coolhead23

Despite all the issues we had, i guess Chelsea have always been blessed with good defense personals and it seems there are quite a few in waiting as well. Both the players have long contracts with the clubs plus they are playing regularly for the team and also winning trophies. I dont think they would want to go at this point of time plus we dont want to sell them, we want to built a team which could come close to being the best in the world and these players are so important for that. Midfield is what we need to strengthen not defense.

Honestly i wouldnt put Cahill and Luiz in the same league as Terry and Ivanovic, they are definitely good but not there yet. Selling off Ivanovic at this stage would be next to suicide, a player who is a set in our defense plus versatile makes the manager's job a little easier. I agree on the names u provided and would want a young right back who can be groomed and also act as backup to Ivanovic plus i would rather have the youth from the academy come in (give Hutchison and Burma more game time next season). Bosingwa please please if he stays another season i sure to get a heart attack.

Thats really not happening, but this season i mite just not be tempted. Next season, surely.

I think he would be going to United mostly because they have their strategy pretty well defined. Park was used to make inroads into the Asian market and now they would be doing the same with Kagawa who is a big name in Asia. And i believe he has expressed his interests to join United which pretty much lands him at OT next season.

I agree with what u say, but is this the time to even think about it. Who would replace him? Hutchinson/Burma, how many games have they played in the PL to show even half the class that Ivanovic provides on the pitch/team? We already have to start replacing Terry first which is the obvious thing and then move on to Ivanovic who can serve us for atleast a year or two. Replacing 2 stalwarts in defense would mean a big hole in our defense (i m not saying Cahill and Luiz are bad but these 2 are a level up then both) and then again the same old thing of purchasing new players from outside.

This is what i was referring to

Isnt having him equivalent to letting him go? Correct me if i m wrong

He is behaving badly off late but i m surprised that people want him to go, i mean how can that thought even cross our minds. He is a versatile player and someone who Chelsea need the most, he is surely making his journey among the best. Come on guys,we dont have anyone to replace him even for 30M

I do agree with what u say but i m just being brutally honestly here. We as a club in the last 8 years have grown to be giants in Europe and the kind of performances which was put up till March has been nothing but pathetic. Yes we are in the finals of the CL and we won the FA but isnt that what is expected out of any top team. What is more frustrating is that most of the top teams in the PL this season (baring City) have been poor and we just wanted to be worse it seems under AVB. Like u said about Roman taking notes, even i m assuming and hoping and praying the same. If he wants to see Chelsea at the top then he needs to get in stability first rather than just mindlessly spending money on his choices. Keep hoping and praying for the best is all that can be done from here on.

Obviously no .. that what i said we are trying to make it up. The ship has been damaged already, what is being done now is the repair work. So how we do the repair work from here would make up to the damage done.

We are a top club and playing midweek and weekend is a part and parcel of the game whether we like it or not. All major team have to undergo that, it is all about how the team balances it. We had to showcase something this season and i guess RDM must have thought FA and CL are the ones which make up something for an already pathetic season.

As much as i like Essien and want him to be a blue for life, i think the time has come to let him go because it seems he is really not trying to do anything. IN most of the matches of late he has looked like the boy who is lost in the park.

Why do we need to sell a young talent, we arent Arsenal? And it is just one of those bad time that he is undergoing. Give him another season and play him in the center and i m sure he would be a handful. Selfish, yes he is but then this lad has got an eye for goal. All we need to do is groom him, ground him (he tends to fly a lot) and provide him the right direction, i m sure we would be a great asset for the club.

It is a competition and a victory in the finals means motivation, revenue and accolades. So it does make sense to use your full strength to get a positive result which can have a cascading effect on the moral of the team and gives us fans something to cheer about.

Does anyone have the highlights of the match? Not sure if it is already posted but i m not able to find it. Could anyone of u help?

I agree that Dan boy is selfish quite a few times but he has the potential nevertheless, i would still give him a season and play him more on the center rather as a winger to exploit his potential. Cavani can wait and honestly like i said in the other topics i dont want to buy a 30m+ something at this point of time when we have Torres coming in his groove.

We ran out of gas finally last nite. Guess yesterday's match was a clear indication of the quality that we have at our disposal. Yes we have been playing quite a few games off late and winning quite a few but still there is no quality once the rotation start. I m not very disappointed because the damage had been already done, all we were doing was trying to fill in the holes. Well played Newcastle and specially the credit has to go to Alan Pardew (he should be a clear favorite for the Manager of the season)

I completely understand your point, but i would still not want to go for a striker at this time atleast not someone like Cavani who is going to cost us 30m+ maybe a backup who should not cost us beyond the 7-8m mark. (i m more into saving money than spending it lavishly) I would still try to keep the faith in Sturridge for another year and maybe he mite just mite mature next season. Midfield is something we need to look for real bad because thats what is going to drive everyone right from the players to the team to the managers.

Why do we need to buy a star striker next season? Torres is coming back on form, lets get Dan boy in the middle plus we could use Lukaku as backup or if Drogba doesnt go then we got 4 strikers. We have been playing with the lone striker up front dont think it would change. What we need is proper midfield, invest the money in good midfielders rather than strikers! U want 30+ goals from Torres/strikers, get a proper midfield who can feed your strikers.

Do we really want him? He is a good player nevertheless but we have Romeu waiting who can pair up in the CM position with Ramiers. I wouldnt mind Fellaini as a backup to them if he comes in real cheap.

Maybe Torres and Drogba playing together now (strange things have happened after RDM took over) mite just work in the 4-2-3-1 where either one of them can play in the hole. Again as a shot term measure it could work but beyond this season strictly a NO.

We need to win all our league games which would be real tough. And if we dont then we have to rely on the others so it going to be very tough however we do have the short cut route available now. Beating Bayern is going to be very tough as well but it is just one game and if we can give everything that we have like we have been doing then we are in.

Just the right kind of signing that Chelsea need to be looking for the rebuilt. Versatile (can play both flanks and center), pacey and importantly not much money spend along with quick transfer. I m not sure how did he perform in the last few season but his addition i believe is more of a squad player because he can be used as an offensive player anywhere upfront. Great piece of news!

I think what RDM did was completely right in doing what he did. I know there was some consequences to it but if you look at it, it was something which was totally absurd on that yellow cards. It couldnt have been prevented even if the players knew that they were one card away from suspension because those cards were not from the book ( how can u yellow card someone for stamping the penalty spot or just arguing with the ref)

Purely on emotional ground, it would be Torres's goal against Barca. However i would vote from Ramiers chip something which even Messi would be proud of as well. Thats not only the best goal for me but a moment defining one for us.