This Season

[Fulham Broadway 16,854]

This season has just dissolved in the last week 10 days -what with Wilkins, injuries and SEN's suspension.

Period of transition now , youth to step up -and could be fifth or sixth around Christmas. This I can take if the new players step up to the plate and perform later on. Might be wrong, but depends how long Alex and terry are out....

Realistically Terry, Lampard, Drogba and Anelka will be gone in a couple of years so a major revbuilding is neccesary -question is will Abramovich put his hand in his pocket again ?

[LDN Blue 7,903]

I'm really not that pessimistic. Perhaps I'm still a bit deluded but none the less, we have about 2 games until both Essien & Lampard return. That's vs Birmingham then vs Newcastle away. If we look at the squad that is still fit that would make up the starting XI

Cech

Bosingwa - Ivanovic - Bruma - Cole

Mikel

Ramires - Zhirkov

Anelka - Drogba - Malouda

Yes it looks quite thin on recent performances. But that front 3, between them have a combined, 22goals between them this season. Impressive number, then when you add Kalou from the bench that's another 6 or so goals. So from an attacking sense we're still a force. Defensively yes there's a problem, but we've got Mikel & Ramires. Ramires is, by trait, a defensive midfielder. He does that for Brazil and so we can rely on him to get in our half and defend his ass off. I think we can beat Birmingham & perhaps sneak one vs Newcastle. When Essien comes back it'll make a big difference because if Bruma fails to impress, we simply move Ess into Central defence.

[Fulham Broadway 16,854]

You've managed to cheer me up LDN Blue -

Hopefully one or both of Alex and JT are returned for the December games of Yids, ManU and Arse.

[NattyBlue 44]

Lampard doesn't have a return date for me anymore so there's no "when Lampards back"

There is however a when Essien is back which is nice.

Squad wise mine would be the same, that midfield has never worked for us though imo, they're disjointed and that's why our attack doesn't score, that plus having the flu and just being poo on the day.

I can only hope that Bruma plays, it's the only logical thing to do but Carlo obviously must have more faith in Paolo at CB than Bruma .

I thought we would win the next 3 games we had starting with Sunderland and we got smashed. Will Brum roll over for us? I doubt it, it's not a goal fest of a ground and we'll be lucky to get a point from there if we play anything like we have been lately imo...

Predictions are for me that we won't be in the best position come December when we have Everton at home

[wisey11zola25 142]

___________Cech_________

Bosingwa Bruma Ivanovic Cole

___________Mikel__________

_____Ramires___Malouda___

Kalou______________Anelka

__________Drogba__________

thats the best squad we can put out until return of suspensions and injuries, zhirkov is not good enough.

Malouda is maybe slightly wasted in midfield but his strength and awareness will win us the ball in the middle of the park and help us to get the ball in better positions for kalou,drog and nico

everyone knows we cannot put out the same defence as the sunderland game so Jeffrey is the answer and for birmingham away and geordies at home he has a big chance to step up to the mark and show how promising he is.

Up The Chels!

[Kostas 1,468]

This season looks like a major fuck-up from our football board to me. The youth are neither getting starts nor stepping up, and our thin squad depth is getting exploited. ATM I'll be happy if we are still top 4 in January.

The only thing I don't worry about is RA's willingness to sort this mess.

[zolayes 14,489]

time to re-assess our targets for the season and prioritise.

PL ..top 4

FA cup ...WIN

CL ...make it number 1 target this year as hopefully we will have full squad once the knock out stages start.

more starts for our young players ...lets make this a true transition season .

Ray Wilkins was only a litle older than Josh when he had to carry Chelsea.

Bring back Cork , Mancienne and Bertrand.

Get Kakutas contract sorted .

KTF we could be Scumpool

[Jose M 140]

To be Honest I think Every one of Chelsea Players would rather retain the premier league title, Than win the CL and let United take another PL title.

[erinblue 15]

game against Brum i'm sorta nervous about but the one against Newcastle could be worse.....what if Bruma doesn't work out and Bran gets his fifth card??

Carlo has to keep Ash and Boss on a tight lease for these games and give the centre of defence more help......Mikel has to be even more industrious in the middle ( tho has been player of the year so far). Ramires has to show that he is a Brazilian and control/keep the ball better....and of course the front 3 has to work their nuts off..

Maybe the 442 is the better option and keep things tight and sneak the i--0 for next few games..

[Krypt 241]

Its all if's and buts at the moment , if we beat bham arse slip up at spuds and manure drop points against wigan we will be saying where going to win the league again to be honest it all looks doom and gloom atm but lets wait and see what happens saturday and if we are knocked off the top , we can start to worry im sure Carlo knows how to deal with the situation we need to have a little faith and get behind the team but Carlo please dont play paulo at centre back , even mickel would do a better job!

[Madmax 9,219]

I have a good feeling about Brum tbh, so I'm either very brave or very deluded

Interestingly they've been letting in a lot of goals this season unlike last, if we can just go there believing we can nick an early goal, watch the confidence go up. Think Malouda is vital, I've got a feeling he'll come good this time. His status has risen considerably and he'll want to show Carlo that he made a mistake taking him off against Sunland.

Chelsea the best, fuck the rest

[LDN Blue 7,903]

You've managed to cheer me up LDN Blue -

Hopefully one or both of Alex and JT are returned for the December games of Yids, ManU and Arse.

Haha great! You'll be even more happy once we beat Birmingham on Saturday. Keep the faith FB :cfc:

[True_Blue 469]

You could all think that i am deluded and very optimistic,but one defeat and one really bad day won't change our season that much.We will have 2 crucial players back in 2 weeks and that will be a major boost.We are still a goal scoring machine so if we can manage to score more than we can concede i don't see a problem.

It's a time to rise to show if we are really a compact team and that we have spirit.

And Bruma must start :champions:

[Krypt 241]

Back to old school football score more than they opposition i was reading jimmy greaves autobiography and when he played for Chelsea they never really botherd with defence in them days so maybe we such switch to 1-5-5

[Fulham Broadway 16,854]

Back to old school football score more than they opposition i was reading jimmy greaves autobiography and when he played for Chelsea they never really botherd with defence in them days so maybe we such switch to 1-5-5

Yup thats what we played in my first junior team - 2 fullbacks, centre half, left and right half and 5 up front.

Given that team for Brum.....

Cech

Ivanovich Bruma

Boswinga Mikel Zhirkovic

Kalou Anelka Drogba Kakuta Malouda

Bring it on.....

[BlueLion. 21,491]

The good thing is these injuries will barely affect our chances in Europe or the FA Cup. However I think we're being far too premature to write off our title chances. United may be undefeated but they are very suspect defensively, Arsenal are beatable and City are as inconsistent as they were last season and I don't see them as much of a threat. If we're being realistic we'll see this as the biggest test of any Chelsea squad in years and if we can come through it by January with Alex, Lampard, Terry and Essien all back in the team and still top of the league, we'll have done fantastic. I have faith in these players and our manager!

[Madmax 9,219]

The good thing is these injuries will barely affect our chances in Europe or the FA Cup. However I think we're being far too premature to write off our title chances. United may be undefeated but they are very suspect defensively, Arsenal are beatable and City are as inconsistent as they were last season and I don't see them as much of a threat. If we're being realistic we'll see this as the biggest test of any Chelsea squad in years and if we can come through it by January with Alex, Lampard, Terry and Essien all back in the team and still top of the league, we'll have done fantastic. I have faith in these players and our manager!

[Fulham Broadway 16,854]

Haha great! You'll be even more happy once we beat Birmingham on Saturday. Keep the faith FB :cfc:

That will lift the gloom...

What does concern me is playing two of the top four in the run up to Christmas with our 2 main fullbacks missing... as long as we dont start shippiong them in like Sunday.

Is Bogarde still on the books ???