BlueLion.

Chelsea starlet Bertrand Traore has returned to Dutch side Vitesse Arnhem on loan for the forthcoming season. In an official news bulletin on the Blues' website, Chelsea had this to say about the young Burkino Faso winger: Bertrand Traore will return to Vitesse Arnhem on loan for the 2014/15 season. Traore signed for Chelsea in January this year having spent time with the Blues as a triallist, scoring a long-range goal against an Indonesian XI during last summer's pre-season tour of Asia. The Burkina Faso midfielder, who has already represented his country at an Africa Cup of Nations, was loaned to Vitesse for the latter part of last season, and scored three times in 13 appearances for the Eredivisie side, who we face in a friendly later this month. In sixteen - primarily substitute - appearances for the Dutch side during the second half of last season, Traore scored three times in just 609 minutes of competitive action. You can keep up to tabs with Bertrand's loan performance here. Click here to view the article

The TalkChelsea community wishes Ashley Cole the best of luck for the future after the defender agreed a two-year deal with AS Roma on Monday. Cole, who won the Champions League with Chelsea in 2012 - as well the 2013 Europa League, the FA Cup in 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2012, the Premier League in 2010, the Community Shield in 2009 and the Football League Cup in 2007 - played 338 times for the Blues. He scored seven goals for the - all in the Premier League - with the most famous of which being a magnificent solo effort in a 7-2 thrashing of Sunderland in 2009/10: Cole transferred to Chelsea in 2006 in a player-plus-cash deal, which saw William Gallas join Arsenal in exchange. Though he found securing a first-team place to be a difficult task considering the form of Wayne Bridge, Cole eventually settled in to his new surroundings and became an instant fans' favourite. Nearly 340 appearances later, Cole leaves as one of the greatest defenders Chelsea Football Club has ever fielded. Though his attacking instincts were somewhat curbed both early and late on in his Blues career by José Mourinho, Cole always maintained a consistent level defensively, and was widely considered the world's best left-back in his time at Chelsea. Notable for his important goalline clearances, Cole possessed both blistering pace and an uncanny knack of being in the right place at the right time. In battles against the Premier League's greatest wingers, both Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo were often sent home with their tails tucked firmly between their legs after a tussle with England's number 3. Amassing more than 100 England caps, Cole was ridiculously left out of the World Cup squad by Roy Hodgson in a move that badly backfired on the England manager as Leighton Baines - Cole's supposed replacement - endured a torrid time in both matches he played. England clearly missed Cole's experience, and Chelsea shall too. Cole joins the Italian giants on a two-year deal, with the potential for a third - and he will, no doubt, prove a big hit in Rome. We wish you all the best, legend. Thank you.

The Chelsea Football Club and TalkChelsea.net communities express their condolences after former Real Madrid player and honorary vice-president Alfredo di Stefano tragically passed away on Monday. Aged 88, the Spaniard most famously scored in five consecutive European Cup final wins between 1956 and 1960, whilst he also won eight La Liga titles. Scorer of a mammoth 18 goals against Barcelona in the Clasico, di Stefano also represented Spain on 31 occasions, though he never partook in a World Cup finals. Somewhat under-appreciated because of his unassuming and understated personality, di Stefano was one of the most glorious players of his generation. He was pulling off step-overs and the so-called "Cruyff turn" before the Dutch star was even a teenager. Everyone at TalkChelsea expressed their sadness at the news that one of football's greatest-ever forwards has passed away. DEP Don Alfredo.

Challenge accepted.

I nominate you for the "Funniest forumer" and "Next to be banned" categories

No, just used a calculator.

People born on my birthday: Eddie MurphyAlec BaldwinMarlon BrandoTim KrulYoda

Dear KEVIN ARNOLD ASHBURNER, I'm sorry that you are Hotseat Number 8 instead of Hotsear Number 7. Is 7 a special number for you?

The beauty is, Ron, that I only have to do this once a year, as opposed to twelve times 8.33% of the stress.

The categories, as well as their incumbent holders, are: Nominations will open very soon!

Haha! P.S. everyone - if you want to know where the Thor thing came from, blame Stingray and Rmpr! http://forum.talkchelsea.net/topic/16291-member-banned/

The fact no-one has moaned at me for being two months late with this suggests you all forgot as well... ...coming soon. Watch this space.

Get the fuck off this forum you clown. Utter cunt, you give Chelsea fans a bad name with your sanctimonious attitude. Cretin, good fucking riddance.

Right, then, , I think that's enough, don't you?

I'll let you know when I die mate!

Fair point regarding Euro 2012, but this is José we're on about mate!

Hmm, possibly. The dissolution of the Roman Empire brought about the effective end of civilisation in western Europe until the foundation of the Carolingians, you could argue. Islam profited from the wealth of the east and certainly you could argue their gain came at the expense of western Christendom. Favourite medieval weapon, without doubt, was the flail. Impossible to use effectively from horseback, but in a melee, if you were of suitable strength, a flail could be used to wrap around a sword and disarm an opponent, whilst the momentum in a swing would be suitable to completely destroy even plate armour. Absolutely deadly, but too heavy and cumbersome for real, pitched battles. FFS. Fuck: Steve Marry: Chou Chou Kill: Spike (nothing personal Spike!) Can't believe I had to answer that question. Haha, I didn't notice! Fair point!

I agree he is overhyped somewhat. But you make a good point in reserving your judgement until we have a proper forward leading the line. Because Hazard has literally had all the pressure on him to be the inspirational player for us, in the absence of a Drogba to stick the ball into the net. That pressure might be too much for a young man in only his second season in the Premier League.

If the Brazilians or Schurrle get to the final, they'll get a week at most. I expect most of the WC players will have 10-12 days off, then back for training around the 20th.

Right, just another 24 hours for you guys to ask me anything! Think my topic's been open long enough!

1. Two grown lions. Reckon I could take them down, the pussies. 2. The Third Crusade, without a doubt. I enjoy reading about the construction of a united Saracan state or caliphate under Saladin, and the "second phase" to reconquer Jerusalem, led by Richard Coeur de Lion. 3. Hattin, 1187. An absolute massacre. Arguably the most famous battle in the history of the Middle East. The Siege of Acre (far later, in 1291), is also a favourite. Ridiculously bloody. Fascinating to read the contrasting accounts regarding the battle tactics of the defending Christians and the besieging Muslims. 4. Saladin is an obvious shout. I also enjoy reading about the Lionheart. My favourite eye-witnesses/chroniclers are Raymond D'Aguilers, who was a Crusader chronicler who wrote about William of Tyre and various other prominent Church ecclesiastics during the First Crusade, and Fulcher of Chartres, of course! 5. Revenge. Recall 846 when Rome was sacked by the Arabs. That was the first real attack between east and west, and caused centuries of animosity between Christian and Muslim. Then when Jerusalem was taken in 1064-65 by the Turks, there were 3,000 Christians massacred and the remainder were persecuted and treated horrifically bad. Naturally the Catholic Church didn't take too kindly to that. Obviously there was an economic gain to be had, as whoever held Jerusalem held the key to eastern trade, but I honestly believe the Crusade was motivated to fight fire with fire. 6. The Knights of St Lazarus. There's nothing cooler than some masked leper-knights waving flaming swords around! 7. Krak des Chevaliers. The biggest Crusader castle ever built. I want to go there so badly! Kerak is stunning as well, but Krak des Chavs is just magnificent: Great questions!!

I'm like a bottle of Gordon's. Dryyyy. 1. Oooh, that's a horrible question! I'm the sort of person who'd probably, after surviving the catastrophe, throw them off the precipice. In all seriousness, friendship isn't about risking your life for other people. Who could say what they'd do in a moment like that? It's all well to say "of course, I'd risk my life" - but when the fear kicks in and the adrenaline can't compensate, you'd probably freeze yourself. All I'd do is congratulate myself on being suitably hench in surviving the fall 2. I'm the sort of person who'd say that, if they were the sort of idiots who play on train tracks, that they deserve every inch of what's coming to them. If they're there involuntarily, for instance a child had fallen and its parents had jumped onto the tracks to save its life, then I'd probably jump down and help them. I think. Like I say, in the heat of the moment, who knows? But I certainly wouldn't push the fat guy. Firstly because that's fucking sick! And the mathematics might not work out. You could end up pushing Fatty, he gets splatted, and so does the family. Plus imagine the train driver - he'd have those lives on his/her conscience. I genuinely think I'd jump down and try and help, then maybe the fat guy could help to pull me and the family up to the platform 3. So many to choose from. Such a tough question. I think I'd go back to 846 when the Saracens sacked Rome. I'd just have told them it would be a bad idea - not only because the attackers would be massacred at the foot of the Aurelian Wall, but also because it would have prevented the first stone in the avalanche that was the Crusades. That being said, if I did that, I'd be devoiding myself of my favourite historical subject! So for argument's sake, let's just say I go back to 2009 and threaten Ovrebo at knife-point before the UCL semi-final. Chelsea get five penalties, Lampard scores them all, and Chelsea win 6-1. They go through to the final and John Terry scores a 93rd-minute winner from the penalty spot against Manchester United. Balance is restored to the universe. 4. Incredibly. Which is why the hammer is always on display 5. Absolutely. It would be an honour. If you're ever over here, let me know a game you want to go to and we'll go. It would be my pleasure.

PvA is better. So is Bertrand. I see what you're saying about him being homegrown and decent, but he's no better than those two, who are also homegrown.

I'm getting it on the yellow because: 1) it'll piss off Arsenal fans 2) that shirt looks like Arsenal's old away kit - which'll piss them off even more! Ooooh. Tough question. I've burned a few bridges in the past, which I regret. I tend to overthink things quite a bit, so take a lot of things to heart. One particular bridge I burned - not sure if I did actually, it's a long story - is I was best mates with a lad when I was 16. We were absolutely inseparable. We started to grow apart between 16-18, and then, for some reason, he never returned any calls or texts. I had no idea what I'd done wrong. Then we had the chance to mend things when I bumped into him after 18 months without talking to one-another, but I told him to fuck off and never talk to me again. I regret that. The proudest moment of my life is passing my driving test, no doubt about that! Not sure what else would come close... completing a degree is a good thing but I was disappointed hugely to miss out on a first so narrowly (just by 0.5%). And final answer - absofuckinglutely. I'd love to visit Prague! I've always wanted to. I'm a big History nut, and I love the Gothic architecture of Prague. To go to the Prazsky Hrad, the St Vitus Cathedral, and the Charles Bridge, that would be a dream come true.

Cech Azpi/Crazy Serb 1 - JT - Gaz - PvA/Bertrand/Luis/Moreno/Azpi Crazy Serb 2 Cescbomb - Kross Willian - Costa - Hazard Why the fuck not.