Blues Not Giving Up Yet On Battersea

The reigning European Champions had officially made a bid last month for one of the most iconic sites in West London. Unfortuntately the owners of the Battersea Power Station chose Malaysian consortium as their preffered bidders.In the latest step forward, Chelsea have produced a selection of images with the help of development partner Almacantar and architects Kohn Pedersen Fox as a way of seemingly applying pressure on the current preferred bidders.

The following was published on the club's official website-

View of the West Stand integrated on the Power Station. The single tier "shed end" is to the left (south) and the image shows the stadium is rectangular in shape and not elliptical. (source: Dailymail)

Artist's impressions of the stadium Chelsea FC would propose for the Battersea Power Station site have appeared in the online property press today. These images were jointly produced by Chelsea FC, our development partner Almacantar and architects Kohn Pedersen Fox.It is important that our fans understand that Chelsea Football Club is not currently in discussions with the sellers of the site. The sellers have selected a Malaysian consortium as their preferred bidders, and we understand negotiations are continuing.

We do not know if those negotiations will be successful or not.As per our previous statement, and as these images show, we believe the prospect of developing a new stadium on the site could be very attractive for the club, and would have the potential to become one of the most iconic stadiums in the world, offering many benefits for Wandsworth, for London, and, of course, for Chelsea fans. We firmly believe our proposals could address the unique challenges presented by the site.

View looking southwest to the single-tier stand (source:Dailymail)

The design would integrate the stadium with the power station in a sensitive, unique and powerful way, with all significant historical aspects of the power station to be retained. In creating an iconic world-class stadium we would preserve the four chimneys and wash towers along with the historically significant west turbine hall and control room, all to be restored and retained in their original locations.As previously stated, it is not appropriate to give further details at this stage of the process but we will keep our fans advised of any further material developments as appropriate.

Here is how the proceedings happened-

On 4 May 2012, Chelsea announced they had submitted a bid to acquire the 39-acre site, with the club's property development partner, Almacantar, with a view to build a 60,000-seater stadium, on their Official website. With the club also saying they would restore the Power Station's four iconic chimneys and wash towers, and also the west turbine hall. On 7 June 2012, Knight Frank announced that administrators Ernst & Young had entered into an exclusive agreement with Malaysian developers SP Setia and Sime Darby, who were given 28 days to conduct due diligence and agree the final terms of the deal.

Chelsea stated via their website after being informed of this: "We are disappointed not to be selected as the preferred bidder for Battersea Power Station, as we believe we can create an iconic and architecturally significant stadium on the site in a scheme which is commercially viable and of great benefit to the Wandsworth community and London generally." On 11 June 2012, Chief executive of SP Setia, Liew Kee Sin, told: "We don't know what will happen over the next 28 days."

Chelsea have the smallest stadiums out of the so called big four and surely need a new stadium for cementing their position in Europe's elite. The vision the Club has in mind for the Battersea Power Station is really a profound one and the images prove that. If acquired the site would really benefit Chelsea FC in every manner financially,on the basis of competing with other clubs and increasing the club's over all fanbase.

The club had a meeting with the Chelsea Pitch Owners (CPO) some time ago about the possible expansion of the Bridge but their were more cons than pros.

You can read the full extensive report here

Expansion of the Bridge is not a viable option for the club.

Conclusions of the report-

It is clear to the Board of Chelsea Football Club that a complete new build of a 60,000 seat stadium at Stamford Bridge has little chance of acceptability. We believe that, after our discussions with the council they have come to the same conclusion. A 60,000 new-build would cost over £600 million and require the club to play away for at least three seasons and, even if the economics were acceptable, the planning risks would likely be insurmountable.

Expanding Stamford Bridge to 55,000 also has a number of challenges. The cost per seat of expanding the stands is very high. The incremental revenues provide an unsatisfactory level of return, would not even cover the hypothetical financing costs, and the planning risks are significant. We believe the council recognises these challenges.

The club's exercise over the years has been to analyse a large spectrum of possible expansion options, even some which would appear to be unworkable. The Board recognises that our work will not satisfy every fan, but the Board also believes its work has been thorough, appropriate and in the best interests of the club and all of our fans.To reiterate what was said at the beginning of this summary, the club are not in any way stating we have made a decision on the need to move.

Till then let's hope the Blue God's  help Chelsea in mariculously securing the bid for Battersea Power Station.

KTBFFH till then as always....



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Our Best Champions League Matches of the Season

Today we recap some of the most amazing matches of last season as the BLUES marched on and became European Champions....

No one except Chelsea fans believed it was possible. That is why, when we finally won the Champions League on May 19th 2012, Chelsea fans were beyond jubilant. Our tireless faith had paid off, & we became Champions of Europe for the 1st time in our history.The win wasn't a "fluke", by any means. The team worked extremely hard to win the trophy. We may not have had the best team in the tournament, but our desire & never-say-die attitude eventually came through. Let us now take a look at the 5 best matches we played in the Champions League:-

Chelsea celebrating the 3rd goal vs. Valencia

1) Chelsea vs. Valencia, December 6th 2011- I believe this match was the turning point for us in our Champions League campaign. Chelsea had to win this match in order to qualify for the knock-out stages, but that was easier said than done. Results weren't exactly going our way, & there were rumours of dressing-room unrest between the players & the manager. The performance that we saw was nothing less than magnificent. The team played mostly on the counter, allowing Valencia to play their game. The tactic worked wonders. Didier Drogba chose that night to show Chelsea that he still had it, producing a fine performance that included 2 goals & 1 assist. Chelsea won the game 3-0, & that match was the moment that Chelsea fans realized that this could be our year.

Ivanovic (right) after scoring the winner

2) Chelsea vs. Napoli, March 14th 2012- 3-1 down after the first leg. Andre Villas-Boas sacked. Club in total disarray. No one expected us to make the quarter-finals. The match started, & Didier Drogba proved his love for the big stage once again by putting Chelsea ahead. Later, John Terry scored from a corner to make it 2-0. This scoreline was enough to see us through. But Napoli pulled one back. 2-1. Now Chelsea needed 2 goals to go through. When fans were beginning to lose hope, a penalty was awarded to Chelsea for handball. Frank Lampard stepped up, & showed us all exactly why we call him Super Frank. Into extra-time, & Fernando Torres, who had come on as a sub, missed a chance to put us ahead. But it didn't prove too costly as Ivanovic scored what was to be the winner. Chelsea won 5-4 on aggregate & were through to the quarters, against all odds.

Drogba scoring the only goal of the match

3) Chelsea vs. Barcelona, April 18th 2012- The first leg of what promised to be an interesting and intense semi-final. The match had special significance for Chelsea fans after what had happened the last time these 2 teams clashed at Stamford Bridge. As was expected, Barcelona had most of the possession, but that was exactly what Chelsea wanted. On what seemed to be our first chance to break, Didier Drogba (who else?) scored right before half-time. Barcelona came out all guns blazing in the 2nd half, but nothing they did seemed to break down a stubborn Chelsea defence. Chelsea went into the 2nd leg at the Camp Nou with a lead to protect, albeit a slender one.

Torres scoring in injury-time

4) Barcelona vs. Chelsea, April 24th 2012- The second leg of the semi-final. Chelsea had a 1-0 lead after the 1st leg, but that lead quickly disappeared when Sergio Busquets found the back of the net in the 35th minute. Minutes later, John Terry was given a straight red card for a foul on Alexis Sanchez. Iniesta then doubled their lead in the 43rd minute, & it appeared to be all but over for Chelsea. However, a delightful chip by Ramires made the score 2-1, & suddenly the tie was back in our favour. The next half was spent mostly trying to defend our slender advantage. There were some scary moments, like the penalty Drogba conceded. But Lionel Messi failed to convert the effort, & Chelsea kept digging deep, simply refusing to yield. Then, in injury time, a Barcelona attack was cleared down-field, & the ball found substitute striker Fernando Torres, who was clean through with only the keeper to beat. He went around Valdes & calmly slotted home, hence ending any hopes Barca may have had of beating us. Chelsea were through to the finals.

Drogba scoring the winning penalty

5) Chelsea vs. Bayern Munich, May 19th 2012- A day Chelsea fans will never forget for as long as we live (we'll even remember it in our afterlife). This was the day we'd all been waiting for; the finals. Bayern Munich had most of the chances throughout the game, but only scored in the 83rd minute through Thomas Muller. Normally that 1 goal would have sufficed, but Chelsea's stubbornness to let go of the Champions League shone through & Drogba managed to equalize in the 89th minute. Enter extra-time. Bayern had a penalty given to them after Drogba fouled Ribery inside the box, but Robben's kick was poor, & Cech saved. Extra-time finished, & it was down to penalties. Lahm scored Bayern's 1st kick, but Mata's penalty was saved. Cech was in sublime form though, & saved the penalty of Ivica Olic, before Schweinsteiger hit the post. The score was 3-3, & up stepped Didier Drogba. With amazing calm, he slotted home. Chelsea became Champions of Europe.  

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The Chelsea Way: The only way Chelsea can play?

This is a trend that’s been around ever since after the first leg match Chelsea won against Barcelona in the Champions league semi-finals and much was emphasized since our Champions League glory. It’s a trend where people everywhere say, that Chelsea can only play the boring and defensive football style. If what they’re saying were just to highlight that we can play well defensively, I’d have no problems with that. But in this case, the majority of people are saying this to degrade the qualities we possess as a football club.

This has spread everywhere, every social media and every news media. I have read so many times in social medias where people say, well basically, Chelsea is a team that can only play defensively. Here’s a conclusion I made on all the tweets and comments that are having a say on this:

Both Marin and Hazard were signed to bolster our attacking qualities

“Chelsea have signed Hazard and Marin, and now are going after Hulk, Ben Arfa, Schurrle etc. Why are they trying to sign all these attacking players when they’re just going to turn them into defenders?”

Now this is insulting. By my understanding, what all these tweets and comments are trying to say is 

this: Chelsea can and only knows how to play defensively. Before I start rumbling on how this nonsense is outrageous; now that the Euros are under way, a new term has emerged, The Chelsea way or some say, “doing the Chelsea”. Oh how thoughtful. The Chelsea way is basically a term used for a team using the similar tactic Chelsea used in the Champions League Semis and Final. Here’s an example; as we all know, Trapattoni, the Irish national team manager said they were going to use “the Chelsea way” to face Spain, and we all saw how that ended. Another example is France. They are to face Europe and World Champion, Spain. Reports from Bleacher report and other medias are suggesting that Laurent Blanc’s men will play “the Chelsea way” to face Spain.

Now some are complimenting Chelsea as they mean Chelsea exceeds others in defending, whilst others are just sore fans that for many reasons dislike Chelsea’s success last season. And for whatever reasons they’re saying all this, I finally feel irritated. How is it a team that played using a certain tactic for three matches considered that they could only play that way? So, what people everywhere out there are trying to say is that a team can only play one certain style of play in every match? Heck no. I’m not trying to say that playing defensively is a crime; we’ve had an article before about the beautiful attacking style vs. the boring defensive style, my main point is a team can’t be labeled a defensive team just because they played that way for a few matches. And that also includes Chelsea. We aren’t a defensive team, we exceed in defending, yes. But that’s not the only style we know how. Here’s my answer to those who keep on claiming we are a team that can only play boring defensive football-

1. It was a Tactic that Di Matteo used to perfection

Spot on tactics used against Barcelona and Munich

The three matches that got us the “boring” defensive team was the three matches we played against Barcelona and Bayern Munich. Yes we played defensively. But we did that because we had too. Last season saw us possess the worst attacking quality since the Roman era. Our only quality attackers were Mata, Torres and Drogba. While Malouda, Kalou and Sturridge were under performers. And Lukaku is still to young and inexperienced to be played in these important matches. Compare our atackers to rivals City, United and Arsenal? And we looked ordinary. Heck I sometimes thought Tottenham and Newcastle had better options upfront than us. So what Di Matteo had to do was to apply the best tactic he could. First, I’ll give a definition to what tactic means. Tactic has a definition of a procedure or set of maneuvers engaged in to achieve an end, an aim, or a goal/purpose. In football, I would put tactical aim is to get the best by calculating what you got and your opponents weaknesses and strength. And that’s exactly what Di Matteo did; he got the best out of our quality and took advantage of it. At that time our primary strength was clear: defense. Hence the defensive play against both Barcelona and Munich. Did we play defensively in the Premier League? NO. Did we play defensively against both Tottenham and Liverpool in the FA semis and final? NO. Fact is, Chelsea scored 19 goals since Di Matteo took over on March 4^th. And Chelsea also beat Tottenham with a staggering 5-1 win and a 2-1 win over Liverpool.

Who could forget that season when we broke all kinds of goal scoring records....

2. Stats say otherwise

Here are some stats to back me up. Chelsea until now holds the most goals scored in a season with 103 in 2009-2010 in the Premier League era. Another fact is that Chelsea is placed third among all teams that has participated in the Premier League since 1992-1993 with 1282 goals, only beaten by United and Arsenal with 1541 and 1345 respectively. Chelsea also scored 112 goals in all competitions last season, only 6 below United and 11 below City.

3. Other teams also played defensively

Yes, other teams also played defensively last season. To all Manchester United fans, remember the trip to Etihad? You basically parked the bus too, and worse, you had 0 shots on goal. And to top that, you still lost. Manchester City also played defensively at some occasions. They played defensively when they visited Stamford Bridge, and also when they played Arsenal at both Etihad and Emirates. And to top that, before this season, City was the most defense oriented team. We all know that as a fact.

So with all these, how is it just by playing those three matches, we are labeled defensive and boring? We can play fantastic attacking football and we showed it before. I know this article won’t instantly wipe all the nonsense people are saying out there, but I for one am certainly irritated and sick of all those talks. Roman certainly is showing he means business with all the transfers going on, so with all the signing that has already come, and the signings that will, I hope Chelsea next season will shut the mouths of those degrading and insulting our attack force once and for all.

How do you fellow Blues see it? Well, till then, Keep The Blue Flag Flying High as always....

#HWCFC (CFC360)

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Do Chelsea Really Need a New Striker?

Torres will lead the Chelsea strike force from next season....

Here’s something to ponder about: should we or shouldn’t we sign a new striker? All eyes from fans to rivals to haters will be on Chelsea. And thank god it’s for the right reasons; we’re the reigning European Champions, we signed two amazing talented wingers, with one being a hot property all Europe elites tried to get their hands on (who could forget all the rubbish talk other team's supporters said after Hazard sign for Chelsea?), and finally, Roman is showing he means business this time around by trying to sign other talented and gifted players to perfect the club.

We have signed Hazard and Marin, two very talented wingers, which Chelsea desperately need as last season saw us possess our most least attacking team we’ve ever seen under Roman. As everyone believes, with Di Matteo signed as permanent manager, we will be playing under the classic 4-2-3-1 formation. We have the defense and midfield pretty much covered with a signing in the right back position to perfect our defense. The attacking half of midfield is also covered as we have players who can fit in these positions; but as many believe (and if I might add, so do I) we need one more signing to fill the right wing position, and if I might add again, I strongly believe Hulk will be a perfect addition for us.

Back to the point, the one position that caught my eye is the striker. Yes we have three players who can play there, but with the loss of king Didier, only one of the three is on par to the Drog. Fernando Torres. The Chelsea hierarchy has stated that he's in the club's long term plans and will lead the attacking line up as well,which in my opinion is great news. Torres hasn't been at his very best since he joined us from Mersyside, but since RDM  took charge, Torres has shown us the flashes of his old form and also that he can destroy defenses at will even today. Fact is, Torres was Chelsea's top scorer in the Premier league under Roberto Di Matteo on par with Drogba, both scored 4 goals each. Another fact is that Torres topped the assist chart with 6 one above fellow team mate and Spain international, Mata.  But then again, is Fernando enough? We will be competing in more competitions than we did in previous seasons, adding the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Club. So that means we’ll need other quality strikers to either replace Torres for rotation and to add more depth in our squad. But before that let’s take a look at the other strikers we currently have.

Romelu Lukaku

Lukaku has great potential and is gifted but that lad requitres playing time...

When bought from Anderlecht in 2011, Lukaku was dubbed the new Drogba. He scored 33 goals in his 73 appearances in 3 years with Anderlecht. Physic wise, he does resemble a young Drogba, whose main attribute was his sheer power, pace, technical abilities and goal scoring instinct. So far Lukaku has shown he got the power and pace, but still lack technical abilities and his scoring instinct. I’d blame that on the fact that he is still very young and lacks experience, whilst Drogba came to Chelsea when he was 26. So what’s the best way to quickly polish this young talent? My answer would be to loan him either to Ligue 1 or Bundesliga or any English club for a season or two. Let’s be honest, I personally don’t see Di Matteo giving him the nod to play anytime soon. It’d be great if he's loaned.

Daniel Sturridge

Sturridge is a great talent with great dribbling ability and great pace. I doubt anyone would argue with that. But after Di Matteo started taking charge at the Bridge, Sturridge began to fade. He lost his starting position and was benched most of the times. Why is that? Because Di Matteo makes his players play as one, as a team. Whilst Sturridge has the tendency to shoot at will even with a teammate in a better position to shoot. One might argue that Sturridge is the answer to provide back up for Torres as our main striker, and yes I also think he’s got the ability and talent to do so. But the question remains, is Sturridge enough to back up Torres? In my opinion, yes he is. We could see that the only problem Sturridge had last season was his willingness to pass, besides that, I see a formidable striker in the making. Well there have been rumors that Danny could leave Chelsea but nothing concrete has been reported yet but still you never know.

So anyways, basically in my opinion, in the mean time we don’t need to sign a new striker as some have suggested.  We might as well focus on signing Hulk and a new right back. Hulk himself can also play as a striker so if we do sign him, it'll ease any injury or suspension problems we face later on. Torres and Sturridge are great strikers any club could have. With Lukaku seemingly getting a loan, the two will be our main strikers and with the three attacking midfielders behind them, we’d be a great attacking force.

What do you guys think? Please do comment, we love to hear from you guys....

Till then, Keep the Blue Flag Flying High!

#HWCFC(CFC360)

Chelsea Looking In For Sturridge-Walcott Swap due to RVP?

CFC and Arsenal set for a potential exchange move?

Reports this evening from Crunchsports and Mirror suggset that our number 23 Daniel Sturridge could be on his way to Emirates if Van Persie quits. Van Persie isn't looking to sign a long term deal with Arsenal and could be sold if his £30million price tag is met. On the other hand Theo Walcott is not prepared to sign a new long term deal as he feels that Arsenal wouldn't be the team if their tailsmanic striker leaves the club by the end of this transfer season.

Following are the reports-


The man above in red is a big piece in this transfer jigsaw....

- Juventus and Manchester City are on alert as Arsenal are prepared to sell striker Robin van Persie this summer - providing their £30million valuation is met, according to the Sunday Mirror.

- Chelsea and Liverpool are on alert as Arsenal are prepared to let Theo Walcott leave the club this summer after contract talks reached a stalemate, according to the Sunday Mirror.

- And according to The Sun on Sunday, Walcott is refusing to pledge his future to Arsenal until Van Persie commits himself.

- Arsenal and Liverpool are on alert as Chelsea striker Daniel Sturridge believes he will be forced to quit the club this summer to revive his England career, according to the Sunday Mirror.

Now this situation makes the reader a bit bewildered. So it all depends on the Dutch man if he quits then Chelsea and Arsenal might look to negotiate for their two players in Danny and Walcott.(Liverpool are somewhere in the mix as well)



Will Danny stay or will he leave the reigning European Champions?

If you want to read how heavily Danny Sturridge is being linked to Arsenal I would request you to read this .

Well this situation remains unresolved for now. But the chances of Van Persie quitting the Gunners aren't very grim as well. Arsenal have already secured Lucas Podolski and are close to signing Olivier Giroud,then they could think of cashing on RVP and if they are able to induce Sturridge  he could yet be on his way to the Emirates stadium.

This is quite a prospect but the Blues have also been linked to Theo Walcott heavily in the past (read here) are continued to be linked even in the present day scenario. Both are extremely talented players and have bright futures.So let's hope for the best I would say. Danny is an asset to us but it seems he has other plans for his future maybe. Anyways let's keep our fingers crossed and watch the action unfold.

Till then KTBFFH as always....

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Blues vs Gunners for Ben Arfa

Its a two way fight for the French man...

Chelsea have been joined by local neighbours Arsenal for the race to sign Newcastle's number 10 Hatem Ben Arfa.The Frenchman who admitted in an interview that he could leave the Magpies if a bigger club approaches him.The France international was a revelation for Newcastle last season as they just missed out on Champions League football and it is no surprise to see him linked with a move away from St James' Park.Chelsea have long been linked with the player but now reports claim that Gunners boss Mr. Wenger is also keen as he looks to bolster his ranks for the new season.
Speaking to L'Equipe at the start of the European Championships, the 25-year-old refused to completely rule out a summer transfer should the right club show interest in him.


"If I don't have a really very, very serious proposition, I will stay," he said.

"If a big club comes but doesn't propose me something very exciting, which means the coach really wants me, I will stay.

"If I don't feel trust from the coach at 100 per cent, I will not leave.

"I have three years remaining on my contract. But I know it can go quickly."

While it is far from certain Newcastle would be willing to sell Ben Arfa, if the Magpies were to be tempted into a transfer, the Mirror feels Arsenal is a more likely destination than Chelsea. The Blues have already secured Lille’s Eden Hazard and Germany international Marko Marin, who each play in a complementary position to Ben Arfa’s favoured role, and we already have  Mata and Frank Lampard in the squad.

Well Ben Arfa could be tempted for a move to the European Champions given the lure of Champions League Football and a much bigger stage.But as reports suggest Arsenal are keeping tabs on him as well.

What do you think readers? Do we need Ben Arfa? Would he be a good addition to the Blues attack? Please feel free to comment. We love to hear from you guys...

Till then KTBFFH as always....

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The Challenge Ahead (Part 2) : Transition From a 4-3-3 to a 4-2-3-1 Formation

This is a continuation of one of my articles titles titled "The Challenge Ahead: Chelsea's Transition Into An Attacking Side". Here I will take a look at the formation that we began to use regularly under Roberto Di Matteo when he took over the job on an interim basis.

Mourinho (right) started the 4-3-3 system

Since the days of Jose Mourinho, Chelsea have lined up in a 4-3-3 formation. Basically,the formation encouraged attacking wing-play and a packed midfield which provided solidity in defence. Indeed, one could understand why Jose began to use this formation. Joe Cole, Arjen Robben & Damien Duff were all wingers who loved to make searing runs down the wing and then deliver crosses for the oncoming Didier Drogba. Players like Essien & Makelele were used as midfield anchors, whilst Ballack quietly controlled the midfield, allowing Super Frank to make his traditional late runs into the box. The nature of this formation also meant that our wingers found it easy to get into goal-scoring positions.

Juan Mata flourished in the 4-2-3-1 system

However, no system is perfect. And the flaws of the 4-3-3 were there for all to see when results started going downhill last season. A packed midfield 3 offered no creativity whatsoever. Our wingers were under-performing,  and Juan Mata often found himself stuck on the left wing where he could not influence & dictate the play as much as he liked. The system needed to be changed, & that's exactly what Roberto Di Matteo did when he was appointed as caretaker manager.
He started using the 4-2-3-1 formation. The formation has 2 defensive midfielders, attacking wingers and one attacking midfielder playing in the hole. Juan Mata no longer played on the left wing but in the attacking midfield role where he could influence the game. 2 defensive midfielders meant there was some solidity in defence, which had been shaky the whole season. The change worked.

It seems likely that Chelsea are going to stick with this formation. The players that we have already bought and the players we are still chasing would be perfectly suited to this system. Also, the 4-2-3-1 formation worked wonders for Liverpool when they had Gerrard playing in the hole & Fernando Torres leading the attack. With the Spaniard appearing to find some form towards the end of last season, it would suit Chelsea to play to his strengths as he will be the main striker next season. And I see no reason for Roberto Di Matteo to revert back to the 4-3-3. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Keep The Blue Flag Flying High till then fellow BLUES....

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