BLOG MOVE IMINENT!

As of August 10th, We will move the blog to truebluearmycfc.wordpress.com

All admins, resend me your emails and you will be admins on the new blog.

Any new admins are welcome.

As to why we moved, Wordpress looks like the more organised and professional blogging system.

If it is also well with you guys, A twitter page will be created(if we are that popular)

--BBLBDB

Community Shield Preview (Chelsea F.C. v. Manchester United F.C.)

Taking a non-partisan approach, I have decided to dissect the upcoming Community Shield clash.

GOALKEEPER:
Petr Cech is simply, one of the best keepers in world football. Van der Sar is a top-class keeper, but his recent surgery puts him out of the Community Shield clash. Ben Foster or Tomasz Kuszcak will be asked to fill the void, but none of them is as good as Edwin.

Advantage: Chelsea

DEFENCE:

The Centreback pairings of both clubs are one of the best in football. Chelsea with Terry and Carvalho, Manchester United with Ferdinand and Vidic. As far as the L & R backs go, Chelsea has the edge, with Ashley Cole and Bosingwa possessing the ability to make runs into the attack. Another aspect is how the defences will contain the opposition's attack. Chelsea's physicality in attack will cause more problems to Man U's backline than Man U's will cause to Chelsea. Man U's Speed off the flanks might make up for that.

BREAKING NEWS (Aug 7, 09) Vidic will be out with what is believed to be a Strained Calf.

Advantage: Chelsea


MIDFIELD:

Chelsea's central midfield might not be as technical as other top clubs, but they are one of the Most physical midfields in the Solar System. They have added a wing player in Yuri Zhirkov, which adds an essential facet to Chelsea's midfield. Manchester United has great technical ability in their midfield, with Antonio Valencia, Nani, Giggs, and the occasional Ji-Sung Park. This, in my opinion, is a stalemate, and whoever wins this battle might win the match.

Advatage: Push


ATTACK:

Hate to say this, But Manchester wins this battle. Berbatov and Rooney are a dangerous strikeforce. And with Ronaldo gone, Rooney is the focal point of their attack, and will be hungering to prove himself. Michael Owen had a lights-out preseason, and he is also set to prove that his injury-prone days are behind him. Chelsea have a great front two in Drogba and Anelka, with Sturridge backing up, but Man U have the advantage here.

Advantage: Manchester United

BENCH:

Chelsea has the edge in Substitutes. Proposed subs like Kalou, Sturridge, Deco, Ballack trump what Man U might have in Macheda, Welbeck, even Owen.

Advantage: Chelsea

MANAGER:

Both managers are proven at what they do, winning titles domestic and abroad, But Sir Alex Ferguson's record speaks for itself. He knows the English game better than anyone, and his treasure trove of titles prove that. Ancelotti is coming with a ton of pressure, but the great preseason has helped alleviate that. His first "game that counts" is one for silverware, and a loss will not help him whatsoever.

Advantage: Manchester United


FINAL PREDICTION: Man U 1-1 Chelsea (Goes to P.K.'s)

Chelsea v. Club America Highlights

Chelsea AC Milan Highlights

Chelsea v. Inter Highlights

We CAN perform without 'Mr. Chelsea'

I am glad to say that John Terry is staying, which i'm sure many of you know. However I drafted this article and was on the verge of publishing when i heard John Terry has released the statement that he wants to stay and it has never been a question for him. I know what this article says won't be of any importance now, but please read it and comment with your thoughts and arguements. My view will not register well with you, but please consider it. Here it is:


Now I have read alot about this subject. I do love JT, and do think he is a rock for Chelsea and a leader for England, but honestly do you all think it will be doomsday if John Terry leaves Chelsea? People say one man does NOT make a team. Teams do have great Captains, that come and go, for example Patrick Vieira the Arsenal rock, whom was loved and was an inspiration for the gunners. Arsenal survived, they have transformed their squad with their Youth development and will soon be a force to be reckoned with. Manchester Utd had Roy Keane, a superb footballer who fell out with Sir Alex. How did Manchester Utd do after? Well they went on to win 3 premier league titles in 4 seasons, and a Carling Cup and Champions League Trophy, not that bad ey?


I find it truly unbelievable that Terry, a so called through and through chelsea boy, who came up through the Chelsea ranks from the age of 14, cannot release a statement abolishing these rumours, by confirming his desire to stay. This clearly shows he is considering Manchester City's offer. He is considering leaving Chelsea, and taking 200/300 grand a week. I hope all you Chelsea fans know that. He is considering the option of more money. I cannot see why he would ever think of joining Manchester City since he is seen at Chelsea as the symbol of the club, and will not get that image ANYWHERE else. He will only be the Captain at City not the Symbol. At Chelsea, he is bigger than the manager. When Jose was the manager, who was the symbol? Who had the charisma? Who had more love from the fans... not John Terry. After their dispute, it showed how Abramovich viewed John Terry as more valuable compared to Jose Mourinho, leading to Jose's very sad departure. I ask all of you to reply in the comments section, who do you love more John Terry or Jose Mourinho?


I know that Terry is viewed by many as Mr Chelsea, and the Symbol of Chelsea, but is that a good thing or a weakness of Chelsea? Look at other clubs Manchester United, Alex Ferguson is the symbol, not Rio Ferdinand nor Wayne Rooney. Arsenal, who is the symbol? Not Fabregas but Arsene Wenger. At Liverpool it is the same case at Chelsea with Gerrard. I heard on the radio a poll took place for Chelsea fans, in which 47% of them thought Chelsea should cash in the 40/50 million for Terry a 28 year old, with back problems and dips in form. I know that is not a majority, but its a high figure! Do you think Ancelotti won't have a plan if Terry leaves. That 40 million will be spent. On who? Who knows? Mexes from Roma? Ramos from Madrid? Nesta from Milan? All I can say is that this saga has not finished and will not until Terry comes out and says something.

John Terry Drama

With all the speculation flying around these days about JT's future, i find it incredibly disheartening to not hear any comments about this subject directly from him. It would appear as far as the upper management and board is concerned, that Terry will be staying. They all have declared he is staying and in NOT for sale.

All i am concerned about personally, is that we do not lose any of our stars, and especially this one. I believe that if Terry can stay and play out the remainder of his career in London at the Bridge, we will have housed one of the all time greats who have ever played the game. His leadership is completely unparalled in the game today. His loyalty has never, nor should it be questioned, regardless of the outcome of yet another messy summer of transfer rumors. I, along with the millions of other Blues faithful, will be sad to see him go if he so chooses, but I think we all believe in him and want to see him finish what he started and finish it where he started it!

Long Live King Terry (no matter what happens) and long live Stamford Bridge!

Joe Cole out for a month.

Joe Cole, the Chelsea right mid/winger, has undergone a minore corrective surgery to correct a minor meniscus tear in his right knee.

This not only means he will miss the World Football Challenge in the U.S., he will also most likely miss the Community Shield fixture against Manchester United on August 8th.

Now a minor surgery like this isn't a big deal, but in our case, this leaves us with ZERO right wingers (Kalou is a centre forward, we all know that.)

We shouldn't panic though. Word around the blogosphere is thatAston Villa winger Ashley Young is high on Chelsea list and as a result, have slapped a £25 million tag on the player. And with Villa's signing of Stewart Downing from Middlesbrough, Villa are more poised to sell him.

Joaquin, the Valencia winger, would have been a sensible buy a few weeks back when a Valencia firesale seemed inevitable, but a recent cash injection means that their top stars will most likely stay at the Mestalla.

If a signing is not made, Carlo could run a 4-4-2 Diamond, a 4-1-2-1-2, or a 4-3-2-1.

Despite everything, we wish Joe Cole a speedy recovery, and to return to the pitch, where he rightly belongs.

Reply with your thoughts,

-BBLBDB

Future Blue Army

It is being rumoured that Chelsea FC has signed Nemanja Matic, the 6ft 4'' midfielder. If this is the case, this would be a good move in the building of a future army of blues.

A future army of blues, hmmm. Let's sit back and take a look at those whom we might have to rely on in a few years time.

S Kalou: Young wing wizard. Has immense potential as a striker coming in from the wings, though he isn't a winger. Size wise, not so big but the next few years should see him fulfil his potential. Needs to improve on his passing though his speed sometimes makes up for that.

J O Mikel: Anchor man in the midfield. Has grown in leaps and bounds this last season and has just signed a new contract. Has good attacking potential which is yet to be used by the past few coaches but maybe with Ancelotti, we'll see his attacking AND defensive qualities. Has the ability to be one of the greatest midfielders of all time under the right coach.

F Di Santo: Big strong burly lad. Showed nice qualities when played in the first team and there's the hint of a diamond under all that rock. I like him because he is good in the air and packs a shot. He can only get better and i'm sure most of the fans would want to see more of him in the coming weeks.

M Stoch: Ace right winger! The few times he has been allowed to play, has really shone and i won't be surprised if he gets more airtime this season. Strong on the ball and has a nice turn of pace. God shot too.

M Mancienne: Nothing more to say about this guy. One to watch out for in the future and should definitely be in the plans of the new coach. A defender by trade but boy does he have it all, speed, strength and a lot of heart. Would't trade him in the next 10 years.

B Ivanovic: Another hard tackling defender in the mould of J Terry. Also useful in the air and contribites goals as well. Keep an eye on him, he is destined for the top.

Matic: Just confirmed that we have indeed signed Matic. For a big lad, he has good control of the ball. Might need a few years to become world class but time will tell.

D Sturridge: Not a lot is known about him apart from the fact that he crossed over from Man city. Did manage to score a couple of goals for city and he can only get better playing with the likes of Anelka and Drogba.

S Sinclair: Another striker who has pace to burn. Not yet the finished product but i can say that he needs time to mature. Needs to also work on his strength.

R Turnbull: Just acquired this young keeper and i still have my eye on him. Hope he can fulfill his ''potential'' at Chelsea.

G Kakuta: A joy to watch. Midfielder with awesome dribbling skills and pace as well.

F Borini: Another striker in the reserve and he seems to do quite well for the team. Still the rough diamond but hope Ancelotti exploits his potential.

These are just a few of the future blue army. I feel that we need to see more of these players for them to realise their full potential. I would also welcome comments and contributions from the readers as there might be a few names that i failed to touch on.

Finally, let's ask ourselves this question; Can these players take us to the next level? If not, who would you love to see added. The comments are all yours.

Quaresma

With all this recent talk about needing wingers and what not, I thought I would discuss a topic that really chapped my ass.  That topic is Quaresma.  Granted, I don't know the exact terms and conditions of the loan deal that we agreed with Internazionale, but I would assume that the deal had a buyout option attached to it.  Going on this assumption, I was miffed to say the least when I learned that Quaresma's loan deal had expired and we had not purchased the player in full.

What makes this even more annoying is that we now have insufficient cover on the right side (I love Joe Cole and all, but he seems to be fairly injury prone, do you remember that ridiculous bandage?), that is unless Carlo intends to play Zhirkov on the right, which would just be no sensical.  I know we have Anelka and Kalou that can play on the right but these guys are really strikers and thats what they should be playing.  Albeit the chance of Kalou getting time up front now seems infinitesimal with the arrival of Sturridge.  

There is a philosophy in American Football, especially down here in the Southeastern Conference, that to survive a season your team needs to be two to three players deep in every position.  Right now all we have in terms of pure right wing players are Joe Cole and Mr. Mullet himself, Miroslav Stoch.  I'll call that "One and a half" deep on the depth chart. What I'm trying to get at, is that we wouldn't have been in this situation had we just signed that damn Portuguese full time.  The few games that I did see him play him I liked his style and his pace, not to mention his mean use of the Trivela technique, check out the YouTube videos.

This whole rant however, could all be in vain, because I don't know if we really did have the option to buy him.  Give me your thoughts and criticisms,

Gators.

Mr Chelsea

To make this one short and sweet... John Terry is the Captain, leader and hero of Chelsea FC and the fans alike. He is on 150k a week and is leading one of the top teams in the world.

500k a week could not tempt Kaka to move to Man City, so why would 300k a week tempt Terry? He'll have to sacrifice club love and trophies in order to earn yet more moolah, which is really excess to requirements at this point for a multi, multi millionaire.

Now say, hypothetically, that he does put in a transfer request. What then? He still has 3 years left on his contract, so we really hold him in the palm of our hands. But as I said, this is only hypothetically, as we adore him and he adores us.

So what does he do next? Stamp his feet and pound his fists? Where does this get him? It alienates the fans who have treated him as a God for years, and makes all those who respect him, even if they won't admit it, lose any respect... Much like if Gerrard had've moved to Chelsea, and I can guarantee you he doesn't regret staying put.

Of course, I could end this all right here in this statement...

Terry is not leaving, as the club have told time and time again. Yes, Terry is yet to come out and say anything himself, but that's because he is currently on holiday after finishing a very, VERY full on season. His silence does not mean he is hesitant, it just means he's too busy to care. Sure, there is a possibility that he could leave, but there is also a possibility that a meteor could flatten my house right now and leave me rather slim. The confidence of MCFC fans astounds me.

I hope you enjoy Dunne and Richards for many more years to come, as John "Mr. Chelsea" Terry is staying put.

The Deco Saga

Last year, we signed Anderson Luis de Souza, better known as Deco, for a fee of £8 million. The move sounded sensible because Chelsea's then manager, Luiz Felipe Scolari, was his national team coach before they both made their move to Stamford Bridge. He was a welcome addition to a Chelsea midfield that had been, in my opinion, not technical enough.

He started in fine fashion, scoring a goal in the 4-0 drubbing of Portsmouth at Stamford Bridge. He followed this up with a stunning free-kick in the 2-0 win at Wigan. His stellar performances throughout the month of August earned him the Premier League Player of the Month award. He looked like a steal, considering his price, but the fine form that marked his Chelsea career would not continue.

Deco's low point came when he got sent off in the 3-1 loss to AS Roma. That, and other poor performances, led to him losing his spot in the first team. Scolari's sacking in february 2009 did not help, as he fell out of favor with interim coach Guus Hiddink . It was highly likely that Deco was being restless and would ask for a move.

In a June interview, Deco stated: "I do not want to stay. I have not liked my experience at Chelsea." This was followed by former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho stating his interest in the Portuguese playmaker and compatriot Ricardo Carvalho, who has also made public his desire to leave Stamford Bridge. Both players played with Mourinho at Porto, where they won the UEFA Champions League in 2004. Inter president Massimo Moratti quelled speculation about acquiring the Portuguese Pair by saying, "Deco and Carvalho? They are two champions but at this time I don't feel there's a need to buy them."

Deco then followed this up by saying that he is " a little tired of Europe", but he will stick it out with Chelsea for at least another term. Does this show a lack of commitment? Does this show that he is only here because he did not get his wish to be reunited with Mourinho, and therefore has no choice? Or is he in for the cash? I believe that if someone is to wear the Chelsea shirt, he should represent that shirt with everything they've got. And if that is not the case for Deco, then a move to another club would be best for both parties involved.

Reply with your thoughts,

-BBLBDB

The Right Wing Problem (In Depth)

This problem has already been addressed by BBLBDB as weakness number 1.

Can you guys remember when under Mourinho we had 4 wingers? How assured we were if any got injured? Whenever Robben was injured Wright-Phillips would come in or when Duff was injured, Joe Cole would come in. How lethal our attack was, the flair of Robben united with the skill of Duff. This however soon all fell apart. With the departure of Robben, Duff and Shaun which i'm sure many of you all view as major mistakes. Since now Robben is thriving at Madrid, but is now available and linked with several clubs.

I don't think anyone can deny that when Joe Cole was declared injured for the season, we were worried who would fill that gap of right wing. Kalou might not be viewed as a proper replacement however the ivorian faired very well with 7 goals in 27 games in the 08/09 campaign.As Hiddink came in, we all saw how he adopted Nicolas Anelka went into that right wing role, and thrived at it. Proving his worth there, with the 4-4 draw, as I imagine all of you remember, with Liverpool at home. 

Since Ancelotti has come in transfer speculation has been now at a high. Having been linked with the likes of Pato, Sneijder, Ribery and others. At Milan, Ancelotti implemented the side with the 4-3-2-1 formation with Ronaldinho and Kaka forming that 2. This shows how he didn't think wingers as focal at Milan. The question is will Ancelotti conform to what is best for Chelsea? Or will he change our style dramatically, from that 4-2-3-1, which we all love, to the Christmas tree formation. I'm sure I'm not the only one to pray that if he changes our normal formation it will not be a mistake.

Possible transfer targets for that position include Ribery, he can play both wings but prefers left. Sneijder who isn't a winger, but a technical central midfielder which Ancelotti has highlighted Chelsea need. Other Winger targets could be a return for Arjen Robben and the young English winger Ashley Young. After the flurry of signings at Madrid, they need to sell, Arjen and Wesley have been the 2 big names on their way out of Madrid. If you could snap them up for 40 million, wouldn't you want that? I feel since the big players are now becoming unavailable or bought by Madrid, Chelsea may turn to Robben and Sneijder as a second option, rather than Ribery. Robben/Ribery and Zhirkov could swap sides during the match, a tactic employed by Mourinho with Duff and Robben, both left-footed. I would think that Young would be a third target for Ancelotti, since he is English and young with alot of flair, and with the 6+5 rule soon coming into place, he might be a target for Ancelotti. 

One thing however, Ancelotti might not even buy a right-winger this summer, and rely on Joe Cole, who has just been handed a 4 year deal, and on Kalou and maybe Anelka to fill that role.

Please reply with your thoughts.

Chelsea's Weaknesses

Chelsea are a strong club. Our goalkeeper is easily one of the top 3 keepers in the world (Buffon, Casillas.) Our defense, anchored by skipper John Terry, is one of the best in the EPL, if not the world. Our midfield is World-Class, boasting the likes of Frank Lampard, Michael Essien, Michael Ballack, Joe Cole, and the new blue Yuri Zhirkov, among others. Our attack, led by Didier Drogba, Was crucial in taking us to the Champions League semi finals, and an FA Cup trophy. But on the other hand, we have weaknesses. And if we are to be a top club for decades to come, these weaknesses need to be rectified.

Weakness # 1: Right Wing.
Yesterday, Yuri Zhirkov put pen to paper on a four year deal at Stamford Bridge. The acquisiton, however, was recieved with mixed reviews. We did need a player with pace, dribbling ability, and dead-ball skills, and he possesses all those, but there is a glaring problem on the opposite flank. Joe Cole is a good winger, but we do not have sufficient back-up, and because of his recent knee injury, he is not expected to return to top form from day one. Noting a weakness in one thing, addressing it is another. A good replacement would be Jesus Navas from Sevilla. He has amazing dribbling skill and pace, but his slim build raises questions about whether he is ready for the physicality of the Premier League. Aaron Lennon from Spurs looks like another good replacement, but he is inconsistent and probably isn't ready for a top club like chelsea (I could be wrong on that.)

Weakness # 2: Age .
Chelsea are a good club, but face it, they are an old club. Chelsea have 9 players over the age of thirty (Ballack, Lampard, Drogba, Anelka, Mineiro, Hilario, Carvalho, Deco, and Beletti. And we have many more nearing that mark. Now this shouldn't be a problem, noting Ancelotti's ability to win with older players, a skill he exhibited at A.C. Milan, but we will need to build a squad for the future, and that should start now. Moves need to be made and the squad needs to be younger if we are to compete for major honours this upcoming season.

Weakness # 3: Our Youth System
" A house cannot stand without a foundation"

With that said, our youth system is nowhere near the youth systems of the top clubs in England, and other top clubs around the world. Frank Arnesen was entrusted to build a youth system that competed with the best in the world, and to say the least, he failed in that objective. He was sacked in late 2008. Now there are some bright spots that have come through the Cheslea youth system, notably Gael Kakuta and Miroslav Stoch, but thats really about it. This is the toughest problem to fix, and also will takw the longest time to rectify, but we all know we cant be the free-spending Chelsea for much longer. We need to have some home-grown talent, especially with the 6+5 rule rumoured to be coming into effect soon. If we are to be a powerhouse in world football for years to come, a strong foundation needs to be built.

Reply with your thoughts,

-BBLBDB

Defensive Midfield, Where At Thou?

Defensive Midfield and the player who defined and changed it. Here is my story.........
Like most of you, I have played and watched football (soccer to our American brothers & sisters) pretty much all my life since I was a kid. I remember when I started playing at my wee age of 6(in Nairobi, Kenya) our soccer balls were made by stuffing old newspapers into the plastic shopping bags(we were recycling way before this phenomenon caught on here in the western society). We would tie it with a sisal rope and kept working on it until the end product was an almost spherical object. Our nets would be made of 2 stones 6 feet apart. A few weeks of playing I realized that as much as winning was important something about letting goals go in my teams net didn't sit well with me. That is when I made it my mandate I will stop this goals from happening so I started playing goalie I would envision myself as the great Toni Schumacher back then in the 80s a TV show called football made in Germany was all the football news we had on TV besides our Kenyan league. A few months of the street little league my net minding actually earned me the name Schumacher after my goal keeping hero. My daddy bought me an actual football, I’m guessing he felt sorry for me seeing that I would have to build a ball from scratch every time we had to play. My opponents didn't like the fact I was a good keeper so the first day of using the new ball I remember this other kid in an attempt to beat me unloaded a fierce shot my way. Emulating my hero I prepared to receive the shot by bringing it towards my chest with my 2 hands. I must have miscalculated the speed and weight of this ball because when the ball met my chest I couldn't explain the pain I felt. I could have sworn my lungs switched places involuntary. As you would expect that was my last day in net. With my mandate not to allow goals I moved not too far up to the defence position.
Defensive players and goalies have always been my heroes. That was until a small name by the name of Gianfranco Zola. This is man that made start appreciating strikers work rate..... well some of them. I don't need to spell out everything to you Chelsea fans but this was a complete man he was gracious both on and off the field the best and complete player in every way, I would advise any young player aspiring to be a professional to look at this man and model themselves after him. Other than retiring I don't think there is anything Zola did wrong. It was after I saw him in a Chelsea shirt that I also fell in love with Chelsea. I thank Zola for coming to Chelsea because I almost became a scoucer(Liverpool to some of you)..... phew that was close and again I thank you Zola. At this time in my recreational playing career I had moved to the left wing position after realizing that goals will always scored on my team but it is better to score more. I embarked to helping the strikers put away more. After Zola's retirement I needed to broaden my knowledge in football world thanks to his efforts Chelsea made the Champions league. I started watching Seria A, La Liga games as well so that I can size up our next Champions league opponent. It was a Real Madrid game that I noticed a man that wasn't there but he was there. The player was none other than the one and only Claude Makélélé.
I almost became a Real Madrid fan I couldn't stop watching their games because of Makélélé. Zidane, Figo, Ronaldo etc were great and were "La Galacticos" but Zidane himself couldn't have put it better by comparing Makélélé's role in the team to the Engine of a car. I was in love with this man (the only time that has happened to me) he covered a lot of ground that the Galacticos didn't want to cover and he did it with very little effort. Makélélé read the game like the coach in the dugout if not better. He knew exactly when to stroll to the left, right front and back, ran walk and stand. His opponents didn’t see him coming, it was like magic he wasn’t here but now he is. It was after watching him play that I learnt the way to help the defence while still serving the forwards. Did Real know that they had this rare gem? In 2003 when Makélélé asked to get improved wages like the “Los Galacticos” Real laughed at the request. The then and now club president Perez went as far as proclaiming that "Makélélé won't be missed". My prayers were answered and Makélélé became a Chelsea player.
In 2003 the then Chelsea coach Claudio Ranieri "The Tinker Man" (as he was well known in the English Premier League) knew that this is the best £16.8m he ever spent. He proclaimed that Makélélé (Maka to the Chelsea fans and players) was the "Battery" of the team. Chelsea has always and will always be known for its defensive prowess and records but Maka emphasized that plus became the player that every ball from defence to the offence had to go through him. Basically the ball wasn't distributed right if Maka didn't touch it. Lampard, Duff, Cole, Robben were all allowed to parade their skills game in game out because of Maka defensive skills. The reason that I like the EPL over other leagues is that it appreciate every role not just the guys that score the goals. At Real other than the players and the then coach no else noticed Maka, I don't think the other teams in La Liga knew what he did hence why only Chelsea were the only one bidding for him. Maka perfected the defensive role that in the 2004-2005 season he helped Chelsea cruise to their 1st EPL trophy in 50 years. Maka’s role was so troubling to other teams that coaches started working on tactics that bypass Maka, only in the EPL that you will find coaches trying to stave off a guy that doesn't score. Maka's popularity in the EPL finally spread to other leagues and teams tried to buy or mould into the "Makélélé role" as it was eventually called. In 2005 this Unsung Hero finally got what he deserved, he was selected to the World XI an award voted by professional football players from 40 countries. Maka helped Chelsea win 2005-2006 EPL title, 2005, 2007 League cups, 2007 FA Cup and 2008 Champions league final which they lost to Manchester United. During his time at Chelsea several records were set like longest unbeaten home record, the most points achieved in season by a team (95) the least amount of goals conceded in a season (15) the most wins in an a season (29) the most clean sheets in a season (25)and the most consecutive clean sheets in a season(6) all these in the 2004-2005 EPL season. All these could easily be accredited to his role. In 2008 Maka went back to France to play for Paris Saint Germain. Chelsea has had to change its tactics since the departure of Maka. He is duly missed at Chelsea..... I miss him. We have young promising talent in Obi Mikel trying to bring this role back and he surely is trying but the "Makélélé role" left with him. PSG has always flirted with relagation in the Ligue 1for a few seasons but with the inclusion of Maka they challenged for 1st but a poor ran towards the end of the season saw them tied for 4th at the end of it all. Is it too much to credit 1 player? I don't think so. As you can guess I adopted this type of role for my recreation team and I think I have been a good understudy of Maka although he’s miles away.
From time to time I keep wishing there will be another Makélélé to grace the Chelsea team. I know the team has to adapt and move on..... Yes I know I have to move on as well but I can’t help hoping that the next Makélélé type of player to grace this sport better belong to Chelsea. The question that still lingers though, will there ever be a Makélélé type of player ever again? Or has he become a legend and the type of player that will often be imitated but will never to be duplicated?
Well if that is the case I'll keep playing my damn best to help my team keep the goals to a minimum maybe set a few records along the way while I imitate my defensive hero. Makélélé I'll forever miss you and I'm indebted to you forever for advancing my football knowledge.

Youth is Good

While I am not totally opposed to splashing out the big bucks on stars every now and then, but I feel that our beloved Blues could use a fresh injection of youth into our team.  I think we took a massive step in that direction with the acquisition of Ross Turnbull, Yuri Zhirkov, and Daniel Sturridge.  Aside from these three talented youngsters though, we have plenty of talented youth that is waiting in the wings, rearing to get a chance to play.  I am in no way a Scolari advocate, but I will have to say that he tended to play more of the youngsters, i.e. Stoch, Di Santo, Mancienne.  I hope that in this coming season Carlo will do the same.  I am of the opinion that if we can't play our youth in the big games, that we should at least play the likes of Gael Kakuta, Sergio Tejera, Fabio Ferreira, etc, in some of our Carling Cup, FA Cup, or Champions League group stage games.  The least we could do is play them at Three Points Lane.  Let me know what you think, I would love to hear your criticisms.

-Gators.

De Rossi tops Ancelotti's wishlist.

With HHHooray writing an amaazing piece about a rumoured departure in Ricardo Carvalho, i decided to write about a rumoured arrival.

A report in an Italian newspaper states that Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti has put Roma defensive midfielder Daniele de Rossi at the top of the list of players the Italian tactician looks to bring to Stamford Bridge. Il Romanista claims that Ancelotti prefers De Rossi over A.C. Milan midfielder Andrea Pirlo, a player who Ancelotti coached for many seasons at the San Siro.

Roma chief Bruno Conti moved swiftly to quell any rumours that a De Rossi deal was finalising. He had already rejected a €46 million bid from free-spending Real Madrid. Conti was quoted as saying, "De Rossi isn't worth €46 million, he's worth much, much more." Therefore, Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich would have to table a near irresistible bid for the Italian midfield enforcer.

De Rossi is not the only Serie A star linked with the West London outfit. Inter's right-back Maicon is also on Ancelotti's wishlist, with current right-back Bosingwa catching the eye of German giant Bayern Munich. Also, A.C. Milan Wonderkid Alexandre Pato is also at the top of Ancelotti's wishlist.

-BBLBDB

Ricardo Carvalho

To continue the flood of posts, I'll address our latest rumoured departee... But first, a brief introduction. To anyone who comments regularly on ESPNsoccernet, you've probably seen a million of my posts, and many know of my diehard Chelsea supporting habits. So basically, when BBLBDB suggested a Chelsea blog and asked if I wanted to help, I jumped at the chance. Thank you Gators, SuperBlueLion and BornBlue.

Basically, Ricardo Carvalho has been with us since the 2004/05 season, and has been loved by many Chelsea fans, and underrated by many Chelsea haters. One of the centre backs who was so crucial in maintaining such a fine defensive record in the EPL to help us win our first league title in 50 years, Carvalho was to grow into a much loved player, and one of the gears in the Chelsea war machine, so to speak.

Costing us nearly 20 million pounds, he was seen as one of our first major "galactico" signings. At the end of the 04/05 season, he had made 39 appearances and scored 1 goal. We were proud to say he was one of our best, as he had finished in the team of the year for the Champion's League the year beforehand. 2005/06 was to be a bit more difficult for Ricardo though, as we defended our title... But not without consequences for him.

Unhappy with the amount of gametime he was receiving, he chose to speak out in public. This put him in the bad books with then coach, Jose Mourinho, who publicly criticised him... However, he bounced back, and ended up in fine scoring form. Several goals in Europe, including one against Anderlecht, saw him return to the good books with the coach. He continued his fine form for the rest of the year, despite picking up his first red card for Chelsea, and was very much part of securing the title once more, as he scored a stunner against Manchester United to ensure we won the league.

Over the next few years, Carvalho really continued his fine form, up until this year... He suffered several injuries, mostly to the hamstring and calf, as he was kept to only 18 appearances. When he did play in those games, he conceded 0.78 goals per game... A massive 0.26 more than Alex, 0.3 more than Terry and 0.18 more than Ivanovic. Unhappy with his lack of game time, which many believe was deserved due to lack of fitness and poor form, he decided to speak his mind. What he said was to shock many Chelsea fans.

Essentially, he was unhappy with how he had been treated by Chelsea FC and wanted to leave. Could this be a cop out so that he may return to his former coach? Or could this be an attempt at a final, massive pay day? Who knows. Though, what we do know, is that Ricardo Carvalho is a Chelsea legend, and we will always remember him. We hope that if he does leave, it is on good terms, as that's how we would like to explain Riccy to our children... A man so crucial in securing our first titles in 50 years.

Admins & Authors

This is for any interested authors:

If anyone feels they can contribute to the blog with writing and other forms of media, just gie me your e-mail and I will grant author privileges.

-BBLBDB

Roll Call

Sooo I was thinking it would be good idea to figure out who all is going to the Baltimore and/or Los Angeles game. Drop us a line if you are.

Gators

Yuri Zhirkov

It has been confirmed that Chelsea have completed the signing of Russian international Yuri Zhirkov from CSKA Moscow for a reported fee of £18m. He has passed a medical and will put pen to paper on a four year deal.

Yuri Zhirkov's natural position is a left winger, but is equally adept at playing at the left back spot. Yuri started his career at Spartak Tambov, his home town team, from 1997. He broke into the first team in 2001 and played until 2003. His skill caught the eye of Spartak Moscow, who signed him in 2004. He made 139 domestic appearances for Spartak Moscow, scoring 15 goals.

Yuri also features in the Russian National Team. He debuted for the Russian National Team in 2005, earning 31 caps for his country to date. He also was a major part in Guus Hiddink's Russia team that went to the semifinals of Euro 2008. It was Hiddink, during his brief interim stint at Chelsea, who recommended him to Abramovich.

All the best Yuri,
-BBLBDB

Carlo

Anyone can say that coach's success is determined by the prizes he seized (Ferguson, HIddink) or progresses he made with up and coming teams(Perez, King Kev, and again Hiddink) so the whole talk concerning Ancelotti being the Chelsea coach can be tossed away till season finale, either a successful or not 8)

However we can somewhat guess the motives and problems that Carlo might face in our beloved club. Personally I have to admit I was not happy learning that Carlo is the Blue manager, as I was hoping for Rajkkard or Dechampes to take the role, as in his 8 year spell in Milan he actually has won only single Serie A title! Having a highly capable team with likes of Kaka, and Shevchenko in the prime time, and trashing Champions League he coudnt get the consistency to last a whole season. Prioritizing on Champions League (wining which will finally end debates on is Chelsea a "big" club), might attract new fans and bring more revenue to the club but not neccessarily will make current fans happy, you dont have my vote for one.

On other hand, with Chelsea team aging by days, this appoinment makes more sense knowing that noone like Carlo can revitilize older players, from Baggio, to ever-playing Inzaghi, Maldini and Pirlo to LA socialboy David Becham, all of them playing at their best under Ancelotti. Can Carlo do his magic on Ballack, Deco, and maybe Shevchenko? Fans will be more than happy to see these players rise to their previous greats, but is this the way club should take? Over the years of Carlo's rule Milan has not produced any worthwhile youngsters, depending heavely on owners finances, and squizing juices from their 33+ players. With current spiked prices on players, and their everdemanding wages, Chelsea need to produce more and more cash in order compete on the transfer market for key 1-2 player a season and not to get too deep into owners pocket. For this we should have a sustainable youth programm that pushes youngsters through 1st team in order to cash on them later (Man U and Arsenal are great examples of that). This is called long-term development Carlo.

Last but not least is Ancellotti's english. Proffesional is a proffesional in any country, but experiance with Phil showed us that players and the coach should be speak the same language, other wise frustration leads anger and anger to underconfidence to losses. Hopefully today Carlo spoke much better than he did so 2 months ago, and his efforst to learn the language is clearly seen, so lets hope he will not lose players respect and confidence with wrong word or phrase.

Welcome to the Blue Army

Welcome to the Blue Army blog. This blog is for Chelsea Supporters in England and around the globe. We are entering a new period in Chelsea football history, Having welcomed Manager Carlo Ancelotti. We have already made moves in the transfer window, signing keeper Ross Turnbull on a Free , Daniel Sturridge from Manchester City, and Yuri Zhirkov from CSKA Moscow. And with players such as Petr Cech, Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard, Michael Essien, and skipper John Terry, things are looking up for our blues.

To a new area in Chelsea Football,
-BBLBDB