Official Chelsea FC Thread

[fatlever]

soccer blackout from 3PM to 11PM yesterday. do you realize how hard it is to go into a soccer blackout for 8 hours in this day when we are connected to the web 24/7? didnt finish the game until about 1:30am. thankfully i was smart enough to extend the DVR 45 mins past the regular time. thats a veteran move folks. and do you know how hard it is to go to sleep at 1:30am after watching a game like that? if you guessed - damn near impossible - you are correct. i think it was about 3:30am before i finally fell asleep.

the good - i am quickly becoming a schurrle fan. he fits well next to hazard/mata/oscar because he has so much pace, stays wide, kills it on the counter and defends his ass off. speaking of defending, the entire attacking band was fantastic in defense. hazard has really improved in that area. he as oscar ran their brains out yesterday. love seeing those brazilians bury their penalties. and lampard finally went right on his penatly.

the great - cech was simply amazing. standing ovation sir

the not-so-great - once again the rampard pivot is piss poor.

somebody go give lukaku a hug. my god that was a terrible penalty.

is it just me or did the bayern team from last year look much more lethal?

[fatlever]

that lukaku loan is a real punch in the stomach. i really didnt think he was going on loan. eto'o better bring it this year.

at least mata isnt going anywhere.

[5DOM]

At least he went to Everton. Jelavic and Kone suck, and he should get enough playing time for a side that plays more similar to the way we play than WBA. He's still only 20.

Another thing is that I actually don't mind Torres anymore. I've gotten so used to our strikers not scoring that Torres missing sitters no longer has the same effect it had when he first joined and started **** up.

[Double Helix]

My only concern is that Lukaku seemed relatively happy last year in West Brom to the extent that at one point he was suggesting Chelsea should sell him entirely. If that's what he felt last year what will he think after a full season at Everton?

I know we have the control here but I can't shake the idea that Chelsea is creating a situation where he won't trust that the team will eventually give him a shot and that he will start looking for paths out. Reminds me a little of Daniel Sturridge in some ways and I already find myself missing him as he climbs up the ranks of the national program and continues to improve in the EPL.

This is one of the few frustrating aspects of being a Chelsea fan (and admittedly, it's a problem most fans from other teams would love to have). We love talented youth. We don't want anybody else to own the risers. But we don't want to develop them either. Our standards are so high year after year that only freakish young talents like Hazard and Oscar see consistent action.

The second tier of Chelsea would be more competitive and fun to watch then many teams in the EPL, IMO. We have a ton of very good young guys but many won't see regular action and so eventually we'll sell them and watch them look better as big fish in smaller ponds and come to miss them and wonder if we could have made it work with them somehow. It's always the way. As I said, it's a good problem to have and it's also a decent way to get Roman some money back for all the entertainment he provides but it is one of the few drawbacks of following these young guys and becoming invested in them on a team as big as ours. Only the very best become regulars.

I am surprised that Ba was kept instead but an Eto'o, Torres, Ba rotation is a pretty nice mix of veteran talent and it looks like Jose has his mind set on winning it all more than he is development. In Jose we trust.

[5DOM]

My only concern is that Lukaku seemed relatively happy last year in West Brom to the extent that at one point he was suggesting Chelsea should sell him entirely. If that's what he felt last year what will he think after a full season at Everton?

Huh?

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqAjDrsXnXQ[/youtube]

I don't think we have to worry about him. People also seem to think it's Lukaku himself who pushed for this loan move with the WC in mind.

It's only Courtois that I worry about just because Cech's still so damn good and he's had very little to do with the club so far. Whatever the result, it's going to be a sad day when one of the two leaves as I doubt Cech wants to be the new Cudicini.

[Double Helix]

My only concern is that Lukaku seemed relatively happy last year in West Brom to the extent that at one point he was suggesting Chelsea should sell him entirely. If that's what he felt last year what will he think after a full season at Everton?

Huh?

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqAjDrsXnXQ[/youtube]

I don't think we have to worry about him. People also seem to think it's Lukaku himself who pushed for this loan move with the WC in mind.

It's only Courtois that I worry about just because Cech's still so damn good and he's had very little to do with the club so far. Whatever the result, it's going to be a sad day when one of the two leaves as I doubt Cech wants to be the new Cudicini.

That video was apparently in reaction to what I was referring to when he originally said the following:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footba ... z2K4M51IFV

The striker, still only 19, has now scored nine league goals this season – two more than Fernando Torres at Chelsea. But he sees the chance to stay at West Brom as more beneficial than returning to the club that owns him.

Talks have not yet opened but Lukaka said: 'Hopefully after the January window we will be able to start talking about that.

'At this time I'm just looking at my own career and West Brom, I don't really care about what Chelsea are doing at the moment.'

It was a barbed comment about the club that paid Anderlecht £18million for him in 2011, but understandable given they just signed Demba Ba in spite of Lukaku's form this season.

But the Belgian seems to have developed a real allegiance to the club where he is on loan until the end of the season.

'You have to be somewhere where you are connected with the people,' he added.

'You have to be in a good environment. Where I am now is similar to when I was in Anderlecht – nice people who want you to improve, where everyone is open to you.

'That's why I have settled very well here.

'On the pitch, I want to win. People can be nice to you, but if you don't perform on the pitch, you can fall very quickly.

'I went from two years playing regular football in the Europa League, Champions League, then one year I didn't play [at Chelsea].

'So I know football can change very quickly.'

So, clearly a Chelsea rep spoke with him afterward and reminded him of the big picture but this is still him spending another year away from the club because of Ba/Torres (and now a season of Eto'o)

I know the club still hold all the cards but having a great relationship with a young talent is still very important if you want him to be that future legend someday. The kid was the highest scoring teenager in the EPL since Michael Owen debuted 15 years ago.

You raise a good point though. If it was him asking for this because of the WC and also because he feels he needs to play regularly then it's a little less concerning. It's really just a matter of timing here this year more than anything.

Courtois is definitely a guy we need to keep a strong bond with. You're right that it will be a strange moment when he takes over but we do need to make that happen for the future of the club even if it means a changing of the guard that's less than ideal.

[lukekarts]

It's this whole pressure to win thing. Our managers don't give the youth a chance (unless they're freakish talents e.g. Hazard, as you say). It is somewhat frustrating.

Regardless though, this must be the youngest Chelsea squad for quite a few years, and we seem to have one of the world's best young talents at nearly every position. *Fingers crossed* Lukaku, Courtois etc break into the team in the next 12-18 months.

I'm gutted about Sturridge though, I always thought he was talented. Selfish, yes, not much of a team player, but he always looked like scoring.

[fatlever]

speaking of our youth, it seems we failed to land PL loans for chalobah and mceachran. i might be mistaken, but i think that now we have maybe a week to land them a loan to a championship side. i was really hoping we could find perfect PL situations for both.

[fatlever]

http://www.weaintgotnohistory.com/2013/ ... a-comments

seems lukaku is happy with the loan

Kristof Terreur @HLNinEngeland

Lukaku about his move to #Everton: "Ik'm really happy with this transfer. I don't know who has told the press I was unhappy with this loan."
10:46 AM - 3 Sep 2013 from London, England, United Kingdom

Kristof Terreur @HLNinEngeland

Lukaku about his move to #Everton: "It was a crazy evening. Different clubs called me and I had to take the right decision."
10:47 AM - 3 Sep 2013

Kristof Terreur @HLNinEngeland

Lukaku about his move to #Everton: "I decided that #EFC was the best choice. A more prominent club than West Brom where I had a good time."
10:52 AM - 3 Sep 2013 from London, England, United Kingdom

Kristof Terreur @HLNinEngeland

Lukaku about his move to Everton: "Also #Mourinho talked to me, but what he told me is confidential."
10:53 AM - 3 Sep 2013

Kristof Terreur @HLNinEngeland

Besides #EFC and #WBA also Malaga was keen on loaning #Lukaku.
10:53 AM - 3 Sep 2013

[fatlever]

so who makes the all chelsea loan 1st team for 2013 (assuming chalabah and mceachran find loans this week)?

we are lacking a few centerbacks on loan this year, with omeruo out injured and kalas with 1st team right now and bruma being sold.

so just for fun we'll go with only 3 at the back (3-5-2), just all out attacking craziness. unless we want to drop chalobah back to center defense and go with a traditional 4-2-3-1 with mceachran dropping deeper.

-----------------------courtois
wallace---------hutchinson----van aanholt
----------------chalobah---romeu
moses------------mceachran------------marin
----------------piazon------------------------------
----------------------------lukaku----------------

bench:
atsu
t.hazard
kakuta
kane
???
???
???

hard to separate the remaining guys on loan. there is just so many.

who is in your 11 and bench?
is ake staying with the youth team this year?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013%E2%80 ... .C._season

full list on wiki

[Double Helix]

So, apparently Hazard re-hurt his achilles in practice a couple days ago leading up the the Belgium/Scotland match tomorrow. I don't know about any of you guys but I wasn't at all aware that he had hurt it previously. His NT coach mentioned that he had hurt it earlier this year and that he had received shots for it which was news to me.

Could be another reason that we went after Willian so aggressively. If Hazard's banged up it's no wonder Jose was looking for more depth/creativity/speed in the midfield. Willian seems most likely to play if Hazard does miss games.

Feeling even better about that signing than I already did. I really hope this injury doesn't end up lingering. I've been excited about the moment when we'll get to see Oscar, Mata and Hazard all healthy together in some meaningful games again.

EDIT: The Daily Mail just released an update on Hazard. It sounds like he may play through it tomorrow. It also seems like Jose was aware of this previously. Footballers put country before everything it seems. In basketball if a player of Hazard's caliber was hurt heading into a qualifier that they had all but wrapped up anyway he'd be watching from the seats. No questions asked. Here, I'm not so sure. I know Belgium wants to make waves at the World Cup but they're already first in their group.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footba ... Eheadlines

[fatlever]

oscar also injured with national team. sprained his right ankle.

[Double Helix]

oscar also injured with national team. sprained his right ankle.

Yay...

[J-Mezzy]

Damn, these injuries suck. If they miss their NT games, they will have a couple of weeks to recover which helps. Hopefully the injuries are minor.

[Double Helix]

So, it's been a day. That was a really frustrating loss yesterday. Not because of any bad calls. Not because of horrible defence (unlike some bloggers, I'm not putting the fault of that double header exclusively on Terry. It was a break down, sure, but how often does that kind of goal occur? Even Cech thought the ball was done and he doesn't quit on much).

What was frustrating is the fact that it felt yet again like the team was getting too cute out there and just assuming that their quality would win out. Our control in our own end and bringing the ball up all the way to their box was consistently sound to the point where it felt like they were almost a man down at times in the first half. Hazard, Mata, Luiz, all brought the ball up effectively and made excellent first passes.

However, once we were around the box we were really sloppy over and over again. Poor crosses. Too cute passes. Poor runs. Lazy movement. They played right into Everton's strategy defensively.

Not to take anything away from Everton's defence. They played well. I thought Naismith was especially good getting back and helping out and Baines always impresses me.However, Chelsea had poor spacing and were very narrow all game. We didn't seem anywhere near as hungry as them either. Tons of missed chances and players looking for the pretty play rather than a simple one. A few less flubs and some more runs like that Hazard run where he found an opening and drilled it and we easily could have left with 3 points.

Frustrating loss. But Everton deserved it.

[5DOM]

Jose's gamble to bring on another striker failed miserably, but I thought before the substitutions we looked good enough to maybe even get a win. Everton definitely worked harder, but I don't think our players were exactly lazy. Wings tracked back well, and Eto'o made some nice runs. We just gave up the goal stupidly (and I agree that Cech should have done better), and paid for not taking the numerous chances. One goal could have really changed the game like it did for Everton and it just never came. Last half an hour was just a huge mess.

Thing is we'll play much worse than this many times over the next 8-9 months. It's just a shame that we didn't get anything out of a game in which our general performance wasn't terrible. Hopefully we see some goals on Wednesday.

[Double Helix]

That slide from Barry to block Eto'o's open net goal was incredible. The game would have been completely different had he not read and reacted so quickly. I know Jose mentioned that the pass was slow, and it was, but still... What a play.

Schurrle had a rough outing in many ways actually.

Mata seemed to get better and closer to his old self as the game went on. That bodes well for our next match. It was nice to see him out there again. He's such a terrific passer and he makes great decisions incredibly quick.

[kakaman]

What do you guys think Mata is going to do come January? Mourinho pulled him awfully quick I feel like, even though Oscar himself was injured.

[5DOM]

What do you guys think Mata is going to do come January? Mourinho pulled him awfully quick I feel like, even though Oscar himself was injured.

I don't think anything will happen until next summer tbh. Mata doesn't seem like the type to submit a transfer request, and I doubt the club would sell such a good player in January anyway.

[J-Mezzy]

I don't even understand why there is a possibility of selling Mata. He is our best player and one of the elite play makers in the world. He fits Mou's system and is the perfect player alongside Eden and Oscar