So will we be allowed to use this word "transition" to describe the rest of the season, or are we not allowed. Utd had one, Arsenal have had several, even the dippers were allowed one or two. But I think its plain to see this will definitely be one for our beloved blues with several young players joining the squad over the past 12 months and quite a few older players leaving or at least expected to play lesser roles. Im not so sure the match day public will accept it though, we have already been booed after one half of poor football, which was disgraceful and they should be ashamed of themselves. We have a new managerial staff, we certainly have a new transfer philosophy and a new outlook on squad building. This season is going to be difficult because of the massive changes at the club, will the new players bed in, will the old players accept a lesser role, will the upper echelons stop meddling, will the manager get his way, will Doris start using Typhoo tea bags......etc. I honestly think this is going to be one of the most exciting seasons for us since the first few years of Romans reign, its a rebuild of an incredible squad that is much needed yet very difficult o do. Good luck AVB, and ignore the pessimists.

Safe to say that the starting lineup for the final month of the season is going to look different to the starting lineup for the first game of the season.

Mata rang the bell of change loud and clear today.

I for one am excited about our new players, they looked very promising today. We need change and I feel AVB is going to be effective at implementing it.

I'll say first that I dont believe we wont be competing for the title, transition or not. But I agree with every word. Such a season is overdue, especially for a manager who is just figuring out what he has got, and who has young players like Josh, Kakuta, Bertrand, etc, to blood in.

I worry about the matchday going fans. Some of them seem to have this sense of entitlement that we should clobber everyone, every week, and its getting a little old listening to the groans when we still have half the game to play for. New manager, new players, everyone is still adapting. Have some patience ffs.

I think, or should I say I hope, that Roman knows it too. When our squad is reinforced by three players 18-23 (assume here that the Modric saga is gonna end unfavorably) I think the owner knows we are building toward something greater in the future. If AVB gets sacked after a trophyless year, I will lose my faith that anyone at this club has the faintest clue.

Glad you got it Westy, and like you I do think we will still be fighting for trophies.I just wish more of the matchday ans would realise exactly the situation we are in, we arent changing progressively, this is a massive season of change for us, both on the field and hopefully off it too.

I just pray AVB doesn't get sacked if we win nothing this season!

Let's hope there's some truth in this article from the Mirror. It would make a nice change:

EXCLUSIVE: AVB told job is safe - even if Chelsea win nothing

Andre Villas-Boas will NOT be fired even if he fails to win a trophy this ­season – as Chelsea struggled to beat Prem new boys Norwich.

Sunday Mirror Sport understands that Villas-Boas has been given personal assurances by ­Abramovich that he will not get the boot even if Chelsea fail.

And on the evidence of this afternoon’s performance

The Russian billionaire ruthlessly removed former coach Carlo Ancelotti after Chelsea’s final game at Everton last season and just 12 months after he landed an historic League and FA Cup double in his first campaign.

It cost Abamovich close to £20 million in compensation to pay off the Italian and secure the services of Villas-Boas after meeting a £13 million buy-out clause in his contract at Porto.

But Abramovich accepts that Chelsea is in a period of transition and wants Villas-Boas to rebuild the side.

That will primarily involve focusing on the undoubted talents of talismanic Spanish striker, Fernando Torres, who has struggled to find form in an ageing squad that has reached it’s sell by date.

Villas-Boas has already signed three new players, Oriol Romeu, Romelu Lukaku and Juan Mata, taking Chelsea’s spending to £138m since the turn of the year.

LINK

i think it s a great time for the club the next 12 months will be great even if we dont win anything..Its time for change and its happening now loving our new signings and our new coaching staff...

If we go out there, compete for the title, but wind up in third place behind the two teams from Manchester, I'll be happy as long as AVB is kept on as coach and a lot of positive experience is gained by the younger half of our squad.

I would be less happy if we finished third because the same players that, in many of our eyes, are approaching the end of their careers, are still the first names on the squad sheets.

With a future going forward of Mata, Ramires, Torres, Luiz, Sturridge, Josh, Kakuta, Lukaku, Romeu, not to mention Piazon and Davila, maybe even Modric or Moutinho, it certainly is exciting. Being located dead smack in the center of America, I can't really do much to help out with matchdays over there, but if it's another trophyless season, I'll still be draped in my blue come next August, excited to see our boys back in action.

My biggest concern is Torres , . Against Stoke he was superb but nothing is happening for him. It's not that he's not putting chances away or that he hasn't scored, it's that he's not getting any chances at at all. He can play as well as he wants , but hes not scoring goals and it makes no difference how good his play is , he'll get hammered by the media . Something is wrong and the manager needs to act very quickly . Hes up for every game and dont for a miniute question his passion or committment but im hoping Mata might change things .

My biggest concern is Torres , . Against Stoke he was superb but nothing is happening for him. It's not that he's not putting chances away or that he hasn't scored, it's that he's not getting any chances at at all. He can play as well as he wants , but hes not scoring goals and it makes no difference how good his play is , he'll get hammered by the media . Something is wrong and the manager needs to act very quickly . Hes up for every game and dont for a miniute question his passion or committment but im hoping Mata might change things .

I suspect Mata and Sturridge will make a big difference to that and Modric if we get him

I would be less happy if we finished third because the same players that, in many of our eyes, are approaching the end of their careers, are still the first names on the squad sheets.

With a future going forward of Mata, Ramires, Torres, Luiz, Sturridge, Josh, Kakuta, Lukaku, Romeu, not to mention Piazon and Davila, maybe even Modric or Moutinho, it certainly is exciting. Being located dead smack in the center of America, I can't really do much to help out with matchdays over there, but if it's another trophyless season, I'll still be draped in my blue come next August, excited to see our boys back in action.

That is exactly my view point too - which is pretty much why I lost patience with Carlo.

The signs are good for the future but this could well be a transitional season, as right now, we do appear to be behind both Manchester clubs.

Edited August 28, 201114 yr by Nibs

A few of went on about transition last season. Basicaly I would have been happy to come 3/4th last season win nothing if we had been playing Josh, Kakuta, Sturridge. It's only 3 players in the team and no one knows how they would have done but thhey couldnt have done a whole lot woese then those in front of them . And we would have been a bit further along in terms of transition.

I would prefer the word transformation instead of transition cause I think it is more than just changing the squad. I guess AVB is starting a complete transformation in terms of style and behaviour. It will take some time, that's for sure....

We clearly are a club in transition, AVB should get time though

What comes immediately to my mind is : then what the hell was the last season sh*t.I mean no transition at all, no trophies, nothing pure sh*t !

What comes immediately to my mind is : then what the hell was the last season sh*t.I mean no transition at all, no trophies, nothing pure sh*t !

It might have escaped your mind that we don't actually have the same manager as last season. New season, new manager, new start = transition

I'd add that last season has already been analysed to death and back again. The whole point is not that we finished the season without any trophies, but that no progress was made, that if anything Ancelotti actually took us several steps backwards. This is why he's no longer in the job.

Well the board should be blamed as much as Ancelotti for that dead season.But its good that they admit their mistakes and i think we are going in the right direction, it will be more accurate if lamps is dropped for josh though. :)

Edited August 28, 201114 yr by Rami

Well the board should be blamed as much as Ancelotti for that dead season.

Where's this going to get us? As I've just written, last season has been analysed to death, Ancelotti has gone and we are at the dawn of the AVB era. Changes have already been made, both on and off the pitch, and I am fully confident that changes will continue to be made.

From your previous post I get the impression that you're panicking at the prospect of a second successive season. Which tells me a lot about the kind of supporter you are.

Where's this going to get us? As I've just written, last season has been analysed to death, Ancelotti has gone and we are at the dawn of the AVB era. Changes have already been made, both on and off the pitch, and I am fully confident that changes will continue to be made.

From your previous post I get the impression that you're panicking at the prospect of a second successive season. Which tells me a lot about the kind of supporter you are.

The only fear is... did we learn the lessons. signings have been good, all under 25 so far so good start but will we see Sturigde get game time when he comes back in? I think the only other youngsters ready to make the step up are Josh and kakuta, the latter being make or break sooner or later

...will we see Sturigde get game time when he comes back in?

I can't know for sure, but I get the feeling that AVB rates Sturridge and sees him as a solution for our attack's right side. Mata on the left, Sturridge on the right, and Torres in the middle. We might even see Sturridge and Mata switching positions back and forth during the match. The way AVB talked about Sturridge at the start of the season(his three match ban and all that) I got the impression that he would've liked to use Sturridge in these matches. He played very well on the right against Rangers and I like to think that AVB noticed it.

The only fear is... did we learn the lessons. signings have been good, all under 25 so far so good start but will we see Sturigde get game time when he comes back in? I think the only other youngsters ready to make the step up are Josh and kakuta, the latter being make or break sooner or later

To answer your question about lessons learned: I would hope so.

Josh I'm not sure about - not that he hasn't got the talent but whether it was the right decision for him to stay and fight for his place rather than go out on loan.

AVB has spoken very highly of Sturridge, but as you know, he hasn't been available yet so we'll have to wait and see how far this faith actually goes.

Kakuta has just returned from the under 20s World Cup, which I haven't been following, so can't begin to guess where he figures in AVB's plans.

And then there's Romeu. We haven't even seen him on the bench yet, but this could be because he's also been given time off, or at least eased in slowly, following the under 20s World Cup. However, we also know that AVB was interested in signing the player while he was still Porto manager so it is to be expected that he'll be playing more than a bit part over the course of the season.

I really don't want to get into predictions, but I will say that we could very well end up with a very different team at the end of the season to the one we started out with.

I really don't want to get into predictions, but I will say that we could very well end up with a very different team at the end of the season to the one we started out with.

I really hope so ! :)

I really don't want to get into predictions, but I will say that we could very well end up with a very different team at the end of the season to the one we started out with.

All valid points and its worth pointing out that jose started out with duff and joe cole on the bench in favour of geremi/lampard/maca/smertin in midfield.

We know what went on to happend that season.

So prehaps like Jose AVB is using the players he belives are solid while he works on the system.

Transition or not the club has now got some catching up to do with the manc teams. They were begrudgingly both superb today thrashing our north London neighbours.

I hope the Mirror piece is accurate as AVB needs time to implement his vision, and although the core of the team has been excellent these last few seasons its now pretty apparent new younger and faster talent is needed in the starting 11. To compete not only in the prem but with the likes of Barca & RM in CL. Looks like that talent - some of it already at the club, more coming in is being put together by AVB...thankfully.

The challenge the new boss has is satisfying the expectation level around the club now - which is win every game, and a cup or 2 to boot. All teams cycle in and out of successful periods, I do accept the need for re building and hope the board will now give their 100 % support to AVB and this mission. In the heat of the moment it's normal to get frustrated with performances or perceived lack ofs by the team/ players, all that aside I can get behind dkw's thread and have a little patience this season.

Its certainly exciting times for Chelsea FC and us fans, winning games, leagues and cups or not; its almost certainly going to be another roller coaster ride.

COME ON CHELSEA