The Big Drog

So far the 4-4-2 is working really well , granted I think it will end up looking like an over-extended diamond with the wide men pushing further out wide than is traditional in a diamond. I know you cant really judge on pre season games but we are doing so well , there is movement , there is ahrpness , there is control , our passing is slick and creative. I wouldnt say no to perhaps one more signing to help out at the top of the pitch but I definitely think a 4-4-2 type formation could work , especially if it means seeing less of Ballack.

Was up until 4am to catch the match then my computer experienced some incredible problems and it stopped my Chelsea match train on the tracks , disappointed I was. However it sounds like we played really well and are in good form as we get closer to the season , delighted to hear that Drogba got a goal.

Agree 100% with what almost everybody has said on this thread , the guy has an absolute load of potential , he is already a very goodplayer , without exaggerating he could well become a world class player.

lol I have the same problem with pay per veiws broadcast from America , Im sure I can stick out another late night again as this will be worth seeing.

Im really hoping to get the answer cos I dont want to sit up til 4am then find out nothing is on lol.

Guys help me out , is this like 4am tonight or is it 4am tomorrow night ?

Well from what we have seen of Sturridge so far he looks a very good player with the potential to become even better. Zhirkov is an excellent signing and probably the best any of the top four clubs have made. We have yet to lose any major players and I think we will end up eventually getting a big name player , but at the moment we have a top class squad that can challenge just about any side in the world. I wouldnt call that a lack of ambition.

A few thoughts and observations after seeing it. I dont think thats the way Ancelotti will set up the side in the community shield or for the rest of the season. I thought it was interesting as for most of the second half he seemed to go with a 4-3-1-2 which is an old system he used to employ at AC Milan. The thing about it was that even though he had wide men on the pitch at different times ( Malouda and Sinclair ) neither were played out wide. The width was provided by Cole and Bosingwa. Personally I dont think that will work in the premier league , but if he is going to use that then the man behind the two strikers needs to be a really top class player because its not easy to create chances if everything is going to be going down the middle. Sturridge looked really reeally good , I was well and truly impressed by him. Di Santo also played well and could have had agoal or two. Deco did well in the middle. Sheva looked pretty good in the playmaker role , he still seems to have a bit of pace about him and can pick a pass and make intelligent runs , he is worth hanging on to. Jhon Terry was excellent , I thought he did a really great job. In terms of negatives , Hilario was a disaster , it was heart in mouth sort of stuff even though it was only a pre season game. Pizzaro is past it , every time he touched the ball he seemed to lose it , he had like the opposite of glue on his boots. Fitness levels looked good , pity about the lack of Drogba and Essien , hopefully we will learn more when we play Inter.

Good player but the two current strikers that we have are better. Drogba is the best lone striker in world football and Anelka finished last season as top scorer.

I know its a pretty poor source for news but on Goal two named sources who are close to AC Milan say that Milan look set to sell Pirlo to allow them to buy Fabiano and a younger replacement for him.

This would be an excellent signing. He is only 24 , he is English and he brings something to the table that Chelsea have lacked since Robben left , the ability to consistently go past players on the wing. The guy has really good crosses and he proved last season that he can score goals , to be honest , 25 million doesnt sound that bad a price.

I know some people are not high on the idea but personally I would love Pirlo to join. Ok maybe he isnt young , but his style of play pretty much means that he has a good 3 , maybe even 4 years at the top level left in him. He isnt past it , the guy has done well at an average AC Milan side in recent years and looked pretty good for a poor Italian team. He brings something to the table that Chelsea need, guile and creativety in midfield. I would take Pirlo over Ballack any day of the week. Goal.com is a pretty poor source but it has been reported in Marca too.... yes thats not a great source either but I think its a deal thats possible.

Im not a Ballack fan either. The guy is past it , luckily though with Essien we have a player than can play in a holding midfield role or in a more attacking role in midfield , because of this we can sign either an attacking midfielder or a holding midifleder to replace Ballack and Essien can slot into the other position.

Im delighted that we are live on the opening day of the season at home. There is alwauys a bit of a buzz on the oepning fixture of the season no matter who is playing but with Chelsea at home it really does add dramatically to it.

I would love to see either Aguero or Pato at Chelsea , though I dont think Chelsea are short up front. Nobody really knows how Ancelotti will set up the team yet and what formation he will play. Personally though I would like to see another top class central midfielder at the club. Im not high on Ballack and if we got somebody like say De Rossi it would give John Obi Mikel some time to develop as a player.

Thanks mate , it worked ! I found this sig on the net.

Thanks mate for the advice , Im going to give it a try.

I wonder though , would Tevez come under the category of marquee name. He is an excellent player but Im not sure if he is a marquee name. As you said though I wouldnt be surprised if Chelsea added another player to the squad and then brought in the marquee name. My guess for the marquee name is either Aguero or De Rossi. Both are long shots though.

Thanks guys. Im trying to get a Drogba pic as my sig but I havent a clue on how to do it , can someone help ?

Absolutely delighted. He is a skillful winger who can get past people and thats something Chelsea have really lacked since Arjen Robben left. I thought last season at times the wings were our main problem , though Malouda really grew into his own towards the end of the season. I think that Zhirkov and Cole on the wings will be lethal.

Thanks mate , the forum really does look quite good , I like the interesting different sections of the forum. Im sure I will be here quite a while , though Im gonna have to create a sig.

I dont see why he cant last. His CV shows that he has not been very successful domestically though you have to take into consideration that AC Milan were affected by the match fixing scandal for 2 of those years. You also need to factor in that Berlusconni does not usually splash out cash for players , thus why his Milan side was so old by the end of his run there. He doesnt really need to have an eye for talent because he works undr a technical director though he is responsible for the development of Kaka and Pato. Personally I think he is one of the top managers in world football. While Scolari had some obvious tactical flaws that really did derail him , Ancelotti doesnt.

I heard about this forum from a friend and thought I would join it myself. Im not really wonderful with computers and stuff and it showed with me attempting to register my account but sure as you can tell I eventually succeeded.