: Fri May 08, 2009 1:12 am
ryano wrote:
Why do Chelsea deserve respect? Given the amount of money they've thrown at winning the PL and CL I'd say they've underachieved. Any club could win the PL with the same 'war chest'.
Newcastle spent an absolute fortune and won nothing. Liverpool have spent an absolute fortune and have only made slight progress with their desire to take the PL. Man Citeh have spent a fortune and won't even qualify for Europe this season.
I don't really care whether people respect Chelsea or not. I was merely responding to keithcun writing:
There is just nothing I could begrudgingly respect about Chelsea or it's fans, that's just the way it is and more than likely the way it will remain.Now let's think about what's happened in the last ten years that might be worthy of at least grudging respect:
1.
Before Roman Abramovich invested a penny in Chelsea Chelsea, obviously not a big club according to most people on here, qualified ahead of Liverpool for the Champions League. Now, seeing that Liverpool have a fantastic history, have their fantastic support and the resources that that brings, isn't Chelsea pipping them to CL qualification worthy of some grudging respect?
2. Liverpool are rightly acknowledged as a team with a great European heritage. Even the people who severely dislike them, and I am one of them, admit that they have something special when it comes to European competition. But Chelsea have put them out of Europe two years in a row. Isn't that worthy of grudging respect?
3. Barcelona and Manchester United, two of the biggest clubs in the world with massive spending power and resources, need to rely on penalties and a 93rd minute away goal (and one of the most shocking refereeing performances in modern times) to overcome Chelsea in the CL. Isn't that worthy of grudging respect?
I've no respect for Blackburn winning it either when Walker bought the title. I just don't see the 'big achievement'.
Do you see the big achievement with Fergie winning the title year after year when he has the resources at his disposal? Do you see the big achievement in Barca being at the top when they have a similar massive advantage over the rest of Spain? Do you actually have any respect for anyone?
I do ,however, have massive respect for what Cloughie achieved with Forest and Derby.
You do realise that Clough broke the British record transfer fee with Derby and Notts Forest? You do realise that Clough was the first manager to spend a million pounds on a player?
I don't think you are hypocritical, just ignorant.
And as for Chelsea fans accusing Man U/Liverpool of band-wagon jumping?
I'd never seen a Chelsea shirt OOP NORTH before 2003!
So are you saying all the millions of Liverpool and Man United fans who live more than 100 miles from the NW
aren't glory hunters?