Chelsea – Page 2 – BRITISH SOCCER {DIVA}

Soccerdiva Soundbite…Arsenal’s First Game…

A sad start to the new football season for Arsenal Football Club.

How the mighty have fallen. How the once great club has regressed. Eight years going on nine without a trophy. Losing to Aston Villa at home on the opening day of the season. That hasn’t happened in 20 years.

No transfers. No fresh blood. Just the same old story for Arsenal fans to eat. Well the Gooner nation is full from the club’s nonsense. They won’t be fed the PR lines for one more game. They don’t want to hear the lies any longer. They don’t want to be shined.

Football. Soccer. Call it what you want. It’s just like being down the pub with your mates.

Your Crystal Football & Inner Footydamus…

The return of the greatest game in the world is upon us. The hope. The dreams. The anticipation. The love. The hate. The rivalry. The passion. The despair. The elation. The sweet smell of victory. The bitter taste of defeat. Football is back. How did we make it through the summer?

With every new season come changes. New managers. New players. New tactics. New style. New kits. New boots. New everything. But the one thing that remains the same is what every team is fighting for. To be crowned champions. To win trophies. To be the best of the best.

Who will win it all? Who will disappoint? Who will rise as a new star? Who will fade into the football wilderness?

Join in the fun and share your predictions. From Premier League champions, to relegation, the golden boot, Champions League places and more, British Soccer Diva leaves no stone unturned. You too can look into your crystal football, channel your inner footydamus and give us your predictions for the season ahead.

The transfer market is still open. Who knows where Suarez will end up? Who knows if Rooney will be wearing blue next season? And who knows if Gareth Bale will be living in Madrid? These predictions are based on how each team is made up right now.

This is how we see the Premier League Table at the end of the season…
Chelsea
Manchester United
Manchester City
Tottenham Hotspur
——————-
Arsenal
Liverpool
Everton
Swansea City
West Ham
Sunderland
Southampton
West Brom
Aston Villa
Norwich City
Newcastle United
Fulham
Cardiff City
——————-
Stoke City
Hull City
Crystal Palace

Premier League Accolades…
Golden Boot = Sergio Aguero
Golden Glove = David de Gea
Player of the Year = Juan Mata
Young Player of the Year = Romelu Lukaku
Manager of the Year = Jose Mourinho

Miscellaneous…
Steal of the Summer = Etienne Capoue
Comeback Player of the Year = Andy Carroll
Most Hat-Tricks = Luis Suarez
Manager to be Sacked First = Alan Pardew
Most Yellow Cards = Stoke City
Most Red Cards = Sunderland

Other Trophies…
F.A. Cup Winners = Chelsea
Carling Cup Winners = West Ham United

Verbal Memo | Manchester City’s Gift For United…

Manchester City’s attempt at defending their title has been nothing short of pathetic.

The players have played with apathy and haven’t been consistent enough. In fact, it seems as though winning the title last season was proof enough in their eyes that they’d arrived as one of the big boys in England, and Europe! The bottom line is something just hasn’t been right this season.

From the distractions of Mario Balotelli and Roberto Mancini’s tactical tinkering early on in the season, to missing out on signing Robin van Persie and stinking up the Champions League, the blue side of Manchester has stuttered and faltered with a lack of identity and a shortage of passion.

What is Manchester City’s identity? What is their club culture? It takes more than winning the F.A.Cup and Premier League to be considered a big club. Remember Blackburn Rovers? They too won the Premier League. Have a listen and let me have it whether you agree or disagree.

Lob me a header or volley @soccerdiva. Football, soccer, call it what you want. It’s just like being down the pub with your mates.

Soccerdiva | Footy Show | Manchester City Red Card

Verbal Memo | Battle for 3rd & 4th…

The fight for the Premier League title is over. Anything can happen between now and the end of the season, but the chances Manchester United fold like cheap lawn chairs and concede the title to Manchester City once again are slim.

Robin van Persie is the gift from Arsenal that keeps on giving. The Dutch dynamo is in emphatic form and an absolute goal machine scoring nineteen in the league alone. His transfer from the Emirates to the Theater of Dreams could decide which team is crowned champions of England. And it’s looking more like the Red Devils with every football weekend that passes.

The battle for third and fourth however is far more exciting and unpredictable. Tottenham are playing delicious football. Or should we say Gareth Bale is playing delicious football. Chelsea falter one week, but then bounce back the next. Arsenal are showcasing more confidence and determination as the season goes on. And Everton continue to hang around and threaten to steal a Champions League spot despite a recent dip in form. Who will prevail and bank millions?

Also on the menu this week is a little slice of David Beckham and his move to PSG. Mr.Beckham is a polarizing figure and his new adventures in Paris are causing much debate beyond the football borders. Where do you stand when it comes to Beckham?

Whether you agree or disagree with any of the dialogue, lob us a volley or fire off a header to @soccerdiva. Football. Soccer. Call it what you want. It’s just like being down the pub with your mates.

Soccerdiva | Footy Show | 3rd & 4th

Verbal Memo | Frank Lampard & more…

In this week’s memo to fellow football fans, we talk Frank Lampard and Chelsea. Does Frank Lampard deserve more respect? It’s rare for me to praise Chelsea Football Club. It’s almost as rare as one of those space comet things.

We do have to recognize Chelsea’s battering of Aston Villa this weekend. Eight nil is an impressive score regardless of the opponent. And the young players emerging in the Chelsea team are exceptionally exciting. Eden Hazard can dazzle, Juan Mata is a total magician and David Luiz has found himself in the midfield position. Rafa Benitez is making progress and Fernando Torres might be finding his confidence again.

We also chat Jose Mourinho, Manchester United and Real Madrid. Is Jose Mourinho the right man to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson? Things are very wobbly at Real Madrid right now. Sixteen points behind rivals Barcelona and a manager at odds with the President, the fans and the media. Should Manchester United replace a long-term great like Sir Alex Ferguson with someone like Jose Mourinho who only stays at clubs he manages short-term?

Join in the banter and make your football voice heard. If you agree or disagree with any of the football dialogue, socialize with us on Twitter @soccerdiva. Football, soccer, call it what you want. It’s just like being down the pub with your mates.

Weekly Verbal Memo

A Conversation With…Eoin O’Callaghan

We dive into a pool of football happenings In A Conversation With Eoin O’Callaghan.

The former host of Fox Soccer Report discusses attacking, defending, buying and selling in the Premier League. We look at the exciting debut of Eden Hazard for Chelsea and how Sir Alex Ferguson might regret not signing him for Manchester United. Does Nuri Sahin fit best with Liverpool or Arsenal? Is Andre Villas Boas changing too much too soon at Spurs? Can Everton burst into the top tier of the league like Newcastle United did last season? We dissect all of this and much more from an English football perspective.

There’s even a little time to touch on some Italian madness and in particular the Antonio Conte situation at Juventus and the heartbreak of AC Milan fans as Antonio Cassano defects to the enemy Inter Milan. Grab a tipple of your choice and enjoy the conversation.

Channel Your Inner Footydamus…

What does your crystal football say about the forthcoming Premier League season? Who do you see standing at the peak of the mountain? Who will be raising something heavy, silver and shiny above their head?

Will Manchester City do it all again? Or will their arch nemesis Manchester United reclaim their crown as Kings of England? Can Arsenal really challenge for top spot? Will Chelsea and their new crop of stars take the league by storm? Can Andre Villas Boas and Tottenham Hotspur surprise everyone by winning it all? Do Newcastle United have any hope of repeating their wonderful form from last season? And will Brendan Rodgers tiki-taka revolution at Liverpool be tikitastic?

The battle for supremacy begins tomorrow. The joy. The tears. The elation. The sorrow. We kick every ball. Let the mayhem begin.

Channel your inner Footydamus. I’ve looked deep into my soul and have come up with these monumental choices.

1. Manchester United
2. Chelsea
3. Manchester City
4. Arsenal
5. Tottenham Hotspur
6. Newcastle United
7. Liverpool
______________________
18. Q.P.R.
19. Reading
20. Southampton

Pick your top 7 and your bottom 3. Who will be crowned King or Queen of the British Soccer Diva prediction competition? Bragging rights are up for grabs. Who knows…it could well be you!

A Conversation With…Bobby McMahon

The Premier League is only days away and boy do I have a treat for all of you.

In A Conversation With Bobby McMahon from Fox Soccer Report and Forbes.com we break the game down to its core and talk tactics. From Arsenal, Tottenham, Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Liverpool and Newcastle, Bobby shares his brilliant football brain with you.

We also chat about the managerial changes and who Bobby thinks will be in trouble. Plus don’t miss Bobby’s Top 4 predictions as you might be surprised who he has missing from his list. He also shares who he thinks will sink to the Championship at the end of the season.

Don’t miss Bobby McMahon broadcasting his las show on Fox Soccer Report on Thursday 16th August.

A Conversation With…Andre Villas Boas

There’s no doubt Brendan Rodgers will be under intense scrutiny and pressure when the new season starts. Taking over the managerial reigns at Liverpool and following in the footsteps of legend Kenny Dalglish will definitely be a tough task for the ex-Swansea coach.

However, if there is one man who easily wins the gold medal for “Manager Under the Most Pressure” it has to be Andre Villas Boas. Will we see the man who dazzled the football universe at Porto? Or will we see the AVB who failed miserably at Chelsea? As mentioned earlier this month on this site, I don’t believe lightning will strike twice for Villas Boas, who lived in the shadow of the Special One during his time at Stamford Bridge.

During Spurs tour of the U.S., the new Tottenham coach looked exceptionally relaxed and happy, and so did his team. I was lucky enough to spend some time with him. Enjoy A Conversation With Andre Villas Boas.

A Conversation With…Kristan Heneage

Just a few months ago, Harry Redknapp was the soup de jour in English football. Fast forward a few months and not only did he lose out to Roy Hodgson for the England job, but he was also replaced by Andre Villas Boas as manager of Tottenham. This hasn’t been the only major change of manager in the Premier League. Aston Villa, West Brom, Liverpool and Norwich City have also chosen to move forward with a new coach. Kristan Heneage from ESPN and FourFourTwo joins us for “A Conversation With” where we dig a little deeper and dissect the managerial changes. First up, Andre Villas Boas and Spurs. Will it be another disastrous season for AVB in the Premier League, or will he deliver glory down White Hart Lane? Kick back and enjoy the conversation.