Archive for July, 2010

Picture of the Week – Daniel Sturridge – W/C 26th July 2010

Ramires in Video

Amid rumours that the deal for a player tipped up by Richard French earlier this week is on the verge of joining the club,  here is a video of the Brazilian in action.

Squad diagnosis: Three new players before battle commences next month

Throughout the ebbs and flows of a Premier League season, one can expect the unexpected. When the transfer window closes at the end of August, teams wishing to challenge for major honours must have huge depth in every position as the Sport has never before been so geared toward squad football.

With this in mind then, Chelsea must add to the group of players they have before big spenders Manchester City and Roy Hodgson’s Liverpool start to amass teams capable of matching that of the Londoners.

The Goalkeeping situation at the club is something which needs attention, with Petr Cech picking up more and more injuries as years go by. His replacements are a perceived weakness by those who have pored over the squad in anticipation of the impending season.

Hilario, whilst never having given people reasons to seriously doubt him, is not a top notch number two. He has been a faithful servant of the club, but with a first choice so prone to missing games, the man coming in must be capable of a long stint in the side in all competitions.

Ross Turnbull is very young and surely a player for the future. He played well when called upon last season, but is again not a worthy replacement for a club looking to go the distance in the Champions League and domestic competitions.

Sergio Asenjo from Athletico Madrid is one of the best up and coming keepers in Spain, and Dutch number one Marten Stekelenburg of Ajax is rumoured to be heading out of the Amsterdam club. Chelsea could look to either as a number two or even a challenge to Cech’s first team place.

Defensively, the Blues have no real problems heading into the new campaign, with two players of real quality for each position. Ricardo Carvalho and Alex will no doubt be rotated as the former is approaching what is surely his last hurrah in the game.

Carlo Ancelotti has some decisions to make before the new season

Jose Bosingwa is set to return after having missed the majority of the Double winning season with a nasty knee injury, and Yuri Zhirkov provides more than adequate cover for Ashley Cole.

Cole is rumoured to be leaving the Bridge this summer, with Jose Mourinho said to be keen on taking the left back to the Santiago Bernabeau. The talk in Spain however, is that the ‘Special One’ will only be able to land one of his two defensive targets, with his priority being Internazionale’s Brazilian full back Maicon.

The midfield provides more of a headache for Carlo Ancelotti. Having allowed both Michael Ballack and Joe Cole to leave the club in the summer (and Deco soon to follow them out of the door) he must surely be looking to strengthen in an area which has been intimidatingly strong for the club in recent years.

Benfica’s Ramires will be his second signing of the summer after he took Yossi Benayoun from Liverpool for £5 million in June. This will add much needed legs to the middle of the park for Chelsea as his options have started to look thin on the ground.

Many have criticised the decision to bring in the Israeli skipper, but the manager has been shrewd by adding him to the Chelsea ranks. He has experience, the ability to score goals and versatility. Not to mention he is much less injury prone than the man he replaces, Joe Cole.

Nemanja Matic looks to be a promising young talent and has impressed Ancelotti in the reserve games in which he has played. He shows huge maturity on the ball and having watched him on several occasions, is evidently more aware off it than his rival for a central midfield berth, John Obi Mikel.

Frank Lampard will once again be the key man for the Blues as he looks to build on a fantastic season last time out, and the team will certainly revolve around him. Michael Essien is gradually getting back to fitness which will be a huge boost to the squad, having missed the second half of last season with a hamstring injury.

The Ghanaian must now have a full season without an injury after he missed huge chunks of the previous two. If he is absent from the team for much of this season, the club will be forced to look at his injury record and make provisions for life after ‘the Bison’.

After a record breaking season in front of goal, most people will call for more of the same from Chelsea as we go into the new season. However, should Didier Drogba or Nicolas Anelka pick up an injury, things could become very tricky with only Saloman Kalou and Daniel Sturridge to fill what would be a huge void.

With Drogba now 32 and Anelka just a year younger, injuries are going to become more and more frequent (not to mention the fact that Drogba is prone to the occasional suspension). Whilst Sturridge and Kalou have proven they can contribute to the side, they are far from being a potent force in front of goal and Champions League marksmen they are not.

As highlighted in a previous article, bringing in someone like Neymar from Santos in Brazil is an option, with the youngster keen on a move to West London. If not there are players capable of doing a short term job that are available for transfer. Despite his age, Raul on a free transfer from Real Madrid would not be a bad choice.

Athletico Madrid’s Sergio Aguero has been talked about as another potential signing and is a huge talent. However, the €40 million price tag for an inconsistent performer who is ill-suited to the English game is extortionate. Uruguay’s Luis Suarez of Ajax might be a better option as buying from Holland is cheaper than Spain, with Suarez having a decent injury record and an exceptional goal scoring record.

With just over a month to go before the transfer deadline, we can expect Chelsea to be active in bringing in new blood. The squad is excellent in most positions, but without bolstering the side with three new players they will struggle to repeat the success of last season.

Seven Seasons Since Russian Revolution – Now It Is Time For Evolution

Revolution: a sudden, complete or marked change in something

In what have been the most successful seven seasons in the history of Chelsea Football Club, Roman Abramovich has turned the Blues from a relatively big English team to a worldwide franchise competing for Football’s top prizes every year. Based on the definition above, the takeover of Chelsea was certainly a definitive revolution.

Three Premier League titles, three FA Cup triumphs and two League Cups have been the result of the huge investment pumped into the West London club by the Russian billionaire who has become synonymous with Chelsea.

There can be no doubt that without him the club would still be trailing the wake of Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool. He has made Chelsea one of the biggest clubs in Europe and has done so not only by investment in playing staff.

His roubles have touched everything at the club, from the hand driers in the stadium toilets to the wonderful training facilities at Cobham. Yes, the Russian who made Chelsea his plaything in 2003 has certainly laid the foundations for success.

Of course, the players who have put on the Blue shirts at Stamford Bridge each week have been the integral part of the glory. Without Drogbas and Carvalhos the Chelsea side would never be able to compete for major silverware each season, and this is only possible because of the Russian’s cash.

The current Blues squad has its problems. A lack of creativity and the need for another back up goalkeeper are not the only issues facing Chelsea in 2010. The fact is, the team must start to evolve into an Abramovich ‘second generation’ side, as the players who have been so effective for the Londoners in recent years are coming towards the end of their playing days.

Frank Lampard, John Terry, Didier Drogba and Ashley Cole are considered perhaps the spine of the Chelsea team, but all are heading towards the twilight of their careers. Terry and Cole have four years left at the top, but Lampard and Drogba are now 32 and cannot be expected to carry the side after next season. Without goals from them both Chelsea would not have won the league and cup last time out.

Evolution: a gradual change in something/ the gradual development of plants, animals, etc. over many years as they adapt to changes in their environment

Therefore there needs to be a change in SW6, a gradual development of a new squad, or one could say Evolution. Of course, this has already started with Michael Ballack and Juliano Belletti leaving the club this summer and Ricardo Carvalho having one season left at the most.

The signings which the chequebook will be opened for must be youthful and shrewd. There must also be a more active role in the first team for the youth players who have done so well at junior level, and promised so much when shown a glimpse of the first team.

Gael Kakuta, Michael Mancienne, Sam Huchinson, Jeffry Bruma and Fabio Borini could be the next batch of players whose names grace the replica shirts in the stands and in parks, but only if they have the opportunity to learn and grow. For the team to evolve there must be a gradual inclusion of these young players as the old guard are faded out. This is the only way that the word success can become as synonymous with Chelsea Football club as Abramovich has.

Players such as the Brazilians Ramires and Neymar would be fantastic for the future of the team, blending them into a new Chelsea, a second generation just as Ferguson and Wenger have done at United and Arsenal.

Chelsea have one of the best coaches in the game today, with an outstanding record. However, it may be the club’s driving ambition to win the Champions League which hampers the progress of Ancelotti. If he is given three years to rebuild this squad, there could be tremendous rewards for those who had the patience to allow him to do so.

The irony is, however, that it is the man who has taken Chelsea this far who may hinder the transitional phase which faces his club in its near future. Winning the Champions League has always been the dream for Abramovich, but some patience now and building a new squad properly will reap huge rewards in the long term.

On the other hand, impatience and sacking the coach for the failure to win the coveted prize instantly will only delay the day that the European Cup can be added to the ever growing list of Chelsea honours.

Youth and Pre-Season -Its About Performances Not Results

Nemanja Matic in action in the 3-1 defeat to Ajax

Yesterday a very young Chelsea side was beaten 3-1 by Ajax in a pre-season friendly, dominated by inexperienced youth players including  15 year old Nathaniel Chalobah, Chelsea were always likely to suffer against an experienced Ajax side.

Disapointingly there have been some people saying that today’s result shows that the younger players at Chelsea will not make the step up to the first team. However this is a premature conclusion and not a true reflection of how youth and pre-season works.

These two forms of football are similar that results are unimportant, pre-season games are about the development of fitness and sharpness, whereas youth football it is about individual performances and developing talent.

Obviously for some players the detractors will be right, not every young player on display will make it at the top of the game, and of those that do, they may not be ready for first team football. Games such as today are a key step in the development of our academy and the development of the players it nutures.

The experience of playing for the ‘first team’ and being in the limelight is vital experience that will help these players whatever happens throughout their career, so far Josh McEachran and others have shown touches of class and I hope that they will taken confidence in their elevated roles.

The main worry today however was the performance of Ross Turnbull who did little to suggest he is in a position to challenge Henrique Hilario as the number 2, to the injured Petr Cech.

Overall I would not read too much into this defeat, this is only the second game of pre-season and half the squad have not even returned following the World Cup. Chelsea have two more games to fine tune their performances before the Charity Shield and the start of the season.

Never fear, I am sure we will see the arrival of the first team cavalry as Chelsea venture onwards to Germany.