Joust

Yeah donantonio beat me to it by mentioning the rangers fan element, any fan I've come across that even brings it up is usually a rangers fan firstly or opposing fan like spurs or a Liverpool/man u fan trying to drill in the sentiment of them being Irish clubs first due to their history and I've even got the argument that it's because of Irish players from the past(which is diffuse enough). This is all good and well but let's not act like Andy Townsend didn't accept the poty award by making a speech with his thick West of Ireland brogue

He's taking off immensely in doing what he's been doing best for the last few years in the league, and long may he continue to do so. There's no insight into his game I can give that hasn't been said here before really. Maybe the maka/kante DM roles can be trademarked to the 'Chelsea DM role' if keep landing ourselves with these warriors from hereon in to the future

I voted good, in seeing it as a hypothetical. However, hold on tight btpark me boyo, you wouldn't like to blow the load with the missus during foreplay. So let's not put the cart before the horse and let's wait for him (to potentially) sign for us first.

I guess you're not that gay for Diegod afterall seeing as you want to ship him off for Lacazette. What will your new username be?

Exactly my sentiment. Whilst we all love guile and have had some of the most delicately tidy attacking footballers in the premier league and or Roman era, we've been our most potent and successful with the presence of a brutish striker at our helm. Having said that I'm not fixated on the idea that this is our only route to success, I'm merely saying that we shouldn't overlook and progress to another striker than Costa whimsically and the best outcome (in my opinion) this summer is if we keep him and add another top striker hopefully.

Haha, I was thinking the same, I'd say many bitter bar stewards were glaring at him in the training top and bursting at the seams waiting for him to whip out the full kit.

WE KNOW WHO WE ARE, WE KNOW WE AARRRE!!!! Bats you little beauty, delighted for him... and Dave, pure class.

I can f**king smell the trophy. Come on lads, do that gimp pulis in and bring home the goods. Buzzin', hopefully we get an early goal and that's all she writes.

The press hyping up the kante-pogba match up earlier...was there ever gonna be a contest? N'Golo is really showing himself to be a different class of late.

"If you have any flaws in your game, he'll expose them, because he (Suarez) is a top player." What Gerrard said when he was justifying Suarez diving. Propagating that defenders are complicity always guilty and that certain players should get the benefit of the doubt because of their skill. What a prick, what sort of tripe is that?, only sticking up for his rotten scouse crony.

People are running amok on the internet with Sanchez smiling after being subbed in tonights drubbing.... ..ah well why not.. come over here Alexis, we'll make a new home for you here where you actually win things..

Another good video by umaxit football, this time regarding Super Frank's time at Chelsea, via a statistical and tactical breakdown.

0:35 Seconds in, "He could have been killed".

Yeah, there's plenty of seething from clearly biased media folk in Britain & Ireland. But hey, seeing as you're from Cork, here's this gem, any excuse to post this.

"Arsenal need to put on a performance today, for the good of the premier league" "Good of the premier league", I think you said premier league instead of Liverpool Souness. You rotten bar steward.

I was an excitable nervous wreck thinking about this last night remembering the first half in September. But when I woke up this morning I'd sullied the bed sheets after having wet dreams about Wayne Bridge's goal and the 6-0 drubbing and all the rest. I'm having a good albeit graphic feeling about this one, I have a feeling we'll stuff them, hopefully, ARGH!, COYB!!!

You've basically deduced the football journo formulae for Chelsea transfer rumours because it's virtually what they're all doing. It's pretty damn annoying, but hey, I'd say studying journalism and tossing your critical theory, integrity and degree up your arris for a few clicks/pounds is annoying for the journos. Scratch that actually, said swines happily slip it up there for a couple cheques, bar stewards.

Nice salient point at the end that makes one wonder, especially under the circumstances now with players heading towards China. Obviously it is the biggest club cup in the world, no doubt about it and it carries it's history and prestige. But perhaps certain players in the past when they have proclaimed they want to play in the champions league has correlated with the fact that recurrent champions league qualifiers in the bigger leagues in Europe (usually due to the fact that they are the richest clubs in Europe as well) and can afford the best wages. Obviously I'm being a 'captain obvious' here now, but it will be an interesting year or two in football to see who goes over to China for the riches and avoids the Champions league in the process, and we'll see how big a factor what has been touched on is the case.

If this all goes through, the disputed thread title affix 'little diamond' will ring true. Maybe deep down we always thought he'd have some gem-like value and allowed the metaphor to pass

Hopefully he fawns over Don Antonio as much as his parents do over democracy. Idioms aside, always enjoyed Kenedy last year, shame he went out on loan and it resulted the way it did. There's competitive opportunity here for him now, and like many here I think he's tailor-made for the LWB. He should be inspired by his surroundings now, along with the teams current form, and use the Moses archetype to make Antonio notice him. Go get 'em boy.

Never mind that bollocks about football, I'm more interested in the fun time you had, "chilling eating dinner". Jason and Adrian sound like a right laugh, can I have their surnames? so I can add you guys on facebook and hang out (I swear I'm not a fking perv)

If we had beaten Juventus in November 2012, instead of losing 3-0 with the disaster where Hazard played as a false nine. Maybe Di Matteo could have stayed on had we gone through in the champions league, and in turn never had that fat bar steward Rafa Benitez as Chelsea manager.

Took the words out of my mouth. He's the type of player I think we've all been crying for, for the last year. I got ecstatic when we signed him, and now I'm getting giddier seeing him play and mop up. He compensates for so much of the midfield discrepancies that have plagued us. Fantastic start so far, long may his health remain and he goes from strength to strength as he fills the Maka sized hole we haven't filled for almost a decade.

I always thought the sight of Jose parading himself around Manchester would make me crumble and lacerate my morale, but it hasn't really. The main reason being that Conte is incoming and seeing what he's done with Italy has been a joy and I'm buzzing for next season now (permitting we get a destroyer in midfield and a tactically astute defender to sure things up). Call me a sh*te if you want, but my favourite Chelsea moments have been when we were industrious bullies and got the job done. Irrespective of how ugly it can be to watch at times, when Chelsea did this they had that little bit of guile and finesse in the other end of the pitch to outclass opponents when it mattered. That for me would be the summation of Conte this summer, and from the few Juventus games I saw when he was at the helm, and that's what has me excited. That and the fact he got the best out of the players he had, makes me wonder who he can elevate in this Chelsea team. That's just my 2 cents, and I can't wait for the next season...