PREVIEW: QPR v Chelsea (FA Cup) Time for quality to shine through.

This lunchtime, Chelsea travel to Loftus Road to take on QPR in the next round of the FA Cup but somehow I don't think much of the focus leading up to this one won't be on the football!.

I could sit here all day talking about what happened and what is going to happen in a couple of days time but there is a football match to be won so I would rather concentrate on that!.

So what of the game? Chelsea will be looking for revenge for the 1-0 defeat there earlier in the season. If anything important lessons should have been learned from the game as we dominated QPR with just nine men after Jose Bosingwa and Didier Drogba were sent off.

We also have to remember that we have an important league game away at Swansea on Tuesday night and this WILL have a bearing on the side that AVB will select to start this one.

QPR will up for this one and will be looking to get one over us again. With Mark Hughes coming in to take over from Neil Warnock and a couple of signings already made, QPR will not be pushovers tomorrow.

There is one difference between both sides tomorrow and I mean no disrespect to QPR at all but I believe they will play there strongest eleven players available whereas Chelsea won't because the league is far more important to AVB this season.

Don't get me wrong, with the squad we have and the addition of Gary Cahill, AVB can afford to make some changes but still picking eleven players that he believes will get the job done.

If I was AVB, I would play JT tomorrow. He will get a barrage of abuse but nothing that he hasn't had to deal with before. If anyone can rise above it, it's JT but I have a feeling that Terry may miss this one.

With Ivanovic back in contention and AVB confirming Cahill will be involved in some capacity tomorrow, I just wonder if we will see Ivanovic and Luiz start the middle, Bosingwa and Cole as full backs.

The midfield three pretty much pick themselves with Frank Lampard missing and Michael Essien still not 100% match fit and that's Romeu holding with Ramires and Meireles in front of him. Ramires was unusually quiet last week at Norwich so expect to see a better performance today.

I think the front three will remain unchanged also with Juan Mata and Danny Sturridge playing either side of Fernando Torres. Sturridge needs a better performance than last week also.

Whatever side AVB picks, they all need to be ready to stand strong, stand proud wearing the shirt and ready to fight for every ball and for the win. This will be one of the most hostile atmosphere's you'll see if JT plays, if he doesn't so be it.

Chelsea after a week away "bonding" together should give us Chelsea fans a far better performance that we had to witness last weekend.

The question is, will we deliver?

KTBFFH

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Farewell Alex (Video)

Today as expected, Alex signed for PSG and ex Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti after asking to leave the club towards the end of last year.

The Official Chelsea Website posted up confirmation this afternoon with a statement that reads:

"Chelsea Football Club can confirm we have agreed terms for the permanent transfer of Alex to Paris St Germain.

The 29-year-old's transfer sees him link up with former Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti in the French capital.

The Brazilian defender enjoyed a successful four years at Stamford Bridge and leaves us having won the Barclays Premier League in 2009/10, as well as the FA Cup in 2008/09 and 2009/10.

Alex joined the club shortly before the start of the 2007/08 campaign. He moved to London following a three-year spell in Holland at PSV Eindhoven where Chelsea had the first option to secure his signature.

His debut season at the club saw him make 39 appearances, more than both John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho which was a big enough statement in itself given their experience and standing within the club.

Alex was soon to become renowned for his ability to score wonderful goals from long distance, his first for the club coming in a 2-0 win at Middlesbrough. Other stand-out strikes soon followed, the most memorable coming against Liverpool in the Champions League in 2009 and Arsenal at the start of the 2010/11 season.

An injury sustained by Ricardo Carvalho during Alex's second season at the club saw him feature regularly again and he scored four goals in all competitions.

The Double-winning campaign began badly for Alex when he was forced out of action with a hernia injury. On his return to fitness he had to be patient as Terry and Carvalho were in fine form, but with Carlo Ancelotti rotating Alex and Carvalho to play alongside the captain, an injury to the Portuguese gave Alex a sustained run in the team, culminating in the Blues lifting both the Barclays Premier League title and the FA Cup for the first time in our history.

The following campaign began with Alex as a first-choice starter alongside Terry and he was instrumental in the side conceding only once in the opening five games. An awful run for the side during the middle of the campaign saw him feature less regularly though, and the arrival of fellow Brazilian David Luiz in the January transfer window served only to limit his opportunities even further.

An injury at the start of this season meant he wasn't able to stake a claim for a regular place early on, and though he eventually did come into the side, starting alongside Terry in the 1-0 win up at Blackburn in November, but after handing in a transfer request he did not appear in our colours again.

Alex made 115 starts for Chelsea with 19 further substitute appearances. He scored 10 goals.

Everybody at Chelsea Football Club would like to express their thanks to Alex for his service and we wish him well for the future.

Alex played a big part in Chelsea's success and he will be remembered as an important part of our double winning side of two seasons ago. In that season, he was fantastic keeping Ricardo Carvalho out of the side. It's just a shame that he could never rediscover that kind of form.

So we all wish him well at PSG and every success. For now, Chelsea fans are left with memories of Alex and they will all be great ones. A solid defender who's free kicks always packed a punch. Here below is a video of Alex's best ones!. Enjoy.



KTBFFH

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Kevin De Bruyne - A club signing and not one of AVB's!

We have all wondered about the situation regarding transfers now AVB is in charge. Reports were that he had 100% say on all comings and goings at the club. Well today, in his press conference ahead of the game tomorrow, AVB has confirmed that isn't the case.

We have been heavily linked with Genk's exciting winger Kevin De Bruyne for the last few seasons and things have come to a head this week with reports that a deal would be agreed between the two clubs for him to sign for Chelsea and be loaned straight back to Genk to finish the Belgian season.

AVB has stressed today that KDB will be a one for the club and not necessarily one of his own personal targets. He said:

'He is a player that the club has scouted for quite some time, and was interested in for quite some time. I am a manager who respects club policies as well and when the club has to plan for the future, being with this manager and any other manager, I think Kevin is an extremely interesting player and is a good bet if the club finishes the situation.

Interesting comments from AVB again. I understand the situation with the club wanting to invest in younger players and to build for the future. Surely though, the Manager should have the final say whether or not someone comes in or doesn't?.

If we do sign KDB then AVB will have to integrate him into his plans for next season whether he wanted to or not which seems wrong to me.

If you are to have confidence in the person your believe is the right man to take the club forward, then surely you need to give him total control of HIS squad.

Is it just me or am I wrong on this? Like I said, I understand the club wanting to build for the future, but my view is that it must be in accordance with the manager and the players HE WANTS?

KTBFFH

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A simple question: Has Chelsea's problem been the Manager?

Now don't get me wrong here, I am referring to his style of management. Let me elaborate for you. AVB has given an honest and frank interview to UEFA's The Technician and has opened up about some problems he is faced with here as Chelsea's manager and in his short career in Portugal.

In the interview, he explains some dilemma's he is faced with but also refers to HIS management style and reveals that because of his age and playing experience, he could never be a Manager classed as a Dictator.

He said:

“I suffer most as a coach when everyone is available and I have to select the line-up at the end of a week when everyone has given their total commitment.

It is a basic part of the manager’s job, but when you have to leave players out for the sake of the team, it is tough.

Nothing you can say to them can convince them they haven’t done something wrong.

This selection process, being ruthless, takes the human element out of you, and it is something that makes you sensitive to players’ feelings.

You are expected to be successful instantly, and the process and the circumstances are not taken into account.

Because of my age and my lack of a professional playing background, I could never be dictatorial.

I therefore let the players have a certain amount of input into the decisions regarding the way we play and the way the team is run.

I encourage the players to participate in the decisions affecting their professional lives. You must build a two-way relationship, though as coach I make the final decisions and if I have to upset a couple of people, then so be it.

My age was never an issue because I started coaching when I was very young.

It is something that has always generated debate, but I have no problem with it because the players always accepted the position of the manager and they seemed to enjoy the relationship with someone of their generation."

Interesting isn't it. I just wonder if AVB needed to have been strong and more of a dictator here from the moment he took the job? OK, we HAVE seen at times where he has made big decisions with leaving certain players out at different times this season (Lampard / Torres).

Another important point here I want to make is that IT IS important to have input from your players on the way you want them to play, to get their ideas on what you are thinking about but it should only be to a point.

I just wonder if AVB is facing the same problem this season that the likes of Scolari and Ancelotti (2nd season) had here and that's having the same players that have been moulded into Jose Mourinho's playing style and mentality?.

It will be more than interesting to see what happens by the end of this window and the summer. Alot is always made of the likes of Cech, Terry, Lampard and Drogba and the influence they have here. I want to state on record I am not one of those saying that they should be got rid of at all and they are still important members of our squad, but surely as a team players should also realise at the same time that the club IS the be all and end all and no one is bigger than Chelsea.

I just wonder if AVB has come up against some resistance to his methods at times this season and because of his limited experience in dealing with issues such as these it has cost us important result's this season?

KTBFFH

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Samba stars linked with moves to and from Chelsea.

After the news that Kevin de Bruyne is set to sign for Chelsea before the transfer window closes and then immediately loaned back to Genk for the remainder of the season, today is about some Brazilian targets.

First up and as reported the other day, there is Willian the 23 year old Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder. It seems as though Chelsea have had a bid of around £16m rejected as they are holding out for around £25m.

Whether or not Chelsea go back in with a higher offer is another thing, AVB could decide to wait until the very last moment but if he does, Willian it seems, is more than keen to come to Chelsea. He said:

"I have friends in the Brazil side who play for Chelsea, like David and Ramires. All they talk about is the thrill of being in a city like London and playing for a club like Chelsea.

I've known David since we played together in the Brazil Under-20 side and he talks about what Villas-Boas is trying to build at Chelsea. He and Ramires feel he wants a core of young players who can mature and grow together but also be successful.

David says how the coach takes a real interest in all his players, how he can adapt different cultures together and bring the best out of them.

Then obviously there is life in London. David and Ramires say there's nothing like it anywhere else in the world — it's exciting and challenging at the same time.

I wouldn't have any fears about coming to England because I have played against English sides in the Champions League and studied the English game.

To play in a league that is seen throughout the world would be good for my hopes of playing regularly for Brazil, especially with the World Cup at home in two years' time. That is my aim. I've worked hard for four years to establish myself in the national team.

It has taken that long but now I feel I have a good relationship with the coach and I want to keep working hard, so I remain in the side.

There are times when you look at your life and realise how lucky you've been. I've played for a great club in Corinthians and been successful. I moved to Shakhtar and that turned into a great move too.

There was talk about Barcelona and Arsenal before but now Chelsea are interested.

If the next step of the adventure is England, then I would be excited by that."

(Source)
We will have to wait and see what happens with this guy. It's obvious he wants to come here but whether or not it's in this transfer window is another thing.

Next up is a player that it seems we won't be making any moves for and that's Hulk of Porto. After taking AVB from Porto and with their insistence of inserting ridiculous release clauses in their players contracts, Roman Abramovich has reportedly refused to cough up 83m Euros for this guy.

I wouldn't be paying anywhere near that sum of money for anyone as it's scandalous. I am all for clubs wanting to protect themselves and having release clauses in contracts but at a value that is realistic.

We all know that AVB knows him, has worked with him and arguably has got the best out of the 25 year old, but it seems that Porto's stance is strong and therefore, no deal can be agreed between the two clubs.

Now to a player that IS a Chelsea player for the time being and that's Alex. We know he wants to leave and as a result has been frozen out of the first team squad so the simple solution is to get a deal done in this window.

First up it looked like QPR were in pole position to sign him but after two bids were made and the last being accepted by Chelsea, the player has rejected a move to our West London rivals.

Now it seems that Carlo Ancelotti, the new PSG boss wants him and it's believed that a deal will go through before the window closes. Expect this one to be wrapped up asap.

Now to someone we are being linked with for the first time as far as I can remember and it's one of the rising stars of Brazilian Football, 19 year old attacking midfielder Lucas Moura.

According to The Telegraph, AVB has been trying to sign the Sao Paulo player over the last few weeks but again has come up against a club who have inserted another ridiculous release clause of €80 million (£66.8 million).

Because the financial state of Brazilian football is a hell of a lot better than it has been, clubs there filled will an abundance of talent are fully aware of the lure of European football and the interest that comes from Europe's elite, so these clauses are set with a view to scare people off.

It's seems that this one has done the trick as far as Chelsea is concerned but with this guy regarded as AVB's top transfer target, it's believed that Chelsea will come back in for him in the summer as long as a more realistic price can be agreed.

Now I will be honest here, I don't know alot about Willian and Lucas Moura so have been looking around the web to provide you guys with glimpses of what AVB



So what do you think? Are these the players we should be looking at for our future, or do you think they would be able to come into the club and make a difference straight away.

Let's not forget we already have Samba stars David Luiz, Ramires and Lucas Piazon, could the core of the Chelsea side of the future be dancing to a Samba beat?

Only time will tell!.

KTBFFH

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QPR v CHELSEA (FA CUP) - Who plays?

Saturday afternoon is without question a huge game as we take on QPR in the FA Cup at Loftus Road. We all know the story that has made headlines from the previous game and the same story will remain the focus on Saturday.

It will be a time for cool heads, for composure and for assurance on the pitch for those players wearing that Chelsea shirt.

The crowd will be hostile, Mark Hughes will have his team up for the game and will look to get at Chelsea, to hassle them, to give them no time and space on the ball and to get in their faces.

Chelsea need to stand strong, be up for the challenge and to concentrate on playing their football to take the game to QPR.

We know Frank Lampard is out for this one, Gary Cahill is in with a shout of starting the game and Michael Essien and Oriol Romeu are also pushing for starts.

So the big question is:

"Bearing in mind the atmosphere, the pressure on Chelsea to perform and the level of expectation we have as supporters to get the right result on Saturday, Who do you think should start for Chelsea?

For me, I would line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Two holding midfielders to sit and protect our back four (to start with) and four forwards to create chances and score goals.

My Team is as follows:

Cech, Luiz, Cahill, Terry (C), Cole, Romeu, Essien, Sturridge, Meireles, Mata, Torres.

What do you think? Post your starting eleven below and reasons why!.

KTBFFH

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"Chelsea Chronicles - Volume One" Out now on Kindle!

An anthology based on the Mark's writings for CFCnet and the legendary cfcuk fanzine, Chelsea Chronicles - volume one - captures in heartfelt, humorous, diary-format prose a period in Blues history when many fans couldn't quite believe what was going on at Stamford Bridge.

From the glory of the back-to-back title under Mourinho, through the ridiculous reigns of Grant and Scolari, and ending with the FA Cup victory with Hiddink at the helm, Chelsea Chronicles - volume one - provides the reader with an articulate and hugely entertaining insight into True Blue life.

Remember Asier del Horno? How about Maniche?!! There's a tribute to Super Frank (Sinclair),a homage to Tones Bar and a fiendish assessment of Peter Kenyon's abilities as a CEO interspersed with European travels to Transylvania, Sofia, Turin, Moscow and plenty more besides which get that 'Over Land and Sea' touch and make you feel a part of the constantly unfolding drama.

The surreal meeting with Avram Grant in the "So Bar" a couple of weeks after he had been fired is worth the purchase price alone, as is the genuinely touching tribute to the late, great, King of Stamford Bridge, Peter Osgood which wraps up this excellent first volume of Chelsea Chronicles and makes it a must-read title for Blues fans old and new.

"Now I understand the true meaning of Glorious Unpredictability." David Cameron

" Gate 17 wearing David Moyes masks in the Imperial after the Cup Final win over Everton - I'm still crying with laughter at the photo - brilliant stuff." Kerry Dixon

"I'm just glad I'm not in it, God help me if Chelsea Chronicles - volume two - ever gets published." Ronald Gourlay

HURRY UP! CLICK HERE TO GET HOLD OF IT ON YOUR KINDLE NOW!

KTBFFH

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What formation and starting eleven do you want Chelsea to play?

One thing I have noticed on my blog and amongst Chelsea fans in general is a difference of opinion about our formation and who should be starting games. Of course we all know that for now AVB prefers the 4-3-3 formation as per managers before him here, but I just wonder what you the Chelsea fan reading this believes to be our better option(s).

So bearing in mind the players we have available in our first team squad now, (for a full list go to the Official Chelsea Website)I want you to select the formation and starting eleven that you think can change our fortunes this season and beyond.

What we need is a formation the players are comfortable with, remains solid but will give Chelsea a much better attacking option in the final third. Could a change in formation be the key to get Torres firing?

Here are some options for you to have a look at:.

The 4-3-3, our tried and trusted formation. Should be solid enough as we tend to out number the opposition in midfield BUT problem we have had is that we have never really replaced Robben and Duff in wide areas. Malouda isn't the quickest and Sturridge is a striker. Juan Mata is stuck out there to begin with in games but I think you will agree needs to come inside and play the "David Silva role" for Chelsea.

The standard 4-4-2. Could this be an option for Chelsea? Could we get away with sticking Danny Sturridge up top next to Torres, Ramires wide right and Mata on the left? Who would have to be sacrificed in midfield for the two positions between Romeu, Mikel, Essien and Lampard?. Or, is this a formation that will not work with the players we have available?. It's interesting to note, Manchester United tend to stick with 4-4-2 more often than not these days.

Another option we have available would be the narrow 4-3-1-2 formation. We wouldn't need out and out wingers and would be able to bring Juan Mata in behind the front two in "the hole". Torres and Sturridge up top with three supporting central midfielders. This is an option we could use now with an abundance of options for those positions.

Finally and my personal favourite the 4-2-3-1 formation. This is the formation we switched to at Old Trafford and out played United in the second half as for as to say we were dominant. It looked the way forward but we haven't seen it since.

An option would be to start with Romeu and Essien as the two midfielders holding. I would move Raul Meireles up behind Torres and have Mata and Sturridge either side of Meireles. The focus would be on remaining solid in defence and then giving the four forward players licence to roam, create chances and feed Torres all day.

So there you have some examples of different options Chelsea can use with the players we have available now, not in the future, but now.

What formation and starting eleven would you like to see Chelsea playing from now on?

KTBFFH

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The break in Spain has come at exactly the right time for Chelsea.

I have to say, credit to AVB and the club for making the decision to take a mid season break to Mallorca this week as I think you will agree, it has come at just the right time.

OK, the players are still training hard every day, but the fact that they are away together and using the trip to "bond" is a smart move in my book.

The trip is perfect for someone like Gary Cahill coming into the club, rather than get to know the players around Cobham training every day, staying in hotels etc for match days, he actually gets to spend quality time with everyone for a week and will do him the world of good.

As for the rest of the players, it's a great opportunity to reconnect with each other, to re focus on the run to the end of the season and hopefully get rid of any issues they have with the way we are and have been playing.

I predict we will see a very different Chelsea performance on Saturday lunchtime against QPR than the performance we saw against Norwich. Let's hope the players and AVB will have used this quality time to get things going again for us!

KTBFFH

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Chelsea set to complete another fantastic deal!!

Chelsea are expected (by the press and hopefully me) to announce the signing of Kevin De Bruyne for a fee of around £8.5m and immediately loan him back to Genk for the remainder of the season.

I have to say this is a fantastic deal for Chelsea as it seems that Genk have lowered the valuation of the exciting winger from £12m to £8.5m (as reported here) so a deal can be done BUT it seems with the stipulation that he remains with them until the season finishes. If it was me, I would have either insisted that he joins us now or we pay the extra money so he can be a part of our season THIS SEASON!.

I have spoken of KDB many times on here and AVB has admitted his admiration for him and it WILL BE the perfect fit as the signing of KDB will allow Juan Mata to play the free role in behind the striker which is something we have all been waiting for.

Also, the signing of KDB will be yet another younger addition to the squad for a reasonable sum of money just like the Cahill deal and will more or less signal the end of Florent Malouda's time at Chelsea in the summer.

Here is a video of KDB and gives a perfect example of why AVB wants to pay £8.5m to sign him!.



KTBFFH

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What's going on with our substitutions this season?

This is something that I feel I need to have a moan about. It's not the case week in, week out but at times this season our substitutions this season have been very strange.

AVB, like Jose Mourinho, is of the mindset that you make sure you use all three substitutions in the game no matter how well or bad you are doing which is fair enough.

However, it's been certain decisions in games that I think has surprised us all. One instance that comes to mind is this past weekend at Norwich. Now, bearing in mind we were at 0-0 and chasing the game, I couldn't understand why he took of Torres and replaced him with Lukaku.

Granted Lukaku has raw talent and showed with a couple of rampaging runs that he will be a star in this league, but surely we can see it will take him some time to do so. Why on earth take off Torres who will run all day for you and has the experience of this league when you are chasing a game? Look at his involvement in our winner at Wolves at the end of the game? Taking him off made no sense!.

Also, in the same game, when Frank Lampard was injured, I wonder if like me you thought to yourselves "Put Romeu or Essien on and push Meireles further forward"? I was as surprised as anyone to see Florent Malouda come on. I tweeted at the time about it and someone replied to me to say that Malouda will play out wide to allow Mata to come inside, but that never happened did it. Malouda was playing in Lampard's position which again, was strange to me.

It's not just this game but others this season where we are chasing games, chasing a winner and we take players off who could become effective in the last third of the pitch..

How many times have we seen Lukaku come on as a WINGER??

Very strange!

KTBFFH

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WILLIAN - The potential signing Roman's and not AVB's?

Out of the blue this story came to light over the weekend. There are reports all over the place that Chelsea have made a bid that has been rejected, have been told that the player is not for sale at any price and that seems that.

In addition to all this, AVB has said at the weekend that "he is an interesting player" but wanted to sign players who are not cup-tied for European competition this season. So it seemed as though this was not going to happen.

However, this morning I came across this article in The Telegraph which explains that the deal could be far from over with a "reported" fee given to Chelsea to get the deal done.

There is a twist in the tale though, it seems that AVB was offered the player in the summer but rejected the idea and chose to sign Juan Mata instead. Now he has been offered the player again for around £16.7m but is once again undecided as he wants to concentrate on other signings.

The article goes onto state that Chelsea are frustrated in their search as they are being quoted hugely inflated prices for players. This comes as no surprise really as clubs do not want to sell their best players halfway through a season unless their contracts are about to expire.

The thing is with this deal, and again as stated by the article, if Chelsea's pursuit of other players falls through and because of the need for more creative pacey players, the opinion is that Roman Abramovich likes him, his good mates with the owner of Shaktar Donestsk, and could force a deal to go through before the window closes.

Would this be a situation AVB is happy to accept? If he has rejected the chance to sign him back in the summer then why would he be more than interested now? Finally, why would Roman "reportedly" pursue another signing HIS manager doesn't want when surely we have learned from previous mistakes?

No doubt there will be more on this before the window closes!

KTBFFH

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Ex Chelsea man reveals he never wanted to sign for us anyway!

Remember Yuri Zhirkov? The man with a big reputation as one of the upcoming stars of European football joined Chelsea for a fee of around £18m in 2009 and being honest, did little really to cement his place in the team or force his way in. I think we could realistically, count on one hand the amount of games he played well in for Chelsea.

Well, it seems that there was a reason for all this, he actually wanted to sign for Bayern Munich and NOT Chelsea as he reveals himself on Anzhi's official website (the club he has signed for now). He said:

"Then I had offers from both Chelsea and Bayern, and I wanted Bayern because [former CSKA team mate and friend] Ivica Olic was already playing for Bayern.

In general I like Germany more than England - but in the end I was sold to Chelsea.

Psychologically I also feel much better in Russia because at Chelsea I had problems. For example, I would play 10 matches in a row, then Lampard would return from an injury and right away I would find myself seating on the bench.

If you played well or badly it made no difference. It's not that I was offended but I just wanted to know why this was happening."

(Source)
The problem Zhirkov had was that he had Ashley Cole in front of him at left back and Florent Malouda on the left wing and Malouda's form had already seen off the likes of Joe Cole because he was playing really well.

I can understand his frustrations with not playing but let's face it, he doesn't play the same position as Frank Lampard and if we had a choice back then in 2010 (our double winning season) and last season, we would have picked Lampard over Zhirkov anyway.

The strange thing is, everyone has a choice if they want to make the move when a club accepts an offer. I am certain they can either say yes or no when they are informed of what has happened so why didn't he say "No, I want to move to Germany"?.

You have to hold your hands up and say fair play for taking up the challenge of coming to England to play here, it's just a shame that for the most part, you never really looked like you wanted to be here and now we know why!

KTBFFH

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What do you think is Chelsea's main problem this season?

Isn't it funny that although we were dire on Saturday and dropped two points away to Norwich, We gained a point on Spurs as they lost at Manchester City. Forget the league title, that's gone and has been for a while now, but it's important that Chelsea finish 3rd as a minimum this season. I think we'd all take that now with a decent run in the FA Cup and Champions League.

Although we gained a point on Spurs it still doesn't hide the fact that Chelsea were woeful at the weekend. So many times this season we have become toothless up front when games are needed to be won. Even games when we are a goal up and looking to kill the game, we have struggled.

So what is Chelsea's problem this season? It's a question we have been asking ourselves for some time now.

AVB gave his reaction to the result and gave his insight to the problem we have this season and said:

'We are in the top three teams for creating chances, but the efficiency was not there and this represents where we are in the table.

We have to find the consistency for us to get on a winning run which can make this title challenge a little bit more, that is the reality.

It is not going to be a lack of ambition or motivation. There is always motivation when you play for a top club.'

(Source)
I agree with him only to a point. He says we are in the top three teams for creating chances, but for me not enough of them are clear cut. From what I have seen this season, we get into great positions and when a simple cut back is a better option or a slide rule pass square to someone in a better position is on, we turn greedy and shoot from ridiculous angles. Granted in some cases we have scored from these positions, but more often than not, we haven't!.

I agree with him when he states our problem is efficiency. We aren't consistent enough this season and it has cost us dearly.

We need to make sure our performances are consistent. One week we play really well having upped the tempo and cause our opposition all sorts of problems, then the next we are sucked into playing a slow paced tempo making it easy for our opposition to defend against.

MY VIEW:

It's my opinion that ALL of our problems come down to one thing and that's tempo of our play. Look at the problems we have at the moment, we aren't taking enough chances we create, in some cases in games we aren't even creating enough chances, Torres hasn't scored, we haven't killed games off and have dropped points in games we should have won.

For me it all comes down to tempo. In order for Chelsea to win games with the squad and players we have, we need to play at a fast, high paced tempo. We need to keep sides on the back foot and can do that with quick passing forward and in behind opposition's defences. We take too many touches at times when we don't need to and we play the ball sideways again where a ball forward is a better option. I know in some games it's important to keep possession, but we need more urgency on our play.

The problem with tempo is linked to Torres and his problems scoring goals for Chelsea. It was the same last season but at times at the beginning of this season we played quicker and he scored goals.

It's when Chelsea slow the game down and take an age to get the ball forward that Torres struggles. Torres is used to making runs off the ball expecting to be played in and it just doesn't happen here and that is a big big problem at the moment. If Chelsea moved the ball forward and at pace, Torres would be played in time and time again and we would reap the rewards. In fact, no matter who played up front, we would see the benefit whether it was Drogba or Sturridge playing there.

Look at Swansea and Arsenal the other week. Both sides like to play quick short passes to open up space and then get the ball forward into their attacking players whether it's wide or into the front man quickly to get on the front foot. Chelsea's play at times is almost half the pace of these two.

Tempo is Chelsea's problem and as a result causes the other problems we are faced with. Until the players get used to playing that way or those we can't are shipped out and replaced, Chelsea will have the same problem for the remainder of the season.

KTBFFH

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Norwich 0-0 Chelsea - Slow and laboured Chelsea drop more points!

I have said it time and time again now, you have to earn the right to win any game against any opposition in the Premier League and let's face it, once again Chelsea didn't do that against a hard working and plucky Norwich side yesterday.

We keep hearing that the players have jetting off for some warm weather training in Majorca for five days ahead of QPR away in the FA Cup next week and it seemed to me that quite a number of players had one eye on the plane already.

No disrespect to Norwich at all, but ahead of this one, looking at both sides and the quality on the pitch, you would have expected Chelsea to win the game IF they played as they can. Far too many players failed to turn up for the game. In addition to that Frank Lampard looking to pick up a worrying injury twenty minutes in and was replaced by Malouda which was a strange one for me.

I am a firm believer that you pick your best side in every game (if players are available) to get the game won and then make the necessary changes. I had heard that Romeu had picked up a knock but if he is fit enough to be named on the bench, he should be starting. So when Lampard came off, I would have put Romeu on and pushed Meireles further forward. That never happened, Malouda came on and fitted in with the rest of the players that remained one paced and laboured.

Chelsea needed urgency and to take the game to Norwich. We had plenty of possession but did little or nothing with it. The problem we have of late is that we get into the final third and people become greedy. You are reading reports of Torres missing the target again and I admit, that's one he should have scored, however it's the other times where he could have been played in and wasn't that frustrates me. This week it was Juan Mata.

Mata, who was one of only four or five players who could walk off that pitch knowing they played OK, had his first chance in the first half where wide left around 8 yards from goal inside the box, he choose to shoot and side footed the ball towards the far corner which was easy for the keeper to get down to his left hand side to save it. Had Mata looked up, Torres was 2 yards away from him, in space with a chance to side foot the ball passed the keeper in a better position but was ignored! His frustration was there for all to see as he gestured to the man who ignored him again!.

We simply have to play quicker to get games won and to feed Torres and give him the service he thrives on. Norwich gave Chelsea at times an example of how to do that. In Holt and Morison they have two strikers who are on form, who both work hard and knew their role in the game if they were to get anything from it.

Paul Lambert is a good manager and man manager and his players were happy to let Chelsea sit and dominate possession knowing that as soon as they won the ball back, they would get the ball forward quickly. Norwich played really well and created more than enough chances to threaten our back four.

Chelsea were far too slow, too laboured and too casual yesterday. In games like these it's about who wants it more and it pains me to say it, but at times it seemed that Chelsea expected to win this one and played like it, Norwich demonstrated more desire to try and win the game by defending well and getting the ball into dangerous areas quickly.

In my eyes, only a few Chelsea players can hold their heads high for the way they worked hard all game and played OK. Fernando Torres, Juan Mata, John Terry and Raul Meireles deserve a mention but man of the match for me was David Luiz. People moan and criticise his style of defending but for me lately, he seems to have calmed it down more and is concentrating on the defensive side of his game and was immense for Chelsea.

The problem about yesterday was, if you only have a few players up for the game and determined to play well when others around them don't seem to be bothered, then you do not deserve to win anything, let alone three points at Carrow Road.

Just think back to how their supporters reacted to getting a point against us and their first clean sheet of the season. Like I said, I don't mean any disrespect to Norwich supporters at all when I say this but that showed how much of a big result it was for them.

The problem is, it showed again yesterday just how far behind the likes of City, United and Spurs Chelsea have become this season. Good luck to Norwich for the rest of the season, play like that and you will stay up no problem.

Chelsea have a job on now to stay fourth!

KTBFFH

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ROMEU - "When I arrived, I didn't think I'd play as much as I have."

Football at the moment is about money isn't it. All we are reading and hearing about at the moment is either player salaries or the size of transfer fee's. Chelsea are now a club that is constantly linked with big money moves in EVERY transfer window as AVB looks to rejuvenate our club out of the shadows of the Mourinho era.

However, with reports that the transfer fee was around a mere £4.35m, the bargain of the season as far as Chelsea is concerned and maybe the Premier League is the signing of Oriol Romeu. OK he's 20 years old, had hardly featured in Barcelona's first team and took the opportunity to come and play here and my god has he made an impact!.

The more I see him play and especially in the flesh at games, it's becoming more and more apparent that this could be the best £4m that AVB will EVER spend here. Some people may scoff at the statement I am making but true Chelsea fans know that we have seen someone who has it all in his locker and can really make the holding "Makelele Role" his own for years to come.

You ask Chelsea fans about Mikel and the way he plays in the role and you have a divided opinion. Some people are pro-Mikel and some are the opposite. Some argue he slows the game down and others will say defensively he is solid. We all have an opinion and there is no right or wrong answer here but with Romeu it's a different story. Everyone is in agreement that this guy is the player we have been looking for.

Featured in The Guardian, Romeu has taken time to give his first in depth interview about moving here and it's a fantastic interview focusing on what he says about being here and his game.

He said:

"I needed to play more regularly and, if you are in Barcelona B and have the chance to come to Chelsea, it's better to be playing at Chelsea, It was hard to leave but it was the best option for me.

I came to Chelsea to be a part of a big team, with big players, and to learn from them all. Players who have been at the top for five or six years can teach you so much. I have learned so much already: the mentality you need to bring to training every day, even the way you carry yourself in the dressing room.

At Chelsea, the players are more physically imposing. At Barcelona, they are more technical. That's a clear difference but it's one that distinguishes Spanish from English football. Over here, football is about strength where Spanish football is slower, more precise. But I like hard football. Maybe I'm more of an English player rather than what people consider a typical "Barça player" ... That was one of the attractions coming here: that contact, the longer passes, the tackling. In Spain, they don't do that.

In Spain, when you are winning 1-0 the game feels under control. In England, that's never the case. In our last match, against Sunderland, they had a big chance to score an equaliser in the last minute. You can lose a game in the blink of an eye, with a little mistake, so you have to learn quickly.

But I'm still very young and can learn so much more. I still make a lot of errors and I can improve. So far I've looked at players in my position and tried to pick out the best aspects of their game: Busquets's short passing, or Makelele as a strong defensive shield. I've looked to bring all that to my own game but I'm adapting to a new league, a new culture. When I arrived, I didn't think I'd play as much as I have.

Having Juan and Fernando [Torres] here has helped. It can be hard if there is no one around to speak to if you're having problems adapting, so I have enjoyed that. But we are all loving London.

I am ambitious and the only way to ensure big things happen in the future is to work hard and learn now. At a club like this you are never guaranteed to be picked, so you have to impress in every training session.

It'd be a mistake to think you're always going to play because you'd relax and would lose concentration and intensity. It's the same with the team. We still believe we can achieve a lot this season. The league is long and unpredictable. Manchester United lost two games in the last few weeks, so you never know what can happen. We can close the gap to the top. You can never give up."

So added the undoubted ability he is, he also seems to have a good head on his shoulders too. I cannot underestimate just how much of a revelation he has been in the short time he has been here.

Two footed, calm and composed with the ball at his feet, loving a tackle and most importantly of all, having the natural instincts to sit in the position Makelele made his own.

Forgive me for making any kinds of bold predictions at this early stage in AVB's management at Chelsea but if we are to win silverware and become successful once again, Oriol Romeu will play a big big part that's for sure!.

KTBFFH

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AVB on Torres: "I don't care!"

AVB has responded today to claims made earlier in the week from Carlo Ancelotti that in order for Fernando Torres to step out of the shadows, Didier Drogba must be sold.

Let's just remind you of one thing, Villas-Boas very rarely likes to speak of individuals in relation to performances, he always focuses on the team. Some people like it, some don't and even the press have tried on numerous occasions this season to make something out of nothing.

For instance, our result away at Wolves and Frank Lampard's late winner. Look at the stories that were published that day claiming that AVB had "ignored" Frank after the game. If you look back, when asked of Lampard's late goal, AVB preferred to focus on the teamwork and the all round play in addition to the finish from Lamps.

When it comes to Fernando Torres, he has lept to his defence on some occasions along with some other players, when it seems as though the "media obsession" with our players gets to a point that the stories are becoming farcical, AVB reacts.

He has reacted today to Ancelotti's comments today and has once again re-iterated the focus being on the team and working for the team. He said:

"It would be unfair for a player of Fernando's personality and dimension to conclude that one is inflicting on the other one's belief. If that was the case with any player, it would be a mental weakness or a mental block, which is not the case in my opinion.

We have a player like Dzeko with plenty of goals but he's not used all the time by City. The numbers, statistically, are impressive for Dzeko. He had scored 10 goals in the first few weeks of the season. But (City boss Roberto) Mancini feels others offer something positive and different for the team.

(Torres) He's a striker with a hunger for goals who wants to be in the box, We've seen him in the box, we've seen him arrive and create danger.

As long as he's working well for the team, I don't care how the statistics will finish and how dramatic people think they are."

That's the thing about AVB, he is spot on!. I take you back to last Saturday against Sunderland, he never scored but he worked his socks off and as a result the fans in the stadium with me and around me chanted "Torres!, Torres!" for most of the game.

I am always hearing people talk about Torres or ask me about Torres and I say the same thing. 'Don't you worry about Fernando Torres, he will come good for Chelsea and WHEN he gets the right support and service, there will be nobody better".

For now, even if he doesn' score, we all love him!

'TORRES!, TORRES!"

KTBFFH

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DROGBA: Offered £1m per month for 3 years to go to China??

It seems in recent days that speculation surrounding the future of Didier Drogba has intensified as the same club who have signed Nicolas Anelka this month, have Didier Drogba in their sights too!.

Shanghai Shenhua signed Anelka on a reported £200,000 per week and if reports are to be believed, Didier Drogba could follow the Frenchman on even more money!.

I have lost count how many times I have made comments on here about the fact that Drogba wants a two year deal to stay at Chelsea but the club are only prepared to offer him one year. Again, if these reports are to be believed (and the story has now made it into The Guardian) the Chinese club are prepared to offer Drogba a three year deal worth around £270,000 per week!

It's a mind boggling sum of money we are talking about here. That's over £1m per month before tax for THREE YEARS!.

Remember earlier last year, there were reports that Drogba's agent had been quoted as saying a deal with Chelsea is dead in the water and he will now look for the deal that gives his client the most money? Well, it looks as though he has found it in China!.

The president of the Chinese club has even spoken of his interest in Drogba and believes he can get a deal done. It will be interesting to see just when that deal is struck and when he leaves..

(Of course I am speaking as though he will leave, who are we kidding, he would be a fool not to on that money!)

I think AVB wants to keep Drogba here until the season is over. I also think Drogba would like to do that too rather than leave halfway through a season so I can't see a deal being done this month.

The thing is, I CAN see a deal being agreed between now and the end of the season as Drogba making this season his last at the club.

If you haven't seen it yet, I posted a video of EVERY SINGLE one of Didier Drogba's 150 goals for Chelsea posted on YouTube. If you have missed it, check it out here again...



KTBFFH

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