Superblue

Disappointing given the late goals. I felt RDM set us up well. A lot of us (me included) were getting carried away before the game wanting us to play two up top, etc and take the game to City, but packing the midfield and trying to keep things tight and organised was the best way of getting a result, and frustrated City for large periods. I felt starting with Torres was the right call as well. He worked hard, and surprisingly won his fair share of headers against Richards. Took the pressure off us at times. Drogba didn't do anything when he came on - didn't even chase down the defence. I know he's 33/34 but he was only on for 20 mins! I do agree with the remarks about our midfield. I don't think Mikel did too bad, but Meireles and Lampard were dreadful tonight, and Essien also poor when he came on. We do miss Ramires' energy in the centre when he doesn't play there. Unfortunately the goals could have been avoided. The penalty was a tad harsh but Essien was always running the risk having his hands up and Lampard didn't track Nasri sufficiently. I said before the game 4 points from City and Spurs would be required to keep up a push for top 4 but that was with the expectation that Spurs would win tonight. 3 points Saturday is a must and then the pressure really will be on Spurs.

I think Robbie's looking to keep it tight first half by packing the midfield, and frustrating both City and their fans. With the likes of Sturridge and Drogba to come on and 'have a go' at them in the second half.

It's amazing how much confidence there is amongst all of us, what a difference a couple of weeks makes! I'm quietly confident, like most it seems, that we can get at least something from this match. All the pressure is on City, I know there is pressure on us to get top 4, but City have definately got more pressure on them to keep up with United, and the fact they are playing at home. I don't exactly want to 'hand' the title to United, but I would also actually rather they win the title as opposed to City. The longer it takes them to win their first league title, the harder it will continue to be, which is better for us and the whole of English football.

RDM has shown himself to be tactically both adventurous and flexible, e.g. playing Ramires on the left against Napoli. It's different gameplans and adapting to what is happening that the team has lacked for far too long! I think he could spring a surprise tonight, and find a way of accommodating both Torres and Drogba in the starting line up, perhaps with Mata behind. When defending, Torres showed against Napoli that he is unselfish enough to track back and work hard down the right, Mata likewise on the left. But when attacking Torres and Drogba can both attack City centrally allowing Mata to roam. I just feel that with both strikers up and running at the same time, RDM will look to utilise this. Not to mention that Lescott and Kompany look like they'll both be out, so the centre of their defence will be at it's most vulnerable. Drogba is perfectly capable of bullying Savic, and Torres seems to have the swagger back to skin him all day long.

The biggest gripe I have with this is that he takes up a one of our 17 'non homegrown' spots in the squad. I know we freed a couple of places in January selling Alex and Anelka and bringing in Cahill who is homegrown, and I would assume a couple of our other non homegrown players will also leave in the summer, but when you are limited to only a set number of non homegrown players in the squad, I don't agree with wasting a spot with a backup keeper, unless they are truly capable of pushing for the number one spot.

I agree with both arguments in that he is selfish and must learn to benefit the team, but he is also one of our best young talents at a time when we are in desperate need for fresh youth and pace in the side. Perhaps we will find out just how greedy a player he really is in the summer, if he attempts to hold the club to ransom over wage demands with a year remaining on his contract. The club, with once again poor planning, should not find themselves in this position, but we cannot let him run his contract down. If he does not agree a new deal, we have to sell him in the summer for as much as possible and reinvest the money in the squad. If we were forced to sell him in the summer, how much do you think we could demand with a year left on his contract? If Man City come sniffing, I'd like to think we could try and fleece £15-20m out of them, or perhaps £5-10m plus Adam Johnson? I would rather see him stay and hopefully mature as a player because there is no doubt the raw talent and confidence is there.

He wouldn't be half the threat on the left, and for Chelsea he offers one of our very real threats in the team with his pace and ability/confidence to run at defenders. He just has to learn when to pass and when to shoot, because unfortunately if he continues playing like he did today fans will probably start to turn on him. I know he has always had a selfish streak in him but I never noticed it quite so bad at the beginning of the season. Maybe he is trying too hard now that the goals seem to have dried up for him.

I would expect there to be a few takers but if Wigan go down we could do a lot worse than pay £4-5m for Al Habsi. A goalkeeper good enough to feel confident about stepping in if Cech is injured and also someone good enough to push Cech for the number 1 jersey and hopefully 'up' Cech's game (like when Cudicini was at the club)

I think because Ferreira wasn't a marauding full back like the norm in todays game, he is automatically by many deemed not very good. The one thing Ferreira in his peak was good at though was defending and he naturally had an excellent partnership with Carvalho on the right side of our defence. My fondest memory of him is the FA Cup final against Man Utd. He had been out of favour that season, yet came in for the final and done a job on Ronaldo who had just had his first of many unbelievable seasons. And when I mean job, Ronaldo barely got a kick for 120 minutes!

Superb from Torres today, really happy for him. He has worked his bollocks off for weeks now, and his all round general play has been generally excellent until he gets into the opponents penalty area, but today everything was exceptional. If he's now firing, and Drogba continues to play with the hunger he showed against Napoli we will be difficult for any team to stop this build up of momentum! To wade in on the Sturridge debate, he is a really promising player, but the selfish streak does need checking a little. I sometimes wonder if he fears for his place in the team and the only way to almost guarantee that is to score goals. What Sturridge needs to learn though is that the term 'end product' doesn't just mean a shot on target or goal. 10 goals and 10 assists is better for the club than 15 goals and 0 assists.

Hopefully it's a game we can just 'get through' on the back of the adrenaline and emotions from the Napoli win. We need to take Man City into account, coupled with the majority of players playing 2 hours last night. Cech Bosingwa Cahill David Luiz / Terry Bertrand Mikel Romeu Kalou Meireles Malouda Torres Hopefully we'll get a couple of goals ahead and be able to bring Lukaku on for a decent run out - everyone is required at this stage of the season within the squad!

I did think about him whilst writing this post actually...then completely forgot to include him! Has anybody been tracking his progress at Vitesse? Is he getting many games?

Thanks. Agreed, and I believe it is why we always worry about Ashley Cole picking up a serious injury because no-one has ever been given the opportunity to deputise for him when he is fit so how are they expected to be ready to step in if Cole is injured. Even when we had Zhirkov he only played if Cole was injured! I think similarly to Terry, Ashley Cole still has at least a couple more years at the top, if given sufficient rest during the season. Ryan Bertrand must be given chances next season even if in lesser premier league games and the domestic cups. If this were to happen and we benefit from a fresher Ashley Cole and develop Bertrand then I don't see the need to sign a left back...yet. This summer our attacking options need rejuvenating and that may cost a sizeable sum.

At the top clubs it is perhaps the biggest attribute - concentration! Potentially going large parts of the game with nothing to do and then suddenly having to be alert to make an excellent save is priceless.

For Part 1 on goalkeepers: http://forum.talkchelsea.net/topic/12591-the-rebuilding-project-analysis-of-our-squad-part-1-goalkeepers/ The Current Squad The centre back position is arguably now the strongest area of the pitch with the addition of Cahill. John Terry, despite the talk of 'phasing out the old guard' still has a huge role to play at this football club. For a player who has never relied on pace and at 31, you would like to think he still has another 2-3 years playing at the highest level. What cannot be questioned is perhaps Terry's most valuable attributes - his leadership qualities and commitment to the cause, epitomised with last night's performance. The problem's that Terry has faced on the pitch in the last couple of years is that we have been so desperate to play him at all costs, his form has suffered as a result of injuries and fitness. However where Terry's career can now hopefully be prolonged is that in Cahill and David Luiz we have a very promising partnership in the making. Both complement Terry well with good pace and genuine class on the ball, however both showed a good understanding, albeit against Birmingham, and I fully expect now in the future for both to get plenty of opportunities to play together, giving Terry the valuable rest periods he will need. Cahill was an excellent purchase in my eyes, particularly for the price, and adds real depth to our squad in the centre back department. I fully believed that he would form a strong partnership with Terry, particularly given David Luiz's well publicised troubles this season. However since AVB's departure, David Luiz looks like a different player! Still very good on the ball and capable of driving forward from deep. However such marauding runs are now not attempted as often and a possible 'over composure' on the ball in tight situations seems to have been ironed out. IMO he was man of the match against Napoli and with his form seemingly now on an upward curve we have three players worthy of a first team place competing for just two spots. And to top it off, if we require another centre back of genuine quality we have Ivanovic. I see Brana as fourth choice in this department mainly because he is first choice right back. Over the past couple of seasons his attacking play has really improved but he also gives us height and aerial prowess both in attack and defence, and is just much more solid than our other right backs. Jose Bosingwa is a player which I don't rate very highly. I could previously understand playing him as an attack minded full back but I believe Ivanovic is just as good going forward now. And defenders should first and foremost defend, something Bosingwa clearly struggles with. In particular his positioning with regards to the right sided centre back is abysmal and has been exploited on numerous occasions this season. Paulo Ferreira has been a great servant but rarely features now and his place would be much better taken up by a younger player. Sam Hutchinson is a player I think who will always be held fondly in the eyes of Chelsea fans, given his determination to recover from what had been a career ending injury. There is no doubting his quality, and given his circumstances and the likelihood he will never be able to play regular games, he will likely be content as a squad player. On the left hand side, Ashley Cole is still one of best left backs around. He has lost a yard of pace, expected now at the age of 31, but his experience remains important. He regularly performs to a high standard and has a knack of being in the right place at the right time (goaline clearance in the first leg in Naples anyone?) Chelsea need to have plans in place for his long term replacement, but for at least another season I see no reason why Ashley Cole shouldn't remain our first choice. The possible long term left back could well be Ryan Bertrand. The problem is at this moment we just don't know because he has not been given enough opportunities. He has to be properly installed as second choice, which means getting the odd game in the Premiership to give Ashley Cole a rest, even if it is against the 'weaker' teams and must be trusted to fill in when Ashley Cole is injured, even for the big games. I don't see the point in even having a promising young English left back in the ranks if we are going to continue playing players out of position over him. The Future The future seems promising. Lets not forget that Cahill and David Luiz are at excellent ages to play for a number of years, and Ryan Bertrand and Sam Hutchinson are still young. I previously had big hopes for Patrick Van Aanholt but his career has seemingly stalled over the last 12 months unfortunately. Jeffrey Bruma however has reportedly blossomed from gaining first team football, and certainly has the ability. With a strong contingent of centre backs the club may decide to allow Bruma another season to develop away from the club. Nathaniel Chalobah and Nathan Ake are both tipped for stardom, and I have been impressed with what I have seen from both so far. However a route into the first team squad is expected to be at least 1-2 more seasons away, although their promise is encouraging. Departures Paulo Ferreira is a must, simiarly for the reasons of despatching Hilario. When used so little I don't see the point in him wasting both wages and a non-homegrown spot in the team. I would also allow Jose Bosingwa to leave. Ivanvoic is no doubt first choice full back now, and Bosingwa is in my opnion a player who can have a resale value as the club needs to recoup some money to fund any summer outlay on players, albeit likely £4-5m maximum. Arrivals If Ferreira and Bosingwa were both to leave it would be natural to assume a new right back would be a requirement. I would however only look at buying a right back if Sam Hutchinson isn't capable of stepping up to automatic deputy to Ivanovic. If his fitness has been proved then I see no reason why we can't place trust in him as second choice, just as we should with Ryan Bertrand in the left back position. If Ivanovic is going to be a permanent fixture at right back then we may need to bolster for a fourth centre half. However again with Bruma performing well out on loan, it may be the opportunity to bring him back and give him a decent number of games in the first team. There is no question that there are more important areas of the squad to strengthen, and if we are ever going to place some trust in our youngsters, this is the perfect opportunity. We have players like Bruma, Bertrand and Hutchinson who have the potential to step up IF given the opportunity to. And now more than ever is the perfect chance whilst experienced players such as Terry and Cole are still at the club to help these players.

Maybe we were just spoilt when we had both Cudicini and Cech at the club. However Spurs have Friedel, Cudicini and Gomes all of which I would take over Turnbull. United also have De Gea and Lindegaard, so I don't see it as impossible. I would prefer for Courtois to develop away from the club for the next couple of seasons however.

Fully agree, we can only work with what we have until the end of the season and last night gave me confidence we can salvage this season. However we still should be looking ahead and I don't believe the 'rebuilding job' will be as expensive as people think. There is value in the market - we have proven that with some very good buys over the summer, and some of the players that may move on still hold a market value to some degree themselves to offset any transfer expenditure. Then as you have mentioned we have the youth team, and some of these need to be given the opportunity. I would rather see Bertrand and Hutchinson preferred as defensive backup to buying, and the likes of Romeu and Lukaku need to figure more prominently next season.

Exactly! The raw talent is clear to see - his general shot stopping and handling are both excellent and his distribution isn't bad either. However bravery in a crowded area comes with confidence and maturity, aswell as 'bulking up as' he develops. Decision making similarly comes with experience. This is why despite his performances this season at Atletico Madrid, he is not yet ready to return to Chelsea. A couple more seasons out on loan playing first team football however should clearly improve these areas.

I understand your point but such a view is the reason why we are in this predicament - taking too long to make key decisions is why we have a number of players probably considered over the hill or just not good enough anymore. Clubs will be looking at their transfer targets now and identifying areas required to strengthen. We also need to consider the European Championships this summer which will take a massive chunk out of the times to negotiate with a number of players who will be participating in that. I stated at the top last night was a great win, and has instilled confidence back in me for a number of players, but one result cannot allow the club to ignore a poor 6 months under Scolari, under Ancelotti in his second season and under AVB, largely with the same group of players in all three campaigns.

What a game last night and another memorable Champions League encounter to saviour. However this doesn't hide the fact that the club needs to rebuild and a number of players need to be moved on as a part of this. I'll start my analysis of the current squad and what I think we need with the goalkeepers - Current Squad Petr Cech - He's been criticised over the last couple of seasons and whilst I would agree he isn't the same player he was a few years ago, he remains a high quality goalkeeper. What many people tend to forget aswell is that Cech is highly experienced but still only 29 which is very young in goalkeeping terms. The other aspect to consider is that IMO we already have Cech's long term replacement in waiting in Thibaut Courtois but the club would be clever to learn from Man Utd's mistakes with De Gea and not to throw him into such a pressure cooker environment too early. Over the next couple of seasons though Petr Cech should remain Chelsea's number one between the sticks. His experience will also be important in a rebuilding project which will see a number of experienced first team players move on, but a careful balance must be struck between experience and raw talent. Hilario and Ross Turnbull - Both have acted as decent backup without ever threatening the number one spot in the team. The biggest worry is if Cech were to suffer a long term injury would either be able to step up for a prolonged period in the first team? My answer would be no, and therefore should the club be looking for a number 2 capable of such? The biggest problem is finding a goalkeeper good enough to step up to number one, but is happy for long periods to be number 2. These are few and far between, and I think the only way is to take a calculated gamble on a younger goalkeeper who is happy to bide their time and mature under the wing of one of the world's best. The Future Clearly Thibaut Courtois is destined for big things. He is passing his first 'acid test' playing in a much stronger league than previously with flying colours, and at 19, has the potential to be the club's future number one, and we should build towards that. The question is when will this happen. Courtois has been very vocal of the plan Chelsea has for him which is most likely to be another season at Atletico Madrid after such a successful season, followed by at least a season playing in the premiership. He seems happy with such an arrangement, already admitting he's not yet ready to play for Chelsea, and IMO another 2-3 seasons playing first team football and maturing as a goalkeeper will only benefit us in the future. Possible Departures I would allow Hilario to leave in the summer. At 36 and his contract expiring now is the best time to move him on. The other key factor being Turnbull qualifies as a homegrown player and with only 17 allowed at the club and English players costing a premium, it doesn't make sense to waste a non-homegrown spot with a backup goalkeeper. Possible Arrivals I mentioned above about the club requiring better backup to Cech, although in this current moment it is unlikely to be considered a priority area of strengthening. If this is not going to happen then the club does not want to waste a non homegrown spot on a backup goalkeeper that isn't really good enough for a first team spot if the opportunity arose. Whether this means Chelsea place confidence in Turnbull and promote one of our younger goalkeepers to third choice remains to be seen. I have been impressed by Jamal Blackman when I have watched him and think he has potential but he's even younger than Courtois and will at some point require first team football (out on loan) to develop.

Just re-ran the ITV showing again, and when Brana scored Andy Townsend said 'Get In'...Love it!

And celebrations at the end, Robbie running onto the pitch to jump on and celebrate with the players...sound familiar?! Mourinho when we beat Barca 4-2 anyone?! RDM might just be ready to rewrite his legendary status at our great football club!

One word - epic! Every player ran themselves into the ground for the cause tonight. The one thing Chelsea could be expected of over the last few years was to fight back when up against it, and we proved we still have those qualities tonight. I have been critical of Drogba at times, but my god he put a performance in tonight! Torres came on and just ran and ran and ran... And a huge positive was that tonight was the making of David Luiz as a centre half. Terry is still a massive player for us but I believe in Cahill and David Luiz, we have a superb centre back pairing for a good few years. What struck me tonight aswell is that despite riding our luck at times (which was going to happen when 3-1 down), we looked so much more defensively solid and attacked in a sensible yet dangerous manner. It does make you wonder whether AVB listened to anyone when at the club, because the small changes RDM has made have made a lot of difference!

We've been in a few over the last few years. Barcelona 4-2, Liverpool 3-1, Liverpool 4-4 and for some RDM and pre-Roman inspiration the 3-1 comeback against Vicenza the year we won the Cup Winners Cup. I think however given the circumstances and considering we are not the team we were over the last few seasons, getting past Napoli may well be the greatest of the lot!

I feel the more important aspect of the game will be Napoli's attitude and application to it. Remember when we beat Liverpool a couple of years ago in the first leg 3-1 at Anfield and how that match panned out at the Bridge. If Napoli come and think they can ride the game out, we'll have an excellent chance of putting them on the back foot early and nicking an early goal or two. The other consideration is how will Napoli cope coming into the game as favourites for the tie. I remember watching them in the last group game against Villareal, knowing and expecting a win would take them through and I felt they struggled with such pressure for large periods of the game and it took a wonder strike from Inler to break the deadlock fairly late on. If Napoli play with any sort of fear, Chelsea's experience will sense it and potentially take them apart. However if Napoli play with no fear, their natural game and look to attack us then we are in a difficult position chasing a minimum of 2 goals and trying to keep a clean sheet. Team for me: Cech Ivanovic Cahill Terry A Cole Mikel/Essien Ramires Lampard Sturridge Mata Torres Drogba was abysmal in the first leg against a defence which didn't look blessed with a good turn of pace. I think Torres on the last man's shoulder can cause problems, and the key for Chelsea will be the performances of Mata and Sturridge. We have to try and pull spaces about in that 3 man defence.