Blues central defender Ricardo Carvalho is not usually one for the papers. Quiet, reserved, Ricky is hardly ever seen in interviews or the like. However, the Portugese has been quoted in the Mirror on a fair view topics including how this current Chelsea side compares to previous editions -- particularly the 2004-05 Premier League winning side under then-coach Jose Mourinho.
“We’ve improved a lot and now I think we are much, much better, as a club and a team, than in 2004,” Carvalho said.
Now that's a bold statement. A rationale Ricky went on to clarify that there must be some substance to go with such a claim.
“It’s easy to say you’ve got better players and a better team, but you have to win some trophies. It’s important for me as a player and also for the club.
“In 2005 and 2006 we won, fighting - and now we have to do the same. We’ve got more quality in the squad and we want to get some good trophies.”
Chelsea currently sit atop the Premier League, and await Inter Milan in the first knockout stage of the Champions League. So, do you believe Carvalho speaks the truth. Or are you of the opinion that our back-to-back title winning teams were far superior? Let me know.
For reference, here's a look at our full squad in 2004-05. It seems so long ago:
| No. | Nat. | Position | Player | Total | Premier League | Champions League | FA Cup | Football League Cup | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||||
| 1 |  |
GK | Petr Čech | 48 | 0 | 35 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 2 |  |
DF | Glen Johnson | 28 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 3 |  |
DF | Celestine Babayaro | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 4 |  |
MF | Claude Makélélé | 50 | 1 | 36 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 5 |  |
MF | Alexey Smertin | 25 | 1 | 16 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 6 |  |
DF | Ricardo Carvalho | 39 | 1 | 25 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 7 |  |
MF | Adrian Mutu | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | |
MF | Frank Lampard | 58 | 19 | 38 | 13 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 2 |
| 9 |  |
FW | Mateja Kežman | 40 | 7 | 24 | 4 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 |
| 10 | |
MF | Joe Cole | 46 | 9 | 28 | 8 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| 11 |  |
MF | Damien Duff | 48 | 10 | 30 | 6 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 2 |
| 13 | |
DF | William Gallas | 46 | 2 | 28 | 2 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| 14 |  |
MF | Geremi | 19 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 15 |  |
FW | Didier Drogba | 41 | 16 | 26 | 10 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| 16 |  |
MF | Arjen Robben | 29 | 9 | 18 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| 18 | |
DF | Wayne Bridge | 25 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 19 | |
MF | Scott Parker | 11 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 20 | |
DF | Paulo Ferreira | 42 | 0 | 29 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| 22 |  |
FW | Eiður Guðjohnsen | 57 | 16 | 37 | 12 | 11 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 1 |
| 23 |  |
GK | Carlo Cudicini | 11 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 24 |  |
FW | Mikael Forssell | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 26 | |
DF | John Terry | 53 | 8 | 36 | 3 | 11 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 27 | |
MF | Jiří Jarošík | 20 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 29 |  |
DF | Robert Huth | 15 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 30 | |
MF | Tiago Mendes | 51 | 4 | 34 | 4 | 11 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 31 | |
MF | Filipe Oliveira | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 |  |
DF | Steven Watt | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 33 | |
DF | Nuno Morais | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | |
GK | Lenny Pidgeley | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 42 | |
MF | Anthony Grant | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |