GET UP TO DATE NEWS OF OUR DARLIN CHELSEA FC

First topic message reminder :

Ramires has been recalled to the Brazil squad by national team coach Mano Menezes.

The 25-year-old midfielder joins new signing Oscar and David Luiz in the squad that faces Sweden on August 15.

Ramires enjoyed a fine end to last season, scoring the opening goal in the FA Cup Final just weeks after his incredible chip had kick-started our comeback against Barcelona in the Champions Leage semi-final.

The former Benfica and Cruzeiro man has not played for Brazil since the 2011 Copa America a year ago.

Does Moses signing signal a return to the old ways with Chelsea?

After getting more press and indeed players this transfer window than they have in a fair amount of time, Chelsea seem ready and fully prepared to do whatever it takes in order to secure another Premier League title and show that last season in Europe was no fluke.

Stars such as Hazard and young protégés like Oscar have arrived at the bridge and the dead wood, not to mention legend of Drogba have all departed. All entirely understandable decisions for the club and ones to move them forward. The signing of Victor Moses however seems like a strange decision for both the player and the club.

Moses is not the type of player Chelsea needed to buy – yes he is versatile but with players such as Mata and Hazard, how much playing time will he really get? If rumours are to be believed RDM does not see a future for Sturridge at the club, leaving Chelsea with only Fernando Torres as a main and recognised striker, and we all know how well his Chelsea career has worked out thus far. A main striker is what they need and should be spending big money on, and something they will certainly miss as the season goes on.

It would be unfair to say Moses is without talent, in fact he is a quality player, but it certainly seems that Chelsea are reverting to old ways with his signing – a player who has so much to offer so young, but who will not be a first choice forward and will probably end up warming the bench when not being utilised when and wherever he is needed.

The club would argue with the tag of ‘ruining young players’ but they certainly have a history of what seems to be buying a player for buying’s sake and letting their careers stall and eventually falter because of this. He may be a fair bit taller, but Moses is in major danger of becoming another Wright Phillips, or Sinclair, or Parker, or Duff…

The player himself can be forgiven for wanting a move away from Wigan – where even the pies have gone downhill recently- and clearly possesses more talent than that of a player helping a team make great escapes each and every season, but at such a tender age need to be playing regular first team football and getting nurtured and developed – he has a long way to go yet and it seems doubtful that Chelsea are the club to develop him and take him forward as a player.

Of course Moses has literally just made the move to the capital, so such presumptions may be entirely premature and unfair. Hopefully for both the club and the player they will not come to pass, and RDM is certainly one for helping players and trying to get the very best out of them, not banishing them from first team car parks with no explanation. So maybe it is possible that Chelsea have turned over a new leaf and are ready to let their tag of most expensive bench in football go, otherwise expect to see Moses join a very long list of wasted potential.

Report: Chelsea are after Loic Remy


There is one position on the pitch where Chelsea seem to have a glaring need for more depth, and that would be backing up Fernando Torres. Daniel Sturridge is probably our only feasible option at the position after Torres, and for whatever reason there are rumors that he will be leaving Stamford Bridge. The Mirror (I know) is now linking us to Marseille striker Loic Remy, and a Remy move would seemingly make an awful lot of sense.

Star-divide

As usual, The Mirror offers nothing in the way of a source linking Remy to Chelsea. They do, however, give us a quote from Remy about Tottenham:

Yes there were discussions with Tottenham, but they came to nothing and they will not continue.

Regardless of whether or not there is anything to this Remy to Chelsea story, the fact that he's not going to Tottenham can only be considered a good thing. Tottenham aside, Loic Remy would certainly be an excellent addition to the Chelsea squad for anything close to the rumored price. I wouldn't get your hopes up yet, as the Mirror have a pretty lousy track record, but it will be another story to keep an eye on over the next seven hours or so. Hooray for deadline day madness!

Malaga reportedly want Oriol Romeu on loan :

Taking Chelsea players on loan seems to be a popular theme over the last several days. We've sent out Amin Affane. We're likely sending out Yossi Benayoun and Gael Kakuta. Teams have asked about Michael Essien. There's Florent Malouda to consider. Now we've got word of interest in another Chelsea player, midfielder Oriol Romeu. Let's hand this over to John Cross, shall we?

Malaga trying to sign #cfc midfielder Romeu on loan. Was wanted by Prem club but fancies return to La Liga. Wenger was an admirer...


It makes tons of sense that Malaga would have interest in Romeu. They have a congested schedule, and they've lost an awful lot of talent. If their rich ownership doesn't want to invest, the club have very little in the way of funds to make a purchase.

This would make little sense for Chelsea though, as we also have a congested fixture list and would appear to have plenty of minutes available for a guy like Romeu. He's not first choice at the moment, but he's certainly valuable depth. Like Michael Essien, I'd be absolutely shocked if this interest results in any sort of move away from Stamford Bridge. We'll keep an eye open, but I doubt this comes to anything.

ROBBIE REACTS:



Chelsea TV were the first to gauge Roberto Di Matteo's reaction to our Champions League draw, and the manager believes we have some interesting challenges ahead.

'It's not an easy group, it's going to be tough,' he said, speaking at the Stade Louis II Stadium in Monaco. 'Juventus I know very well, champions of Italy. They play some high tempo football, some good football, and have some good players.

'Shakhtar because of the connection with our club doctor Paco Biosca, who spent seven years there, we know a lot as well. Nordsjaelland are probably the weakest team in the group, but I think we will have to be at our best from the first game with juventus at home.

'It's going to be a big one just after the international break as well, so hopefully all our players come back in good shape from their national teams. Before it we have a big derby against QPR as well, so it's going to be a busy week.'

The manager, a former Italian international, expects Juventus at Stamford Bridge in just over a fortnight to be the pick of the games from the group.

'We like to be involved in the big games and our players respond very well to the big games, they are used to taking responsibility and I think they prefer those games,' he commented. 'But on the other hand they have had a good season, a good team, and hopefully we can start the campaign with a win at home.'

Southampton talking to Chelsea over Benayoun loan


Another transfer deadline, another Yossi Benayoun story. The midfielder, who spent last season at the Emirates with Arsenal (where he helped them finish in third, three places ahead of Chelsea) has already indicated that he's expecting a loan deal and has been in talks with multiple Premier League teams.

Now we're getting an idea of just who those teams are:

Southampton have this morning contacted Chelsea over availability of Benayoun. QPR & Stoke also showing interest

That's much better than loaning him to a direct rival. Southampton would be a perfect fit for Benayoun, who'd probably end up coming off the bench as a late option in midfield. Helping the Saints take points off everyone but Chelsea? I'm all over that one. I'd be less enthused about and Queens Park Rangers transfer, though, because ugh QPR. Anyway, if that Southampton deal goes through, it'd probably mark the end of Benayoun's Chelsea career. That was one sucky Achilles injury.

Report: Everton have loan bid for Michael Essien rejected

Of all the names we expect to hear linked to the exits for Chelsea tomorrow, most of us feel most strongly attached to Michael Essien. Essien wasn't just good for the club in his prime, he was among the elite players on the planet at his position. After several serious knee injuries, Essien has probably lost an awful lot of the mobility that made him one of the world's elite. That doesn't seem to be discouraging interest though, as we now have another Premier League club that has reportedly inquired about the Ghanaian engine:

David Moyes had hoped to bring Chelsea’s out-of-favour midfielder on a season long-loan but could not agree a move for the Ghanaian.

Star-divide

Loaning Michael Essien would make more sense than loaning Daniel Sturridge, but it would still seem to make very little sense for a club that will be playing twice a week for the majority of the fall. While Florent Malouda and Yossi Benayoun would seem to have very little use, Essien may well return to some solid form and be an extremely useful part of the squad.

There's also the fact that Essien is still under contract for several more seasons to consider. While Benayoun, Sturridge, and Malouda are all set to expire in ten months time, Essien still has another three years remaining on his deal. Should he return to any sort of form, that pre-FFP contract could still be a very valuable asset to the club. He's probably worth taking a flier on just because of that. We'll have to wait and see on this one, but I'd be fairly surprised if Essien moves anywhere tomorrow.

Are Chelsea now a perfectly oiled machine?

Chelsea have begun the new Premier League season successfully, winning their first three games of the campaign. The Blues are the team in best form so far and now we can start to outline the first impressions we have got from Roberto Di Matteo’s side.

First, it’s impossible to ignore the rise of Fernando Torres, who has scored 3 goals in 4 games (including the Community Shield final). The Spaniard got his confidence back, which guarantees even better displays from him.

It seems that Torres and Eden Hazard could set up a lethal partnership, as the Belgian has already proved to be one of the best signings during the summer transfer window. Hazard took part in 6 of the 9 goals Chelsea have scored and he could be the one to regularly provide Torres with the ammunition he needs. If this partnership develops well, Chelsea would possess a huge advantage in the title race.

£75ms on new players sounds too much, as Chelsea became one of the teams to spend the most this summer, but the new signings have definitely brought depth to Di Matteo’s squad. The Italian manager now has a very well-balanced team, which consists of versatile first-teamers and reliable reserves able to change the course of any given match.
The midfield zone is the most impressive. Chelsea have brilliant players that can operate in different positions. This gives Di Matteo a variety of options to rotate his players during important games and prepare tactical surprises for Chelsea’s opponents. Time will tell how Cesar Azpilicueta and Victor Moses will integrate at Stamford Bridge, but they could end up being useful options for Di Matteo too.

The most distinct feature in Chelsea’s game is the intelligent style of play the manager aims to impose. Di Matteo is Italian and is not very excited by the idea of playing too attractive football. He tries to find the best possible balance between defense and attack, focusing on team’s solid defending, but at the same time he has brilliant attacking players who can decide any game with just one magical touch. The manager is sober-minded and he trusts his speedy players to bring side’s victory.

Another trump card Di Matteo has in hand is the high efficiency of his midfielders when they help to defend. The excellent teamwork is proved by the compact and disciplined movement of the players when the opponent gets the ball. Thus, Chelsea do not concede too many dangerous shots.

Right now the European champions look like a perfectly working machine, ready to overpower any opponent. Chelsea’s unwavering discipline and efficient style put The Blues among the biggest title favourites, along with the two Manchester sides. However, it’s too early to make categorical predictions on how Chelsea will go on this season. If they win the European Super Cup and then beat QPR and Stoke City, Di Matteo’s players would gain an immense self-confidence before facing top teams in October and November, where Chelsea have to affirm their title ambitions and challenge City and United.

Rodgers Coy On Walcott & Sturridge But Rules Out Dutchman

As we enter the final stages of the summer transfer window, Football Talk will be keeping you up-to-date with all the latest transfer news. Today, Brendan Rodgers gives a transfer update.
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has given a transfer update this afternoon, responding to speculation linking him with a move for Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Theo Walcott and Daniel Sturridge.

The new Liverpool boss confirmed he’s keen to add at least one more attacker before the window shuts tonight after claiming he needs to add more goals to his team. The former Swansea manager told the clubs official website:

“There are a number of players we’re enquiring about. There is no doubt we need to add goals to the team. That was always an objective when I first came in.

“If we can get recognised goalscorers to come in, that’s the objective.

“There’ll be hopefully one or two coming in.”

Rodgers was speaking at his weekly press conference ahead of this weekends clash with Arsenal and was quizzed on a number of names who’ve been linked with a move to Anfield in recent days.

Reports today have suggested Klass-Jan Huntelaar was on his was to Merseyside to complete a move from Schalke, but Rodgers dismissed this as nothing more than speculation and insists the Dutch striker wont be joining the club.

“No, definitely not,” Rodgers replied when asked if Huntelaar was joining Liverpool

Rodgers was then a little more coy when he was asked about his interest in Arsenal’s Theo Walcott and Chelsea’s Daniel Sturridge:

“Walcott is an Arsenal player. He’s a very good Arsenal player,”

“Daniel is a young player that I know well and he’s done very well for Chelsea. At the moment there’s a number of contacts we’re making, but out of respect for the clubs and players, I’m not going to go through every player linked to Liverpool.”

Source: ESPN.

Daniel Sturridge: Sell, Loan Or Keep?

I am talking a lot about Daniel Sturridge today, apparently. Cool. He's pretty interesting. Everyone else apparently finds him interesting too, because there have been rumours about him moving on this summer. We know he'd rather be playing centre forward at Chelsea than right wing (or sitting on the bench), and we're also pretty sure that he's out of contract at the end of the season*. That means that he's a reasonable candidate to be moved on, and since he's also quite a good player, there are a number of teams who could do with him.

*Some recent reports are claiming he has two years left on his deal, which is strange because he signed a four-year contract three years ago.

So what are our possible options? There are a few, and not all of them are that straightforward.

Star-divide

* Sell. Ok, this one is pretty straightforward. We could sell Sturridge (I'm thinking it needs to be in the £15 to £20 million range, because we're going to get a significant amount of money from the tribunal if he leaves next summer at the end of his contract). There are few teams that could give him the wages that he wants combined with the fee that he'd command, but I'm reasonably confident that we could find a buyer. This leaves Chelsea incredibly light at the centre forward position, so the transfer fee and wages savings would probably be offset by the cost of an incoming striker.
* Loan. A loan deal would be a good way of getting Sturridge development time and keeping him happy. He's thrived on loan before, and a loan deal would lower the acquisition cost for teams interested, allowing him to move to a lesser side where there would be more opportunities for a start (see Romelu Lukaku and West Bromwich Albion). However, we're then left with a situation where, upon return from his loan, Sturridge leaves on an expiring contract. About all a good loan spell would do for us is to possibly make for a higher tribunal fee, and we'd still need to spend to replace him.
* Extend. Alternatively Chelsea could throw more money Sturridge's way and have him sign a new contract. Sturridge would get a raise and the club would get to keep one of England's top striker prospects as backup to Fernando Torres. This is a good move if you think he's a good player with a bright future with us, and a bad one if you think the money we could get for a sale would be better off spent elsewhere.
* Extend and loan. Like the above, but with a loan deal on top of it. The benefit of sending Sturridge out on loan is that he becomes a better player, which you're weighting against the cost of losing him for most of the season. However, a replacement would have to be brought in, and Chelsea wouldn't be able to use the Sturridge transfer fee to offset the cost of finding a new striker.
* Do nothing. Also a viable option. If Chelsea think that Sturridge can contribute to the team this year but not beyond it, they might simply not do anything. Remember that players under the age of 24 don't actually leave on free transfers, so Chelsea wouldn't just be setting money on fire here. It's not an elegant option, but this is for those of you who want Sturridge as a backup option for this season and not much else.

And now I turn it over to the community. What should Chelsea do with Daniel Sturridge?

CHALOBAH LOANED TO WATFORD
Posted on: Fri 31 Aug 2012

Nathaniel Chalobah, captain of our FA Youth Cup-winning side last season, has joined Watford on loan until 2 January.

The 17-year-old central defender/midfielder will now be under the management of Gianfranco Zola who took charge of the Championship side this season.

Chalobah, who is 17, was also regularly captain of our reserve side last season and signed a two-and-a-half year contract in January.

Having been a Chelsea schoolboy player, he made his England Under-17 debut aged 14 and became a European champion at that international level in 2010. He has now graduated to England Under-19s group and has been an unused sub for the Chelsea first team.