BlueLion.

Any news on Kalou?

Frank being out of this one is probably a good thing. I'm not criticising him because in my eyes he is the best midfielder on the planet. I just get the feeling this is going to be a very physical game, and we're certainly going to need the pace and energy of Essien, Mikel and Ramires. I think we'll see this: P. Cech Ivan, Alex, Terry, Cole Mikel Essien, Ramires Anelka, Drogba, Malouda Mainly because with Benayoun and Kalou out, these are our only options Bench: Turnbull, Ferreira, van Aanholt Bruma, Josh McEachran, Zhirkov, Sturridge. I've just realised actually how small our squad is...

Chelsea vs Olympique de Marseille 28 September 2010, 1945 KO - UCL, Stamford Bridge MATCH CHAT HERE

Blasphemy

I think he was being sarcastic.

Mate you're absolutely spot on. With the abundance of riches we have in midfield (ie. Lampard, Mikel, Ramires, Essien), it's going to be a fair few years before we see McEachran regularly in the team. On the other hand, with Anelka getting on (and not being an orthodox winger), Kalou being relatively inconsistent and really only Malouda being an out-and-out winger, Kakuta will get more chances and his versatility means he can play in a lot of positions - an attribute Ancelotti clearly favours.

I think any footballer on earth with half a brain would want to play for one of the biggest football clubs on the planet.

I wouldn't mind seeing Kakuta wearing the number 16 next season in all honesty.

I'd like to point out I did not once say I didn't care we lost - to be honest I'm disappointed, but not so much I feel down about it. It's not as if we've been knocked out of Europe.

Talk about an overreaction. The whole point of journalism such as that is to wind up Chelsea fans and the club itself. I'd say it's worked, judging from you lot Interesting read actually, although I think the writer is certainly confusing correlation and causation, and making sweeping generalisations - two things unfortunately increasingly common in journalism these days.

He was probably the best Chelsea player, I'd agree.

Can he play in goal instead of Ross Fumble?

Tim Hildebrand is out of contract at Sporting in the summer so I think we should try and get him in on a free transfer. We had this debate with Asenjo. We need a quality back-up to Cech for two reasons - 1, to keep Cech on his toes and 2, because Hilario and Fumble really aren't good enough to be number twos. As far as I'm concerned, we should try and sign Federico Marchetti because he'd be relatively cheap coming from Cagliari.

Ferguson must be feeling a bit purple-nosed.... oh wait...

So Kakuta was injured then, I thought as much.

Personally, I'm fairly happy about yesterday's result and performance. Although we've gone out and nobody wants to lose, I have to mention how proud I am of the team for their effort and commitment despite being down to ten men and being 3-1 down. Also, credit where it is due for Newcastle, who deserved to win and progress to the next round. All the best to them. Consider it this way - what's more important? Playing the youngsters when we get the chance, or winning the Carling Cup? The kids will get other chances - if we qualify with a game to spare in the Champions League then we'll see Kakuta, Bruma and company play in the final group stage game. There are also Premier League and FA Cup games where the youngsters will get their opportunities. So what's better? Blooding new players or playing a full-strength team and tiring them out? I'm not degrading the competition; I think it's fantastic and very, very entertaining. It gives a chance for the smaller clubs to get one over the bigger sides. The best example is Northampton beating Liverpool - no-one on earth could have expected that. But on the bigger scale of things, I don't think we can complain. It means there is another 'distraction' for United and Arsenal - games in which they will play a few of their experienced players. It means midweek trips across the country in front of hostile crowds on cold winter nights, and come the quarters, semis and the final itself, these two teams (should they reach that stage) will suddenly be fielding the likes of Rooney and Fabregas. On the other hand, we can focus on what matters most - defending our Double and winning that bastard Champions League. As mentioned earlier, I'm disappointed we're out as we could well have beaten Newcastle last night; haphazard defending and poor goalkeeping effectively lost us the game. But we can look at the mistakes or focus on the positives, and I'd choose to do the latter. We were undone only by the width of the post; twice Tim Krul's right hand upright denied Chelsea (first an Alex thunderbolt and then denying Ferreira what would have been the greatest goal of his career). On another night those efforts might have found their way in. We were simply massively unlucky, though you still have to tip your hat to Newcastle. Furthermore, we were unlucky with the injuries suffered. Kalou could really have made a difference and Benayoun was passing the ball very well indeed. Down to ten men, we should great character but were ultimately beaten. But every cloud has a silver lining - on this occasion; Josh McEachran. A star might just have been born last night. He's quality, pure quality. A little genius on the ball with composure and confidence; something very few 17 year-olds possession. This boy has a big future - and going out of the Carling Cup is the smallest of prices to pay for that realisation. The future's bright for Chelsea FC - with McEachran, Kakuta, van Aanholt and Bruma were have four quality youngsters. Exciting times lie ahead.

That and the Alex shot both deserved to go in, the keeper was nowhere near them. Oh well.

Same. Why? Because he's English. Kakuta can be as good as Ronaldo one day but this is us producing a GENUINELY good English player.

Chelsea 3-4 Newcastle Shola Ameobi's last-minute header ensured Newcastle triumphed over ten-man Chelsea in a pulsating Carling Cup game at Stamford Bridge. The Premier League champions opened the scoring when two of their rising stars; Gael Kakuta and Patrick van Aanholt combined for the latter to slot home, but they soon found themselves trailing after a quick-fire salvo from Newcastle's Nile Ranger and Ryan Taylor gave the visitors a lead at the interval. Shola Ameobi then doubled the lead, and injuries to Salomon Kalou and Yossi Benayoun - the latter leaving the Blues with just ten men - meant that Chelsea had a mountain to climb though time was still on their side. They showed brief signs of a recovery when Alex hit the post from distance, and eventually did pull a goal back when Nicolas Anelka finished coolly inside the box from a van Aanholt cross. With less than ten minutes to play, Alex was fouled in the penalty area and Anelka slotted home the resultant spot-kick to send the Chelsea faithful into raptures, but their joy was to be short-lived as first Paulo Ferreira hit the woodwork with a volley before Ameobi scored in the last minute to win the game for the visitors - a result they probably warranted. Chelsea were out of sorts and despite bossing the first fifteen minutes were second-best for much of the match. Manager Carlo Ancelotti will perhaps be most concerned about the injuries picked up by Kalou and Benayoun, although young Josh McEachran will no doubt have pleased his manager after he and Anelka instigated a remarkable comeback. In retrospect, Newcastle's late goal will probably have done the Blues some good; meaning they did not have to face an additional thirty minutes and the dreaded penalty shoot-out that may have followed, and unlike fellow title contenders Manchester United and Arsenal, will no longer have to negotiate further rounds in the League Cup. The Blues weren't the only 'big name' side to go out at this early stage - Manchester City, Tottenham and Liverpool were all spectacularly dumped out. Nevertheless the defeat will be hard for Chelsea's youngsters to stomach but no-one can begrudge Newcastle a deserved victory nor criticise the hosts after their second-half heroics. Incidentally, the defeat is the first in normal time that Chelsea have suffered in 21 League Cup matches - the last being against Aston Villa in 2003. Chelsea got off to the best possible start, but were given a helping hand by some haphazard defending by Sol Campbell who got in a mix-up with keeper Tim Krul; allowing Gael Kakuta to seize the ball and fed it to the rampaging van Aanholt, who finished with aplomb despite the despairing dive of Krul. However equally lacklustre defending from Chelsea enabled the visitors to restore parity. Young defender Shane Ferguson was given the freedom of the left flank and with no Blues player attempting to close him down, the Newcastle man was able to fire in a cross which Ameobi flicked on and Nile Ranger converted past a beleaguered Ross Turnbull. It was an avoidable equaliser - Paulo Ferreira should have closed down the marauding full-back and van Aanholt was left wanting when he failed to react to Ranger's movement in the box. What would follow five minutes later was equally self-inflicted. Ryan Taylor curled home a delightful freekick when Jeffrey Bruma's concentration lapsed, culminating with a foul on Ameobi. Turnbull might have done better, but Chelsea were left with a mountain to climb, and a task that would become even more difficult after the interval. It took just three minutes for Newcastle to extended their lead, and once again it was down to poor play at the back. With John Terry taken off at half-time as he makes he way back from injury, the defence looked out-of-sorts and it was Ferreira this time at fault as his loose pass was gathered by Ameobi, who did not hesitate in firing home. Again, the goalkeeper will be disappointed that he did not do better; if Cech had have been in goal it simply would not have gone in. Matters went from bad to worse when first Kalou - a half-time replacement for Kakuta - was stretchered off and then Yossi Benayoun limped off the pitch with a hamstring injury. With all three substitutions made by Ancelotti, the Blues were down to ten men. However, in the face of adveristy and defeat, the young Blues began to restore the pride with a superb comeback, instigated by the recently arrived Josh McEachran, who replaced the crocked Kalou. Alex then looked to fire Chelsea back into contention but he hit the post from the follow-up of a Bruma free-kick, before Newcastle twice had the chance to kill the game off once and for all. Ameobi fed in Peter Lovenkrands through on goal but his shot was woeful and wide, and then the former had a chance himself but skewed it horribly wide. Chelsea had been given a much-needed reprieve. They needed no second invitation following their let-off. Anelka restored hope when he fired home on the instep after good work by van Aanholt; the finish giving Krul no chance. The unthinkable happened moments later when Cheik Tiote fouled Alex in the penalty area. It was a soft decision but one gratefully accepted by Anelka. Considering the last penalty he took for Chelsea was the one which allowed Edwin van der Sar to win the Champions League for Manchester United, Anelka showed considerable poise. The finish was exquisite; possibly one of the coolest and clinically-dispatched penalties seen at Stamford Bridge. McEachran was enjoying a superb cameo - he was being encouraged by the home fans for his every touch, and on two occasions he effortlessly dribbled past tackle after tackle before testing Krul from distance. He may not have scored or ended up on the winning side, but a star was born. Last season, Paulo Ferreira scored a last minute leveller at Ewood Park in a pulsating Carling Cup quarter final that ended 3-3. Chelsea lost on penalties but similarly they were down to ten men that night. Ferreira almost repeated his late heroics but his volley from the edge of the area clipped the post. Krul was nowhere near it. It was the game if it found the inside of the woodwork. Ameobi scored at the other end to leave Chelsea ruing what might have been - the Blues showed admirable character but Newcastle were not to be denied a deserved triumph as Chelsea lost at home for the first time in six months. However, there are bigger fish to fry and despite the defeat Ancelotti will have been impressed by van Aanholt and McEachran's contributions, as well as the displays of Anelka and Alex. And it could have been worse - at least we didn't lose on penalties to a League Two team. ___________________________________________________________________ Chelsea - Turnbull, Ferreira, Bruma, Terry © (Alex 46) Van Aanholt; Benayoun, Ramires, Zhirkov; Sturridge, Anelka, Kakuta (Kalou 46) (McEachran 56) Newcastle - Krul; Taylor (Tiote 63), Campbell, Coloccini (Williamson 63), Ferguson (Barton 90+3); Ranger, Smith ©, Vuckic, Gutierrez; Ameobi, Lovenkrands The TalkChelsea.net Man of the Match was Newcastle's number 18, Jonas Gutierrez

Put it this way. At least we didn't lose on penalties to a League Two side. Nice going, Liverpool.

My stat of the day: That is the first time Chelsea have been beaten in normal time in a Carling Cup game since December 2003 when we lost to Aston Villa.

Sorry mate, ain't nobody saving that fourth goal, it was a wonderful header. Cech wouldn't have even got fingertips on it. But he was certainly at fault for the third and I think he should have saved the freekick... but it's easy to say that in hindsight because frankly it was a superb goal.

Guys CALM DOWN.... I appreciate nobody wants to lose but consider one massive benefit - we now have one less 'distraction.'

Positives: Played magnificently with ten men Nicolas Anelka was superb Josh McEachran was sublime when he came on Negatives: Turnbull Sturridge and Bruma looked out of sorts Most importantly, two serious injuries to Bena and Kalou. Let's not forget... we hit the post twice... just not our night.

Game over.