2008 UEFA Champions League Final Live - Manchester United vs Chelsea

Moscow is the scene for this live online and radio commentary 2008 UEFA Champions League Final between Manchester United and Chelsea as the Red Square in Russia stands ready to receive a monumental clash between the two giants in English football that will duke it out on the soccer field in this live online streaming Champions League Final between both Manchester United and Chelsea. There has been a lot of sniping going on between the two teams before the game as they try to unsettle each other, and it has added to the spice and flavour of this live soccer commentary of the Champions League Final between Chelsea and Manchester United. Both sets of fans are also ready to light up the Red Square and there are also fears of crowd trouble and one wonders if it would bring back ugly memories of English soccer hooligans of years past but which has in recent years been cleaned up.

Cristiano Ronaldo will prepare for this live commentary and online TV UEFA Champions League Final between Manchester United and Chelsea in the same manner he has always done and will not be bothered by all the criticism of his ability to shine on the big stage. By scoring a goal or creating the goals that will knock Chelsea out, he would have done enough to disprove that as he believes so. Ryan Giggs will also hope he gets to play in this live commentary and live streaming radio telecast UEFA Champions League Final between Manchester United and Chelsea as he would want to sign off his United career in style by breaking Bobby Charlton's record as well as winning the trophy. For Frank Lampard who is rumoured to be leaving for Inter Milan, he would also want to leave on a triumphant note by helping his most beloved club win the trophy in this live commentary and live streaming TV broadcast UEFA Champions League Final between Manchester United and Chelsea in Moscow, and signal the beginning of the end of the current Chelsea squad.

5/5/2008 English Premier League Live - Newcastle vs Chelsea

This penultimate online live commentary English Premier League match for both Newcastle and Chelsea will provide more intriguing twist to a dramatic title race that has seen more action and drama in many live soccer matches in a season than put together in five seasons as so many teams were in it until the last two months. Of course, there really were only three teams who were in it by then but that has been one more than most of the last two or three seasons, and the live soccer games on TV threw up so many surprises that it has been incredible viewing for all soccer fans. Now there are only two left in the race and even then there is an overwhelming favourite for the title from fans, referees and managers' opinions and it certainly is not the team involved in this live commentary and online TV English Premier League match between Newcastle and Chelsea at Tyneside.

What Avram Grant might do now is perhaps look to the future beyond this live commentary and live streaming radio telecast English Premier League match between Newcastle and Chelsea as if he believes he will still be manager of Chelsea next season, he will need to look for a fresh batch of players to replace the likes of Didier Drogba and possibly Frank Lampard who could all move elsewhere and the bid for Lionel Messi might set hearts and paces alight but the truth is that it is unlikely Barcelona will let the Argentinian wizard move. Without Ronaldinho and Messi, Barcelona would likely deteriorate further unless they manage to get Jose Mourinho who can install robots in Barcelona and they will still win, although it might be a different situation for the home fans as they prefer dramatic high scoring action such as in a live online streaming Newcastle United vs Liverpool game. But for the moment, the Blues have to concentrate on this live commentary and live streaming TV broadcast English Premier League match between Newcastle and Chelsea and try to win their last away game in order to make this title race looking close.

30/4/2008 UEFA Champions League Live - Chelsea vs Liverpool

The dust has settled after the first semi final last night and tonight this live commentary UEFA Champions League match between Chelsea and Liverpool will be the focus of every soccer fan on the planet as they await to find out who will be the team to face Manchester United in the final in May next month. Unexpectedly, this tie has been the one with the more exciting and dramatic moments and action, instead of turning out to be the bore game that many experts have claimed that it would be, due no doubt to the past history of their meetings in the same competition in previous years. Both Chelsea and Liverpool have instead turned this live soccer match into something of a spectacle, with drama, action, last minute goals and no lack of inter sniping between managers, players and even within club management. Sandwiched in between was the live football match in the English Premier League that Chelsea beat Manchester United and breathed new life into the title race. Suddenly, Avram Grant looks like a manager with ability to beat the top teams and will continue to try to do that tonight. It will again be a tough game, but could be made easier with their impressive home record and Liverpool's lack of one at Stamford Bridge. Many signs point to this live commentary and online TV soccer game between Chelsea and Liverpool being a win for the home team, and they are hard to ignore for many experts.

After having achieved so much in the competition, Rafael Benitez will hope his team can do it at least one more time in this live commentary and live streaming radio telecast UEFA Champions League match between Chelsea and Liverpool as their whole season now hinges on this game to continue having hopes of success. Without a trophy this season will probably be a bad omen for Benitez and he could be making the right moves to be siding with Tom Hicks in the boardroom actually because DIC and Gillett actually do want to get rid of him but are playing the PR game right now due to fans being on the Spaniard's side, and the two parties are cleverly making use of Tom Hicks' naivety in football politics to make him the fall guy in the whole crisis. Watching the many Liverpool live soccer matches online will sometimes witness the few selected protests against the huge portly American owner but they might have been taken in by Parry and Gillett in the secret boardroom politics at Anfield. Whatever it is, the focus now has to be on this live commentary and live streaming TV broadcast soccer match between Chelsea and Liverpool at Stamford Bridge because they need to win this and might actually do so, as they have done on so many occasions to turn a blind eye to history and records in this competition and emerge triumphant.

26/4/2008 English Premier League Live - Chelsea vs Manchester United

Stamford Bridge will play host to the clash of the titans in this live commentary English Premier League match between Chelsea and Manchester United as both teams try to decide the destiny of the English title in different ways, with Chelsea focused on grinding out a result against their nemesis, and the Red Devils keen to continue with their attacking soccer to achieve their objectives of winning the title once again in a fantastic season. Despite earlier promises given when he first took over, Avram Grant has not been able to deliver the entertaining winning football that Roman Abramovich craves so much in the image of Manchester United, and he could soon be paying for that inability to deliver. But before that, curiously enough, he could actually deliver an amazing Double with the EPL title and Champions League trophy, but he must start by winning this live commentary and online TV English Premier League match between Chelsea and Manchester United to stand a chance.

On the other hand, the Red Devils have been simply irresistable with their play and will be extremely sure of themselves for this live commentary and live streaming radio telecast English Premier League match between Chelsea and Manchester United as they are eager to win the title by doing it in their rivals' own stadium, which would be a huge mental blow to the other teams. Ronaldo has carried the team for most of the season with his near record breaking scoring sprees and creating many chances for the likes of Rooney and Tevez. More importantly he has been able to maintain this form for the whole season, something not often done by many other good players as most experience ups and downs even within one season. As a result, Manchester United are now again on the brink of greatness and if they can win this live commentary and live streaming TV broadcast soccer match between Chelsea and Manchester United, they will stamp their place in history and forever greatness which can be a depressing thing for many people since nobody really likes Manchester United.

22/4/2008 UEFA Champions League Live - Liverpool vs Chelsea

Anfield will once again play host to a massive live commentary UEFA Champions League semi final where Liverpool will host Chelsea in a much anticipated radio broadcast soccer match tonight. While much has been made of the dour encounters between the two in the recent past in the same competition, there can be no denial that these tussles are titanic in measure and the lack of goals have hidden the fact that they have actually been filled with much drama in other ways, of which the most memorable was Luis Garcia's 'ghost goal' for Liverpool which ultimately won them the tie the first time these two teams met, and eventually the Champions League trophy. These games are not for the football purist, but for the football tactician or strategist, which unless you look like Rafael Benitez, will not be your cup of tea, or indeed of most soccer fans'. The pre match hype before this live commentary and online TV soccer match between Liverpool and Chelsea has predictably concentrated on either side's star players, but it could really be down to the low key but just as effective players who will decide the game's outcome over two legs.

These players include Michael Essien (if he gets to start under Avram Grant as he has been sidelined numerous times in recent weeks for some unknown reason) and Joe Cole from Chelsea, and Liverpool's Carragher and Mascherano will be the ones to watch in this live commentary and live streaming radio telecast UEFA Champions League semi final between Liverpool and Chelsea at Anfield. If there are too many whiners now in the Chelsea team due to bruised egos, Essien certainly is not within that bracket, and his undying efforts during games will be sorely needed to keep players like Torres and Gerrard at bay. Together in tandem with Makelele, they will be key to stopping the Anfield juggernaut from progressing further once again in this competition. Joe Cole will be required for his invention, which Chelsea sorely lacks as they depend too much on pure brute power play to create openings. Carragher as usual will have to up his game to force Chelsea as far away from the goal as possible, even if his standard has dipped sometimes this season but obviously one cannot expect a player to be at 100% every match. Mascherano will need to keep his crazy antics under control and keep things tidy between defence and midfield for Liverpool. This is also the reason why games between the two sides like this live commentary and live streaming TV broadcast soccer tie between Liverpool and Chelsea often end up in a deadlock, with a single mistake the likely reason to break any stalemate.

8/4/2008 UEFA Champions League Live - Chelsea vs Fenerbahce

Many journalists and punters are saying this is a foregone conclusion and that the Stamford Bridge outfit will come out clear winners in this live commentary and radio broadcast UEFA Champions League tie between Chelsea and Fenerbahce, given the quality that abounds in the home team and also their first leg performance which had everything except a striker who could put the ball in the net. However, they fail to recognise that that scenario might just happen again and that lightning does indeed strike twice, especially if you have a team led by Avram Grant. While the Israeli definitely has an excellent record since taking over from Mourinho, he does have a poor record during critical matches and Chelsea could easily lose this one if the right formation does not get fielded, or if Grant does not inspire and motivate his players well enough. All the right sounds and signals have been apparent before this live commentary and TV telecast soccer tie between Chelsea and Fenerbahce, but whether it translates to actual performance on the field is still anybody's guess, for Chelsea has been consistent in one thing and that is the inconsistency in their quality performances.

But what you have to credit them for is the ability to grind out results for the large part, even if they lose to the main rivals, those might not be crucial games if their rivals start dropping points against teams that Chelsea manage to grind out results against. Such as Arsenal, who have fell off the pace in recent months losing to the likes of Wigan. Manchester United might be suffering from Vidic's absence but the defender returns in three weeks' time and might just do enough to save their league title, although Chelsea fans will be hoping some complications crop up and delay his return. In the meantime, Grant has to deal with this live commentary and live streaming radio telecast Champions League game between themselves and Fenerbahce, and try to push his team past a shrewd Turkish team managed by a Brazilian legend in Zico, who started his managerial career in Japan before now trying his hand at the fiery Turkish top flight. While his team continues to sit nervously at the top of the league, they now turn their attentions to this live commentary and live streaming TV broadcast Champions League match between Chelsea and Fenerbahce, and hope to once again depend on midfield wizard Alex and another Brazilian legend Roberto Carlos to help pull them through this game and make history as the first Turkish team to ever progress to the Champions League semi final, which would be an incredible achievement.

5/4/2008 English Premier League Live - Manchester City vs Chelsea

Can Chelsea sustain a challenge on Manchester United's title just when they seem to have gotten into prime position to do so they are once again suffering from a little loss of form and this live commentary and radio broadcast soccer match between Manchester City and Chelsea in the English Premier League could not have come at a worse time for them after that strange defeat to Fenerbahce in midweek when they should have won instead. However, once again the pressure is on Avram Grant as his tactics were questioned and an inability to bring his players on a fightback for a positive result against the Turkish side. Players like Drogba, Terry and Ballack should also take responsibility for not pulling their weight and all of them looked apprehensive in the game and had it not been for bad luck on Zico's team, they might have walked away with a bigger margin of victory and certain European graveyard for Chelsea.

They will now have to look forward to this live commentary and live streaming TV telecast EPL game between Manchester City and Chelsea and not look too far forward to the next match which is the critical Champions League decider at Stamford Bridge against Fenerbahce. Chelsea should make sure they can win the league title first before anything else each season, and treat the Champions League as a bonus, as being Champions will allow you to automatically be in the CL every season and brings with it more honour. But there is no denying the fact that winning the CL is more glamourous and it will certainly prey on the minds of the players in this live commentary and live streaming radio broadcast clash between Manchester City and Chelsea in the English Premier League and if the Man City players learn how to take advantage of this distraction, they might achieve a 'double' of sorts by having beaten both Manchester United and Chelsea at the Stadium of Manchester Stadium in a season, which would be a huge achievement for their manager Sven Goran Eriksson.

23/3/2008 English Premier League - Chelsea vs Arsenal

Unlike their first encounter this season at the Emirates Stadium, this time it will be Arsenal needing the points desperately in this live online radio commentary and live match between Chelsea and Arsenal, with the young Gunners team struggling for months now and without a solution in sight. Arsene Wenger has watched forlornly at the sidelines for the most part in the league, without an idea of how to stop the rot and get his charges playing the confident smooth flowing football again which had earlier seen them storm to the top of the table before finally succumbing to injuries and loss of form. The likes of Cesc Fabregas and Emmanuel Adebayour have not pulled their weight and if you just play well in one game in the Champions League it does not mean you will turn on the magic easily again in the league if you do not try hard enough. The Gunners will need to work their socks off against a strong Chelsea team in this live TV match between Chelsea and Arsenal and try to get their title run back on track after a disastrous run.

Chelsea was involved in a hilarious topsy turvy match in midweek against Spurs and while it provided much entertainment to fans, this live online radio commentary and live TV match between Chelsea and Arsenal will be no laughing matter if they hope to really emerge from the shadows and challenge Arsenal and Manchester United for the title. The players were dreadful against a Spurs side that had nothing left to play for in the season, and defended like amateurs as they allowed the White Hart Lane team to pull back time and again after going in front twice. Avram Grant will have to dust this disappointing result off his back again and show that he has what it takes to make Chelsea huge again in this live online radio commentary and live TV soccer match in the English Premier League between Chelsea and Arsenal at Stamford Bridge, or risk the wrath of owner Roman Abramovich who will not hesitate to ask the Israeli to leave because at the end of the day it is results that managers are judged on, no matter how friendly they are with the owners or club management.

19/3/2008 English Premier League - Tottenham Hotspur vs Chelsea

While talking about striking from the shadows, Chelsea have actually brought themselves out into the open prior to this live online radio commentary match between Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea in the English Premier League in their efforts to reach Manchester United and Arsenal in the chase for the title. Chelsea have a strong squad and well balanced to win it again, but the problem lies with manager Avram Grant's poor selections in critical matches, although he seems to have done well enough in every other match where Chelsea is not really in the spotlight. Much of the season's focus has been on Manchester United and Arsenal in their gigantic tussle for top but as the pair have faltered of late, Chelsea has quietly crept up but now they can no longer be ignored and with the pressure now on, will they be able to continue winning the points to make up ground on the leaders? Or will Grant once again fail when the noose starts to tighten?

Spurs are playing out their season and it remains to be seen if they are motivated enough for this live online radio commentary English Premier League match between them and Chelsea. Juande Ramos will cast a keen eye over his charges in an effort to determine which players should remain in his squad for next season, and who to go. Unfortunately, amidst the economic collapse in the US, news of Spurs' chairman's investment loss resulting from Bear Stearns' fire sale has meant that there are doubts cast on the ability of Spurs to spend in the transfer market during the off season. Ramos would have expected to have funds made available in his attempts at strengthening the club and challenge for more honours next season, but the bad news prior to this live online radio commentary match between Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea would have made for bad preparations. The issue now would be how bad this has really affected the club, despite assurances from the top otherwise, and whether the situation could be bad enough for Ramos to actually consider leaving.

The interesting bit is that Tom Hicks is experiencing a similar problem and might lead to him selling off to DIC, whom we all know do not have the highest regard for Benitez. If that happens, and Benitez leaves, would Ramos be poached by the Anfield club?

12/3/2008 English Premier League - Chelsea vs Derby County

The death knell has already sounded on Derby County earlier in the season but will it now sound for Avram Grant in this live online commentary matchup between Chelsea and Derby County? While it would hardly be the case given the nature and certainty of the result in waiting, Grant is a man walking the plank along death row after being given an ultimatum of having to win either the league title or the Champions League in order to secure his job for another season. While Chelsea has sneaked back into the race in a good position on the virtue of quietly pegging away while Arsenal and Manchester United, to a lesser degree, have stuttered, the Champions League is a long shot given the overall quality of the squad compared to one like Barcelona, coupled with the failure of Grant to rise to the occasion during the 'big matches'. Undeniably, there still is a high level of quality in the Chelsea ranks and while some still argue the team lacks a cutting edge despite having top strikers like Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka, the truth is that for all Ballack's probing and Lampard's persistence in midfield, they still lack a genuine playmaker. Such is the legacy from Mourinho's reign.

Derby County however, has problems of its own of far worse making and they must definitely have started looking forward to life in the English League Championship next season even if manager Paul Jewell continues to sing the indignant battle cry for the team to rise to the occasion and pitch a last ditch effort to avoid relegation. This live online commentary match between Chelsea and Derby will once again cruelly expose the deficiencies in a club of Derby's size to compete at the top level and they might forever be cast in the category of clubs good enough to ding dong between the English Premier League and English League Championship but never good enough to stay for long at the top tier of English football. This might, of course, all change if a wealthy benefactor were to fly to their rescue one day, but until that actually happens, they can only look forward to more five or six goal beatings against the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea in a league match.

UEFA Champions League 19/2/2008 - Olympiakos vs Chelsea

In truth, this live commentary and play by play soccer match in the UEFA Champions League between Olympiakos and Chelsea should see the Greek side give the English Premier League side a tough fight before ultimately succumbing to the powerful and suffocating play that has so characterised Chelsea during Mourinho's term as manager and has continued with Avram Grant taking over despite a little more freedom of expression by the Chelsea players as Grant tries to please the chairman by playing slightly more attractive soccer. But for the most part, that has failed as Grant knows that results will come if you keep it tight and do not fix what was not broken. The only worry Chelsea has now at this stage of the competition is how to bring back the old stars and still not break their momentum. It appears that that has continued from the weekend during the FA Cup match against Huddersfield as Chelsea failed to impress despite playing a team many divisions below them and if not for Liverpool, they might have suffered an upset themselves but luckily the spotlight was not on them and they pulled through, ironically with two goals by Frank Lampard.

Greek side Olympiakos might spring a few surprises themselves in this live commentary and radio broadcast UEFA Champions League clash against Chelsea, as they are playing at home and Greek fans are known to be vociferous and passionate supporters. Furthermore their national side has won a European international championship in recent years unlike the English national team which is pretty much useless despite being filled with supposed world class players and soccer stars. You might even be surprised at how many of these England internationals do not even know how to control a soccer ball properly, can't trap and most of them try to learn dribbling even before they know what the instep is. Greek players are purportedly better but their club sides are usually underdogs and traditionally do not go far in European competitions, such as this live commentary and TV telecast soccer match in the UEFA Champions League against Chelsea. In fact you might be hard pressed to find a soccer fan who might know any Olympiakos player of note.

That would not prevent Olympiakos from doing their best tonight in this live commentary and radio broadcast soccer match in the UEFA Champions League between Olympiakos and Chelsea and in fact, I smell a possible upset brewing in that the home side might be able to snatch a draw or even a narrow win over Chelsea before succumbing ultimately at Stamford Bridge in two weeks' time. That has always been the case for Greek sides as they are fearless at home but meow like a little pussycat when playing at someone's home ground instead. Why soccer players cannot perform consistently enough at every stadium except for the top level players I cannot understand except the only explanation that I can offer is that these average players are just average and mentally like pussycats. They'd rather play with their own balls at home than to be real men and show who's boss in other stadiums. Be prepared for an exciting and pulsating UEFA Champions League live commentary, live streaming and TV telecast soccer match between Olympiakos and Chelsea tonight.

English FA Cup 16/2/2008 - Chelsea vs Huddersfield

This English FA Cup live commentary and play by play soccer match will provide a fascinating look into the priorities of Chelsea especially since they might only realistically be able to win the two domestic cup competitions this season as their only trophies and that starts tonight in earnest against Huddersfield. Chelsea have performed admirably over the Christmas and holiday period despite having almost the entire team out at one point or another due to injury or international duty at the African Nations Cup. The perplexing thing is that once these players have been returning over the last week or two, Chelsea's performance has slipped, even with their biggest star players returning. In fact, they have performed better and soldiered well with their fringe squad players. Even those that had previously underperformed such as German World Cup star Michael Ballack, had played well and scored a few important goals. But with Frank Lampard back they seemed to struggle last weekend. Didier Drogba should be back tonight although he might be rested by Avram for the Champions League but frankly if you have seen his play in the African Nations Cup, you know he has made a bad move by rushing back from injury as he played way below par.


No one would reckon that Huddersfield has any chance in this live commentary and radio broadcast English FA Cup soccer match against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. However, Chelsea has been the victim of huge major upsets before in this competition so nothing can be ruled out. It will also depend on what kind of team Avram puts out but so far it seems that he does not believe in a rotation policy (which makes him a better manager than Rafael Benitez) and has generally fielded his best team in each and every game. The only problem Chelsea might have in this live commentary and TV telecast English FA Cup match and that Huddersfield might be able to exploit would be if Lampard and Ballack plays together again. They have always failed to click and Lampard should really leave the playmaker role to Ballack as the latter, though German, actually has better vision and technique than Lampard.


An emphatic win for Chelsea lies in wait and without doubt for them in this live commentary and radio broadcast soccer match in the English FA Cup the oldest knockout cup competition in the world. Unless they get 4 players sent off or Huddersfield actually builds a wall in front of their goal, it is hard to see anything beyond a four or five goal thrashing for Huddersfield at Stamford Bridge. Drogba might want to lay rest his African Nations Cup nightmare and with Jole Cole still humming to the tune of Muhammad Ali's fly like a butterfly sting like a bee, this live commentary and TV telecast English FA Cup soccer match should be a walkover for Chelsea against Huddersfield.

EPL 10/2/2008 - Chelsea vs Liverpool

There has been much less focus on this live commentary and play by play English Premier League soccer match between Chelsea and Liverpool at Stamford Bridge compared to previous seasons and encounters due to the fact that Liverpool has now been rubber stamped as an also ran and a club deep in crisis, while Chelsea continue to challenge for the EPL title by grinding out wins but the truth is that while Avram Grant has the charisma to squeeze his way into the manager's seat and a string of wins from his players, he does not have the tactical acumen to overcome Chelsea's major rivals in Manchester United and Arsenal. However, he does belong to the growing club of managers who have shown Rafael Benitez how to actually win in the EPL without the need for rotation and still having a squad strong enough to keep going over the course of a long season.

Liverpool continues to lurch from one disaster to another and despite a morale boosting win over Sunderland last week, it did not paper over the cracks that have been existent in this team and Rafael Benitez's management style for a long time. This live commentary and radio broadcast English Premier League game between Chelsea and Liverpool will continue to show what an ineffective motivator Benitez is - tactics can only get you that far. If your team suffers from a confidence crisis you need to be able to motivate and encourage them, like how Ferguson, Moyes, Wenger, Mourinho or even Grant does. Unfortunately, Benitez has continued to show he is unable to catch hold of his players' attention at crucial times and bring the best out of them. If he really feels that these players deserve the kind of money that Liverpool has paid out for them, then he should be able to unearth the talent from them to be consistently displayed for Liverpool's benefit, such as in this live commentary and TV telecast game that would be crucial to their hopes of securing that fourth Champions League slot.

It is highly likely that Chelsea would once again scrape to another win over Liverpool in this live commentary and radio broadcast English Premier League soccer match. While Chelsea are not crowd pleasers and certainly nothing pretty to watch despite Avram's claim that he would change Mourinho's style of play, they are still extremely effective and should easily remain in third and perhaps usurp second place if Arsenal flops in the run up to the end of the season. Liverpool unfortunately suffer from bad American ownership, bad players and a failing manager. While Benitez is favoured by many fans due to his dedication and for his efforts in winning the Champions League, he does not have the ability to deliver the English Premier League crown to Liverpool now, in the near future, nor ever in the distant. This would once again be evident in this live commentary and TV telecast soccer match in the EPL between Chelsea and Liverpool tonight.

EPL 2/2/2008 - Portsmouth vs Chelsea

As previously predicted in another live commentary and play by play soccer match in the English Premier League, Portsmouth did not have too much of a hope and not too many chances either against Manchester United, and this match against Chelsea in the English Premier League might also seem to indicate the same but the difference is that Portsmouth are playing at home in this game on Saturday and at home they are a different proposition, taking the game to opponents and making them sweat. But they have had problems at home this season and have had trouble scoring and having sold the only scorer they have had recently at home to Manchester City, they had better hope that new acquisitions such as Milan Baros and Jermaine Defoe would find their scoring boots early and soon otherwise it would be another smash and grab operation by the greatest practitioners of such a footballing style, Chelsea.


Chelsea come into this game on the back of another win and another one that best illustrate their abilities - grinding their way to victory when they do not play well or pretty even in live commentary and radio broadcast soccer games in the English Premier League. Despite Mourinho having long left, Avram Grant is another smart Israeli who has kept things pretty much the same and you wonder why Roman Abramovich does not complain about boring soccer with Grant when they pretty much play the same way as when Mourinho was around. It is clear that either Grant has a real hold over the Russian billionaire or Roman just wanted to get rid of Mourinho. That is the failing of Mourinho, always a great coach but too much of his own man and he will never stay too long at any club at this rate, but if you want to win things for a few years, get him and tolerate him for that period of time. But that is another story for another time as Grant continues to bring Chelsea forward and strangely enough they are staying under the radar and Manchester United and Arsenal grab most of the headlines. But if Chelsea can continue to win and chip away they might actually be the last ones standing we shall see when their African stars return from the African Nations Cup.


This might be a tough match to call in this live commentary and TV telecast soccer match between Portsmouth at home in the English Premier League against the ultimate scrappers Chelsea and the safest result to go with might be the draw but it is hard to see past a win for Chelsea as they might put the squeeze on Portsmouth and prevent them from scoring again at their own home ground. Milan Baros and Jermaine Defoe might also need some time to adjust to their new teammates and find their scoring boots and having their first game against defensive powerhouses Chelsea might not be the very best preparation for that. Expect little goals and even less action in this live commentary and radio broadcast English Premier League match between Portsmouth and Chelsea.

EPL 30/1/2008 - Chelsea vs Reading

It's all systems go for Chelsea in this live commentary and play by play soccer match in the English Premier League between Chelsea and Reading at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea are still right in the hunt for the English Premier League title and while most of the attention has been on the battle between Arsenal and Manchester United, everyone would do well not to forget about the Blues as they have been chomping right at the coattails of both clubs above them and should either of them slip up, Chelsea would be ready to pounce and overtake them. In fact, other than Manchester United, Chelsea has been the most consistent English club in the EPL and they have strung together unbeaten run upon unbeaten run when it mattered most. And they do this even without most of their key players and perhaps those key players should start to sweat a little given that they have been shown to be Touchable.

While all the controversy surrounding the departure of Mourinho has actually helped unite Chelsea's players even more and given them impetus to break Manchester United's temporary stranglehold on the EPL title, the same cannot be said about Reading in this live commentary and radio broadcast game which they really need to get some result from as they continue to struggle to get away from a relegation battle they can ill afford to lose. While Reading surprised and delighted many at the same time last season, this season they have suffered horribly at the sophomore jinx and perhaps the expectations were raised too high and the team, manager and fans are all suffering for it at the same time. But they should trust Steve Coppell who has shown himself to be a decent manager and hopefully he can continue to keep Reading in the EPL and show us the nice football they are capable of despite having quite a bruiser in Stephen Hunt, who continues to try his best at impersonating Robbie Savage.

Chelsea should not have too many problems in this live commentary and TV telecast soccer match in the English Premier League against Reading. Nothing less can be expected other than a win and while they might show their customary struggle to scrap to it, they should still be able to overcome a plucky Reading side and collect another three points to inch closer to Manchester United and Arsenal who are both prime to suffer blips in form. We do not expect too many goals in this live commentary and radio broadcast soccer match between Chelsea and Reading, but it can hard to call especially with Chelsea involved, but there should be enough action to keep the fan awake.

FA Cup 26/1/2008 - Wigan vs Chelsea

Now get ready for a Chelsea letdown in this FA Cup live commentary and radio broadcast game between English Premier League sides Wigan and Chelsea. After an impressive and comprehensive win over Everton away in the Carling Cup semi final in midweek, Chelsea are odds on favourites to walk away from this game comfortable winners again, facing a Wigan team that while is a battling side, cannot be said to have enough quality to over a Chelsea that seems to be slowly getting back on form. However, this could be the letdown match of Chelsea's season, as they are playing away at Wigan's stadium the JJB and they could still be celebrating their getting to the Carling Cup final.


Wigan on the other hand has nothing to lose and will surely go all out in this live commentary and TV telecast game against one of the top English Premier League sides. Steve Bruce Wigan manager has said that he will field his best team and it appears that giant striker Emile Heskey might recover from injury in time to do battle against a Chelsea team. They also have their new acquisitions Erik Edman and Maynor Figueroa available for this game but it remains to be seen if Steve Bruce would be willing to throw them into the fray. It is possible since the FA Cup is not a priority for Wigan, and they can afford the two players to get a feel of the English game before truly important games in the English Premier League are up next.


That said, while it is difficult to see anything beyond a Chelsea victory in this live commentary and radio broadcast FA Cup game against Wigan given their recent form, Chelsea are due for a letdown and honestly, it would be better to come in this game instead of against Arsenal or Manchester United. If they lose this game and string together another impressive run after this including wins over Manchester United and Arsenal, they might actually be surprise top contenders for the English Premier League title. The odds for a Wigan draw or win are attractive, and that is the result we expect in this FA Cup live commentary and radio broadcast game between Wigan and Chelsea.

Carling Cup 23/1/2008 - Everton vs Chelsea Match Highlights

Here are some picture highlights of the soccer match between Everton and Chelsea in the Carling Cup semi final at Goodison Park, where Everton were comprehensively outplayed by Chelsea and while they had their chances, could not penetrate the Chelsea defence well enough to force a result. In the end, Chelsea scored a quick goal from Joe Cole off a lightning counter attack and the result was never in doubt after that.

Carling Cup 23/1/2008 - Everton vs Chelsea

This is the second Carling Cup live commentary and play by play telecast and soccer match of the semi final between the two English Premier League clubs Everton and Chelsea. The first leg between these two clubs saw an exciting match that see sawed from end to end and in a dramatic finale and end to the match, saw Lescott the Everton defender put through his own net with a comical own goal which he did not even seem to know he had scored. The ball basically fell onto his head while he was challenged in the air by pint sized Chelsea winger Shaun Wright Phillips and then bounced into goal past the despairing dive of the Everton keeper. Chelsea on the other hand fought hard for the result and while they were not at their best, which they haven't been for months, they still scraped a result against a battling Everton side. Wright Phillips in particular played a great game but he will be missing for Chelsea in tonight's game, along with their usual missing players through injury or international duty such as Frank Lampard, John Terry and Didier Drogba.

That said, Chelsea should still have enough quality to pose a challenge to Everton, and maintain their stature as one of the top three English Premier League clubs, in this live telecast and radio broadcast Carling Cup semi final second leg. Their recent striking acquisition Nicolas Anelka will be available, not being cup-tied, and Anelka has gelled quite well into the team. Up front he will continue to partner Pizarro, who hopes to continue his fine form from the last match and to score more than the 2 goals he has totalled so far this season. However, it is not a guarantee that Chelsea manager Avram Grant will play Pizarro in this Carling Cup semi final live commentary and telecast match, as Chelsea are playing away and might have to put on a defensive front to weather Everton's hard tackling and pressing style before trying to strike on the counter attack. If that is the case, Pizarro would most probably find himself on the bench as Anelka would provide the better option in such a strategy.

That said, Everton will be playing at home and they will come out with all guns blazing as they try to impose themselves on Chelsea and make their first cup final in donkey years with this live commentary and radio broadcast soccer match. They have their key playmaker Arteta back from suspension, and with Australian midfielder Tim Cahill's continued good form, plus the other formidable terriers in midfield Leon Osman and Lee Carsley, Everton are a powerful side and they can break down just about any opponent or shut them out. Their defence is also hard to break down and might not be tested too much against a Chelsea side shorn of their regular attacking threat and with German Ballack still not in top form although he has started to show glimpses of his leadership qualities and vision and has scored a few fine goals in previous live commentary soccer matches involving Chelsea. This Carling Cup semi final tonight looks to be a tight game overall and it might feature few goals and even less goalmouth action although you can rest assured Everton will press hard and try to knock Chelsea out and create an upset like what Spurs did the previous night in the other live commentary and radio broadcast semi final soccer match.

EPL 19/1/2008 - Birmingham vs Chelsea

Much has been made of Chelsea's new transfer darling Anelka before tonight's live commentary and play by play English Premier League match between Birmingham and Chelsea. There has also been talk of midfield maestro Frank Lampard returning to the lineup at some point during tonight's game at Birmingham. However, what everyone has forgotten for the moment is that Chelsea still looks defensively weak relatively, without Terry, Lampard, and now guys like Essien. They do have new Serbian signing Branislav Ivanovic available tonight to play in defence but he is still an unknown quantity and we can't assume his international and other club form will automatically translate to that of the English Premier League (EPL). In fact, even with Drogba, Chelsea also defend from the front, so we do have quite a weakened Chelsea side visiting Birmingham and they have been scraping through their recent games, but admittedly they have been scraping through with results.

Birmingham might have their own ideas of an upset at home during this game which will have live commentary and match analysis and highlights on the odds for each team. Birmingham are playing at home, and they have just added Scotland international striker McFadden to the team after he agreed to move from Everton to join his ex-Scotland boss Alex McLeish. Now no doubt McFadden is an extremely hardworking and honest player, and has a certain EPL standard, but he is just that and after watching him a couple of times with Everton, he will be your typical hardworking striker who will score not more than 10-15 goals a season if he is given a consistent run out in the first team but whether that would be enough to help Birmingham stay in the EPL is another question. I still do not like teams like Birmingham who play spoilers by packing the midfield and defence and try to score that breakaway goal but under McLeish they have opened up a little so hopefully they change their past style previously under Steve Bruce and can stay up based on that. Then again their aim is to stay in the EPL so we cannot hope for too much.

So in this live commentary and play by play game between Birmingham vs Chelsea, it might be difficult to pick a winner. Everything points towards a draw as long as Birmingham maintain their concentration because Chelsea still struggle to find a rhythm although they have new weapons in Anelka and Branislav and might scrape through again. We will see what happens but I fancy a draw and possible Birmingham win. Probably very few goals and under the total.

Highlights EPL 12/1/2008 - Chelsea vs Tottenham Hotspur

In case you missed our live commentary and play by play of the EPL 12/1/2008 match between Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur, here are the soccer game highlights to the meeting. Chelsea made it look really easy and do not believe anything you read of how dreary they were by some Soccernet writer he obviously has a beef with Chelsea and doesn't know how to write. Chelsea were anything but boring and if not for some wayward crossing, might have scored a lot more against Spurs. As for Spurs they were never in control of the game. Chelsea let them pass the ball around a little but never made much inroads into the Blues penalty box. When Chelsea got the ball back each time, they attacked with pace and made Spurs look uncomfortable each time. Juande Ramos has a tough task on hand and despite warning a few players that they are on sale and have no future in the club, it showed how much resources Spurs have when these players all played in the game - Chimbonda, and Lee for example. Berbatov was a non-entity and it showed how good a Chelsea reserve team was. But the truth is, they do not really have that many players out. Just the 'spine' of the team which they have enough replacements for.

Shaun Wright Phillips looks to be improving with each match as Avram Grant shows his man management skills. Grant seems to be bringing out the best of players whom Mourinho resigned to the sidelines but it could also partly be due to the fact that Grant allows them to play in their natural positions and roles. However, they sacrifices a bit of the defensive solidarity but these players have been schooled in the Mourinho way so they still tackle back and help in defending. Expect to see more of Chelsea with each round - I suspect they could be the main challengers to Manchester United now that the Arsenal kids are believing in their own hype and taking teams too lightly. Enjoy the soccer highlights of the EPL 12/1/2008 game between Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur.