BlueLion.

@Jaimin, yup, that way we get as many nominations as possible before I stick a poll up @LDN, good choice

Carlo's got his mojo back!

Happy blue year guys!

@Milan & @LDN - those two have already gone, might as well use your vote to choose another @Zash - I think you might be referring to his chip at the Bridge or his freekick, both in the 2-1 home win? That was 2009. I've put down his freekick against them in Feb though, in the 1-1:

Definitely not mate, I'm a massive fan of Zhirkov, who I think is another underrated and under-appreciated player at this club. He played such a massive role in our incredible form between January and March whilst Cole and Essien were injured. And he's been good in the majority of games he's played this year too. I think we're missing his drive and the width he offers. Although I said this earlier and got laughed out by the more narrow-minded supporters who can't appreciate players unless they score endless amounts of goals.

Chelsea vs Ipswich Town 09 January 2011, 1500 KO - FA Cup, Stamford Bridge Match chat here

Wolverhampton vs Chelsea 05 January 2011, 1945 KO - EPL, Molineux Match chat here

At this moment in time I believe the Ram-Lamps-Essien combination is the best midfield we can possibly play until Zhirkov returns. Ramires played very well against Bolton and although he's still feeling his way into the Premier League, he is a high-energy player with a high work-rate. Essien and Lampard need no description on their qualities, but I believe whilst Frank is regaining full fitness and not yet at his imperious best, its likely that Essien and Ramires will get forward to support the forwards. I'm a big fan of Zhirkov and feel that the games he's played in this season, he's been impressive. He is a very creative and composed player but the best thing about him in midfield is his versatility. He won't always stay narrow and when he's playing on the left with Cole and Malouda, the three interlink very well and make us very difficult to play against. Its just a shame we don't have the same dynamism on the right.

I was confident Bruma would play because Terry will also be in the team. Correct me if I'm wrong but the majority of his starts have been alongside Terry, I think largely because Ancelotti thinks JT will 'talk Bruma through' the match.

Vote for your favourite goal of 2010 here. The goal can be from ANY Chelsea game played in 2010, including first team, youth and reserves, academy and ladies matches. Similarly vote for your player of 2010. Impressed by Drogba's goalscoring, Terry's imperious form at the heart of the defence, Malouda's brilliance or Cech saving our skins for the hundredth time? Have your say .

That was in 2009 chaps.

Time to vote on our favourite Chelsea goal of 2010! All nominations in this thread, at a maximum of one nomination per member, and post a video if possible. Current nominations: Goal #1 - Frank Lampard against Watford [5-0], January 2010 Goal #2 - Ashley Cole against Sunderland [7-2], January 2010 Click to be redirected Goal #3 - Joe Cole against Manchester United [2-1], April 2010 Goal #4 - Frank Lampard (second goal) against Stoke City [7-0], April 2010 Goal #5 - Frank Lampard against Liverpool [2-0], May 2010 Click to be redirected Goal #6 - Nicolas Anelka (second goal) against Wigan [8-0], May 2010 Click to be redirected Goal #7 - Didier Drogba against Portsmouth [1-0], May 2010 Goal #8 - Didier Drogba against Arsenal [2-0], October 2010 Click to be redirected Goal #9 - Alex against Arsenal [2-0], October 2010 Click to be redirected Goal #10 - Nicolas Anelka against Blackburn Rovers [2-1], October 2010 Click to be redirected

My mate, Tom, lives in Fawley on the outskirts of Soton, where the club have their training ground... but I'll tell him to put a word in

Southampton's academy is absolutely brilliant. Lucky enough to have met Jake Sinclair, Scott's brother, who is currently there. Nice lad, very talented, met him through a mutual friend. Can't say I've heard much of this kid but if he's rated £10 million at his age he must be good.

I agree mate. I made myself look like a mug by criticising Drogba after his first two seasons, saying he didn't bring enough to the team. With Malouda, I always knew he would come good after watching him for so long with Lyon. I know better than to call players after a couple of dodgy games, they are human afterall

Yeah, as far as I know we're already exceeding the number it should be, or something along those lines - something like 40,000 is the maximum it should be considering the small number of exits around the ground, although I may have misread that. But I like the idea of rebuilding, but I don't see how we could rebuild and get many more seats in. Maybe redesigning the stands so its a bowl-like design, that way we can build in the corners. I believe it would be cheaper just to move though.

I found it hard to look beyond Florent Malouda, he's been sensational in 2010, especially in a goalscoring sense. His overall performances at the start of the year were exceptional, and his consistency has been great as well.

I agree that we should be able to criticise players when they perform badly. But no-one's performing to the best of their ability right now as far as I'm concerned, but we don't see posts slagging off Ashley Cole, Drogba or Essien despite them not pulling their weight.

Agreed. But I'd rather we moved to our own ground than shared one. I just really dislike the idea.

I don't like the idea of a groundshare. Kind of makes the stadium seem a little hollow, and impersonal.

Badboy, I thought you had more sense than this. Mindless slagging off of players belongs to someone with less knowledge of the game and people with less intelligence than someone like yourself. Locked. And watch the language, this is a universal forum for people of all ages. I don't want to see you fucking swearing all the time! On a more serious note, I don't care about the swearing, but why bring in dyslexic people and call zolayes a grandpa? Unacceptable, I thought better of you to be honest.

I thought he was superb last night and arguably our best player along with Terry.

Henrique you're absolutely spot on my friend. Kudos. I'm insulted, I thought that title was mine.

Well said mate. He doesn't half talk some shit.

Chelsea FC 1-0 Bolton Wednesday 29 December 2010, the FA Premier League League, Stamford Bridge Carlo Ancelotti's Chelsea battled to their first win in seven with a hard-fought victory over in-form Bolton Wanderers. Having been on the receiving end of a morale-crushing 3-1 defeat to Arsenal on Monday, Chelsea were in need of an immediate response - and Florent Malouda's ninth goal of the season ensures 2010 comes to a close in victorious fashion, bringing the curtain down on a magnificent year for the football club. Whilst memories of a Premier League and FA Cup double are a far-cry for the Blues' current domestic woes, Malouda's goal on the hour mark was enough for Chelsea to collect their first three-point haul in the Premier League since early November and bring to a close their worst run of form in more than a decade. And whilst Carlo Ancelotti's men were far from their imperious best, it was a marked improvement from the pathetic collapse that Chelsea fans were forced to endure either side of half-time at the Emirates earlier in the week. The Blues' incredible spiral of decline may have been halted for now, but much better performances and more-convincing results are required before the Stamford Bridge faithful are able to look back on this shocking run of form with something resembling a wry smile. Yet after a woefully poor run of results, the mere taste of victory will come as the greatest confidence booster for the defending champions, who end the year in fourth place but still within touching distance of leaders Manchester United. Winning the Premier League title is not an impossible task but a victory against Bolton Wanderers - with all due respect to the Trotters and their superb showing so far this campaign - is not enough to say the rot is well and truly over. Nevertheless, Chelsea now enter 2011 in winning form, bringing to a close a turbulent end to the calendar year. Much like last season, where a victory against Fulham prior to the turn of the year sought to change the Blues' fortunes on the pitch for the remainder of the campaign, this solitary victory may be looked back upon in similar fashion - hopefully as the cornerstone to further success. However it was more of the same from the champions in the first half of their crunch-clash with fifth-placed Bolton. Prior to the game there was talk of this being a season-defining moment for Chelsea and a pivotal match for Ancelotti to prove his credentials, but lethargy and half-heartedness was apparent throughout the host's attack as Bolton edged the opening exchanges. They ought to have taken a deserved lead when their adventurous intent was almost rewarded by Matthew Taylor, but the ex-Portsmouth man was just wide of Petr Cech's far upright with a daisy-cutter of an effort. Bolton continued to pile on the pressure but Blues skipper John Terry was in magnificent stead and denied Johann Elmander with a superb block whilst Cech was thankfully commanding between the sticks despite the evident vulnerability of Chelsea's shaky defence. The Blues' attack was again infuriating - everything that went forward was either over- or under-hit, and a lack of drive and purpose betrayed Chelsea of any meaningful attack until after the interval. The first signs of a spark in the Chelsea midfield came from the boot of Frank Lampard, making the meandering journey back to full fitness with an improved performance. The England midfield split Bolton's backline apart with a fine raking ball, finding Didier Drogba, and whilst the Ivorian beat Jussi Jaaskelainen the woodwork was in defiant mood, and the ball came back off the foot of the post and was hacked away to safety. Michael Essien then found Jaaskelainen in fine form as he expertly kept out an effort from the Ghanaian, whilst a Lampard volley again tested the Finnish goalkeeper's reactions. Drogba, meanwhile, cut a frustrated and out-of-sorts figure up front. The much-needed breakthrough followed shortly after when Drogba was again found in space by Chelsea's industrious midfield. Michael Essien did superbly to muscle his way beyond two tackles to feed the marauding Chelsea striker, and he squared for Malouda to tap home his ninth goal of the season. It was a move befitting the champions and their flowing football at the beginning of the campaign, but Bolton were not yet done as an attacking force. Stuart Holden - arguably the Premier League's most under-rated player this term - saw a penalty appeal turned down as a shot appeared to hit John Terry's arm, before he tested Cech's reactions with a bullet header than was superbly parried by the Chelsea custodian. However the best chance that fell the Trotters' way belonged to Sam Ricketts, who could only lash over the bar almost instantly after the Chelsea opener when a composed side-foot may have been rewarded. At the other end, Ashley Cole's shot skipped horribly in front of Jasskelainen but the Finn did well to smother the ball behind for a corner, whilst Bolton's final chance was blocked by Drogba inside the penalty area. This solitary triumph will not stop Chelsea's rot alone, but it does ensure the Blues end 2010 in victorious fashion and bring a memorable year to a winning close. Further improvement is needed however, a thought echoed by Carlo Ancelotti. 'Now we have to wait until the next game. The win was a big step, it will take a weight from our shoulders, but I am not sure if everything will be okay, it will depend on our next performance.' We all agree, Carlo. That being said, more of the same - a scrappy and hard-fought 1-0 win - against Villa on Sunday would do nicely. It wasn't 6-0, but it's an equally important result for Chelsea Football Club. The Blues may well have turned a corner, but let's take it one step at a time. But with Arsenal and Manchester United both dropping points over the last 24 hours, there is still evidence that this Premier League title race still has a long way to run. Bring on 2011. ___________________________________________________________________ Chelsea (4-3-2-1): Cech, Bosingwa (Ferreira 90+2), Ivanovic, Terry; © Cole; Ramires, Essien, Lampard; Anelka (Kalou 90), Malouda; Drogba. Bolton (4-4-2): Jaaskelainen; Ricketts, Cahill, Knight, Robinson; Moreno (Klasnic 71), Muamba, Holden (M Davies 81), Taylor (Petrov 76); K Davies ©, Elmander. The TalkChelsea.net Man of the Match was Chelsea's number 26, John Terry