Blue In Green

:ballack: But seriously, congrats to Malouda.

When you have about £7 billion to burn, £50 million seems like buying a pack of gum.

Two CL sides in a preseason fixture...wonder if this will be the only time we see Rangers in 2011-12?

If you want to eat out, look around Earl's Court. () On the pitch, keep the locker room in line. Do that and the talent will do the rest.

Roman has led a renaissance over the past decade or so and I am grateful he's here. He could have just as easily purchased the Cottagers. His aspirations and his money are a double-edged sword. Yes, we can afford players like Torres now, but his sometimes rash decisions don't always make sense on the surface. In that case, we as fans are right to question the thought process behind them. His way is much better than the alternative, though - who knows where this club would be now if he never got involved?

Villas-Boas has managed for less than TWO full seasons. I don't think he is ready to manage a veteran tabloid fodder club, accomplishments aside. How will he handle the next JT/Ashley Cole screwup? How will he assert himself to what is becoming a belligerent boss? Porto is, despite their accomplishments, a regional club. Chelsea has global appeal and attracts global interest. In this league and this club, you can be a great tactical manager but mishandle things in the press and in the locker room and you will fail all the same. I'm not saying that Villas-Boas doesn't have potential, he has lots of it in fact. But do you think Roman will give him the time to grow into the job when others have not had that luxury?

Roman should get rid of all pretense and appoint himself manager. He determines the transfer targets, the staff, etc. anyway. Not like it's a big leap for him. I'm surprised any manager would be willing to work here, seeing as Roman goes through managers more often than most people go through a bog roll/roll of toilet paper.

If Roman really is serious, he should put his ego away, hand The Special One a blank check and tell him to write in however much he wants to get him back at Stamford Bridge. However, I think Roman may want a guy who would be cheaper to fire in 12-24 months if things don't work out, so I would put my money on Villas-Boas.

Well, there you go. That's what I thought would happen. This has probably been known since Old Trafford; I'm not surprised at all. We are running into a problem, though. How many "world-class" managers can you run through before there aren't any left? I fear that we will soon be hiring 'Arry Redknapp or Gerard Houllier...

Carlo's fate was probably decided one way or the other before this match, considering we looked so flat today. I find it hard to believe the players would sabotage a man fighting for his job.

This, pretty much. The logic here is visible; out of the list of managers Chelsea has had since Roman took over, Grant was manager the year we went to the final. (Personally, I think the strength of that side deserves more of the credit.) I thought his performance at Portsmouth last year was admirable, getting them to a cup final when the existence of the club was under serious threat and the side was clearly worse than some in the Championship. However, he crapped the bed with West Ham. On the basis of his performance this year, I don't want him here in any role.

I would rather have Ozil.

Football clubs do not have any obligation towards producing "home-grown" players, just as players have no obligation to play for a team within their nation of birth. I don't really care if the players come from West London or the West Indies; if they're good enough, they're good enough. (Sorry for being ) As for Neymar, that policy stands. He is kind of a brat, but he is also a brilliant young footballer that could add needed dimensions to this side as long as his...uh, impulses were kept to a minimum. Personally, I think his more brazen actions are due to his age, and he will grow out of it (I hope).

Watched Kalou for years and did not understand what he brought to the side until the match at Bloomfield Road. After he came in, the crispness, speed and precision of the side magically returned, while he ran across every inch of the pitch. Bringing him in changed the complexion of the match and arguably the season. I grew to respect him more after that.

2008-09 for me. Relatively simple with a smart collar and gild in the right places.

Kaka should have stayed at AC Milan. In fact, he may have trouble getting onto a CL side now if he's looking to move, because his last couple of years have been so poor. I don't want him at Chelsea, there are younger and more effective options out there. This isn't 2006.

If it's true, Sneijder for £24m is a bargain. Amazing how playing in England inflates a player's value. Between that for him and the £35m that the Scousers payed for Carroll...it's astounding.

The fact that Carlo is still Chelsea manager at this time makes me think he will have the position next season. Frankly, if Roman wanted to go another direction, Carlo would have been sacked the moment he got back into London and the rags would be stained with the news. As for Benitez, I have mixed feelings about him. His greatest triumph there came in his first season with a side he didn't build. He never had a side that didn't have at least one glaring weakness. Whether that was his fault or the budgets is something I may never know. He obviously did a great job at Valencia, but I felt he totally crapped the bed at Inter. To my eyes, he is becoming a worse manager by the day and he would fall out with Roman within their first week together because of his sometimes stupid demands. As for players, we need to make difficult decisions in the next couple of years or risk having the core of the side rot beyond easy repair. As tough as it is, we will eventually need to say goodbye to or drastically reduce the role of Drogba, Lampard, Essien, Terry, etc. Yeah, they took this side to heights never fathomed, but time waits for no one. Luckily, we have youth that may be able to fill many of those gaps. I wonder how many of our needs can be filled from within...

I'd say the away fans definitely deserved to wear blue yesterday, they were in full throat even at 2-0 down. Alex deserved to as well, simply because of his hustle on the goal line clearance. Everyone else either disappeared or looked like Keystone Kops. As for the last several games, make the veterans realize their spot is not secure. Yesterday, they played like they just have to show up and it will all fall magically into place. I want to see any of the kids that aren't on loan starting and playing all 90 if fitness allows, results be damned. Keep some of the bigger offenders yesterday off the side entirely, and if they don't like it, they can do something about it in August. Besides, I think giving McEachran and the others substantial time now when the pressure is off will make it easier for them to blood into the side next year, if they prove they are capable and ready. However, Carlo is probably fighting for his job and may not feel he has such a luxury.

Tighten it up guys! Damn, that was close.

Kind of odd to say a game just opened up after three goals were scored, but there you go. Much better chances for the Blues this half.

Great defensive effort, tracking back by Alex! I knew something like that would happen.

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:delight: That's right, Super Frank! Rushing back to the center circle, this is much better!

Finally getting runs into the box. C'mon, pull one back!

Torres finally on for...Kalou. Will not matter since Ivanovic will probably be sent off before the end of the match.