It seems that the Championship Playoff finals are often won by the team who is playing best at the end of the season. Last year, Ian Holloway masterminded a Blackpool offensive (cough) juggernaut to promotion behind Charlie Adam and against a Cardiff side who’ve developed the nasty reputation of being playoff chokers. This year, the popular picks from pundits have gone to anyone but the Bluebirds. But is there really a trend to which clubs are most successful come playoff time?

Examining table below, we can draw several assumptions. Firstly, it’s bad luck to finish fourth in the table after the regular season (another reason Cardiff City fans are cursing). Not once has a team who finished fourth won through to English football’s Big Dance.

Secondly, it’s easy to see that when a club finishes higher in the table (as in Watford, Derby County and Hull City from 2006-08), recent league form usually plays less of a part their playoff success – the two worst-performed teams over the last ten league games over the past ten years both achieved playoff success from third place. This means that the club was either safely in the playoffs or had dropped by dint of poor form from the automatic promotion places. In all three cases however, their pursuers failed to take advantage of poor form (cf. Watford 2006 and Derby County in 2007).

Also, it’s important to realise that Goal Difference counts. Every promoted club – excepting a strange mid-noughties phenomenon involving West Ham, Watford and Derby County – had a much superior goal differential to their opponents. Given before last season’s first-half scorefest, the prior 6 Playoff Finals had ended 1-0, the ability to balance defence with attack is crucial.

So how does this year’s championship reflect these trends?

At this stage it would be easy to discount Nottingham Forest as they’ve taken the least points from their last ten league matches of any club who finishing sixth over the past decade. Their collapse – lasting from mid-February to early April – should have effectively put paid to their chances. This is also reflected in their poor goal difference. However as these are finals and – as the quote goes – “You’ve got to be in it to win it”, they can’t be considered definite first-round “outs” just because a decade of stats (not a big sample) says they should be.

Reading‘s form appears irresistible. While Swansea City have won less often, they’ve done so with greater winning margins. This could be put down to facing weaker opposition or their attacking style of play. That their stats match up quite well with Watford’s and Derby County’s is also encouraging for fans of Cyril the Swan and his men. With Cardiff’s reputation as big-game bottlers perhaps overstated but disturbing reports of late-season drinking apparently close to the mark, perhaps it’s easier to discount the Bluebirds (my favourite Football Manager team) against the Shane Long-led Royals.

Fearless Playoff Predictions: Reading over Cardiff City, Swansea City over Nottingham Forest, Dave Jones to get sacked and then Reading to steamroll back into the Premiership, leaving Cyril the Swan distraught, tired and emotional.

For more analysis and opinion, shoot across to Matthew Wood‘s blog, Balanced Sports.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Watford impress again

Last week I said it was time to stop treating the North Londoners like plucky underdogs; after the 3-1 win over Middlesborough, when do we start treating them like contenders? To see off Boro inside twenty minutes sends an awesome message out to the rest of the division.

I think, long-term, a lack of depth will catch up with them. At the moment though, they have the swagger of a team that thinks they can beat anyone.

30 attempts later, Hull finally win away

The Tigers will be delighted to have this monkey off their backs. With Bullard, Cairney and Koren, they have real quality in their midfield. A sizable question mark does, however, hang over their front-line and the pressure is on Jay Simpson to start firing.

Ferguson breathes a sigh of relief

In this era when most managers are never more than a bad run of form away from the dole queue, Darren Ferguson needed this. Nothing, however, in this scrappy win to convince me that it isn’t going to be a long hard winter at Deepdale.

Portsmouth and Derby finally start enjoying themselves

Both these teams have more quality than their league positions suggest. They will now hope that these big wins provide the kick-starts their seasons need.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Watford hit 6

Perhaps the most important conclusion to draw from Watford’s improbable 6-1 win at the Den is that this league retains a crazily unpredictable edge. It’s also about time Malky Mackay’s Watford side lose their label of  plucky underdogs. This is a side with talent, although probably not enough to sustain a charge for the play-offs.

Cardiff wobble

Two defeats in five days raises questions both about Cardiff’s defensive strength and their ability on the road. Will be very interesting to see how they respond.

Sky Blues finally wake up

Coventry have been snoozing in mid-table obscurity for a few years in the Championship. Today’s win away at Bristol added to a promising start which suggests this year might be different. Boothroyd, once seen as one of the brightest young things in English football management, has a point to prove and his side look purposeful.

Swansea learn to score

Swansea averaged less than a goal a game at home last season; this year, they are averaging more than two. Today’s 2-0 win, in which Scunthorpe held out for 82 minutes, was the kind of game they would have drawn last year.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Unlike last year, when summer transfer deadline day saw some records broken and millions upon millions of pounds change hands, things were a lot quieter this time around.

But as always, it’s just as much about who didn’t move as it is about who did move, and there were plenty of misses to go with the hits.

Who Missed Out

A swap of wingers between Manchester City and Tottenham that would have sent David Bentley to Manchester City and Martin Petrov to Tottenham failed to materialize for one reason or another, whether it was City that backed out the deal (ESPN Soccernet) or Tottenham (Daily Mail). Another swap deal involving Tottenham also didn’t happen, as Spurs and Sunderland were unable to work out a deal that would have sent Anton Ferdinand to White Hart Lane and Alan Hutton to the Stadium of Light (Sky Sports).

Everton missed out on Valencia midfielder Ever Banega (Daily Mail), while Bordeaux striker Marouane Chamakh will be staying in France until at least January, as West Ham were unable to tie up a deal for the Moroccan (Daily Mail).

Elsewhere, Sunderland were unsuccessful with a late move for Wigan’s Maynor Figueroa (Daily Mail), Fulham missed out on Middlesbrough striker Jeremie Aliadiere (Sky Sports), and Portsmouth were unable to land Aston Villa’s Nicky Shorey (Sky Sports).

Enough about the misses though. On to the confirmed signings, which wrap up a summer transfer window that saw records broken, several big names change clubs, a few surprises, and a rather anti-climactic ending.

England

Tottenham Sign Kranjcar

Tottenham may have missed out on Petrov, but they did land Portsmouth attacking midfielder Niko Kranjcar in a £2m deal. (The Mirror)

Analysis: Talk about a big bargain for Tottenham. Last summer, Portsmouth rejected an eight-figure bid from Monaco for Kranjcar, and now he’s off for much, much less. What a difference a year can make, eh?

Everton Sign Heitinga

David Moyes was made to sweat a little, but Everton were able to complete the signing of Atletico Madrid’s Johnny Heitinga shortly before the deadline. The 25-year-old has moved to Goodison Park for an initial £6m in a deal worth up to £7m with add-ons. (The Guardian)

Analysis: Moyes wasn’t able to land Valencia’s Ever Banega, but all in all, it was a successful end to the transfer window for him, as he was able to bring in three impact players despite not having a lot of time to do so.

Villa Ink Defensive Duo

Aston Villa will have to wait until tomorrow for their £6m signing of Manchester City center back Richard Dunne to be rubber-stamped, but they were able to finish a £5m deal for West Ham center back James Collins without a hitch. (Daily Mail)

Analysis: After starting the season starved for options at center back, Martin O’Neill is

Fulham Land Elm

Rasmus Elm may have decided against a Premier League in favor of a move to the Eredivisie, but older brother David Elm has made the jump, as the 26-year-old striker has joined Fulham from Swedish side Kalmar for an undisclosed fee. (Sky Sports)

Analysis: Fulham have scored all of one goal in their first three Premier League matches, and with Andy Johnson out for an extended period of time, there was definitely a pressing need to add to their front line.

Stoke Nab Collins

As expected, Stoke City completed the signing of Sunderland defender Danny Collins for an initial 2.75m, with Sunderland set to receive as much as 3.5m based on add-ons. (Daily Mail)

Before that, the Potters landed promising Uruguayan midfielder Diego Arismendi from Club Nacional for an initial 2.7m. The 20-year-old could eventually cost Stoke nearly 5m based on add-ons. (The Mirror)

Analysis: All told, Stoke spent more than 15m in the last several days of the transfer window and nearly 20m this summer, not counting the add-ons involved with the signings of Collins, Arismendi, and Whitehead. If their investments pay off, Tony Pulis is well on his way to having a squad that could challenge for Europe in the near future.

Portsmouth Sign Williamson

Portsmouth have signed Watford center back Mike Williamson for an undisclosed fee. (Daily Mail)

Analysis: Williamson, like Sylvain Distin, is 6’4”, so he’ll help replace that physical presence and size that was lost in the center of defense when Distin departed for Everton.

Burnley Loan Nugent

Portsmouth striker David Nugent is off to Burnley for six months, or perhaps longer, as the Clarets have beaten out Hull City to land Nugent on loan with a view to a permanent deal. (Sky Sports)

Analysis: It always looked like Nugent was going to leave after the whole bust-up with Mark Wilson, and that was made all the more obvious given the fact that Paul Hart has persisted with Frederic Piquionne despite his failure to score in four league starts.

Bolton Loan Klasnic

Bolton manager Gary Megson has a new option in attack, as the club have brought in Croatian striker Ivan Klasnic on a season-long loan deal. (Daily Mail)

Analysis: Johan Elmander hasn’t quite repaid that club-record investment that Bolton made, and though Kevin Davies is still a faithful and productive servant, he can’t keep Bolton up all by his lonesome, so this was a signing that needed to happen. Klasnic isn’t exactly a prolific striker, but he knows where the goal is, and he’s got a wealth of experience on the club and international level.

Spain

Getafe Land Torres

Getafe have done business with Real Madrid once again, signing Real defender Miguel Torres for €2m. (Goal.com)

Analysis: No surprise that it includes the well-used buy-back clause that will allow Real to bring him back if he develops into a usable or salable asset for Real during his stay at Getafe.

France

Monaco Sign Gudjohnsen

Former Bolton and Chelsea star Eidur Gudjohnsen has made the move from Barcelona to AS Monaco. (Sky Sports)

Analysis: Signing another attacker was a necessity for Monaco, who have two wins from their first four Ligue 1 games but have found the net only three times (all in their two home matches).

Scotland

Rangers Land Rothen

Rangers have signed Paris-Saint Germain winger Jerome Rothen on a season-long loan deal. (The Mirror)

Analysis: Rangers have had no problems scoring goals thus far this season, but Rothen will only boost their attack, and more importantly, he gives Rangers’ squad a little added boost experience and quality-wise when it comes to the Champions League.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

It’s the weekend again, so it’s time to turn the focus to the action on the pitch, but there’s still a fair share of gossip to report on from the transfer pages.

The current holder of ‘The Rumor That Won’t Go Away’ title is the Joleon Lescott to Manchester City saga, but another situation that persists involves Chelsea and AC Milan striker Alexandre Pato.

Meanwhile, there’s a potential new signing for Bolton, a denial on the Hull striker front, and of course, we’ve always got the latest summer signings.

England

Everton Finally Give In On Lescott

According to the Daily Mail, Everton have agreed to sell defender Joleon Lescott to Manchester City for £22m plus add-ons.

Analysis: Well, there’ve been more than a couple of reports during the saga saying that a deal was close, so this one will remain in the speculation category until there’s actually official statements and the like.

Pato To Chelsea Rumors Resurface

According to The Mirror, Chelsea have informed AC Milan that they’re ready to wait until next summer to make a £40m move for striker Alexandre Pato.

Analysis: Probably. Maybe. Who knows?

Bolton Close On Emana

According to Sky Sports, Bolton are close on a deal for Real Betis midfielder Achille Emana.

Analysis: It looked like he was on his way to Valencia recently, but it appears that move didn’t materialize. In any case, it’s Bolton’s gain.

No Nugent Approach For Hull

Hull City manager Phil Brown has said that he is looking to strengthen his front line before the transfer window closes, but he hasn’t made an approach for Portsmouth striker David Nugent. (Sky Sports)

Analysis: Hasn’t yet doesn’t mean that he won’t. Hull’s options aren’t plentiful at this point after missing out Alvaro Negredo, so a move for Nugent at some point in the next week or two isn’t out of the question.

Portsmouth Move For Smith

Portsmouth are looking to beat Reading for Watford striker Tommy Smith. (Daily Mail)

Analysis: Portsmouth’s current financial straits mean that any permanent signings have to be of the inexpensive variety, but Smith could be a good buy if he can produce the same quality performances in the Premier League that he has in the Championship. Smith had 17 goals and nine assists in league action last season, and he’s started this season in fine form with a goal and four assists in Watford’s first three Championship matches. He does have some Premier League experience, having played a regular part for Watford in their short stints in the top flight in 1999/2000 and 2006/07, so he’s not exactly a Premier League novice.

France

PSG Target Donovan

Paris-Saint Germain are interested in Los Angeles Galaxy attacker Landon Donovan. (Transfer Market Web)

Analysis: It’s still hard for me to see Donovan going anywhere until after the season, especially with the Galaxy in position to make the postseason for the first time since 2005. But hypothetically, this could be a good move for him, as he’d get a chance to play for a quality side in a top European league.

Scotland

Hibs Sign Stokes

Hibs have signed Sunderland striker Anthony Stokes. (Daily Mail)

Analysis: Stokes never quite made the breakthrough at Sunderland, but this is an opportunity that could allow him to really get his career back on track. He scored 14 goals in 16 games in a loan spell at Falkirk in the 2006/07 season (under now-Hibs manager John Hughes), and that past experience and success should have him confident about being able to make a big impact at Hibs.

Portugal

Porto In Kleber Talks

FC Porto officials have flown to Brazil for negotiations with Cruzeiro over a move for striker Kleber. (Transfer Market Web)

Analysis: Despite signing River Plate’s Falcao earlier in the summer and having a few established forwards at the club already, there’s nothing wrong adding more quality to the front line, especially when there’s still a question mark about just who will step up to fill the hole left by Lisandro Lopez’s departure.

Daily Links

Soccerlens Podcast: The Premier League, Serie A, And Samuel Eto’o's Mobile Phones

On the opener of the new season of the Soccerlens Podcast, host Stephen Darwin is joined by twofootedtackle’s Chris Nee as they discuss a number of topics. A must-listen as always.

2009/10 La Liga Preview: Will Real Madrid And Barcelona Live Up To Expectations?

Chris Mann previews the upcoming La Liga campaign, and there’s more to watch than just Real and Barca duking it out for the title.

What Football Dreams Would You Make Come True If You Won The Lottery?

My answer? Go on a world football tour, see every stadium, club, and match I’ve always dreamed of seeing and then write a book about my travels. Or perhaps buy Luton Town. Or both.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

It’s a lot more exciting on my end when there’s plenty to report to you from the transfer gossip pages, and that’s the case today. Let’s get on with it, shall we?

Manchester City to Make 50m Torres Bid?

Regardless of the fact that Liverpool don’t want to sell Fernando Torres no matter what is thrown at them, he still somehow ends up in the gossip pages. Doesn’t hurt to try, right?

Zaki Not Leaving Wigan in January

Amr Zaki may be drawing interest from some of Europe’s best (and Manchester City), but Steve Bruce is putting his foot down and saying that his on-loan star isn’t going anywhere in January.

Tosic and Ljajic Set to Sign On at United

Partizan Belgrade duo Zoran Tosic and Adem Ljajic have flown to England to undergo medicals at Manchester United. Tosic may join his new club right off the bat in January, while Ljajic looks set to stay at Partizan for at least the remainder of the season.

Agger to AC Milan? Maybe, Maybe Not

Liverpool’s Daniel Agger has been heavily linked with AC Milan in the last couple of days, but how viable is the speculation? I’m sure we’ll hear something different tomorrow, but here’s what his agent says today.

Alex Wants Out of Chelsea

I don’t think Luiz Felipe Scolari will object too much to this transfer request, but we’ll have to see. A commenter said he’d be a good fit at Arsenal – what do you think?

Tottenham to Make Warnock Bid?

Newcastle have been looking like the most likely destination for Blackburn defender Stephen Warnock, if he was to leave the club anytime soon, but Warnock has now emerged as a target to take over Tottenham’s left back position. His name’s certainly much less of a mouthful than Benoit Assou-Ekotto, that’s for sure. Half the name, twice the game, I say.

Bellamy to Leave West Ham for Celtic?

Craig Bellamy had a highly successful loan spell at Celtic in the 2004/05 season, and he could be set for a return to the club in January, if reports of a 5m bid come to fruition.

Pazzini to Replace Bellamy at Upton Park?

Fiorentina striker Giampaolo Pazzini has been linked with West Ham, and his manager says he won’t be opposed to letting him move to the Premier League. But are the Hammers even interested in him?

Another Spaniard for Newcastle?

We all know Liverpool love their Spanish players, but Joe Kinnear could be looking to add another one to his ranks, in Real Betis captain Juanito.

Watford’s Smith Set for Step Up?

Stoke are reportedly interested in Watford striker Tommy Smith, but Watford won’t let him go for pennies, according to the Daily Mail.

Keep checking back throughout the day tomorrow, as Subhankar and I continue to deliver all of the latest transfer news and rumors.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

CARLING CUP holders Tottenham have been paired with Watford in the quarter-finals. Harry Redknapp’s men will travel to Vicarage Road after knocking out Liverpool.

Manchester United face Blackburn at Old Trafford, while Stoke host Derby.

Burnley, who knocked out Chelsea in the last round, have been rewarded with a home tie against Arsenal.

Carling Cup quarter-final Draw / Predictions:

Stoke v Derby (Stoke)
Man Utd v Blackburn (Man Utd)
Burnley v Arsenal (Arsenal)
Watford v Tottenham (Tottenham)

Ties to be played on 2nd and 3rd December. Please share your predictions in the comments below.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

The Carling Cup is in play today and tomorrow – and while we’ve questioned its importance in the past and ways to increase its value, there’s no doubt that there will be some interesting matches being played today and tomorrow.

Will Tottenham beat Liverpool to maintain a successful defence of their title? Can QPR upset Manchester United at Old Trafford? Will the Arsenal Kids thrash Wigan and score points for pretty football?

Have a look at our predictions for each game and then make your own.

Carling Cup fourth round draw (ties to be played 11th and 12th November 2008):

Sunderland v Blackburn: Sunderland haven’t been in good form lately but this is Keane’s chance to turn things around. Blackburn will be tough to play against but injuries and home advantage will give Sunderland a narrow win.

Arsenal v Wigan: Arsenal are set to play youngsters in this round (expect to see Vela, Wilshire and co but the ‘kids’ are still a handful for most football sides. It’ll be interesting to see how Wigan set out to play at the Emirates but Arsenal are solid bets for a win here.

Chelsea v Burnley: No contest, especially since Chelsea’s second string are worthy of a starting spot in most Premier League sides. Chelsea for the win.

Swansea v Watford: Swansea are doing well (relatively) in the Championship and Watford just did away with Boothroyd. People say Championship games can be unpredictable but it’s hard to see Watford get away with a draw, let alone a win. Swansea through to the next round.

Manchester United v QPR: United will give several of their youngsters a chance to shine (say hello to Possebon, Rafael, Evans, Gibson, Manucho and Welbeck). Their focus may be on the league but after losing out on the Carling Cup in the early rounds for the last couple of seasons, Ferguson will want to make sure they are competing on all fronts in the second half of the season. United to beat manager-less QPR.

Stoke v Rotherham: Stoke will want a cup run to complement their decent league form and a chance to prove that they’re not all about Delap’s throw-ins. The game won’t be easy, but Stoke should win.

Derby v Leeds

Along with Sunderland-Blackburn and Spurs-Liverpool, a tough game to call. Derby have had little luck since relegation and Leeds have had little luck for the last few years, but catching Derby at this stage (and form) is the best chance Leeds will get to get through to the next round. Leeds for the win.

Tottenham v Liverpool: The bookies aren’t expecting a repeat of the 2-1 result from their Premier League game earlier this season and fans shouldn’t either. Liverpool will rest a few players but will go to London to ‘set the record straight’ and Tottenham will be up for what amounts to a title defense. I’m going with Liverpool to win this one and bring some realism to the Harry Redknapp revolution.

You’ve heard your predictions, now it’s time to make yours.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Mount Kailash is often regarded as the holiest mountain in Asia. Revered by the pre-Buddhists as the point of all creation and celebrated by Hindus as the recreational playground of Lord Shiva, dancing and smoking copious amounts of cannabis. Hidden away in the barren deserts of western Tibet, to circumnavigate the mountain is said to wipe away all the sins of ones´ lifetime.

Indeed, according to Buddhists, 108 circuits will ensure enlightenment. Drolma La pass marks the highest point of this strenuous 52km trek, perched at a foreboding 5630 metres. Look closely and you will see a Watford football shirt tied to prayer flags fluttering in the breeze, lovingly and auspiciously placed in July 2000 by my good-self.

I am sick and tired of hearing 606 football fans bemoan non-attendance as “imitation” fans. For my sins I have been a Watford fan since watching my first match at the tender age of four — my first religious pilgrimage to Vicarage Road being in 1971.

It’s true, I have attended probably less than a dozen matches in the last 17 years, but in fairness to myself I have lived abroad during this time; 12 years in Hong Kong, 4 years in Bogotá, Colombia and now based near Dharamsala in the North of India. I don´t care what Danny Baker thinks, I regularly fly the flag through a wide series of replica shirts dating back from the 1980s. Despite my strong allegiance, yellow has never been a favourite colour of mine, so I am eternally grateful for away strips.

With the advent of the Internet, the world is certainly a smaller place. An annual subscription fee enables me to keep in touch with all the matches. Live commentary from bias commentators at local Three Counties Radio providing a backdrop to each match-day with video highlights and radio interviews posted sporadically throughout the week. This has resulted in a new level of unparalled geekiness.

With Hong Kong being 8 hours in front of Greenwich Mean Time, my Saturday nights were curtailed by a 10pm self-imposed curfew to enable me to listen in, much to the sheer disbelief and ridicule of my peers. However, this seemed to me much more reasonable behaviour than the midweek evening kick-offs which would see me at the computer at 3.45 in the morning, bleary-eyed and armed with a Benson and Hedges and double espresso. It is not often said with sincerity that The Hornets style of football is surreal at times.

Ever the romantic, when my Singaporean fiancée asked where we should marry in 2004, and without hesitation there was only one sacred place — Vicarage Road. Incredibly, the club were in process of making this legally possible, and fate dictated that in August of that year, we became the first couple to tie the knot at the stadium. Not so easy to organise when you are living thousands of miles away. You can bet your bottom dollar that such a romantic gesture very much endeared me to my in-laws!

Our honeymoon and next four years was spent in Bogotá, and being six hours behind England, I was to learn to appreciate a great Saturday breakfast kick — off experience. Night matches were still day matches and I still had most of Saturday left to try to live a life!

From our bedsit in Mcleod Ganj perched 2000 metres up in a tiny village in the foothills of the Indian Himalayas, my broadband connection sparks up every Saturday evening as I perform my weekly ritual. I am hoping the proximity of my new neighbour, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, will further provide greater karma to “The Golden Boys” . A football fan am I not?

*The title is a tribute to Watford Legend (Sir) Graham Taylor

This article is a submission for the Soccerlens 2008 Writing Competition; to participate, please read the details here. The competition is sponsored by Subside Sports (premier online store for football shirts) and Icons (official signed football jerseys).

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Sunday was the day that the Aston Villa juggernaut was set to send the Premiership in circles by derailing what is turning out to be one of the most astonishing records in Premiership history. Instead of ranting about what Chelsea football club have done, this will be a more interactive article involving every football fan.

Take the team you support, and try to remember (without opening another tab on your explorer) the last time that 3 points were hijacked from Stamford Bridge by your team…?

Have you found out yet? Well here are answers for some of the football community, while I would genuinely be interested for those clubs outside the following to let me know:

• Arsenal fans will point to February 2004 when Claudio Ranieri’s team fell to the eventual champions.
• Manchester United are not so lucky and will have to grab at the tail of a 2002 memory, back when a Paul Scholes stunner set United to a 3-0 win.
• Liverpool are not too far behind Arsenal, snatching a 1-0 win back in January 2004.
• Looking across to the blue side of Liverpool, Everton have not gained victory in West London since November 1994.
• Bolton picked up a 2-1 win in 2003 thanks to a late John Terry own goal, but had not won for 28 years before that.
• Sunderland grabbed a surprising 4-2 triumph in March 2001.
• FA cup holders Portsmouth haven’t won at Stamford Bridge in 53 years.
• After Sunday, Aston Villa haven’t won in their last 7 trips to Chelsea.
• Blackburn picked up all 3 points in a 2-1 victory over the blues in 2003.
• And although Tottenham are at the wrong end of most jokes recently….Spurs’ last League victory at Stamford Bridge was 18 years ago, Gary Lineker hitting the winner as they beat Chelsea 2-1 in February 1990.

However, most of these results were before the invasion of Roman Abramovich and his seemingly bottomless pockets of cash. None of the above victories took place during Jose Mourinho’s time in London and none have since. The special one has installed a mentality to the squad that you just don’t lose at home. On the other hand, there is hope for people outside the SW6.

Many teams have taken points away from West London during this long run (and I am not talking about Craven Cottage.) Wigan followed Blackburn Rovers, Fulham, Everton, Aston Villa and Liverpool in taking a point from Stamford Bridge last season, while from December the previous term Chelsea were held at home by Arsenal, Reading, Fulham, Bolton Wanderers, Manchester United and Everton.

The only other team to come close to this achievement was a record set previously by Liverpool who had an all-time run of 63 games unbeaten at home between February 1978 and January 1981. This was the standing record until it was beaten by Chelsea’s current standing in Aril 2007. Manchester United put together there own unbeaten run at home last season, but next door neighbours Man City swiftly put an end to that with a 2-0 victory.

There is an old saying that nothing goes on forever….Someone just has to tell Chelsea that!

From Soccerlens.com - Football News