Match Report : India 3-2 Malaysia.

Am I being sarcastic if I tell that Chhetri is a better player than Torres at the moment? Probably not, as a double strike from him and 1 from Jeje ensured a 3-2 friendly win for India against Malaysia at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata.

It wasn’t a Barcelona vs Man United game where everyone knew the eventuality; it was a close game with many chances being created by both the teams.

While the Cricket game might have drawn the crowds to the Eden Gardens, there was still a reasonable crowd of about 5000 who were cheering(I hope, audio couldn’t be heard thanks to DD’s amazing broadcast) the men in Blue.

Physicality was not a problem for India, but the attacking third was where India were struggling in the entire game.

The first 10 minutes saw both the teams happily keeping possession and not trying anything fancy. The defensive mentality didn’t yield a single decent chance for either side in the first 30 minutes of the game.

India’s forwards Jeje and Chhetri had some excellent(Indian Standards) 1 to 1 passing but neither led to the creation of any decent chance.

India finally struck a goal in the 39^th minute when a long ball was neatly intercepted by Chhetri who coolly converted the chance.

And when it was almost half time, the Indian defence was caught sleeping and Malaysia equalised through a simple goal. 

Half time and it was 1 goal a piece, with the home team definitely looking more dangerous of the two sides. 

It appeared that Savio Medeira did a Jose Mourinho as a rejuvenated Indian side scored with 2 minutes of the restart courtesy a brilliant through ball from Balgit to Chhetri who’s pass to Jeje resulted in the Indian team getting back their lead. The crowd erupted(again, I’m assuming as that’s what the commentator said) with joy.

In the 52nd minute, Jeje missed a 1 on 1 with the keeper which resulted in a corner that was neatly intercepted by the keeper again.

A minute later, Chhetri doubled his tally with a cool finish to give India a formidable 3-1 lead.

Just when the game looked like it was heading India’s way(A rarity), Malaysia pulled one goal back as the Indian defence was caught dosing again. A brilliant through ball from ... to ... resulted in a cool finish from the latter.

A nervy final few minutes ensued but India held onto their lead and finally came out 3-2 winners in a classic(DD’s broadcast made it look like a 70’s game, with colour of course) encounter.

Pre match. Chelsea vs L'Arse.

Drogba suspension has solved our striker dilemma and his red card is, according to me, a blessing in disguise for us as Chelsea take on Arsenal in the London derby on Saturday.

While people may argue that Drogba is Arsenal’s nemesis, we all are aware of his poor form in recent times and Torres’ brilliant form likewise. If Drogba can score against Arsenal, there’s no reason why Torres cannot considering his form.

Coming to the lineup and formation, I think it will be something like this :

-------------------Cech------------------

Bosingwa---Terry---Ivanovic---Cole

-----Ramires----Meireles----Lampard

-----Sturridge-----------------Mata-------

-------------------Torres-------------------

The usual back 4, Ivanovic and Terry have to keep Van Persie at bay tomorrow. Can they? I'm not too sure. I don’t think the full backs will be troubled too much tomorrow.

Also, the rotating midfield trio of Lampard, Meireles and Ramires will prove to be a real asset for Chelsea as the passing has been quick and precise with them around.

The forward line consisting of Sturridge and Mata bombarding through the wings and Torres as our lone striker surely looks juicy and will prove to be more than a handful against Arsenal.

Prediction : 2-0 win for the Blues, expecting Torres to score one.

Ra.One and the credits it never gave. :P

Ra.One has been copied from the following. I personally noted down every scene and where or whom it was copied from :

1. Batman. We all know that.
2. Wolverine (Knifes appear in SRK's hands from nowhere)
3. Matrix. (ALL the action scenes)
4. 300. (The wardrobe in one of the scenes)
*5. Pulsar 220 advertisement. Yes, you read it right.
6. Inception (The kid dreams and wakes up)
*7. Mr. Bean (SRK's acting)
8. A football advertisement I don't quite remember.
9. Terminator 2 and 3.
10. Transformers.
11. Hulk (Both the 'superstars' climb like they're Hulk)
*12. DHL advertisement. (Watch the movie and the ad)
13. X-men.
*14. Orient PSPO advert.
15. Some random American Rapper (That villain's dressing)
*16. Undertaker (Ra.One does Undertaker's trademark move to G.One)
*17. Gerrard's GOAL Celebrations by falling down on his knees.
18. JUMANJI. :P
19. Lord Voldemort.

20. PT Usha.

God promise I'm not lying. :P

Bolton 1-5 Chelsea. Match Report.

It was a sweet 350^th appearance for Frank Lampard as his hat trick helped Chelsea thump Bolton 5-1 at the Reebok Stadium. Danny Sturridge scored the other two goals as Chelsea reduced the gap to 3 points at the top of the table over the Manchester Leaders.

Chelsea scored within 90 seconds of kick off and banished all of Bolton’s confidence as Danny Sturridge scored through a Mata corner after he was left unmarked. The corner was a result of a brilliant through ball from David Luiz to Bosingwa. Chelsea went 1-0 up and what came ahead was a half which every Bolton fan would want to forget.

A dominant Chelsea added another in the 15^th minute when Frank Lampard side footed home after some sublime passing from the Blue b0ys. Bolton’s miserable night had just begun.

In the 25^th minute, a howler from Bolton stand in Goalkeeper Bogdan as a result of a Sturridge shot resulted in the ball going into the back of the net. Sturridge, who had previously scored 8 goals in 11 appearances for Bolton, refused to celebrate as a token of respect to the club he was loaned out to.

Bogdan’s day went from bad to worse immediately as he failed to get hold of a shot from Luiz and the ball fell straight into Lampard’s path who did not miss. 4-0 in favor of the Blues after just 27 minutes.

Owen Coyle’s half time team talk resulted in Bolton scoring a goal in the 1^st minute of the 2^nd half as Chelsea conceded through a set piece, again. Boyata neatly headed the goal to give Bolton some hope.

Drogba should have reinstated Chelsea 4 goal lead, but his low shot as a result of a brilliant through ball from Luiz went just wide.

Just two minutes later, Lampard completed his hat trick after a sparkling one-two with Didier Drogba. Chelsea went 5-1 ahead inside the hour mark and gradually slowed down the pace of the game.

Chelsea went lucky in the 81^st minute when Ivanovic brilliantly cleared the ball on the line after a shot from Kevin Davies from 6 yards out. Unconclusive replays suggested that the ball had just crossed the line.

Bolton looked for a late consolation but were denied that after Eagles’ shot resulted in a deflected save from Cech that hit the crossbar.

Soon, the final whistle blew, and Lampard’s performance silenced his critics. As they say, Form is temporary, Class is permanent.

Match report. ManU 3-1 Chelsea

People will remember this game for the missed chances rather than the ones taken as Manchester United were eventual 3-1 winners in a highly enthralling game at Old Trafford. 3 first half goals from Smalling, Nani and Rooney saw Andre Villas Boas lose his first League game in charge of the Blues as Chelsea were made to pay for some sloppy defending and yes, errors from the linesman.

Both sets of fans were in good voice as Chelsea were dominant in the first few minutes of the game but things were to rapidly change as United went ahead courtesy an offside goal from Chris Smalling who scored a header from an Ashley Young free kick. 

The goal didn’t dent Chelsea’s attack as they came close to scoring when Anderson’s misplaced pass fell straight to Torres who missed the target after a scuffle with Evans.

Chelsea had another chance in the 14^th minute when Mata’s corner was neatly headed by Ivanovic only to be saved by United’s goalkeeper.
It was all Chelsea in the first 20 minutes of the game as Chelsea had 6 attempts at goal compared to United’s 1. But the scoreline suggested something totally different.

United looked to break Chelsea on the counter in the 26^th minute as Rooney had a poor shot after the ball was worked into the box.

A minute later, De Gea made a heroic save as Ramires looked to score off a brilliant low cross from Torres who was fed the ball after some nice work from Mata. United managed to hang onto their lead as Chelsea kept piling on the pressure.

Chelsea had half a chance to equalize in the 31^st minute again when Torres, who had a bright 30 minutes, looked to score off a bicycle kick via a Sturridge cross but missed the target.

Chelsea’s 10 goal attempts in the first 30 odd minutes of the game proved futile as Nani scored a screamer of a goal from just outside the box after cutting in and getting past Mata. Cech was just a spectator as Chelsea went 2-0 down.

Wayne Rooney added to Chelsea’s misery as he scored a sitter after receiving a ball that ricocheted off Nani and fell straight into his path. United ended the half with 3 goals to nothing.

While talks of Chelsea doing an Arsenal were still on, Chelsea scored within 60 seconds of the 2^nd half after a brilliant through ball from Anelka (who was substituted in place of Lampard at the start of the 2^nd half) found Torres who flicked the ball neatly over De Gea. Torres got his much needed goal and Chelsea were right back in the clash.

A dominant Chelsea looked for a 2^nd goal and came close when Mata’s shot was intercepted by United’s goalkeeper after Sturridge found him.

What was to follow was drama as Nani’s shot from just outside the box hit the post and got deflected straight at him and he made the most of Bosingwa’s challenge and went to the ground as Manchester United were awarded a penalty. Rooney, who had scored earlier in the match, did a repeat of John Terry as he slipped and missed from 12 yards out. Chelsea were awarded a lifeline.

Torres showed his class again in the 71^st minute when he created a chance for himself inside the box and shot directly at De Gea who saved, but the ball was deflected back to him and his resulting shot went over the bar. Little did he know that what was to follow a few minutes later was the biggest embarrassment of his Chelsea career as he failed to hit the target from an open net being 7 yards out after Ramires fed him a great ball.

The missed chances were to continue as Berbatov missed an opportunity in the dying stages of the game to send Chelsea packing as his weak shot was slid off by Cole after he was given an easy chance to score by an unselfish pass from Rooney. He missed and Chelsea avoided an embarrassment.

And as the final whistle blew a few minutes later, United overcame Chelsea 3-1 in a mouth watering clash and maintained their 100% start to their Premier League Campaign.

United-Chelsea. Talking points...

As Chelsea look all set to face United tomorrow, here are a few things Chelsea need to worry about before the trip to Old Trafford : 


1. Drogba. His absence at the front and while defending set pieces and corners will be felt. 


2. Torres' worrying form. Will he step up against the likes of United's defence tomorrow? Yes, he assisted the 2 goals against Leverkusen, but the same old question will arise, can he step up? And to be perfectly hones, I don't think he will. Prove me wrong Torres! 


3. Chelsea's nervy defence. Bosingwa has every chance of getting owned against the likes of United's wingers and Chelsea' Center Backs also need to be at their best which they haven't till now.


4. Lampard. He's the essence of our midfield. Any misplaced passes and we will get caught in the counter attack. Lampard has to be at his best tomorrow.


- Abhishek Easwaran. 

Pre match interview.

Pre match. Answered a few questions asked by a friend. A sort of an interview :

1. What are your thoughts on the game this Super Sunday?
A : Over hyped. Both sets of fans have their share of glory hunters who hype this. Only the true fans know that this game means nothing at the end of the day. 

2. What do you think of the signings Chelsea has made this summer?
A : Decent. All I'm left wondering is how are we going to fall inside the FFP rule. 

3. Chelsea have a new manager this season in Andre Villas-Boas. Do the
fans have faith in his abilities looking at his past achievements?
A : I have faith in any manager at Chelsea. Right from Ranieri, I've been an ardent supporter of every manager we've had. AVB is a little different from the rest, he's ex Chelsea and knows in and out about this club. Plus from what I've seen in these few games, his half time team talks remind me of Mourinho's time. Best part about AVB? He never speaks ill of other teams and players. 

4. Chelsea sometimes bear the look of an ageing squad which is in need
of a massive overhaul. Do you agree with this view?
A : No. We have a replacement for JT in the name of Branislav Ivanovic. We have Josh McEachran who's sure to replace Lampard and Drogba's replacements are Lukaku and Torres. Other ageing players? Ashley Cole? We have Bertrand and Van Anholt waiting in line. Essien has a good few years left in him and we have Mikel and Meireles to fill in his void too. Overall, the squad doesn't look old to me at all! 

5. Onto the game, Torres isn't scoring (though he assisted both goals
vs Leverkusen) while Drogba is out with injury. Does that very much
undermine Chelsea's chances of winning the game at Old Trafford?
A : Its all upto one man if you ask me. Lampard. He's the essence Chelsea have had in the midfield all these years. If he steps up, I see no reason why we cannot beat United tomorrow. Drogba's absence will be felt as he's a great striker and is brilliant at defending set pieces for Chelsea. His physicality will be missed.

6. What should be Chelsea's strategy to overcome the high-flying Red
Devils? Who do you think will the key players for the Blues?
A : Mata, Sturridge and Lampard. 

7. Do you have high hopes for the likes of Sturridge, Lukaku, Mata,
McEachran & similarly the players coming through the academy ranks?
A : Sturridge has proven his worth already. Everything's being said about Lukaku, lets see how he turns out. Mata and Josh have been fantastic when given chances. Josh needs to be more strong physically to compete at the PL level. He's just 18 and will only get stronger as time proceeds.

8. Which has been your favourite Manchester United vs Chelsea
encounter till date?
A : Too many to select one. 

9. Finally, your scoreline predictions for the match.
1-1.

Golaso Fantastico! :D

Sometimes, the scoreline doesn’t suggest what actually happened in the match. Today was one such day where Chelsea, who thoroughly dominated the game came out as eventual winners in a 2-1 victory over Sunderland. Two fantastic goals from Terry and Sturridge ensured 3 handsomely deserved points for the Blues.

Chelsea started with Torres on the bench and Anelka starting in place of him in what looked like a 4-3-3 formation. The first 10 minutes were rather quiet as Chelsea dominated possession, but failed to create any real chances. Mata, who made his first start in Chelsea colours, looked in top form and managed to get into the box a couple of times, but none resulted in any goals.

In the 17^th minute, Juan Mata hit the post through a free kick just outside the box after Nicholas Anelka was brought down and the ball deflected off the post only to fall to Sturridge who made a crisp cross to John Terry who finished sublimely from a very tight angle. Chelsea got the lead they deserved.

Things looked a little off pace in the latter stages of the first half, Chelsea were dominating thoroughly and Sunderland were showing no signs of progress. Cech had a quiet half but was forced to make his first save in the 44^th minute when Sessegnon shot from a tight angle just outside the 6 yard box. That didn’t yield any result and Chelsea went 1-0 ahead at the break.

Chelsea took off from where they left in the 2^nd half as they completely dominated possession and were finally rewarded with a goal when Danny Sturridge, who was found by debutant Raul Meireles, scored through a clever back heel thus putting the game beyond any doubt.

Sturridge soon made way for Florent Malouda who made an instant impact when he shot directly on target after a neat pass from Lampard.

Bendtner had a half chance when he was within the 6 yard box and his resulting shot was bravely blocked by Ivanovic. While that was one chance that went begging, a missed header from Wickham that went just over the bar added to Sunderland’s misery.

Things remained the same until the 90^th minute, and just when Andre Villas Boas looked for a second clean sheet this season, Sunderland got a goal from nowhere in the 91^st minute when Ji Dong Wong slided the ball into the net. A nervy 2-3 minutes of stoppage time ensued but some brave defending in the end by John Terry ensured that Chelsea went home with 3 points in the bag.

Sunderland vs Chelsea : Pre match predo

I'm expecting a win for Chelsea today.

Formation : A 4-3-3 is inevitable today with Drogba's absence. Torres in the centre should be provided with good chances with Sturridge on the right and Mata on the left. No excuses for Torres today. Perform or Perish.

Sturridge - Torres - Mata combination up front looks awesome. Many chances will be created today.


Midfield trio with Lampard - Mikel - Ramires with Mikel holding back thus providing Ramires and Lampard freedom to attack.

Back 4?

Expecting JT-Alex at the CB position with Bosingwa and Cole at the Full back positions. Loads of chances from the wings are on the cards.




A 2-0 win would be my prediction for this match. Torres to score a brace and Sturridge to score something that looks like this : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEwe30NSk5Q

Yennada?

Why is it that only we Tamilians consider it offensive when someone calls us Madrasi? 

Let me get this straight : 

People from Punjab = Punjabis

People from Bengal = Bengalis

People from Rajasthan = Rajasthanis 

People from Madras = Madrasis! 

So, why do we consider it offensive? Heaven knows. :| 

Arsenal = Hypocrites. Confirmed.

I've always been a critic of Arsenal. And I've a strong case against them now.

A club which said they have complete 'faith' in their youngsters made a record 5 signings in the last 2 days of the transfer window. Reason? 3 games played, and they've lost 2 and drawn 1. And an 8-2 loss against United. Where's the faith gone Wenger? 


The fact that their season already looked over by the end of August forced them to make a host full of signings. The team who's manager has always spoken ill of Chelsea's spending prowess had to do the same. Talk about being hypocritical. 

Arsenal = Hypocrites?

Me : Arsenal are in a fix now, aren't they? 

Either 'break' their 'moral values' and bring in established talents by offering high wages like LOLpool did or accept the fact that they're indeed a sinking ship and 'keep faith in the youth system and hope that they will eventually come good'. 

What would you as an Arsenal fan prefer?

(Die hard) Arsenal Fan :  Not asking to break the moral code here. I'd not be an Arsenal fan if we went all Lol-pool over our wage structure. All I want Wenger to do is spend at least HALF the money that he got from players leaving ONLY. Forget the transfer budget. Because even if he does that, we should be fine. #ReleaseTheArsenalMillions

The Emperor returns.

The Champions League draw is out, and Chelsea are placed in Group E along with Valencia, Bayer Leverkusen and Genk.            

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

While Chelsea are expected to go through comfortably, this group is not as easy as it appears. Bayer Leverkusen finished second in the Bundesliga last season, which speaks volumes. Then there is Valencia who can be a threat to any side. And let us not underestimate Genk, who are the Belgian Champions, making them not an easy opponent.  

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

So, where does the key lie?           

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

According to me, our three home games will be vital, winning away against Leverkusen and Valencia will be very difficult - The earlier we reach the 10 point mark, the better.   

                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

Return of the Kaiser!          

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

Michael Ballack will get his richly deserved welcome from Chelsea fans when he visits Stamford Bridge with his Leverkusen side on the 13th of September.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Mata hoped he would meet Valencia in the Champions League final, well, he’ll have to made do with the group stages for now.   

Match report : Chelsea 3-1 Norwich.

It was a game filled with emotions, contentment for the 3 goals Chelsea scored, anger at Chelsea’s lacklusture performance overall (though the scoreline suggests something different), fear at Drogba’s head injury and finally delight for Mata’s debut goal as Chelsea overcame Norwich 3-1 after a determined performance from the Blues in the 2^nd half.

It was a walk in the park for Chelsea in the opening few minutes as the Blues capitalized on Norwich’s bleak start by scoring a goal in the 6^th minute. The goal came from an unlikely source in Jose Bosingwa who scored stunningly from 25 yards out.

Chelsea were cruising in the first fifteen minutes with the 70-30 possession in our favour doing much of the talking. But things rapidly changed after that as Norwich started attacking, and Hilario was forced to make a couple of saves, one from Holt who headed the ball straight into him, and another from Hoolahan who shot from 30 yards out.

2 horrible free kicks, one each from Drogba and Lampard added to the frustration of the Chelsea fans as an unconvincing Chelsea lead 1-0 at Half Time.

Things looked better in the 2^nd half as Chelsea created a few chances in the opening minutes and would have been 2-0 up had Drogba intercepted a juicy cross from Malouda.
Things remained the same till the hour mark, until a header by Ivanovic took the ball away from Hilario only to be intercepted neatly by Holt who scored a spectacular goal. Chelsea 1-1 Norwich.
7 minutes of stoppage soon followed as Drogba was knocked unconscious in the air by a punch from Norwich Goalkeeper Ruddy who was trying to clear the ball. The punch, unintentional, knocked Drogba immediately who fell head first to the ground. A stunned Stamford Bridge crowd stood silent, helplessly watching the medical team treat Drogba.

The Stamford Bridge crowd ruptured will applause as Drogba was stretchered off and Mata was brought on, not as Drogba’s replacement, but Malouda’s. Anelka replaced Drogba and the game resumed.

Chelsea looked close to going 2-1 down when Morison had a clear chance, but took too much time to make up his mind. By then, Captain John Terry was at the spot and cleared the ball.

Mata immediately showed his class as he put in a dangerous ball from the left flank which was intercepted by none other than Torres, and which forced a save from Ruddy.
In the 80^th minute, Ramires made a scintillating run into the box, took the ball away from Ruddy who brought him down. What followed was a penalty converted by Lampard and a red card for Ruddy.

Things were never going to get any easier for Norwich after being down to 10 men as Chelsea were back from where they left after 15 minutes. Debutant Lukaku, who came on for Torres, worked a yard and shot only to be saved by the substitute goalkeeper Rudd. Lukaku looked sharp in the 17 odd minutes he played.

While Branislav Ivanovic missed a simple header in the 90^th minute that would have ensured 3 points, Mata capitalised on a misplaced pass from De Laet in the 101^st minute and finished coolly past the substitute goalkeeper Rudd.

In the end, it wasn’t the most convincing win but it was 3 points that most would say Chelsea deserved. 

She's the one.

If there's one person we can learn management skills from, its our Mom.

Match report : Chelsea 2-1 WBA.

Football is a game of two halves and it was clearly evident today as Chelsea, after a woeful first half performance and being a goal down, managed to pull back 2 goals in the 2^nd half to register a much needed victory.

Chelsea’s looked sloppy in the first few minutes and were made to pay in the 5^th minute as West Brom’s new recruit Shane Long managed to outmuscle Alex and hit the back of the net with a cool finish. Even Cech couldn’t have done any better. Stamford Bridge suddenly went quiet.

Things were going as per plan for West Brom as they defended deep and relied heavily on counter attacks. The closest Chelsea came were with two shots, one from Kalou and one from Torres, both of which went high and wide and added to Chelsea’ misery.  

Albion looked close to doubling the lead through a brilliant counter attack when Long zoomed past Terry and Alex but somehow failed to find Tchoyi. The score remained 1-0.

After 35 minutes of stale and sloppy play, AVB made a brave decision and took off Kalou who was replaced by Malouda who instantly added more pace to Chelsea’s game.

Nearing the end of the first half, Anelka, and most of the Shed End crowd had a blatant penalty appealed rejected by the referee when Anelka felt he was fouled inside the box by Foster. Replays suggested that Foster got Anelka but got none of the ball. Another poor refereeing decision?

The first half drama was far from over as Chelsea came close to scoring in extra time at the end of the 1^st half after a foul on Torres just outside the box resulted in an Alex free kick which got deflected only to be saved by Ben Foster.  

Andre Villas Boas’ team talk after a shocking first half probably made all the difference in the 2^nd. Chelsea looked an altogether different side and played with more pace and looked determined to get the two goals which would ensure 3 points.

Chelsea got the first breakthrough in the 53^rd minute when a Lampard pass was efficiently intercepted by Anelka who found the back of the net with a trademark finish from a tight angle, his first Premier League goal since February.

Chelsea continued to pile on pressure and West Brom continued to be resilient to the wave of attacks that ensued post Anelka’s goal. Apart from one instance where Tchoyi’s shot forced a heroic save from Hilario, Chelsea were completely dominating the proceedings.  

The Stamford Bridge faithful had to wait until the 83^rd minute when Bosingwa ran past two defenders with the ball only to provide a brilliant, yet lethal low cross. Result? An uncomplicated finish from Malouda which ensured 3 points for Chelsea and gave Andre Villas Boas’ side a much needed win.

Chelsea managed to knick 3 points inspite of a dreary first half performance, and as the saying goes, things can only get better for Chelsea from here on. 

Will passing the bill help?

‎1 Question : Will we become any less corrupt 'if' the Jan Lokpal Bill is passed?

I personally would still prefer giving a pandu 50/100 bucks than make a pavti, surrender my licence, visiting the nearest police station, pay the fine and then get my licence back.

Point? Our system forces us to be corrupt and we're so used to it that life will become much more difficult without it.

Nothing against anyone or anything, just a random thought.

Future Captain?

Wearing the captain’s armband is very prestigious for any player - especially the Bridge where it means you will put on the same armband which famous names like Zola, Desailly, John Terry and Ossie among others have all worn with pride.                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

Every player who puts on the Blue shirt aspires to be the the captain, the player his peers look to for advice and inspiration.

 

John Terry has been our ‘Captain, Leader, Legend’ for a long time now, have you ever wondered who’ll lead us once he hangs up his boots? Here’s a look at the contenders who have a realistic chance of taking on  the prestigious captain’s armband and will lead the team in the future:   

 

Torres: He will eventually come good for Chelsea, and when he does, he will be unstoppable - But the age old question will remain, is a forward capable enough to lead the side?                                                                                                                                                         

Mikel: Yes, he found his feet last season with some brilliant performances,  but I’m not too sure if he’ll stay long enough to become our captain.

 

Ivanovic: Young, dynamic and already a fan's favourite - He is my clear favourite to replace John Terry as our future captain, especially as he has a good seven to eight years left in the top flight.

 

David Luiz: Another fan favourite, whilst he is new to the club he's a great defender, and a good contender to lead the side.

 

Personally, I think Ivanovic will, and surely deserves to lead CFC after John Terry passes on the armband. The Serbian is an incredible performer, he’s been flexible and has played in any position where the manager has wanted him to play - Doing so without any fears or complaints. A type of person everyone would love to see as our captain, plus he's a defender.                                                                                                                                                                                                      

The next 'Captain, Leader, Legend'? I hope so.

Possible?

Fixtures’ analysis

Most of us know how very important fixtures play in any team’s preparations. A Wednesday fan couldn’t possibly hope for anything better than 90 minutes of admiration for the other team if it is Chelsea or any other big club.

The Premier League fixtures are out, and here’s my bit on whether they can help us win the title back this season.

Pre season : I’ll start off with the pre season visit to Ibrox where Chelsea take on Rangers in a friendly on the 6^th of August followed by the mid week International Friendlies. Too much travelling before the season actually kicks off? A home match would’ve been better I reckon.

August-Sept : 6 matches. Stoke away(Opening day fixture) and United away(18^th Sept) are the main concerns. The other fixtures are quite straightforward where we play West Brom, Norwich, Sunderland and Swansea. Even if we win 5, we’re in the driving seat.

What I think : 5 wins out of 6 is a must if we are to have a real shot at the title.

Oct-Nov : Chelsea have been struggling particularly in November since the past few seasons, and I think the trend is bound to be broken as we face Rovers, Pool and Wolves. Meanwhile, October will be tricky as we face Bolton, Everton, Arsenal and QPR.

What I think : Wins against Bolton and Everton will put us in the driving seat, and wins against Pool and Arsenal would be the icing on the cake. An occasional hiccup won’t hurt us too much if we take care of the Bolton and Everton games.

December : The deciding month? Most ‘pundits’ say that this month decides the course ahead. We play Magpies(A), City(H), Wigan(A), Spurs(A), Fulham(H) and Villa(H). Needless to say, Chelsea are in with a tough round of fixtures during the period, and I wouldn’t be surprised if we drop points.

What I think : Unfortunately, I don’t see us gaining a lot of points from these round of fixtures. Tough month.

Jan-Feb : We’d relish playing the likes of Wolves, Sunderland, Norwich and Swansea in January. Just 3 fixtures in Feb, but they’re tricky again as we face United, Bolton and Everton.

What I think : The Chelsea-United fixture at Stamford Bridge will be very important, a 6 pointer possibly?

March : 5 games. If we’re having a normal season, we’ll beat the likes of West Brom, Stoke and Villa in March. City(A) and Spurs(H) look threatening.

April : Business end of the season. It will bring some smiles as the fixtures read Wigan(H), Fulham(A), Newcastle(H), Arsenal(A) and QPR(H).  

What I think : Not as difficult as it looks. Newcastle looks tricky but we know how badly they struggle as the season reaches its climax. Same applies to Arsenal.

May : Pool(A) and Rovers(H) to conclude the season. The trip to Anfield will be very very crucial, a deja vu to the double winning season.

Conclusion : Can we do it? The first 6 fixtures are vital. We MUST win those games as December is very very fiddly. We cannot afford to slip up in January or February. And lastly, not dropping points at Craven Cottage and Emirates in April will be the key.

-        Abhishek Easwaran

Harsh?

Well, AVB is here and everyone’s forgotten about the sacking of Carlo Ancelotti.

Carlo, as we all know, was sacked after a trophy-less season with Chelsea. This was succeeded right after he became the 1^st Chelsea manager in our 106 year history to win the double. Seemingly ‘Unstoppable’ Chelsea were torn apart by smaller teams last season, and eventually, Chelsea ended the season without a trophy. King Carlo wasn’t ‘more than special’ anymore. And in due course, Carlo was sacked.

Was his sacking harsh?

On one hand, one may find the sacking of a ‘double winning’ manager after a single trophy-less season unjust.

We all know Carlo’s reluctance at trying out our youngsters. One such instance was when Carlo played Paulo Ferreira at Centre Back instead of Bruma in the 3-0 home loss to Sunderland. It back fired. Likewise, there were many other instances where he could’ve put more faith in our youngsters.

Also, let us not forget that he spent close to 100 million pounds in his 2 seasons here. A manager who has spent that much money and couldn’t deliver a single trophy probably deserved the pink slip.

While on the other hand, a manager who

‘#wonthedouble’;

lost Wilko mid way;

wasn’t given the appropriate replacements for Ballack, Carvalho, Belletti, Deco among others;

was forced to play his 50 million signing who never adjusted well;

probably deserved another chance.

Was the sacking harsh?

An owner who’s spent HUGE amount of money has every right to demand trophies. Carlo failed.

You don’t get a 2^nd chance when there’s 100 million involved. Carlo learnt the fact in an unkind way.  

Joker.

After seeing 'The Dark Knight' for the trillionth time, I'm still intrigued by the character of the 'Joker'.

I was left wondering : Do we really have people who love to see the world burn? And the affirmation came from a Norwegian psychopath who ruthlessly murdered 90 odd people.

What do they get by committing such heinous crimes? I will never know.  

Date with Destiny?

Last two chances for the great man to score his maiden hundred at Lords, and his 100th hundred overall. 
Destiny? Who knows! Not only India, but England would equally want Sachin to reach this milestone at the Mecca of Cricket. 

Chelsea FC.

I think I was in 5th grade then. I was a big Midtown Madness 2 fan. 

I wanted to know more about Football in general. There was only one name on everyone's mouth then : Manchester United. I decided not to support them as everyone supported them. I had to choose a different club. 

Meanwhile, while driving a double decker bus across London, (breaking all the rules, destroying street lights etc), I noticed a name written Chelsea on the bus. 

Now, the next morning I read a headline which read, "Chelsea 1-0 Charlton."
And thus began my love affair with Chelsea FC. 8 years on, I haven't regretted a single moment.

Took me a further two years to get to know that a club had a 'manager', an 'owner' etc. By the time I realized it, Chelsea FC had won the league under the Abramovich era, and I was regarded as one of the 'glory hunters'.










You don't 'decide' which club to support, you just support.