BlueLion.

Yes, and no. This is the season we will come to judge him by. At present he is doing a sound job, and he has scored in the two 'big' games this season against Newcastle and Arsenal respectively. The first thing to realise is that he is not Didier Drogba, and that will always do the man a discredit.

Remember, in 2011, this was the kid who ripped Tottenham apart just for laughs. He has bags of potential - let's give him more than 20 minutes before judging him.

Or else I'll ban you! Yeah!

If you have ideas for an article you'd like to see on the site, please do post them here! I'm always looking to write for the forum, but admittedly my inspiration comes only in fits and starts - if you have any ideas you could offer, I'd appreciate it! Thanks, Alex.

Thanks for all the comments guys, appreciate it!

Absolutely, but I am inferring the quote where Mourinho said Makelele was his most important attacking player, because his simple little passes started off every move. Every pass from the defence into the midfield came through him.

Whichever way you look at it, it is important to realise that Frank Lampard is the greatest player to have ever pulled on the Chelsea shirt Ron 'Chopper' Harris, Roy Bentley, Gianfranco Zola, Peter Osgood, Bobby Tambling, Didier Drogba - all have fair cases to assume that mantle. But it is Lampard that just about edges it. Having won ten major honours with the club (and plenty others besides), including wearing the captain's armband on that night in Munich, countless individual accolades, and the hearts of Blues supporters worldwide, Frank Lampard the phenomenon will be regarded as Chelsea's greatest player - and with good reason. This is a man who is the ultimate professional, according to José Mourinho. He trains ridiculously hard and gives nothing short of everything on the pitch. Even just days after the death of his mother, Pat, Frank had the courage to step up and bury a penalty in a Champions League semi-final against Liverpool. The ultimate big-game player, Lampard has been the saviour of Chelsea Football Club on more occasions than the average Englishman has had fish and chips - and it is no surprise when you take a moment to consider the extraordinary career he has enjoyed. An incredible number of goals for the club - 189 not out, and still counting - emphasises his importance to the cause. Along with John Terry, Frank has been one half of the (until recently) seemingly ever-present spine of the team. Stalwarts like Drogba, Ashley Cole and Petr Cech may have been just as vital cogs in the Chelsea machine, but it is Lampard and Terry - the evergreen English core of the team - that has guided this side to triumph after triumph, albeit through the occasional stormy patch. Yet on evidence of the last season or so, this famous partnership may be entering its long-avoided Autumn. Based on policies of form, fitness and rotation, first Andre Villas-Boas and now Roberto di Matteo have seen fit to exclude both players from their starting elevens; at first every now and again, now with regularity to such an extent that eyebrows are raised when either player features in a string of more than three or four matches at a time. Under Mourinho, Lampard was one of the 'Untouchables'. However, this was a warranted title - between 2004 and 2007, there was a case for Frank being the very best central midfield player in European football. He was the main man, regardless of whoever was signed as an alternative. Deco didn't last particularly long at Stamford Bridge, and Mourinho had to find other ways to accommodate Michael Essien and Michael Ballack into his side, simply because of the fact that Lampard was still the guiding light. It was not until the 2010/11 season when injury limited him to just 32 appearances - a number about 20 short of his usual seasonal tally - that the prospect of a "Lampardless" Chelsea became a reality. Even in 2011/12, with Villas-Boas' very public chastising of the player, Frank stilled ended up making 49 appearances and ending the season as Chelsea's top goalscorer with a very credible 16 strikes to his name, thanks to impeccable fitness levels, goalscoring abilities and leadership qualities - three key attributes that have long justified his deserved 'Untouchable' tag. Though his performance levels fluctuated that season between good and awful (some supporters were very vocal in their support of both coaches resigning Frank to the bench), Lampard ultimately silenced his doubters by helping the side to a Champions League and FA Cup double. Do not underestimate Lampard's recent contributions to the side. Because of his swashbuckling performances under The Special One, it would appear that anything less than a goal-a-game showing is tantamount to a good slagging off. But some - admittedly not all - of the criticism was grossly unfair and exaggerated. Lampard's importance to the side is both physical and psychological - not only is he a great player and person, Frank is an exceptional leader. A Chelsea teamsheet with the name FRANK LAMPARD scrawled across it just resonates strength and experience - or, at least, it did. The truth of the matter is that Lampard's inclusion in the side is no longer a given. Regardless of almost 600 appearances and the fact he is very close to overtaking Kerry Dixon as the second-highest goalscorer in the history of the football club, his age and ability dictate that he is no longer the same Frank Lampard. No more is the box-to-box general that makes ceaseless late surges into the box. Rather than almost being a second striker, he is now the deep-lying instigator of play (something for which Claude Makelele was revered in godlike fashion for, yet Frank is seemingly unfashionable in this capacity). Here, his criminally under-rated creativity and vision are best utilised through a combination of fleet-footed immediate awareness and the ability to pick out a 60-yard pass. Yet di Matteo has other options. The attacking trinity of Eden Hazard, Juan Mata and Oscar are key to the way that the Chelsea of today operates. For them to exert their dominance on the pitch, a holding midfielder is required, and the discipline of John Mikel Obi is absolutely pivotal. Meanwhile, dynamism is needed; a link player with boundless energy like Ramires, or even Victor Moses. That leaves very little room to manoeuvre for di Matteo to filter Lampard in. Particular matches call for old, wizened heads, and the experience of Lampard on the big stage alone is enough to justify his participation in the clashes against the 'big' clubs; Arsenal, Tottenham, the Manchester clubs - even Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Real Madrid. What Lampard is undeniably always able to bring to the party is his big-game-player attribute, where his absolute best is enough to deny the best in the world. Look back to the Barcelona matches in the Champions League semi-finals last season. General Lampard in the middle of the pitch created two goals with incredible vision and confidence. The tackle of Messi and the through-ball to Ramires for Didier Drogba's winning goal at Stamford Bridge screams of his tenacity, work-rate and commitment. An even better threaded pass created the tie-changing moment; Ramires' away goal in the Nou Camp. With Terry red-carded, it was up to the vice-captain to burden himself with leadership responsibilities. Frank threw down the gauntlet and the rest is history. Roberto di Matteo is building a new Chelsea side; a younger one, with more emphasis on creativity and flair. Roman Abramovich's vision has always to seen Chelsea win titles - a revision to that means he demands the quality of football to match. Luis Felipe Scolari, Carlo Ancelotti and Villas-Boas were all able to achieve that, but only to a minimal effect before their sides were eventually effectively 'found out' by the opposition. What di Matteo is charged with, is the demand for a total transformation in ideology. Whether Frank Lampard is a part of it remains to be seen - particularly with a big-money move to either the United States or China on the cards. Lampard will want a multi-year deal when his contract expires this summer - the fact is he will only be offered a one-year extension. Sentiment will not be a factor; Didier Drogba was not given the grace of the two-year deal he craved even just days after winning the Champions League. The same applies to Joe Cole and Michael Ballack, who left weeks after securing the club's first ever domestic double. The curtain is most definitely falling on Frank Lampard's fantastic Chelsea career - though not necessarily by his own hand. What is certain, however, is that this man, with his eleven years worth of service, will rightly be remembered as the all-time great player of this football club. Not bad for £11 million. Not bad at all. Click here to view the article

Re: the comments on Joe Hart. He is world-class. One of England's only two truly world-class players, the other being Cole.

Obviously I follow Cech very closely, yet even I was surprised by those statistics, absolutely incredible!

The amusing thing is that (I would approximate) 20% of our shirt sales have TORRES 9 on the back....

Tottenham vs Chelsea PRE-MATCH DISCUSSION AND LIVE CHAT Barclays Premier League Saturday, October 20 2012 White Hart Lane 12:45 Kick Off (UK time)

Very happy with that - four goals and four different scorers. Hazard, Oscar and Mata all on fire. Torres scoring again. No goals conceded in the second half of a match in the league again. Wonderful.

Would like to see us notch two or three goals again this half. Would do us great ahead of the international break.

Ivanovic and Terry are worrying me. JT a shadow of his performance last week - totally being dominated by Holt. Ivanovic, meanwhile, is just playing so lazily.

EDEN HAZAAAARD

Dave should be playing in this one, as Norwich will hardly be attacking and we will need to utilise the wings.

Ashley Cole, he tweets what he wants.

As a striker, if you aren't going to score you better damn well make sure you put in a good shift. Torres did that today. Poor finishing, but excellent link-up play and a tireless performance.

For Chelsea Football Club, September was the month people stood up and realised that Roberto di Matteo's side aren't actually half bad. After the shambles of a performance against Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup at the end of August, there was something of a sour taste in the mouth for Blues supporters. August had otherwise proved a fruitful month. Despite a battling defeat to Manchester City in the Community Shield, the Blues were sitting pretty with three wins from three in the league (the most impressive of which being a 2-0 win over Newcastle at Stamford Bridge), and new signing Eden Hazard was the heart of everything good about the West London outfit. Yet with a lengthy international break sandwiched in-between that pathetic performance in Monaco and the next game against Queens Park Rangers, Chelsea fans were left all the more disappointed when the Blues barely turned up for the local derby against Mark Hughes' side. Chelsea were turned down two blatant spot-kicks - first when John Terry was hauled to the ground in the box by Ryan Nelsen, before ex-Blue Shaun Wright-Phillips clearly tripped Eden Hazard in front of the travelling supporters - but the fact of the matter is they were indebted to Petr Cech for rescuing them, as a shocking back-pass by John Mikel Obi was pounced upon by Djibril Cissé. Thanks to the Czech custodian, however, the Blues were able to maintain their unbeaten start to the campaign. Roberto di Matteo was rueful of missed chances and complained of a lack of urgency against their neighbours, and that was something of a recurring theme as the Blues let slip a two-goal lead against Juventus in the Champions League the following Wednesday, to make it three games without a win. The Italian champions cantered to the Serie A last term in scintillating style, and based on their resilient showing at Stamford Bridge, it was hardly difficult to see how the Old Lady had completed the season undefeated domestically. A brilliant brace from Oscar on his European debut for the Blues - the second a sumptuous turn and finish beyond one of the world's finest goalkeepers - looked like it would be enough for the hosts to begin the defence of their trophy in winning fashion. Yet the European champions were guilty of taking their foot off of the gas, and were duly punished by a side boasting a vast array of attacking talents. Arturo Vidal pulled one back moments before half-time with a fine low finish into the bottom corner, before substitute Fabio Quagliarella completed the come-back by nutmegging Petr Cech with a tidy effort. The Italian forward almost won it for the visitors as his shot on the turn kissed the top of the crossbar, after Juan Mata had wasted a guilt-edged chance to redeem his side's shortcomings. The Blues had only ever surrendered a two-goal lead in a Champions League match once before - against AS Monaco in 2004 - and there was evidence of a European night hangover against Stoke the following weekend, too. Tony Pulis' side are one of the most frustrating teams in the Premier League to play against, and through a mixture of a stout defensive performance and lightning-fast counter-attacks, the Potters were proving a tough nut to crack. It was one of those games crying out for Didier Drogba. The now-departed Ivorian forward was the man who made the breakthrough in the corresponding fixture last season, and his strength and power was clearly missing against Stoke, who were holding the Blues back effectively, limiting them to efforts from outside the area. One player who did at least test Asmir Begovic with a couple of stinging efforts was Oscar, who produced two decent stops from the Stoke keeper - but it was not until the 85th minute when substitutes Frank Lampard and Victor Moses combined to tee up Juan Mata, whose exquisite flick allowed Ashley Cole to poke home the winner. His first goal since May 2010, Cole was the unlikely match-winner in a game that called upon reserves of spirit. The next match would not be quite so difficult, though, as Chelsea attentions were turned towards the newly-christened 'Capital One' Cup. Wolverhampton Wanderers were unfortunate recipients of the occasional Chelsea rout - made all the more prevalent since the days of Carlo Ancelotti, who used to see his side score five, six, seven or more without too much trouble with startling regularity. Six goals scored, each by a different player, was only a shadow of the dominance Chelsea exerted over their Black Country opponents - it could quite easily have been double-figures! Two-up in eight minutes despite seven changes from the weekend win, the Blues were in fine form in front of goal; the pick of the bunch coming from the revitalised Juan Mata, who exchanged passes in an all-Spanish affair with Oriol Romeu and then Fernando Torres, before slotting home. Romeu and Victor Moses also found the net, whilst Lucas Piazon and Cesar Azpilicueta made their first competitive appearances for the club. That set up the crunch clash with Arsenal up in perfect style. The Gunners also recorded an emphatic win (themselves notching six against lowly Coventry City) to continue their strong start to the season. A well-earned point at champions Manchester City and a comfortable win at Anfield suggest that Arsene Wenger's side are heading in the right direction despite the loss of Robin van Persie, but the Blues were in no mood to let their hosts dictate the play to them. In a switch that seemed to puzzle the Arsenal coaching staff, di Matteo opted for an attacking mentality and his side put the hosts under concerted pressure for much of the match. Torres opened the scoring with a deft finish inside 20 minutes, before Gervinho levelled with a fine turn and shot from eight yards. Juan Mata's free-kick then evaded everyone in the box and nestled in the side netting for his second goal in as many games, before Petr Cech produced two excellent saves to protect his side's lead - the best being when Olivier Giroud's deflected effort struck David Luiz and looked for all the world to be looping in, only for the Czech giant to reach out and pat it around the post by mere centimetres. With goals comes confidence, and with confidence comes improved performances. That was certainly the key as Chelsea improved with every match in the month of September. The worrying thing for their rivals, is that the Blues have barely even got out of second gear yet... ...players are gelling together and partnerships are forming across the pitch. Roberto di Matteo is earning his wages, also, having dropped his habit of picking his favourites; the likes of Frank Lampard and John Terry no longer have automatic places in the line-up, regardless of their past heroics for the club. The emergence of young Oscar has added an extra layer of flair, whilst Fernando Torres appears to have regained some of his own form with two well-taken goals in the final brace of games this month. Most importantly, however, is the return of Juan Mata. The Spaniard played more games than anyone last season, and come the Springtime, it was showing. He has returned refreshed, revitalised and raring to go, and four assists and two goals in the month mark his out as the Blues' stand-out performer. An unbeaten month will offer great confidence - but can the Blues continue their form with clashes against Manchester United and Tottenham to come..? Click here to view the article

The last "minnow" team we seriously under-estimated in Europe were Cluj and look how that one turned out. Strong team, please.

He'll be back for the FCN game on Tuesday and no doubt score!

He never left.

Fucking have it you dirty Gooner cunts!!!!

RDM's bald spot?

Wow! Welcome back Linda! Fantastic to see you again!