John Terry: Not a Monster

When the name 'John Terry' is mentioned to a non-Chelsea fan, to say it doesn't get a positive reaction is an understatement. Terry has become a pantomime villain type figure in football, a boogeyman to frighten children with.

Sometimes it seems like if John Terry were to say something as innoccous as 'It's a nice day today.' the internet would instantly be alive with opposition fans spilling their vitriol. "WHO IS JOHN TERRY TO SAY WHAT IS A NICE DAY! THERE IS A DISTINCT BIT OF CLOUD IN AN OTHERWISE CLEAR SKY, SO NO IT'S NOT A NICE DAY. TYPICAL ARROGANT CHAV, LOL!!!"

 Read through the popular press and you'll be hard pressed to find much positive written about him. Even an average match report will invariably carry reference to one of his past transgressions. Terry might well just be the most hated man in British football.

So it makes a pleasant surprise to for once, see a story in the press that actually casts Terry in a good light.
John Terry has been invited to take part in a charity match for former Aston Villa and Celtic midfielder Stylian Petrov, who retired from football in 2011 after being diagnosed with leukemia.

Petrov cites Terry as being one of the first to get in touch with him after his diagnosis came through. He also tells how Terry sent him numerous texts and messages during his recovery. When Petrov told Terry he was arranging a charity match, he cites how Terry jumped at the opportunity 'Just tell me where and when.'

What is perhaps most remarkable in this story is that Petrov notes there was no real relationship between the two prior to his illness other than on the pitch and a few chance meetings. "He doesn't have an easy time with fans but I have seen a very different man to that image."

Terry will never be regarded as a 'nice guy' but he's certainly not the monster he's been made out to be.

Full story: http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/stiliyan-petrov-says-john-terry-2258711?

Chelsea International Duty

No domestic football this weekend due to World Cup qualifiers taking place. This inevitably meant a lot of Chelsea players were away on international duty.

In European qualifying group A, Branislav Ivanovic captained Serbia to a 1-1 draw against neighbours Croatia on Friday night. The result was not enough for the Serbians and put an end to their slim hopes of qualification from the group.
Former Chelsea player Nemanja Matic also played in the match but was sent off in the 75th minute.

It was better news for Chelsea's Belgian contingent in the same group as Belgium got an away victory against Scotland, winning 0-2. Belgium are now just one win away from qualifying for their first World Cup since 2002. Kevin de Bruyne played the fool match while Romelu Lukaku, now on loan at Everton, was an unused substitute.
Eden Hazard missed the match with an ankle injury.

In group B, Petr Cech was in goal for the Czech Republic as they succumbed to a shock 1-2 defeat against lowly Armenia. The Czech's are in a four way battle for the play-off position in the group with Bulgaria, Denmark and Armenia.

Over in group C, Chelsea's summer signing Andre Schurrle was an unused substitute for Germany who comprehensively defeated neighbour Austria, 3-0. The Germans are now all but ensured of their place at next years world cup in Brazil.

Gary Cahill, Ashley Cole and Frank Lampard all played a big part as England moved to the top of Group H with a 4-0 win over Moldova.
It was Lampard's 99th cap for England and he claimed an assist for England's first goal. Lampard will be hoping to claim his century of caps against Ukraine on Tuesday night.

In African qualification, Michael Essien and Christian Atsu came on as second half substitutes for Ghana who won 2-1 against Zambia. The victory meant Ghana would top their group to reach the next stage of African qualification.

They will be joined by Nigeria, who won 2-0 against Malawi. Jon Obi Mikel played the full match and Victor Moses scored the Super Eagles second goal.

David Luiz and Ramires were both in action for Brazil who romped to a 6-0 friendly win against Australia.
Ramires had a particularly enjoyable evening, creating Brazil's third before scoring the fourth himself.
It wasn't such an enjoyable night for Chelsea goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer who found himself constantly fetching the ball from the back of his goal.
What will be of most concern for Chelsea fans is the withdrawal of playmaker Oscar from the Brazil squad due to injury.

Assessing the Squad

With the transfer window now closed, this would seem a good time to assess the squad Chelsea will have available for the 2013/14 season.

There were several big name signings brought in during a window that saw Chelsea spend approximately £57.5m but there were also several players who made their exits, some on loan but others on more permanent basis.

To best assess the squad, its perhaps to look at each individual position so to begin:

Goalkeepers

There is only one place to start with Chelsea goalkeepers and that is with the man who has been Chelsea's number one for the last nine years, Petr Cech. When Jose Mourinho first arrived at Chelsea in 2004 he made the bold move of making Cech his first choice keeper ahead of fan favourite Carlo Cudicini and there is nothing to suggest anything to suggest things will be different in his second stint in charge. However, the situation Mourinho had with Iker Casillas whilst manager of Real Madrid shows he is not a man afraid to make brave and/or unpopular decisions.

With the highly rated Thibaut Courtois loaned to Atletico Madrid for a third successive season and Ross Turnbull allowed to leave the club after four years, the main competition for Cech will come from the experienced Mark Schwarzer. The former Fulham and Middlesbrough shot stopper will provide enough competition to keep Cech on his toes, something some supporters have felt he has lacked in recent years.
Portuguese keeper Hilario (who was initially released but then resigned in August) will provide further cover in the goalkeeping area.

Defence

Of all areas on the pitch, Chelsea's defence is the most neglected. Most unusual for a supposedly defensively minded manager like Mourinho you would think.

The names are the same as last year: Azpilicueta, Ivanovic, Terry, Luiz, Cahill, Cole and Bertrand. The only notable difference being the absence of long time servant Paulo Ferreira who has now retired.
However, 20 year old prospect Tomas Kalas has been promoted to the first team squad for this season, having spent the last two seasons doing the seemingly mandatory loan at Vitesse Arnhem.

It does remain a cause for concern however as with only seven experienced defenders, a few badly timed injuries could leave Chelsea looking light at the back. However the returning Michael Essien has showed in the past he is more than capable of filling in when necessary.

This situation is further compounded by Chelsea sending right back Wallace on loan to Internazionale, having its rumoured, been unable to secure a work permit for him.

Centre Midfield

The conundrum of the double pivot, which two to play there.
Fan favourite Frank Lampard has been an ever present so far this season but at some point even he will have to concede he can't go on forever.
Michael Essien has returned from a year at Real Madrid but its as yet unknown how Mourinho intends to use him.
Brazilian Ramires can be effective but really needs to play with a more defensively minded partner, freeing him up to make the bursting runs into the box that he has made his trademark. If nothing else, Jon Obi Mikel is a good option Mourinho has available for this system.

These aren't the only options Mourinho has available to him. There is new boy Marco Van Ginkel signed from Vitesse in the summer and greatly impressed in pre-season.
As well as this, he still has the option to push David Luiz into midfield, a tactic that brought some success last season for previous manager Rafa Benitez.

Attacking Midfield

If there is a position Chelsea can be truly said to be overloaded, its the attacking midfielders.

Despite many rumours of rifts with the manager, Chelsea have kept hold of Juan Mata. This keeps together the trinity of Mata, Hazard and Oscar that was so successful for Chelsea last season. Add to this the signings of Willian and Andre Schurrle with Kevin De Bruyne returning from his loan spell in Germany and Chelsea's midfield is a truly frightening prospect.

So much so, that the loans of talented players such as Lucas Piazon, Marko Marin and Victor Moses have gone relatively unnoticed.

Attack

Fernando Torres: its now or never. After 2 and a half underwhelming seasons this is surely the last chance the Spaniard will have to get it right at Chelsea.
To be fair to Torres, his record in cup competitions for Chelsea last season was quite decent but only eight goals in the Premier League leaves a lot to be desired.

His main competition will likely be from veteran striker Samuel Eto'o, signed on a one year contract. Eto'o will no doubt be keen to show even at 32, he still has what it takes to cut it at the top level.

Third striker will be Demba Ba, who despite some great goals against Manchester United and Manchester City last season has struggled to find his feet at Chelsea. If Ba is capable of rediscovering his scoring touch, there is still every chance he could yet be Chelsea's first choice striker.

Perhaps most baffling to fans however will be the decision to loan Romelu Lukaku to Everton for the season. Despite 17 goals for West Bromwich Albion last season perhaps it was his penalty miss against Bayern Munich that persuaded Mourinho he is not ready to lead the Chelsea line just yet.


Conclusion
The Chelsea squad is brimming with quality, that is undeniable. This is a squad that is certainly capable of challenging for top honours.
However, there is one position that perhaps means Chelsea are just one step away from being genuine championship contenders and that is up front. However much the fans want it to be so, it seems increasingly unlikely Fernando Torres will ever regain the form he had at Liverpool that made him one of the worlds top strikers.
Eto'o is an unknown quantity, it remains to be seen whether he is still the rampaging forward we all remember for Barcelona and Inter Milan.
This situation becomes more gutting when you watch Daniel Sturridge knocking them in for fun for Liverpool.

Atsu Signs for Chelsea

Chelsea have officially announced the signing of winger Christian Atsu from FC Porto for a fee of £3.5million.

The Ghanian international plays as a left winger but can also play as a second striker. Atsu made 28 appearances for Porto last season and has 16 caps for his country.

Atsu has signed a five year contract with Chelsea but will be spending his first season on loan at Dutch side Vittesse Arnhem.

Chelsea have a mutually beneficial relationship with Vitesse that has seen them loan several players to the club to help aid their development. This season, Atsu will be joining up with fellow Chelsea loanees Gael Kakuta, Cristian Cuevas, Lucas Piazon and Patrick Van Aanholt.

Welcome to Chelsea.

Chelsea Transfer Rumours

Perhaps inevitably with all the attacking midfielders Chelsea have signed this summer there will inevitably be some looking to go the other way.

Liverpool and Everton are preparing to battle it out for the right to take winger Victor Moses on a season long loan deal. (Daily Mirror).
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/transfers-its-liverpool-vs-everton-2242258
The Guardian takes this a step further claiming a deal for Moses has already been done, however there is currently no confirmation of this on Chelsea official website.
http://www.theguardian.com/football/2013/aug/31/liverpool-victor-moses-chelsea-loan

Arsenal are keen to sign Chelsea Player of the Year, Juan Mata. However, this move would appear to hinge on Mata himself making a transfer request to Chelsea. (Daily Mirror). This is not the first time Arsene Wenger has tried to sign the Spaniard. In 2011, he turned down the chance to sign Mata feeling the £17million price tag was too high.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/arsenal-transfers-chelseas-juan-mata-2241870

Striker Demba Ba is reportedly a target for West Bromwich Albion. Former Chelsea player and assistant manager Steve Clarke is keen on the forward having missed out on several targets already this summer.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/west-bromwich-albion/10278351/Demba-Ba-a-target-for-West-Bromwich-Albion.html

Its not all outs though, the Daily Mail claims manager Jose Mourinho is reportedly still interested in signing a new striker to bolster his forward line having seemingly failed to sign Wayne Rooney from Manchester United. Possible names being linked with a move are Borussia Dortmund striker Robert Lewandoski and Karim Benzema from Real Madrid.
A new striker would almost certainly mean either (or possibly both) Fernando Torres or Demba Ba making their Chelsea exits.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2408123/Jose-Mourinho-wants-sign-striker.html?ico=sport^headlines

Match Report: Chelsea 2 Bayern Munich 2, Pride In Defeat

After an epic encounter in Prague, it was Bayern Munich who emerged victorious over a valliant Chelsea side.

European Champions League winners Munich defeated the Europa League winners Chelsea 5-4 on penalties, following a pulsating 2-2 draw.

Munich had much of the early possession but it was the Blues who struck first. Eden Hazard made a run through the middle of the pitch before playing the ball to Andre Schurrle on the right wing. The German took the ball in his stride before squaring the ball to Fernando Torres, who effortlessly swept the ball into Bayern's goal. It was a strike that has been all too rare for the Spaniard since his 50 million pound move from Liverpool in January 2011.

The German champions continued to dominate possession with French winger Franck Ribery having an increasing influence. However, Chelsea limited them to long range efforts and the Europa League winners went into the half-time interval with their one goal lead in tact.

Its likely Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho would have told his players at half-time they needed to keep it tight in the opening minutes of the second half. For whatever reason, it doesn't seem like his players were listening.

In the 47th minute, European footballer of the year Ribery made a burst inside from Bayern's left before launching a drive into the bottom left corner to equalise. It was an effort Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech will feel he might have done better with having got a hand to the ball.

From that point, the game followed the same pattern it had all night with Munich dominating possession but with Chelsea having perhaps the best chances. Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer was called into action to make good saves from Oscar and David Luiz. Branislav Ivanovic, whose header won the Europa League final in May, rattled the Munich bar with a header.

It was the 81st minute when perhaps the key moment of the game occurred when Chelsea midfielder Ramires went in for a tackle with Mario Gotze. Replays showed Ramires did make contact with the ball but his momentum took him into the German midfielder. Referee Jonas Erikkson deemed the tackle was enough to warrant the Brazilian his second yellow card of the night, having been booked earlier in the game for a foul on Ribery.

Despite this disadvantage, Chelsea were able to hold on and force the game into extra time.

At this point, Bayern were the clear favourites to go on to win the match but it was Chelsea who took the lead for the second time of the evening. Eden Hazard took the ball on the left, cut into the box and unleashed a shot into the bottom corner. Much like with Ribery's goal earlier, it was a strike that Neuer should really have done a lot better with.

Chelsea then went into all-out defensive mode, limiting their opponents to long range efforts much as they had done all game. It was only late in the second half of extra time that Bayern started to make any headway into the Chelsea penalty area when Petr Cech made outstanding saves from Gotze and Mario Mandzukic.

As the clock ticked away, it appeared Chelsea's heroic defending had been just enough to secure the clubs second European Super Cup victory. Fate however, was to take a cruel twist.

Munich received a free-kick on the left hand side with just seconds left on the clock. The ball was crossed into the area and following a goal mouth scramble it fell at the feet of Javi Martinez and there was nothing Cech could do this time.

So, just as it had been 15 months earlier, these two clubs would need to be separated by a penalty shoot-out.

The first nine penalties all went to plan and so it was that with Bayern leading 5-4, 20 year old striker Romelu Lukaku stepped up to take Chelsea's fifth penalty. His effort was low to the keepers left but was easily saved by Manuel Neuer to win his side, not to mention new manager Pep Guardiola, the first European trophy of the season.

Chelsea may well have lost the game but they can take pride in their performance. Chelsea showed gallant, resolute defending and were dangerous on the counter-attack. They pushed the champions of Europe Bayern Munich, who had so easily disposed of Barcelona in last season's Champions League, all the way. They showed they could go toe-to-toe with Europe's best. All this and they still have talents of new signings Willian and Samuel Eto'o waiting in the wings.

This may have been Bayern Munich's night but Chelsea showed their fans there is lots to look forward to.