Should we all be supporting Chelsea?

Manchester United will find out tonight who their opponents will be in the Champions League final after their impressive 1-0 victory over Barcelona.

Chelsea hold all the cards following the 1-1 draw at Anfield in the first leg but Liverpool are equally as capable of scoring in London with Fernando Torres amongst their ranks.

Most Russians will be keeping their fingers crossed that John Terry doesn't give the Spanish star a sniff, and not only because of Roman Abramovich's mighty influence at Stamford Bridge.

The prospect of thousands of Manchester United and Liverpool fans descending upon Moscow for a late-night kick-off (due to television coverage in Europe) doesn't bear thinking about. The clubs have one of the biggest rivalries in the game which often turns ugly.

With so much added drinking time during the day before the final begins, the Russian police are going to have their work cut out keeping the peace in the city centre.

Should all neutrals be getting behind Chelsea tonight if only to avert the potential danger? Or does the big stage deserve a United-Liverpool final, since both teams have such history? Should we have more faith in the fans and just hope the best team wins tonight? Or are we destined for trouble whatever the outcome?

Send your views, get passionate but, as always, keep them clean or they will not get published.

Comments

[Alex DL.]

History without accomplishment is called existing.

[Dixies Boots]

Hardly the cream of Europe is it. We have witnessed these three slogging it out all season its not going to be a classic whoever is involved..Champions league my arse...one Champion against an also ran OR wannabe also rans.. yawn.... think I will give it a miss, like I do everytime Chelski or that other lot from the other side of the park are involved.Glory glory Man Utd indeed.Why dont they just hold an auction in August for the siverware and save us all a small fortune.

[Kevin]

Fact. ALL sports clubs have "history" whether that be one of glorious failure or otherwise. The natural order of things mean some teams have been more succesful than others. Should the less successful clubs therefore give up due to their perceived lack of "history"? Will Liverpool step aside when they next play Real Madrid due to Madrid's superior "history"? Get real; history is made daily (with the vast majority of Liverpools honours coming an inglorious 60 years AFTER forming) & success is not the preserve of the few.

[Davie P]

if history is that important shouldn't we all be rooting for a preston north end vs. blackpool facup final every year?
history is all liverpool have - not much present ..... 4th best team in UK?

[Niall Sullivan]

I might support Chelsea if their opponents were Leeds or (crossing the border)Rangers. As I want to see a decent final I'll plump for Liverpool. They have the experience and the stomach for European football. Chelsea bore me rigid...and I know what real boredom is. I've supported the arsenal for 50 years, and 40 of those were not too exciting.

[John]

Doesn't matter who gets through, the rivalry between Chelsea and MU is just as likely to kick-off! Hope we can trust the fans to keep it to a minimum, though.

[Chris]

"Or does the big stage deserve a United-Liverpool final, since both teams have such history?"

The final DESERVES to have the best 2 UK teams. Not a team that yet again fails to compete in the Premier League, making the business end of the Champions League a lot easier to navigate with rested players.

[TED DRAKE]

To those Liverpool fans falling back on their 'history' once again, and particularly to those who have wormed their way out of the woodwork following victory in Istanbul. You might well be the most sucessful club in English history but currently you are barely the fourth best team in England. With Cahill back i would put Everton ahead, and speaking of history Liverpool origionally wanted to be called Everton Atheletic after the older club, and Anfield used to be the home of Everton, everyone's got to start somewhere. Returning to recent history: you would not have won in Istanbul if you had been good enough to be fighting for the premiership title and once again your mediocre League performances have left you able to concentrate on the Champions League. It seems that it is the Chelsea team who take up the true spirit of football- and don't talk to me about Chelsea and money etc. ruining the game, the minute the Premier League and Sky came in it was enevitable, for all top flight clubs as recent events at Liverpool highlight- It is in fact Chelse have the passion and determination (things i get so bored of hearing Liverpool supposedly have in abundance ... as bad as the Scottish). Passion and determination needed to see out a League season to the END and not give up. Manchester United have been the best team this year, Chelsea have admirably kept them under pressure to the death, and Arsenal play some of the best club football in the world. All three show signs of being great clubs. Once again Liverpool have failed to show any sign that they are like the trully 'great' Liverpool teams of old and have contributed little to the Premier League (now the best League in Europe). Raffa once again saves his skin with a couple of jammy champions league results, but not this season, tonight Liverpool lose. Stop talking about history, are Liverpool in the top five best teams in Europe NOW? No, they're fith best in England.

[Micky]

Liverpool.... great club history
Chelsea.... what club history?
United.... first english team to play in European Cup.

If you go for Nostalgia, it would United-Liverpool.
I'd love to knock those scousers off their perch. But I would also like to torment those stupid Blues. Chelsea have never deserved a squad to play on all fronts, only United and Liverpool do, and maybe Arsenal. Its possible for anyone, its just buying the right players. Sometimes lower priced guys can make a team (Evra, Vidic didn't cost all that much, now they are stars in United's defence) but in recent years Liverpool don't look interested in winning the league after maybe September-October.

[LFCforLife]

I'm sure when Chelsea get knocked out this eve and dont win the premier league 'Big Blue' will be wishing they had be 'resting players'. As for Liverpools history, I'd just like to point out to Big Blue that LFC is the most successful club in English history, come back when you know what your talking about!

League Champions
Liverpool 18
Man-United 16
Arsenal 13
Everton 9
Aston Villa 7

European Cup
Real Madrid 9
AC Milan 7
Liverpool 5
Ajax 4
Bayern Munich 4

FA Cup
Man-United 11
Arsenal 10
Spurs 8
Liverpool 7
Aston Villa 7
Newcastle 6
Blackburn 6

League Cup
Liverpool 7
Aston Villa 5
Notts Forest 4
Leicester 3
Spurs 3
Chelsea 4

[Julius Blumfeld]

The Russian angle alone makes Chelsea in the final much more interesting than Liverpool, plus they have never there c.f. Liverpool for the zillionth time (yawn)

[Andrew]

It shouldn't be a matter of past history or rivalriy.

Whoever ends up playing Manchester United in Moscow will still offer an utterly entertaining show.

Liverpool are the great rivals of United, but having said that, wouldn't United fans love the opportunity to put one over Chelsea for their defeat at Stamford Bridge? Especially in Abramovic's home country? All the incentives are there.

Imagine also the bragging rights that the winning club can claim to having won the first ever all English final of the champions league!

[Will Duffay]

Big Blue: it's unfair to say that Liverpool have no interest in winning the League. They simply don't have the resources to compete with Utd and Chelsea. I'm sure they'd love to win both, or even just the League, but without effectively two 1st teams, they'll never manage it. Look at Arsenal, and the trouble they've had trying to do both. The problem is that the 'Champions'' League allows non-Champions to win - not Liverpool's fault.
Anyway, for those of us who dislike Chelsea's ethos, a Utd v Liverpool final is a dream. I'm sure the robust Russian police will keep order...