Patrick Henry

So the World cup draw has been done, the lines are drawn and the groups have been established...
But where does that leave everyone?
How does that affect everyone's chances of qualification and the ramifications of not topping a group?

These are my early thought's on each group and their chances of qualifying...

A mock draft...
A mock team...
A mock competition...

What a good thing to pass the off season with...

So, a keeper, 4 defenders, 5 midfielders and a lone striker and off to war I go...

This should be fun, I'm looking forward to everyone's take on their teams and how they'd work...

I'm quite happy with mine, I didn't miss out on any players I wanted, maybe one or two...
But adapt and move on...

Now on to my team...

And how they'll play...

The journey always seems longer than what it is...

And it never matters how you get there, as long as you arrive...

With that in mind, the Republic of Ireland are giving themselves a good chance of qualifying for South Africa...

And so are a few others, as I can't watch all the games, I thought I'd start this blog to get some info for other countrys and their road's to Africa 2010...
Feel free to drop by with scores, tables or any qualifying fun I  may have missed...

Good journeys to all...

Ken Bates bought Chelsea for a pound...

Roman Abramovich bought Chelsea for £140 Million...

And now the Germans are in for Chelsea, for about £800 Million...

How things change...

I'm not sure how I feel about this latest buy out, Ken was the man who saved Chelsea and brought us to the brink of greatness...
Roman furthered the cause and brought true glory to Chelsea...
For both I have affection, they've raised the club to different height's, both in different ways but both as important as the other...
So what does this new lot bring?

Financial security? I doubt it...
Eternal glory? Already there...
So that kind of leaves a buy and sell club, interested in just making money...
After all, these men are just investors...

So where does that leave the fan, me?

Ken loved Chelsea, he done everything to move us forward and more importantly, he loved Football...
Roman bought in for the personal love of Footballing glory and Chelsea happened to be that vessel but, again, he loved Football...

So what of these new guys?
Do they have Football at heart?
Do they have Chelsea at heart?
Do they have a heart?

God knows...

And not being God...

How do I know...

Minneapolis, Minnesota...
Eden Prairie, the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome...
The 32 yard line, 50 yards to glory...
5 seconds on the clock, a long 5 seconds...

I've only been a Vikings fan for about 7 years, so this is my first Divisional title and it mean's a lot...
At tthe beginning of the year, this is all I wanted, with Farve moving on, Detroit in disarray and Chicago letting go of all it's Offence, there was no better or easier time to get a North title...
Not that Football or the Vikings ever let you have things the easy way...

So down by 2 points, facing a 50 yarder with 5 seconds left, Tom Coughlin and Chili decide in their infinite wisdom to prolong my, and all other Vikings, agony by calling 3 timeouts...

Yeah, thanks guys, like I needed the time think on the ramifications of a miss...

Thank God for Ryan Longwell...

6 of 6 from 50 yards or more and as the sixth sailed through the uprights...

Oh yeah, it's party time!!!

It feels great to finally be North Champions and with that brings the Play-offs...

But you can stick a fork in me, I'm done...

Whatever the Play-offfs bring, good or bad, I'm just gonna enjoy the ride...

My Vikings are kings of the North and that can't be taken away...

What I'll take most from Wednesday is the difference between victory and defeat...

The width of a post.

Three time's Chelsea hit the post and none were a charm, while gutted in defeat, I'm not disappointed, for ages I watched Chelsea toil in mid table mediocrity, the odd relegation battle, but in the last ten years it's been like watching a child grow and learn, I've seen the progression from mid table to Europe qualification, to trying to muscle in on the title races, to being Champions, the quest through Europe has been the same, a cup winners cup victory got us noticed, successive semi-finals and finally the final itself and but for a slip and the width of a post, I'd have seen them rise to be the cream of Europe.

Not to be...

And this is why I'm not disappointed, Chelsea are still trying to establish themselves as a great club and like many they have to suffer defeat, you can't win them all, but with a final made and semi-final ghost's laid to rest, there's only one step left for Chelsea to join the elite, albeit at the bottom of that group but in that group none the less, Chelsea are still growing and establishing themselves...

Defeat is just part of the growing pains...