Zola kinda blue

Let me be more precise Problem is Luiz at the back and Torres upfront

New striker please and dont spare the cash!

Torres has cast a shadow over our team ever since he arrived. It was a big mistake by Carlo to start him against Liverpool and disrupt a winning side and formation that we only just found again. Its like a bad marriage now, where they are only staying together for the kids. RDM, to his credit, did try to find another striker who could make a difference and was cheap enough not to upset his No1 status,a nd that problem will still remain in Jan, even if we did try and sign a top striker, they would be overpriced. Thankfully, we have Mata and Hazard etc to score the goals, but the role of your No1 striker is to step up in important games and deliver and not rely on others

Some people need to get a serious grip in here. We lost a football match ffs. Wishing death or injury on someone is plain insane and I urge you to seek a doctor asap for some perspective Its only a game

I think this is an example of our new transfer policy, We are trying to move away from paying big money on squad players. Instead we are trying to buy players like Marin, Cesar and Moses cheaply on cheap wages for cheap fees If they come good, they will be rewarded with bigger contracts. Gone are the days where we would have 2 similar ability players on pretty much the same wages, but only one of them would be playing, the other would be sitting on the bench. It makes perfect sense. We make the odd exception for those considered exceptional talent\potential like Hazard and Oscar, but they will figure more in the first team anyway than the others I mentioned. As we play 60 odd games, they will get a good few chances anyway but just not be considered first teamers like Ivan etc. We are actually trying to plan for the future and save money and respect FPP IMO The kids arent quite ready yet Ivan is 28. Thats why we dont want Debuchy, who is 27. He would expect a starting place and a contract to match that of Ivan. And we could be left in a situation where both leave at roughly the same time leaving us up a right back creek without a paddle! I'm convinced that we just want a cheaper and younger understudy to Ivan to take over in a couple of years time, who then in turn hopefully will have Kane as his understudy So I expect\hope Ivan > Cesar > Kane as the playing lineage

Chelsea Rumours ‏@ChelseaRumours Azpilicueta and Moses are apparently almost done deals. Confirmation could well come before Monday. #CFC Also RMC radio are reporting it now. Done deal.

And yet he is exactly the type of clinical striker we require - go figure!

If Lukaka does indeed go on loan, that leaves us with just 2 recognised Strikers - Torres and Danny. Thats not enough for a title pushing squad, so I exepct a striker and maybe even a right attacking midfielder\striker coming in

Not sure I agree with this - location is a factor, even a small one! It's a slightly less important reason but London is also a bit closer to Belgium than Manchester and I can get home a little easier from here.' Read more: http://www.dailymail...l#ixzz21Rzdz1vg

Yes, in many ways the forgotten" man. I expect him and Hazard to play a big part next season

Errr- that could just be them playing it down. A lot of sources are saying it has been accepted and its just the player side to be sorted. The players main agent reckons its a done deal The player's agent has also told Neto, as reported by Sky, that he expects his client to agree terms with the Stamford Bridge club over the next few days, so the move is on, despite the player saying it is off.

The way I see it is this. Modric wants to leave Spurs end of. He wants a pay rise and the chance to win trophies, time is running out. Because of family he would prefer London and Chelsea is the only realistic option in London. But he knows that Levy is a twat and will only let him go abroad. Hence RM will "do"

Is this a fresh bid? Or a re-hash of yesterdays news? Didnt Oscar say he didnt want to move for 2 years? Confused now!

Not really, they slag him off all season - for them , he is their Kalou!

From an Arsenal thread Walcott can fcuk right off, id never let him near a starting place for Arsenal

Rumour update! While many rumors circulating about his future, Stevan Jovetic will try to make clear today, and in particular in the coming hours, which might be decisive for whether or not the stay in Florence. According to reports from Gazzetta dello Sport, the viola player would aspire to prestigious goals, which can not guarantee the momentola Fiorentina. In the afternoon we will meet the Montenegrin leadership and technical Montella to clarify the situation, with Juventus and Chelsea ready to take advantage.

how on earth do you know we wont be buying another striker? because I think we will. Despite chelsea's public face, are we really going to rely on a bloke who still hasnt got anywhere near breaking double figures in the league? Even Danny got double figures in his first full season and thats playing on the wing! Now, just beacise we have hazard, Torres is going to become "that player" for us? I highly doubt and really hope we buy someone else. If Hulk comes then he could help in that dept, or we buy a young striker who we hope will become first choice later, like Schurrie

The following was reported on 90elf, a german radio station http://www.90elf.de/ It is a german station that mostly deals with footy and Rock. Generally not a gossip station compared to the british and Irish phone in rubbish. In the sports news report, they were quoting two Portuguese broadsheets and one Portuguese radio station. All three are based in Porto. They seemed very certain that an announcement would be made by FC Porto either tonight or by close of business (office hours I presume as they did not specify) on June 1st. The fee they quoted would be circa €45m to €50m ( roughly in the £35m to £40m range)

No he DOESNT PLAY for Swansea, but he is "learning" http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2122117/Brendan-Rodgers-defends-Josh-McEachran-loan.html Piazon scored again last night, but that Bamford kid from forest is looking the biz I know we've been here before, but theres some good players in the reserves, hope they break through Chelsea (4-5-1): Russell; Kane, Ince, Saville, Deen-Conteh; Feruz (Phillip 61), W Clifford (Baker 90+2), C Clifford, Chalobah, Piazon; Bamford. Read more: http://www.expressandstar.com/sport/wolverhampton-wanderers-fc/2012/04/04/wolves-3-chelsea-2-analysis-and-pictures/#ixzz1r3dwBH6K

Our first mexican?. Out on loan at Vitesse, struggling to get into the first team, played well in the reserves and recently back onto the bench against FC Twente but unused. Piazon is doing well in the reserves and scored against Swansea recently. Theres high hopes for him in the future http://www.chelseafc.com/page/TheReservesNews/0,,10268~2698993,00.html

Crespo - what a player! never should have been shown the door

Good article here, but its what we all know and agree anyway! http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/b...otball-tactics Chelsea play clever when Juan Mata is central to their plans Moving Juan Mata out wide limits the influence of a player with the ability and brain to control the tempo of a match It wasn't the brilliant volley just after the break that underlined Juan Mata's importance to Chelsea. It wasn't the late, curling free-kick that forced David De Gea into a full-length save either, or even the delivery from wide for the third Chelsea goal. It was a 20-yard sideways pass to José Bosingwa in the 65th minute, with the score at 3-1, that slowed down a Chelsea attack. It annoyed Florent Malouda, who wanted a pass in front of him to attack Manchester United's new right-back Antonio Valencia, and it prompted an audible moan around Stamford Bridge. But the pass demonstrated Mata's intelligence and awareness of the situation. Chelsea had gone 3-0 up without playing particularly good football, but had then allowed United back into the game. The second half was frantic, fast-paced and end-to-end. Chelsea, the side with the two-goal advantage, didn't want that – they needed to calm things down, kill the game, control the tempo. Mata was the only one who understood that. His pass was unspectacular, underwhelming and lacking in ambition. But it was the right thing to do; it prompted a whole minute of pure Chelsea possession, something they struggled to recreate later on, at a time when United attack followed United attack and Chelsea made clearances when they could have played passes. And what followed that minute of possession? A shot from Mata, controlled, precise and forcing De Gea into a smart stop down to his right. It was the perfect way to attack at that moment, to control the game, frustrate United, then pounce quickly. Mata is the one thinker in a Chelsea side being turned into an exciting team, but one based around pace and technique rather than thoughtfulness. Villas-Boas desires a 'vertical' game, but yesterday they needed to be more horizontal. Raul Meireles and Michael Essien are both box-to-box players more than holders, Daniel Sturridge and Malouda moved high up and wanted to break quickly, while Fernando Torres was naturally hunting for the goal that seems destined never to arrive. Chelsea were playing too direct and they needed someone to soothe a side full of shuttlers and scurriers. The most intelligent footballers adjust their game and make the correct decisions according to the situation. The former Real Madrid midfielder Fernando Redondo was a master of that, described by Fabio Capello as a 'tactically perfect' player, able to defend and attack equally well by using the same strengths in different ways. Being adaptable in this respect is the final part of José Mourinho's coaching regime. He devises drills based around 'guided discovery', helping the players to arrive at their own conclusions. The ultimate aim is to make his players intelligent enough to adjust the shape and style of the side based according to the tactical situation in the game, without the need for input from Mourinho. He likes an on-field leader, a central midfielder who carries out the instructions and sets the tone for the rest of the side. Esteban Cambiasso did that conspicuously at Inter, while Xabi Alonso was earmarked for the role at Real Madrid. Villas-Boas is a disciple of Mourinho, of course, and his technical leader is unquestionably Mata. The Chelsea coach spends much of his time on the touchline dictating instructions to players. He is remarkably pedantic with regard to positioning, often whistling to a defender from his odd crouching position, then gesturing for them to move a couple of yards deeper, or a couple of yards narrower. Mata is slightly different. Villas-Boas rarely shouts to him, but often calls him over for a much longer chat, as if discussing a full-blown change in manifesto rather than a modification in policy. Mata may never be the right kind of player to be Villas-Boas's captain – and this week of all weeks, you won't get many people at Chelsea wanting to discuss the subject of captaincy – but he is unquestionably the face of Villas-Boas's Chelsea. In fact, he is the face of Villas-Boas: the two look remarkably similar when discussing the game on the touchline, and the coach towering over the playmaker while lecturing him resembles a kid taking advice from his older brother midway through a school football trial. Villas-Boas has had to change his strategy since he came to Chelsea, in two particular ways. The first was a move from a constant 'high block' to a medium or low block – in other words, moving from heavy pressing towards more of a reserved position, and in some games (most notably the crucial win over Mata's former club Valencia) dangerously close to parking the bus. The second was restricting the attacking license of the holding midfielder, for Villas-Boas ideally likes a rotating midfield triangle, demonstrated by the movement and understanding his Porto side enjoyed in midfield. "We decided it doesn't work here, so that's one of the things I have adapted," he said. "You lose a little bit of balance in the Premier League if you play that way. Transitions here are much more direct, making the importance of the number six (the holder) to stay in position more decisive." Both moves have been more cautious, more pragmatic than his initial philosophy dictated. The next change might be to become less vertical and more patient with the ball. In home games against big sides Chelsea have twice lost points late on, to Arsenal (5-3) and Liverpool (2-1). Now they've surrendered a three-goal lead to Manchester United. Villas-Boas will explain that by stressing his commitment to attack, but it's not just a question of how much the side attacks, it's a question of how they attack. In fairness, Chelsea did snatch the points late on against Manchester City in another big home game. But that win was secured when City went down to 10 men, Roberto Mancini moved to a very narrow 4-3-1-1 system that allowed Chelsea space down the flanks, and the home side won the decisive penalty after an attack that crossed the pitch three times, flank to flank. Sideways can be equally effective as forwards. It was a sideways move that Chelsea needed yesterday, but a sideways move of a different kind to the one made by Villas-Boas that ultimately cost them. His decision to move Mata out to the right meant his conductor had been pushed to the margins, and Chelsea were suddenly clueless with the ball. Oriel Romeu came on, played much deeper, and Chelsea conceded the midfield ground for the final 20 minutes. Villas-Boas is largely trying to recreate his Porto side at Chelsea, though the biggest caveat is Mata, who is unlike anyone Villas-Boas coached in Portugal. It has been assumed that Mata would learn about the Premier League in a wide role before being gradually brought into the centre, but his adaption to the league has been remarkably swift, and Sunday's showing might be the catalyst for the decision to play him centrally on a permanent basis.

Balague on Sky tv says we and City are interested in Real Madrid's Pepe. Havent seen this myself mind

Will we ever have the chance of seeing Cole and Will_I_AM together on the same pitch. Tonight was gonna be a good night, but now Roman, "where is the love"??!!

Got him! According to Wiki! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucas_Rodrigues_Moura_da_Silva Lucas Rodrigues Moura da Silva known as Lucas (born August 13, 1992 in São Paulo), is a Brazilian football attacking midfielder. He currently plays for Chelsea F.C. and the Brazilian national team Chelsea F.C. On 29 January Lucas signed for Chelsea F.C.