Top six for Champions League?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/9450671.stm

There was a discussion on here a while back about the new financial fair play rules and how they would be enforced. Well it seems Chelsea and Man City are in danger of risking expulsion from European football due to their scattergun approach to player recruitment.

I think Chelsea will pull this around, only recently they'd got back in the black. Abramovic, whilst spending heavily when he first arrived at the club, built up an infrastructure with the club aiming to be able to sustain itself. Man City are really going to struggle though.

This news is quite promising for us. Our side is still quite young and we have £35m in the coffers to burn. There's no reason why after next season we can't be a top 8 side, something we might even be able to achieve this season, and a regular team in Europe again.

Another side to this story is that City might start trying to offload some of their massive squad. I saw a table a while back which showed they spent over 100% of their income on wages (incidentally the Mackems were second I think, with over 80% of the revenue going on (****) players' wages). We know they're reluctant to sell to clubs around them, so if the price is right there could be an opportunity for clubs below them (i.e. us) to pick up some quality players.

Also, in other news. Clairvoyant Joey Barton yesterday received criticism for a rant against England's "Golden" generation in which he claimed Steven Gerrard was injury prone. This morning Gerrard has been ruled out for the season with a groin injury.

 

Also, in other news. Clairvoyant Joey Barton yesterday received criticism for a rant against England's "Golden" generation in which he claimed Steven Gerrard was injury prone. This morning Gerrard has been ruled out for the season with a groin injury.
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Joey has spoken. Fate has taken it's course.

 

No doubt the FA will ban him, saying that Gerrard's injury was a result of Barton's savage criticism.

 

Chelsea have to build a bigger ground to ensure that they can maintain their position in the EPL and therefore ensure CL positions when these rules come about.

I work just down the road from the ground and there have been many mooted places to build it but the local residents are against the building of a new stadium.

They may find themselves struggling.

 

I would also laugh my cock off if Man City can't play in the Champions League when the financial fair play comes into place!

 

They should look at building a stadium out near their training ground at Cobham. I doubt if they would get planning consent, but it is near the M25 and A3, so would have good road links and is only about 1/2 hour from Waterloo by train.

 

There were rumours a few years back about Earls Court being purchased for a new stadium but nothing came of it.

A site nearer the river was bought up for housing etc (Imperial Wharf and Chelsea Creek) so the areas they can actually move to in West London depending on the size of plot they need to build a 60k stadium are pretty much zilch.

 

Also just found this:

To move, Chelsea would need the nod from Chelsea Pitch Owners, a non-profit organisation formed in 1997 to prevent Stamford Bridge being sold again to property developers. They own the naming rights to the club - so could force Chelsea to change their name if the club left the ground without their backing

 

Would Chelsea fill a 60k stadium? The Emirates is 60k and Arsenal are a much bigger club. I've always got the impression that Chelsea had a loyal core support plus a load of plastics who associated themselves with the club when Abramovic took over. And unlike us, they share their city with five other Premier League clubs. I couldn't see them packing more than 50k playing clubs like Blackburn and Wigan at home, I could be wrong though.

 

I think that Chelsea could fill 50k if they dropped ticket prices fractionally.

They are in direct competition from Fulham and QPR in this area of the city and as there prices are lower many families head there instead.

 

They might be able to nab a few of Fulham's fans now Al Fayed has put that nauseating "tribute" to Michael Jackson up. If QPR get promoted though it's going to increase competition further.