Things To Expect From Chelsea FC Next Season

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I covered the expected performances from Chelsea in the 2012-13 tournaments in the last article.
Now we'll take a look at things to expect from Chelsea over the duration of the whole 2012-13 season.

Expect more Squad Rotation

Now that RDM is our manager officially, expect us to continue with the squad rotation policy that RDM used to great effect last season.
RDM seem to be a master of execution of the changes required in during the game and before the game too.
We all witnessed it last season. RDM basically had two line-ups ready always. One for the big matches and one for the lesser matches.

We suffered just 2 losses under him, namely against Man City and Liverpool, both which came due to exhaustion of player's stamina and lack of QUALITY depth in the team.
Now with new talented, quality additions in the squad, expect us to be firing on all cylinders again throughout the whole season without the fear of burnout.
With the depth we have now plus new players joining in, we'll have an ever-ready fresh set of quality players ready to take up the mantle when required.

Expect more Fluidity

Chelsea have been critised for playing 'Negative' football last season ( Which is pointless really. Haters will hate).But we still won the UCL.However it's no secret that our owner is a big fan of 'SEXY' football and wants to see Chelsea win playing smooth, fluid football rather than the tough, physical way which had become a Chelsea trademark.To fulfill that dream, he's been ready to splash the cash again. Players like Marko Marin, Eden Hazard, KDB all have been brought in to realise this vision of Roman's.

Oh, Don't forget the impending transfer of Hulk. He has made it clear he wants to join us, and when that's the case, the player ends up at the place he wants to go.

So with a bunch of such classy players who would be lead by Lampard and Mata, expect us to play truly sexy football.If Barca are known for the 'TIK TAK TOE', Chelsea will soon create a new style called 'SEXY' football. Please, what Barca do is not sexy at all. It's boring and puts alot of guys to sleep.

Winter Of Discontent

No more of the Traditional Winter drop of form

Ever since Roman has taken over the club, we have developed a really irritating and unwanted habit of going off the boil during the winter months.It happened last season. It happened the season before. It happened under Ancelloti, Scolari, Hiddink, Grant, Mourinho.

But one thing that was comman during all those times was the core of the team. It remained constant.
But now the core's changing. New players with different mentalities have joined us. So I, hopefully, expect that we won't suffer our traditional slump in form in the winters.Otherwise as usual, we'll be left chasing teams during the last leg of the season. But It shouldn't happen this time around.

Expect Goals, lots of Goals
People have a pretty wrong impression of RDM. They think "Oh, He's Italian. Chelsea will play defensive."
Contrary to popular belief, RDM is known rather for his Attractive football tactics. He did a pretty good job at West Brom and they played good football under him.Now, with a strike-force of Nando, Mata, Hazard, Marin, Studge, Lampard, Hulk (??) and Ramires, expect Chelsea to blow their opponents away.
That is one hell of a strike-force and I just can't imagine them not doing the needfull.If everything goes according to plan. we may even end up breaking the 103 Goal record we set under Ancelloti.

No more leaky goals from next season..

No compromise in Defence
Under AVB last season, our famed and feared defence became a laughing stock. Literally. Due to that high line tactic.Even unknown players would end up scoring against us.Enter RDM. High line gone. Defence regains shape again. Messi and Barcelona get trolled again.RDM knows that Chelsea's forte is Defence. With a backline of JT, Cahill, Luiz, Cole, Ivanovic, plus our gaint Petr Cech, our defence is right up there with the best, if not THE best.Expect the back four to stay rock solid while the more creative,young legs create havoc in the opposition area.

Lampard will be playing a much deeper role
With the wealth of attacking options that we now have, I expect Frank to play in a deeper position in the midfield.Something like a deep-lying playmaker, pulling the strings from the back. Like Pirlo. He's already shown that he's great in that role.So alongside Ramires, I expect Lampard to control the midfield area, breaking up attacks and launching quick counter-attacks.Can you see my vision ? We'll have two styles of play. Lampard will sit back and provide through-balls and long balls, whereas Ramires will make his runs into the oppsiton and tear them apart.


So the formation next season should be 4-2-3-1.


                                                               Cech
     
                                Ivanovic____Cahill/Luiz_____Terry______Cole

                                              Lampard_________Ramires

                               Hulk/Marin_________Mata____________Hazard

                                                           Torres

Hope you enjoyed reading it. Let me know If have any suggestions.

#KTBFFH


- RR2 (Chelsea360)

Hulk to Chelsea, Exposé

Truth, Lies, Rumors, Facts of Hulk to Chelsea Transfer Saga

A lot of our readers and followers have been eager to know that latest on Hulk's transfer to Chelsea. Everyday, more often than not, the day starts with someone asking about Hulk and whether he has joined Chelsea or will he ever join Chelsea.

When the Hazard saga was taking place, this writer personally did not think there would be another transfer saga around the corner and one that would even challenge Hazard saga for the 'Saga Honors'.

"In Porto or at Chelsea FC Will Be Happy"

Today's news 'Reports' have been full of Hulk and Chelsea related transfer news. If you are wondering about the "Reports", it is because of the quality of the sources reporting those news.

So what is the latest on Hulk to Chelsea news, one may wonder.

In simple terms, the deal has not been worked out yet. Yes, that is a sad news to every Chelsea fan, as Hulk has impressed many with his skills. If Hazard hasn't still proven himself at the top level, Hulk already has and he still has a gear or two more left to go. That explains this ridiculously overpriced transfer fee and an inflated buyout clause of €100 Million, which is even threatening Messi's buyout clause.

A few weeks ago we had posted an article about Hulk, (click here for the story). In that we had mentioned, the main hindrance in Hulk's transfer to Chelsea is that Porto does not own 100% of his player rights.

And surprise, surprise, the reports today are claiming the same point. Disclaimer: we are not taking credit for any of that.

Almost all of the reports out today on Hulk seem to centered on an interview given by Hulk to O Jogo, Portuguese 'Newspaper'. We will leave it to you to form an opinion on the veracity of the source. Our efforts in trying to access the video of that interview met with failure. Moreover, while in the middle of writing this post, that video mysteriously 'vanished' from its homepage.

Truth: of the matter is 15% of Hulk's player rights are owned by Rentistas - 10%, an Uruguayan football club based in Montevideo, and  Theodore Fonseca - 5%. Also reported in ABola

What that means is that 15% of the returns from Hulk's sale would go to those two. That is, If Hulk were sold for, let us say, €100 then Porto will only get €85. So higher the price, better it is for all parties involved who won Hulk's rights. 

Another important, Fact is, according to English Premier League/FA rules, for an EPL club to enter into a deal, the selling club must own 100% of his rights. A player cannot be owned by more than one institution.

Another fact is that Porto are facing severe financial difficulties and the sale of Hulk alone will save them. Hence, the reason for Porto holding Chelsea to a ransom. Furthermore, Porto do not want to pay Fonseca or Rentistas. They want Chelsea to pay for the remaining 15% of Hulk's rights as well.

Rumor also has it that PSG have tabled an offer worth €53 Million (£43Million), according to a French source. Also they claim, PSG had made an informal offer of €72 Million back in January.

Previously, there were reports suggesting, PSG were in search of a striker and they had listed Tevez and Cavani as their favorite choices. Since, those bids were rejected by Man City and Napoli, PSG have turned their attention to Hulk.

Do you think, ex-Chelsea coach Carlo Ancelotti, would buy Hulk who essentially plays a winger/right-forward to play as an outright striker?

Also, as one our fellow Blue pointed out rightly to this writer on Twitter (the tweet), Ezequiel Lavezzi to PSG is almost a done deal. Lavezzi plays at Left-Wing and can be used as a Striker. A position very similar to Hulk, only difference being Hulk prefers playing on the right side.

There was a talk in one of the forums that Hulk does not intend to leave Porto and all this has been a ploy by him to raise his annual income at Porto. Personally, this writer does not believe in that notion.

In an interview to ABola, a few weeks back, Hulk had mentioned that he has an ambition to represent Brazil in the London 2012 Olympics. Also, he wants to be a regular starter for Brazil in the future. In order for that to happen, he had said that he needs to impress his coach with top notch performances at club level in a top league. As a result, EPL was his preferred destination and Chelsea his preferred club. 

When certain sources claim that Hulk is keen on Chelsea transfer, that is just 'Old Wine in a New Bottle'. He had revealed his desire to play for Chelsea ages ago.

Do you think if Hulk were to play in French Ligue 1, that would help his cause? This writer in no way is claiming the French Ligue 1 is inferior or does not possess quality. In fact, it is the opposite. French Ligue 1 has produced many exceptional talents and as a Chelsea fan, very thankful to them too. Makalele, Drogba, Essien and Hazard all have been their products. The noteworthy point being, Hulk himself said he wants to play in a league that is more challenging than the Portuguese Super Liga.

There have been other rumors linking Hulk to Tottenham. Frankly, this writer does not see Spurs spending £38 Million or more. Those rumors surfaced after reports of AVB being contacted by Spurs for the vacant manager position came out.

The question remains. Will Hulk be playing for Chelsea next season? 

As was the case with Hazard transfer, Chelsea have been tight lipped about Hulk. If the rumors, that claim Chelsea is unwillingly to concede to Porto's negotiating tactics, are true, then as a Blues fan this writer is happy.

As for the cases of what happens with the Hulk transfer and all the rumors that have surfaced, this writer will leave it to the reader to come to a conclusion based on the points mentioned in the post.

We would love to know your take on all this.

And as always KTBFFH.

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Didier and Nicolas Set To Reunite In China

Our Champions League hero Didier Drogba recently announced that he will be joining Chinese giants Shengai Shenhua after parting company with his beloved Chelsea. Drogba is set to reunite with his fellow teammate Nicolas Anelka.Anelka who left the Blues along with Brazilian defender Alex, is the assistant manager at Shenhua. Didier's move Shanghai Shenhua is reportedly a 2 year deal worth £200,000.

 Drogba told his official website: "I can confirm that I have signed with Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua FC. I will join up with the team next month.

"I have considered all offers I have received in the past few weeks, but feel that Shanghai Shenhua FC is the right move for me at this time.

"I am looking forward to a new challenge, to experiencing a new culture and excited about the new developments in the Chinese Super League."

Shanghai owner Zhu Jun said: "We have been wanting to sign Didier for a while, and are very happy that it has finally happened.He is an incredible player, who has won so many trophies in his career, we feel that his experience and ability will be a very valuable asset to our squad.

"Shanghai is one of the most influential cities in the world, and we are very excited to welcome Didier here."Shanghai's new manager Sergio Batista said: "Drogba is a very good soccer player, his outstanding skills and amazing experience will give us motivation to improve our games.

"It is my honour to invite him to join in our team. At last I have to say that the club owner Zhu Jun did his utmost to bring Drogba to Shenhua."

Goodbye Didier you will always remain in our hearts...

Dide scored 157 goals in all competitions for Chelsea, finishing with 100 in 226 league appearances since signing from Marseille for £24million in 2004, one of Jose Mourinho's first major signings for the club.He had an exceptional record in cup finals, scoring nine goals in nine different finals, including one in this year's 5-1 FA Cup final victory over Liverpool.

Well we can all wish good luck to Didier now and thank him for all the great things he did at Chelsea. His heart is Blue forever and he's a Chelsea legend and his memories will be cherished for years to come.

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A Look through our Crests history

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Since the club's foundation, Chelsea have had four main crests, though all underwent minor variations. In 1905, Chelsea adopted as their first crest the image of a Chelsea pensioner, which contributed to the "pensioner" nickname, and remained for the next half-century, though it never appeared on the shirts. As part of Ted Drake's modernization of the club from 1952 onwards, he insisted that the pensioner badge be removed from the match day programme in order to change the club's image and that a new crest be adopted

a stop-gap, a temporary emblem comprising simply the initials C.F.C. was adopted for one year. In 1953, Chelsea's crest was changed to an upright blue lion looking backwards and holding a staff, which was to endure for the next three decades. This crest was based on elements in the coat of arms of the Metropolitan Borough of Chelsea with the "lion rampant regardant" taken from the arms of then club president Viscount Chelsea and the staff from the Abbots of Westminster, former Lords of the Manor of Chelsea. It also featured three red roses, to represent England, and two footballs. This was the first club badge to appear on shirts, since the policy of putting the crest on the shirts was only adopted in the early 1960s.

in 1986, with Ken Bates now owner of the club, Chelsea's crest was changed again as part of another attempt to modernize and to capitalise on new marketing opportunities. The new badge featured a more naturalistic non-heraldic lion, in white and not blue, standing over the C.F.C. initials. It lasted for the next 19 years, with some modifications such as the use of different colours, including red from 1987 to 1995, and yellow from 1995 until 1999, before the white returned.

With the new ownership of Roman Abramovich, and the club's centenary approaching, combined with demands from fans for the popular 1950s badge to be restored, it was decided that the crest should be changed again in 2005. The new crest was officially adopted for the start of the 2005–06 season and marked a return to the older design, used from 1953–86, featuring a blue heraldic lion holding a staff. For the centenary season this was accompanied by the words '100 YEARS' and 'CENTENARY 2005–2006' on the top and bottom of the crest respectively.

 






 ^{The same Crest was used for the next few seasons. The only difference was that the two yellow shapes on each side were changed! And there was no 100 YEARS CENTENARY 1905-2005 on it!}

^{For the new 2012/13 season Chelsea have changed everything to gold on the new home Crest. I have heard this is to mark our recent Champions League Win. The same crest as last season will appear on the away kit for next season.
you can read the detailed about our new kit here}

STAY TUNED FOR MORE GREAT ARTICLES and  KTBFFH...

The Final Links: Players Chelsea FC Are Most Likely To Sign

As is usually the case when the transfer window opens, Chelsea FC have been linked to a host of players. So far, we've only signed 2 players. Both Marko Marin & Eden Hazard are quality additions to the squad, but there is no doubt that the squad still needs to be strengthened. The release of Jose Bosingwa, Saloman Kalou & Didier Drogba means that replacements for these players must be signed.
The way I see it, we only need to sign a quality right-back & a winger. Keeping that in mind, let's now take a quick look at the players who seem most likely to join Stamford Bridge.

Wingers:-

Hulk

Hulk- Born Givanildo Vieira de Souza, Hulk is primarily a right-winger who can also play as a forward. Hulk's main attributes include his speed, dribbling skills & a powerful left shot. The Brazilian international has been at FC Porto for the last 4 seasons. During his 4 years at the club, he has scored 76 goals & recorded 55 assists, which immediately dismisses the notion that he's over-rated (Some people believe he is). The player has expressed a desire to join the Champions League winners, although negotiations seem to have come to a halt due to Porto & Chelsea being unable to agree upon a transfer fee. Nevertheless, Chelsea seem likeliest to sign the Brazillian, & there is no doubt that he would be a valuable addition to the squad.

André Schürrle

André Schürrle- André Schürrle is a German international who can play as a forward & a winger. He made his Bundesliga debut in 2009 for Mainz 05, & spent 2 whole seasons in the club, scoring 20 goals for them. In 2011, he joined Bayer Leverkusen, signing a contract with the club until 2016. He played primarily as a winger for Leverkusen, scoring 9 goals in his debut season. He's known for his dribbling skills & clinical finishing, & has an amazing work-rate for a forward. He was linked to the club in May 2012, although some reports claim that Chelsea were interested in him in 2011 as well. He would be a good addition to the squad, but signing him seems unlikely as Leverkusen have stated that he isn't for sale. 

Victor Moses

Victor Moses- Victor Moses is a winger who can also operate as a second striker. Currently at Wigan Athletic, Moses is quick & skillful, with a keen eye for goal. Of all the players we've been linked to, Moses has to be the most low-profile. His stats for 2011-12 aren't exactly flattering (6 goals & 6 assists) but there is no doubting the fact that he has potential. The player has claimed interest from Chelsea & Liverpool, with Chelsea having had a £4M bid rejected by Wigan. If signed, there is no doubt he would do well at Chelsea.

Right-backs:-  

Gregory van der Wiel 

Gregory van der Wiel- Gregory van der Wiel is a right-back who currently plays for Ajax. He is also a Netherlands international, having been capped 35 times for his country. Van Der Weil is known for his attacking ability down the wings, & has been labeled the spiritual successor of Michael Reiziger by his Dutch team-mate John Heitinga. He has expressed a desire to leave Ajax, with many clubs vying for his signature. However, a poor display for Netherlands during the Euro 2012 means that fewer clubs are interested in him now. It will be interesting to see if Chelsea still sign him.

Mathieu Debuchy

Mathieu Debuchy- Mathieu Debuchy is a right-back who plays for Lille. He started his career as a deep-lying play-maker, but later switched to playing as a right-back. Lille manager Rudi Garcia has described him as a player who "plays high and attacks but defensively is also very rigorous and he exudes confidence". An impressive performance in Euro 2012 so far has led to many clubs wanting to sign him, with Chelsea & Newcastle believed to be front-runners. However, Newcastle recently had a £4M bid for Debuchy rejected, meaning Chelsea are now in pole position to sign him. He would be a valuable addition to the club.

Maicon

Maicon- Maicon is a Brazilian right-back who currently  plays for Inter Milan. He is known for his attacking flair down the right wing & his ability to score spectacular goals for both club & country. Maicon has been a regular for Brazil & Inter, but was recently linked with a move away from the club. I honestly don't think the club would sign him; I don't doubt his talent, but age could be a deterring factor (he turns 31 in July 2012). If he does indeed sign for the club, I'd be very surprised. 




Bear in mind that not every one of the players I mentioned above will join! At most Chelsea will sign 2 players, a right-back & a winger. If that happens, we will be a force to be reckoned with in 2012-13. I cannot wait for the season to begin. 


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