The first thing we can certainly expect is some stylish new black kits. I’m actually quite excited by the fashion Chelsea Football is showing this year. All three kits, blue, black, and yellow are great. Unlike last year when we 2 of our 3 kits were horrible in my opinion. Anyways, I was a little stunned by how close we are to the season’s start is. I looked at the calendar and there we are, seven days away from the English Premier League’s opening match against Portsmouth on Sunday the 17th.

I’ve seen a lot to be excited by during our pre-season tour. Alright, so the competition wasn’t completely up to par with what the Premiership will offer but it is a little preview to how and who we will play with. Our passing movement has certainly improved, now injected with pace and flair. And I think it is safe to say Deco is now the best passer on our team, exceeding Lampard by consistency. I was wary of his acquisition but after a few matches of watching him general the midfield with an array of passes I’m pretty happy to have him on board for the new season. Unfortunately it seems almost a certainty that one of Deco, Lampard, or Ballack will be left out of the starting line-up. I would place a bet that Ballack won’t start against Portsmouth. That’s not to say he won’t be a full-time starter because it’s quite uncertain. However, Ballack missing the pre-season tour may have affected his starting spot. This would be unfortunate for the man who drove us in the second half of last season and slayed Manchester United.

Chelsea have experimented with a 4-3-3 and a 4-4-2 with the former seeming to be the favorite. It doesn’t bother me that we’re not having a major change in formation. I’m gonna quote Avram Grant here and say you can play formations different ways. Under Grant our 4-3-3 was arguably a 4-5-1. Scolari has already shown his 4-3-3 to be a true 4-3-3 and I hope this will continue as the season wears on and we can see some really good football.

On Friday both Jose Bosingwa and Didier Drogba returned to light training but aren’t expected to be fit for the Portsmouth match. These two absences should give a green light for Essien to start at right-back and Anelka to assume the centre-forward role. Essien’s main problem at right-back is that he can get caught out of position. I hope this will be fixed with a more forward role for the full-backs and more possession in the oppositions half. Therefore, Essien as an attacking full-back has my approval and I’m excited to see him power forward with the intent to attack and score. His left-footed half-volley was brilliant by the way, just thought I’d throw that out there.

Nicolas Anelka’s work ethic and contribution to the pre-season tour have definitely earned him starting spot until he shows he doesn’t deserve it. It’s nearly 100% that Didier Drogba will continue to be a Chelsea player this season, surprisingly. It just stuns me that after all he’s said about the club he’s still staying. I’m keeping my expectations very low for him until he proves he’s the same Drogba from two years ago who wanted to work for the team and do anything to score. I’m perfectly fine with Anelka at the lone striker role and Drogba has no divine right to that spot unless he proves it.

The Robinho saga looks like it will be coming to an end within the near future. It has to, the transfer market closes the 31st. If I were asked whether Robinho would be lining up in white or blue next season, I would say Chelsea blue. Ramon Calderon, the president of Real Madrid has said that Robinho would be going nowhere. I believe this is a bargaining tool. The more he says this, the higher of a price Real Madrid can ask for. 20 million pounds was always a long shot for a player of Robinho’s calibre. The public assault on Real Madrid by Robinho’s agent is a sign that the relationship is broken. Something will happen by August 31st. Robinho will either sign a new contract with Madrid because there is no way he will stay at 30,000k a week or he will hopefully make the move to Chelsea. I certainly hope it’s the latter of the two. I don’t get full confidence from any of our wingers, it would be nice to have a player like Robinho at that role for Chelsea.

I am expecting a victory on August 17 against Portsmouth to start us off on the right leg. The beginning of the season will be crucial and we could win or lose the title within the first couple months. Manchester United’s injury problems rival those of Chelsea last season and they should be expected to drop some points. Our opening day line-up could be very well be as follow: Cech, Essien, Carvalho, Terry, Cole, Mikel, Deco, Lampard, Cole, Anelka, Malouda. With Kalou out I hope Scolari looks to Malouda to fill his role and not Shaun Wright-Phillips. I’m hoping to see a new Chelsea this season, filled with heart and passion towards the club. It will be a great day when our captain, John Terry lifts a trophy up after last season. C’mon Chels!

I’ve been gone for a bit. I needed some time to recover after the fiasco in Moscow. I was having a severe depression spell where the only time I could stop thinking about Chelsea losing the European Cup was when I was sleeping. I tried to distance myself as much as I could.
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Chelsea Football Club has finished the 2007/2008 Premier League season with 85 points and in second place. I think this is a fully deserved second place for the club. You could argue that it was a poetic-justice that we conceded the late goal to Bolton to take us off level with the champions, Manchester United. The fact is simple: we weren’t the best team over 38 games. We had our ups and downs and our inconsistency was perplexing. When Chelsea FC were at their best, they were the best. Manchester United, Arsenal, and Liverpool were no match. This was confirmed by the defeats of all these sides in the end of the season. Had we been able to mimic these performances in even the majority of our games we might be flying the blue flag and calling ourselves champions, but that is not the case.

For some reason our offensive production this season as almost been scary. Not scary in a good way, scary in the way that its unbelievable how bad it often was. We were goalless against Aston Villa, Manchester United, Arsenal, Fulham, Blackburn, Liverpool, Barnsley, Schalke, Valencia, and Olympiakos. The last few weren’t in the Premier League but it gets the point across. The goalless games don’t do justice to the entire season of dross. Rarely were we constantly threatening, looking goal-bound, or creating chances. I don’t entirely understand why either because we have the players, maybe it was just the motivation at times. We’re going to need some new players this off-season and Essien better be in midfield next-year, a 4-4-2 might help as well. Here’s the most telling stat: 20 games out of 38 this season scoring 1 goal or less. Unacceptable, absolutely unacceptable for a team going for the title. 2-0 Jose Mourinho always said, that’s the aim.

To be honest the lack of goals don’t really bother me that much. If we were winning 1-0 every game and had the title, I wouldn’t care at all. If the team is only gonna put enough output for 1 goal, they better hold that goal and not give up the lead. We gave up the lead several times this season which ultimately cost us the title. Had we gone for the 2-0 in our games we’d be first place with some points to spare. I think the glimpses we received during the season of great football hurt me pretty bad. We’re shown how great we can be and shown that we won’t allow ourselves to do that.

On the same note as giving up leads, we can look to our defense for a lack of concentration. The Chelsea defense that scared the world is long gone and we’ve set the standard for conceding late on instead of scoring late on as was the case last season. Hopefully the signing of Bosingwa finally strengths up our right-back position. I don’t know much about him to make any true assumptions. The individual performances of the defense weren’t necessarily bad, it was usually the defense as a unit under-performing. Tal Ben-Haim also single-handedly gave up goals with his brilliance; he’ll be gone by the start of next season for sure. The set-play defense was abysmal throughout the entire season, starting with the Birmingham opener.

This article shouldn’t be entirely negative because 85 points and second place aren’t as bad as some would have predicted if you told them almost on entire team spent some time on the injury list, suspended, or international duty. It was only after the African Nation’s Cup ended in February that Avram Grant was able to pick and sustain a roster that had no holes in it. If you took out the likes of the players we missed for some amount of time (I’ll leave out a few I’m sure but here goes the a list: Carvalho, Terry, Lampard, Ballack, Essien, Mikel, Drogba, Kalou, Shevchenko, Malouda, Cech, Cudicini) in the other big clubs, they would have drowned very early. Arsenal’s injury list at its peak was minuscule compared to ours and they collapsed after some were sidelined. We can thank our huge squad for keeping us in the race even when we were damaged and incomplete.

Even more damaging to the Chelsea campaign was the dismissal of the legend manager Jose Mourinho. There was certainly a period of remorse in the Premier League when Jose left a team that adored him. The appointment of Avram Grant was as controversial as any moment in the entirety of the Premier League and rightly so. It can still be argued that Avram Grant was not qualified enough to take over a team that is striving to become one of the world’s top clubs. The Chelsea fans were and some still are disgusted with his tactics and general stature. I, however, won’t put the blame of a trophy-less season on the shoulders of Avram Grant. After all, this is a results oriented business and nobody can argue with how far we’ve come since the 7th game of the season. We were in with a real shout for the title and nearly got it. The advancement to the UEFA Champions League Final also in my mind waivers another season for Grant in my opinion. I still standby saying he deserves a chance to buy some players and start rebuilding in the offseason.

For me, the Barclay’s English Premier League Season 2007/2008 is one to forget. Our sometimes heartless performances have not left an impact in my mind as did prior seasons. The season was one of few highs and a lot of lows.Not everything was a controllable factor and sometimes luck played against us with injuries, suspensions, and managerial troubles. We fought like dogs during our matches and grinded our the results. There are some things I will not forget, however. Beating Manchester United and Arsenal when really needed to at home was something really special and unforgettable. Seeing Michael Ballack beat United from the spot in the 86th minute will be a glorious memory for Chelsea fans and an infamous one for United supporters. The team continued to give us hope through our results down the stretch of the season until the very last game at Bolton. There are 12 weeks until the start of the next season, a season that I have hope to champions once again. We will start rebuilding. It will surely be interesting to see who Roman Abramovic opens his checkbook for. Keep The Blue Flag Flying High.

Look out for an article assessing the player performances throughout the season!

My heart is still beating after the most important game of Barclay’s English Premier League season. We did it, we really did it. What a brilliant performance by the Chelsea Football Club. Words don’t really suffice for the performance of this club today. It’s hard to think that this is the same team who played Liverpool on Tuesday. So much heart, it truly was beautiful and a moment to remember forever. We played with passion and Manchester United was no match for a Chelsea side at home without any fear. Maybe destiny is on our side this season and we’ll ride it all the way.

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The explorer Howard Carter stood looking through a keyhole of his discovery into King Tutankhamen’s tomb while someone asked, “What do you see?” he responded quotably, “Wonderful things!” It’s finally here. After two seasons, it’s finally come to reality and it really is wonderful. Chelsea vs. Manchester United, at Stamford Bridge, for the title (eh, almost). We had the same opportunity last season to put our say on the title at the Bridge until our hopes were diminished at the Emirates against Arsenal, just one game prior to our 0-0 draw vs. United. We’ve trailed and held on for long enough to give Manchester United a run for their money on back-to-back titles.

So here we stand, three points from the United lead with 78 points and one last shot at doing our own damage to United and taking a step toward the Premier League title. Lose or tie and we’re out, win and the pressure of the last two games of the season hits an apex of an all-time high in the Premier League. The bystanders following the Premier League would hope for a Chelsea victory to sustain the pursuit of the title with a high of entertainment and vigor. As for me, I couldn’t be more excited to see potential fireworks at the Bridge. I can’t imagine the feeling I’d get if the Blues pulled it off and beat the Red Devils. Throw in a Ronaldo penalty miss and it’ll be one of the best days ever. After the Liverpool, Everton, and Wigan games the Chelsea fans deserve a good an exciting performance. C’mon you Blues!

There’s an early kick-off for the big game on Saturday, which is bad news for me because I won’t be able to see it on T.V. The worst thing about living in the States is the lack of football coverage. Alas, I’ll be confined to watching the game on Sopcast on my computer. It seems as if every Chelsea game can now be expected to be quiet cagey and the pivotal Manchester United game has that kind of facade when looking forward. We can only hope that our performance will resemble that of the Arsenal game.

In actuality, our football style does not at all matter in this match because it literally is almost all or nothing; we need the result and I’ll take it in any fashion against first-place Manchester United. In my opinion, Chelsea should try to score from the very beginning as they did against Arsenal. The important part is that we prolong our attack throughout the entire game and not wither in the second half. If Chelsea get on their horse for once and attempt to press United for 90 minutes, we will breakthrough and score a goal.

We should attempt to follow the game plan of the Arsenal in their 2-1 defeat of Manchester United. They were the better team almost the entire game and were killed by two dead ball situations. We need a consistent attack and need to nullify Ronaldo. Ronaldo has rarely shown up in big games and has trouble against the pacy Ashley Cole. We need to also be having people in the box to receive crosses, preferably Michael Ballack. The situation we must stay away from at all costs is going down. Maybe we can come back from a goal down to tie, but can we really score two against United if we’re under pressure? It’s possible but I wouldn’t want to bet the entire season on it. Remember, a draw is absolutely useless for us besides keeping our home record intact. I don’t much care about the home record anymore, it’s going to be broken eventually, I just don’t want the team to Manchester United, Tottenham, or Liverpool.

I have this feeling Ferguson will go with a semi-conservative line-up for us. I could definitely see him using Giggs and resting Rooney because of his banged up side. I wouldn’t be surprised if there were five midfielders, including Ronaldo. He’s not really a midfielder, there’s something wrong when you score 38 goals and only have 5 (maybe 6?) assists. Three of these assists coming from the Aston Villa game. I’d rather Rooney play over Tevez; I’m not impressed by Rooney’s finishing, it’s downright awful and I’m much more scared of Carlos Tevez.

Rooney played on the right-side of midfield vs. Barcelona with Ronaldo central behind Tevez. Seemed a brilliant tactic and worked to perfection based on the result, 0-0. We played the same tactic vs. Liverpool as United vs. Barcelona with the latter having a much more convincing performance. Barcelona dominated the position but United stuffed up every passing lane and left Barcelona with only one or two real chances. They also would have gotten the away goal had Ronaldo not tried too much on his penalty in an attempt to prove he can perform in the big game with a great penalty. That’s my take on it anyways.

I’d be very surprised if Hargreaves didn’t get the start; he’s my favorite United player by a long shot. Hargreaves works hard in midfield and is super dynamic, excelling in defense. Vidic was rushed to hospital before the Barcelona game with a stomach bug and is a major doubt according to Sir Alex Ferguson. Great news for the Blues, Drogba should have some more room up top with Ferdinand rather than Vidic on his back. The man who scored a great goal against us last season, Louis Saha, is also expected to be out with injury.

Something I’d be willing to bet a nice 10 dollars on is that Avram Grant will opt for a 4-3-3 with Ballack, Lampard/Essien, and Makelele in the midfield. I’d surely give those 10 dollars to see a 4-4-2 for the first time under Avram Grant, however. Lampard’s choice is dependent on if he is willing to play just three days after his mother has passed away; I’m expecting him not to be in the lineup and such is entirely granted and reasonable, best wishes, Frank.

The last competitive Chelsea vs. United match in the Premier League would have to be last season’s 1-1 draw at Old Trafford in 2006. As we were already out of the title, the Stamford Bridge game meant nothing and the game earlier this season was Grant’s first and Mikel was sent off early. In that game we played the 4-4-2 Diamond with Geremi at right-back, Terry, Carvalho, Cole, Makelele in holding, Essien and Lampard in the middle, and Ballack at the top of the diamond with Drogba and Shevchenko about him. It would please me to see the same formation but with Essien at right-back, Ballack in the center with Lampard and Joe Cole at the top of the midfield. If I remember correctly, the only formation change Avram has ever provided was against QPR which was a 4-2-3-1 without most of the starters. His record of not changing the formation doesn’t bide well with my hopes a 4-4-2.

Essien has to be on the pitch for me, his powerful runs are unmatched by anyone on the pitch and he can play almost anywhere. Grant has enjoyed playing him at right-back in some of the recent games and in a similar big game against Arsenal. This hasn’t been the most popular choice for the Ghanaian but the attacking option he provides is unmatched and he’s twice as fast as our other right-back choices. His great form should be continued and hopefully will transit to the Liverpool game on Wednesday. However, with the domestic tragedy at Lampards, it is likely that Michael Essien will be pushed into midfield alongside Ballack. Either position for Essien has its own benefits, Essien has scored two in his last two from the midfield role and I’d rather see him here if the position is available.

The choice of striker is really bothering me to talk about and difficult to admit that I want Didier Drogba starting. The reason being as such: Drogba’s heart is already far from Chelsea; his loyalties, although they bother me, would not make me cringe at excepting him into the starting lineup. Drogba has said he’s 110% committed to the Chelsea cause and this is no further from the truth. He’s become incredible selfish lately in the past few games and his performances have been pitiful, especially against Liverpool. The strongest striker in the world should not be falling down every time he is touched. For me, Didier Drogba shows no interest in Chelsea anymore and can’t wait to move to an apartment in Milan. Why should he start then? Because although he doesn’t believe in the Chelsea cause anymore, I do.

Drogba has performed greatly in big games throughout the years and we were reminded of such in the Arsenal game. The Ivorian will go all out to better his name and score in a huge game that is Manchester Untied, a game that club managers all over the world will be watching. It is greed on my part and on his part that makes me think he’s the top choice still. Steven Cohen, a Chelsea supporter and host of World Soccer Daily said the following about Drogba after the Liverpool game: “Didier Drogba is an effing disgrace, how dare he grab his shirt at the end and kiss the badge. Get out of there. The sooner he gets out of English football, the better.” Similar to how I feel about Drogba nowadays. I will cheer when you score and I will cry when you leave but you’re virtually nothing in my mind right now, Mr. Drogba.

And now it’s truly up to the Blues to show whether they are good enough to be champions for the third time in four years or if Manchester United is the better team. If we were to have held onto four games that we conceded last minute goals we’d be first place right now with five points to spare. I know this is not entirely accurate because certain events trigger other events but it’s worth noting our potential success. We’d be five points clear of United with a chance to win the title at Stamford Bridge against United once again. That would have been beautiful to see. We’re in line now for a historic double and this is the game to keep us on track. The old cliché, a make or break game can be dubbed on the first vs. second battle on Saturday.

It’s important to remember Frank Lampard during this match, whether he plays or not. The chances are severely against him playing but this irrelevant. We must play this match with passion as tribute to Lampard’s mother, Pat Lampard. The Chelsea organization has filled its webspace with tributes and condolences to her and we should do the same. Get this result in the memory of a regular match goes over the career of one of our greatest ever players. Rest in peace, Pat Lampard.

I haven’t given much thought in this article about us losing at home and to be honest, I’d rather not mention it, but it’s necessary. Our Premier League, our home record, and our pride will take a huge blow if we concede the title to United after giving all we can. I don’t think the table lies, if we finish first, we deserve the title and that’s regardless of the football we played. I’ll tell you what though, if we can’t beat United at the Bridge, we don’t deserve anything. It’s all or nothing! Come support the Blues in the BC Shout and we’ll support the most important game of the season together. C’mon Chelsea! Last chance, no regrets!

Gary Cahill to Chelsea?

• Great signing


• Useful signing


• Avoidable signing


• Dreadful signing



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