Chelsea Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread 2012/2013

Meglamonia

gavredking wrote: »

Hope Hazard can light up the Wembley game.

Haven't looked forward to an international friendly this much for a long time.

greendom

Weird to see him playing as a centre forward. Can't see him ever doing that for Chelsea.

homer simpson

He has been fairly in-effective in the first half, not much really on show.

kev1.3s

Didn't really live up to the hype in my opinion, left me a little disappointed! Lukaku on the other hand showed some good football and in my opinion setting aside last weeks little sulk deserves more of a chance to integrate himself into the team.

Sgt Pepper 64

Really? I wasnt expecting him to dribble past 4 players and score

I'm glad he had a more "subdued" game today... so many people (especially the press) have over-hyped him that they'll all be lulled into a false sense of security on that performance. Yet in reality he had an excellent game, always looking for the ball, making space for himself and his team-mates, clever passes and I don't remember him giving the ball away. With no target it was difficult for him to create many chances, but from what I saw I'm more than pleased.

I dont think he is the "big-headed" label with which he's been branded. Having heard him on French TV and radio, he's always struck me as pretty well grounded and very much a team player, and I think he'll do well for us.

Torres will be well pleased with the passes I reckon

V9

People expect hazard (pronounced Azar, as we now know) to pull off these amazing, inhuman skills after a game, but it wasn't gonna happen, especially in an international friendly. His passing and movement was very sound and he completed 4/4 of his dribbles, which was good. He also came deeper when lukaku was on and linked up play very well. I was highly impressed with him and I can't wait to see him week in week out.

Sgt Pepper 64

V9 wrote: »

People expect hazard (pronounced Azar, as we now know) to pull off these amazing, inhuman skills after a game, but it wasn't gonna happen, especially in an international friendly. His passing and movement was very sound and he completed 4/4 of his dribbles, which was good. He also came deeper when lukaku was on and linked up play very well. I was highly impressed with him and I can't wait to see him week in week out.

Also impressed with Luka, his first (first) touch was unreal

V9

Sgt Pepper 64 wrote: »

V9 wrote: »

People expect hazard (pronounced Azar, as we now know) to pull off these amazing, inhuman skills after a game, but it wasn't gonna happen, especially in an international friendly. His passing and movement was very sound and he completed 4/4 of his dribbles, which was good. He also came deeper when lukaku was on and linked up play very well. I was highly impressed with him and I can't wait to see him week in week out.

Also impressed with Luka, his first (first) touch was unreal

He wasn't bad but he looked like a bloke that just hadn't been playing week in week out in a first team.

Sgt Pepper 64

John Chapman ‏@BelgoFoot

My understanding re Hazard is that he is having medical and signing for #cfc tomorrow, presumably in London.

LanceStorm

V9 wrote: »

He wasn't bad but he looked like a bloke that just hadn't been playing week in week out in a first team.

thought he did well when he came on, combined well with Hazard as a target for passes into the box, was unlucky that Ash was all over his first chance and that he was ruled offside wrongly for the through ball!

a great season of first team football with one of the bottom half teams in the premier league and it'll do him the world of good! despite the money paid for him he surely knew that he wouldnt walk right into our team, he's still young yet, plenty of time to develop then come back!

MUSEIST

Any indication who the new manager will be or are we doing what we did last season and waiting a couple of months before we bring someone in. Getting a little annoying.

LanceStorm

MUSEIST wrote: »

Any indication who the new manager will be or are we doing what we did last season and waiting a couple of months before we bring someone in. Getting a little annoying.

last season was much worse as we werent in the running for the big signings and left things very late even when AVB did sign, at least things will already be in place when the new man or RDM is announced!

im 100% sure that we're trying to get Pep and if and only if we cant get him then RDM will get the nod, think he deserves it to be fair!

kev1.3s

Sgt Pepper 64 wrote: »

Really? I wasnt expecting him to dribble past 4 players and score

I'm glad he had a more "subdued" game today... so many people (especially the press) have over-hyped him that they'll all be lulled into a false sense of security on that performance. Yet in reality he had an excellent game, always looking for the ball, making space for himself and his team-mates, clever passes and I don't remember him giving the ball away. With no target it was difficult for him to create many chances, but from what I saw I'm more than pleased.

I dont think he is the "big-headed" label with which he's been branded. Having heard him on French TV and radio, he's always struck me as pretty well grounded and very much a team player, and I think he'll do well for us.

Torres will be well pleased with the passes I reckon

I wasn't expecting him to be a 1 man team but at 35+ million for what is still a very young player i'd really be expecting something really special! I have no question about his desire or ability but I just hope he's not just been over hyped to death, lets not forget that he's playing in a far less competative league .
I'm not as negative about it as it I sound as I'm still quite excited about him and I think he'll work well with our current strikers but I've seen too many waste's of money come and go.

LanceStorm

kev1.3s wrote: »

I wasn't expecting him to be a 1 man team but at 35+ million for what is still a very young player i'd really be expecting something really special! I have no question about his desire or ability but I just hope he's not just been over hyped to death, lets not forget that he's playing in a far less competative league .
I'm not as negative about it as it I sound as I'm still quite excited about him and I think he'll work well with our current strikers but I've seen too many waste's of money come and go.

Id imagine with him doing his medical tmro for the biggest contract in his life he wasnt taking too many chances, 71 passes and 80ish% completion rate, im happy with what I saw, imagine him and Mata together passing into Torres, christ it could be amazing!

Gonzovision

@OptaJoe 6 - Eden Hazard created six goalscoring chances today, twice as many as any England player. Introduction.

amiable

gonzovision wrote: »

@OptaJoe 6 - Eden Hazard created six goalscoring chances today, twice as many as any England player. Introduction.

He wasn't great yesterday. He's a lot better than that performance IMO.

Blatter

What qualifies as a 'goalscoring chance' with Opta?, any sort of pass that leads to a shot from anywhere?

kev1.3s

I'm sure that the scouts have done well as most of our latest signings have been superb Torres included, the concerns I have about hazard are simply because I've not seen much of him play and a you tube skills video can make anybody look amazing! Hulk on the other hand I can't wait for, he only thing I'm mindful of with all this spending is ffp coming in.

Meglamonia

Tiote/Fellaini,Modric/Dembele,Van Der Wiel/Azpiculleta and maybe another back up striker since Sturridge might leave.Then I'll be happy :pac:

It really is becoming like Football Manager tbh

G.K.

Ye don't need the DM.

The_Hustler

I still don't know how Lukaku can come out with that stuff. If the team you have always supported and loved finally wins the Champion's League, while your idol scores the equaliser and winning penalty, you should be over the moon even if you didn't get to participate.

You get amazing seats and get to celebrate with the team.

V9

Do people want a new right back for the sake of wanting someone new? We have Ivanovic there and he is perfect for the role, with Hutch and Paolo at back up. Hell stick in young Toddy Kane as back up either. No need to spend where its not needed, chaps.

Unless we lose a player by selling them between now and September, there is little need to spend anymore. If we lose Essien at all during the window, then he would need to be replaced. Fellaini, would be perfect.

G.K.

Paolo needs to go. None of the RB's are aggressive enough either.

V9

He's done a job any time he played this season and he is acceptable for a squad player. As I said, there are two very good, young English players there in Kane and Hutchinson, where their wages would be minimal. No need to beef up the bill where not needed.

Sgt Pepper 64

V9 wrote: »

Do people want a new right back for the sake of wanting someone new? We have Ivanovic there and he is perfect for the role, with Hutch and Paolo at back up. Hell stick in young Toddy Kane as back up either. No need to spend where its not needed, chaps.

Unless we lose a player by selling them between now and September, there is little need to spend anymore. If we lose Essien at all during the window, then he would need to be replaced. Fellaini, would be perfect.

Yes we do need a new RB and its not for the sake of it.
Look what happend when we lost Ivan. and then Bose
Bose was woeful and easily turned and his crossing was more miss than hit, anyway he's gone
Paolo - seriously? Even my granny does him for speed and has done for some time, plus he'll be on top top wages. He had so few starts last year and only because of injurys
Sam - we all want him to be the man, but how many of us have seen him play - and play at the highest level? The truth now! Well he got some time last min but does he really look good enough to cover for Ivan for 6-7 games against Utd\City etc?


So unless one of the kids suddenly steps up, I'd say we do need one

Look at the LB position.
Cole
Bertrand

We need the same quality at RB, plus its been years since we have had a proper RB. Remember as well, that Ivan covers at CB, and thats more and more with JT picking up more and more injurys, and now Cahills starting to look a bit injury prone

So yeah, I reckon we do

Crann na Beatha

This post has been deleted.

Blatter

V9 wrote: »

He's done a job any time he played this season and he is acceptable for a squad player. As I said, there are two very good, young English players there in Kane and Hutchinson, where their wages would be minimal. No need to beef up the bill where not needed.

Ferreira? The guy is a walking disaster. He has been on holidays for at least 2 years now. Anytime I've seen him play over that time I was genuinely thinking that he'd be exposed in the Championship. He definitely needs to go.

And Ivanovic isn't a natural right back. He's a solid player but doesn't offer a great deal going forward, somebody like van der Wiel would be an upgrade and Ivanovic could go back to competing for a centre half spot and cover at right back.

Meglamonia

Is Van Der Wiel the right choice tho because i've seen a few posters in here saying his defending isn't much better than Boswingwa which is worrying enough cause I don't want to see anyone similar to him here again.

As for Paulo he's been so anonymous at the club the past few years that when he does appear out of nowhere to play I'm always shocked he's still here,and on a big wage too!

Meglamonia

Cahill out of Euro's double fracture to the jaw.

Barr

Meglamonia wrote: »

Cahill out of Euro's double fracture to the jaw.

Shame - I was looking forward to seeing him with JT. Would have been good experience for Cahill.

Sgt Pepper 64

Barr wrote: »

Shame - I was looking forward to seeing him with JT. Would have been good experience for Cahill.

LOL Ferdynand and JT - Together again!

Sgt Pepper 64

Meglamonia wrote: »

Is Van Der Wiel the right choice tho because i've seen a few posters in here saying his defending isn't much better than Boswingwa which is worrying enough cause I don't want to see anyone similar to him here again.

As for Paulo he's been so anonymous at the club the past few years that when he does appear out of nowhere to play I'm always shocked he's still here,and on a big wage too!

IMO better options out there for similiar money

Crann na Beatha

This post has been deleted.

amiable

Aquila wrote: »

Who is available that would fit in that role perfectly for us?

Mathieu Debuchy
Dani Alves
Bacary Sagna
Kyle Walker
Maicon
Lukasz Piszczek

amiable

amiable wrote: »

Mathieu Debuchy
Dani Alves
Bacary Sagna
Kyle Walker
Maicon
Lukasz Piszczek

By the way, I know available was mentioned and it's hard to know who is available. Rumours that Dani Alves is available this summer for transfer.

KingdomYid

amiable wrote: »

Mathieu Debuchy
Dani Alves
Bacary Sagna
Kyle Walker
Maicon
Lukasz Piszczek

Kyle Walker available?????????

G.K.

Ivan is a perfectly good RB, especially on the defensive side. But what neither he, Hutch or Paolo offers is aggressiveness. The likes of Srna, Walker, Bosingwa, VdW, Piszczek, Alves and Maicon offer that. Obviously someone who is competent defensively and can offer something going forward (I.E. Not Bosingwa).

That's what Chelsea need from any RB signed in the summer.

pistolpetes11

Former Chelsea Youth Player’s Candid Account Reveals Another, Less Gimpish Side To John Terry


By Chris Wright



The following is copy-and-pasted verbatim from a Chelsea forum, in which former Chelsea youth player Sam Tillen – who now plays his football in Iceland – writes candidly about his experiences as having John Terry as his club captain during his formative years.

I’ve no idea when it dates from, but the article has been translated directly from Icelandic so it may not scan properly in places. That said, it’s perfectly legible and presents Terry in a rarely acknowledged light. It may just add another dimension to your monochrome view of a man so often vilified by all and sundry (hands up, Pies have been as guilty as anyone else on that front on occasion)…

As football fans, we don’t get a lot of opportunities to judge a player’s persona, all we get is stuff from the newspaper and other medias and of course how the player acts on the football pitch. It’s normal that our feelings towards them are based on those things, since we don’t know them personally. But unfortunately this can be very deceiving.

Sometimes reporters can have a lot of propaganda. They could have had an argument with the player, be friends with his ex-wife or support a rival club. When a player steps on the field on a Saturday the whole world watches him play under the pressure of his life. Players, managers and supporters have all been waiting for this moment – kick off.

It’s abnormal to judge people’s behaviour under these circumstances. Do you think that when Gary Neville wins a game of hide and seek with his daughter he yells at his wife “Come on!!!!” while he holds on to his shirt like he did in front of Liverpool supporters at Old Trafford? I think not.

When you are around the training ground you get to see the players in their true form. Some of them surprise and charm you while others dissappoint you. This would also be the case if you meet someone in real life. The fact that footballers are famous does not make them any different. They just have talent in a specific field just like doctors or architects. Some of them are good people, others are not.

The year 2002, I was 17 and had been injured for eight months. I usually had to train twice as much to be in form. I trained with several players during rehabilation and since John Terry was facing injury as well I trained a lot with him. We trained together for three or four weeks before he began to play again and prove himself as the number one center-back in the first team.

After this, John always observed how I was doing with my injury and he wished me good luck for my first game after 11 months of rehabilation. Unfortunately in that first game I got heavily injured again and had to go to surgery three days later. When the physio came to visit me he said that ‘JT’ had asked if I could get vacation and he even asked Graeme (Le Saux) if they could use the ‘discipline fund’ (money collected if a player comes to training late and such) from the first team to pay for my vacation. I couldn’t believe it.

After staying home for ten days, I went to the training ground and John was there. He asked how I was doing and then said “Me and Graeme have arranged for you to go to a vacation, you can go wherever you want, with your friend or your brother, you deserve something good. Just think about where you want to go, this isn’t your money! Just let us know how much it costs and we will arrange it.

I didn’t know what to say other than ‘thank you’. I talked to the youth and reserve coaches and they told me it was probably best for me to take the vacation. One of the reserve coaches said that I still had that ‘hospital color’ because I was as white as a ghost. I lost a lot of blood in the surgery and it showed in my face.

My mother had also just had surgery so she could use a a little break from work. That’s why I wanted to take her with me. It was October so I needed to find ‘some place hot’ like John advised me to do.

The one place close that was hot enough was Southern Spain and because this wasn’t my money I didn’t want to take advantage of the generosity from John. So, the next day during practice I said to John “Is it okay if me and my mother go to Sevilla over the weekend?”

His answer was, “Come on Tills! You can go wherever you want for free, why do you want to go there? It won’t even be hot. Look at it again, go to the Caribbean or something, you can sit at the beach without having to worry how much it is going to cost, we will make sure of it.”

So I went and checked again and found a good offer for a trip to Tobago. I talked to my physio for a few days and he said “It’s fine, just talk to JT.” I still felt for bad spending other people’s money, I had never done that before. So naturally I was a little nervous when I was talking to John, telling him about the trip I had in mind.

And what did John say? ”No problem, good choice! Just give me the info and we’ll pay it.” He arranged everything and the day before I was leaving for the trip he called me over in the dressing room. “Tills, your going tomorrow, right?” He went to his pocket and took out £100. ”Here, some pocket money to spend”. I said that I couldn’t accept it. He asked again and again I refused. Then he stood up and said “you’re not going anywhere until you accept this!”. I had no choice.

When I came back from the trip, I was renewed and a large part of the reason was that I was finally ready to play football again, 6 months after my surgery.

In my first game after the injury (in the youth team) we were playing Crystal Palace at our training ground. The first team wasn’t suppose to have training until 3pm but our game was at 10am. John came to see me play, 5 hours before his training. He came just to see if I would get through the game, which happened. He certainly didn’t have to do that, but he did.

When by brother Joe was in the youth team, John paid for driving lessons for every single player in the youth team because he knew how expensive it was when you only get £80-a-week in wages. The youth players just had to tell him how much it cost and John paid it the next day.

At that time, when the youth players were cleaning the first team players’ boots, everyone wanted to get one of the ‘sharks’ – John, Frank Lampard, Jody Morris, etc – because they gave the highest christmas bonuses. Some players didn’t give any bonuses even though the youth players had cleaned they’re boots for six months.

John didn’t only give high bonuses, but he even paid for the youth players fines if he thought they were being treated unfairly. Of course, he told them not to tell a soul.

John has never forgotten what it was like to be a player in the youth team and he is the perfect captain. He was always available if you wanted to talk to him. He always asked every youth player how they were doing in the team. If he heard that you played well in a match, he congratulated and encouraged you. He really had an interest. He never forgot the young players.

He was always monitored the youth players, including me. For instance, he found an agent for me that I signed with. When youth players traveled with the first team he always made sure that they got their bonuses, that made a lot of difference in their paychecks.

He helped them adapt and welcomed them into a new environment. On the pitch and the training ground he was magnificent, he had an heart like a lion. He trained after practices, always did that little extra. We really looked up to him.

It wasn’t just the youth players either. There are endless stories of his kindness and generosity, stories that never left the training ground. One of them stands out: We had an old masseuse called Al. One day his car broke down for good. He said that he couldn’t attend training sessions anymore because it was very difficult for a man of his age to use public transport.

One day after practice, John told him to go to the parking lot and close his eyes. When he opened them he saw a brand new car. John had asked every player in the first team to chip in to buy Al a new car. The old man started to cry. This all happened before Roman Abramovich and before John was a superstar and started making big money.

Last year Al got seriously sick and had to be in a hospital. When John found out, he immediately contacted him. Al was flattered to hear from him, and his wife was delighted that John had taken the time to think about him. John visited Al regularly until he passed away and John, of course, attended his funeral.

Marcel Desailly – the Chelsea captain before him – didn’t do anything like the things John did. He couldn’t care less about the young players or anyone else in the club for that matter.

As a player he was impeccable, but as a captain he did nothing and wasn’t even close to what John is. In my first and second year in the youth team it was our job to get signed shirts from players from the first team, those shirts where then sent to fans or to a charity.

We all stood in a row in the hallway before practices when the first team players walked passed us and then they signed the shirts. When Mr. Desailly came, he usually pretended to be on the phone so he didn’t have to do anything. We were like “Marcel, uuuuuumm, Marcel, could you please…..” and then he was gone. Disappointment.

Some players cause you a lot of disappointment when you meet them personally. They also do that in daily life. John has, of course, had a few problems off the pitch that have gotten a lot of press, but I will always remember how he treated me when I was a teenager.

No one else would have done that or even thought about doing it. He is no saint, but there is a reason why Chelsea fans, players and staff look at John Terry as a real leader.”

Cockle warming. Take from that what you will. I’m sure it won’t go along way to adding any perspective or depth to the vast majority of people’s opinion of the man, but it’s certainly refreshing to hear Terry’s name mentioned in a positive context once in a blue moon.

Spotted on The Shed (Via the talkchelsea forum)

Sgt Pepper 64

From we aint no history

Normally I don't get to read anything the Times put out, because everything sits behind a paywall, but thanks to the Jubilee this weekend said paywall is down. I have no idea how trustworthy they are, because hey, never get to read them, but they're the ones updating us on the Hulk and Eden Hazard news, so let's listen. With several grains of salt, of course...

• Hulk. They're reporting that a transfer fee has not been agreed with Porto, with Chelsea insisting on going no higher than £30M for his services. Also, there are claims that a wage packet of four years at than £135,000 a week has been agreed, which would be very strange as it would increase the relative amortisation hit on Hulk by 20%. Very odd, and I'm not sure how much I trust it.
• Eden Hazard. A deal is 'in place' to take Hazard to Stamford Bridge when the transfer window opens. Other than that, it's the same news we've always had. It's unclear whether the Times means that he won't be unveiled until July 1st or not, but that long of a wait would be a major surprise.
• Radamel Falcao. Apparently Chelsea scouts have been informed that the Atletico Madrid striker is now their 'top priority'. Which is strange, because Fernando Torres would certainly not be the number one centre forward under that setup. This directly contradicts the assurances Torres has been given by the club's brass.

So yeah, there's the gossip. I'm not taking anything in that post as gospel, and you shouldn't either, but it's something to think about. In general, it's Hazard done, Hulk not quite done, and Chelsea have more in the works. Sounds about right overall, even though I am questioning some of the details.

amiable

KingdomYid wrote: »

Kyle Walker available?????????

Of course he is.
Because it seems Levy fought off interest in Modric last year it's thought he can do it all the time.
Every player has a price as we found out with Torres and Ronaldo.

duploelabs

some interesting points about FFP

Flyin Irishman

What I'm hoping to see next year:

---

Torres

---

Hazard

---

Mata

---

Hulk

---

Essien

---

Mikel

---

Cole

---

Cahill

---

Ivan

---

?????

---

Cech

---

Bench: Luiz, Bertrand, Meireles, Ramires, Lamps, Sturridge

There are more players I'd like to see getting game-time (Kakuta, Romeu, Lukaku, de Bruyne, McEachran) I think a reserve carling cup squad would be good

Terry gone or on the bench, he should have been stripped of the armband after the red card against barca.
And RDM to be offered a 1 year contract as a fair trial for the full-time job, if he doesnt work out we look for pep.

G.K.

Why not Luiz starting?

Edit: For that matter, why Essien?

Crann na Beatha

This post has been deleted.

Sgt Pepper 64

Welcome Eden.
confirmed on the cfc site

Leiva

Sgt Pepper 64 wrote: »

Welcome Eden.
confirmed on the cfc site

:P

Flyin Irishman

G.K. wrote: »

Why not Luiz starting?

Edit: For that matter, why Essien?

It was eenie meeny between him and cahill for me, I really like Luiz but he can be a bit of a liablility at times.

Always been a big fan of essien, I think he's been under-used at chelsea, especially when he spent that season as a defender, he used to bang in goals at Lyon like it was no-ones business! But with the possiblity of Hazard, Mata & Hulk feeding the front I think Essien and Mikel would be good for holding the midfield while covering box-to-box. Lampard would be good too, but as he's getting on Im not sure he'd be the best choice for a box-to-box role, I think he'd be better used as cover for Mata, or even as a sub for Essien/Mikel.

G.K.

What about Ramires?

Sgt Pepper 64

Words from Hazard - comes across as quite modest

Shortly after agreeing to sign for Chelsea, Eden Hazard expressed his delight at becoming the latest acquisition by the European champions.
The highly-coveted Belgian international, who becomes our second addition to the squad for next season following the German midfielder Marko Marin, will now go away on holiday before linking up with his new teammates when pre-season training gets underway in July, and he admits he cannot wait to get started.
'It's a dream come true for me,' he tells the official Chelsea website. 'I can't wait to get started and for the season to start so I can meet my new teammates, the supporters and all the people who are involved.
'I want to play as many games as possible, score as many goals as possible and win a place in the hearts of the supporters.
'Ultimately, for a player it's all about winning things; I want to win as many trophies as possible, which is another reason why I came here as Chelsea have been winning things for a long time now, and I hope to win many more during my time here.'
As one of the most talented young players in European football, it's no secret that Hazard had a wealth of options when he decided to make the switch from Lille.
Players with the ability to win matches at the drop of a hat are always going to be sought after, and our supporters will take great heart from his decision to choose west London over other possible destinations.
The lure of Champions League football, coupled with our success in Munich, will certainly have caught the 21-year-old's eye, and having had a brief taste of playing on the biggest stage last season with Lille, he is eager for more.
'I watched the Champions League Final like everybody else,' he says. 'It puts a bit more pressure on the players who are already here but they're used to it, and I think I'm pretty good at coping under pressure.
'It's true that initially there were a number of clubs in for me, but when Chelsea won the Champions League I thought why not? It was a complicated decision with lots of different factors involved, but the fact that they have great players and are European champions, also coming to London, I know people here already and there are a few French speakers, I think I have made the right decision.'
Having showcased his unquestionable abilities in Ligue 1 since 2005, winning all manner of awards along the way -both individual and collective- it was seemingly inevitable that Hazard would one day move to test himself on a bigger stage.
But while he admits to a seriously ambitious streak, it took the words of a former Stamford Bridge favourite to convince him of where his future lay.
'People tend to talk about the French league as if it's not of a high standard, but I disagree. I think it's one of the best leagues in Europe, there are some very strong teams, particularly in defence, it's always difficult to score goals,' he admits.
'The biggest differences will be in the stadiums and atmospheres, and the fact that overall, players will be technically better.
'I spoke to Joe Cole and what he said above all was that Chelsea was the right club for me. As somebody who loves the club himself, he said he could really see me in the shirt, so when I see him next I'll tell him he was right.'
With Belgium failing to qualify for the European Championships, Hazard now has a nice break to fully prepare for what promises to be an interesting debut season with the Blues.
With Champions League and FA Cup trophies to defend, as well as a disappointing domestic league campaign to bounce back from, we will need to hit the ground running, and Hazard himself is confident that everything is in place to ensure next season is another successful one for the club.
'Chelsea had a great season even if we didn't do very well in the league. By anybody's standards, winning two cups is a great achievement, so it will be a big challenge to do better,' he argues.
'We're equipped to do that, and all I can hope is that while I'm here we can win a lot of trophies, that's what I'm aiming for.'

homer simpson