Strike

i never said i want them to be defensive! i simply said that when we are facing a team which have talented wingers and attacking fullbacks - bayern - robben and lahm - the team needs to be balanced. something like the fa cup semifinal where ramires put a good shift in by helping bosingwa with bale and also got forward and Scored. we can't operate under the policy of "you score one, we score two" with the kind of players we have. the double pivot is too slow for having 4 players on the attack through out the game of course, against the likes of wigan, west brom and even against everton, liverpoop we should look to attack and score goals but defensive responsibilities are just as important for the wingers when we lose the ball. especially against counter-attacking teams

roman has always wanted to play attacking football. its nothing new. the thing is implementing it. this summer we signed hazard but that doesn't necessarily mean attacking football. to play better attacking football we have to improve the ground passing and all we saw last season was dump it long to drogba. getting hazard doesn't mean that our ground passing and our overall play becomes better. we are like england. even though they have flair wingers they still play two lines of 4 players i.e Defensive football . Also, you are operating under the assumption that we may get a player like Cabaye - whom we are yet to be linked to while there have been fellaini links still persisting. I do hope that we sign either cabaye or moutinho and another good attacker but as of now, we don't have a team to play expansive attacking football. get that out of your head

What is the basis for that? In all likelihood we will be the same team as last year but with Hazard instead of Kalou on the wing. can't see how that will bring about a radical change in our tactics. atleast at the start of the season, we will be incorporating few things from last year's counter strategy and to your question - since when were wingers defenders? we just played the champions league final, semifinal and the FA Cup semifinal with defensive wingers and I am certain that we will play Ramires on the wing if we face Barca, Real, ManC or Bayern even if we get Hulk. EDIT: reason for why bayern, real cope with attacking wingers? - their double pivot is much better than ours. also, they have a better team overall and to be fair we play defensive wingers whenever we face bigger opposition. the same goes to real and bayern. when real faced Barca, they played deep counter strategy and bayern would do the same if they face barca as well

as i have already said, Hulk is NOT WORTH 38million but it is porto's evaluation of the player. i would rather have us sign Hulk than a cheaper option like Adam Johnson or Milos Krasic. We have already got Marin and one of de bruyne or benayoun as replacements for kalouda.

for eg - valencia and Nani will double-team and rip Cole apart if Hazard is not tracking back. last season we had 2 lines of 4 players defending because of the lack of speed in our defence (lampard, mikel, terry all slow) now if we play attacking wingers, the midfield will be easily exposed . that's the basis for my ripped apart comment. di matteo has to tinker with his team according to the situation. so it wont be one basic line up with players rotating in and out but rather a team picked to suit the situation

so you're trying to say that you have an informed opinion that hulk's not good?

2 words. Defensive responsibilities. i can already visualise getting ripped apart at swansea with that team

he is the best winger available. can't see anyone else in the market - lavezzi has gone to PSG and Hazard has already signed for us. Hulk gives backup striker option as well. he's strong enough to handle the premier league. we have a portuguese translator as our 5th choice RB. seems like the best option.

38million is not Hulk's worth but its Porto's evaluation of the player. The market is going crazy these days but i would prefer that chelsea sign 1 world class attacker rather than a cheaper one - krasic barely played a game for juve last season, hoilett and moses are pacy but are not world class right now and as for Jovetic - paying around 25-30 for him is the same as paying 38 for Hulk. would love to see us use the "Champions of Europe" card and sign TOP talent rather than do a Liverpool in 05'

Sweet pics. looks much better now nice one

“The early bird gets the worm” – That’s precisely Chelsea’s policy in this transfer window as the club have already confirmed 2 high-profile signings so early in the transfer window. For once, it is heartening to see the club finally decide to create a new team. All these years, Chelsea fans went into the transfer window expecting the squad to be strengthened considerably but were left disappointed. Last season, an AVB-inspired Chelsea went on a summer-long pursuit of Tottenham midfielder Luka Modric only to settle for Raul Meireles on deadline day. Juan Mata, Romelu Lukaku, Oriol Romeu and Thibaut Courtois were also signed in the window as the board looked to infuse youth into an ageing team but unfortunately, with the exception of Juan Mata, none of the others established themselves at the club. This summer though, things look promising as Chelsea have already dipped their toes in the transfer market by snapping up German winger Marko Marin for a mere 7 million and Belgian sensation Eden Hazard for 32 million. With reported interest in a whole host of players across Europe, next season may finally be the start of the post-Mourinho era at Chelsea. 1. Marko Marin Marko Marin signed for Chelsea at the end of April (rejecting Tottenham) in what was seen as a ‘coup’ at £6 million by most Chelsea fans Position – Marko Marin will almost certainly be used in the Left Wing position at Chelsea. He plays his best football on the wings and has struggled lately when Werder Bremen used him in the Attacking Midfielder role after Mesut Ozil’s departure. Strengths -.Comparisons to Lionel Messi may be far-fetched but Marin has built a solid reputation in Germany as an “assist-maker”. His dribbling and acceleration are extremely good and he doesn’t hesitate to take defenders on and get past them. For once, it will be refreshing to see a true winger play on our flanks (Kalou) Weaknesses - As much as I hate to agree with goal.com, Marin seems to be inept in his decision making on the field. Far from being a Messi, Marin’s style of play is more similar to Real Madrid winger Angel di Maria. Also, there is a big question mark over his fitness. Tactical Implications One of the reasons Marko Marin was brought in was to increase the overall strength of the squad. No more of playing Kalou and Malouda in the Champions League final. Plus, Marin is an out and out winger, something Chelsea have been lacking in the last few seasons. We have relied on overlapping full-backs to spread the game wide for a long while now, so Marko Marin will give us a different dimension in attack (something like Jesus Navas for Spain) Stat – Marko Marin has made 40 assists in under 150 appearances for Borussia Monchengladbach and Werder Bremen. Verdict – Can’t do worse than Kalouda and at 7 million it’s a very good deal – 7/10 2. Eden Hazard After a transfer saga that threatened to spread out over the summer, Chelsea signed Eden Hazard from Lille 2 weeks after winning the Champions League. The fact that a manager-less Chelsea beat the Manchester clubs to his signature is particularly satisfying. Position – Eden Hazard is a player who can play anywhere in attack mainly due to his vast array of skills. Rudi Garcia used him in the attacking midfield role occasionally switching to the flanks but with Juan Mata already occupying the CAM position, I think Eden Hazard will start his Chelsea career out on the wings. Strengths - Just like Marin, Hazard will add pace and creativity to the side and gives Juan Mata a genuine wing option to pick out. He has brilliant agility, acceleration and is also known for his quick thinking and pin point passing evidenced by consecutive Ligue 1 Player of the Year awards. Weaknesses – Eden Hazard should take up defensive responsibilities especially in the big games. For example, If Manchester United play Nani at RM and Valencia at RB, Eden Hazard should help out Cole in case he gets double teamed. Of course, his primary intent should be to run at defenders rather than track back to cover Cole but he has shown negligence in his defensive responsibilities. Also, he doesn’t seem to be a good header of the ball and that means both Hazard and Mata won’t go up for headers in attack. Tactical Implications di Matteo has a welcome headache in his team selection. With Eden Hazard on one wing and Ramires/Marin/Sturridge on the other, Chelsea’s attacks will be less of “stick it up to Drogba” next season. This falls right into the hands of Fernando Torres who likes to receive through balls rather than crosses. Also, Hazard adds a dynamic edge to the attack with his dribbling skills. He maybe Chelsea’s answer to Ronaldo and Messi Stat – With his International debut, Hazard became the youngest player to represent Belgium at 17 years and 316 days Verdict – Unnecessarily raised expectations with the transfer saga but he has the time and ability to live up to it – 9/10 Future Activity Hulk With a rumored pricetag of 38 million, the big man from Porto comes at a price but he’s big, he’s strong, he’s fast and you can’t go wrong with that. Hulk is seen as a replacement for Didier Drogba although he primarily plays on the wing. Signing Hulk will give Chelsea depth in the attack and his obvious strengths – strength and speed works well in the Premier League. He has got a bullet of a left foot as well as an astonishing goal-scoring record of 150 goals in 278 appearances overall. Verdict – Make it happen, Gourlay - 8.5/10 Victor Moses Is he in the same league as Hulk? No. But Victor Moses looks like the board’s fall back if their primary targets fail. Essentially costing peanuts, Victor Moses is pacy and has a great future ahead of him. He offers depth on the wings and in the centre-forward role Verdict – Should be considered only if primary targets fail – 6/10 Mathieu Debuchy Star of the Euros for the French National team, Mathieu Debuchy is a solid right back who plays for Lille. Frankly, he is far better than any of the other fullbacks we have been linked to (Selassie, van der wiel) evidenced by his solid performance against England in the Euros. He seems capable of running up and down the right flank all day long and would be a genuine option to challenge or rotate with Ivanovic for a right back slot. Verdict – Solid full back. Bench-strength for defence – 7.5/10 The Old Guard is broken up, Mourinho’s shadow is lifted and a new team is being built. The future looks bright for the European Champions as di Matteo heads the dawn of a new era at the club. Click here to view the article

Transfer Watch – Part 1 “The early bird gets the worm” – That’s precisely Chelsea’s policy in this transfer window as the club have already confirmed 2 high-profile signings so early in the transfer window. For once, it is heartening to see the club finally decide to create a new team. All these years, Chelsea fans went into the transfer window expecting the squad to be strengthened considerably but were left disappointed. Last season, an AVB-inspired Chelsea went on a summer-long pursuit of Tottenham midfielder Luka Modric only to settle for Raul Meireles on deadline day. Juan Mata, Romelu Lukaku, Oriol Romeu and Thibaut Courtois were also signed in the window as the board looked to infuse youth into an ageing team but unfortunately, with the exception of Juan Mata, none of the others established themselves at the club. This summer though, things look promising as Chelsea have already dipped their toes in the transfer market by snapping up German winger Marko Marin for a mere 7 million and Belgian sensation Eden Hazard for 32 million. With reported interest in a whole host of players across Europe, next season may finally be the start of the post-Mourinho era at Chelsea. 1. Marko Marin – Marko Marin signed for Chelsea at the end of April (rejecting Tottenham) in what was seen as a ‘coup’ at £6 million by most Chelsea fans Position – Marko Marin will almost certainly be used in the Left Wing position at Chelsea. He plays his best football on the wings and has struggled lately when Werder Bremen used him in the Attacking Midfielder role after Mesut Ozil’s departure. Strengths -.Comparisons to Lionel Messi may be far-fetched but Marin has built a solid reputation in Germany as an “assist-maker”. His dribbling and acceleration are extremely good and he doesn’t hesitate to take defenders on and get past them. For once, it will be refreshing to see a true winger play on our flanks (Kalou) Weaknesses - As much as I hate to agree with goal.com, Marin seems to be inept in his decision making on the field. Far from being a Messi, Marin’s style of play is more similar to Real Madrid winger Angel di Maria. Also, there is a big question mark over his fitness. Tactical Implications One of the reasons Marko Marin was brought in was to increase the overall strength of the squad. No more of playing Kalou and Malouda in the Champions League final. Plus, Marin is an out and out winger, something Chelsea have been lacking in the last few seasons. We have relied on overlapping full-backs to spread the game wide for a long while now, so Marko Marin will give us a different dimension in attack (something like Jesus Navas for Spain) Stat – Marko Marin has made 40 assists in under 150 appearances for Borussia Monchengladbach and Werder Bremen. Verdict – Can’t do worse than Kalouda and at 7 million it’s a very good deal – 7/10 2. Eden Hazard – After a transfer saga that threatened to spread out over the summer, Chelsea signed Eden Hazard from Lille 2 weeks after winning the Champions League. The fact that a manager-less Chelsea beat the Manchester clubs to his signature is particularly satisfying. Position – Eden Hazard is a player who can play anywhere in attack mainly due to his vast array of skills. Rudi Garcia used him in the attacking midfield role occasionally switching to the flanks but with Juan Mata already occupying the CAM position, I think Eden Hazard will start his Chelsea career out on the wings. Strengths - Just like Marin, Hazard will add pace and creativity to the side and gives Juan Mata a genuine wing option to pick out. He has brilliant agility, acceleration and is also known for his quick thinking and pin point passing evidenced by consecutive Ligue 1 Player of the Year awards. Weaknesses – Eden Hazard should take up defensive responsibilities especially in the big games. For example, If Manchester United play Nani at RM and Valencia at RB, Eden Hazard should help out Cole in case he gets double teamed. Of course, his primary intent should be to run at defenders rather than track back to cover Cole but he has shown negligence in his defensive responsibilities. Also, he doesn’t seem to be a good header of the ball and that means both Hazard and Mata won’t go up for headers in attack. Tactical Implications di Matteo has a welcome headache in his team selection. With Eden Hazard on one wing and Ramires/Marin/Sturridge on the other, Chelsea’s attacks will be less of “stick it up to Drogba” next season. This falls right into the hands of Fernando Torres who likes to receive through balls rather than crosses. Also, Hazard adds a dynamic edge to the attack with his dribbling skills. He maybe Chelsea’s answer to Ronaldo and Messi Stat – With his International debut, Hazard became the youngest player to represent Belgium at 17 years and 316 days Verdict – Unnecessarily raised expectations with the transfer saga but he has the time and ability to live up to it – 9/10 Future Activity Hulk – With a rumored pricetag of 38 million, the big man from Porto comes at a price but he’s big, he’s strong, he’s fast and you can’t go wrong with that. Hulk is seen as a replacement for Didier Drogba although he primarily plays on the wing. Signing Hulk will give Chelsea depth in the attack and his obvious strengths – strength and speed works well in the Premier League. He has got a bullet of a left foot as well as an astonishing goal-scoring record of 150 goals in 278 appearances overall. Verdict – Make it happen, Gourlay - 8.5/10 Victor Moses - Is he in the same league as Hulk? No. But Victor Moses looks like the board’s fall back if their primary targets fail. Essentially costing peanuts, Victor Moses is pacy and has a great future ahead of him. He offers depth on the wings and in the centre-forward role Verdict – Should be considered only if primary targets fail – 6/10 Mathieu Debuchy – Star of the Euros for the French National team, Mathieu Debuchy is a solid right back who plays for Lille. Frankly, he is far better than any of the other fullbacks we have been linked to (Selassie, van der wiel) evidenced by his solid performance against England in the Euros. He seems capable of running up and down the right flank all day long and would be a genuine option to challenge or rotate with Ivanovic for a right back slot. Verdict – Solid full back. Bench-strength for defence – 7.5/10 The Old Guard is broken up, Mourinho’s shadow is lifted and a new team is being built. The future looks bright for the European Champions as di Matteo heads the dawn of a new era at the club.

yeah lol! its a shame that all overhead klcks wouldn't go in from 2002 onwards and that it was eventually discontinued.

i would rate joao moutinho and cabaye over everyone but modric. cabaye has a unique skill set that the others dont - he can defend and be creative. best bet for our double pivot

Traitor! Ban Him. that's worse than a homophobic slur!

Luka Modric maybe a creative but he is expensive and a defensive liability. Yohan Cabaye - cheaper, creative and defensive

it may be nothing but he's reportedly going to wear #17. what an insult to our greatest defender ever

after a loooong time, i am playing Disney's Hercules again

good idea. i will write one on that by this weekend

I smell dictatorship! you are below cap now

your better than cap. not the others

ppl who watched him before knew he wasnt the man. media hyped him because they hadn't seen him

avb is a good manager but chelsea was one step too far for him. even spurs next season maybe beyond his ability but he has the experience of 3/4th of a season in the premier league. i really fear for AVB though. good players leaving, spurs can't attract top talent. i feel AVB is doomed if this job goes to hell

i will give guardian the benefit of the doubt. it has built a good reputation and one error in judgement wont bring it down. it is still better than the daily fail etc. much better