February Discussion: Part 1

          This lovely month of February saw us take on 7 matches, with 2 in the FA cup and 2 in the UEFA Europa League. It's not the best of months for us, but there were positives to take, and the possibility of silverware is still there...



Premier League

          This month have not been kind to us in terms of the league. We now drop to fourth as Spurs rise to third, with Arsenal just 2 points behind us also fighting for the top four spot. Of the 3 games in the league in February, we lost 2. This is not a good situation and we will have to fight harder in the upcoming league games.
           Granted, one of them losses is against Manchester City at the Etihad. It would have been tolerable if our situation is not as it is now. And the loss against Newcastle was just sloppy. We were in the lead at 2-1 but then we messed up and the opposition scored two to give us yet another defeat. The victory against Wigan was a solid one and a much needed one. But still, we will have to work much harder in the remaining games.

FA Cup & Europa League

          These are the two remaining competitions where we still have chance of silverware, and of this moment, we are progressing fine. There were two FA cup matches, the first a fourth round replay against Brentford, and the other is the most recent fifth round against Middlesbrough. In both matches, we struggle to get our foot ahead in the first half, but cruise on pretty well in the second half. And our FA Cup journey have been pretty smooth so far, however our next opposition will be a formidable one, Manchester United.
          Our Europa League debut have not been with such a blast, with a narrow win over two legs against Sparta Prague. However, more importantly, we are through to the last 16, and with Atletico Madrid out, we are now the favorites to win it. Our next tie will be against Romanian side Steaua Bucuresti. Though not one of the favorites, European ties are never to be taken lightly, as many big sides have fallen in the continental competition.

Lampard & Oscar

          I mentioned these two names here because they are our best players of the month, IMO. Lampard have been such a presence in midfield, and recently scored lots of goals, taking him to his 199th for Chelsea. His only mistake was his penalty miss against City, but even so it was not a bad one, it was a lucky guess for Hart (probably used to training with Lampard for the national team). He is very much a big presence for the club and I can't imagine how much we'll miss him when he leave the club.
          For previous months, Oscar have been overshadowed with the manager preferring Hazard, Mata & Moses. Of course I think that Mata is still the best of them all, with the most goals & assists as well as the consistency he showed. However in recent games, Oscar have had brilliant games. With the opportunity given, he took them well, and probably earned him the first team play he got recently. He scored some important goals recently, and his slick passes and touches makes him such an invaluable asset. He certainly showed that, and with Benayoun and Marin starting to get minutes of play, we will certainly see more and more rotation in the three behind the striker.

January Discussion: Part 2.2

continuing the previous section...

12. Mikel: Unable to comment as he is currently on AFCON.

13. Moses: Similarly, unable to comment as he is currently on AFCON.

15. Malouda: Perhaps his time is over. Never called, not even on the bench.

17. Hazard: Probably Chelsea's most explosive player, he can break down opposition defenses single-handedly on his day, but not consistent enough. However is still very much a valuable asset to the club and the team.

19. Ferreira: Perhaps Chelsea's most loyal player out of the field. Rarely called upon, even on the bench, but never complaints. He should be second choice RB behind Cesar, and Brana should be converted to CB instead, then hopefully Ferreira may get the chance he deserves once or twice.

21. Marin: Invisible during RDM's tenure, but starting to get games recently. Not yet showing his best, but I still think he is a potentially good player. Must be given more minutes of game when the opportunity comes.

22. Turnbull: As second choice, should have performed better when the chance came, but did not do in recent games when Cech was absent. Then again, you cannot expect too much from a backup goalkeeper.

24. Cahill: Not the best CB, but his hard work and determination is one to be commended. If JT had been in better form, Cahill would have been just a sub in my line-up. Nevertheless a quality player, and still a great asset to the club.

26. Terry: Have been injured, and since then have not been in a good form. Must slowly and patiently work his way back to the team, but currently he should stay as a sub. But we all shall await for the return of our legendary leader.

28. Azpilicueta: Adapting well to the squad and the league, and his qualities offensively have improved and defensively, always reliable. First choice RB in my mind, a wonderful player too.

29. Ba: Shown signs of what he can give to the team, but is not the best of strikers. Nevertheless, he will be an important player in certain conditions, and will be at least a rotation to give Torres the rest he needs.

30. Benayoun: Been out of favor since his move to the club, but should be given the chance once or twice, and he should perform when given. Perhaps will be more integrated under Rafa.

34. Bertrand: Not such a good idea to place him as a winger, unless when playing defensively. Will be a good replacement for Cole when the time comes, but for now must be patient and keep working hard.

40. Hilario: Nearly invisible in the club, as a 3rd choice goalkeeper.

Below is a link of Oscar and Luiz in a charity session playing table football. Very funny. Must watch...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=T7PmyqveQfI

January Discussion: Part 2.1

          In this section, I would like to share my thoughts of the players right now, and also my preferred line-up for the time.



Starters (4-2-3-1):
Cech (GK)
Azpilicueta (RB)
Cahill (CB)
Ivanovic (CB)
Cole (LB)
David Luiz (CM)
Lampard (CM)(c)
Oscar (RW)
Mata (AM)
Hazard (LW)
Torres (ST)

Substitutes:
Turnbull
Bertrand
Terry
Ramires
Marin
Benayoun
Ba

Squad:

1. Cech: He is no doubt the first choice goalkeeper. Given he's not injured, he would have started every game for sure. His quick reflexes and decision making still makes him one of the best.

2. Ivanovic: His qualities as a CB outweighs his skills as a RB, and so I believe he is better placed at central defense. And his current form is also outstanding making him my first choice CB right now.

3. Cole: Pretty obvious as he is the best LB in the world. No one can match his skills yet, and I am grateful that he chose to serve another season as a Blue. Outstanding player both offensively and defensively, he will be much needed by the club.

4. Luiz: A quality player, and honestly I prefer him as DM/CM rather than a CB. He is an overall outstanding player, but given his occasional sloppy mistakes, it would be less costly as a CM, and his creativity and attacking flair, not to mention his free-kicks, only makes him indispensable to the club.

6. Romeu: Have not seen him in action recently. Not in the month of January.

7. Ramires: His unbelievable energy and pace also makes him a great asset. He barely makes the starting line-up because of Luiz's great quality and form. But Ramires should always be available when required, such as now when Luiz is injured.

8. Lampard: His current form is simply outstanding. His passes and play from midfield is just what the team needs, not to mention his occasional runs into the box. Given his age, he is still the heart of the club's midfield area.

9. Torres: Probably the player with the most issues surrounding him, but his hard work and classy passes and strikes still makes a him a top player. Only need to improve confidence and consistency, and he shall be Chelsea's main man up front.

10. Mata: Chelsea's best player since he arrived a year and a half ago. He can produce something out of nothing at nearly every game. His passes are genuinely brilliant, and with the numbers of goals he scored, he is just indispensable to the club. Outstanding player.

11. Oscar: Another brilliant player. He is second to Moses under Rafa, but now that Moses is on AFCON, Oscar was given the nod, and he didn't disappoint. His skills are such a wonderful one and his touches are slick and brilliant, however require little more consistency.

to be continued...

January Discussion: Part 1

          The month of January has been such a mixed one. With another hectic 9 games in a month, and not to forget the players out on international duty and the number of injuries, rotation had been done, and below are several talking points from the month of January...



Ba vs Torres?

          This is perhaps one of the biggest issue of the month. New signing Demba Ba have shown some signs and immediately earned the fans trusts. And given that he was bought for only 7m, there will be no pressure on him, at least, not as much as Torres. Btw, this is going to be the first transfer window where we earned profit (Sturridge 12m - Ba 7m) since Abramovich took over.
          Anyway, the big question is who should start more? Who is better? Personally, I think Torres is still the better choice, if he can perform. The finish he did to salvage the draw at Brentford was top class, and with his pace I think the spaniard suits better to our play. Of course in the event where he cannot perform, or if we need a physical presence to hold up the ball, that's where Ba comes in. These 2 strikers have different style of play so that they can be called upon depending on what we need. Obviously rotation is the best solution here, but then again the possibility of playing them both together shouldn't even be ruled out, they did well last time. At the end of the day, I still believe that Torres is better, but he can't play every game, so I would want Ba to come in at certain matches, and sometimes as a substitute when needed.

Capital One out, FA nearly...

          In terms of silverware, Chelsea's season is simply falling apart, from the Community Shield, UEFA Super Cup, UEFA Champions League, FIFA Club World Cup, and the Capital One Cup. Then we nearly lost out on the FA Cup if not for Torres' brilliant strike salvaging the replay. Out of the 7 we could have, now there are only the BPL which pretty much out of reach, and the FA Cup and Europa League remaining. The frustration we feel must be the same as Hazard's when he kicked the ball boy. I personally want to believe that we can still win the two latter cups, but I find it hard to see with the performance of the team now. Anyway, as fans, all we can do is keep giving our undying support, the rest is out of our hands.

The Old Guards

          With the rumors about Lampard, and the recent signing of Ashley Cole, I guess it has always been something to talk about. The Old Guards, namely Terry, Cole, and Lamps, I believe, are still much needed by the team, and can still give something more. The re-contracting of Ashley Cole was a pleasing news to me. He is currently still the best left-back in the world and what a waste it would be to see him go. And Lampard, the way he is playing right now, I could not ask for anything more but for him to be offered a new contract. I'd rather see him stay, than the purchase of Cavani, literally. We still have Ba and Torres up front, but who could possibly replace Lampard??? With his current performance this good, I could wish for nothing more. And about JT, granted he has been injured, and since he have not been at his best yet, but I still believe his quality as a leader is unmatchable, and the Blues still need a player of his quality. I can only hope that these players will remain longer with the club, and maybe end their career as well.

Everton 1 - 2 Chelsea: A Win to End 2012

Sunday, 30-12-12 22.52 GMT+7



          Some end of the year this is for the blues. We are now in a 4 successive premier league wins following the comeback at Goodison Park. It was not a magnificent win, but the Blues once again showed character in coming from behind, albeit with some luck yet again.

          After only 63 seconds, we conceded a rather unsettling goal scored by Steven Pienaar, and the minutes the followed wasn't very comforting either, we were struggling to get going, while having to survive several waves of attack by the home side. But as the game went on, we found our foot in the game and finally Lampard scored a fine header to equalise just before the interval.

          The second half wasn't that much different. Both sides had chances, and although the Blues seemed the more likely team to win, we needed luck again as Jelavic's header hit the bar once again. And the man to bring us all 3 points was none other than Frank Lampard himself, combined with some fine effort from Mata & Hazard. 

          It was good to end the year with a win on the back of 4 successive victories, and although the game today wasn't all beautiful and majestic, but the players once again showed character to keep going and work together to come from behind. And while Everton are in good form, this is definitely a good win, and a much needed one considering that both Manchester clubs won yesterday and we needed to keep up. So it was a good end for the year, and we will come to 2013 with the hopes of winning the title still alive. #CFC

Links:
http://www.goal.com/en-gb/match/81031/everton-vs-chelsea-fc/report
http://www.goal.com/en-gb/match/81031/everton-vs-chelsea-fc/player-ratings
http://www.chelseafc.com/news-article/article/3022515/title/match-report-everton-1-chelsea-2

Chelsea 8 - 0 Aston Villa: We're back!!!

Monday 24-12-2012 01.11 GMT+7



          Jetlag? What jetlag?? 13 goals in 2 games right after a trip from the far east, the Blues are reminding premier league clubs that we are back, and that we are hungry for glory. That is the message Chelsea brought after the 8 - 0 thrashing of Aston Villa.

          There was a slight change in the line-up, as David Luiz played in midfield for the first time in the league, alongside Lampard, who played his 500th premier league game of his career. The first half went off brilliantly as a confident Fernando Torres scored a powerful header after just 2.5 minutes played. David Luiz scored a second with his brilliant dropshot free kick, before Ivanovic made it three as we went into the interval with a 3 - 0 lead.

          What more can you expect from the second half, if not more goals? And that is exactly what we saw, and more. Five goals followed, as 3 brazilians (in Ramires, Oscar, and Piazon) all entered the fray and enjoyed some football too. Frank Lampard made it four just before he was replaced with a classy long-range effort, and Piazon's debut in the premier league started brightly with an assist for Ramires' first, and Chelsea's fifth. Oscar made it six with a brilliantly struck penalty, before Hazard made it seven, and while Piazon missed a penalty, there was no stopping an eight goal, kindly a tribute for Frank Lampard (8) himself.

          The whole team was brilliant tonight, but there are just some players I would like to quote. Firstly, Lampard reached a milestone today, and boy, did he do it with some style too. An excellent long-range strike, one worthy of this landmark, and it was a goal of difficult technique, one not many have, but he does. Next, it was certainly great to have a confident striker and it's just what we have right now. Torres' 3rd minute header was his 7th in six games, and it was not easy to score a header from that range, the way he did today. Throughout the game we could see his confidence, and you just want to see that every game, don't you?

          David Luiz played a different position tonight, but I think he played well there today, in fact, I think it suits him better there. His sloppiness will be less costly, and moreover, his expressive football will be better harnessed there. Knowing he will still contribute defensively too, I think it was great to see him there. His skills, both offensively & defensively, are expressed more in that position, and you know you can always call him back to defense or anywhere else, for a player of his quality and talent. Lastly, it was great to see Piazon earn his premier league debut, and he assisted a goal too. Unlucky with that penalty, otherwise it would have been an excellent debut for him. Nevertheless, he played well, and now we know that he can play when we need him.

          8 goals, 7 different goalscorers, and another smashing win for a return to the league. The  Chelsea players' hunger outmatches the jet lag, and we came back from Japan, to the league, sending a message, that we are back, and we are hungry for more. With our next match coming, away at Norwich City, let us hope that this message will be translated to another victory!!! #CFC

Links:
http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/matchday/matches/2012-2013/epl.html/chelsea-vs-aston-villa
http://www.chelseafc.com/news-article/article/3018120/title/match-report-chelsea-8-aston-villa-0
http://www.goal.com/en-gb/match/80992/chelsea-fc-vs-aston-villa/report
http://www.goal.com/en-gb/match/80992/chelsea-fc-vs-aston-villa/player-ratings

Sunderland 1 - 3 Chelsea: 3 Goals, 3 Points...

Sunday, 09-12-2012 00.55 GMT+8



           It was a much needed win in the league, certainly considering the fact that the squad we'll be off to Japan soon, and also that at least one of the Manchester clubs will drop points the day after. 3 confident strikes all but sealed our victory for the night, with one goal back by the home side shifting the game back into balance, but ended with a win for the Blues.

          The first half was pretty much our game all the way. We played well from the start, and should have been given a penalty when Hazard was pulled back by Larsson. We kept possession and kept creating chances, and our first goal came with a brilliant volley by Torres, a confident strike indeed. For much of the half we dominated the game, and just before the interval we got ourselves a penalty (a reckless needless challenge by Larsson, good for us though), and Torres wanted to take it, and he didn't disappoint.

          The second half started well for us, we got our third goal just about 5 minutes after the restart. And the goal came with a brilliant effort by Torres which unfortunately hit the post, however Mata took the rebound with a clean strike and netted our third. Credit goes to Torres for that strike, and what a goal that would have been. Three goals pretty much put the game out of reach, but there was some scare there when Sunderland pulled one back, a curled shot by Johnson. It gave the home side some hope and the game was much more even then, but the scoreline remained until the final whistle.

          It couldn't be argued that it was once again Torres' day, following his brilliant performance in midweek against Nordsjaelland. 2 goals then, 2 goals now (could have been 3), and hopefully it will continue for the rest of the season. The link-up play of the three behind Fernando started to appear bright again, and although it was unfortunate that we were unable to keep the clean sheet, it was good to see Frank Lampard back on the field again, it seemed ages since the last time we saw him there, but it sure is good to see him back, and hopefully bring out the best of the team's characters out there on the field, and especially in Japan, when JT will have to stay back in England.

          So, a first win for Rafa in the league. I don't know about the other fans, but I'm starting to have a good feeling about this, and I sincerely hope the fans would show more support to him. And just maybe, he is the reason out number 9 has been scoring some fine goals. And if that continues, we'll be up there in the title challenge before you know it. A confident win tonight, a much needed one indeed, and we hope that it will continue, starting with possibly our first silverware for the season, in Japan. #CFC

Links:
http://www.chelseafc.com/news-article/article/3004037/title/match-report-sunderland-1-chelsea-3
http://www.goal.com/en-gb/match/80978/sunderland-vs-chelsea-fc/report
http://www.goal.com/en-gb/match/80978/sunderland-vs-chelsea-fc/player-ratings