BlueLion.

It would be good for him to leave on the high of being our all-time top scorer, the same as Drogba left a Champions League-winning hero. It just means even fonder memories. Let's be fair, with Frank, he doesn't offer as much to the team as he once did and he is never going to be back at that level again, so let's just enjoy this legend's last few months here and celebrate as he becomes our greatest-ever player.

Welcome, but I'm sorry, you can't also be called Alex. Please consider changing your name by deed poll. Thanks.

Done.

No messing around. Make the changes for the Sparta game on Thursday. Cech Azpi - Terry - Cahill - Cole Mikel Mata - Lampard Moses - Ba - Hazard

Shaw is a Chelsea supporter, but that doesn't mean he essentially wants to play for us right now. He has shown he is a level-headed young man, and he has nothing to lose by staying at Southampton. They have some very good players in their side, a good manager, and will stay up this season. He's playing every week, whereas at Chelsea if he isn't instantly good enough he'll be replaced by someone like Fabio Coentrao in a heartbeat. Best he stays where he is!

I do think we'll finish top four, with or without these extra games. I guess we'll just see who's right at the end of the season and leave it at that. But I am confident we have the squad to defend third, or at the worst finish fourth. I totally agree that is is going to be difficult, but no more difficult than the predicament we found ourselves in last season when we put all our eggs in one basket and managed to make an omelette by winning the UCL. This season we need to spread them out a little more. It's as big a risk, but I genuinely believe we can finish top four whilst contesting the FA Cup and EL.

So what do you propose? That we jack this in? Do you think that makes sense to just throw away the chance of silverware - which has been heightened by the fact other big teams have been drawn against one another, and the likes of Liverpool, Atletico Madrid etc. look like to go out this round - for us to then qualify for the Champions League next season? Should that happen there is a very good chance that we will a second-seeded club. Looking at how competitive the Champions League is now, we cannot afford to fall out of Europa League and risk falling into pot two. Because there is then a very good chance we won't even make it beyond the group stage, yet again. Look how we struggled as the top seed this season. It will only get harder should we fall out of the first pot. I'm not missing your point, nor am I choosing to ignore it, as you're ignoring the bigger picture. I more than appreciate the encumbrance this competition is, but I also appreciate that here, the risk is worth the reward. You're completely jumping the gun and thinking I am saying we HAVE to win this competition. We don't. Progressing a couple of rounds brings in thousands and brings with it the necessary co-efficient points to secure top seed status. After that, we can focus on the league.

You should be. Seeding is the difference between facing Dortmund, Valencia and BATE Borisov and facing Dortmund, Valencia and Bayern Munich/Real/Barcelona, etc..

I've posted a match report on the homepage; this is the first one I've done in a very, very long time. Thoughts, feedback and criticisms (positive and negative equally appreciated) are welcomed! A link: http://forum.talkchelsea.net/topic/15489-blues-beat-sparta-but-not-exactly-a-walk-in-the-prague

I didn't change the font or font size, it did it itself... Weird. Thanks for reading

A goal eight minutes from time from substitute Oscar was enough to see Chelsea earn a slender advantage in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League round-of-32 tie against Czech side Sparta Prague. On a night where Blues goalkeeper Petr Cech returned to the club that put him on the European radar after a short spell in the Czech capital, it was one of Rafael Benitez' trademark late substitutes - Oscar - that lit up an otherwise dour encounter. Exchanging passes with Eden Hazard just seconds after coming on, the young Brazilian showed considerable composure to dance beyond a defender and slot his cultured finish into the bottom corner with unerring accuracy. It was that sole moment of magic that will be remembered; yet even such a wonderful finish will not linger too long in the memory, it would seem. The team Benitez' side were up against were beyond poor. The Blues have found more testing opposition in League One Brentford, whom the European champions host on Sunday in a replay of their FA Cup fourth-round tie. The Sparta side came into this game on the back of a fourteen-game unbeaten streak in league and cup, but more importantly, on following a two-month winter break. The lack of match practice was evident; even in first gear, Frank Lampard and company were beyond comfortable, one or two half-scares besides. A 1-0 lead hardly does justice to the void in quality between the two sides, but this was a case of getting the job done with the minimum amount of effort and urgency; a prudent move considering the upcoming fixture congestion the team will face over the coming weeks. Blues supporters cannot help but think that there was a worrying lack of gusto in the side's showing last night. Though it is likely they will have been instructed by the management to play within themselves in light of a heavy schedule that will only be further weighted should the team progress, that compromise will have been of little comfort to the thousands of Chelsea supporters who braved freezing conditions to follow the European champions on their tour of the continent. ]If the lack of effort was down to a half-hearted outlook on the competition, the Blues should begin to take the merit of the Europa League seriously. The calibre of teams is indeed improving, with sides such as Napoli, Fenerbahce, defending champions Atletico Madrid, Lyon, Internazionale Milano and Tottenham also in the draw. Yet a good run in the competition is imperative for our Champions League credentials. After being eliminated in the group stage this term, and early exits in the round-of-16 and the quarter-finals in 2009/10 and 2010/11 respectively, regardless of winning the competition last season, the Blues' European co-efficient will drop dramatically. The repercussions of this are quite serious; good runs in either competition from the likes of Valencia, Paris St-Germain and Schalke 04 could potentially threaten the Blues' top-seed status. When you consider this, alongside the monetary value of the competition - the finalists receive in excess of £8 million; a mere quarter of last season's final triumph prize fund, but still a healthy cash injection that cannot be sniffed at - this is a trophy that should be high on Rafael Benitez' agenda as we reach the business end of the campaign. Similarly, with Europa League glory in Amsterdam this season the Blues could become only the fifth team ever and the first British club to complete the European trophy haul of the Champions League, Europa League, European Supercup and the European Cup Winners' Cup. And yet Amsterdam is looking ever more likely to be the destined venue for the Blues this season - but only for a potential round-of-16 tie. Should the Blues complete the job at Stamford Bridge, it is Ajax who will be their opponents after they cantered to a 2-0 lead against Steaua Bucharest in the first leg of their tie. That would represent a serious improvement in opposition calibre. More work must be done in the second leg at Stamford Bridge beforehand however, but it would take a miracle for Sparta to be able to compete. A 1-0 lead can be a fragile one, but the Blues clearly have more gears to surge through should the situation call for it, as Wigan found out to their peril last weekend. On this cold evening in the Czech capital, there was little to shout about. The Blues dominated possession and enjoyed the lion's share of the territory; but for Oscar's finely-taken winner and a hat-trick of Frank Lampard efforts, there was little else created by either side. The Czechs twice had half-chances in the form of debutant Lafata, but he blew his one glorious chance as he slid in to lift the ball well over from six yards out. On a night of ridiculously poor finishing, however, he had serious competition from Ramires, who twice lashed an effort into the upper tier behind the goal, and also Fernando Torres, who lashed one effort out for a throw. To his own amusement, the effort landed closer to the half-way line than the goalline. That moment summed up the Spaniard's non-performance and his Blues career to date. Lampard warmed the goalkeeper's gloves with difficult bouncing efforts from range on two occasions, and had a header from a Juan Mata cross gratefully smothered. He was the Blues' most dangerous player on the night in an attacking sense, and an important defensive influence as stand-in skipper. John Terry, Benitez later revealed, is still struggling from niggling injuries. A premature end to the Englishman's career may be closer than most would expect. Marko Marin and Hazard had their individual moments, but it is the class of Oscar that illuminated this contest and gave the shivering Blues support a happy journey back home. It may not be the competition they expected to be in, but as Kings of Europe, Chelsea have an obligation to compete and a reputation to maintain. Progression to the latter rounds of the Europa League will at least serve to lessen the wound of being knocked out of the Champions League at such an early stage (albeit on a technicality). One just hopes an ounce more of effort is shown in the return leg at Stamford Bridge. Otherwise it is a slight against the opposition, however poor, but more importantly, the paying faithful. Bear that in mind, Rafa. Click here to view the article

It's clear that either the players don't give a toss, OR Rafa instructed them to play within themselves, knowing full well the amount of games coming up and that the calibre of opposition was poor. I'm going to take heart in the latter idea...

Got to admit you're doing a good job, sunshine. Keep it up and there might even be an Admin role some time soon!

Honestly think this loan was stupid. He'd be getting 90 minutes in the Europa League tonight, most likely.

Abso-fucking-lutely. Continue this and I'll be handing out 24 hour suspensions so I don't have to sift through this shit for a day at least.

Totally forgot Ba can't play, but he's travelled with the squad according to the pictures. But take him out and that means 17, so two more mystery members. Has Marin travelled despite playing for the U21s?

Make that 19 assists...

Judging from the pictures from the coaches and plane, the following have travelled: Goalkeepers - Cech, TurnbullDefenders - Terry, Ake, Ferreira, Bertrand, Cahill, Azpilicueta, Ivanovic, ColeMidfielders - Oscar, Hazard, Mata, Lampard, Ramires, BenayounForwards - Ba, TorresThat's 18. Probably also Hilario has travelled as a back-up keeper.

Everyone would rather see the attractive style - I don't believe there is any member here who wouldn't be delighted if we resumed the style under Ancelotti when scoring five or more goals was considered a normality. The grim reality is that the English Premier League is far too competitive for that style. You can succeed fighting fire with fire against another passing side like Swansea, but the minute you go up against a ten-man defence, á la Stoke, you are dropping points.

Sparta Prague are a better team than Brentford; I'd rather us put out a strong team tomorrow night and get most of the work done in the first leg. Then you can rest your players ahead of the City game.

And he was culpable for two goals yesterday. Was always going to be a risk; would he be operating on pure adrenaline, or be totally side-tracked? Backfired for Lennon last night. Mikel and Moses should be given time to rest and then come back into the side against Brentford. Also, I think what Terry has said is disappointing. Are we adopting a small club mentality and thinking a top four finish is the equivalent of a trophy? We're the defending European champions, and to go out of this tournament on a whim after the way we were unceremoniously dumped out of the UCL, albeit on a technicality, would be even more embarrassing for this club. Think about it - we've fucked up in the League Cup, the league has been out of reach since early November and we've blown three relatively decent chances of silverware in the Community Shield, the UEFA Supercup and then the Club World Cup. We can't afford to put all of our eggs in the Premier League-or-nothing basket. This competition, along with the FA Cup - they are the only chances of silverware we have this season. If we go out there and don't put any effort in, it will be an absolute disrespect towards the supporters and another layer of disappointment on this catastrophe of a season.

If it won us trophies, I wouldn't give a shit. You don't look in the history books for it to say: Chelsea FC: European Champions 2012 (but they played shit defensive football for three games against two of the best teams in the competition), it just says we're the Champions of Europe. By hook or by crook, I don't give a fuck. I'd rather win a game playing shit football 1-0, than draw 1-1 because we left ourselves too open. Look at Arsenal, then look at us, and tell me which tactic works better.

His "style of park the bus".... wait, are you fucking kidding me? We played defensive football in three games under RDM. In the rest we played expansive, attractive attacking football. Absolutely hilarious some of the stuff you read on here nowadays.

Truly great goal. The pass into him from Morrison was awful, no pace on it and it was slightly behind him - so his first touch was doubly brilliant. He made Agger look like his bitch.

It's too much depth for 4-3-3, which is a system we no longer suit no Didier has left. Back to good old 4-4-2, with a big one and a little one, á la Eidur and JFH.