What the Next Season Holds for Chelsea FC (7 Competitions): PREVIEW

Chelsea FC had a pretty weird season in 2011-2012. We have discussed and rewied it enough times, so lets look at what the next season holds for us.We will be competing in 7 tournaments next season. So lets take it one-by-one and predict how far we'll go in each of them.

Premier League

We finsihed 6th in the EPL last season, our worst finish since Roman took over, and trust me, he wasn't pleased about it.

As a top top Club, we are expected to Challenge for the title EVERY season, transiton or no transition.
Coming to the new season, the squad looks pretty good and settled. Not to mention the sky-high confidence running in the club following our Epic UCL win. We got the best goalie in Petr 'Batman' Cech. Our defence needs no intro. Terry, CAhill, Luiz, Ivanovic, Cole, Bertand are all good to go.

Plus we'll be getting a new defender too, so Defence will be strong. Midfield suddenly looks fearsome. From no creativity last season, to bursting with creativity this season. Juan Mata, Ramires, Lampard, KDB, Marko Marin, Hazard, Mikel, Romeu makes up a  pretty creative, harworking unit.

The Forward line is a bit shaky as of now. Nando, Lukaku, Sturridge doesn't make up a very convincing unit. Ofcourse, if Nando starts firing, then it's a different matter altoghether. Sturridge is eccentric. Lukaku is talented. A few more games ought to help him.

If Hulk/Ben Arfa/Joevtic enter the frame, it would look much better. However, I remember our CEO Gourlay saying " We'll have 2-3 stikers hitting 30 goals next season."

Which means Nando and another big name striker. My guess would be Falcao, though I would prefer a Mario Gomez more.

Looking at everything, and considering the time needed for the new squad to settle and being realistic ..
EPL FINISH - 2nd position.

FA CUP

A no-brainer really. We sort of own the FA Cup tournaments. With a squad this strong I easily expect us to win the tournament.

FA CUP FINISH - Champions.

UEFA SUPERCUP

We'll be playing this one against Ath. Madrid, where our next Petr Cech plays. But he won't play against us. Falcao might be a problem.

That is if he doesn't end up in a Chelsea shirt by then. Expect Ath. Madrid to put up a fight, but we'll be too strong for them.

UEFA SUPERCUP FINISH - Champions.

CARLING CUP

The cup taken seriously the least by top teams (unless you happen to be Liverpool trying to salvage your season), I don't expect us to win it this time either.

I expect youngsters to take part heavily in it. Look out for Lukaku, Marin, Bertand and Piazon in this tournament. We'll do well but won't win it.

CARLING CUP FINISH - Semifinals.

FIFA WORLD CLUB CUP

Expect us to win it. Opposition in this tournament just isn't good enough to trouble a squad like ours. Heck, I hardly know a few club names who participate in it.

WORLD CLUB CUP FINISH - Champions.

COMMUNTIY SHIELD

We will be playing against Man City, If I am not wrong. THough their squad is good, our squad's better (I might be being partial).

Should be a cracker of a match. Expect the Goalkeepers to play a vital role in it. A lot will depend on Mata and Hazard to provide ammunition for Nando.

David Silva and Aguero are well-known thorns in our side. That being said, I expect Cech to play exceptionally well.

COMMUNITY SHEILD FINISH - Winners.

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

The Grandest prize of them all. My fellow Blues, If last season was considered the best, your are in for a excellent treat this time round.

Hell with Barcelona and Madrid, our talent + will to succeed is greater than any of the Messi's and Ronaldo's.

I FULLY expect our now UCL Oldie Champs to combine with hungry new mesmering talent to go all the way. To be honest, Our squad is the most BALANCED squad in the UCL next season.
With Mata getting better, Hazard providing a new dimension .. expect Torres to fire. And if he DOES fire, say Bye-Bye to the so-called powerhouses of Spain.

Mark my words. Next season, you'll see the following headline :
     "CHELSEA CREATE HISTORY BY BECOMING THE FIRST CLUB EVER TO DEFEND THE UCL TITLE"

And then, RDM will get a life-time job at Chelsea and Roman will forget about Pep Gaurdiola.

UCL FINISH - Champions.

So, as you can see, I clearly think, that next season will be the best ever season in our history. And we'll create history.

Because we write our own destiny. The UCL triumph last season was the end for a long time pursued dream for Chelsea.

But as we all know.. THE END IS JUST THE BEGINNING.

#KTBFFH

Pen Name: RR2

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Ramires wins Brazil's Futebol No Mundo Award For 2011/12

Ramires Wins ESPN Brazil's Futebol No Mundo Award For 2011/12 ahead of the likes of Thiago Silva, Hulk, Marcelo and David Luiz (best foreign based Brazilian player).

Congratulations Ramires, you deserved it!

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Why Daniel Sturridge Should & Will Stay At Chelsea

Daniel Sturridge is a name that evokes mixed reactions from Chelsea fans. It's not hard to understand why. Sturridge has all the tools required to be one of the best: pace, dribbling ability, a powerful left foot & skills that can bamboozle most defenders. However, many Chelsea fans constantly berate him for his attitude & supposed selfishness.

Danny's willingness to shoot from has often left fans frustrated

Mind you, some of that criticism is well-deserved. He has a powerful shot, but has often resorted to shoot-at-sight tactics (some of those shots coming from hopeless angles) when he could have played in a team-mate with a simple pass . At Chelsea, he has been used almost regularly on the right wing, but has stated that he would be best suited to playing as a striker. While I agree that he's a natural striker, it's not uncommon for strikers with his ability to be used on the wings. Thierry Henry played as a winger on a regular basis, as did Nicolas Anelka when he was at Chelsea.
Nevertheless, I believe Daniel Sturridge will be an integral part of Chelsea come next season. Here are 3 reasons why:-


1) Will play as a striker- Last season, Sturridge was often deployed on the right wing due to a lack of better alternatives. I can't honestly say he played badly, but his frustration at not being played as a striker often reflected in his performances. This led to him being frequently benched under Roberto Di Matteo, with the interim manager preferring Salomon Kalou on the right wing. This season, Chelsea will have both Hazard & Marin to call upon as quality wingers, meaning Sturridge will almost certainly be deployed in his preferred position. He may not be Chelsea's No. 1 striker at the moment (Fernando Torres is expected to lead Chelsea's attack next season), but I certainly look forward to seeing him play as a striker.

2) Lack of better clubs willing to buy him- This may seem like a bold statement, considering both Liverpool & Manchester City have expressed a desire in signing him. But I don't see him going to either club. He was an integral part of our Champions League-winning squad, so if he does leave, he will sign for a club who are can offer him 2 things: Regular play time & Champions League football. Neither Liverpool nor Manchester City can offer him both. At Liverpool, he will start almost regularly (considering how poor their strikers were last season), but they aren't part of the Champions League, and don't look like top 4 contenders. Manchester City can offer him Champions League football, but regular play time will be hard to come by. He'll have a hard time making the bench at City. Only Chelsea can offer him regular play-time, Champions League football & of course decent wages.

3) England snub hurt him- When Roy Hodgson announced his squad for Euro 2012, many people were surprised that Daniel Sturridge wasn't included in the final 23-man squad. Danny himself admitted that he was disappointed at not making the final squad, while I was amazed that players like Stewart Downing & Andy Carroll made the squad ahead of him. However, this could prove to be a blessing in disguise for him, as it will spur him on next season & ensure that he takes advantage of every chance handed to him by Di Matteo.

Sturridge will be a key player next season

There are many Chelsea fans who would be happy to see the back of Daniel Sturridge. I'm not one of them. I believe he has the potential to become one of the best strikers in the world. He has age on his side (he will turn 23 this year), so one can expect him to work hard on developing those aspects of his game that aren't his strengths i.e. his passing, consistency, attitude etc. Throw in the fact that he will play in his preferred position, & I'm sure we can expect better things from Daniel Sturridge in 2012-13.