BlueLion.

He certainly wasn't a flop. Never got a proper run in the team and whenever he showed some form he got injured. Had no luck at all.

Same. One of the few games in the season you really, really don't want to lose.

That's it. He doesn't seem to get the hint that being dropped means we don't want him. We'll have to go to plan B. I'll be in the West Upper for the Bolton game, hopefully he'll be on the bench so I'll get a clear shot...

I think playing away first will work to our advantage. Again.

Well International football isn't my forté but from what I saw of the Czechs, Grygera was their most consistent footballer last year. Nevertheless, well done to the big man.

Signature number 71 added.

I think its a great idea and if you can keep it going, you've got my backing

On second thought, I think you're right Kez

I'm surprised after his error in the Euros tbh.

Team should be: Cech Bosingwa, Terry, Carvalho, Ashley Cole Mikel Essien, Lampard Quaresma, Drogba, Anelka/Kalou

If Liverpool won it, we'd never hear the end of it.

Do it

The only other one I can see is the guy putting the wig on - Wigan.

I agree. I like Benzema because of his ability to fit in different formations; he can operate as a lone striker, whilst also as a deep-lying forward and he played out on the wing against Nice earlier in the season.

Newcastle United vs Chelsea F.C. Saturday 4th April 2009, Premier League, St. James' Park, 1500 KO Chelsea head north to face a struggling Newcastle at St. James' Park. The Magpies are threatened with the prospect of relegation and defeat to Arsenal last weekend has put them in a perilous position. However, the Geordies managed a 0-0 draw in the reverse fixture at Stamford Bridge, and a difficult game is what lies in store for Hiddink's Blues. Match chat here.

I've always thought he was average at best defensively. Going forward, however, he's as good as anyone I guess.

We need to be signing some young English talent whilst maintaining our youth policy, I suppose.

I'll be pissed off if we don't see Quaresma against the Barcodes tbh. More about him going forward then anyone in the team atm, bar Essien.

Fucking brilliant article

Match report - http://www.talkchelsea.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=3856 Its only a short one this week.

Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 Chelsea F.C. Saturday 21 March 2009, Premier League, White Hart Lane, North London José Bosingwa challenges Luka Modric for possession at White Hart Lane. Luke Modric scored a stunning winner as Chelsea dropped points in a pulsating London derby. The Blues went behind when the Croatian midfielder drilled the ball home beyond Petr Cech from 19 yards after Aaron Lennon had beaten Ashley Cole out wide. The defeat is Chelsea's fifth in the Premier League this season and a damaging one at that, as Liverpool can now move three points clear of the Blues into second place, whilst cutting the gap behind leaders Manchester United to a single point after their defeat at Fulham. For Chelsea, however, it was a familiar story of disappointment, with them slipping up when gifted the chance to apply pressure on the champions. But when Spurs stopper Heurelho Gomes pulled off a stunning save from a John Terry header moments before the end, and Alex's stoppage-time effort cannoned off the woodwork, it was clear fortune was not on the visitor's side, as Guus Hiddink's unbeaten run as boss came to an abrupt end. The omens were good for Chelsea, who had lost only once in their last 37 encounters with their opponents at White Hart Lane, but with Tottenham's youth team disposing of Chelsea's youngsters 5-0 earlier in the day, a repeat performance from the Spurs first team looked just as likely. Buoyed by their recent form, which has seen them go five games unbeaten in the Premier League, the North London outfit are now 9th in the league table - and 9 points off the relegation zone. The game started at breakneck pace despite a delayed kick-off at the Lane, with Michael Essien fashioning the first chance of note after playing an intelligent one-two with French forward Nicolas Anelka, who was operating out wide. The Ghanaian's shot skipped off the surface and Gomes was forced to make a smart low save, but an inspired Modric performance, along with the tenacious play of Wilson Palacios in the centre of the midfield meant that Chelsea were restricted to few chances. Didier Drogba was an isolated figure up front, with Anelka and fellow winger Juliano Belletti peripheral figures out wide. Frank Lampard was quiet and the out-of-form Michael Ballack was also ineffectual, with only Michael Essien and Ashley Cole offering support to the Ivorian forward. Spurs had an excellent chance when Robbie Keane - scorer of a stunning equaliser in last season's corresponding 4-4 draw - launched a stinging half-volley that Petr Cech did brilliantly to tip around the post, before making more comfortable stops from Darren Bent and Jermaine Jenas. Anelka had a good opportunity for the Blues but his effort from 16 yards was beaten away by Gomes, before Spurs created a deserved breakthrough goal. Chelsea were playing suicidal football inside their first half, and Michael Ballack's sloppy pass gave Aaron Lennon the chance to beat Ashley Cole, which the winger did with ease, before supplying a cut-back for Modric, who expertly rifled the ball beyond Cech. It was no more than the hosts deserved. Chelsea were on the back foot, and Modric went close with another long-range effort before Ledley King headed over when unmarked in the box following a Spurs corner. But the goal seemed to galvanise the visitors, who had been lacklustre at best thus far. Guus Hiddink responded by bringing on Ricardo Quaresma, and the Portuguese winger gave Chelsea the width they desperately needed, and his introduction nearly bore immediate fruit as his cross was met by the forehead of Lampard, who could only watch on in disbelief as Corluka cleared his effort. Fate was clearly smiling on the hosts, but they were not without chances later on as Robbie Keane curled an effort inches wide with Cech scrambling, before Didier Drogba forced a good reaction save out of Brazilian goalkeeper Gomes. Drogba then wasted a good chance when he steered his header from a Lampard corner wide, before Lampard himself shot wide from close range. At the other end, Lennon spurned the opportunity to set up Darren Bent to seal the victory as Chelsea desperately searched for an equaliser. But when John Terry's header seemed destined for the top corner, Gomes trailed out a right hand to palm the ball away in what must be a contender for save of the season, and Chelsea's back luck was underlined when Alex's header bounced off the turf and against the woodwork, with Gomes parrying the ball to safety. A poor all-round performance had cost the Blues their last chance to join the final stretch of the title race. They think it’s all over. It definitely is now. ___________________________________________________________________ The TalkChelsea.net Man of the Match award goes to... Luka Modric, Tottenham Hotspur Tottenham: Gomes, Corluka, Woodgate, King, Assou-Ekotto, Lennon (Zokora), Jenas, Palacios, Modric (O'Hara), Bent, Keane Chelsea: Cech, Bosingwa, Alex, Terry, Ashley Cole, Essien (Malouda), Ballack, Lampard, Belletti (Quaresma), Drogba, Anelka

Today was a disappointment, yes, but we shouldn't be too disheartened. We're playing for pride in the Premier League right now, we should focus moreso on the Champions League and FA Cup in my opinion. Hiddink got it wrong tactically, and that coupled with individual mistakes lost us the game today. On another day, Corluka wouldn't have cleared Lampard's header, on another day Alex's header might have scraped the underside of the crossbar and bounced in. Sometimes as fans, its easy to over-analyse games. Quite simply, we were second best today because we were far too cautious. Spurs deserved to win. Anyway, I'm gonna get on to do the match report. It'll just be a brief one today, I feel that lingering on defeats is exactly the opposite that we as fans should be doing

Excellent point. HIDDINK OUT! j/k

We didn't deserve to get anything out of the game, to be honest. Under Hiddink we've been far too cautious and we've finally paid the price today. Might make him reconsider his tactics - they might work at first, but just like Scolari, as soon as one team exploits your weaknesses, countless others will do the same. To be honest, I'm not all that bothered. United still have the title in the bag IMO. And to all of you saying "we've blown it," you might want to go back a few months. We blew it in November, get over it. Stop being so melodramatic and support your team. We're not gonna win the title. So fucking what.

He should pull the team together, he's the captain for a reason.