Chelsea wrong doing?

[CHAPPERS]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/4738784.stm

Is there anything wrong with that even if they were deliberately making the pitch worse? Personally I can't see anything wrong with. Just a case of Barca whinging innit.

 

[keaton]

I don't what this pitch fuss is all about. If Barca players are world class then they have to be able to play on a poor pitch. The pitch itself is bad but most pitches were like that in the 80s and early 90s a lot of the time and i don't remember that affecting Maradona, Romario, Beardsley, Waddle etc that much. I'd also say Chelsea have more player that are gonna be affacted by a poor pitch in their wingers

 

[DTES]

Home advantage and all that, Barca will use just as much gamesmanship in the return leg I'm sure...

 

[keaton]

From bbc

Uefa officials halted a bid by Barcelona to extend their training session at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday.

Barca had permission to train on the pitch for an hour and wanted another 15 minutes but Chelsea officials contacted Uefa to stop the workout.

Barcelona's players have been highly critical of the state of the pitch - and have hinted Chelsea have deliberately allowed it to deteriorate.

The teams meet in the last 16 of the Champions League at 1945 GMT.

The Catalan giants refused Chelsea's offer of facilities at their training headquarters at Cobham, Surrey, and under Uefa regulations were allowed one hour of training on the pitch.

It is understood Chelsea were mystified by Barcelona's desire to continue playing on the surface, despite their publicly-stated fears about it cutting up.

 

[keaton]

Which begs the question, if the ppitch is so bad why train on it and make it worse?
If you want to get a feel for the surface why not just go round the nearest park and have a kickaround there?

 

[Barrel of Fun]

It is not wrong. It is just like cricket. Prepare the pitch to how you think it will suit you.

It is cowardly by Chelsea, but not wrong.

 

[Seagullible]

don't see any problem with making your pitch suit you. I'm sure there are teams that change the pitsch size to make it slightly wider/narrower depending on their tactics an is part of home advantage

 

[Les Biehn]

I must admit I think the pitch is a disgrace and I remember Jose complaining when Blackburn did something similar. I think they should be made to sort their pitch out.

However I do also agree with all the points made about Barcelona, i.e they would try the same sort of gamesmanship at home, they didn't have to train at Stamford Bridge etc...

 

[Man of Harveys]

Call it cheating (I certainly would), call it "making the most of home advantage" (hmm, whatever): purposely preparing a pitch for a game with this much attention focused on it and at this level of competion with an muddy puddle of inch-deep water in the centre circle is, IMHO, just plain wrong.

This should be a great fixture between two hugely talented and exciting sides, not a desperate parks-level splashfest like that one against Southend (?) at Withdean, which Des Lynam said took place in conditions more suited to hippos than footballers, where the ball fails to roll along the ground.

Chelsea are cheating dubiously-financed tossers, really.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

Winning is not everything. You have to win with decency, honesty, and style to be considered great. Mourinho knows this - but can't resist trying to influence the result from off the pitch. Shame.

 

[Icy Gull]

. You have to win with decency, honesty, and style to be considered great. .

Doesn't sound like Mourinho to me, hence my wish that Chelsea get STUFFED. Be worth it just to see the after match interview with him

 

[disgruntled h blocker]

If you want to get a feel for the surface why not just go round the nearest park and have a kickaround there?

 

[Meade's Ball]

I'm thinking of 22 millionaires being bathed there together. Soap thrown sideways. Damien Duff with a squirter's bottle of hope and acid. Ooops, there's Wright-Philips wearing a protective hat and is holding his boy parts. Here comes Jose with only the winner's cup under his bovine coat and a pair of knee-high, diamond-toed wellies.

 

[Stat Brother]

I remember when Souness was the manager of Rangers.
They had a European match against a team with 2 out & out wingers.
To combat this he had the pitch repainted, from the original maximum width, to the minimum required on a UEFA pitch.
It was a good 5-10 feet in difference. I believe they went on to win, with his post match interview between the 'tramlines',

 

[blockhseagull]

How is the pitch going to suit Chelsea though ?

 

[Spiros]

Despite the fact that the pitch is practically waterlogged and it's forecast to rain, Chelsea are still watering it. I find all this hilarious as if you watch games from 10 years ago or more then you notice how pitches used to cut up really badly in the winter. By those standards Chelsea's pitch isn't too bad.

 

[Napper]

these spanish types fail to understand that our winters are different to theres and as a result most pitches are a bit fu ked up.

 

[Spiros]

Not seen much Spanish football on Sky then? In the winter some of their pitches are worse than Chelsea's is now, especially the teams in the north or the interior.

 

[keaton]

What?

 

[Superseagull]

I can't understand the point in spending hundreds of millions on players, building new stands with all the corperate facilities so that they can charge £££'s per ticket, and then expect them to play football on a waterlogged sandpit?

I hope it backfires on Chelski and they get stuffed tonight.