BlueLion.

Welcome! As Kez says, you're probably the youngest member on the site! Don't let that put you off though, I'm 17 and as Administrator I can kick some serious backside! My name's Alex and I help run the site along with the 'Big Lads' in Jim (the site owner), Steve and the 'Bigger Lads' - Oxfordblues and Stamford, two of our veteran members. This site is incredibly relaxed and diverse and I'm sure you'll enjoy it here. It'll be nice to hear from young Chelsea fans! One thing that might surprise you is that some people on this site are very, very passionate about the club and are very determined in getting their points across. We have a lot of discussions here and a large number see some people get pretty emotional and heated, and people start swearing and calling people pretty colourful names just because they disagree! However its all because we all care about this football club, so don't get put off if you find somebody disagrees with you - disagreement sparks debate afterall! If you need any help with anything or have any questions, just PM me. I'm logged in all the time and check the site 2-3 times a day for half an hour at a time, so I'm always happy and willing to help, especially when its younger members who are asking. I was very fortunate that when I joined TalkChelsea's older and now-defunct sister, CFC-Fans, as a 13 year old, I had a lot of help from the staff team and the likes of Kez and OllieCFC, who are a couple of years older than I am. There are a lot of others members who are my age on this site who'll also be happy to help you 'learn the ropes' - people like LDN Blue, Zashko, sam81292, Cameron and plenty more are only a few years older than you but established members, so don't be afraid to ask But overall, enjoy yourself here!

I should hope so, Robinho couldn't hit water if he fell out of a boat 9 times in ten.

To the people thinking le Kak or Josh will play... seriously? In the biggest match of the season? Ancelotti... gamble with the youth? I think not!

I apologise if this has already been pointed out, but the Danish league has a break until March and as the first leg takes place in late February, Copenhagen will be largely out of match practice when we come to the away leg.

Really can't call some of these ties... AS Roma v Shaktar... I don't think I've seen a more even pairing in all departments Good draw for two reasons - les Arseholes are out and we have an exceptionally good chance of going through. Having Inter face Bayern knocks out one of the giants and United won't find OdM easy opponents.

Good riddance, Stevan Jovetic please.

I really don't want that arrogant idiot at this club. I really, really despise his attitude. That being said, if we somehow manage to sign him, I'll still support him. Thankfully, you don't have to like someone to support them. I'd much rather see an Aguero, Jovetic, Alexandre Lacazette, Javier Hernandez, etc. at Chelsea! I await the response of the Football Manager and FIFA 11 Gods - who'll assure me that he'll be brilliant and ridicule my distaste towards him - with great anticipation.

Would absolutely love to face Lyon. Superb team, great club as well - absolutely magnificent supporters. I've been lucky enough to watch an OL match at the Gerland, the atmosphere is incredible. Always wanted to play them in Europe and I'd be delighted if we faced them. They're not world beaters, but they're not shite either. Facing an average side like Copenhagen and beating them a routine 3-0 on aggregate would not prepare us for the likes of Barcelona, Real or even United in the Quarter Finals. I'd rather us 'warm up' by playing a good team. I have a lot of respect for Lyon and they have some wonderful players like Lisandro, Lloris, Pjanic, Gourcuff, Gomis and Toulalan. They play great football so it would be a really attractive tie.

I agree, TBD. We simply are a shadow of the team we can be without Didier. I know we've missed Lampard's goalscoring and Essien's dynamism over the last two seasons, but without Drogba the direct aspect of our football is non-existent.

He's just trying to wind us up ahead of the game. He'll only have himself to blame if we make it ten seasons unbeaten at home against Manure this weekend.

Agreed. It means there is a real lack of balance about the team, and we're becoming increasingly vulnerable on the counter-attack because our front three simply do not do enough work defensively. Granted Kalou worked his socks off against Spurs and played quite well, and Drogba is good at defending set pieces, but the front three are very laboured in getting back and its annoys the hell outta me!

They both had 15 in all competitions.

Something that the last two months has demonstrated is our clear and obvious need for forwards. We only have one striker at the club, and his name is Didier Drogba. With a player of such a high calibre, you might consider what the problem is. The same goes between the posts. When you have (on current form) Europe's best goalkeeper on your team, you don't seem to think about who's second or third in the pecking order - at least not until injury or suspension come in. Drogba has struggled with malaria this term and it is no secret he is still fighting for full fitness. A promising cameo against Spurs - where he bullied his way past Michael Dawson with embarrassing ease (coupled with the use of an arm) before seeing the wrists of one of the country's best shot-stoppers inadequate to deflect the power of his equalising goal - suggests that 100% match fitness isn't too far away. But in the meantime, who is second on our list of strikers? I can tell you who it isn't - Salomon Kalou, Nicolas Anelka, and Danny Sturridge. They're wingers, you see. Anelka and Kalou have had the centre-forward mindframe wiped from their blueprint, they're now inadequate in a central striker role. We've seen recent Anelka performances which are well below his usual high standards - a polarisation of form for this man who began the season in majestic form. The same can be said of Kalou, for whom the goals have dried up after an equally-potent first dozen matches of the season, where, despite playing largely as a substitute, six of his eight goals this season were scored. Two in the next dozen suggests a turnaround in this form. The same goes for Sturridge, who is yet to start a game as a striker this season. Ancelotti seems okay for him to go down Kalou Avenue and turn a promising striker into a talented winger who seems destined never to tap into his full potential. That being said, Sturridge's speed, strength and trickery suggest he may prove to be a future stalwart in the Chelsea team, but that certainly won't happen before our current French-speaking-frontline of Drogba, Anelka and Florent Malouda all retire or leave the club. My point is very, very simple, and I shall put it bluntly - we need another striker. To say we need another Drogba is both an incredulous and appropriate statement, because when he is out of the team, we are frankly appalling. That being said, right now, we're barely an improvement when he is playing. But other forwards are needed. Not necessarily in the Drogba mould - I refer here to Lukaku - but a striker nonetheless. Kalou and Anelka are incapable of playing in this role and Sturridge seems set to follow in their footsteps. When Drogba is injured or suspended, or merely even out of form or confidence (not that the latter will probably ever happen), we need another player to fill the role. Someone with a lot of pace would change the dynamic of the system, whilst the likes of Lukaku would mean we'd be able to field a very similar style of play. But either way, we need a striker, and we need one now. With January coming thick and fast and Ancelotti allegedly promised funds, there is no excuse not to give us another option up front. As it stands we only have one, and he alone cannot win us this title. Not again, anyway.

Agree with you - agree with you both, actually. Essien is key to either way we should use the 4-3-3 formation. Either deployed as the holding midfielder where his durability and stamina can be used to the max, with Lampard on one side and Ramires/Zhirkov/Malouda making up the numbers. I don't think Mikel should be used in a more advanced position, though, its simply not in his blue print anymore. You can say he used to be a really promising attacking player, but that has moreorless been wiped from his game unfortunately. Its very much the same case with Anelka and Kalou; both seem incapable of playing in centre forward positions, which is where they played before we signed them! The other 4-3-3 is more defensive-minded, with Mikel in the holding role and Essien and Lampard supporting the front three. I say we need to start the game with Mikel and if it isn't working, drop Essien back one and stick either Ram, Yury or Flo into the third midfield spot and bring on another striker, etc. etc.

Notice how he only has made this views clear when we're in the middle of a blip. Maybe he'll shut up when we start winning again? Seems as fickle as a large percentage of our fanbase.

Didier Drogba's goal against Blackpool in the 4-0 win at Stamford Bridge has been credited as an own goal by Ian Evatt.

Samir Nasri has been named French Footballer of the Year, seeing off the challenge of Florent Malouda and Hugo Lloris. The Arsenal man was overlooked by his country for the 2010 World Cup, but has starred for the Gunners domestically this season. Nasri's absence from Les Bleus' farcical showing in South Africa may have worked in his favour, as he was not tarred with the same brush as his national colleagues. His fine form in the 2010/11 campaign has catapulted him back into the France set-up, though, and Laurent Blanc is keen to build his new-look side around him. http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11668_6579230,00.html

Bienvenue! Stick around and post well

Bale was average today, he beat Ferreira twice and on both occasions Bane fucked him up.

Jim changed it He's been poor, but that's because he's evidently tired. Bless him.

Chelsea vs Manchester United 1 March 2010, 1945 KO - EPL, Stamford Bridge MATCH CHAT HERE

Yeah, I think she always presses the reply button at the bottom rather than 'add reply'

TX, you've made your point, now shut the fuck up. Happy with the performance. Not too downbeat after that actually, I'd have taken a draw before the match. If we draw with United and then beat Arsenal I'd be very happy to be honest.

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