BlueLion.

Yeah, but according to the BBC, I could be in Turin to discuss a move to Juventus to become their number one goalie, with Buffon going to play for my local side's Under-16s in return.

That's a good thought. Everyone could use my threads for it.

Yeah, we just didn't have luck on our side. But I thought Belletti was our best player yesterday, actually.

Spot on, Drogba knocking balls down for a second striker, with Deco and Lampard as well, would be fucking lethal.

From what I've seen, although I've only seen Boz play three matches, Paulo is the most reliable when it comes to defending.

Let's just sit and hope, guys

Try doing this then, matey.

That might be a good idea. I suppose we have two options: 1) just post ratings in the match thread 2) give it a trial in the Match Chat forum with the Citeh game.

If you read between the lines, it says 'Dear Real Madrid, fuck off you stupid cunts, Robinho wants to join us so play fairly.'

I reckon Fergy will turn his back on the Carling Cup as he and his team will be playing in the Club World Cup later in the year.

Manchester City vs Chelsea F.C. Premier League, Saturday 13 September, City of Manchester Stadium Vastly improving Manchester City host Chelsea at Eastlands in an intruiging affair, as City manager Mark Hughes was linked with the manager's position at Stamford Bridge before Luiz Felipe Scolari was appointed head coach. And with a number of ex-Chelsea faces now at City with Hughes in the shape of Shaun Wright-Phillips and Tal Ben Haim, it promises to be a fascinating match up. Match chat here

I just think it was one of those games, mate. Spurs get a massive slice of luck and score from their only chance. On another day we could have beaten them 3-0, its just an unpredictable local derby.

Chelsea F.C. 1 - 1 Tottenham Hotspur August 31 2008, Premier League, Stamford Bridge, London Juliano Belletti's first goal of the season was cancelled out by Darren Bent as Chelsea and Tottenham shared the spoils at Stamford Bridge. The hosts went ahead before the half-hour mark when Bent miskicked his clearance from a low corner, allowing Belletti to steer the ball home with his thigh. However the England striker made amends by slotting home under Petr Cech in first-half stoppage time after the ball took a fortunate deflection off Frank Lampard. Chelsea were determined to find a winner but a combination of a superb rearguard action by Spurs and some wayward finishing earned Spurs their first points at Stamford Bridge since 2004. With Michael Ballack still nursing a knock, and Mikel John Obi struggling with injury, Luiz Felipe Scolari made just one change to the team that had efficiently dispatched Wigan the previous week; with Juliano Belletti making his first appearance of the new campaign in the defensive midfield role. With Dimitar Berbatov's future still unresolved and Chelsea's north-London rivals bottom of the Premier League table heading into this encounter, thoughts of three points at Chelsea for the first time in nearly twenty years looked very optimistic for the travelling support. However, the visitors began the game the better of the two teams, settling down instantly and forcing Chelsea into their own half. With Darren Bent the lone frontman, however, Tottenham were posing little threat to Ricardo Carvalho and John Terry, and despite being forced to defend for large periods of the first ten minutes, it was the Blues who looked the most likely to score. Frank Lampard, making his 250th Premier League appearance for the home side, attempted an audacious chip from all of twenty-five yards which saw Spurs' summer acquisition from PSV Eindhoven; Gomes, in top form as he brilliantly tipped the ball over. The move came about after neat combinations between Deco and Belletti, and it was Joe Cole's intelligent dummy that gave Lampard the space to shoot, but the Brazilian goalkeeper showed excellent agility to palm the ball over the crossbar. Lampard had found his shooting boots, and with one goal already in the new campaign, was looking likely to add to that total. However many of his shots had been from long range, a clear indication of Spurs' apparent mentality to park the bus and attempt to hit Chelsea on the counter-attack. Their patience almost paid off, however, as Giovani's pass found Bent whose shot was excellent blocked by Carvalho. Chelsea cranked up the pressure and Belletti's exquisite ball for Anelka saw the Frenchman control magnificently before lashing his shot over when put under pressure by two Tottenham defenders, before Essien's thunderous effort from range left the crossbar trembling. The attempted follow-up from Cole was headed out by Woodgate, earning the Blues a corner, from which they made Spurs pay the price. Belletti intelligently steered the ball home for his second goal in two league matches against Tottenham at Stamford Bridge; the other a belter from 35 yards. Spurs' man at the front post, Bent, miskicked, giving the Brazilian room to put the ball in the back of the net. However, despite Chelsea dominating the following fifteen minutes as they looked to go into half-time to a content manager, Spurs hit back through the man at fault for the hosts' goal. Modric's challenge with Frank Lampard saw the ball take a freak deflection off Lampard's leg, bouncing beyond Ricardo Carvalho and straight into the path of Bent, who finished with aplomb on his left foot, guiding the ball under Cech and into the back of the net. It was a shock to the system for Chelsea, who had yet to concede in the Premier League until Bent's goal. The second half was frustrating for Chelsea, and despite being camped in the Tottenham half of the field for long periods of the closing forty five minutes, failed to break down the visitor's backline. Spurs were happy with a point and a combination of excellent defending and woeful finishing left much to be desired for Chelsea in an attacking sense. Ashley Cole fizzed a shot wide from a tight angle when the onrushing Nicolas Anelka would have been a better option at the far post, before Lampard again attempted a cheeky lob from outside the box. Essien and Kalou lashed late shots wide, but it was clear that the Blues were missing the physical presence of Didier Drogba and the incisive play of Michael Ballack. It was a frustrating afternoon for Chelsea who were denied time and time against by resolute defending. With Manchester City away next of Scolari's agenda, a final push to sign Robinho before the transfer window closes would be the ideal way to bolster his squad before the clash at the City of Manchester Stadium. ___________________________________________________________________ Chelsea: Cech, Bosingwa, Carvalho, Terry, Ashley Cole, Belletti, Essien, Lampard, Joe Cole, Deco, Anelka Subs: Cudicini, Di Santo, Malouda, Bridge, Ferreira, Kalou, Alex Tottenham: Gomes, Zokora, Woodgate, King, Gunter, Bentley, Jenas, Modric, Bale, Giovani, Bent Subs: Cesar, Huddlestone, Lennon, Gilberto, Dawson, O'Hara, Assou-Ekotto. Attendance: Approx. 41,500 Referee: Howard Webb Star Man : Belletti

Aye, we do miss Drogba against teams like Spurs who have tall, strong defenders. Anelka is a striker who normally plays off another forward, he doesn't like the role where he is the one who plays others players in on goal, it just doesn't suit him. Drogba's mere presence back in the starting eleven will give us a lot of confidence.

Ben Haim to score a hat-trick against us

Shaun's on steroids Been brilliant for Citeh today, so has Ireland. 0-0 at Villa Park, we are top of the league

I think a player of Michael Essien's quality will fit into any team, mate. Its just one game were the result isn't what we were hoping for. We have an international break now and hopefully we can come back and take all three points against City. Liverpool are currently 0-0 with Villa at the moment and face United after the international break. A couple of draws in those two games would help us sincerely.

As did I, and I too am very frustrated. However the way some people are saying stuff, implies we played as badly as Hull did yesterday against Wigan! Yes, it was difficult at times, but that was because Spurs defended excellently in the second half and our chances were limited. However it is early in the season and Manchester City, I suspect, are going to feel the full force of the Scolari backlash.

Failed to create a single chance? Did you not see Spurs had 10 players behind the ball at all times? Trying to score a goal with so many players defending is like trying to hit a fly with a bazooka. And to the contrary, we actually created a lot of chances. Anelka had that shot in the first half he should have scored from, Lampard had four or five shots, two of which were decent enough to worry the goalkeeper. Essien dented the crossbar and from the resulting corner we scored a goal. We were much more limited in the second half because everything we did was cancelled out by Spurs. Ultimately very disappointing.

Were you watching the same match as me? Jesus Christ we were camped in their half for the last half an hour! Just because we didn't win doesn't mean we played shite, mate, we played better than we did against Wigan, but the difference is we didn't get the result we wanted. That's football. However now we have left the door open for Liverpool and United.

Meh. Played well, but Spurs parked the frickin bus. Cunts.

I'm sensing a lot of people are going to be angry and curse and swear because of it. The truth is that we have been the better team and have created many more chances than Spurs. We have been more limited going forward because Spurs have defended solidly more times than not, but we are still playing reasonably well. Spurs had one decent chance, and that was a complete fluke goal, as Modric's pass bounced off Lampard's shin and beyond the defenders into Bent's path. Strange things like that can happen - Spurs don't deserve to be level but they are, but I feel we have the quality to go on and take the lead again. We've played the better of the two teams so don't be too disheartened.

Belletti is playing DM. The team shape will be something like this: Cech Bosingwa, Terry, Carvalho, Ashley Cole Belletti Joe Cole, Lampard, Essien, Deco Anelka

The Blues team: Cech Boz JT Riccy Ash Belletti Essien Deco Lampard Joe Cole Anelka

Real Madrid striker Robinho has told a news conference he wants to be allowed to join Chelsea before the transfer window closes. Robinho had been left out of Real's squad for Sunday's opening Primera Liga game against Deportivo La Coruna as doubts persisted over his future. The Brazilian is unhappy at Real following reports earlier this summer he would be included as part of a deal for Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo and the failure to discuss a new contract. Read the full story by clicking here