BlueLion.

No matter how poorly he played in against Turkey, he is still definitely amongst the top three goalkeepers in the world. At this moment in time I would say Buffon is the best, followed by Casillas and Cech. When PC1 regains some confidence, he'll be the best. Again.

That's the thing, I don't think this pre-season will hold any answers at all. With a player like Drogba in the squad, you moreorless have to fit the rest of the team around that player. Without him on the tour, I suspect our style in the first PL game of the season will be considerably different to that of the style on Wednesday.

Forever, Makelele will be a Chelsea legend. A loyal and dedicated professional, his contribution to the club has been outstanding and he deserves every bit of recognition he gets. Best of luck back home, Claude!

Where does he fit into a midfield that has Essien, Ballack, Lampard, Deco and Mikel? At this moment in time, Ballack is on top of his game and I would not swap him for anyone.

Aye, Esk, just about to announce that. From PSG.fr: Claude Makelele, Chelsea et le PSG ont trouvé un accord afin que le milieu de terrain paraphe ce jour un contrat avec le club de la capitale. Interview et photos en début d‘après-midi. Which roughly translates as: Claude Makelele; Chelsea and Paris Saint Germain have agreed a deal for the midfielder this week, on a contract with the club from the capital. Interviews and photographs will be on in the afternoon.

And hopefully we won't see him wasted in that bastard RB position

We signed him when he was 10 Cech's come through more than enough. Had his collar bone damaged ahead of 06/07, almost died half-way through that season, tore his calf in 07/08, twisted his knee, and had his face tore to pieces by his own defender!

Well, the lone role requires two things; a striker who is suited to that position, ie. tall and strong in the air, but also service from the wingers. Shevchenko's positional sense is not suited for the lone role, and he often drops back in a second-striker-esque fashion, leaving the wingers isolated. He prefers to be in and around the box, which is where he is at his most leathal. It doesn't take a genius to work out Sheva is a class act and with the right combination up front, we could see 20 goals or more, from him next year.

Scolari is a breath of fresh air. A proper disciplinarian, he isn't going to stand for any bullshit, it would appear.

I'm expecting to see a combination of young and old players. I think Sheva is bound to play, though, he is the only striker in our squad who will put in an honest shift every game.

That means things are serious, and there is a very good chance Robinho will be at Stamford Bridge next season.

To some extent, I am happy. Don't get me wrong, Kaka is a good player. A very good player. Or so the myth says. The truth is that he is very inconsistent in Serie A, and seems to only perform in European matches. £80 million for one player would put an unbarable weight of expectation on his shoulders, so much so it will be like Shevchenko, and we'll be catering for a ghost player. I love Kaka and think he is one of the best players in Europe at the moment, but such a move and such a price tag will surely be nothing but a burden. I'd be all for the move, but not for that amount of money. No player is worth that.

To be honest, I prefer this sort of transfer, when everything is kept quiet. But anyway. Sad to lose Maka. No doubt beyond his best, but nonetheless a fantastic asset and servant to the club.

Hah, that day was brilliant, especially when Johnny conned Essien into buying everyone a drink

He'd be worth near £49 million, if you ask me. Notice how Essien isn't moaning over the wages

And if Felipao elects to field two strikers, we could be seeing Sheva completely differently. When he played last season, he didn't do too bad a job of leading the line, but its clear he thrives off having an additional frontman - at Milan, during his peak, he had Inzaghi or another striker who took defenders away to give him space. Hopefully, he and Anelka can emulate the form they showed at their previous clubs respectively.

This will no doubt fuel speculation, but I believe that this may actually be an injury. However, as Esk says, the fact Didier has an injured knee and has done for some time makes me believe this is genuine cause for concern.

Michael Essien has done more for this club since he arrived in 2005, than Gerrard has done in the same time. Plus, he keeps his private life seperate to his sporting life, which is the sign of a true professional. Absolutely fantastic signing, worth double the amount we paid for him.

Fantastic news for the club. Arguably one of the most consistent goalkeepers in the world, and at only 16, he still has many years to improve. Its common knowledge that the majority of keepers reach their peaks towards the latter years of their careers. Glad to hear the Big Guy is sticking with us.

No offence taken, Elliott. Note to self: add Elliott to death list

Completely agree.

Yes/

No chance of this happening. I thought Kaka was younger as well. That being said, when TBH leaves, the number 22 shirt will be vacant...

Too much money for the lad! That price tag will put so much pressure on him, it'll be unbelievable.

He's worth a few bob, no matter how poorly he did with us. The guy has quality, just never worked out for him with us. Best of luck to him, should he leave.