Looks like a training kit. Disappointing efforts by adidas for the away and third kits.

For most Chelsea fans, I think we're just happy to see our team in action. It's been awhile.

Pros:
1. Got to see the current squad of players and the last vestige of the Mourinho era. AVB has a lot of work cut out for him.

2. A full stadium! Nevermind that a significant number were there because of free tickets.

3. Commercially paved the way for more Chelsea appearances in Malaysia.


Cons:

1. Booing of Benayoun. Enough said about this already. As if the foreign press needed any more material to paint Malaysia in a negative light.

2. Bosingwa is already in fans' bad books for his poor performances, his unsportsmanlike conduct yesterday just exacerbated it.

3. The overall performance was very poor. As usual, the final ball was lacking, delivery was poor and when we did get chances, they went to waste. I hate to be pessimistic about a team that's brought us so much success but it really is time to move the senior players on. There's no inspiration, no drive, no dynamism. Unless AVB has psychic powers to flip some mental switch in the players' minds, we're looking at more of what we got last season.

In the most optimistic corner of my mind, I feel that AVB thinks he can get the best out of these players, which is why there hasn't been a spending spree. Maybe he has astounding powers of psychological persuasion to coerce the likes of Malouda, Bosingwa, Kalou, Mikel, Ferreira and Anelka to NOT mess things up and actually EARN their paychecks.

Having said that, HAHAHAHAHAHA. No, that's really quite far fetched.

I think Roman has tightened the purse strings again after divesting 70mil of his fortune in January.

We track Aguero for years and then we just let him run off to City?

All that talk about Neymar and Lukaku has resulted in nothing again, as it never will.

Modric? Nope. Pastore? We didn't even stand a chance for some reason.

Even a transfer that had seemed straightforward like van der Wiel hasn't materialised. And we DESPERATELY need a new right back.


AVB better have something up his sleeve, otherwise we're in for a horrendous season.

Spoken like someone who does play a lot of Football Manager, haha.

I suppose the Aguero news for the past few years has all been fabricated and something I learned through a computer game? Just because you don't agree doesn't mean my opinions aren't valid.

Oh, I'm sure you think this team, much like last season's is good enough to win everything? There's a fine line between being supportive and deluded.

Yes, I realize that transfers aren't something easily done with click of a mouse. But surely the spot Chelsea put themselves in last season was the straw that broke the camel's back. We've needed to fortify the spine of the team for years now. We've merely made do on what we have. Think about it, the core of the team is over 30. Drogba, Cole, Lamps, Terry are all in the twilight of their careers.

While other top teams are moving on, we're just holding on.

After splashing out £50m on Torres and seeing him struggle for service, wouldn't the natural thing to do be buy players who can provide that creative outlet?

A playmaker and wingers are essential to getting Torres to function. Otherwise they're just throwing him into a system and hoping for the best.

Yes, AVB should demonstrate intestinal fortitude to drop the big names when the going gets tough but who do we replace them with?

As much as I'd love for us to field McEachran for 50 games, he isn't up to it yet. And neither do we want to run him into the ground at this age.

The bare minimum recruitments are a right back and playmaker. Otherwise we'll be seeing Giggs stroll through our right flank when united visit and Torres moping on the pitch while waiting for a ball that never comes.

High hopes for Romeu though. If we're fortunate, e could turn out to be Chelsea's Busquets (without the theatrics).

It's quite a bum deal actually. We're essentially taking him on loan at a cost of 5 million. And when he turns good, Barca buy him back at 10 or 15 million. Assuming they buy him back after one year, they would only have spent 5 million (offset by the initial fee paid by Chelsea).

What's 5 million to Chelsea? I'd rather have the player than the few pesos they'd be throwing back at us for developing him.

And why is it that only Barca are implementing these clauses? Arsenal should have a buyback clause for Fabregas just to get back at Barca, haha.

If he had the chance to replace Busquets, I think he would.

He's their youth academy product after all. I don't think his ties to Chelsea would be that strong that he'd turn his back on Barca. Maybe they even made a deal with him - play well and we buy you back.

The only difference with Fabregas is that Chelsea won't have a say in the matter.

http://www.goal.com/en-india/news/222/tran...a-return-in-the

Romeu's already talking about moving back to Barca.

Bad enough that Torres probably won't be fit for the Stoke game, and now Lukaku's deal isn't finalised. Looks like we'll be playing the same old team as last season with no new inclusions. Save for Benayoun I suppose.

Hope McEachran gets to feature i some capacity.

Ok everyone, put sentimentality aside and let's be practical. If your job was on the line, who would be in the team?

Makes things clearer doesn't it?

Allow me to state the positives and negatives from last night.


PROS

1. Torres getting back to his old form. Very promising. Was able to create his own chances as well as for others.

2. Defence was solid. Even Bosingwa showed improvement (would still want to get someone else to replace him though).

3. Ramires, all energy, all hustle and bustle. Why not use him as our holding midfielder instead of static old Mikel?

4. Anelka still showing some desire and finesse. Drogba, if given more time could've fashioned a goal I'm sure.


CONS

1. Not much ingenuity and guile when faced with Stoke's resolute defence. CREATIVE MIDFIELDER AND WINGER NEEDED FOR THE UMPTEENTH TIME.

2. Lamps, it increasingly looks like it's time for you to take a backseat. Anonymous except for the penalty claim. Can't help but think Lamps is taking the place of someone more deserving or potentially so (McEachran, Modric?)

3. Woeful finishing, a constant throughout last season and on display again yesterday.

4. Passing was messy at times, lacked mobility and verve going forward.


All in all, 0-0 on paper looks bad but the performance gave us some positives worth building hopes on. Most noticeably that Torres could be depended on to lead the line.

So, team for the season ahead:

Cech

Bosingwa/Ivanovic, Terry, Luiz/Alex, Cole/Van Aanholt
Ramires, Mikel/Romeu, Modric?/McEachran/Benayoun
X, Torres/Drogba/Lukaku, X

I would think we need at least 3 new players. Two wingers to flank Torres and that troublesome creative midfielder spot.

Oh yes, forgot all about Sturridge. He can take Malouda's spot anytime. But still, he's also best suited for a centre forward role to be honest. At least in terms of centre forwards for the future, we have Lukaku & Sturridge. Touchwood.

Even Fabregas has officially signed for Barca and been presented, when the hell is Lukaku going to be unveiled?

Sad but true.

Chelsea can't even complete Lukaku's signing, let alone Modric and Mata with less than two weeks to go.

Unveiling Lukaku with Romeu is one thing, but they haven't even made his signing OFFICIAL.

Yeah, Romeu is officially a Chelsea player but Lukaku isn't.

Let's not confuse a statement about a player's official status vs the unveiling ceremony.

Romeu has been officially announced as a CFC player but hasn't been unveiled.

Lukaku is NOT an official CFC player. Anderlecht and CFC have agreed terms. CFC and Lukaku have not agreed terms and/or finalized his medical.

I can only surmise that both parties have a payment dispute.

I don't care about the player presentation. Just the announcement that Lukaku is officially a CFC player.

Chelsea have a bad habit of letting in early goals and struggling for the rest of the game

If ever they needed any extra motivation to get Mata and Modric, this would be it.

We'll be lucky if we draw today.

Can't score, can't defend.

What else can AVB do but change the whole team? At least he won't have to deal with the egos and baggage.

AVB's tactic of transitioning the team clearly won't work. They're all too complacent.

Even if Modric and Mata came, it'd only be the beginnin of a rebuilding process.

David Luiz and Ivanovic should be the first choice centrebacks in future. Bosingwa or a new rightback. Van Aanholt or Bertrand at leftback.

Scrap the whole midfield save for Ramires and McEachran. Speaking of, why didn't AVB bring him on or at least Benayoun?

Malouda, despite his efforts today, can be sent out to pasture. Kalou can use his speed to hightail it outta Chelsea.

Drogba looked disinterested today. Clearly annoyed he isn't first choice striker anymore. Torres looked alright but will again suffer at the hands of lazy journalists working on labored cliches.

I can't imagine what the score would be if we came up against Suarez today. We'd have been torn apart.

The core of the team is rotting.
Time to bid thank you and farewell to the Mourinho era.


This post has been edited by Nitheon: Aug 21 2011, 03:03 AM

Chelsea need some players who can actually deliver the ball.

Passing in the final third and crossing for corners are shockingly bad.

Learn to pass the damn ball, FFS.

Can't help thinking what a huge mistake it was to have missed out on David Silva and Aguero.

Kevin De Bruyne, a Belgian winger.

We can't afford Nasri's wages, at least compared to what City can offer him.

Still boggles my mind how they're going to give him first team football.

He'd have a better chance at Chelsea but alas, Abramovich's rubles are chump change compared to Sheikh Mansour's fortune.

The only reason we got Mata is because City, Barca and Real weren't bothered enough.

Anyway, here's a decent read on our new addition:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/20...-redirect=false

It's sad that we won't get Modric and will have to rely heavily on Mata to create all the team's chances.

Spurs are definitely not going to sell him with a week left in the transfer window. If they were interested, they would have negotiated for more so that they could fund the transfers of Adebayor and Diarra.

Anyway, this is what I think the team for the rest of the season should look like in a 4-3-3:

Cech

Ivanovic, Luiz, Terry, Cole

Ramires, Romeu, Benayoun/McEachran

Sturridge, Torres, Mata


or even in a 4-2-3-1 which would suit Torres the most:

Cech

Ivanovic, Luiz, Terry, Cole

Ramires, Romeu

Benayoun/McEachran, Mata, Sturridge

Torres


or.... a 4-4-2 diamond?

Cech

Ivanovic, Luiz, Terry, Cole

Romeu

Ramires Benayoun/McEachran

Mata

Sturridge, Torres