FormerRussianSpy

Hilario is such a cock!

HAZARD!

I'm liking how our midfield is gelling so far. McEachran showing off his long-passing expertise

Anyone else annoyed with Benayoun getting the nod ahead of KDB? I want to see me some Prince Harry!

Kinda bummed if the deal completely falls through. Big transfers are exciting and all, but it's the smaller transfers that can have just as great as an effect.

I think the transformation for us kinda started when RDM took the helm. He brought the club its greatest cup success essentially overnight (considering the time he had). But it is up to him now to continue the "transformation" of the lingering Mourinho Chelsea into a new and more modern squad. That may mean adding an excess of talented midfielders, but by the way RDM managed to coach our midfield into a complete 180 of form and effectiveness from AVB's midfield (with the same players) we can only be excited by the fact that he is adding more fuel to our fire. May the transformation continue!

I remember being really impressed with his goal against QPR. Not just because it was a long range strike with his much less-favored right foot, but also because it showed that he still had the confidence to maintain his aggressive play style even after a pretty serious dry spell. He seems to be able to dictate the direction of the game when he gets on target. That goal was only like 46 seconds into the game and it totally set the tone of the day.

First point, why the fuck does anyone care how much it costs? It's Roman's wallet, not ours. Second, how do you quantify a forward line as "world-class"? That's simply a subjective interpretation. How could you be unhappy with a surplus of creative players. Sure, we don't have to play all 4 (Torres, Mata, Hazard, Oscar) at once -- I doubt RDM would do that anyway -- but that doesn't mean that if they do, it will be a front-line that pales in comparison to the overrated and underachieving sides like last year's United and Barca. Football matches are won on the pitch, not on paper mate.

Yeah I was a bit doubtful...but who doesn't want it to be true

Saw this on twitter: "I was told a club called Liverpool declared interest in me. I had to google them to see who they were." - Marin good man. :tophat:

I see him more as less of an attacking midfielder and more as a Lampard-esque CM playmaker with an eye for goal. The youtube videos are relatively misleading as they only 10s clips of him smacking in a goal, but they don't really tell the full story of his ability to read play, stretch the pitch, intercept balls etc. And for those who are worried about the space in the team for him, I think a massive problem we faced last year was squad depth. If we add squad players who are proven (Oscar is a starter for Brazil) but not guaranteed starters, it adds flexibility and tactical strength to our team.

He may have had one decent year but I think it can be said he has shown signs of steady and constant progression i.e. his performances in international matches (hattrick in the U20 final). If anything, a move to a club with the resources like Chelsea could only promote further growth.

Maybe his aerial ability is not his main focus in training

Yeah I think any kind of international tournament is always something kinda special. It's a bonus to see Chelsea youth players too, whether it be in the FA Youth cup or something like the U19s. They can only benefit from the added pressure of a tournament and to see them compete and succeed is promising for the future of the club.

I have to agree...I was thoroughly underwhelmed by his performance at the Euros. Just kinda buckled under the pressure and expectations. Reus did much better in the game where they both started (qf against Greece), pity he's already off to Dortmund*

I would agree if only those stripes didn't loop around the back. It always seemed a bit cramped with how close it circles the number. I am a sucker for folded collars, though

My personal choice for best third kit of the decade

She sure is an amazing and beautiful citizen

From the CFC facebook. Apologies if they've already been posted. Exciting stuff to finally see the new signings in blue!

The U19 Euros kicked off today with group matches between Spain/Greece, England/Croatia, France/Serbia, and Estonia (hosts)/Portugal. http://www.uefa.com/under19/index.html Any Chelsea fan would be pleased to see that our own Nathaniel Chalobah scored the equalizer in England's 1-1 draw with Croatia. Through qualifying, more Chelsea lads featured in the squad (Josh McEachran, Patrick Bamford, Aziz Deen-Conteh, Todd Kane, Jamal Blackman) with Chalobah and Kane each scoring a goal. Considering the quality of England's youth team and the performances of our own Chelsea players, this should be an exciting affair.

If you analyze his play without the context of his overall contribution/performance this past season, you see an efficient striker who converted chances when given smart forward balls from organized build-up play. Spare the first game against Italy, I think we can all agree that Torres has had a very quality performance at the Euros -- one that we can use to [somewhat] predict how he can best be used next year. The additions of Hazard, KDB, and Marin (and hopefully a deep-lying playmaker) will dramatically increase the amount of incisive service compared to the amount he got this past year. As Chelsea fans how could we not take an overwhelmingly positive reaction from his Euro performance?

gThat is such an incredible record when you consider how much emphasis is/was put on the offensive contributions Gerrard/Scholes/Giggs by the media. Lampard has 50% more goals , but gets far less coverage tbh

I was bummed not to see him play in the recent friendlies against Scotland and Brazil. He's a constant threat on the left side, he has impressive dribbling skills coupled with the strength and pace of an out-and-out winger. He's also a monster at 6'3" so he has the physical presence to compete in the PL.

Gareth Bale did make Maicon his bitch in the one match, but the Serie A has plenty of speedy wingers comparable to Bale (not in class but in style of attack) and Maicon has proven himself worthy defending against such. At the reported fee of £8m I can't see how we could go wrong. He can also curve in a cross like nobody's business.

The official website posted this article on the new youth league system in the PL. It targets the development gap in the 18-21 by removing the reserve system (which was optional) and replacing it with a mandatory, 4-tiered league consisting of a U-21 team. The match schedules are also designed to follow the first team (games on the weekend...maximizes training time with the first team), and depending on the fixture, will be played a Staines Town, Brentford FC's Griffin Park, and at least two matches a year at the Bridge. http://www.chelseafc...2826147,00.html good read.