Our Summer And Our New Boys(ish)

[Special Juan 28,188]

So, we are now a short while away from kick-off in the Premier League season for 14/15 and already we find ourselves stacked with new talent going into it. The purchases have been quick, correct and most of all exactly what we have needed without doubt. I had confidence that Jose would identify early on what he needed, then it was all about if our targets were in reach and how quickly we would acquire them. This window, especially in my opinion has been no nonsense from Chelsea, the purchases whilst have been much needed but they also have been done with air of perfect structure in terms of price paid and also the perfect blend of experience and not just that but the hand that fits the glove type player.

Lets start with Cesc Fabregas. We all know exactly what he was to us at Arsenal, he was that petulant little shit who used to bark and snarl around Frank Lampard but was always kicked into the cat flap and told to go and chase pigeons outside. There was no mistaking he was a talented boy who deserved abuse for turning out for Arsenal but hey, sometimes you can't choose the dog shit you stand in. This for me is the smartest buy of all summer and the bargain of the window. All of us knew we needed a bit more ball retention in the middle of the park, we need that someone who could rotate the ball and use it in a way that we had that something else when teams come to the Bridge and sit deep. We now have that player who sees things happen before they do, now that might sound like a load of old shit but, he does exactly that. His goal against Vitesse on Wednesday was as magical debut goal as you will see, a quick look up and then executed to absolute perfection. In the previous game against Olimpia he set up one for Diego for his debut goal with a pass that OK wasn't what you would call 'Magical' but it was that pass, that pass another player may or may not of seen but it was the weight of pass and that's the key for me, the weight because that allows the receiver to do very little but focus on goal and let the ball do the work. Now this is something Cesc does very, very well, he allows the ball to do the work, he basically says "There you go my job is done, now you take your chance" This guy won't be a worry in any way shape or form this season, he can be shoe horned in alongside Matic or as the 10, it matters little in the grand scheme of things because wherever he plays he will be at the center of everything this season- Another absolute masterstroke from the board. Cesc's first goal for Chelsea can be seen here...

Then we have Diego Costa. There is this air of caution of Diego and I think rightly so. The striker situation hasn't exactly been littered with gold here at Chelsea, barring a certain Drogba it leaves that after kebab taste in the mouth when you think of Torres and that next purchase of striker for the club. Last season at Atletico he was immense, truly immense and he comes here with what I think is aura, and after watching him already I see a player who wants to fight, wants to battle and most of all wants it. When I say wants it I mean run the channels, I mean get in around the back, I mean work the two center backs and stand toe to toe with any challenge thrown at him. We haven't had that with Torres, we have guy who has lost his way, lost his trail of thought and lost that killer touch he had. Costa won't be bullied you can be assured of that, he will stick his head in where it hurts, he will give people chew exactly like Didier did, the type that when selected that other defenders think 'Shit' For me this was the perfect Mourinho type signing, he's a fair old unit, he knows where the goal is and most of he has a backbone to fight and throw his weight around. 36 goals in 52 games is a great return and whilst he wasn't great against us what I like is his ability to mix it up and what typified the bloke was the penalty, he had a long time to wait and then eventually couldn't get the ball on the spot but that didn't bother, his penalty was immaculate because he was something we have lacked......composed.....Now this guy may struggle, this really is trial and error like most signings but the way he puts it about and his demeanor tells me very, very different indeed. I am very happy with what I see already from his pre-season, he looks ready and most of all he looks sharp, and that's only after two games, lets give this lad the support we gave Torres and I am willing to bet he comes up trumps. Below is his first goal for us and also another video that me and my lad watch that is brilliant.

On to our new LB Filipe Luis. This lad has been nothing short of superb for Atletico, not just last season and winning the title but his overall displays for them in seasons gone by have been an absolute joy. I watch a lot of Spanish Football and sort of made a point over the last two season of watching Atletico for players such as Koke, Costa, Miranda and also Luis, all players I rate very highly, but not just that but as a club Atletico just have that great club buzz about them and have nurtured some fantastic players over the years. Luis was one who impressed me just as much as the above names mentioned. His ability to get up and down was something I first noticed, he was never afraid to bomb on, but also had incredible athleticism to also get back, cover and mop up. I don't just say this because it fits in well but he is exactly the type of player Jose loves and you can see why. The thought of this lad with Hazard has me really looking forward to what we will see. This lad likes to press high up and pinch the ball when he can, a lot of times last season he would pinch the ball and build from in and around the halfway line and build with either Turan or Koke depending who was played where. There has been great talk also about his partnership with Costa both and off the field and this is where friends can be prominent in making each other feeling settled in new surroundings. But on the field they had a great relationship because Luis would always seem to find the foot or head of Costa more often than not, and his delivery, at times, was a thing of beauty. It will always be difficult to replace someone of Ashley Cole's football ability and I think it will take time, like all signings and with this one, but with Luis we have a player who wants to play for Chelsea, wants to win and most of all wants to learn, and under Jose you have got to feel this will be more positive than negative.

Below is highlights from Luis v Pellets and snippet of him as an Atletico player.

Didier Drogba.....

I will say little and just leave this here.....

Click here to view the article

[Kieran. 6,317]

Good one Special Juan, hope you do more posts like this

[Madmax 9,219]

Suggest making this an article mate. Good read.

[Daniel1980 1,425]

I'm very happy with the new lads so far. They have trained with the team only for about a week, so their physical form is obviously nowhere perfect yet and they don't know their teammates, yet they performed very well. They will of course need a couple of months to fully establish understanding with their teammates and settle in, but what we have seen so far is extremely encouraging.

[Special Juan 28,188]

Cheers lads, just had a bit of spare time so I thought i would put some things down.

[manpe 10,861]

I'm having trouble understanding the title.... what does boysish mean?

[Special Juan 28,188]

I'm having trouble understanding the title.... what does boysish mean?

Well I couldn't really class ye old Drogba as a new boy.

[DANILA 290]

I'm having trouble understanding the title.... what does boysish mean?

I guess because they aren't really boys.. they are full grown men haha

[BlueLion. 21,491]

Brilliant article mate. Posted it on the main site.

[The Skipper 20,609]

Brilliant read SJ, more like these from you please.