Hopefully Hazard gets a good rest out of this and Moses/Mikel come back sooner rather than later to plug the holes.
Our team seem to be dropping like flies and at this rate even Malouda might get a game.

16 weeks and 2 days :yawn::sleep:

Why have we frozen out Malouda? I know he'd be right down the pecking order when everyone's available, but it just seems petty when the club does stuff like this. He'd be a better option on the bench than Ferreira for example. Presumably he's being punished for not moving on to another club because of not wanting to take a pay cut, but I don't think he can really be blamed for that seeing as we agreed to give him the contract he's on.

I think that's the problem, playing in one of the attacking positions i'm looking for a bit more of a threat from him. To me he'd be more suited to playing in a midfield 3 in a 4-3-3, than his more advanced position in the 4-2-3-1 set-up we seem to want to employ now.

Looks as if their determined to give Hazard a good kicking.

It is utterly ridiculous, it is things like this that seriously make me fall out of love for the game.

What is it with the FA and wanting to look completely inept and out of touch?

I was going to post the same question earlier this week.
In 2009/10 Malouda was outstanding, and even in 2010/11 I remember Malouda having a few excellent performances. He was poor last season, but appeared (along with the rest of the team) to improve towards the end.
I know he's not popular here, but it does seem petty to totally ignore him.
But we have a track record for this kind of behaviour. I've never quite understood why Alex was frozen out so suddenly ? He had a poor spell, and that was it. Before that he had been solid as a rock, and one our most popular players.

I heard a couple of weeks ago that there hasn't been a single offer for Malouda since he was put up for sale.

According to reports, QPR are interested. They would probably want him on loan though. He is 32, and he's not playing, that doesn't encourage much interest. I'm surprised no French clubs have come in for him though, he was still in the French squad for the Euros.

Surely Malouda is an obvious one to bring back into the fold with African Nations, injuries and suspensions. It all seems really strange.

Malouda's exile would maybe make sense if Piazon and Ake had been used instead of him, but as they haven't, it's just plain weird.

Hoping to see....

Cech
Ferreira Cahill Terry Bertrand
Ramires Ake Oscar Marin
Ba Torres

.......no way we'll get that line-up, but Lamps has played too much recently, as has Mata. No reason at all not to play 2 up top against Brentford.

I'm wondering if his wage demands are scaring clubs off. He's obviously quite content to stay on his current contract until it runs out. Much the same way as Winston Bogarde did

It is pretty strange about Malouda, especially when you consider the last time he played for us was in the Champs League final. Is it this summer his contract runs out?

I never understood why Alex was frozen out either. Didn't Anelka suffer the exact same fate at that time too?

Yes to Ake and Marin starting, and Ba and Torres partnering each other upfront. Rest of the team I'd go with too except maybe give Cech a day off. I'm sure we can risk Turnbull for this game!

Yep. Along with Turnbull, Hilario, Ferreira, and Lampard.


I'd rather Blackman, if he's still with us.

If you go outside and it's snowing and you fall down, they say, "Ah, he fell down". But the reality is, it's snowing, which makes it slippery and makes you fall down.

So if you analyse all the managers [at Chelsea], how many had a pre-season here? Not me. How many managers have spent massive money here? Not me. How many managers have played in Japan in the middle of the season and have some players injured and some at the African Nations? Only me.



But Benitez believes his side are making progress and the key figures at the club - Abramovich, his assistant, Marina Granovskaia, and technical director Michael Emenalo - are said to be impressed with his approach to training and tactics.

Might be a blessing to get KOd today, as all the big boys are still there, and surely our luck (in the draws) has run out?

Just a heads up for all you old time Chelsea fans. The Big Match revisited on ITV 4 has just started and it is featuring Man City v Chelsea from 1979

Good chance to see Osgood , mickey Droy and Duncan McKenzie

Worth getting the recorder on for 9.20 am on ITV 4 + 1

The way things are going you could see Turnbull, Hilario and Ferreira getting contract extensions but not Lampard!


I'd give Blackman a chance too but he never gets a look-in.

Carrying on from Malouda, what about Benayoun too? Is he still injured? If not he's another we should make use of whilst Hazard and Moses are unavailable.

Bad news, Torres is starting.

But lets face it, if he cannot score today he never will!

I fear the worse for JT.

Ya know what, good on Brentford, Chelsea look shite, hard to watch!

Chelsea have not been fluid or flowing for ages. A combination of fatigue and some odd management decisions.

(And of course a terrible media backlash and witch hunt, which MUST take its toll mentally.)

jesus wept, chel are dire come on bees

This is a new low. Shocking stuff.