BlueLion.

Prediction League update... As it stands at the top... 1 - Kez - 155 2 - BlueLion - 154

I have to say, what a very good final! Been a very entertaining game so far, I have really enjoyed watching it. We've been the better side by some distance; Everton have had one chance and scored, but that's football. We've been far better than they have and we have created a number of good chances, I feel its only a matter of time until we convert another. We've been very solid at the back - Mikel has done his job brilliantly - and going forward we've played some brilliant football. Lampard, Anelka and Malouda have all been involved and Bosingwa has done his bit do. Drogba has yet again done the business for us up front - it was a positive performance and we can take heart at the brilliant way we have responded from going down to an early goal. KTBFFH!

Welcome back Kez

I'll kiss you if you're right, I'd take a win with any scoreline to be honest

Happy birthday Dad Hope we can lift the cup today!

Come on Chelsea, let's do it

Guys, its almost the summer. After today's final, its the end of the domestic season. Cue wild rumours - who will be the next Chelsea boss, how much will Man City spend this summer, will Ronaldo leave... its the sameevery summer, just get used to it. The journalists have nothing to write about, so they just bullshit ink across paper.

The only way we can compete with Manchester United next season is if we spend big, and I am glad the club have accepted this. The club need to be tactical as to whom they buy; we don't want another Shevchenko-scenario happening when we sign a 30 year old for big money, we need to bring in younger stars.

Locked.

The game against them in April was ideal for Guus - it will have allowed him to focus on their strengths and weaknesses. I believe the G-Man will do the business.

I highly suspect Guus may retire after his contract with Russia expires, paving the way for him to return to the Bridge as Director of Football.

I'm changing the topic title, this isn't confirmed. Yet.

United's display shows how brilliantly we played against them.

http://www.chelseafc.com/page/LatestNews/0...1674913,00.html There will be a new flag at Wembley on Saturday - have a look A very nice touch, I must say.

Bye bye Can't say I'm too sad to see him go, whilst I appreciate this has been his first season, he hasn't tried like Shevchenko or Ballack did. He's been quite lazy, I must confess, and as much as I like the player, its best for both parties if he just moves on.

Fucking gutted I think that's payback for the Celtic bastards telling Rangers fans to buy Dundee socks

I agree with you there. However, at a club where titles are so desparately sought after, it makes it even harder for a young star to break into the squad. That being said, Franco has the potential to be a star and I am sure the next manager will see that.

Signed with Juventus with a five year contract... I doubt he's on his way here, folks Locked.

I personally feel Ballack has had a very good second half to the season and has been an unsung hero over the last three or four months. He is being played in defensive midfield where he has been shown to be very powerful and efficient in that particular role, and has been very consistent in his performances. I think his role has become very much like that of Makelele's last season, and when called into the side, has been solid and assured for us. Whilst I wouldn't mind whether he stays or goes, I certainly believe that his season has not been a poor one at all.

I love Carvalho to bits and believe he is one of the best defenders in the world, but he is too injury prone and to get such an amount of money for him and Deco - two players over 30 - would be excellent.

Any possible excuse for another bullshit story Whenever I feel down and fancy a good laugh, I just read the tabloids. Works a treat.

I completely agree. However, I believe that for Guus Hiddink, as a manager, the win comes before anything, and I don't think he is willing to risk that achievement by playing young players. On the other hand, Alex Ferguson has a lot of faith in his youth academy simply because over the last two decades he has been heavily involved with all things Manchester United. Scolari seemed willing to play some of the younger matches here and there to gain a bit of experience, and so may the next manager, but I believe the reason why Hiddink has really only played Mancienne is because of the player himself proving his own ability first at Wolves and then when he came back. Let's be fair, he hasn't really had too much time to assess the state of the reserves and the academy and I think his mentality is to keep a solid backbone to the team (of Cech, Terry, Alex, Ashley Cole, Frank, Essien, Didier, Anelka and Malouda), and he wants to maintain that backbone because he trusts those players in particular, hence the reason why when we see any change at all in the team, its usually to bring in someone like Belletti, Kalou or Ovanovic, and the reason we've had such a good spell recently is due to the fact we are consistently playing the same players in a formation that really suits the likes of the forward three of Nico, Didier and Florent, and allows the midfielders to play to the best of their ability also. That's why the youth haven't seen too many chances recently, although I'm quite sure that should we bring in Ancelotti or another manager, they will more than likely look at the whole youth set up over the summer and take a number of youngsters to the States for pre-season.

The Chelsea-United-Liverpool comparisons can stop right now. Let's be frank - we will probably never catch up with their amount of titles. To do that, we need to win 15 Premier Leagues whilst neither of them win one, and that's not going to happen for a while, I think. The fact of the matter is that at this moment in time, we're as good as either of them, and if we continue to play the way we have been doing recently, not only will we bring the FA Cup home on Saturday but we'll have more than a good chance of winning the Premier League next season as well. Personally, I can't wait till next season, because these last few months have proven one thing to the footballing world - Chelsea have got a load of desire burning inside.

In all fairness, I don't see a lot of people saying "Bring back Mourinho" - at the minute, it's "Bring back Hiddink." I believe that's the first step in this club putting our relationship with Jose Mourinho in the past. Don't get me wrong, he is a great manager, but this constant comparison between our new managers and him is incredibly boring and repetitive, now. If Ancelotti comes in, then so be it, but we have to give him time to adjust and build his squad; not sack him after a bad run like we did with Scolari.

Di Santo and Mancienne are perhaps the two players with the most potential out of all the possible players to come up from the reserves, although I do agree a season in the Premier League would be most beneficial to any player trying to break into the first team.