Borini - Talks with Parma at "advanced stage".

Talk Sport are running an article here about Fabio Borini. It looks like after refusing to sign a new deal that was offered to him a while back, and nothing confirmed giving us a sign that Chelsea are looking to tie him down to a longer deal, Parma have begun negotiations about signing Borini in January.

The site states that talks are at an advanced stage and you have to say that you wouldn't be surprised if in January, the club confirmed a deal had been struck allowing the player to leave and to return to his native Italy.

I am of the opinion that this will be a done deal soon enough. Let's just hope it's not another Scott Sinclair situation as look how well he is doing since he left Chelsea!

KTBFFH

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Abramovich - More hands on than ever?

With Frank Arnesen confirming that he is to leave Chelsea after six years when his contract expires on 1st July there has been rumour and speculation about what is going to happen in relation to his replacement.

Reports have appeared stating that Chelsea are interested in Txiki Begiristain the former Barcelona Sporting Director which has been denied by Chelsea. There are reports of others being mentioned too but today a report has appeared that has got me thinking.

Will Chelsea even replace Arnesen and if they don't just how involved will Abramovich become in team affairs?

This report this morning appeared in the Telegraph stating that there are already people in place within our scouting network and at the Academy to deal with those area's and Gourlay and Buck could end up with more power in relation to player transfers etc.

However, I am just wondering about Roman. We need to remember the five year plan that was established to make Chelsea the biggest club in Europe and to win the League and the Champions League. It's now been seven years and currently our eighth and we have won the League three times, the FA Cup numerous times and the League Cup, the Champions League remains the one Roman longs for.

I just wonder if he will become much more involved in relation to communicating directly with Ancelotti to discuss future player targets etc or if with him becoming more hands on it could be a disruptive influence.

What do you people think?

Do you think Roman wants to become more involved and is it a good or bad thing?

KTBFFH

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Talk of January signings is nonsense.

We all know what happens when your form takes a dip and you have to deal with player injuries, especially big name and key player injuries. You find the press going into overdrive regarding speculation about who Chelsea are looking to sign and bring to the club and a whole host of names is being mentioned in the last few weeks and will continue to be until the end of the January window. It's my view that Chelsea won't be signing a single player as after all, last week Ancelotti confirmed he won't be.

The thing we all have to remember and to take into consideration is that in the next few weeks we will have everybody back fit apart from Alex. Ivanovic will just slot in next to John Terry which solves that problem and Bruma is there to act as cover. Once we have the core of our side back of Terry, Essien and Lampard we will have more than enough cover once again.

I can (like the rest of you) name our best eleven come the end of December and that is:
Cech, Bosingwa, Ivanovic, Terry, Cole, Essien, Mikel, Lampard, Anelka, Drogba and Malouda with waiting in the wings: Ferreira, Bruma, Zhirkov, Ramires, Kalou and Sturridge. Note that this is also without Benayoun and Alex.

So if I were you I would ignore any press speculation about transfers in January. Carlo said at the beginning of the season that he had faith in our squad and once players are back from injury, I have no reason to feel any different.

KTBFFH

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Shut up Drogba and concentrate on your football!.

Didier Drogba's comments of the last two days are making headlines for the wrong reasons. Yesterday he had a pop at our defence and today the headlines appearing everywhere are quoting him on our recent form. My gut feeling on this is that it hasn't helped the situation we face at the moment and for someone that shouts his mouth off in the press, it's about time he started doing it on the pitch which is why I have said last night that Ashley Cole should be our Captain when JT and Lampard are not playing.

Drogba is quoted this morning as saying:

"It is maybe the worst run of form I've known since I came to the club. It is not a good moment. It is not happening in front of goal, I had some moments where I didn't even create chances and I was scoring goals but this is a moment where I'm creating maybe more chances than usual. I am a bit unlucky. The most important thing is not that I am not scoring but we are losing points.

You have to admit reading the last part of his comments you begin to think to yourselves well part of the reason we are losing points is because you can't hit the back of the net at the moment along with Anelka and Malouda. If you did we would be winning games not dropping points!.

I really believe that this guy needs to shut up at the moment. Concentrate on getting his form back, being part of the group collective to turn things round and stop making comments about what we know about already!. You can imagine at training the last couple of days he has upset our defenders yesterday and today the rest of the team.

Sort yourself out Drogba and for god sake shut up!

KTBFFH

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How about Cole for Captain?

Is it just me or do the rest of you agree with me when I disagree with the choice of Didier Drogba as Captain in the absence of John Terry and Frank Lampard?. I know Didier is one of the players that people believe to have a fair amount of "clout" in the dressing room but for me he just doesn't do it on the pitch.

Especially in the last month, there have been times when Chelsea needed a kick up the arse, someone to encourage the rest of the players and most importantly of all a constant voice to lift the players. I just don't see it from Drogba and I have to be honest he isn't Chelsea captain material for me.

Some people debate whether or not a centre forward should be made Captain and there are negative and positive arguments about that point but for me I am surprised it isn't Ashley Cole.

Cole has been seen it and done it when it comes to Premier League football and with the wealth of knowledge he has of the English game I remain surprised that he hasn't been in contention. Of course people and maybe Drogba will say that he has Drogba has been there longer so he should be captain so in that case I would argue so has Petr Cech. However, Cech shouldn't be a captain as the goalkeeper cannot influence players all over the pitch from within his own box.

For me Cole is a talker and defiantly a voice on that pitch. He influences games and is a key component down that left side for us. You can bet your life he would give the players a talking to, or a kick up the arse when it was needed.

What do you people think?......Cole not Drogba as Captain?

KTBFFH

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Drogba has a point but needs to wake up himself!.

Didier Drogba has had a pop out our defence after the Newcastle game as Chelsea have slipped to two points behind United in the Premier League table, level on points with Arsenal, but he needs to wake up himself in addition to problems at the back!.

He said:

"It’s not a good moment and is very frustrating, It’s not nice to see United up front and Arsenal are with us as well but it’s a challenge for us and we have to see it that way, rather than being disappointed.

We have to do everything to come back and we are playing those teams in a few weeks so this is a challenge. Once again we created a lot of chances and we could have scored maybe another goal but the problem is we conceded a goal very early so we had to chase the game. When you have to chase, you create more space and you create more fatigue as well - so it is difficult to take the chances when they come.'

People expect Chelsea to win every game and they may be surprised when we don’t, but that means we are one of the best teams in the league. That is why the expectation is high so it is a responsibility we have to take and we try to do that."

He is right about having to chase games but the simple fact remains, apart from Ben Fosters heroic performance in goal for Birmingham the other week to deny our forward line, we haven't been scoring goals. We look laboured and nowhere near as clinical as we have been.

Its alright sorting our our defence but we rely on our forward line to take our chances and make them count and they simply haven't been doing that in recent weeks!.

Drogba, Anelka and Malouda need to start hitting the back of the net again themselves before criticising our back line!.

KTBFFH

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Guardiola for Ancelotti - Rubbish!. Let's get back to reality.

I have to say that things are getting silly now. Why oh why are we reading the rumour that Chelsea have their sights set on bringing Pep Guardiola to Stamford Bridge to replace Carlo Ancelotti?. Do you really believe right now that Carlo should be sacked?.

I have to say people and the press are really going overboard on Chelsea at the moment but as Chelsea fans we have to remember that it is always the case with the press and Chelsea. Ever since Roman took over the club we have become the club people love to hate first of all and anything and everything is blown up well out of proportion.

Obviously, the speculation of Carlo's feelings towards the Ray Wilkins departure is still filing newspaper columns today and this remains the main factor behind the constant speculation about our manager's position at the club and Guardiola.

Do you not think that Carlo had a choice to make at the time and if he felt that strongly about things, he would have walked?. Of course he isn't happy but realises that he is employed to manage, coach and train the players and anything else is out of his hands. I firmly believe that he would have walked away from the club if he thought his position became untenable.

As you all know by now, the Wilkins departure has been blamed for our loss of form and bad results but surely you the Chelsea fans realise that you simply cannot take Terry, Essien and Lampard out of the side and for it to not have an effect on the team at all. Terry and Lampard in particular are the voices on the pitch and you have to agree there simply doesn't seem to be anyone vocal enough in games to take their places, let alone their own individual influences.

I can assure you that this is the reason behind Chelsea's poor form. In addition to that it's the big name players that have cost us in the games we have lost as they simply didn't turn up for the game. Carlo said to not blame the players but in this case I believe that we have to. Our forwards can't hit the back of the net at the minute to save their lives!.

Once our big guns are back Chelsea will get back to winning ways and will be back at the top of the League once more. Everything will then be back to normal as I have no doubt that we will see the quality of football we watched that led us to the double and that started off our season in such great style.

Once that happens there will be no need for Carlo to be replaced. Why would Guardiola want to leave Barcelona anyway? He has spent the majority of his career there and has won everything that had been put in front of him since he became manager of the club.

We have to listen to Carlo as I really feel that the bloke couldn't tell a porky even if he tried. He has said he wants to stay at Chelsea. He has said it's not pressure from Roman that is upon him but the pressure he puts on himself and he stated that he believes that Chelsea, with JT, Essien and Lampard back and our forwards taking their chances, will turn it around and I honestly with hand on heart believe him.

It's about time Chelsea fans ignore the crap written in the papers and get behind our manager and our team as we look to get back to winning ways and get this title back in our grasp once again.

CARLO, CARLO, CARLO!

KTBFFH

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Newcastle 1-1 Chelsea. Focusing on the positives.

Waking up this morning and still thinking about our game yesterday against Newcastle I am still in two minds as to what to make of the game and the result. I had called for Chelsea to deliver yesterday and stated it was time that the players did and in a way you can say they did as we dominated the game and created chances once more but at the same time it's another two points dropped.

We have to remember that a point away at Newcastle isn't a bad result as they have proven on their day that they can beat anyone, but when you think their goal was because of our cock-up and Kalou should have scored from literally two yards you have to look at it being another missed opportunity for the blues and Carlo Ancelotti.

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Newcastle v Chelsea: The pressure is on, time to deliver.

There is no question that in an hours time the pressure is on Chelsea now. After weeks of reported turmoil, constant speculation about Carlo's future, the club and a run of bad results, added to that United winning yesterday, Chelsea need to put in a good performance and get the right result. This afternoon is no easy game and Newcastle will be determined to add to the pressure mounting on our side.

Let's face facts, there are no easy games in the Premier League and anyone can get a result against anyone on their day. I don't think any of us being honest would have expected Newcastle to go to the Emirates and beat Arsenal but that's just the way the Premier League is this season.

Chelsea have had a bad run and Newcastle are having the same. Newcastle losing 5-1 last week away at Bolton will give their players that extra incentive to play well in front of their fans today and with Chelsea the Champions coming to town, will expect to give us a game this afternoon.

The good thing about us now is that we have players coming back from injury and suspension after this game ready for the important Christmas period but the signs are good after our performance against Birmingham away and midweek against Zilina.

Chelsea are playing their flowing football once more, are creating plenty of chances and soon enough everything will click back into place. Important players have had a full week's training and time to rest after missing out on Zilina and will be fresh for the game. Chelsea will need to be at their flowing best today to get any kind of result against a strong, hard working Newcastle side.

Carroll up front is the obvious danger today for Newcastle. It important that Alex is back to deal with the threat he poses. Drogba will also need to do a job defensively from set plays.

Forgive me Newcastle fans reading this but you have to admit without Coloccini & Williamson at the back your are there for the taking today. Sol Campbell and Steven Taylor are not exactly your ideal pairing to deal with Drogba, Anelka and Kalou and I fully expect with the pressure on us and United, City and Arsenal watching, these three to deliver today.

For me Newcastle's weakness has always been their defence. Taylor is a quality player in my eyes and yes he has been injured and has missed plenty of football. Because of his lack of match fitness and Campbell's age Chelsea have to expose their weakness. In order to do that today Florent Malouda needs to impose himself in the middle of midfield.

Our front three, no matter who they are, haven't been amongst the goals of late which has to be a concern. Against Birmingham the encouraging thing for me was the chances we created. On any other day we would have scored a hatful but it wasn't to be. I expect us to create plenty of chances today and its down to Drogba, Anelka and Kalou to make them count.

Today the emphasis on the players is to get forward, dominate possession and force Newcastle on the back foot. Jose Bosingwa and Ashley Cole will both look to impose themselves in the final third rather than anywhere near their own box this afternoon and Newcastle will have problems dealing with them.

Mikel and Ramires will need to be strong in the middle of midfield but also with the ball at their feet, look to knock it about and get it forward at every available opportunity.

Alex and Ivanovic need to remain solid to deal with the threat Newcastle pose us in and around the box. If we can keep Carroll quiet then it's half the job done.

Today its down to Chelsea. Of course we just have to concentrate on ourselves to ensure we play well at a quick tempo and win the game. If we keep winning our games then we don't have to worry about what the other sides are doing around us. However, this is Chelsea. We like to make life difficult for ourselves and there is no question the pressure is on us to get the right result.

The press are there watching and waiting for any kind of slip up to jump on the Chelsea negative bandwagon once again. Ready to deliver yet another damming verdict on Carlo Ancelotti's side.

Now is the time for the Chelsea players to deliver!. COME ON CHELSEA!!

KTBFFH

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It's all quiet out there ......for a change!

I have made a point today (Thursday) to not post anything and to see what happens in the world of the Chels. Ok there has been the odd story here and there but nothing really to shout home about.

What a difference a week makes. This time last week the press were running a mock on Chelsea. Everything and anything from Ray Wilkins to players being unhappy and constant reports following the dismal performance against Sunderland.

Then this week all we heard about leading up to Zilina was the fact that Ancelotti wanted to leave, had contacted the LMA to discuss his resignation and we were in "crisis!".

So am just making a point after two good Chelsea like performances against Birmingham and Zilina. Numerous chances created and complete domination of the game at St Andrews but for Foster and eventually another win in the Champions League against Zilina to make it five out of five and to qualify as group winners.


Added to that Ancelotti stating he wants to stay, didn't call the LMA but in fact it was them who called him and it seems as though the press have nothing on us at the moment and it's all quiet out there!..

Its funny how all the talk of Carlo and the "morale" seems to have stopped and we should be grateful for a change.


We just need to make sure we beat Newcastle because if we don't it will all start up again next week!.

KTBFFH.

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"Still top and will have our angry players back" - Kalou.

Salomon Kalou also spoke after Zilina last night has has warned the rest of the Premier League to be aware of Chelsea's "angry" big players when they return to the side!.

He said:

“The injured players will bring their experience. They have been out for a while and when they come back they will bring that anger that a player has when he has not played for a long time. That can help the team.

Last season when we were in the period where we were not winning games, we were in third position, I think, This season, even without winning games, we are still in first position. We are in a better position that we were last season so we need to go back to the level we were playing at the beginning of the season.

I wouldn’t say that teams are not scared of us. We’re just in a period where things are not going the way we want. Every team goes through that. At the moment even though we’re not winning games and we’re not scoring lots of goals, we’re still top of the league. When we get back to our level, I think we are going to have a good run again. We are still in a great position and still the same team, the same players.

The confidence just has to be back in the team and you only do that by winning games.”

You have to give credit where credit is due, Kalou has it spot on. Despite our bad period we have had we ARE still top of the Premier League (on goal difference) and it could have been a hell of a lot worse.

The simple fact remains that if you take Alex, John Terry, Frank Lampard and Michael Essien out of the Chelsea team at the same time then of course we are going to suffer. These are key players, players that form an important spine of our side right through the middle.

You can imagine that JT, Essien and especially Frank Lampard are itching to get back playing after seeing what they have before last night and when they do come back I have no doubt's in my mind that Chelsea will get back to firing on all cylinders once again.

When we do, the rest of the Premier League will have no other option to sit up and take notice of the wounded animal looking to hit back in the best way possible.

So Chelsea fans take heart from the fact that "somehow" we are still sitting top of the League, look to have turned a corner that started against Birmingham, continued eventually against Zilina and will look to carry on at St James' Park this weekend!

KTBFFH.

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"The players are still the same!" - Didier Drogba.

Didier Drogba spoke to the Sky Camera's after the game last night and basically told it exactly how it is and I have to say I was really impressed with the way he spoke and what he had to say and it has filled me with renewed optimism that our "blip" could well be over.

When asked about the Ray Wilkins situation, Carlo's position and the bad results we have suffered in recent weeks, Drogba said:

"The manager made it clear that he is here and I think we have to focus on the games, on the results. We have to try to resolve our problems because we are not paying well. We don't speak about this (speculation over Ancelotti's future). We stayed focused on the game we lost against Birmingham. We wanted to go back to winning ways.

Of course we miss Ray but the players are still the same. If we are losing it is not because Ray has gone, it is down to the players".

He is exactly right in my opinion. You can plan for anything and everything in football. Organise yourselves tactically and set yourselves up to cope with the opposition but to win the game. That all goes flying out the window if your players do not turn up on the day.

For me, there have been far too many "big name" players who have failed to deliver at City, Liverpool and at home to Sunderland and it's good to hear Drogba giving everyone a "reminder" to focus on getting the right results.

Let's hope yesterday has been a step back in the right direction!

KTBFFH.

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Confusing comment from Carlo after the game.

I have to say even still, sitting here the day after the game thinking about one of Carlo's comments post match last night, I am still confused. As expected Carlo spoke about the game and the majority of his comments were pretty much what you would want Carlo to speak of after sitting there seeing what was happening during the game. He said:

"It was a difficult game because we didn't start the game well, were 1-0 down, We had a good reaction in the second half, with more intensity and good play, and plenty of opportunities to score. The second half was very good. I was upset because we were not playing well. We changed something in the second half, changed the intensity of play. This was the difference. We'd played too slow in the first half and gave them the opportunity to control their defensive position.

I just wanted to play with a different system, with two wingers with Daniel Sturridge and Didier Drogba in the middle. For this reason I took out Kakuta. I was disappointed because this was an important game and an important moment. We wanted to win and finish first in the group, But we didn't play in that first half. We had no intensity or tempo. We changed things immediately in that second half and our behaviour changed.

It was important to win and move on quickly. To look at the performance in the second half. For the young players, it was a good experience. They played well, generally, and put in good performances for the team, I think Josh McEachran can play every game. He showed his quality. He was good defensively, won a lot of tackles. And, obviously, with the ball he's fantastic.

He can play it short or long without problem. He played with personality and I'm happy with his performance. He has to grow, he has to improve, but he's ready to play."

So like I say, pretty much as expected.

However, there was one comment he made that I have taken out of the above to pinpoint in this post which was the one I still find confusing. Now bearing in mind we had arguably eight players on the pitch that wouldn't start the game if everyone was fit with only Ivanovic, Malouda and Drogba who could claim their places in a fully fit Chelsea team, Ancelotti said:

"If we play like we did in the first half, it's impossible to win the Champions League. If we play like we did in the second then we'll have a chance."

I hold my hands up on this one if it's just me that is confused as to the "timing" of this comment about last night's game. Let's face it, it was a nothing game really that had been brought into significance by the recent results we have had in addition to the fact that Carlo had decided to play the youngsters so why make a comment like that?

I would have understood if he just spoke of the game in particular when he spoke of how we played in the first half, but to say about winning the Champions League was strange as the side has no resemblance to our usual side that would have played if the game had to be won for example.

Strange, but like I said it may just be me.. What do you guys think?

KTBFFH

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Give Ramires a break .....for now!

As usual sitting here digesting our last game I have a look around the stories that appear on the Internet and have to say was taken a back by this ridiculous article in The Mirror written by Martin Lipton. Ok granted everyone is entitled to their opinion but I cannot agree with him at all.

He says of Ramires:

"He shares a surname with Pele. Sadly, Ramires Santos do Nascimento has shown little to prove he is Brazilian since his arrival at Stamford Bridge. For £18million, the Chelsea fans are entitled to expect a little more than they had got from Ramires so far. And last night, when a team of kids needed leadership from the experienced men, the man from Rio de Janeiro went missing more than ever before.

Ramires came to London with the reputation of being the "Blue Kenyan", a superhuman running machine. There has been no evidence to support that nickname in his first three months at SW6 and his staggeringly inept part in the Babotounde Bello goal that left Chelsea staring at humiliation at the hands of the Champions League minnows summed up his spell at the club to date.

Bello ran at least 20 yards to get on the end of Robert Jez' return ball and find the back of the Chelsea net, with Ramires doing absolutely nothing to either stop the initial pass, cut out the next ball or track the run.

Scandalous, really, explaining why he has become the focus for much of the unhappiness of the Chelsea supporters, who cheered his replacement against Sunderland 10 days ago. But that was just part of a miserable display in which Ramires allowed 17-year-old Josh McEachran to take on all the midfield responsibility.

Poor passing, non-existent tackling and a laughable fall in the box in a pathetic bid to claim a penalty when he simply lost the ball were unacceptable by any standards.

Carlo Ancelotti, whether he wanted him or not, has every reason to demand more and Ramires - aside from that performance against Arsenal - is simply not delivering.

It is hard to believe there can possibly be a place for Ramires in Ancelotti's first team when he gets Frank Lampard and Michael Essien back to play alongside John Obi Mikel.

In fact, you might not be surprised to see him part of any transfer dealings in January, if Ancelotti gets the green light to shake things up.

One thing is certain. In today's inflated transfer market, you don't get much for £18m any more, do you?

First of all I would like to point out Zilina's goal last night here..



Look again, take the clip to 23 seconds in at the first replay, you see Ramires pushed forward to close their deep midfielder down. The ball is played around him so he makes his way back towards our goal. The player who scores plays the ball round McEachran and he gets caught ball watching and doesn't follow the run. Not Ramires.

He talks about having the same surname as Pele'!. What on earth has that got to do with anything?. Does that mean anyone with that surname has to be as good as the great Pele' of course not, he is just being ridiculous.

He talks about his nickname being the "Blue Kenyan" and not seeing any evidence of it since he has come to Chelsea but he needs to remember. Ramires has come from the Portuguese League and I mean no disrespect to that League but it's not the English Premier League.

A foreign player needs time to adapt to a new country, a new way of life, new surroundings and his new club. To get used to being part of the Chelsea squad, to get used to training, the Manager, the players the staff and everyone. You would have imagined Ancelotti would have wanted to introduce him to the pace and power of the Premier League slowly and in time but he has been thrown in at the deep end with the injuries to Lampard, Benayoun and Essien.

Yes I agree £18m is a lot of money that Chelsea have paid out for the player but cannot in this instance agree that we are demanding to seeing a full on performance from the bloke week in week out as he is still coming to terms with Chelsea.

We all know Lampard, Mikel and Essien will be selected in front of him and the player himself probably realises that, but we haven't had the option to play those three together since the third league game of our season at home to Stoke. That was the game Lampard was injured.

So for now, lay off Ramires. You can see the guy is trying to do the best he can so give him a break after taking everything into consideration. I am not saying he has been fantastic and yes he has gone missing in some games and has been overrun, but it wasn't just him against Liverpool and Sunderland!.

If he has scored with that shot from 25 yards last night we wouldn't even be reading this article this morning. However, that's football for you. It curled wide and we have to put up with someone's opinion seemingly based on the fact that they have nothing else to write about now Carlo has said he is happy at Chelsea and wants to stay. Ramires for some reason has become a scapegoat.

For me it's next season we will want and need to see the improvement from Ramires. Only then can we judge and read articles such as these.

KTBFFH.

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Chelsea 2-1 Zilina - Ignore the media - Job Done!.

I can imagine writing this match report now at just before 0100 on Wednesday that the press and the media will state that Chelsea had a lucky escape against Zilina last night and won by the skin of their teeth with literally minutes to go. Be prepared to read more doom and gloom about Chelsea this morning.

The fact remains (which will be completely ignored by the press) that Carlo knew that Chelsea needed a single point from the last two games to be confirmed as group winners. That's why he chose the kids last night and with a little added help here and there they did the job no problem.

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Pressure on young Josh tonight?

As kick off time moves ever closer this afternoon I am wondering if there is a pressure of expectation from us on young Josh McEachran's shoulders tonight. I have posted my match preview ahead of tonight and have stated the importance of the performance and result and it has led me to wonder if we are expecting to much from him tonight.

I have said on here before and I will say it again the kid has undoubted ability and a calmness on the ball that for someone so young is astounding. Didier Drogba has said he is the best he has seen in the past and every Chelsea fan I know and hear from on the various other sites or on Twitter have been asking for Josh to be handed a start for a while now. Tonight he has his chance as he comes in for Mikel in the holding role.

So to all you Chelsea fans out there I am asking the question:

What do you expect from Josh McEachran tonight?

KTBFFH

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Preview: Zilina, Never expected how important this game is now.

As Chelsea beat Spartak Moscow at home and sealed qualification into the last 16 of the Champions League and virtually won the group back on November 3rd, Chelsea were playing well, scoring goals and sitting clear at the top of the Premier League. Everything looked great.

Three weeks later with three defeats in four games in the Premier League, Ray Wilkins sacked, constant speculation about the situation at Chelsea and the fact that the game back on the 3rd Nov was the last time any of our forward line scored, you could say things have been turned upside down!.

I for one would never have expected back then, that the MSK Zilina game tonight would carry so much significance to Chelsea.

In a time of apparent crisis it's a chance for Chelsea to begin to put right the wrongs of the last few weeks. It's a chance for our forward line to get amongst the goals once more and regain part of their confidence. It's a chance for Bruma, Kakuta and especially Josh McEachran to really show what they can do on the biggest stage in club football. Never before have there been so many eyes focused on the game tonight expectant of Chelsea and it really really is time to deliver.

The problem we have is that if we batter Zilina tonight by a cricket score people will state "It's only Zilina" but if we lose (God forbid!) the repercussions could be catastrophic. Don't get me wrong, I am 100% certain that Chelsea will win the game and would bet my mortgage on it.

The reporters will be waiting, the media will be focused on Carlo Ancelotti and his Chelsea bench more often than not tonight because of recent circumstances. Let's hope that Chelsea can put on the kind of performance we expect but expect now more than ever so the focus remains on the pitch and away from our bench.

Chelsea will get the job done and I have no doubt will do it in style tonight. The press will more than likely see it as part of the way to regaining their confidence ahead of the Newcastle game at the weekend but for Carlo and the players, this one could play a major part in Chelsea turning the corner from recent weeks and take a massive step in the right direction. Something that we never ever thought would be the case as we prepare for Zilina at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea to win by a cricket score tonight, five, six or even seven take your pick!

Chelsea fans! Why not go and try the brand new Indian Restaurant in Fulham Broadway The MASALA ZONE before or after the game tonight.

Why not grab a Curry, Rice and a beer for just £12!!

The Masala Zone has been awarded the following accreditations:

Best Restaurateur of the Year - Tatler Award
Amaya: Best Restaurant & Best New Restaurant - London Restaurant Awards
Chutney Mary: Best Indian Restaurant - London Restaurant Award
Veeraswamy: Britain's Oldest Indian Restaurant - Established 1926
Masala Zone: "10/10 for food, service & value for money" The Guardian

So if you need food before or after the game then why not head to The Masala Zone (opposite Barclays Bank) and please mention you have seen this advert on my website "Chelseadaft" for me when you go in. 

The Masala Zone - Real Indian Food!

KTBFFH!

Follow me on Twitter @chelseadaft

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Rumours: Carlo in for Cahill / Jones in January.

With Chelsea's recent run of defeats and the problems we have at centre back at the moment there have of course been plenty of rumours about possible transfer targets for Carlo Ancelotti ahead of the next transfer window in January as Carlo Ancelotti looks to bolster our back line.

There have been two names that have been constantly linked with Chelsea throughout the season so far and that's Gary Cahill or Bolton and Phil Jones of Blackburn.

It's being reported that Carlo will ask Roman Abramovich to part with up to £20m to bring Cahill to Chelsea from Bolton. Cahill has been a major part in Bolton's current success in the Premier League this season as they sit 5th after losing just two games so far this season. The belief is that Bolton wouldn't be able to turn down any sizeable bid from Chelsea.

Second on the list is the impressive Phil Jones from Blackburn. Being touted as the next John Terry. He is still a young player but has made rapid progress in the last year or so. Similar to JT he is strong and likes a tackle. Again, it is believed that Big Sam would find it hard to turn down a significant bid from Chelsea if Roman decided to make his move.

More on this to follow as we build up to the window in January.

KTBFFH.

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Grab a Curry before or after the game tonight at the Masala Zone

Chelsea fans! Why not go and try the brand new Indian Restaurant in Fulham Broadway The MASALA ZONE before or after the game tonight.

Why not grab a Curry, Rice and a beer for just £12!!

The Masala Zone has been awarded the following accreditations:

Best Restaurateur of the Year - Tatler Award
Amaya: Best Restaurant & Best New Restaurant - London Restaurant Awards
Chutney Mary: Best Indian Restaurant - London Restaurant Award
Veeraswamy: Britain's Oldest Indian Restaurant - Established 1926
Masala Zone: "10/10 for food, service & value for money" The Guardian

So if you need food before or after the game then why not head to The Masala Zone (opposite Barclays Bank) and please mention you have seen this advert on my website "Chelseadaft" for me when you go in. 

The Masala Zone - Real Indian Food!

KTBFFH!

Follow me on Twitter @chelseadaft

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Ian Wright: "If I was a Chelsea fan i'd be s***ing myself"

Once again the outspoken Ian Wright has given his "views" on the current Chelsea situation in his column for THE SUN and once more he hasn't held back. The football "pundit" and columnist said:

"If I was a Chelsea fan, I'd be desperately trying to work out why Roman Abramovich appears to be ruining the club he saved, And I'd be s***ing myself knowing another manager who could have taken the club to greatness is going to leave.

Carlo Ancelotti was a world-class footballer and is a world-class manager. He does not deserve to be treated like this and no one would blame him if he walked away from Stamford Bridge.

For me, it seems like somebody upstairs has pushed him to come out and publicly deny the rumours about him offering his resignation.

Right now, Chelsea's public persona is in the doldrums so, by doing something like that, it shows there's still a little bit of solidarity at the club - on the surface at least.

But, make no mistake, Ancelotti is his own man. In the next couple of weeks - and especially if he's still there come the summer - we'll see what he's really made of.

I don't know the full story but I'd be looking to get out if the problems are not resolved.

How can you manage a team when they sack your No 2, bring in someone without your say and then tell you to like it or lump it?"

You have to say it's similar to what I posted last week and since then we have heard Carlo's press conference yesterday.

I think it's safe to say that all of us Chelsea fans want this mess sorted out once and for all. Some people say his press conference was a smoke screen yesterday and was simply papering over the cracks at the club. Some other articles state the fact that he has stated he wants to stay, has no intention of leaving but results need to improve which is pretty much par for the course for a club like Chelsea, especially after losing three of the last four games.

The pressure will mount for the rest of the season now if we lose any more games or drop points anywhere and I do really worry that Chelsea will self destruct once more by getting rid of Carlo. I really hope they don't for the good of our club for the foreseeable future.

What do you the fans think about Ian Wright's comments?. Do you agree with "Wrighty"?

KTBFFH

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Frank Lampard - Just how much do we miss him?

We have all commented on the continued press speculation about Carlo Ancelotti's future at the club after the past few results. We have read numerous never-ending articles that fill our newspapers and websites daily about how Chelsea are in a "crisis" and are in "free-fall" and have numerous problems off the pitch that have and are affecting our results and performances. There is one key figure of our team that has been missing for a while now and it simply cannot be ignored....and that's Frank Lampard.

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Its about time! - McEachran starts tomorrow!.

Getting back to football matters now and Carlo Ancelotti confirmed that Josh McEachran will be handed his full first team debut against MSK Zilina tomorrow night in place of John Obi Mikel. Jeffrey Bruma is also handed a start as he comes in for the protected Alex. I had thought at the time that McEachran should have been handed a start for the Birmingham game last weekend as we lacked someone to get hold of the ball in midfield and open up their defence. Next to Malouda, McEachran would have been ideal. Tomorrow night in Mikel's holding role, with the play in front of him, young Josh has a chance to shine in front of the Stamford Bridge faithful. A Chance most of us have been asking for for a while now.

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Carlo denies Chelsea exit talk!

Carlo Ancelotti, at he pre-match Press Conference ahead of the Zilina game tomorrow has taken time out to speak of the rumours rife this morning of his "departure". He said:

"I don't know if it's enough to clarify my position today to close these rumours and speculation. These rumours are totally untrue. I don't know why they came out. I didn't speak with the LMA. They called me last night when I was at home, quiet, to find out what was happening.

These rumours are totally untrue. I have my contract until 2012, here, in this club. I've said a lot of times that I'd like to stay here.

I love not just this club, but these players. I have a lot of confidence in these players, in this squad, so there's no reason to change my ideas. I don't know if this is enough to speak about all this.

I think that when the team don't reach the right results, obviously the coach is under pressure. Obviously I am under pressure because I'd like Chelsea to win every game, but just this.

I am focused on my job and to give my team, my club ... to make us play better than we are at this moment. Just this."

Hopefully this will put to bed all the speculation about his job for the time being as long as results improve.

We need a win against Newcastle on Sunday and a good performance from the youngsters tomorrow night to regain focus at the club.

For now Carlo seem's happy enough. Let's just hope Roman and Co remain the same.

KTBFFH

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Deja' Vu at Chelsea. Will Carlo follow Jose?

Everywhere this morning in the papers, on the Internet and being covered by every other possible media outlet is the "strong rumour" that Carlo Ancelotti has contacted the LMA about this position at Chelsea and his intention to resign. Chelsea of course have come out and "rubbished" reports of Carlo's exit but you have to wonder what is going on as the feeling of Deja'Vu casts our minds back to three years ago.

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The Chelsea Daily Drivel - Carlo, Jose and more - Nov 22nd 2010.

Welcome to the Chelsea Daily Drivel, a selection of the important Chelsea stories today..

Martin Samuel in the Daily Mail comments on Abramovich the real power at Chelsea more....

The Daily Telegraph believe that Chelsea are in "turmoil" more....

The Sun believe the pressure is mounting for Carlo before tomorrow's game against Zilina more....

The Independant comment on our new assistant once more more....

Alan Hansen believes Chelsea are "not as strong as they used to be" more....

The Telegraph look at the structure at Chelsea under Abramovich more....

The Guardian comment on Feliepe Mexes signing as pre contract to join Chelsea in the summer more....

Jose Mourinho inducted into the LMA Hall of Fame and still claims England was the "best time of my career" more....

KTBFFH

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Birmingham 1-0 Chelsea. Better from Chelsea but not our day!.

If you never went to or saw the game yesterday then the score doesn't tell the whole story about our second defeat in a row within a week. Birmingham took all three points with a single goal from Lee Bowyer after opening up the Chelsea defence, however it was an outstanding individual performance from Ben Foster that kept Chelsea and Didier Drogba in particular at bay.

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Birmingham v Chelsea Preview : Back on track Chelsea today!.

What a difference 24 hours makes in football. Yesterday morning as today's game moved ever closer I guess you could say that we as Chelsea fans were wondering what Carlo Ancelotti would reveal about today's game and possible thought about what he intends to do with our backfour.

Then we had the great news that Alex is able to play and slot in next to Ivanovic in the middle. Now I feel confident that although it's a hard game at Birmingham, we will get the job done based on our solid foundation today.

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John Terry on the England Captaincy and his fitness.

A great article today published in the Telegraph about our Captain Fantastic John Terry. In the article Terry speaks of losing the England Captain's armband, what's happened afterwards and also on his fitness and has revealed that he hasn't been fully fit for five years now!.

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Alex plays tomorrow & Malouda in the middle!.

Great news from Chelsea today that Alex will play against Birmingham tomorrow. The statement on the club website reads:

"The surgery required on Alex's knee will be delayed so the defender will start tomorrow versus Birmingham.

Yury Zhirkov has a tight calf muscle and is out. Florent Malouda will play midfield. A decision is yet to be made on Jose Bosingwa or Paulo Ferreira at right-back.

Petr Cech, Branislav Ivanovic, Ashley Cole, John Mikel Obi, Ramires, Salomon Kalou, Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka will start.

John Terry's injury problem has been identified. He will not play against Birmingham but he could be available for the game afterwards".

Instantly I feel alot better with the news on Alex and even if I do say it myself I had written earlier this week that it would be better with Malouda playing in the middle and Kalou coming in up front.

I feel in the mood for 3 points tomorrow and after a beating last weekend, Birmingham watch out for payback tomorrow.

KTBFFH

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Ancelotti - Bite your lip and deal with it!.

There are some things in life that happen that leave you dazed and confused, struggling to understand and to comprehend. People are put into these types of situations in all walks of life and have to deal with them. Some people choose to become vocal, speak out as they try and justify what has happened or try to understand and make sense of it all.

However, some people choose or are encouraged to remain tight lipped or sit tight and get on with things. I am gradually beginning to feel like maybe some of the rest of you that Carlo Ancelotti is one of the these people and has on more than one occasion since he came to Stamford Bridge, been made to do so by the board and only now are we beginning to understand the "baggage" that comes with managing "Our Chelsea".

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JT - "I need to sort this out once and for all"

The Daily Mail has published an interview with JT about his injury and JT has revealed that he wants to get this injury sorted out once and for all, that it's not related to his back but doesn't want to rush back and do more damage.

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Ballack reveals ruthless Chelsea and Carlo's position.

Michael Ballack has spoken this week of lunching with Carlo Ancelotti after the club decided to let him go after his contract expired and of the fact that no one at Chelsea made direct contact with him to inform him of their decision but instead "informed" his agent...

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The apparent "Dig" at Roman and Ron cost Wilkins his job.

We all know what has happened to Ray Wilkins and there has been plenty of press coverage about it as we all know and now a new assistant has been appointed it's time for everyone to move on I guess but I was taken a back by a report that appeared on Thursday in the Fulham Chronicle that stated Wilkins snapped back at Roman and Ron in a meeting and it cost him his job.

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The Chelsea Daily Drivel - November 17th 2010

Welcome to todays Daily Drivel, a selection of the Chelsea stories as fans you need to read. Make sure you bookmark the site or grab the RSS feed to keep you updated daily!.

Daily Mail's take on Chelsea paying the price for a small squad more....
(Again these stories will continue until we have our first teamers back)

Drogba states that John Terry has made him a better player more....
(Praise for our leader from the big man)

The BBC state that JT flew out to Italy this morning more....
(Whatever he needs to do, he needs to do it quick!)

Gus Poyet rejects talk of joining Carlo as number two at the club more....
(Good! Don't want him here, will never forget his time at Spurs!)

"Super" Dan Petrescu is back at Stamford Bridge more....
(Great to see one of our favourites back!)

Alex McLeish speaks of facing Chelsea at the weekend more.....
(Pretty much as you would expect right now)

Kakuta misses France to sort his Chelsea future out more.....
(Let's hope it can be sorted out, he has real talent)

Follow me on Twitter @chelseadaft

Chelsea "in" for Gary Cahill as centre back rumours intensify more....

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Let's try not to get carried away - Our Forward Line.

Another thing that became apparent about the Sunderland game was the distinct lack of influence our front three had in the game. That was because they were simply not getting the service. You also have to argue that in the last three games not a single player of our forward line has scored. With Chelsea's defensive and midfield problems there is more focus on our forward line to perform and make the difference.

I have put my own personal opinions and case forward for changes to our back four and midfield and hopefully the midfield three I would play would provide the service our forward line needs so they can influence the game the way we all know they can.

With my suggestion that Malouda drops back from the left side of the front three to the left side of midfield next to Mikel opens the door for the unpredictable Kalou to come into the side. I don't think that Zhirkov can play there so Kalou is the ideal replacement.

I understand that with Kalou he can be hit or miss. He does score goals and has the ability but then again we always remember the Fulham game. Everything he did that game outside the box was fantastic, it was inside the box that became the problem.

The good thing about Kalou is his ability with the ball at his feet and the fact that he isn't afraid to run at defenders. Against Birmingham and Newcastle give Kalou the start.

Didier Drogba and Nico Anelka need to have big big games in the coming weeks. Every single game is winnable, we have the ability and the quality to do it and these two are always a threat to anyone they face. Yes they need the service and I believe if we play the way I hope we do then they will get exactly that. It's just down to these two and Kalou to create chances and make them count.

Its a time for our front three to become the major influence in games once more and to put these sides to bed. The best form of defence is to attack and believe me even though we may have a "weaker" defence and midfield, Chris Hughton and Alex McLeish will be well aware of the threat we pose up front.

Never before have we relied so much on "The Drog" both defensively and in attacking areas of the pitch. Let's hope he gets back to his best, imposes himself as we all know he can and really takes this Chelsea side forward through the two biggest games of our season so far.

What do you guys think, Kalou, Drogba and Anelka?

KTBFFH

Follow me on Twitter @chelseadaft.

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Let's try not to get carried away - Our Midfield.

Our midfield performance against Sunderland excluding Mikel, wasn't good enough at all and the Terry, Alex injury "crisis" has taken most of the spotlight away from how bad it was.

After looking at our defensive option for the next three weeks or so, I decided to have a look at our midfield options. We have Birmingham away without Essien in the league, Zilina at home where Essien is back and then Newcastle away without Essien. Like I said in my last post, let's face facts, it could have been alot worse!.

Mikel was outstanding against Sunderland and in the next few weeks more than ever has an important part to play. It was just a shame that Zhirkov and Ramires didn't and were all over the place. They got found out bigtime.

So with hard midfield games against Birmingham and Newcastle coming up in the League we need to sort things out. What I feel Chelsea are missing and have been missing in our midfield and I have said it before is Essien's driving force and Lampard.

Never before has Frank Lampard been missed so much as he has been in recent weeks. His passing, his movement, work rate, killer ball and late runs into the box is something we have missed and it has effected the Chelsea team. So knowing Lampard is out for another couple of weeks, we have to face these two and come up with a solution that is better than what we watched and had to endure at the Bridge on Sunday.

It's my opinion that we drop Zhirkov and Ramires to the bench for these two games. Zhirkov isn't a central midfield player and has a tendency to drift out wide left and with Cole and Malouda down that side already we can afford to take him out for two games. Ramires bless him, is still trying to come to terms with the pace and power of the English game and needs time.

Let's be honest for a midfield of Lee Cattermole and Henderson to overrun and outplay our midfield then we have a problem and that's no disrespect to those two players.

The keys to Chelsea's midfield is the shape with Mikel holding to pick up loose balls, make his tackles, win possession and provide cover to our defence. The other key focal point of our midfield is the two either side of him. There is a requirement for these two to get the ball and play it and get forward. For example, the way Lampard plays. These two provide an important link to the front three. We lacked this against Sunderland and the front three had a minimal effect on the game.

I believe we switch Malouda inside to play where Zhirkov had been to the left of Mikel. Malouda is comfortable on the ball, likes to get forward, has a killer pass in him and can score goals and would be ideal to play there.

Next to Malouda and to the right of Mikel should be Josh McEachran. Ok he is lightweight but look at Jack Wilshire at the Arse. If there is one player who is more than comfortable on the ball, a player who I don't think I have seen give the ball away since he has been on the pitch so far this season and a player who can knock the ball about and has the killer ball in him, then it's Josh.

I made a point for the young Bruma in my last post and I will make the same again for McEachran. He is undoubted talent and now is the time for Carlo to take a chance. Against Birmingham and Newcastle it will be a battle in midfield. McEachran and Malouda can open the door for Chelsea and of that there is no question.

Class makes a difference in football and these two next to Mikel in the place of Zhirkov and Ramires could be the difference to put Chelsea back on the front foot in these game coming up that have turned out to the biggest two games of our season so far.

What do you guys think? Malouda and McEachran for Zhirkov and Ramires?

KTBFFH.

Follow me on Twitter @chelseadaft.

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Let's try not to get carried away - our Defence.

No sooner are we reading the news yesterday that John Terry is suffering with a nerve problem in his leg, digesting that news and the possibility that he could be out for weeks or even months, we are then hit with a huge blow with news that Alex will be out for 6 to 8 weeks!!.

As you fellow Chelsea fans can imagine right now the press are going into overdrive about our back four. With Alex definitely out, Terry possibly out, Chelsea suddenly look very vulnerable. Arsenal's Nasri commented on it yesterday. Looking at our back four as they are now, you have to say that if you are the opposition's manager you would be looking to attack us and force us back towards our own box.

I think we definitely need to go with Bruma. No disrespect to Paulo Ferreira at all but we need a recognised centre back there. Bruma next to Ivanovic can only be better for Chelsea. Let's face it the guy has been called up for the Dutch national side and is highly thought of by Chelsea so much so that Carlo never replaced Carvalho when he left.

It's my opinion (albeit one that has been forced upon us) that in the next couple games Carlo needs to stick with Bosingwa, Ivanovic, Bruma and Cole.

The good thing is that we still have cover down the left and right hand side and with Cech behind them we should be better balanced and as I say Bruma is good enough to be called up for the Dutch.

Alan Hansen said famously back in the day that "you never win anything with kids" and we all know happened!. People are writing Chelsea off left right and centre at the moment but let's just have a look at the next few games we have:

Birmingham away, Zilina at home (Essien is back, nothing game really), Newcastle away, Everton at home (Essien back), Marseille away (nothing game really) and then Spurs at home Sunday 12th December.

Leading up to the Spurs game let's be honest here, they could have been alot worse. Its approx 3 weeks to Spurs and hopefully fingers crossed JT would hopefully have made some sort of recovery and be back in the side.

It's time for Bruma to step up, prove himself and make a point to the Chelsea fans as after all he said earlier in the season he needed first team football. Besides all the press that are doubting Chelsea right now.

Yes the injuries have hit Chelsea hard, Yes Alex and JT's injuries are a huge blow but now could be the time for a new Chelsea star of the future to take centre stage.

So Chelsea fans, calm yourselves, its not great I admit, but let's get behind the team and hopefully when he is picked, behind Bruma.

What do you guys think?, Bosingwa, Ivanovic, Bruma and Cole?

Thing's could just work out for us!

KTBFFH.

Follow me on Twitter @chelseadaft

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We need our Frankie Back! The Chelsea Football FanCast #137

On this week’s show Chidge is joined by the Chelsea FanCast regulars and the ‘Yanks’ to chew over a very bad tasting defeat to Sunderland. All this plus the usual match day awards, more classic terrace songs, a debate on ‘bad news week’ and ‘Dear Mart’!

The boys agree that to the 3-0 defeat to Sunderland was the worst Chelsea performance for quite a while, but who to blame? Putting Paulo in at centre back instead of Bruma? Sacking Ray Wilkins? Was it Dr Mart and Ross for watching the Rugby instead of being at the game? Or was it the Yanks proving to be an unlucky charm on their visit to the real home of football? All will be revealed on the show. But, clearly not being ‘at it’, not creating service for the front three and missing JT, Super Frankie and Essien didn’t help.

After the post-match navel gazing, the boys dish out the weekly awards for Man of the Match; Chant of the Match; Celery and Guinness moments, as well as announcing the winner of our October Goal and Player of the month.

Unfortunately, a mass walk out by about 50% of the Chelsea faithful with 10 minutes to go marred a stoic show of unity and volume from the ‘Loyal Supporters’. Fortunately, the Chelsea FanCast regulars are joined by some True Blue Yank supporters who travelled thousands of miles and spent a lot of money (not least in buying us beer all week!) in making a rare trip to see the Boys in Blue in a match. They were just happy to be there and soak up the atmosphere, even though we lost. Whether they were happy to be part of a particularly mental podcast, we’ll leave you to judge!

They certainly enjoyed the songs in “We’re out to show the World the way to sing!” with a couple of rarely heard and newish songs celebrating the much missed Frankie Lampard, and the much lamented Chelsea ‘Loyal’ support.

All this plus a vigorous debate on the dismissing of Chelsea legend Ray Wilkins (we’re really not happy), the rumour of a move to Earl’s Court (we’re not happy) and the prolonged absence and future of Super Frankie (we’re very worried).

And if that wasn’t enough we have a particularly therapeutic “Dear Mart” to settle your Chelsea angst and a collective read out of the best posts of the week in “You’re on CFFC”

The Chelsea Football FanCast: We need our Frankie Back!

Click here to take you to the download

Click here to take you to the CFFC Website.

KTBFFH

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