Jose Mourinho: Chelsea fans are so quiet it feels like we are playing in an empty stadium at Stamford Bridge Chelsea manager criticises his own supporters saying he finds their lack of noise 'frustrating' and says they make it difficult for his players. Jose Mourinho has criticised the lack of atmosphere at Stamford Bridge by saying it feels like Chelsea are playing their home games in an "empty stadium". He described their lack of passion as "frustrating" and said it makes things "difficult" for his players. “Everyone knows how much I feel connected to this club and the fans,” he told talkSPORT. “At this moment it’s difficult for us to play at home though, because playing here is like playing in an empty stadium. “The team then starts playing like it’s a quiet, soft game at home. It’s difficult to get that strong start where the players, team and fans at Stamford Bridge [are all together]. “I was today looking around and it was empty, but not in terms of people because it was obviously full. That’s what frustrating.” Should he be opening his mouth at all here? All stadiums are quieter now, the modern day fan does not turn up and sing regardless, they want to see a team playing well and winning games and that's the only time you get the noise (in general). Ok you are winning and playing good football so perhaps he has a point.
Its gotten pretty bad at SB from what ive seen. No more so than any other "big club", but it can't help the players. Hopefully the fans see it and respond.
Totally agree with Jose, quietest the Bridge has been for ages. Then again we were hardly playing Milan or Manchester
Luvgonzo, fair play on starting this thread. Now let's call a spade a spade. Football in the year of our Lord 2014 is a far different beast to football back in the 60's 70's and 80's. Football back then was a game for ordinary people to get away from their ordinary lives and connect with something local and for a lot of people, something more important than religion. Just thinking now of John Lennon's infamous quote about the Beatles being more important than God ! Jose's place in Chelsea's history will never be forgotten and he continue's to make history, but he needs to be careful about comments on fan's reactions during a match. Every fan that attends a match nowadays spends a lot of dosh. They more than likely have a job to finance the expense and don't mind doing it. But it's like being lectured by a rich person to give to charity.....sorry but i will react to someone like Mother Theresa, who got down and dirty with the poor than the likes of Bono who...won't go there !!! Would love the atmosphere at the Bridge to be like Selhurst Park but that ain't going to happen. Having said that it ain't going to happen at Anfield either as you well know and i'm sure have experienced in the last 20 years or so. There's a famous saying "he who pays the piper calls the tune". Maybe i'm over reacting to Jose's comment but there you have it.
He's right. I was at the Schalke game the other month and it was honestly embarrasing. May as well have been a Schalke home game. Funnily enough the week after I went to the much lesser league cup game against Bolton and the atmosphere was great. The Matthew Harding stand was stood up singing all game. Will be interesting to see what the atmosphere is like at our next home game, as I imagine Jose's said all this just to give the fans a kick up the back-side to stop them getting complacent, like he does with the team.
Jose is on what, 4 mill a year? If he was on 40 grand with 2 kids, maybe he'd understand that 60 quid or 150 to take both kids to a game is pretty near impossible. It's the kids that are the future and they are unable to afford to go to games. Jose is given hundreds of millions to ensure his team is up there and he is successful. Before he criticises fans, he needs to have a good look in the mirror. It's not his fault the game has gone this way, and the cost is in direct proportion to the investment. Clubs can't have it both ways. Maybe the 10 mill a year players could give 10% salary to fans under 18 to help them to attend matches? No?? OK then get used to quiet stadiums and stop whinging.
as the camera panned around the stadium, some sections looked like they were at the opera or something. maybe they should start using canned crowd noise
away fans always make loads of noise, they are generally the hard core fans and will make loads more noise than home fans, get it?
I do now, yes. Although I think the "bigger" clubs do suffer from plastics who just sit there and aren't really supporters. Smaller clubs like Rangers tend to have a very passionate following throughout the stadium, as commented on by Sky recently. Chelsea used to be a noisy place to go.......not anymore. Very much like the Emirates.
I have been going for 40 odd years and yes the atmosphere has gone a bit quiet .After my son got to old for the family section i could only renew my season ticket due to price so another fan who has been going 15 years lost. Also far to many tickets finding their way to the touts hence united nations camera toting people in the crowd. The stewards in the family would always stop anyone trying to sing along to any song they considered not child freindly and jose sits bang in front of that section so he would hear the away fans more whereas in the M Harding upper and lower there is plenty of singing . i will also never understand giving part of the shed to away fans why not give them a section in the west which is the quietest stand by far
Before Mick Greenaway created the Shed end as we know it, SB was always silent until a goal was scored! Once he got going it was noise all the way through! " Zigger, Zagger"", " All the lads..." " Osgood , Osgood" etc. Unfortunately he got barred from entry by the club for wrongly being accused of being part of the mob known as the Chelsea Headhunters! Sadly he died a young man, but his legacy lived on for years. What we need now is a new Mick Greenaway!
Home fans who like to sing and are not able to afford a season ticket are spread around the ground so unless it is a huge game (local derby or big cup or european games etc.) the ground can have a poor atmosphere. The lane can be quiet but our away fans are loud...the is true of virtually all clubs. Took my better half to see her beloved Wednesday play at charlton yesterday ... loud and noisy throughout the match...the same aint true at Hillsborough. Imo clubs should have designated singing areas at matches as this would help...in the 70s you could walk around the terraces so if it was quiet you could get to a noisy bit.
I have mentioned this in the past and was shouted down. SB is like the Emirates which is weird as the quality of football is high so you would expect the crowd to cheer. This is down to the plastic tourists that infest the club. Can't agree with LOEW comments about who you play because I've been to many games at Loftus Rd playing nothing teams in front of 15k and it was nosier than yesterday. I also can't agree with the Chelsea bloke from the supporters club who said it was an age thing? Utter rubbish because at QPR I have a bloke next to me who is 70 and he sings as much as the younger fans. This is the thing with success, you crave it, get it and then have to change with it. For me Chelsea are a million miles away from the club of the past and that includes the fans. 4 seasons ago in that cup game I couldn't believe how the fans have changed. That's football
Is it perhaps due to the demographic? People can't deny that over the past 15 years the type of Chelsea fan has changed dramatically. And ticket prices force a lot of fans out the market. Often find myself enjoying the pub more these days.
