Season Review: Juan Mata

Juan Mata was signed from Valencia for a fee of around £23.5M in August 2011. And what a debut season it was for the Spanish international.Even though he arrived at the club for a hefty sum, no one expected Mata to be as good a signing as he turned out to be. One journalist even wrote an article titled "Why Stewart Downing Is A Better Signing Than Juan Mata" (Downing had just completed a £20 million move from Aston Villa to Liverpool). I'd love to meet that journalist now.

Juan Mata during his debut match vs. Norwich

Mata made his debut against Norwich City at Stamford Bridge, coming on as a late substitute & scoring in injury time. During the beginning of his Chelsea career, he played mostly on the left side of midfield. He quickly gained a reputation of being Chelsea's "creative spark" in midfield. However, there was a lot of pressure on the young Spaniard as he seemed to be the only one in the Chelsea midfield who could change the game with an assist & sometimes a goal. More often that not, Mata would find himself isolated on the left wing which meant that he couldn't quite influence the game as much as he'd like to. As a result, Chelsea suffered.




Andre Villas-Boas flirted with the idea of playing him in a more central role, but he rarely ever started Mata as an attacking midfielder. The only time Mata would move into a central role was when another winger (say Florent Malouda) was brought on as a substitute, giving Mata the chance to roam.When Roberto Di Matteo was appointed caretaker manager, he changed the formation from a 4-3-3 to a 4-2-3-1 & played Mata in the hole behind the striker. The change worked wonders as Mata found it easier to create chances from a more central role.
  

Mata scoring against Birmingham in the FA Cup

He managed 12 goals & 26 assists in 2011-12. His most memorable goal was the volley he scored against Manchester United at Stamford Bridge, even though the game ended in a 3-3 draw. Arguably his performance of the season was against Tottenham in the FA Cup semi-finals where he scored 1 goal & created 2, helping us beat Spurs 5-1 & enter the finals of the FA Cup.

The volley against Manchester United

Juan Mata: Chelsea's Player of the Year

The Spaniard had a memorable first season at the club, culminating with a Champions League & FA Cup victory. He also won Chelsea's "Player of the Year" trophy, an amazing feat given the fact that this was his first full season at the club. Expect Juan Mata to be one of Chelsea's key players for years to come.

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Brana Urges Luka To Join Chelsea

Will Chelsea finally capture Modrić this season?

Chelsea have been behind Spurs number 14 Luka Modrić and this is something that the whole of Europe is aware of  in my opinion.Chelsea made several bids last season in order to acquire the Croatian Internationals services but thanks to Spurs Chairman Daniel Levy(who sacked Redknapp days ago) who was hellbent to keep Modrić and voiced loudly that Modrić  won't be sold at any cost whatsover.Modrić is now being linked to Real Madrid,Manchester United,several other top clubs and ofcourse Chelsea too.

According to Mirror Football, Modric is "fully prepared" to hand in another transfer request to leave White Hart Lane, and he has no shortage of suitors. The 26-year-old watched his preferred club in West London sign Juan Mata instead, and then Mata and the club hoisted both the Champions League trophy and the FA Cup this campaign.Tottenham, meanwhile, hoisted no trophies.

Our Serbian international and rocksolid in defence Branislav Ivanovic has stated that Luka's move from fellow neighbours Spurs won't be a fail and Modrić is the kind of player that Chelsea require. Roman almost broke the bank last season with a  £40 million bid  for the Croatian but that bid was also rejected on deadline day.



Modrić and Ivanovic in a local derby of 2010-11 season..

Anyways this was what Ivanovic said-

"I don't know much about it other than what I read in the media," he told Sportske Novosti. "I know there was interest in the transfer window before. Chelsea as a team have needed a player with these qualities. He would fit in quickly and strengthen the squad.

"He has been in England a long time and knows about the way football is played on the island and the mentality of the players. He has exceptional quality, and moving to a bigger club is necessary for him to take the next step in his career.

"I think at Chelsea he would adapt instantly and become a better player. He should come to Chelsea - it won't go wrong!"

Now here are some intersting views from the lads at thehardtackle.com I really wanted to share there views with you guys so here is what they said-

Is Luka Modric needed? – Considering it looks like Roberto Di Matteo will take charge next season, one can assume that he will continue to play his preferred 4 – 2 – 3 – 1 formation and Modric fits into the formation like a glove. Both Luka Modric and John Obi Mikel would give Chelsea frightening control in midfield due to their passing and ball retention capabilities. But Modric’s arrival would have to be cautiously managed, as Chelsea then risk overcrowding their midfield spots. It is a signing that isn’t strictly necessary. If it were to happen, then perhaps either of Essien or Meireles or maybe even both of them, would have to leave. On the face of it, it looks like Chelsea may not pursue the diminutive Croatian pass master this summer as there are other areas to strengthen.

Well those were some profound thoughts weren't they? I personally see Modrić as a player with great technical abilities and a very influencial figure in any midfield be it for Spuds or for the Croatian National Team. His recent performances at the Euro's were also simply amazing.

His best role is as a central playmaker and during his time at Dinamo Zagreb, he proved his ability to play as an attacking midfielder, especially on his preferred left wing. In the 2010–11 season, Modric has been seen to adopt a defensive midfield role in addition to playmaking, tracking back to win the ball from the opposition and prepare for counter-attack, making him  the most versatile player in Tottenham.

Modrić openly admitted that he wants to move Chelsea last season....

Let's see how the Luka Modrić transfer frenzy started-

In the summer of 2011, Modrić was heavily pursued by Chelsea. The Blues initially made a bid of £22 million followed by a bid of £27 million, both of which were rejected. Tottenham president, Daniel Levy, stated that Tottenham would not sell Modrić at any price. After the failed bids, Modrić announced that he would welcome a move across London and that he had a "gentleman's agreement" with Daniel Levy that the club would entertain offers from a "big club."

Speculation continued throughout the summer transfer window, eventually culminating in Modrić refusing to play in Tottenham's opening match against Manchester United (a 3–0 loss), stating that his "head was not in the right place" as he continued to force a move to Chelsea. On the final day of the transfer deadline Chelsea made an offer of £40 million, which was rejected by Daniel Levy. After failing to secure a transfer, Harry Redknapp told Luka Modric to focus on his playing and on Tottenham.

Now readers you clearly have an idea of how eager the Blues were and are to sign Luka. But this season the competition has just become stiffer for the Croatian midfield maestro with the likes of Madrid,United and other clubs joining the transfer battle. In my opinion the Blues should battle for Modric and he could come to Chelsea (and could say no to Real Madrid) for sure ,there ain't an iota of doubt about this. He openly admitted last season that he would favor a move to the Bridge. Now with Redknapp gone and no one to lead the club at the moment atleast Modric might just leave Tottenham and hopefully move to the European Champions.

KTBFFH till then as always......

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Napoli eyeing Meireles Swoop?

On the move to Serie A?

It is reported that one of our prolific midfielder, Raul Meireles, is Napoli's coach, Walter Mazzari, top transfer target this summer window, according to La Gazzeta dello Sport. Raul Meireles who signed from Liverpool on deadline day last summer was an integral part of Chelsea’s midfield. He has a total of 28 appearances’ last season and a total of 6 goals and 6 assists in all competitions. Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis is reported to have sent an enquiry to Meireles’ agent, José Caldiera. It is reported that Meireles has a price tag of around £8million.

Meireles is a top target to replace Ezequil Lavezzi who is on his move to big-spending Paris Saint-Germain. The 29 year old has been an integral part in Chelsea’s midfield, and one of his best performances was the away semi final match against Barcelona in Nou Camp. Losing Meireles would mean Chelsea would be left with Frank Lampard, Michael Essien, Oriol Romeu, Ramires, Jon Obi Mikel, and Joshua McEachran. The Mirror also reported that Meireles is yet to comment on this matter, stating that "he is still focused on the Euros and can’t think of his future now”, you can read the full reports here.

Now, losing Meireles would be a great blow for Chelsea in my opinion. Even though his passes aren’t as sublime as Mata’s, but Meireles possesses the energy and determination a midfielder should have. Meireles is a versatile midfielder and can play in any position in midfield, but at Chelsea, he’s played behind the attacking midfielder and as an anchor to our defense. I personally would make him first choice if Lamps is rested or suspended, as he still got the stamina to help the attack and quickly get back and help his defense, the long passes and the tackles. Oh, and how could I forget those powerful shots he produces time to time? 

So what should Chelsea do say if Meireles does go? That means another signing for me. Yes we still have Mikel, Essien and Romeu, but Mikel has a different style of play compared to Lamps and Meireles. Yes he played outstandingly in the finals, but that was because we played defensively. And yes stats wise he’s one of the highest players with pass succession, but don’t forget he tends to slow the game down. He likes to hold the ball too long and it slows our tempo down. So in an attacking play, I’d leave Mikel out and unleash him when we need to defend. As for Essien, well I guess we all agree he’s a shadow of his former self. I do wish we could watch the Essien we adored next season. But as for now, he’s got a long way to go. And with his future still in doubts, we’ll have to wait and see. Now, Romeu and McEachran, both exciting young talents, but both still need more games and experience to be fully relied on.

Would Bastian be the perfect signing for our midfield?

Maybe Romans meeting on the yacht with Bastian Schweinsteiger a few days ago was not just a normal “chit-chat” as was said in reports?

What do you guys think? Should we let Meireles go?

#HWCFC (CFC360)

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Not Everyone Can Do A Chelsea!

"England attempted to do a Chelsea"

If you have been surfing through the web, exploring football news (especially about Euro 2012) you would have probably come across phrases like “doing a Chelsea”, “pulling a Chelsea” or even “trying a Chelsea”. If a team tried their best not to concede goals, then they are being accused of “doing a Chelsea”. Well, if doing a Chelsea means fighting till the end, against all the odds, commitment, courage then its fine by me. But let me remind you one thing. Not everyone can do a Chelsea.

Chelsea rule at the Camp Nou

It wasn’t a piece of cake for Chelsea to become the European Champions. We beat Valencia, Napoli, Benfica, Barcelona and Bayern Munich to be finally called as European champions. We overturned a 3-1 deficit against Napoli. John Terry played with broken ribs. Two of our center backs (Luiz and Cahill) got injured, had to use right backs as centers; but still we scored two goals with 10 men at Camp Nou in front of 90+ thousand fans. Everything was against us. But still, our manager, players and fans wouldn’t just give up so easily. Because, we are Chelsea. Not everyone can fight like we do.

Yes, we defended a lot. But no, it wasn’t boring and it definitely wasn’t anti-football. We took our chances, moved forward and took our shots. Considering the main objective of a football game is to score goals; then passing passing passing in the midfield looks more boring and anti-football to me. In the case of Chelsea, it was a well-organized plan by our manager and flawlessly actuated protocols by our players. This is isn’t as easy as it sounds. I mean over turning a 3-1 deficit, leveling with Barcelona at their magnificent Camp Nou and beating Bayern Munich at their own Allianz Arena isn’t a weak man’s job. It requires legends. Legends like Frank Lampard, John Terry and Didier Drogba who have an unbelievable fighting spirit.

Neuer unable to react to Drogba's bullet

After beating Chelsea 3-1 in the first leg, Napoli thought they won it. But then stepped Drogba, Terry, Lampard and Ivanovic to prove them wrong. In the semifinal first leg at Stamford Bridge, Barcelona were bossing around. But Lampard, Ramires and Drogba didn’t like it. They stepped up and shut the mouths of all the haters. In the second leg John Terry was sent off (rightly so), Barcelona scored two goals and they thought they won it. But Lampard, Ramires and Torres didn’t agree with them. In the final when Bayern Munich took the lead in the 82^nd minute. They took Muller off, thinking that these defending Chelsea players cannot do anything now. But then stepped up a legend with a newsflash: WE SCORE WHEN WE WANT. Didier Drogba came with a thunderous bullet and that over confident Neuer didn’t even know when the ball hit the net. Shortly after that, we were called the European champions.

Well not everyone has legends like Drogba, Terry and Lampard etc. Not every team has a Roberto Di Matteo. That’s why not everyone can pull a Chelsea. So people should stop comparing Chelsea with teams who just parks the bus. Because at Chelsea, we park the bus and then score when we want to.

By #LimCFC

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Michael Essien - The Rise and fall

Champions League Celebrations 2012

I remember back in 2008 I was sat in a restaurant conversing with a Ghanaian exchange student, who happened to be a Chelsea supporter, about what a world class midfielder Michael Essien was, in fact, I do believe we both agreed that at the time he was probably one of the best all round midfielders in the world. He was Ghanain and a Chelsea fan, so we were both pretty biased, but I know for a fact there wasn’t many football fans that would’ve disagreed with us back then.

Fast-forward four years and a handful of long term injuries later, Michael Essien is the forgotten man. Now this  article's title may be a little harsh on our powerhouse midfielder, it maybe pre-judgemental to say he has already ‘fallen’ and I really hope that statement becomes true. But most Chelsea fans right now are questioning whether he will even stay at the club this season, let alone get back to the high standards he once showed.

Essien is solid, pure muscle and can pretty much do anything that you’d need a midfielder to do. He played exceptionally well in the holding role, reading the game to high standards, getting tackles in and generally breaking up play. He was equally as good in a more advanced role, using his rocket right foot to blast in goals from all angles. His work rate, energy, determination and pace, made him to be the most admired midfielder in the world. In 2006 Essien was awarded African Footballer of the year and in 2007 smitten Chelsea fans awarded him with Player of the Year. He was also nominated for various other awards such as FIFA World Player of the Year. He is known for his versatility often filling in at right back and in central defence many times for the blues.

'The good ol days' putting Ronaldo in his back pocket

So after these injuries plaguing his career, he is now at the ripe age of twenty-nine, not old at all when you look at players like Frank Lampard still doing the business at thirty-four. His loss of form currently has seem him mainly warming the bench for Chelsea and this has to be down to the constant time out of football affecting his speed, stamina, agility and above all, his confidence. Essien is not the player he once was, he looks slow and unfit, so where does he go now? We’ll look at the options for our beloved Chelsea hero.

Move on, resurrect his career elsewhere?

Possibly, it’s certainly an option for him knowing that Chelsea are bringing in fresh new talent this summer, he will not get a lot of game time especially after the season Ramires has just had. I believe the French league could be a good option for him and he could hit form again shining for a lesser team who will build around him.

Stay at Chelsea, battle for his place?

Again, it may back fire and he may not get much game time, but if he’s determined and focused enough, there is a chance he could return to form, you can never write him off and I’d not be surprised if he returned this season stronger, fitter and better than ever before. It is possible but he has to get match fit again before anything else, it'll be an uphill struggle and could test his character. 

Chelsea still haven’t signed a right back, Essien could play there?

He absolutely could play there, and very affectively as we have seen before. He has the game knowledge, the intelligence and the tackling ability to be a very good right back. But again, this would depend on whether he can re-discover his form.

He could go on loan for a season, get some game time, that might help get his form back?

Yes, it might, IF he stays injury free and regains his confidence. After all, you don’t lose your ability over night. And if Essien did go on loan to somewhere like Stoke City for example, it could help him get back to his best. The downside of this is that Essien will be nearing thirty-one years of age upon his return to Chelsea.

The familiar goal celebration from the mighty Essien

These are all feasible options and I for one hope our most expensive player at the time finds success. Essien is and always will be a hero at Stamford Bridge, it would be sad to see him waste away in the reserves. I do feel that many fans have lost faith in him now, but he is still only twenty-nine, keep positive and maybe some of that positivity might rub off on the respected African unit that is Michael Essien.

KTBFFH till then.....

SYP - 360 Editor

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CFC The First Club To Sign With Delta Airlines

Delta airlines has made its first signing of a UK soccer club by striking a multi-year deal to become Chelsea's official airline sponsor. The deal brings together two major international brands: Delta, a leading global airline; and Chelsea FC, the champions of Europe. The partnership will commence in July 2012.

Delta will be exclusively designated as the "Official Airline Partner of Chelsea FC" and the agreement will give Delta numerous benefits including: LED exposure at each home game and exposure on the Chelsea FC website. The Delta logo will also be included on media backboards for interviews conducted at Chelsea's stadium around Premier League home matches.

Additionally, Delta will benefit from entitlement space at Stamford Bridge's Millennium Hotel, enabling the airline to entertain guests at Chelsea's home in a Delta-branded environment.
Delta is synonymous with sport in the United States where the airline is the official airline sponsor of leading U.S. sports teams including baseball's New York Yankees, hockey's Los Angeles Kings and American football's Minnesota Vikings. This summer, Delta will welcome the Chelsea FC team as they tour the United States. In July, they will play the French team, Paris Saint-Germain, at the new Yankee Stadium, which is also sponsored by Delta.
"We're delighted to sponsor Chelsea FC, a top-flight London club with a fan base of millions throughout Delta's worldwide network," said Perry Cantarutti, Delta's senior vice-president for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. "Partnering with a leading club in the English Premier League is an exciting way to strengthen our brand both in the UK and around the world while a tie-in with Delta will help build Chelsea's brand in the U.S."

This year's winner of the Champions League and The FA Cup, Chelsea FC is one of the best-supported clubs worldwide and allows Delta to reach an international audience of more than one billion.

"It is a fantastic opportunity for Chelsea Football Club to partner ourselves with Delta Air Lines, an industry leader in aviation," said Chelsea FC Chief Executive Ron Gourlay. "Their passion for innovation and first-class service around the world make them a perfect match for us and we look forward to working together as we continue to develop the Chelsea name across the globe."
To celebrate the Delta-Chelsea FC partnership and help kick off the team's U.S. tour, customers can visit Delta's Facebook page to vote for a U.S. city to host a fare promotion from the United States to London this summer. Visit Facebook.com/Delta to vote.

Delta Air Lines serves more than 160 million customers each year. During the past year, Delta was named domestic "Airline of the Year" by the readers of Travel Weekly magazine, was named the "Top Tech-Friendly U.S. Airline" by PCWorld magazine for its innovation in technology and won the Business Travel News Annual Airline Survey. With an industry-leading global network, Delta and the Delta Connection carriers offer service to nearly 350 destinations in 65 countries on six continents. Headquartered in Atlanta, Delta employs 80,000 employees worldwide and operates a mainline fleet of more than 700 aircraft.

Source-Delta Airlines.

This is what our Chief Executive Ron Gourlay had to say-

 'It is a fantastic opportunity for Chelsea Football Club to partner ourselves with Delta Air Lines, an industry leader in aviation,'

'Delta's passion for innovation and first-class service around the world make them a perfect match for us and we look forward to working together as we continue to develop the Chelsea name across the globe.

'It further demonstrates our commitment to growing our activities in America, highlighted by our 2012 summer tour that will take in Seattle, New York, Philadelphia and Miami.'The partnership also gives Delta an important London hub as they grow their transatlantic operations.

Well the deal will help CFC a lot as they compete to become one of the best clubs in Europe and expand their fan base world wide. In some ways it will also help Chelsea to ease off  the added pressure due to FFP rules and buy players and add more depth to the squad. It will also help CFC in marketing and establishing them as a world wide and accomplished brand.

Till then KTBBFH and stay tuned for more news....

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Season Review: Petr Cech

Being a goalkeeper has to be one of the most thankless jobs ever. When things are going well, they are never given any credit. But when things are going badly, they are always the first to be blamed.

Cech had a bad game against Arsenal

That certainly seemed to be the case with Petr Cech in the beginning of the 2011-12 season. He started the season well enough, keeping a clean-sheet in the opening league fixture against Stoke. However, he went through a period of constant struggle after that as he struggled to keep a clean-sheet, with the Chelsea defence guilty of leaking goals even in comprehensive victories. Admittedly, Cech's worst performance of the season was the 3-5 loss at home against Arsenal, where his positioning & composure seemed suspect. Many people (including Chelsea fans) began raising questions over Cech's ability, some going as far as suggesting that he wasn't good enough to play for Chelsea anymore.

But as the old saying goes, "Form is temporary, class is permanent". And Cech proved that with some impressive performances in crunch matches for Chelsea, notably against Barcelona. In the Champions League semi-final matches against the Catalans, Cech was called into action on more than one occasion & he made save after save to ensure that we kept Barca at bay.

Cech was kept busy vs. Barcelona

He was also impressive in the FA Cup final, his most notable save of the match coming when he managed to divert a powerful header from Andy Carroll onto the bar (pictured here) to ensure Chelsea hung on to their slender 2-1 lead. But the best of Petr Cech was yet to come.

Save of the season?

Arguably Cech's performance of the season was in the Champions League final against Bayern Munich. Even though he couldn't keep out Thomas Muller's effort that initially gave Bayern the lead, his save from Arjen Robben's penalty in extra-time ensured that we were able to take the game to penalties. During the penalty shoot-out, Cech made 2 consecutive saves that were instrumental in helping us win the Champions League. Big Petr managed to silenced any critics who felt he was past his prime. 

Cech with the Champions League trophy

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