CHELSEA TWO DECADE FIRST XI. GK) Petr Cech There isnt much competition for the goalkeeper spot. Cech has been a fixture in Chelseas side ever since Roman Abramovich bought the club, and hes closing in on David Jamess all-time Premier League clean sheet record. DR) Branislav Ivanovic Ivanovic is as defensively solid as he is offensively dangerous. The Serb is extremely strong, and works tirelessly up and down the right flank for the Blues. Hes been with the club since 2008, and is a guaranteed starter now under Jose Mourinho. DC) John Terry Obviously, legendary central defender John Terry makes the XI. The ageing Englishman has made over 600 appearances for Chelsea, captaining them to 14 major honours. If it wasnt for his blotched personal history, hed arguably be regarded as the countrys greatest ever defender. DC) Marcel Desailly The World Cup winning central defender was ludicrously composed and classy at the heart of Chelseas defence. Ricardo Carvalho was also brilliant for Chelsea, and William Gallas enjoyed some good seasons too, but Desailly was just that little bit better. DL) Ashley Cole Cole has lost his place in the Chelsea side to Cesar Azpiliceuta, and will likely be leaving in the summer when his contract expires. However, at one point, he was arguably the worlds best left-back, so gets in this side ahead of Graeme Le Saux as a result. MC) Claude Makelele The cornerstone of Chelseas back-to-back Premier League title victories, Makelele was so brilliant in the anchoring midfield role, the position became named after him! Few players have ever created a better platform from which the rest of the side can perform. MC) Frank Lampard Potentially the easiest selection in this side. Lampard is Chelseas record goalscorer, despite playing from central midfield. The Englishman has scored over 200 goals for the Blues, and redefined the role of the attacking Premier League midfielder. AMR) Juan Mata Perhaps a controversial choice considering the fact the Spaniard was shipped out of Stamford Bridge this January by Jose Mourinho. It shouldnt be forgotten though that Mata won two consecutive Chelsea Player of the Year awards, and was creatively exceptional during his two and half year stint with the Blues. 32 goals, and countless assists earned him a mega £37m move to Manchester United. AML) Gianfranco Zola The mercurial Italian was predominantly deployed up top, but has the ability to play anywhere along the front line. Zola had a penchant for nutmegs and brilliant curling freekicks, and wowed Stamford Bridge week in week out with his wonderful technical ability. Its a shame his time came before Roman Abramovich took over, as Zola never truly challenged for a league title. FC) Didier Drogba Arguably the clubs greatest ever player, Drogba scored 157 Chelsea goals, and won 12 trophies during his eight year stint at Chelsea. The Ivorian powerhouse scored the winning penalty in the Champions League final in 2012, cementing his reputation as a Blues legend. FC) Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink The Dutch striker arrived for a then club record £15m fee back in 2000, and terrorised Premier League defences for four consecutive years. Hasselbaink was tremendously powerful, and bagged an outstanding 55 goals in his first two seasons with the Blues.
Posted on: Sun, 06 Apr 2014 12:38:39 +0000
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