DavidEU

The desire to win the ball back at times from the front four is outstanding. What a player Hazard could soon become.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pairnCwHTjk

Fuck me, its so poor. So so poor. Its an FA Cup semi final boys, come on.

Ake and Ferreira with no Mata, Hazard or Oscar? Early goal for Kazan and this'll be edgy. Where the hell is Bertrand?

Told all three are legit. Sorry guys.

Hazard on the bench and Mata out, apparently.

Congratulations Frank. Absolutely incredible achievement.

Efe Ambrose was back playing fo Celtic last night, so the Nigeria players should all have returned to their clubs now. Whether RB thinks they're ready to play on Thursday is another matter.

guys, don't get over excited. would love to be wrong, but he'll be in charge come may. no doubt.

I want to enjoy our club again. Benitez, get out.

Win or lose, up the blues. This is going to be a toughy, never easy playing against half a team of home debuts. Boys need to get stuck in and fight til the 90th+ minute.

The pleasure was all ours, Roberto.

YES JUAN!

How easy did they cut through us there? Jesus.

Come on Chelsea. This would be a huge three points. Lets get it done.

Few quick notes from the PC this afternoon: Have to take our chances, and be more clinical, and be tighter at the back. Told the team at half time that we needed a third goal to 'kill' the game off. Says the poor form at home is down to the tactics of the away team. Allowed Southampton to counter because we didn't have the right balance between defence/attack. Have to keep winning games to prevent the fans from booing, and improve our home form. Winning will help to make the fans happy. Target is always to win the next game, and this will help us do our best until the end of the season. Arsenal game is important to create a big gap between us and them. 'Good' for Guardiola to go to Bayern because its a big club. Big surprise to see Adkins sacked at Southampton, says Pochettino is a good manager. Doesn't unsettle Benitez to see Zola and Laudrup linked with the job, says he has to just focus on game by game. No extra focus on Fernando Torres. Says the management is trying to improve everyone, and not just Torres. Says Ba is doing a great job. Says we wanted a striker that knew the league. No transfer news. Can't decide on whether or not JT will play Sunday because the pitch was too bad today (snow) to train on, so training was indoors. Will decide tomorrow/later. Says Arsenal will be a different type of game to QPR/Swansea/Southampton because they will not keep their players defending infront of their box. Re: JT. Important to have characters on the pitch. Says they are working hard on his fitness, and they'll see how he is tomorrow. Re: Torres, says we signed Demba Ba so that we can rest Torres sometimes, and this will help him be much better in the future. Says he is 'sure' for Fernando to go 'back to his level'. Says everyone knows Torres is a 'top striker'. Re: Torres/Ba starting together. Says it depends on the game, but starting two strikers would change the shape of the entire team. Says Ba has played wide and as a second striker for Newcastle, so he is capable of doing the same for Chelsea. Re: Temporary contract. Says he knew he was only singing until the end of the season and so his focus has always been to do well for Chelsea game by game until the end of the season and see where we are then and see what happens. Also says that the staff and players are supportive and doing well. Re: Pochettino. Says it is very different for foreign players to adapt to the Premier League, and even harder for managers because there is so much different here in regards to tactics/referees/style/opposition etc. Everyone was fit today, no new injuries. Says he is sure we can get back to the same level that beat Aston Villa 8-0.

The fact hes the best manager this club has ever had, by an absolute country mile, with the opportunity to replace Rafael f'ing Benitez makes it a good idea to me. If Roman cant swallow his pride and admit he was wrong on this, then more the fool him.

Come home, Jose. For christ sake, come home.

Confirmed by Benitez at this afternoons PC. Loan agreement in place for Piazon until the end of the season.

Key notes from the Benitez press conference: Says we are doing well away. Says teams play deeper when we are at home so its more difficult to create chances, where as away teams try and play against us to win, so we have more space to make a difference with our players. Says we have to prepare differently and improve at home. Have to learn to play at home.Have to keep winning games, and says that our statistics are improving and we need to see where we are in a few weeks.Demba Ba is fine. Trained yesterday and today.On Frank, says everyone knows he is playing well, and so is the team. And hopefully we can continue until the end of the season. Would be delighted if he can stay fit and beat Tamblings 202 record.Re Lukaku: says he is doing well at WBA and it is important for him to get experience. Says 'never say never' in principle to recalling him, but its better for him to stay with WBA.Agreement IS in place for Piazon to join Malaga until the end of the season.Statistics show that the league is still the most physical.No more injuries. JT is fine, but needs match fitness. Only Romeu, Mikel and Moses are out for the game.

Stoke City: Begovic; Cameron, Shawcross ©, Huth, Wilkinson; Walters, Whelan, Nzonzi, Etherington; Adam; Jones Subs: Sorensen, Whitehead, Upson, Kightly, Crouch, Shotton, Jerome. Chelsea: Cech; Azpilicueta, Ivanovic, Luiz, Cole; Hazard, Lampard ©, Ramires, Bertrand; Mata, Ba Subs: Turnbull, Torres, Oscar, Ferreira, Marin, Terry, Ake.

Ahead of Bertrand I believe. Not Drogba.

Rafa says at his press conference that Torres had a stomach bug in the week and was ill but played against Swansea. I don't know whether to believe that or not if I'm honest.

Press conference notes: John Terry is okay, trained today and is in the squad available to play tomorrow. Will NOT start tomorrow.Cech may travel and Rafa will decide before the game if he does. Would not rate his chances to play, but says its an option.No other team news. Everyone is okay other than Romeu.Says Demba did have a niggle (hamstring) before the Swansea game, and Torres played the game with a stomach bug because Demba couldn't play 90 minutes. Ba and Torres are both fine now.Asked a lot if Demba Ba would start tomorrow, and kept responding 'he is an option', 'we can have one of them, or both together'.Has no idea if the reports about Torres 'wishing he was back at Liverpool' are true, but he is giving 100% every day.Still says Torres is improving alot and seven weeks (Rafa's reign) is not enough to judge a change in Torres.Would not give any more information on Frank Lampard than before. Specifically asked if he would still be here at the end of the transfer window, and just said he was a good professional and he was happy with him.Would not discuss Taison and Fellaini. Had 'no idea' re: Taison. Did not know if his squad would be the same at the end of the transfer window.Laughed off talk of Luiz's haircut. Said it wasn't a matter for the game.Says the team is doing better than before during his seven weeks because we are 'scoring more goals and conceding less'. States that most managers have a 'three year project' and he has only been here for seven weeks.Says all the games that we have lost in his seven weeks we could have won, and had the chances to have won.

Whats heartbreaking is reading the first few pages of this thread. Chelsea fans will always support a player that gives 100% for the badge. If anyone here thinks he gives us that anymore, you're watching a different player to me. Just not fit to wear the shirt, end of.