Superblue

Agreed. Hopefully there will be a clause if he wins any of the major trophies that keeps him effectively bullet proof. I can also remember the praise he received for how West Brom played football. I believe he will slowly go about improving Chelsea's style, particularly with a full pre season and summer transfer window to make the most of. There are reports I have read that Guardiola is interested in a move to Shakhtar apparently next summer. With a bit of luck he'll decide the job isn't for him, and Di Matteo will be given the opportunity to build a new dynasty at the club.

Aren't psg seeded in the 4th pot for next seasons champions league?? Drawing them as the 'weak' team in our group would be a fucking nightmare! They might not win it but i can see them being a bit like napoli - capable of doing a job on the big teams. I can envisage us getting drawn in a 'group of death' as punishment for the luck we got this year.

Agree with the general consensus - 2004/05 through to 2006/07 were stellar seasons, as was 2009/10 but the expectations were always there. This season was definately the most satisfying, a fairytale against all odds journey that took me through a number of emotions i never thought i had! I think the feeling after drogba's penalty is also one i have never had, and never will have ever again.

I went to the 1997 FA Cup final with my dad. I was 10 at the time and the people in front of me kept standing up and blocking my view. When Di Matteo broke through the middle they all stood up, and by the time I had stood on my chair to see the ball was nestling in the back of the net I was at the 2000 FA Cup final aswell when Di Matteo's goal beat Villa. Unbelievable memories. What a legend. (That Arsenal goal was fucking amazing!)

Firstly he deserves a chance. The whole club would look ungrateful brats if we were to let him go having finally won us the big one. But secondly, something I have made a point of a few times is that when a player or manager represents 'their' club they are always willing to go that extra mile and find that extra 10% to get a result. Barcelona is Guardiola's club, and it would be interesting to see how he adapts to managing a club which isn't Barcelona - I would be worried to take that risk with it being us. Chelsea is Di Matteo's club. It's where he served the best years of his career, won trophies, and already had massive report with the fans before his success as manager. Coupled with Eddie Newton alongside him, they are prepared to go that extra mile for the club. He may be our answer to Guardiola, and I hope he gets a proper chance to do just that.

I think you'll find Hulk has started the last few matches for Brazil and is starting to prove himself as a first choice. And anyway this is the same Brazil that can't even find a place for Ramires in their squad, let alone the first team, and I don't think he has done too shabby for us!

Modric - we've already fucked them in the arse taking the Champions League place, so I don't want to make it easy for that twat Levy by giving them £30m+. Walcott - So overrated. Anyone from Liverpool - Our new feeder club haven't done us too proud yet! Anyone but Robbie Di Matteo for manager - Robbie deserves a chance, even if it's only a season.

Barcelona the so called greatest club side ever that is supposed to strike fear into eveery opponent. How embarrassing it must be for them then that we are the side they dread drawing in the Champions League and have psychological problems trying to overcome us, whilst we simply see them as a glorified Tottenham

I would highly doubt with the likes of Hazard, Mata, Hulk (hopefully), Marin, Torres, Sturridge and still Lampard chipping in with a few goals that we would be too worried about whether Martinez can score a boat load of goals or not.

If £110k pw is gross then the post tax wage won't be as high as £170k as paye and nic is factored into the gross wage. There would be employers nic but this is capped at 13.8%.

My understanding is that lampard is on £150k pw while terry was on £130k. Terry's contract got upgraded to £160k but he wanted the highest earner clause which chelsea weren't prepared to give him but they agreed to in the end because city would have paid him the earth. So when torres joined on circa £175k terry joined him. Thats one of the reasons i find it hard to believe hazard is on £200k pw

Yeah and i'm pretty sure it's what held up new contract negotiations when city were courting him. I love terry but there's no way we should have caved into that. Roy keane got the same at united years ago and it caused a big problem when he started on the wane and united needed to pay younger more important players better wages.

Javi martinez would be my pick aswell if we are buying a midfielder. Defensively minded but sn excellent passer - he has been strongly compared with alonso and pirlo. And he can play centre back if required - i like versatile players!

It might sound stupid basing assumptions on a game but I've always based my understanding of player wages on Football Manager. Their attention to detail is excellent to the point where some clubs use the game as part of their initial scouting of players (true!), therefore I would confidently think they are pretty close. On that basis - Terry and Torres - £175k (I think Terry has clause in his contract to match highest earner at club, hence why his was upgraded when Torres joined) Lampard - £150k A Cole - £120k Drogba - £100k Cech - £90k (although has just signed new contract) Mata - £60k I'm interested to see what FM gives as Hazard's wages next season. I think it will be about £110k pw. The £200k seems so far fetched!

The history thing pisses me off the most with Scousers, and it's why I have no respect for them. Although I don't like Arsenal and United I respect them, but I fucking hate Liverpool and their arrogance. Before a golden period in the 70's and 80's their history was very average. That is exactly what Chelsea are doing now. We are enjoying our most successful period in our history and adding heaps of trophies. What is more we are doing it in a much more competitive environment, both domestically and on the continent. All these Liverpool fans banging on about their history, but in my opinion history means fuck all if you weren't alive to witness it. I would much rather a less successful club in terms of history but winning things in the present. And what Liverpool fans are quick to forget is we won a european trophy before them so they can fuck off!!!

I hope what Hazard says about 'the project' is true and we are going to have an exciting summer because I'm really going to miss Drogba!!!

His performance away at barca was also undervalued in the press. He actually played more centrally in the defence to help out and control bosingwa, hence why drogba dropped further back until he stayed at left back. Ashley cole marshalled the most makeshift defence in champions league semi final history against the best attacking team in the world with our 4th choice CB and two full backs in the centre and a midfielder and striker as our full backs. He needs to be rested more often next season like at the back end of the season because it not only keeps him fresh but also goves bertrand chances. However he remains easily the best LB in the world. And regardless if he came from the scummy neighbours, i love him here and he's definately a converted chelsea boy!

No willian was a top choice when we were europa league bound. Now we're in the champions league, as holders, we must go for top class. Hulk will be a fucking beast for chelsea on and off the field i have a great feeling about him!

Lampard's reaction was very similar to Ashley Cole's when Drogba scored. The slow motion picture of Lamps sliding down to his knees with arms pumping the sky, screaming out every ounce of pure adrenaline he had left inside his body will, for me, go down as one of THE iconic pictures in Chelsea history. I can just see myself looking at that in 40 years time and smiling. Anyone willing to make me a sig of it, or point me in the direction of one already made, perhaps with one of the slogans from the game, would get some serious rep!

And the knock on effect this creates is the player now has vital big game experience (there is no bigger game apart from perhaps the world cup final), and the confidence in the player from the club and the fans grows. But the important aspect is that Bertrand has played over 100 first team games and it is this experience that has helped him mature and develop to get him where he is today. He isn't likely to be first choice LB until he's 25. But he still has at least 6 or 7 years at the top level and it would be playing for one of the world's best teams. This is as opposed to leaving us at an early age and only managing to get upto a sub standard level that never realises their potential...somewhere like Liverpool

The problem is he only has a year left on his contract and talks have hit an impasse. If he won't sign a new contract I would rather get some return on him with healthy bonuses and sell on clauses. However I agree, I would rather keep him as second choice striker next season. He knows he will get at least 20-25 games next season at centre forward and if Torres fails and he performs he will become first choice. It is up to him if he wants the challenge? Certainly going to Man City will give him less chances considering their abundance of strikers.

For the past couple of seasons the club have been slowly and quietly rebuilding the squad, and this looks like continuing this summer on the back of our newly acquired tag of European Champions. It has already attracted one of the best young talents in world football in Eden Hazard to join us, and if reports are to be believed Hulk, a central midfielder and a right back are all high on the list of targets this summer. However one thing that I continue hearing a lot from Chelsea fans is that they would rather see youth given a chance, even if it is as backup to a first teamer. I am completely for the club bringing players through the academy to become members of the first team squad, however we as fans have to appreciate the difficulty for the club in bridging the gap between academy/reserve football and the first team. This is why the club must continue to perservere with the loan system. Now there are no guarantees with a loan. It is out of the club's control if a player is going to get games, case in point Josh McEachran at Swansea. However loan spells have also been a proving ground for many players to bridge the gap. Looking at a number of young players that United have pinned their hopes on as regular first teamers for the future have all come back to the club from successful loan spells - Wellbeck at Sunderland, Evans at Sunderland, Cleverley at Wigan. Even a player who everybody knew was destined for stardom in Jack Wilshere cut his cloth for a season at Bolton before becoming a fully fledged first teamer at Arsenal. And Chelsea are also no strangers, having taken advantage of Danny Sturridge's successful spell at Bolton. Getting game time for me is the most critical stage of a player's development at the age of 19-21. The basic technical ability of young players should already be there, but key mental attributes are not. Taking an example from Chelsea would be Oriol Romeu. A lot of Chelsea fans are making a point that we do not need to buy a new central midfielder and would rather Romeu be given a more prominent role next season. Now for me, Romeu has the makings of becoming an excellent defensive midfielder. He has a dominating presence at such a young age, and his composure on the ball and passing ability is already at a high standard. However there are areas of his game which are of a weakness. The biggest, given he is a defensive minded midfielder, is his positioning. In a three man midfield this isn't quite as evident, but it is even more important in a two man midfield. If due to injuries and a lack of strengthening in the summer are left with playing Romeu in some of the big games, our defence could be left woefully exposed. So how does he improve his positioning? Playing games. Unfortunately something Chelsea cannot provide him with enough of. He will only improve those mental attributes through gaining experience playing against top players in matches. I would prefer to see Romeu loaned out to a lower table Premiership club this coming season. He should get much more game time than he will playing at Chelsea. Also considering two of our central midfielders turn 30 this season in Raul Meireles and Michael Essien (and question marks over the future of both) and the club have to plan over the next couple of seasons for a future without Frank Lampard and you can see why it is vitally important that Chelsea have Romeu primed for a first team spot over the next couple of seasons. Now again I come back to the point raised that a loan spell doesn't always work, but in a way that can also show the character and determination of a player. The club also must take great care in where they are agreeing to loan players out to. Another contentious view is that the club should not buy a new right back and instead have Sam Hutchinson and Todd Kane as direct backups to Ivanovic. Now under normal circumstances I wouldn't be against Hutchinson being a direct backup, but there are still huge question marks over his fitness. If Ivanovic were to pick up a long term injury, and Hutchinson cannot cope with the workload of playing games on such a regular basis are we seriously saying that we would be comfortable playing Todd Kane week in week out against top class opposition? I certainly am not. He has promising potential but is nowhere near the finished article. I can understand concerns that buying a young full back means it could stifle the chances of these players but football comes in cycles and players come and go. Opportunities will develop (just ask Ryan Bertrand) but the club have to make sure the young players are ready when those opportunities to come about. The biggest problem I feel with supporters views is that if a player hasn't made it into the first team in their teens then they never will. This couldn't be further from the truth. A player must be extraordinary special to be playing regularly at such a young age for a top team. (I'm talking in the bracket of Messi, Rooney) The top teams challenging for every trophy cannot afford to risk rookies when every game carries so much importance and significance. That is why players like McEachran and Romeu cannot be risked when they are too raw and inexperienced. They could both benefit from at least a season, if not two of regular first team football to mature and develop as players and men. By then they will both be in their early twenties. Is this too old? We only have to look at the two players who have forced their way into the first team squad this season - Danny Sturridge and Ryan Bertrand. Both players turn 23 at the beginning of next season, but can both now be fully trusted to 'do a job' when called upon for the first team and are very much part of the squad pushing for starting berths. Both have gained vital experience in loan spells away from the club, of which has given them the platform with which to get where they are now. So to those whom are worried that a summer spending spree could hinder the development of our young players, I say BE PATIENT. The club has a vast number of players who are capable of one day becoming a first team squad member, but at the moment none are yet ready to bridge that gap.

I would love fellaini here. We definately need another CM. the depth in this position is in numbers, not quality. The only player i would have over fellaini is javi martinez.