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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.

AZPILICUETA SIGNS
Posted on: Fri 24 Aug 2012

Chelsea Football Club is delighted to announce the signing of Cesar Azpilicueta.

The 22-year-old right-back, who recently represented Spain at the London Olympics, arrives at Stamford Bridge following a two-year spell in France's Ligue 1 with Marseille.

Born on 28 August 1989 in Pamplona, Navarre, he began his career at the academy of his hometown club, Osasuna.

Having started out as an attacking midfielder, Azpilicueta is comfortable in possession with a good range of passing.

Having come through the ranks at Osasuna, Azpilicueta was handed his La Liga debut on 8 April 2007 against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu.

The following season, with Osasuna depleted by injuries, the youngster featured regularly and cemented his place in the team at right-back with a string of impressive displays, while the 2008/09 campaign saw him miss only two games.

In June 2010, Azpilicueta made the switch from Spain to France, signing a four-year deal with Marseille.

The youngster, however, endured a difficult opening to his career at the club suffering a knee injury which ruled him out for his first season.

Following the disappointment of the previous campaign, the 2011/12 season - with both the European Championships and Olympics on the horizon - was always going to be a big one for the young Spaniard.

He flourished, performing consistently well and catching the eye as Marseille reached the Champions League quarter-finals, eventually eliminated by beaten finalists Bayern Munich.

At international level, he has represented Spain since earning a call-up to the Under 16s in 2005, and was part of the Under 19 side which won the European Championships back in 2007, as well as the Under 21s who tasted success in the same competition in 2011.

He becomes the fourth Spaniard at Stamford Bridge, linking up with fellow countrymen Juan Mata, Oriol Romeu and Fernando Torres.

West Brom striker Lukaku not obsessing over AVB revenge


West Bromwich Albion striker Romelu Lukaku insists he's not out for revenge on Andre Villas-Boas this weekend.

Lukaku, on-loan from Chelsea, insists he does not bear a grudge against the gaffer who never gave him a Premier start for the Blues.

Lukaku said: “This is West Bromwich Albion playing Tottenham, not me playing Andre Villas-Boas.

“What happened last year was very much last year.

“The only thing I care about is getting the three points for West Bromwich.”

Chelsea defender Cahill hails "phenomenal" Hazard

Chelsea defender Gary Cahill has hailed the early season form of Eden Hazard.

Hazard has caught the eye in consecutive wins over Wigan Athletic and Reading.

Cahill said: “His intelligence takes him wherever he finds space. He was superb against Reading — he looked dangerous every time he got the ball.

“He has got that little burst of pace when he gets past a player. He’s the same in training as you see out there. It’s so hard to get the ball off him.

“He has this low centre of gravity and his touch is similar to Mata’s.”

PRE-MATCH BRIEFING: CHELSEA V NEWCASTLE UNITED
Posted on: Fri 24 Aug 2012

It's another chance to gain points on the equivalent fixtures last season as the Blues aim to banish the memory of our most recent league defeat. Club historian Rick Glanvill and club statistican Paul Dutton trail the Tynesiders visit…


TALKING POINTS
Victory this weekend would mean Roberto Di Matteo's men maintaining the three-point lead at the top of the table until next weekend, when the European champions contest the UEFA Super Cup in Monaco while the rest of the Barclays Premier League plays catch-up.

Frank Lampard continues to carve his name in the bark of our club's history. His successful penalties against Wigan and Reading (identical, it has to be said) were Chelsea's first ever in consecutive games from the start of the season.

He and right-back Branislav Ivanovic are our joint league top scorers. In all competitions our skipper in Munich has now hit 188 goals. That is five shy of Kerry Dixon's total of 193, completed in March 1992, and 14 behind Bobby Tambling's club record 202, set over 43 years ago in April 1969.

Eden Hazard's sensational start with the Blues is confirmed by his position as leading goal-maker according to official Premier League statistics (which equate penalties won to assists), with a remarkable five in two games; he is also the most fouled player (eight times). Likewise Petr Cech has made the most saves to date (15) and John Terry the most clearances (eight).

KEY STAT
The Magpies are unbeaten in their last four visits to Stamford Bridge.




Newcastle arrive in London 48 hours after their Europa League qualifying trip to Athens, a 1-1 draw at the home of Atromitos. When push came to shove manager Alan Pardew felt confident enough to omit several key players from match against the side fourth in the Greek Super League.

As a result the likes of defender Fabricio Coloccini, midfielder Cheikh Tioté, and striker Demba Ba should be fresh for this Saturday evening clash.

In May, largely as a result of the shrewd signing of dynamic players such as Ba and Papiss Cissé, Pardew masterminded the Magpies' highest finish since Alan Shearer's swansong 2003/04 season.

Toon kicked off this campaign with a slightly fortuitous 2-1 win over our north London neighbours Spurs in unfamiliar Tyneside heat. Tottenham had the better of the game in almost all but goals. Once again the ability of their creative players to conjure goals from nothing made the difference for Newcastle.

Opportunism was the hallmark of their 2-0 win on the Fulham Road last May. This was traditionally a graveyard of the north-easterners' ambitions, with 6-0s, 5-0s and a regular sprinkling of 4-0 scorelines. But the Blues' last win in this fixture was a 2-1 back in December 2007.

This will be the Blues' first 5.30pm Saturday kick-off since Wigan away last season, a 1-1 draw. The last at Stamford Bridge ended in a comprehensive 3-1 victory over Everton. West Brom were also beaten 2-1 at home in August in this time slot.

Make a note in your diaries, by the way: Chelsea's defence of the Champions League starts with the group stage draw in Monaco on Thursday 30 August at 5pm.

KEY TWEET
Which teams would you like champions Chelsea to be grouped with on Thursday in the Champions League draw? #CFCPMB




Barclays Premier League fixtures
Saturday
Swansea v West Ham 12.45pm - Sky Sports
Aston Villa v Everton 3pm
Manchester United v Fulham 3pm
Norwich v QPR 3pm
Southampton v Wigan 3pm
Sunderland v Reading 3pm
Tottenham v West Brom 3pm
Chelsea v Newcastle 5.30pm - ESPN
Sunday
Stoke v Arsenal 1.30pm - Sky Sports
Liverpool v Manchester City 4pm - Sky Sports

Liverpool ahead of Man City for Chelsea outcast Sturridge


Liverpool are chasing Chelsea striker Danny Sturridge.

The Daily Mail says Manchester City would like to take him back to Eastlands and Liverpool would also love to have him at Anfield.

The problem for Liverpool is that they have no funds left to pay for such a deal.

While Nuri Sahin could yet come in from Real Madrid on loan they hope to sign Dorus de Vries from Wolves and Clint Dempsey from Fulham.

CAHILL CONFIDENT


Gary Cahill, scorer of Chelsea's equaliser against Reading, believed the team would go on to win the game once he had netted that second goal.

It looked to be plain sailing in the early stages against the newly promoted side with a goal advantage thanks to Frank Lampard's penalty and possession being dominated, but Reading came back strongly and it was not until 69 minutes that Cahill's long-range strike brought the teams level.

'It certainly felt as if we were pushing hard and creating and there were some great individual performances so I felt it was coming,' said the England centre-back after the game.

'But you keep looking at the clock and time is ticking so it was great I managed to get the equaliser and I was confident we were going to go on from there.

'The first 10 to 15 minutes we dominated and it was disappointing that the game was turned on its head and we went 2-1 down, but the character we have in the squad meant I hoped it was a matter of time before we got back in front.

'Great credit to Reading, they were direct at times, worked hard and played some good stuff and made it hard for us, but it was nothing we weren't expecting.'

Cahill praised the quality of the cross and then the header from Pavel Pogrebnyak that brought Reading level but admitted he should have been closer to the Russian centre-forward. He was therefore especially happy to atone with his goal, even if it was aided by a mistake from Reading keeper Adam Federici.

'I thought maybe he was going to push it round but it just pitched before him so it was difficult and thankfully it made its way in,' says Cahill, whose goal was followed by strikes from Fernando Torres and Branislav Ivanovic.

'It is fantastic for Fernando because he has two goals now and is up and running. He has started the season well with goals and long may it continue, and our right-back has popped up with two goals this season too!

'I also thought Eden Hazard was fantastic, really special. He did well against Wigan and I thought against Reading he was amazing.'

Benayoun desperate for Blues exit
August 24, 2012

Yossi Benayoun is hoping to secure a move away from Chelsea before the end of the transfer window - with Greek side Olympiakos and Premier League duo West Ham and Fulham considering a move for out-of-favour midfielder.

Benayoun spent last season on loan at Arsenal, but the North London club have opted against signing the Israel playmaker after he failed to nail down a regular spot in Arsene Wenger's starting line-up.

With one year left on his Chelsea contract, Benayoun was hoping to leave Stamford Bridge this summer, but he now fears he may be stuck in the Blues reserves as club chiefs insist the 32-year-old will not be allowed to terminate his contract early.

Chelsea are looking to secure a transfer fee for Benayoun, whose wage demands may price him out of the market for a move to clubs who could not finance what would be an expensive and somewhat risky signing.

"I will announce something soon on my future as I am taking time on my decision and want to make the right one," Benayoun recently said.

Meanwhile, Chelsea are rumoured to be ready to step up their interest in Fiorentina striker Stevan Jovetic, who has also been heavily linked with a move to Manchester City in recent days.

City not interested in Chelsea's David Luiz:


Manchester City have reacted with surprise after being linked with an £30 million bid for Chelsea centre-back David Luiz.
Reports in the English press suggested the reigning Premier League champions were readying an offer for Luiz, who has become an important player at Stamford Bridge since his arrival from Benfica in January 2011.

However, sources at the Etihad Stadium have told ESPN the speculation has "no foundation whatsoever" and there are no plans to make a move for the Brazil international.

Roberto Mancini confirmed as much in his Friday press conference, saying: "I read it a newspaper but it is not true. David Luiz is young and is a fantastic player but it is not true."

City suspect Luiz's agent might be trying to whip up interest in his client, and the player has also been linked with a switch to Barcelona. Chelsea have not indicated that Luiz, a cult figure at the Bridge, is available for transfer.

Mancini still wants to bolster his defensive options before the end of the transfer window, and has not completely given up hope of signing Daniel Agger from Liverpool.

The Reds want £25 million for Agger, and City are still weighing up whether to meet that asking price as they search for more depth in central defence to augment Vincent Kompany, Joleon Lescott and Stefan Savic.

AZPILICUETA: FIRST WORDS
Posted on: Fri 24 Aug 2012

Cesar Azpilicueta became the fourth new addition to the club over the course of the summer when he completed his move from Marseille earlier today.

There is little doubt that the Spanish defender has joined the club at an exciting time, with the Blues in the hunt for six trophies throughout the 2012/13 season.

Shortly after taking part in his first training session as a Chelsea player, Azpilicueta sat down with the official Chelsea website and spoke about signing for the European champions.

Firstly, Cesar, welcome to the club. How does it feel to be a Chelsea player?
I'm very happy to play for Chelsea. It's a project I want to be a part of and to help the team grow. I am looking forward to helping the team win more trophies.

How would you describe your style of play?
I'm a right-back and my first mission is to defend for the team. I also like to offer solutions for the team offensively and I enjoy going forward.

It's been a good start to the season so far, with two wins from two matches. Did you see any of the games?
Yes, I saw both matches in full and really enjoyed them. Obviously, it's always nice when the team win, and we have been playing well.

You played for Spain at the Olympics in a number of English stadiums. What did you make of the atmosphere in this country?
It was wonderful. There were good crowds at all of our games making a lot of noise and it was a good experience for me.

You played alongside both Oriol Romeu and Juan Mata at the Olympics, and also have Fernando Torres at the club. Will the fact you have three Spaniards here make it easier to adapt?Yes, definitely. Juan and Oriol have been helping me out this morning and showing me around the training ground. Moving to another country is a big change and it's very nice for me to have some familiar faces here already.

You've captained the national side?
Yes, I was captain for Spain when I played for the younger age groups.

Have you watched a lot of Premier League football, and do you think your style of play will suit the English game?
Yes, I watch a lot of the Premier League on television. It will be difficult at first but I hope, given time, I will be able to play well and adapt.

Eden Hazard is a player you know from competing against him in Ligue 1…
I know Hazard well from my time in France. He's a very good player and I'm looking forward to having him as a member of my team.

We have some very experienced defenders at the club, players such as John Terry and Ashley Cole. How do you feel about being given the opportunity to play with such established stars?
Of course, they are all very good players, but the most important thing for me is to learn from them and their experiences. I'm a younger player and it will be good for me to develop and grow playing alongside them.

Finally, what are your aims for this season?
Firstly, I want to integrate into the group, but also to play as regularly as possible. I want to help the team win matches and win as many trophies as we can.

Di Matteo says Chelsea will take Super Cup seriously


Chelsea boss Roberto di Matteo says they'll take seriously their European Super Cup final with Atletico Madrid.

Having swept to the top of the Barclays Premier League in style with nine points from three games, Chelsea turn their focus to Friday’s European date against Atletico Madrid, in Monaco.

"We will take this game very seriously," said Di Matteo, who has already won the FA Cup and the Champions League in less than six months since taking over from Andre Villas-Boas.

"It is not a friendly. It’s another European trophy we want to win. We will not be resting people. It is a very important game.

"We’re happy to go into the European Super Cup final with three wins and hopefully we can win another international trophy for Chelsea."

Chelsea dazzler Hazard: I knew I was okay when I made Lampard laugh!:



Eden Hazard has enjoyed his start at Chelsea.

Hazard is equally happy with the way he has dealt with the challenge of fitting in among all the experienced names at Chelsea.

"I've adapted very well to life in London. You're always a bit overawed when you arrive at a club with so many big names," he told The Sun.

"But then you tell yourself 'They are people like me with two arms and two legs'. Of course, I have respect for the players who are already here but it is down to me to tread my own path.

"I told myself it would be a new country, a new culture, a new language.

"But I had already changed countries when I went from Belgium to France, so I had made a similar step before. This is my third country and I came here to play football.

"Like in every club, there's an initiation song. I sang a French rap song for them and made them laugh a lot, which is the main thing. Frank Lampard was laughing when I gave my first interview in English, so that must mean everyone was laughing. But it wasn't too bad for my first time speaking English.

"I managed to get two or three words out and you always get away with it when you smile.

"I'm lucky there are two or three Francophiles in the squad - Petr Cech speaks French and obviously so does Florent Malouda."

Chelsea ace Hazard: We're here to win the lot!



Chelsea dazzler Eden Hazard says they're expected to win the lot this season.

The £32million superstar outlined his hopes last night in his first major interview since his sizzling Premier League introduction.

He told The Sun: “At Chelsea you have to win every game. The objective is win, win, win. This season I think there are seven trophies to play for.

“We played the first one against Manchester City in the Community Shield. If we get two or three from the remaining six that will be great.

“Big clubs, whether it’s Chelsea or Manchester, are formatted to win.

Thank you for your effort

PAT NEVIN: TRUE FAITH
Posted on: Tue 28 Aug 2012

It hasn't always been easy to stand by his judgement, but is the world outside Chelsea steadily coming round to his viewpoint? Pat Nevin explains further in this week's column…



One of the clichés often used when you have a raft of new players at the beginning of every season is that you have to hit the ground running. Clearly Chelsea have managed to start the season scarcely breaking stride from the successful race to Munich. Maybe a bit of realism is needed however, the fixtures fell very kindly and that has certainly helped, but to stretch the metaphor to the limit, we all know that it is a marathon not a sprint.

Nonetheless it has certainly made others take notice of Chelsea when considering the ultimate destination of the league title this term. I will admit that I even thought that chasing Manchester United and City all the way this season might be a long shot, but there is no doubt the odds have come in a bit, even if we are still outsiders. Actually that is not a bad place to be, it certainly relieves some of the pressure that has weighed upon the club over the past few years. Now it is hope rather than expectation, for the fans as well as the players.

With slightly less pressure the players can be just that little bit more relaxed and I certainly believe that helps, especially if you are the creative type. Playing for the joy as opposed to playing out of fear is the best way to maximise the contributions from the likes of Mata, Moses, Oscar and Hazard. Having said that, Eden has brought down a fair bit of pressure on his own head already.By playing so exceptionally well in the first three league games, everyone in English football expects him to continue this rich, ultra-productive vein of form. I suspect he can cope because even at the tender age of 21 he has already lived with it for a few years in France with little obvious negative effect.

Looking closely at the three games so far, they have each contained sections of fabulous play followed by less impressive periods, so we will not be carried away simply by the results. Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool have already slipped up but in the case of the first two particularly, they were in extremely tricky fixtures. Just over the horizon in the league there is a run when we face Spurs, Man United, Man City and Liverpool in fairly quick succession. If we are still top of the pile then, maybe it will be time to get a little bit more excited.

I have to say I was particularly pleased with Fernando Torres' contribution against Newcastle United. Those who read this page regularly or listen to me on TV or radio know that I stand by the idea that our striker has been very unlucky in his Chelsea career so far. In the past the team wasn't set up for his particular style and as such the expected avalanche of goals never quite arrived last season. He did however keep making the runs, he continued to selflessly work for the team nearly all the time and he regularly sacrificed his own strengths by working wide when he and Didier were on the pitch together. While many in the media, ex pros included, called him a flop and a spent force, like many Chelsea fans I continually disagreed, in the face of mounting ridicule.

On Saturday evening I was on ESPN where the game was being transmitted live. On the show Kevin Keegan and Chelsea old boy Craig Burley once more disagreed with my synopsis of El Nino before the game. I tried very hard not to look too smug when our striker made the penalty and then scored a cracker right on the half-time whistle. Give him his due, Kevin Keegan who is the loveliest of men, accepted that Torres had had a productive first half but rightly underlined that his link-up play was less impressive. Craig also correctly noted that this one half of football was not enough to judge the contribution of a player who cost £50million.

I will however continue to stand my ground, but there is a general agreement that if our striker stays fit and contributes over 20 goals this season, then my one-man media campaign will have been proved right. It is no surprise then that no one will be celebrating his every goal more than me! The good thing is that these debates almost always take place in a friendly environment, even if there is a bit of banter surrounding it.

In the meantime there is so much to look forward to. The Champions League draw this week is a huge moment for the club. There is never really an easy group, but there are usually some that are more straight-forward than others. Then of course there is always one group of death. The fixtures were kind to us in the league and I hope the same will be said about our draw when it happens. Just like the domestic campaign you want to hit the ground running with so many new players and more importantly with such a totally altered style of play. There is also the fact that as European champions every team in the competition is desperate to beat you.

With that excitement to look forward to on Thursday there is the small matter of the European Super Cup on Friday night against Atletico Madrid hot on its heels. It is an odd statistic that of Chelsea's last eight competitive games, four of them have been for trophies. The FA Cup, the Champions League, the Community Shield and now this showpiece event in Monaco.

Once again this is a less-pressured match, but still one that you would want to win. Trophies and medals are always significant, even though of the four, we already have the two we would prefer. Atletico are a fine side who I watched a great deal last season, with Falcao in particular a revelation up front. If you can't manage to swan over to Monaco, (we haven't all got yachts anchored there) this is one to sit back, relax and enjoy on TV. After all we have nine points in the bag already while Arsenal or Liverpool (or both) will drop more points when they play on Sunday and United have a tricky tie away to Southampton, ah happy days!

In last week's quiz I asked who were the first players to be bought and sold for £1million at Chelsea? In those days it sounded like a lot of money, now I just sound like Dr Evil from the Austin Powers movies when I write it. For those who thought it was myself, the answer is no, I was sold for a paltry £925,000. There were lots of good guesses but as far as I can work out the first player we sold for over £1m was Tony Dorigo (£1.3m) to Leeds United in June 1991. Gordon Durie left later that summer to Spurs for a far higher figure. The first player we bought for over £1m was Dennis Wise (£1.6m) on the 5th of July 1991; Andy Townsend arrived soon after that for over £1million as well.

There can only be one winner of the Champions League DVD signed by one of the players involved and it is Stephanie Post from Dundee who was chosen at random.

To stand a chance of being the lucky winner of a similar prize this week, could you tell me who did Chelsea beat when they last won the trophy we are playing for on Friday?

its nofin much bro....always blue.

Chelsea due windfall from Sinclair Man City move



Chelsea are due a windfall from Swansea City winger Scott Sinclair's move to Manchester City.

The Daily Mail says Chelsea will net a £500,000 bonus when Scott Sinclair finally completes his move to Manchester City this week.

The Swansea winger is expected to agree personal terms on Tuesday on a contract that will more than double his Liberty Stadium salary – which is worth in the region of £22,000 a week – after the two clubs agreed a fee of approximately £6.5million fee at the weekend.

Chelsea will see a nice return from the move because of a clause they inserted in the deal when Sinclair left Stamford Bridge for Swansea for £1.5m in 2010.

CECH: HITTING TARGETS:

Petr Cech has been assessing our impressive start to the new season and emphasised the importance of starting strongly.

Saturday's victory over Newcastle United was our third straight win in less than a week, and with no league fixture now for three weeks due to our involvement in the UEFA Super Cup and an international break, the goalkeeper, who captained the side against Alan Pardew's men, feels we are in an ideal position.

'We've had the advantage of playing three games whereas most other teams have only played two,' said Cech. 'To be sitting on the top of the league with the Super Cup coming up, we can relax, and when we play next in the Premier League we will be in a good position. That was the target and we managed to fulfil it.

'It's always better if you have a base and build on it. If you make mistakes from the start, you have to keep chasing teams and then you're dependant on other results. You are controlling your own destiny when you pick up three points every time.'

Eden Hazard and Fernando Torres, who both scored, were a constant threat throughout, and their link-up play, particularly given the fact they have only played together on a handful of occasions, was a joy to watch.

Nobody could have foreseen the magnitude of Hazard's impact so early in the campaign, the young Belgian with one goal and five assists to his name already, and Cech has been as impressed as anybody.

'The French league is a tough league, so it shows what a good player he is, and he's still only 21-years-old,' explained Cech.

'It's great to have players like him coming into the club. It's tough to lose a player like Didier [Drogba], but Fernando is scoring goals again, and the likes of [Juan] Mata, Hazard and Lamps [Frank Lampard] when he's been playing, have found a quick understanding in the midfield and it's great to see.

'He can make a difference on his own, and that's what sometimes helps when you have a tight game. He takes people on and creates situations where other players can take advantage. It's very helpful when you have tough games.'

Torres, meanwhile, appears revitalised after ending last season well and walking away with the Golden Boot at the European Championships.

His expertly-taken strike against Alan Pardew's side was his third goal in four games - including the Community Shield against Manchester City - and with Drogba now departed, and the Spaniard first-choice striker at the club, Cech believes he is flourishing.

'If you come to a team and not everything starts well, as it happened with him, then suddenly towards the end of the season you start playing well, scoring a few goals and win the Golden Boot with the national team at the Euros, obviously it's a completely different story to the one when he first joined the club and you can notice the difference,' he said.

'He was always running and creating chances but at times he was unlucky not to score, now they are hitting the back of the net which is great.

'You can see he's enjoying the game, enjoying himself, he has the confidence, and if you have three goals in four games, as a striker, that's what's important.'

Such a solid start to the campaign, according to the Blues goalkeeper, is testament to the collective attitude and desire of the whole squad.

'You can see we have the advantage of great defenders. You can see why Gary [Cahill] is such a good defender and why he plays for the national team, that's why we bought him from Bolton,' said Cech.

'You can never play every game, but it's great to see if JT [John Terry] is rested the other two guys can come in and do their job.

'It comes down to the players we have, everything is gelling together, the new players are settling well with a good understanding. Ashley [Cole] and Ryan [Bertrand] on the left-hand side were brilliant on Saturday because they can swap places, so that's a big help. We've been doing well with the run of results and we want to build on it.'

CONFIDENCE IS KEY:

Fernando Torres, who enjoyed one of his finest displays in a Chelsea shirt against Newcastle United at the weekend, believes his recent upturn in fortunes is simply down to playing regular first team football.

The Spanish striker, who scored our second goal in the 2-0 win, after earning the penalty which allowed Eden Hazard to give us the lead, has now netted three goals in four games. He is once again playing with a smile on his face, and there is little doubt that the team as a whole are reaping the rewards.

'My confidence is back because I'm playing more,' Torres said. 'When you play more often you are confident, and with the new players we've signed, the team are playing more attacking football.

'We know how strong we are when we need to defend, as we showed last season, and we now have two competitive ways we can play depending on the opposition.

'It is great to see players like Eden Hazard come here and it is a privilege to play with him and Juan Mata who are the kind of players who play between the lines.'

Ryan Bertrand, meanwhile, who has started two of our first three games on the left of midfield, has spoken of his enjoyment at playing in a side which, on the evidence thus far, are on the path to become the great entertainers.

The 23-year-old is developing an understanding with Ashley Cole on the left-hand side, and the duo were instrumental in nullifying the threat of Newcastle's Hatem Ben Arfa.

In what is a more unfamiliar position for Bertrand, though, he is being asked to contribute more going forward than defensively, and while he admitted it's taking time to adjust, he is clearly relishing his new role.

'It definitely is enjoyable playing with the likes of [Juan] Mata, Fernando and Eden [Hazard],' said Bertrand. 'The boys at the back and the midfield are giving us that structure and platform to play, so it's very enjoyable.

'I find I'm getting used to it as each game goes by, developing that relationship with Ash and telling my mind that I'm playing as a left midfielder rather than dropping too deep, but hopefully it's getting better with each game.

'We're just going to take each game as it comes and, at the end of the season, if we do well enough, I'm sure we'll be in amongst it.'

True Blue: So how do you solve a problem like Lampard?

The time will come when Chelsea must figure out how they will replace Frank Lampard
Frank Lampard came on in the 87th minute to help the for Chelsea to defend their two-goal lead over Newcastle at the Bridge on Saturday.

He had a couple of touches; closed down a bit of space, looked industrious, and, when the final whistle was blown, he left the field.

He was on the sodden Stamford Bridge pitch for the best part of 480 seconds and did not need to raise sweat - I doubt he even needed a shower.

Perhaps fiancée Christine Bleakley can make a more informed judgement on that, but from a football point of view it was clear that Frank’s introduction was a tad pointless.

Frank the powerhouse, the box-to-box goal-scoring phenomenon is coming to the end of his illustrious Chelsea career.

Any Blues fan knows Frank’s footballing stats, there’s no need to repeat them here.

I suspect he’s hoping to add a couple of more impressive personal ones in the coming season.

He’s nine games short of 100 England caps and he’s got Kerry Dixon’s 147 Chelsea league goals in his sights.

If he gets past both of those, it’s fair to say Frank, when he does bring the curtain down, can retire a happy and contented player.

Now I’m not writing Frank off, but it’s unlikely he will be offered a new contract which expires at the end of this season (I hope he gets one) and like Didier Drogba last year, he will see out the remaining months doing what he does best, scoring goals.

So the burning question on everyone’s lips – well, mine at least – is how do you replace Lampard?

Roman Abramovich had spent shed loads of cash this summer on midfielders - none of them however will come close to achieving what Lampard has at SW6.

Sure, Eden Hazard, Oscar and the like have all being scouted for the best part of a year before Ron Gourlay was let loose to spend £85 million of Roman’s cash.

And with the ever-increasing plea for an end to the current transfer window system, the time is ripe for an alternative transfer system, one that is a more entertaining way of discovering emerging football talent, in a form where everyone, club officials and fans alike, can be part of.

So how do you solve a problem like Lampard?

Now I know what you are thinking - and you would be right - it’s a new TV game show-style transfer system, where Abramovich can find a new Lampard (JT, Ash, you get my drift) who will become Chelsea stars of the future.

I like the idea of Abramovich sitting on a throne making proclamations on a host of newbie Lampards who would parade their skills in front of an invited TV audience.

The selected few would then go on to a popular vote by Joe Public - it is not as fanciful as it sounds, is it?

In fact, the more I think about it, the more I like the idea of Chelsea signing new players based on TV game formats.

Just off the top of my head, when we are in the search of new goalkeeping talent to replace Petr Cech, we could create a show based on that popular improvisation show of late 1980s called Whose Line is it Anyway? Of course it would be retitled Whose Goal-line Is It Anyway, or maybe, The Million Pound Drop The Ball Live?

You know where I am going with this don’t you?

Okay, with that in mind let’s rip through the three basic football formations and see what we get.

For our defensive foursome we could repackage Ready Steady Cook to become Ready Steady Kick.

No? I kind of liked that.

For our midfield, assuming How To Solve A Problem Like Lampard? is already commissioned by West Ham, we could have that ever so popular kids’ show from the 1970s Runaround which starred Mike Reid, AKA Frank Butcher from EastEnders.

To replace Drogba (what do you mean we already have Fernando Torres?) we would surly find a worthy No.9 from another re-imaged kids show Blockbusters which we would call Netbusters.

I’m sure you can think of your own which are much, much better.

Taking a slightly skewed view, one could come up with a list of shows about how we have signed some of our players.

So, which player did we get from the brilliant game show of the 1950/60s Double Your Money - which starred Hughie Green and Monica Rose?

The answer is Ashley Cole of course, but I would have accepted all the current players. I would have also accepted all our players if the show was Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

Chris Sutton and Robert Fleck we got from Firing Blankety Blanks (geddit?); Winston Bogarde we naturally got from Scrapheap Challenge; we got the Wilkins brothers from Ask The Family; Bullseye gave us hotshot striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink; Pat Nevin and Graeme Le Saux were worthy winners from Eggheads. Remember goalkeeper Peter Borota? He was definitely Game For A Laugh.

Journalists like myself should not escape a bit of ridicule, so I’d be delighted to be signed on for the Fourth Estate from my staring role in Have I Got News For You.

I’m sure Lamps will sign a new contract if the price is right. The Countdown to contract talks must be looming, and I hope he doesn’t become our weakest link in midfield in the meantime. Strikes It Lucky he could Challenge Anneka’s club goalscoring record (surely Bobby Tambling’s?), and I bet you Fifteen To One that he will.

With Roman you can never be sure what he’s thinking. It could be a Deal Or No Deal for Frank, I haven’t a Cluedo what’s gong to happen really, but if it all goes sour, then Chelsea will be the Biggest Loser.

Newcastle boss hails Chelsea duo:


Newcastle boss Alan Pardew was full of praise for Chelsea goalscorers Eden Hazard and Fernando Torres after they both scored to beat his Magpies 2-0 yesterday.

The two internationals – who cost the Blues £82 million – have struck up a promising partnership which has seen them win three Premier League games out of three to climb to the top spot.

“In the first half, we were lacklustre, but Chelsea were good,” Pardew said. “The first goal was bad from our point of view, but their second goal was great.

“Hazard is a difficult player [to play against]. He is very nonchalant when running with the ball, and makes a big difference for them, certainly the difference from the Chelsea of last season.”

Torres has now netted twice in three games and Pardew said: “He was good. That was one of his better games - the second goal was a classic effort.”

MOSES: THE FIRST INTERVIEW


One of the clichés often used when you have a raft of new players at the beginning of every season is that you have to hit the ground running. Clearly Chelsea have managed to start the season scarcely breaking stride from the successful race to Munich. Maybe a bit of realism is needed however, the fixtures fell very kindly and that has certainly helped, but to stretch the metaphor to the limit, we all know that it is a marathon not a sprint.

Nonetheless it has certainly made others take notice of Chelsea when considering the ultimate destination of the league title this term. I will admit that I even thought that chasing Manchester United and City all the way this season might be a long shot, but there is no doubt the odds have come in a bit, even if we are still outsiders. Actually that is not a bad place to be, it certainly relieves some of the pressure that has weighed upon the club over the past few years. Now it is hope rather than expectation, for the fans as well as the players.

With slightly less pressure the players can be just that little bit more relaxed and I certainly believe that helps, especially if you are the creative type. Playing for the joy as opposed to playing out of fear is the best way to maximise the contributions from the likes of Mata, Moses, Oscar and Hazard. Having said that, Eden has brought down a fair bit of pressure on his own head already.By playing so exceptionally well in the first three league games, everyone in English football expects him to continue this rich, ultra-productive vein of form. I suspect he can cope because even at the tender age of 21 he has already lived with it for a few years in France with little obvious negative effect.

Looking closely at the three games so far, they have each contained sections of fabulous play followed by less impressive periods, so we will not be carried away simply by the results. Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool have already slipped up but in the case of the first two particularly, they were in extremely tricky fixtures. Just over the horizon in the league there is a run when we face Spurs, Man United, Man City and Liverpool in fairly quick succession. If we are still top of the pile then, maybe it will be time to get a little bit more excited.

I have to say I was particularly pleased with Fernando Torres' contribution against Newcastle United. Those who read this page regularly or listen to me on TV or radio know that I stand by the idea that our striker has been very unlucky in his Chelsea career so far. In the past the team wasn't set up for his particular style and as such the expected avalanche of goals never quite arrived last season. He did however keep making the runs, he continued to selflessly work for the team nearly all the time and he regularly sacrificed his own strengths by working wide when he and Didier were on the pitch together. While many in the media, ex pros included, called him a flop and a spent force, like many Chelsea fans I continually disagreed, in the face of mounting ridicule.

On Saturday evening I was on ESPN where the game was being transmitted live. On the show Kevin Keegan and Chelsea old boy Craig Burley once more disagreed with my synopsis of El Nino before the game. I tried very hard not to look too smug when our striker made the penalty and then scored a cracker right on the half-time whistle. Give him his due, Kevin Keegan who is the loveliest of men, accepted that Torres had had a productive first half but rightly underlined that his link-up play was less impressive. Craig also correctly noted that this one half of football was not enough to judge the contribution of a player who cost £50million.

I will however continue to stand my ground, but there is a general agreement that if our striker stays fit and contributes over 20 goals this season, then my one-man media campaign will have been proved right. It is no surprise then that no one will be celebrating his every goal more than me! The good thing is that these debates almost always take place in a friendly environment, even if there is a bit of banter surrounding it.

In the meantime there is so much to look forward to. The Champions League draw this week is a huge moment for the club. There is never really an easy group, but there are usually some that are more straight-forward than others. Then of course there is always one group of death. The fixtures were kind to us in the league and I hope the same will be said about our draw when it happens. Just like the domestic campaign you want to hit the ground running with so many new players and more importantly with such a totally altered style of play. There is also the fact that as European champions every team in the competition is desperate to beat you.

With that excitement to look forward to on Thursday there is the small matter of the European Super Cup on Friday night against Atletico Madrid hot on its heels. It is an odd statistic that of Chelsea's last eight competitive games, four of them have been for trophies. The FA Cup, the Champions League, the Community Shield and now this showpiece event in Monaco.

Once again this is a less-pressured match, but still one that you would want to win. Trophies and medals are always significant, even though of the four, we already have the two we would prefer. Atletico are a fine side who I watched a great deal last season, with Falcao in particular a revelation up front. If you can't manage to swan over to Monaco, (we haven't all got yachts anchored there) this is one to sit back, relax and enjoy on TV. After all we have nine points in the bag already while Arsenal or Liverpool (or both) will drop more points when they play on Sunday and United have a tricky tie away to Southampton, ah happy days!

In last week's quiz I asked who were the first players to be bought and sold for £1million at Chelsea? In those days it sounded like a lot of money, now I just sound like Dr Evil from the Austin Powers movies when I write it. For those who thought it was myself, the answer is no, I was sold for a paltry £925,000. There were lots of good guesses but as far as I can work out the first player we sold for over £1m was Tony Dorigo (£1.3m) to Leeds United in June 1991. Gordon Durie left later that summer to Spurs for a far higher figure. The first player we bought for over £1m was Dennis Wise (£1.6m) on the 5th of July 1991; Andy Townsend arrived soon after that for over £1million as well.

There can only be one winner of the Champions League DVD signed by one of the players involved and it is Stephanie Post from Dundee who was chosen at random.

To stand a chance of being the lucky winner of a similar prize this week, could you tell me who did Chelsea beat when they last won the trophy we are playing for on Friday?

UNDER 21 LEAGUE COMES TO THE BRIDGE

Our Under 21s will be looking to secure a first win in the new-look league when we take on Wolverhampton Wanderers at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, kick-off 4pm, and supporters are encouraged to come down and show your support for the youngsters.

Having opened our campaign with a goalless draw against Manchester City at Brentford's Griffin Park, Dermot Drummy will be eager for his side to secure maximum points when Wolves head to west London.

For a stalemate, the game against Atillio Lombardo's men was an entertaining one, and while a draw was probably a fair result, the Blues had the better of the chances, with Billy Clifford coming closest to snatching the win when his late strike hit the bar.

The visitors will be heading into the game in good spirits having followed up a creditable draw against Liverpool with a 2-1 win against Fulham.

Lampard admits ambitions to be Chelsea manager



Chelsea hero Frank Lampard admits he has ambitions of managing the club.

The 34-year-old admits his thoughts have turned to the possibility of following the likes of Ruud Gullit, Gianluca Vialli and Roberto Di Matteo from the pitch to the dugout for the Blues.

"I am thinking about my coaching badges now but there is only one club I want to manage," Lampard told The Sun.

"I know it might sound a bit selfish but I wouldn't want to go through 'showing myself' with a lower club.

"Although I would never expect to walk into a position such as the Chelsea manager, this is the only club I'd want to manage."

But Lampard, who has just one year remaining on his current deal at the club, is concerned about destroying his legacy as a player if he were to fail as a manager.

"I'd love to have a crack at it but I'd want to do it well," he added.

"I wouldn't want the supporters to forget everything I've tried to do as a player because I can't manage the team."

Andre Schurrle waiting calmly over Chelsea bid


Bayer Leverkusen striker Andre Schurrle is calm over Chelsea's late interest.

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is expected to make a final bid for Schurrle before tomorrow's transfer deadline.

The youngster is staying on the margins and said: "Ultimately, I feel it as absolute appreciation that Bayer is willing to reject such a high offer for me."

Wigan boss Martinez: We can't replace Chelsea signing Moses:

Wigan Athletic boss Roberto Martinez says it's impossible to replace Victor Moses.

Moses joined Chelsea last week.

Martinez said: "I think Victor Moses was such an influential player and such a special player for us I don't think you can replace him with another individual.

"You probably have to replace him with another way of playing in that attacking third or find another way to get the players to fulfil his responsibilities.

"As a whole I'm really pleased with the players we've got but I wouldn't be doing my job properly if I didn't keep my eyes open because sometimes in the last 48 hours you get opportunities you can't turn down."