Superblue

Has apparently said he is aware of interest from Real Madrid but not interested and wants to stay at Chelsea - the European Champions! Legend!

Hulk AND Hazard is still possible - mouthwatering to combine these two with Mata.

One thing is for sure if robbie doesn't get the job and Chelsea start poor next season there will be a riot at the bridge and the fans will seriously turn on the board for such a stupid decision!

He never reached the potential that his first games for the club promised. However rather than my memories of him being a terrible defender on the whole, i would rather remember him for two stellar performances in the biggest rearguard efforts the club has ever managed culminating in the european cup.

^^ This. He must have a banner now. I would argue Cech should too! I like the idea of somehow immortalising the entire champions league winning squad in some way within the stadium - there is nothing like a first time!!!

Would you expect anything less on Talk Chelsea?!

Agreed Silva is an excellent player, and I would say, being a couple of years older than Mata is just about hitting his prime right now. What I do think bodes well though is that Mata, for me, has had a much stronger first season in the prem for us than Silva did for City. And that is also considering two thirds of the season he was not played in his favoured position in the centre, instead operating from the wing. I expect Mata to push on and be even better next season, sending the assist machine into overdrive!

This time last week...

My 18 month old daughter wore for the first time today her newly purchased Chelsea 2011/12 away kit. Love it!!! Now just gotta convince the wife to wear one! I think I'm nearly there, she loved going to the trophy parade last week.

We can play him every week, we can pay him £200k pw, we will support and love him...but there is no fucking way he is having Zola's number

Another converted

Yeah I agree with this, it's absolutely no fault of Mata's IMO. Teams can clearly see he is the one real creative spark in our team and the attacking position that he plays it's relatively easy to stick someone on him the whole game, not give him any space and try to mark him out. The times recently that teams have been naive enough not to respect Mata and attempt to nullify him, he's ripped them apart - Spurs semi final, Liverpool final, QPR home. If Chelsea had another couple of threats in their attack, a team could ill afford to concentrate on just one.

A lot of your posts have just seemed to be arguing without putting a valid point or any substance across. Anyway lets all forget about it, we're european champions for fucks sake no need to argue amongst us, leave that for Spurs fans arguing over which of their 'stars' (and i use the term loosely) need selling on to make up the shortfall of no champions league football next season

I've always felt someone similar to Mata would probably work well - someone on his wavelength! It's easier to mark up and nullify a player if he stays in one position all game. If you have two or three players who are comfortable playing anywhere across the attacking trio it allows each to roam, create and find space and generally cause havoc!

You have clogged up the last handful of pages on the Hulk article just by arguing with just about everyone - nothing constructive. What a great way to start on talk chelsea falling out with a new person every post you make. Everyone has opinions and a lot of people on here like Hulk. Some people don't and i respect that, rather than ridiculing them. If you don't like people NOT agreeing with you then i think you've joined the wrong website! Can we all just bring this back to topic please.

The general consensus is that we need some sort of creative superstar in our midfield. We don't, all of our central midfielders are capable of finding Mata or our wide midfielders in space and then its up to those to create and score our goals. What Ramires will give you in that position is an unmarked player running from deep who is so quick he will be difficult to pick up - similar to toure at city. Essien was never the greatest passer but competent enough and his driving runs created openings within the team in a different way. Our matches against Barca proved you can't always pass through a team and to have different options and styles at your disposal is vital to breaking teams down.

If we buy one world class wide player there is no reason why Rambo cant play on the other flank. I dont agree with the general perception either that he cant play in the midfield pivot with a more defensive minded player alongside.

Although it will hopefuly instead have the effect of kicking us into action to buy him. If hazard moves to united i don't want city to move in on him at the last minute and fluctuate the price. Anything between £30-35m lets just fucking bag him!

Hopefully this won't be adding extra millions onto the transfer fee. Porto always drive a hard bargain the bastards!

This isn't FIFA. We have turned our season around and won the FA Cup and Champions League playing 4-2-3-1, so why change this? All we need is at least one world class wide player and we will look a much stronger team with this formation. People have questioned if we have become too predictable having played a rigid 4-3-3 for so long, and this subtle change has worked. Mata will thrive even more next year with a full season under his belt IMO, and Torres needs the support to get the best out of him. With three attacking players behind him it provides more options for the opposition to have to pick up affording him greater space and less attention.

The only reason I can see Malouda staying is that the club plan to loan out De Bruyne next season. Malouda has already spent this season largely marginalised and would expect to next season also. He would provide an experienced backup option. Whereas De Bruyne would benefit from football next season in a stronger league, to hopefully improve ready to come back the following season. I just wonder if he'll perhaps be used as a bargaining chip with teams for a player like Hazard, Hulk or Kagawa?! However if this was the club's plan, I don't know why they don't sell Malouda and get some money for him. Offer Kalou a new contract and then move him on in a season or two when De Bruyne is ready, and also get some money for him too. Otherwise this way they will simply let Kalou and Malouda leave on free transfers at the end of their contracts.

I would certainly take Fellaini as a replacement for Essien. Any two from Lampard, Mikel, Fellaini, Romeu and Ramires would give us a very strong balanced midfield pivot. People keep banging on about the need to have a creative player in the midfield pivot, but if you have four players further up the pitch capable of creating havoc it's not an issue. Look at Man City for example. All those noted above can pass a ball to Mata or one of our wide players, and let them do the rest!

Agreed, it's the same with Arsenal. It's maybe aesthetically pleasing on the eye to the neutral but I prefer more substance. You can play attacking football with a more direct, penetrative style. A little like we were playing in Mourinho's first season. That is the football I would rather play because it is so effective.

To get the best out of Mata, who at this current time is our most natural creative player, we must play 4-2-3-1 to play him centrally. He's wasted on the wings.

The pressure was there because we had no pace further up the field if Ramires was missing. There was no outlet. Lets wait and see what we buy this summer, i'm sure we'll strengthen immensely.