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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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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