Star

In a 4-4-2 if last night is anything to go by, Zhircov would get the nod from me, but it would be crazy to sell Malouda purely on the form he has showed recently. In fact the one player that for me who has had a dip in form is Ashley Cole, it hasn't helped by the way teams set themselves up to stop him getting forward, something I highlighted way back in November when I was boring everyone that came into contact with me that we had to play 4-4-2 to get out of the rut we were in! Again last night at times Ashley was caught in between getting forward and back and Malouda was not in tandem with him, if anything Zhircov offers protection as well as a cutting edge to the left flank. It's not wrong to suggest that Malouda is better in a 4-3-3 in any case. The one player that he could be relied on in the system, not only on last nights performance, is Ramires. I was thinking we wouldn't see the best of him until next season, but it seems the Luiz factor has made him more relaxed and the Benfica/Brazilian link is a sure fire confidence booster. Over the past month or so Ramires has been our most consistent performer in my opinion. Unlike in Copenhagen Essien and Lampard were aware when one or the other were going forward, second half last night showed how the system with Drogba and Torres can work.

One thing that has grabbed my attention this morning is the widespread reports in the press, stemmed from the Alex Ferguson post match interview on Sky. Let me say firstly, as I said after the Fulham game, Luiz has a lot to learn still, but with JT about he can only improve, as my mate in Portugal said "Into the best defender in the World." The fouls on Rooney and Hernandez were cheeky at worst and of a player confident and strong enough to take on any forward in the game. In both cases he planted his feet and used his bodyweight, Rooney in fact was pure and simply roughed up by hiim from the moment he scored what was a great finish. What a stark contrast to Leboeuf when he played against Wimbledon all those years ago, the press were on his case saying he would never be strong enough for English Football ! Both are cultured footballers with an eye for the pass, but here with Luiz we have a player with a bit of JT and Paul Elliott mixed in with Carvalho! This kid is going to be a cult figure on the terraces for certain. The way he celebrated his goal with Drogba, other players and the fans reminded me of Joey Jones when he first came here. Luiz has to be careful because ref's will be on the look out for his challenges - Jamie Redknapp calling them assaults last night will not help ! What a daft statement that was, send him where Andy Gray went Sky !! We have a right player on our hands here, make no mistake.

Make it 21 lads he has just scored again !

Maybe true, but it doesn't stop someone like Sunderland with cash in their pocket paying say an over top £10 million for him, a 40% sell on fee generates money for us to re- invest in other youngsters, ie Gael Kakuta types that incur costs.

It depends on the system, but we need a right winger to balance our squad without a shadow of doubt. Teams have set themselves up to stop our full backs getting forward, making 4-3-3 redundant in my eyes unless we get a Duff or Robben type either side of say Torres. My belief, whatever the system we have to play two up top. Anelka plays off the shoulder, Torres game surrounds making runs and wanting the killer ball although he has the ability to score a goal out of nothing. Drogba though brilliant alone on his day, for me these days would benefit from a partnership, thus the perm is any 2 from 3. Alexis Sanchez can get up and down and is suited to 4-4-2 which if we get right could be the answer. When we have that balance our formations are endless, from 3-4-1-2 to 4-3-1-2 even 4-3-3 with him wide.

See Scott Sinclair has just bagged his 20th goal of the season against Leeds. It's a point I brought up a while back, it's clear our academy has been set up not only to produce players for our first team but to give other youngsters a career in the game at a profit to ourselves. We have seen players like Stoch, Matic as well as Scotty leave recently. One wonders if sell on fees have been agreed with the clubs concerned, got a feeling Sinclair might just be the one we let slip away by concentrating too much on his development on the wing, where as he is now showing signs of using his pace and trickery down the middle.

I'm on now - NeilCFCStar Jody Morris and Robbie Savage are a laugh

Firstly, I agree with a hell of what you say. I 'prefer' the old 'Special Train' days out, the terraces, real support, and still despite all the trophies Kerry Dixon's goal at Grimsby remains my favourite Chelsea moment followed by Clive Walker's goal at Bolton, but you are not telling me Di Matteo's goal in the 1997 Cup Final didn't make everything we went through so worth it! Why I'm trying to say is, football goes through cycles, but mate there will only be one Chelsea, for me, though I respect your views, AFC Chelsea isn't the answer. I'm restricted at the moment health wise, but when I'm back in business it's 'away days' again, we stand, we sing, there is passion and no muppets. Chelsea at Stamford Bridge fan wise, is a complete corporate event in the main and like many successful clubs infiltrated by 'glory hunters' Our support is crap and plastic full stop. To be bluntly honest, the only campaign I would get behind is a 70,000 new ground at Earls Court, with reduced prices for real fans, stewards that will let a New Shed End 'stand' even though seats were in place. With the condition corporate events are in place for revenue on Non matchdays only. I'd also leave the megastore and village on it's current patch well away from the new ground, the best club shop was always that one on the left hand side of the road as you came out of Fulham Broadway next to the chip shop anyway!

I agree, The January plunge was enough to convince me, but it may prove even shrewder knowing had he not done it and we failed to qualify for next years CL there is no doubt at all Torres and Luiz would have been wearing other colours come the summer. The problem then comes how to get back in it and how to attract the type of player we need with the ambition to get us there. In short what we will then need is hungry players, I seriously doubt if Drogba or Anelka would want to rise to the challenge, one thing is for sure at all costs we need to keep Lampard and Terry as experienced hands on deck and give youth a hand. Roman with hindsight might well regret not acting earlier, the double may have covered up a thousand sins!

What I would like to ask is, since Ray left more often than not we are accused of not moving the ball quickly enough, it has to be asked why the team has lacked urgency and not performed as it can, of course confidence plays a huge part, but any side surely can at least be motivated and be able to up tempo. The situation will be decided in my mind on Tuesday, if the boys themselves cannot get themselves up for the Champions League there is something clinically wrong in the dressing room. We still have a team of winners, so for me with many players on last chance saloon we simply must be nailed on for a top drawer performance on Tuesday. I still think of games like Sunderland away last season and Bolton away this season when the interchanging of play and players was like Barcelona in full flow, quite what has gone wrong has to be addressed by Carlo, quotes like "We never started well, We never had enough movement or tempo" just cannot wash for much longer. At least with Josh you get movement, tempo and a quality passes in abundance if his rare run outs and recent England performances are anything to go by.

I've got Managerial experience Mikey boy! and got a midfield brain like Alan Hudson but the legs aint there anymore!! Can't drink for months on health grounds either so that has to put me out of contention!!! Good luck mate and no trying to leather the ball over the thames at Kingston in practice!!!!

Agree 100%

Fair point, reading between the lines and it's not without thought, Carlo may be here to close the careers of Terry, Lampard, Anelka and Drogba in a Chelsea shirt and in the process win as much he can for them as well as the club. Arneson is leaving, we have been after the Barca' talent scout, Josh has been kept here to help us win the FA Youth Cup, that could be back to back victories, that makes our young stock of players viable. A certain flowing of football is required by Roman, a certain Manager of Barcelona Pep Guardiola is about to sign only a one year contract. A certain Spanish striker in Torres has been signed, one more year for Carlo, then he goes to Roma and we get Pep who is a manager capable in bringing kids through ?

As I've said, if he went out on loan he couldn't play in the FA Youth Cup, if Carlo is here next season expect him to follow Jack Wilshire's steps on loan at Bolton.

Good job Tommy Docherty never took that view when he threw Ossie in against Burnley and said "You've got nine games son, I don't care how you play."

You are bang on the money, watching him play in the Youth Cup you can see the expectation on his shoulders, in games for the first team he looks relaxed and rarely miss places a pass.

I think Carlo made a huge error in not playing Josh in some part of the game today. To send so many young players out on loan yet keep him in our squad, is looking to me like a blatant way of enhancing our FA Youth Cup chances as well as getting splinters on our bench. It's getting more and more like we will have to win the Champions League to re-qualify next year as every game goes by. The last thing we needed today with Tuesday in mind is extra time, more so to go to penalties and lose again. I'm still sticking by Carlo, but tactically he is beginning to worry me, as I have said on many occasions the only answer with our current squad is to play 4-4-2. I watched Ray Wilkins talk after the Fulham game, he said teams are pushing our full backs back and squeezing up the midfield space, forcing us to break teams down through the middle where lack of space has dried us up in terms of creating and taking chances. Today Baines and particularly Coleman pushed Ferreira and Cole back which forced us as Ray said down the middle. In short teams with a strict game plan will outwit a 4-3-3 'without two true wide men' We have been sussed, to be honest if our current coaching staff cannot see that and our former one can, there is something badly wrong. Carlo is a top manager, he has now got to stand up and be counted and make a strong tactical change otherwise he and our season will go up in smoke. I would have played Malouda on the left of a 4-4-2 today with Josh and Lampard in the middle and Ramires on the right and played Kalou and Anelka up front. The reason being, with Tuesday and possible extra time in mind, the changes could have been easy to make with everything in mind, after all Ramires's lungs go on forever. Kalou shouldn't play on Tuesday, so should have played throughout in the knowledge that despite our terrible recent penalty shootout history - he has never missed one. Essien could have replaced Josh or Lampard depending on the state of the game, With Drogba left fresh for a mid second half spurt before joining forces with Torres on Tuesday. Leaving Zhircov the straighr swop for Malouda. Now we go into Tuesday's game with Lampard and Drogba playing 90 solid and 30 extra and mentally suffering yet another penalty shootout loss. Let's face it our problem is not scoring goals and it has been for nearly 4 months. Young Josh has the keys to unlock a defence, quite why he hasn't had much game time can only be explained away by the manager.

I agree a million per cent, but would add Carlo created a mini miracle in winning the double last year and deserves utmost respect for that and maybe another chance if it goes tits up this season, that said what was Ray Wilkins influence in all that? I also agree with Hutch, Jose is going to be Fulham's next manager

Guys, there is never a better time than to leave hospital, yesterday was that day. My blood pressure is still high, so today I am going to be the voice of reason. The likes of Barak cannot be condemned for the level of consistency is there for all to see. The positives are Luiz and Ramires, as my mate in Portugal told me "Luiz will prove to be the best defender in the world very soon" Once JT drums into him the art of when to put your foot in when under deep threat, he will become the greatest I am certain, this will also come with experience at the highest level. As for Ramires, arguably our best player in recent months and now adapting to life in the premiership. Torres's movement is the main yesterday was top drawer, if not his finishing, but it will come! I'm one who says stick with Carlo at least for another season, whatever the final outcome. My head tells me though, if we are not in the Champions League he will not be given the chance by Roman, that fella' who was in the stands at Fulham might just bury the hatchet in tandem! We had the 5th best squad in the Premiership at the outset, when the injuries came it was always going to be a battle for 4th place. The arrival of Torres more than Luiz obviously, has given us a formation problem, much as when people questioned whether Drogba and Anelka could play together. One cannot emphasize enough this is not pre-season and Carlo hasn't the time to bed down a system, if anything all he has to do is play 442. Anelka is still the problem in my eyes, in the summer we should get rid and get Sturridge back from Bolton. Not from a quality prospective, he is a Centre Forward by trade and for me we have two strikers that bring fear into defenders. Anelka has filled in wide right and against Liverpool behind Drogba and Torres, against any team with quality or a strict game plan - make no mistake we always will struggle. We still need a wide right player next season, Sanchez is the one. In my opinion our starting eleven should be:- CECH --------------------- IVANOVIC TERRY LUIZ COLE --------------------- ESSIEN LAMPARD RAMIRES MALOUDA ---------------------- DROGBA TORRES ---------------------- If Carlo goes 4-3-1-2 ...... Josh or Malouda behind the front two. Though the system doesn't suit Frankie! 4-3-3 just isn't viable if we are to play our best 11. --------------------- I just have a hunch Torres will come good in the Champions League and will repay that 50 million in one hit, while we finish 5th in the Premiership! If only Luiz wasn't cup tied. But Hey, it's still in our hands, as said City and Spurs at home, but the two Man Utd games might just give the title to Arsenal - a fascinating finish is certain. Let's look forward not backward!

This is Dani, (Star's fiancé) Just to say Neil is in a bad way, guess you all know by know he is a fighter so will be back on the forums soon. thanks 4 ur kind words

Hey Guys, Bit of a long story but in my hospital bed posting this, Missed all the last minute action yesterday, all I can say is I am thrilled that Roman has shown his commitment to the cause. Torres and Luiz are blues brothers let the past be past and welcome them on board like the true blues we all are.

2 million extra for Luiz ?

Rumour is a deal has been agreed for 48 million, with no players in exchange. 'Magic Sign' have received a wedge of large bets in last 15 mins and suspended market. Odds on betfair also reflect this,http://sports.betfair.com/ as we all know bookies can be wrong, but weight of money is something to take note