad players so this presents the oppertunity for fate to help them out re: picking players.

 

 

The only team in the Champs League to submit a squad list with less than the 25 allowed?!?

[robbo]

Then why was Wayne Bridge picked?

 

placing my bets - they only have 1 left back in cole, its playing the odds game. they have several players who can play in ballacks position but only cole for left back - ben haim can play there but not a natural there so given the choice, id have picked the same 23.

 

The only team in the Champs League to submit a squad list with less than the 25 allowed?!?

 

yes, because they dont have the required amount of graduated academy players...whats wrong there?

they cant ignore the rules and pick whomever they want. theyve done the right thing. just means they havent got any academy players ready to make the step up - or be given the chance to step up but thats a different issue.

[Jaws]

Then why was Wayne Bridge picked?

 

Does he not fit into the "association-trained players" category? I see what you're saying though, because he's injured.

 

I find it quite amusing that Chelsea's lack of bringing through youth is now coming back to haunt them. Absolute disgrace that they ended up having to submit a squad of 23 simply because they were unable to find anyone other than Terry that had been trained at the club.

[BobbyBiscuit]

placing my bets - they only have 1 left back in cole, its playing the odds game. they have several players who can play in ballacks position but only cole for left back - ben haim can play there but not a natural there so given the choice, id have picked the same 23.

 

I'm sure Mourinho will sleep easy tonight knowing you'd have picked the same squad!

[baku-red]

I'm sure Mourinho will sleep easy tonight knowing you'd have picked the same squad!

 

Has Mourinho ever had a stadium named after him in champ man though?

[ZeroTolerance]

No young players ready to step up?

 

Arneson has been spunking all sorts of cash on their youth team over the last few years.

 

Btw, I think Obi-Mikel counts as a club trained player for them - next season.