EskWeston

Every time this story is mentioned it is a different reason why the contract isn't done yet! It is not enough money, then it is not long enough contract, then it is details like image rights, then it is wanting to go and play with Jose ect... ect... ect.... It is crazy the way this has been reported, Frank is still on holiday, how is anything supposed to get done then? Why would he do contract negotiations over the phone while he is on holiday? Come next week we will have more of an idea of what is happening once he returns to the club, talks to Scolari and presumably begins negotiations or says he wants to leave.

Conflicting reports on this throughout the media today. Some reports saying a fee is agreed and he is on his way to London, others that Chelsea "could" be a possibility. Others that he is going to Barca!!! Well i am sure we will find out soon enough, our transfer movements are really gearing up now.

Drogba is a very strange case, last season wasn't a particulary good one for him thats for sure, for various reasons. The thing is though he could stay with us and be absolutely sensational again, or he could act like he is really not up for it again and not be anywhere near as good as he can be. We just don't know what Drogba we are likely to get should he stay.....

Can't see much valid in there to be honest. Scolari may not have done club management in Europe but he has been successful at his job wherever he has gone and has managed some of the biggest names in world football well and earned their respect! Wrighty talks as if Brazil are guranteed to win the World Cup every time! They have only one it 5 times. Not to mention the fact that leading up to that winning World Cup year Brazil were very unfancied. Scolari has also firmly put Portugal on the Football map! They have been hugely successful in his time and he deserves all the credit for that. Ian Wright is a complete twat and can give a sensible or reasonable comment about football if he tried.

Even through all this speculation i still just can't see Lampard leaving. I would be completely shocked and dissapointed if it does happen.

Not someone who i would have thought we would sign. If these reports today are true it looks like it will happen though. Obviously everyone is going to assume it will mean Lampard is 100% off but it doesn't nessesarily mean that, we could accomodate everyone in our squad playing with 3 in the middle. ............Essien/Mikel............Lampard/Ballack............ .........................Deco/Arshavin................................ Like i said it possible but highly problematic. Everyone will want to play every game and that is a midfield full of first team regulars every week, could everyone be kept happy enough? Only Scolari knows if he could do that.

If there is one person who should never be allowed to talk about football it is Ian Wright...

As far as "cast offs" go, you would find it hard to get better players normally than the likes of Eto'o, Ronaldinho, Robinho ect... I am not worried in the slightest of being linked with these players. As far as Drogs goes, it would not suprise me to see him leave this summer, it may be because he wants to go and it may be because Scolari/the club want to get ris of him.

Looks pretty good to be fair.

Yes it never really seemed to work effectively for us to be truthful, although it was emploed by Grant, Scolari may be able to make it work better. But in reality we need players who fit, rather than making playrs fit.

Quaresma would be another good addition, my only worry is too many Portugese players. Hilario, Carvalho, Bosingwa, Ferreira, Deco already.....

Yes Torres does play as a lone striker, although Liverpool do play with their wingers in very advanced positions supporting Torres. One of those being Kuyt who is anything but a winger!

You are right, we have never properly replaced Robben and Duff. Kalou for me still has potential, and i think can be moulded still into a top class winger, his assists and goals stats are pretty impressive, he just needs to be more consistant. Joe is great on the wings, but not so much in the direct way i think we need to see. I would sell Malouda and Wright-Phillips, stick with Cole and Kalou and bring in 2 new wingers who can get the pulses racing again. My pick right now given ability and the actual potential in the transfer happening - Robinho and Ronaldinho.

Playing 1 up top the goals do tend to be shared around more anyway. But yes, we want our strikers to be banging away more goals than what they currently are. The lamps situation is by no means clear, but we should never count on him picking up 20 goals per season, it is immensely hard for a midfielder to achieve, Lamps has managed it on a regular basis for us now but even if he stays there is a good chance he may not get that many again.

Something along those lines is more than likely accurate. Can't see Ben Haim, Sidwell or Pizarro staying. We don't need to replace Sidwell or Ben Haim because we already have enough bodies there. A minimum of one winger will most certainly leave and probably 2 to make way for some new players to have a go. There definately needs to be some invention and creativity injected into this squad. We have started on that with Deco and hopefully we can add a couple more that too.

Lol, the wingers is one position where we seriosuly need to invest in some big talent. For me Robinho would be a fantastic purchase. Only time will tell though.

The striker situation for us is clearly a weakness, obviously there is sufficiant talent there for Scolari to maybe think he can get them firing. But i would not be suprised if he wants to bring someone in who he can be more confident in. Pizarro is the obvious choice if anyone is to leave.

With no players yet leaving the club this summer it is clear that Scolari wants to meet up with the whole squad before decided/informing who will be leaving this summer. We at the moment have quite a large squad: Keepers: Cech, Cudicini, Hilario Defenders: Bosingwa, Ferreira, Belletti, A.Cole, Bridge, Terry, Carvalho, Alex, Ben Haim, Ivanovic, Alcides Midfielders: Lampard, Ballack, Essien, Mikel, Makelele, Deco, Sidwell Wingers: J.Cole, Kalou, Malouda, Wright-Phillips Strikers: Drogba, Shevchenko, Anelka, Pizarro Clearly at the moment our squad needs some trimming, and also some more fresh blood. So there are quite a few futures still in the balance. With 2 new players already named for the new season there is most certainly still a LOT of movement due withing this squad both in and out. Pre Season training starts on the 7th, the first Pre Season game is on 23rd and i am not sure when they will actually fly out. The majority of activity will want to be done before they jet off for the pre season games i would have thought. What are your thoughts on the movement within this squad for next season?

It would certainly be a suprise to see him stay next season. He offered us very little last season. With Drogba, Sheva, Anelka and Pizarro as strikers on our books - 3 of them failing to impress at all and the other seemingly having no idea where he wants to spend his future i would guess that a new striker is in the mind of Scolari for sure!

Chelsea striker Claudio Pizarro says he is looking forward to working under new boss Luiz Felipe Scolari at Stamford Bridge. Scolari officially took up his post at the West London club on Tuesday and his first and main priority will be to sort out the squad he has inherited. He wasted no time in snapping up Deco from Barcelona, and even though Pizarro has struggled to establish himself in SW6 since arriving from Bayern Munich last summer he is keen to see what Scolari has planned. Despite reports in Greece linking Pizarro with a loan switch to Panathinaikos, he is determined to meet Scolari and impress the Brazilian. “I look forward to taking my chances with the arrival of the new coach, who is a winner,” said Pizarro in La Nacion. Source: Setanta Sports

Well it certainly looks better. Lets hope the content can improve a little bit as well!!!

It's not quite like that anymore though, football in this country is being pushed to be more pleasing on the eye. More protection is given to players now and also skillful players are encouraged to perform. Look at Arsenal, not exactly a physical side by any means but they are still able to outplay their oppenents. With the mentality that any creative player would not cut it in the Premier League we will never be able to produce the attacking football everyone wants to see. Robinho i am sure, especially considering he is a Brazilian international, would be able to perform in the Premier League and do it exceptionally well. Lets just hope we get the chance to find out. Or we could be stuck with Malouda and SWP on the wings still, but at least they can hande the physical nature of the Premier League

age-wise at 28 Ronaldinho is right in the middle of his prime.

It's not the Premiership that is the issue for Sheva, it was more of a case of losing some of his pace and more impotantly playing in a different system with different types of players. There are not exactly many rugged wingers out their, our 2 best wingers in recent years would be called lightweight but they managed to still tear defences apart!

Rubbish. You are either a good player or a bad player........ there is no such thing as a player only suited to the Premiership, or La Liga or Siere A. He is a great player and would be an ideal winger for us. Would be my number 1 choice signing this summer....