James

Jose Mourinho’s second coming may not have produced instant success that everyone connected with Chelsea was hoping for, but bringing back ‘The Special One’ could reap considerable dividends. Coming so close to winning the Premier League and falling agonisingly short of Champions League glory at the semi-final stage still represents a step in the right direction, but Mourinho was openly adamant that foundations were being built to be much stronger in his second season. Moulding a squad to suit his style of play and meet the quality that a club of Chelsea’s considerable calibre demands was the challenge put forward to a manager who worked closely with Roman Abramovich to target top quality signings. A summer packed with incomings and outgoings have put Chelsea in a wonderful position to mount a serious challenge on every domestic and European front to enjoy the success that fans and Abramovich expects. Summer transfers A major factor behind Chelsea’s potential development was how Mourinho would utilise the summer transfer window to put the club in a much stronger position to challenge for major honours. Although it was always likely that the club could flex its considerable financial muscle in bringing in big name players, there was a case for negotiation to let players who Mourinho wanted to move on leave Chelsea for pastures new. Selling David Luiz and Romelu Lukaku for a combined total of £78 million should be considered a masterstroke, despite an underlying feeling that letting a highly-talented forward leave may come back to haunt Mourinho. The arrival of Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa not only represent wonderful deals for Chelsea, but also resulted in the club moving ahead of Manchester City as the bookies’ favourites to win the 2014/2015 Barclays Premier League. Atletico Madrid left-back Felipe and Queens Park Rangers striker Loic Remy have also arrived through the doors at Stamford Bridge, while Didier Drogba has made an emotional return to the club; the Ivorian remains a firm fans’ favourite, with the striker providing an invaluable option upfront with his considerable strength and power. It would be stupid not to back them with the wealth of quality at Mourinho’s disposal, with the squad stronger than ever in every department. Statement of intent Enjoying a strong start to the season was essential for the Blues to make a real statement of intent and lay down a marker for their closest Premier League rivals to match. Three consecutive victories represent a wonderful start for Chelsea who swept aside Burnley, Leicester and Everton to record maximum points. Although Leicester gave Chelsea a real scare at Stamford Bridge before Diego Costa and Eden Hazard sealed a 2-0 victory, Mourinho’s men have been in ominous form from the get-go. The supreme quality of play in all departments has been a joy to behold, with Fabregas and Diego Costa instantly repaying their transfer fees with superb performances. They have both made an immediate difference in areas where Chelsea arguably fell short last season; Fabregas has the vision and range of passing to dissect defences and create chances at will, while Costa brings considerable physicality, strength and deadly eye for goal which should make amends for Chelsea’s lack of goals from the forward line. There is no question that Chelsea are well equipped to be a dominant force in the Premier League, but also have enough in the tank to be a major threat in the domestic cup competitions and Champions League. Click here to view the article

What are these for?

It's most probably a link to another website in that topic causing this.

My wins this week

RIP https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jBO348MgQc

Post it here http://forum.talkchelsea.net/forum/9-articles/ it will get checked then approved.

This weekend we welcome Leicester City to Stamford Bridge in the Premier League for the first time in nearly 10 years. Ahead of the game we caught up with Ivar Tisthammer from filbertway.com to ask him some questions. 1. When you did start supporting Leicester City and why them? In 1972 after watching them on telly v. West Ham. I war originally following Liverpool, as most kid were back then, or Leeds, but fancied Leicester more and more with entertaining football and some great players in Worthington and Weller especially. 2. What are your thoughts on Nigel Pearson and the work he has done since taking over in 2011? Nigel is back at Leicester in his 2nd period, and I am delighted to see him back. He is a good manager for Leicester City, and the right man for the club at the moment. I wish him all the best and hopefully he can be spot on with his new men coming in as he has in the past, great transfer deals done so far. He has taken City up two divisions, and guided them to two play-off's and hopefully he will secure City in the PL this season. He is 51 years of age and has climbed the ladder both as a player and a manager, doing it in a proper way, and he must now the English game inside out. He also surprises a bit, sitting in the stands, something I don't favour, and also signing a number of odd players, one is Gary Taylor-Fletcher, but they are out there doing the job for him, so no worries. 3. Who is your best player and why? I believe Danny Drinkwater Is our best player, followed by Kasper Schmeichel and Liam Moore. All three of them doing great for City. Moore is so fantastic, coming from Leicestershire and hopefully he will go to win more caps not only for the England U.21 team. I just hope that we will keep him for another two or three seasons before clubs higher in the league comes looking for him. Man Utd have allready been linked with him. 4. What did you make of your first game back in the Premier League last weekend against Everton? It was just great to be back, playing maybe one of the better teams and getting a result. The fact that new forward Leo Ulloa also scored a goal and that the team managed to come back twice v. Everton were the great positives. The negatives was there to see, and they can be fatal if something isn't done, hopefully against Chelsea a few of the errors will be fixed. City have a full back problem on both sides against the best teams, and it could have turned out badly, but we were lucky. Another fact is that Drinkwater had to leave the field and we are not playing our best 11 against Chelsea. 5. What are your expectations for this season? Hopefully to continue playing the football we did last season and not try to change too much, then I feel that everything will be ok in the chase for survival. Hoping to be around 12th when the season ends. A number of promoted sides have managed that in the past and hopefully City can do so this season. 6. Which player would be key for you in this game to get a result? Kasper Schmeichel. He can save us and be the reason also for City staying up this season. At his best, we would not change him with anyone, and the way he performed for Denmark v. England a few months back shows everyone what Schmeichel Jr can do. 7. What are the strengths and weaknesses of Leicester? The strength, of course the goalkeeper and keeping up the tradition of having some great names in the past, Banks and Shilton used to play for Leicester, so did also Tim Flower and Ian Walker, all of them previous England internationals. 8. What is your best memory of Leicester's clash with Chelsea and why? That must the 2-0 win in 2000, when Stan Collymore and Muzzy Izzet scored the goals. A few weeks later City were top of the Premier League table, what a great start to a season. 9. Chelsea have had difficulties breaking down lesser sides who 'park the bus' last season. Do you think Nigel Pearson will set Leicester up to play that away against us or will he try to take the game to us? If he will park the bus, I don't know, but to believe to go to Stamford Bridge and start entertaining, will be foolish. He surprised everyone playing 4-4-2 In the game v. Everton, after playing 4-5-1 in most pre-season games, so I am not shure what he will be up to against Chelsea. We have no tradition of parking the bus, so I believe he will try to push forward, and as we could see against Burnley, you just did the business, and cooled it off In the 2nd half, don't know why. If it was fatigue or if Burnley have something about them. NP knows that a number of smaller clubs have in the past made ok results v. Chelsea, so he probably have studied some of those games to find a formula of play. 10. What would be expected lineup from Nigel Pearson on Saturday? My guess would be to go out in a 4-5-1 formation, and drop Ulloa from the starting line-up, but I am not shure. But my prediction is, Schmeichel – De Laet, Konchesky, Moore, Morgan – Hammond, King, Knockeart, Albrighton, Mahrez – Nugent. If Albrighton isn't fit he will probably play Vardy who is also back in contention after injury. If he goes with 4-4-2, Ulloa will play alongside Nugent and Mahrez or Knockeart will go to the bench. 11. What is your prediction for this game? I believe that your prediction of a 3-0 win for Chelsea is one that could happen, but the only thing I would be willing to hope for in my wildest dream is a 0-0 draw or a shocking 1-0 opener from us and that you come back in we manage a 1-1 draw. Click here to view the article

Welcome to the forums pal.

Everton have reached an “agreement in principle” to sign winger Christian Atsu on a season-long loan, manager Roberto Martinez was reported as saying yesterday. “Everything has been agreed with Christian - it’s just a matter of finalising little details more with his work permit and personal situation,” Everton manager Martinez said in the Liverpool Echo. A deal for the 22-year-old Ghana international is still subject to a work permit being received and the completion of other necessary paperwork. If completed, the move would mean a second successive year on loan for Atsu, who moved to Stamford Bridge from Porto for £3.5m last summer, but then headed out to Vitesse Arnhem. Click here to view the article

26,000 views all about the title isn't it Alex lad. 26k facebook likes as well if you hover over the button.

There from newsnow and facebook. There was 2,834 users online earlier which is the most ever on the website if you look at the stats at the bottom of the index.

well over 10,000 now

It is, just had over 8,000 views.

Summer signing Diego Costa scored a superb goal during The Blues’ pre-season charity match against Fenerbahce last night before being on the receiving end of a nasty two-footed challenge by Bruno Alves. With the score goalless in Istanbul the £32million-signing from Atletico Madrid who started the game as the lone striker picked up the ball with his back to goal and danced his way past three players before driving his low strike past the goalkeeper and into the net. Branislav Ivanovic rounded off the win with his goal minutes later to hand Chelsea a 2-0 victory against Fenerbahce. Click here to view the article

No its because this is an article for our main website http://www.talkchelsea.net/_/media/didier-drogba-im-going-home-r551

Our friends at art-of-football.com have just brought out this fantastic design to celebrate Didier Drogba's return to Chelsea! Click Here to check it out Cut Didier Drogba open, and he bleeds Blue. His passion, commitment and desire to help the club to success, along with countless match-winning goals has secured his place in the fans hearts - and let us not forget his last kick in a Chelsea shirt. 19th of May 2012. Close up of the design Click here to view the article

Chelsea have today announced Oriol Romeu will spend a second season away from Stamford Bridge after he agrees to join Stuttgart on loan for next season. A statement on chelseafc.com read: 'Oriol Romeu has joined Stuttgart on a season-long loan. The midfielder, 22, who recently signed a three-year contract at Stamford Bridge, heads to the German top flight. Romeu last month put pen to paper on a new three-year deal, leading Chelsea fans to believe he would form part of Mourinho's plans for the coming campaign, possibly at the expense of John Obi Mikel. The Spaniard moved to Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2011 from Barcelona, and has so far made 33 Chelsea appearances. He spent last season on loan at Valencia. Romeu has not played a competitive game for Chelsea since December 2012 although he did play 70 minutes in Chelsea's 5-0 win over Wycombe Wanderers earlier in pre-season. Click here to view the article

Knew i recognized your name from somewhere, welcome to the forum.

Fuck sake missed this.

I went to this last year epic.