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Portsmouth Go Into Administration

epl@goalmouthscramble.com (Goalmouth Scramble) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 14:22:00 GMT

The club was a lock for relegation already but have assured their fate by entering Administration today, the first Premier League Club to do so. They were given an extension to find new ownership and funding but could secure neither by today's deadline. Fortunately, the south-coast club - which stood the risk of being completely shuttered by the High Court - will be allowed to continue. They will suffer a deduction of 9 points and the club's financial records will be investigated to decide how to move forward. As of today Portsmouth are 70 million in debt.

What do you think this will mean for the club? Just two years removed from an FA Cup title, are they set to fall down through the ranks of English football or are they marketable enough to turn it all around? Will a precedent be set that could affect some of the Big Four clubs racked with larger amounts of debt? What do you think?

Also, what will this mean for the look of the league next season? Will Jamie O'Hara find a spot at Tottenham or be shipped some place else? How about the futures of promising players like Kevin-Prince Boateng, Nadir Belhadj and Federic Piquionne? See any good fits for them?

Shut up, Chelsea

epl@goalmouthscramble.com (Goalmouth Scramble) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 17:25:00 GMT

If you miss Special 1 TV (I'm On Setanta Sports) as much as I do then, no doubt, you're disappointed not to hear what Mario Rosenstock would have in store for Jose and the gang on the eve (and throughout) Chelsea's Champions League clash with Inter Milan. The real Special One has been a hit in Italy in more ways than one: touchline bans for poor behavior, maintaining Inter's strangle hold on the Scudetto, winning matches with only nine men. Chelsea has had few problems handling Italian competition in recent years but Mourinho's presence certainly changes the landscape of the tie. So long as the Blues can keep it honest in Italy and protect the Bridge in two weeks, their quality should once again carry them through to the next knockout stage.

I want so badly to be able to look at Ashley Cole and respect him, truly I do. But at this point it's safe to say that the guy just doesn't get it. Cole is facing the possibility of team punishment for "hurting the image of the club" by once again allegedly cheating on his mega-hot wife Cheryl Cole. In light of the infidelity streak within the club, Carlo Ancelotti has instituted tighter rules pertaining to how his players act off the field and Ashley may be the first to receive said punishment. Not that it really matter since A) he has all the money in the world and he won't play for the rest of the season anyway with his broken ankle. I guess I now have the option of posting a picture of Ashley or Cheryl. Hmmmm, what should I do?

The jury is still out on whether or not Chelsea have their set piece defending back in form or not. A player who as been largely responsible for many of these needless goals against is Petr Cech. But it's hard to blast the guy after he plays like did against Wolves on Saturday. Cech made three fantastic saves en route to an away clean sheet and three opportunistic points in the wake of Everton's 3-1 defeat of United earlier that day. I hope this is a new found sign of confidence for a player who has seemingly lacked it in any consistent manner for arguable the last year and a half.

Written by Nick Degel, The Official Chelsea Blogger of the Goalmouth Scramble

Chelsea hope their summer investment will pay off

epl@goalmouthscramble.com (Goalmouth Scramble) — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 14:59:00 GMT

Chelsea's line-up for their FA clash with Cardiff City sports many changes from Wednesday's debacle at Goodison. Nicolas Anelka and Florent Malouda will give way for Joe Cole and Daniel Sturridge while Paulo Ferreira will give Branislav Ivanovic a rest at right back. But It's the change at left back that will be receiving the most press as it may be a permanent one for the rest of the season.

Yuri Zhirkov, the left-sided Russian Chelsea managed to wrench away from Barcelona in the summer, has been chosen by Carlo Ancelotti as the replacement for Ashley Cole, whose broken ankle will require surgery. Since Cole will be fighting for World Cup fitness, it's safe to say that Chelsea need Zhirkov to hit the ground running so that this position doesn't turn into another selection headache.

I've been harping on the fact that Zhirkov should start and now I guess my wish has been granted. Not exactly they way I wanted it. Despite his arrogance and embarrassing antics often directed toward game officials, Cole is a world class left back. Opponents have had a lot of trouble this season trying to force play along the sidelines because of the superior play from both Cole and Ivanovic. Adding to his shutdown marking has been the surprising addition of offense. Free to push forward, he has scored two of his three goals on overlapping runs into the box. He's struggled on and off with ankle problems but his long term absence could spell trouble.

But this is a chance for Zhirkov to prove me right. Since the Chelsea midfield under Ancelotti does not feature wingers, both full backs actually play more of a wing back role on the attacking side of the ball. Both Cole and Ivanovic have impacted the Chelsea attack with their pace down the sideline and pace is something that Zhirkov possesses in excess. He is also very skilled on the ball. His change of direction, if you've happened to see him subbed late into games, is just sick. He will have no trouble against most defenders in getting a clean cross into the mixer from out wide.

The wait-and-see on the Russian will be his defending. It is the team's hope that he can be a shutdown guy for 90 minutes and Ancelotti sounds very confident in Zhirkov's chances of prospering there. And if any team is in need of a spark, it's Chelsea. The team's last two road matches have been dreadful and set pieces continue to be a major issue. John Terry will be given the weekend to collect himself and here's hoping he does just that. He was at fault on both of Louis Saha's goals on Wednesday, proving that the pressure may be getting to him after all. The team is fortunate (once again) that United could not capitalize on their dropped points and cannot afford to take matches off as the race is now tighter than ever.

3 Star Fulham Throttle Burnley

epl@goalmouthscramble.com (Goalmouth Scramble) — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 03:50:00 GMT

Tuesday saw a classy Fulham side beat Burnleyof the pitch as they rolled out 3-0 victors in the Premiership. David Elmstarted and scored his first ever goal in the Prem while Danny Murphy and BobbyZamora also found the back of the net. 3-0 was not a true indication of theplay on the pitch as Fulham only really capitalized on 20% of theirchances. Fulham play Notts Countyin the FA cup on Sunday.

I felt Burnley were the worst competitors to enter theCottage since FK Vetra of Lithuaniaplayed us in the early rounds of the Europa League. They lacked pace and form,and were defunct of any type of offense whatsoever. Bobby Zamora continues topiss of the Hammersmith end with his constant indignant behavior towards thehome support with his shushing of the home side after he scores. He has alsopushed away team mates to verbally assault fans in the Hammy end as well. WHYBOBBY WHY???? THEY ALL LOVE YOU!!!

Look for some moves in the starting 11 for Notts Countyas Fulham try to balance another 3 games this week coming up. Shorey and Okakaare both Europa League cup tied, so they will most likely start, along withSmalling, Riise, Greening, and even possibly super backup keep, former Swissinternational Pascal Zuberhuler. I know that this is the FA cup and upsets dohappen, but Fulham should be confident that a third side should be able to takecare of Sven’s men.

FA Cup Sunday

Zuberhuler

Shorey/Kelly Smalling Hughes Baird

Riise Greening Murphy Davies

Elm Okaka

Europa League Thursday

Schwartzer

Kelly Hangeland Hughes Baird

Duff Murphy Etuhu Davies

ZamoraElm/Nevland

Written by Thomas Mollison, the Official Fulham Blogger of theGoalmouth Scramble, Tom is also a major contributor for these othergreat sites!

http://friendsoffulham.com/

http://fulhamusa.com/

http://www.fulhamfc.com

Who gets Relegated?

epl@goalmouthscramble.com (Goalmouth Scramble) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 04:19:00 GMT

After tomorrow's games - we will have about 13 games left in the English Premier League season - BooHoo! But if you were a bettor - what 3 teams would you have getting relegated to the Coca-Cola Championship for next season? Here is a look at the current standings:

RK	TEAM	P	W	D	L	GS	GA	W	D	L	GS	GA	W	D	L	GS	GA	GD	Pts
1	Chelsea	25	18	4	3	60	20	12	1	0	39	8	6	3	3	21	12	40	58
2	Manchester United	25	18	2	5	61	20	11	1	1	36	8	7	1	4	25	12	41	56
3	Arsenal	25	15	4	6	60	30	9	1	2	35	14	6	3	4	25	16	30	49
4	Liverpool	25	13	5	7	43	26	9	2	2	31	11	4	3	5	12	15	17	44
5	Manchester City	24	12	8	4	47	32	9	3	0	30	14	3	5	4	17	18	15	44
6	Tottenham Hotspur	25	12	7	6	45	25	8	2	3	28	8	4	5	3	17	17	20	43
7	Aston Villa	24	11	8	5	31	18	6	4	2	17	7	5	4	3	14	11	13	41
8	Birmingham	24	10	7	7	24	24	6	5	2	12	8	4	2	5	12	16	0	37
9	Fulham	26	9	7	10	30	28	8	2	3	19	8	1	5	7	11	20	2	34
10	Everton	24	8	8	8	33	35	5	5	2	18	15	3	3	6	15	20	-2	32
11	Stoke City	24	7	9	8	23	27	6	3	3	18	13	1	6	5	5	14	-4	30
12	Blackburn Rovers	25	7	7	11	25	43	6	4	2	17	12	1	3	9	8	31	-18	28
13	Sunderland	25	6	8	11	32	42	5	5	2	19	14	1	3	9	13	28	-10	26
14	Wigan Athletic	24	6	6	12	26	49	3	4	4	11	15	3	2	8	15	34	-23	24
15	Hull City	25	5	9	11	25	50	5	5	3	18	20	0	4	8	7	30	-25	24
16	Burnley	25	6	5	14	25	50	6	4	2	17	12	0	1	12	8	38	-25	23
17	Bolton Wanderers	24	5	7	12	29	46	3	5	5	17	23	2	2	7	12	23	-17	22
18	West Ham United	24	4	9	11	30	40	3	4	4	18	20	1	5	7	12	20	-10	21
19	Wolverhampton Wanderers	24	5	6	13	20	42	3	3	6	9	17	2	3	7	11	25	-22	21
20	Portsmouth	25	4	4	17	20	42	3	2	7	15	18	1	2	10	5	24	-22	16

Obviously, even with Portsmouth getting a draw at home at the death today versus Sunderland didn't really help their chances...those are the kinds of games Pompey need to win to stay up. But do they really deserve to be a Premier League Club...that club is more of an embarrassment to the EPL seeing they make more news off the field and not paying their players. So that's 1. Portsmouth!!

Second team that bows out will be Wolves - they still have the Big 3 to play - yes I said it the Big 3...sorry Liverpool has dropped out of being worthy of "Big" status. Wolverhampton still has Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United to play. Plus the likes of Tottenham (tomorrow), Aston Villa and Everton. But how big could their last 2 games be...at Portsmouth on May 1st and then finish with Sunderland at home on the 9th of May. If Sunderland can't get out of this funk - they might be playing for their Premier League lives on the last day of the season.

And lastly, if you look at some of the remaining schedules for teams fighting the relegation battle - West Ham may have the toughest one remaining. They still have @ Manchester United, @ Chelsea, @ Arsenal, @ Everton, @ Liverpool and host Man City on the last day of the season. And Man City might be fighting for a place in the Champion's League on that day...so West Ham...it's been fun - but see ya wouldn't want to be ya!!

That's our thoughts at the Goalmouth Scramble - what's yours? Let us know in the comment section below!

If I were Sir Alex...

epl@goalmouthscramble.com (Goalmouth Scramble) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 15:38:00 GMT

I am always saying that Manchester United needs to do this and do that...but I have never really put those views on the blog for the most part...so - if I was Sir Alex Ferguson - here is what I would do in the summer transfer window. First of all - these are going to be realistic moves...yes I know in dream world the Red Devils would just go out and buy Cristiano Ronaldo, Xabi Alonso, Kaka & Benzema but since this is the real world - I am going to stick to business economics as well.

First thing is first - this team needs a goal scoring threat to go along side Wayne Rooney. Rooney has been absolutely world class since becoming "The Man!" But this team does need to get him some help. Berbatov, Owen or anyone else on the roster at this time is not the answer for one of the top 5-10 clubs in the world. Berbatov will be sold (he still has value) to help make this acquisition possible, but Owen stays for depth and experience. This team also needs to find a left winger that can replace Ryan Giggs. Yes, Giggs is playing like he is 24 and if he hadn't been playing like that so far this year - who knows where United would be in the standings. So, with all that said, they should make an offer to Valencia FC that they can't refuse for both David Villa and David Silva. Silva has already come out and said he would welcome the chance to play for the Red Devils...and I'm sure if he goes - Villa would become interested as well. Doesn't the guy want to compete on the biggest club stage in the world while in his prime? Villa is not going to get that at Valencia. That would give United Rooney and Villa up top and a midfield of Silva and Valencia on the wings with Carrick/Fletcher/Anderson in the middle.

Now at the back. Evra is a top flight left back and I like the kid Rafael on the right side...but what if you would offer Rio Ferdinand to Jose Mourinho and Inter Milan for Douglas Maicon and cash. The replacement for Ferdinand is already on the roster - Jonny Evans. With Maicon and Evra on the flanks - United could really get down the flanks with pace and skill and you would also have a quality mentor in Maicon for Rafael because Gary Neville is as big a donkey as there is. Sell the guy for a couple bags of balls and get on with it. In goal, Edwin Van Der Sar is getting up there, so it is time to find a replacement that can handle the pressure of playing on the biggest stage. With that said, 23 year old Igor Akinfeev from CSKA Moskva seems like the perfect fit. And to help with his transition to England and the Premier League - try to snag one of the Berezutsky twins to help with that - and they would also be great depth at the back.

So - if I was Sir Alex and I could get all of this to work - the starting lineup for kickoff of the 2010-11 season for Manchester United would be:

                                                                                      Akinfeev

                                                 Maicon     Vidic Evans Evra

   Carrick

   Valencia Anderson    Silva

         Rooney Villa

Now this team could win the Premier League, as well as, Champions League. It also gets the Red Devils younger, much younger. And even better - it doesn't cost them as much as you would think. Yes, Villa and Silva would be a pretty penny - but maybe throwing Berbatov in can bring that price down 15-20 Million. You get some cash back in the Ferdinand/Maicon deal. And you turn around and give that to CSKA for Akinfeev and the twin. Throw Kuszczak in the deal and that helps bring that price down a bit too. It's just my thoughts on how the Red Devils can get younger, as well as continue to compete on the world stage. Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below!!

Written by the Staff of the Goalmouth Scramble

It'l Hurt You To Watch Fulham

epl@goalmouthscramble.com (Goalmouth Scramble) — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 16:00:00 GMT

Fulham played Bolton to level par today as the Whites away woes were somewhat bandaged with an away draw. Fulham were without Clint Dempsey, John Paintsil, Paul Konchesky, Simon Davies, and Bobby Zamora, while Andy Johnson was shelved for the season with exploratory surgery mid week. The starting lineup resembled what the reserves looked like with a Scandinavian front line of Viking Erik Nevland and Swede David Elm starting his first Premiership match, a midfield containing Kagisho Dikgacoi and Jonathan Greening, and Chris Baird at right back. New signings Nickey Shorey and Stephano Okaka seeing time, the former starting and the later coming on in the second half. The tell tale sign of the injury crisis at the Cottage saw Manchester United new boy defender Chris Smalling inserted at striker for the last fifteen minutes! Halfway through the second half KD was subbed out for an injury that apparently could be quite serious as well.

Fulham uncomfortably sit 10^thcurrently in the Premiership, but with a weaker February schedule and the returns of some of the players in the infirmary, we Fulham faithful fully expect to find earlier form and challenge for a European spot. Zamora, Konchesky, and Davies are all expected to get back onto the pitch before the end of the month,and while Paintsil may be out for the season, Dempsey is due back in training in the next two weeks.

The FACup draw should give Fulham a pass into the quarterfinals without stretching an already thin line, while a tough home and away sequence in the round of 32 of the Europa League against Shaktar Donestk may make that line even more stretched. Fortunately, the first leg is at home, and if we are to be throttled or if were the ones who do the throttling, you’ll see a youth side in the away leg.

Written by Thomas Mollison, the Official Fulham Blogger of the Goalmouth Scramble, Tom is also a major contributor for these other great sites!

Friendsoffulham.com

fulhamfc.com

fulhamusa.com

Well That Was a Big Waste of Everyone's Time

epl@goalmouthscramble.com (Goalmouth Scramble) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 03:29:00 GMT

Today, Chelsea was cleared of all wrongdoing in the Gael Kakuta transfer case by the Court of Arbitration for sport. Who didn't see that coming?

I'll admit that it worried me at first. Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini made it really look there for a second like they were trying to reign in the power held by the bigger clubs throughout UEFA. I feel Platini carries a major bias against the English clubs and this witch hunt was his opportunity to strike out at new money clubs like Chelsea. Then reality set in. UEFA and FIFA have been about has proactive with their rules as Major League Baseball;which is to say, not at all. Lifting the ban for the January window was not a shock and proof that it wouldn't be long until all sanctions were dismissed.

So what did we learn from this? First, the transfer rules pertaining to youth players is all messed up. The Italian and French clubs took issue with English clubs claiming a breach of contract when those teams were signing contracts with their youth players; unfair because they themselves are not able to sign them to pro contracts. What? So you don't have a contract with the player but if they sign a contract elsewhere that's a breach of contract? The bottom line is that there needs to be one rule for all UEFA teams (and,in my opinion, all teams that operate under FIFA) to abide by when dealing with youth players. UEFA needs to wash everyone's slate clean and just start over with a uniform rule. Perhaps this is a tougher thing to accomplish than it sounds, but I really don't know what could complicate it.

What else? Well, if you're a Chelsea fan you discovered that 1) we have a player named Gael Kakuta and 2) he is very very good. He was given a second half entrance into the team's November match against Wolves and he made an immediate statement, almost scoring an incredible goal from way out. He appears to have very few holes in his game and he, in time, maybe the team's next midfield star(underline maybe about four times with permanent marker).

Next to fall, I'm sure, will be UEFA's attempt to control spending by only allowing teams to purchase players with organizational profits. Again,this is sports legislation leveled primarily at clubs like Chelsea,Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool who have amassed incredible debts buying up Europe's top talent. Why will this rule not happen (in my opinion)? UEFA needs and wants Real Madrid in the Champions League, and to do so as the Galacticos. Take a second to look at what they have spent just in the last summer on players and then look at their shopping list for next summer; a list that includes the likes of Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney. You cannot tell me that between television contracts, selling merchandise and selling tickets that Real Madrid accomplished their spending all from the pockets of their team's profits alone. They, like all of the other clubs mentioned, had to have used private equity. UEFA is too spineless to pass a rule that could eliminate the world's top clubs and, by association, the world's top talent from competing in their top competition/money-maker. How can you call it a Champions League if the champions aren't playing?

And I'm not ignoring the draw at Hull on Tuesday. That was an awful performance and I'm troubled by the fact that when Drogba is on the field Nicolas Anelka acquiesces to him.Chelsea was rolling with Anelka taking the reigns and he needs to assert himself along side Drogba, not behind him. Carlo Ancelotti may give John Terry a break amid his (MAJOR!) personal problems which would be fine with me if Alex wasn't such a set piece liability. On a team that struggles to defend corners, Alex is the worst culprit when it comes to getting lost in the box. Honestly, I think he should be a holding midfielder. All of his upside seems to be on the offensive side of the ball, which is nice to have but not at the detriment of the one thing you're supposed to be doing: defending.

Big derby match this weekend. Let's see which team shows up in the blue shirts.

Written by Nick Degel, The Official Chelsea Blogger of the Goalmouth Scramble

Ruh Roh!

epl@goalmouthscramble.com (Goalmouth Scramble) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 15:57:00 GMT

John Terry's 82nd minute winner at Turf Moor today may have given Chelsea a lift -- now on an eleven game unbeaten streak -- but will do little to improve the frosty nature of the Terry household. It is being reported that the Chelsea captain and talisman allegedly had an extra-marital affair with Wayne Bridge's girlfriend, while the two were still dating. Yikes.

Terry's the definition of a professional so I wouldn't count on the fallout affecting his performance on the pitch, but this does raise the question of whether or not he should continue as England's captain. Normally I would say that what happens away from the game should stay away from the game but since this situation involves a teammate, it will be interesting to see what Fabio Capello decides. The details are pretty seedy -- apparently the two couples were close friends when Bridge was still playing for Chelsea.It doesn't help either that Terry initially requested a gag order that was overruled by a judge involved in the circumstance. But if Tiger Woods, once thought to be the ultimate class act of the sports world,can have affairs with a small colony of women (and allegedly men too)then no one should be shocked when the center piece and leader of team winds up unceremoniously fixed to the back pages.

I'll tell you which teammate is secretly not feeling bad for John: Ashley Cole.Finally, someone else can get booed every time he touches the ball.

In all seriousness though, Terry needs to sort this out. Infidelity is the ultimate betrayal of the vows one takes on their wedding day. Too often those words of devotion are not taken as seriously as they should; that marriage means giving of yourself exclusively to your wife or husband.Hopefully, John and wife Toni Poole can reconcile for the sake of their children but some rifts open too wide to fix. I will always respect John Terry the footballer. John Terry the man? I'm not too sure anymore.

Written by Nick Degel, the Official Chelsea Blogger of the Goalmouth Scramble

Ready for the Race to Heat Up

epl@goalmouthscramble.com (Goalmouth Scramble) — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 01:49:00 GMT

When Chelsea last met with Birmingham City at St. Andrews they were stymied to a goalless draw. But they weren't going to take any of it from the in-form promoted side on Wednesday. Chelsea took control of the game from beginning to end and rode their home field advantage to an easy 3-0 victory.

(No, I didn't forget to post after the FACup win, it just gave me nothing to write about it. What was I supposed to say? Chelsea beat Preston North End. And in other news, the sky is blue and water is wet.)

A lot of rumors have surrounded Joe Cole throughout this transfer window as he has struggled to retain a consistent spot in the starting eleven. Contract negotiations have struggled but remain ongoing as the likes of AC Milan are alleged to desire his services. But if he stays, and there's nothing to suggest that he won't, many will look back at Wednesday's match as the moment that solidified his place at Stamford Bridge. Cole had shown flashes of quality since returning from knee surgery but had yet to but together an entire game as he did against Brim yesterday. It was vintage Joe Cole and, by association, vintage Premier League football. He kept the chalk on his boots all night and supplied a beautiful cross to Tracy Chap... sorry... Florent Malouda that brought back memories of 2005-06.It was truly a sight for sore eyes, let me tell you. This is the Joe Cole that needs to, and can, show up every night.

Oh yeah, and frank Lampard's pretty good too. I'd watch out for this guy. He might turn into a pretty good player one day. *wink*

Speaking of contract negotiations, those that are supposed to keep Nicolas Anelka in blue have stalled. You really get the sense, or at least I do, that Anelka enjoys playing in West London. He road the pine so long in the beginning that he would have been gone long before is this wasn't the case. So hope this is an issue that can be resolved sooner rather than later. Once again he was the focal point of the Chelsea attack in the absence of Didier Drogba and to lose him would be huge as Sturridge, though talented, lacks the intangibles of an everyday forward. Here's hoping those talks perk up.

And since I mentioned the Dark Destroyer, guess who's back early from Angola? Hopefully he returns to England with every intention of snatching the Golden Boot back from Wayne Rooney, and maybe a four goal performance of his own (Please?).The looming issue of his absence was no laughing matter, especially as the team began to drop points as the new year swung in. But dominating team performances, and a little help from the weather to avoid the match congestion, made this ACN fly by. Now, with the exception of a newly injured Michael Essien and a still competing John Mikel Obi, the weapons are back in time for what is turning out to be a close race for the top of the table. Chelsea have a couple of recent sweethearts in Burnley and Hull on the docket; should prove to be an excellent chance for Drogba to hit the ground running.

It is, at the very least, fun stuff to watch.

Since January is quickly approaching its end, I thought I'd share the most "Ridiculous Transfer Rumor of the Week/Day/Hour": Raul's agent is claiming that Chelsea are willing to pay $70 million to bring him to Stamford Bridge. LOL WHAT? Maybe four years ago. But right now? Raul plays, if at all, the last 20 minutes of matches, and Chelsea are really going to shell out a little short of Kaka's price tag for him?You gotta love the transfer window.

Written by Nick Degel, the Official Chelsea Blogger of the Goalmouth Scramble

Gunners Start Year in Good Form

epl@goalmouthscramble.com (Goalmouth Scramble) — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 05:13:00 GMT

Despite Sunday’s 3-1 loss to Stoke City in the 4^th round of the FA cup, Arsenal start the new year on a positive note and with league championship dreams. The Gunners have not lost a league match since November 29^th against Chelsea and have been boosted by the full return of Cesc Fabregas, Thomas Rosicky, and Theo Walcott. Combined with the excellent play of youngsters Aaron Ramsey, Armand Traore, and Craig Eastmond, the North Londoners look as game a side as ever to make a run for the Premiership title.

The continued brilliance of Cesc Fabregas, perhaps the most in-form midfielder on the planet, continues to buoy the team through difficult stretches. There is no doubt that the next four games for the club could be the defining moment of Arsenal’s season. Away to Villa, Home to Man U, Away to Chelsea, and Home to Liverpool, all in 2 weeks mind you, is nothing short of torturous. If Arsenal can emerge from this stretch relatively unscathed (8 points or more ), then they should be in pole position to grab the title, even if they slip on Chelsea or Man U. After this stretch, their schedule becomes considerably easier. A home game against both Manchester City and Fulham in May as well as Spurs away on April 10^th are the only challenges during this three-month walk in the park.

Although Robin van Persie will most likely miss most of the remaining season, the Gunners should be bolstered by the return of Samir Nasri and Nicklas Bendtner, the Dane being out since Halloween. Sending Phillipe Senderos on loan to Everton was, in this writer’s opinion, unfortunate. Senderos was never given a fair chance by Wegner, and shipping him off with limited cover at center back was quite a risk. However, there is one loan move soon to be made by Wegner that is necessary. Jack Wilshere, a brilliant young center midfielder has featured in many of the club’s cup and youth matches this season. Yet, the 18-year old starlet has not started a Premier League match this season and needs to be playing more often in order to develop into the world class midfielder he has the potential to be. Burnley and Bolton both seem likely destinations for Wilshere, and a decision is expected by kick-off on Wednesday.

Lastly, transfer rumors have begun to swirl at the Emirates. Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, the powerful Dutch striker, is possibly heading to Arsenal. Huntelaar has oddly fallen out of favor with new AC Milan manager Leonardo, with Marco Borriello being preferred instead. Naturally, Huntelaar would be a great fit into the Arsenal system. He can replace the height of van Persie, and has a powerful foot to match. The need for a strong, central striker to replace Robin has been evident in the past few matches, with Andrei Arshavin really failing to meet expectations as a central striker.

The next 2 weeks will be a tough test for Arsenal FC, but with strong play from central midfield, and the possibility of a physical presence up top, the Gunners should play through it just fine.

Written by Greg Pennington, the Official Blogger of the Goalmouth Scramble

FA Cup analysis & Spurs pre-match

epl@goalmouthscramble.com (Goalmouth Scramble) — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 15:55:00 GMT

Roy Hodgson and Co. showed up to Northwest England Saturday not really knowing what to expect from 2^ndDivision side Accrington Stanley. Stanley is the smallest city in the Football League, and did not disappoint on what you would expect from such a small team. Fulham were required to be bussed in from their hotel in their full kits as there were not sufficient enough facilities for the away side! The pitch also was not of any quality, as one eyewitness from the Fulham end reported to me that from one side of thepitch to the other was a 6 foot elevation difference. I feel this significantly played with the psyche of the Fulham side, and they didn’t really show up in the first half, as Stanley could have been up2-0 inside 20 minutes. You could visibly see the conditions of the pitch affecting Fulham’s “sexy football” style of play, as the soccerball was more representative of a bouncy ball. On 21 minutes, Eric Nevland poked in a goal mouth scramble to give the Whites a one goal lead, but on the stroke of the 25^th minute, Stanley answered with an equalizer from a dead ball situation that Michael Symes slotted in from six yards. At this point, Stanley seemed right up for the match, and was dictating the play. At the end of the half though Stanley’s defender Darren Kempton was send off for his second yellow card of the match, and momentum went back into the Cottagers hands. The second half showed the pace and quality you would expect from a Premiership side up against a ten man 2^nd Division side as Damien Duff took control of the game and scored in the 59^th minute. The Whites then added another goal in the 80^th minute from Zoltan Gera, and put their name in to the next round of the FA Cup.

The Cottagers will now face off against the winner of the Notts County /Wigan replay in the round of 16 due to be played in mid-February at Craven Cottage. With three of the top four already out, Fulham now sit as 14/1 to win the Cup, 5^th out of the remaining 16 teams. My guess is Fulham will go full throttle through the rest of the Cup,disregarding player fitness to get to Wembley, as they will feel every team left in the FA Cup is quite beatable, especially given Fulham’s continuous superb home form during Hodgson’s tenure.

Bobby Zamora could make a shocking return from injury as Fulham face off against Tottenham at White Hart Lane in mid-week Premiership action.Zamora was bundled over in brash form against Stoke City in early January. He suffered an injury to his shoulder joint, and was feared tobe out for up to ten weeks. Fulham will be without Dickson Etuhu who is away on ACN duty with Nigeria, as well as Clint Dempsey, Paul Konchesky, and John Paintsil are ruled out with leg injuries as well. Good news on the injury front for the Cottagers will see Simon Davies, Diomansy Kamara, and Andy Johnson all available for selection. Fulham’s away form has been a bit suspect this season, with only 7 points picked up from 11 games so far. Fulham have conceded 24goals so far on the year, and remarkably 18 have been away from home.

Fulham’s team selection should be something like this:

Schwarzer

Kelly Hughes Hangeland Kallio

Gera Baird Murphy Duff

Kamara Johnson

Result prediction:

Spurs 1-2 Fulham

Written by Thomas Mollison, the Official Fulham Blogger of the Goalmouth Scramble, Tom is also a major contributor for these other great sites!

Friendsoffulham.com

fulhamfc.com

fulhamusa.com

Premier League's Best at the Halfway Point - Who's in your XI?

epl@goalmouthscramble.com (Goalmouth Scramble) — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 19:04:00 GMT

OK Fans - here we go - my vote for the Premier League's Best XI at the mid-point of the season....yes I know I'm a couple weeks late - but better late than never!!

Goalkeeper - Joe Hart, Birmingham City (2nd in Fantasy Points by a GK with 89) - Hart has played in every league game except 1 for BC. He has 8 clean sheets, only 1 behind Peter Cech's league leading 9. He has only allowed 19 goals and is 4th in the league in saves with 77. Birmingham City is tied for 3rd in goals allowed with 19 (ManU has also allowed only 19). Chelsea and Aston Villa are tied for the league lead in goals allowed with 18 each. Hart has been nothing short of phenomenal - and is the #1 reason why BC sits in 8th with 33 points after 21 games played. As I have been saying for almost a year now - this is the kid that should be the starting GK for England in South Africa.

Honorable Mention:
Cech, Chelsea - absolutely scared to death if their is a free kick against him, so he can't be the guy
Friedel, Aston Villa - he could have been the one easily, but Birmingham is overachieving and Villa is right around where we all expected

Defender - Richard Dunne, Aston Villa (leads all defenders with 109 Fantasy Points) - Dunne has been better than advertised for Villa. Leads all defenders in fantasy points by 11. He has scored 3 goals and also has 20 Bonus Points. Is tied for 3rd in clean sheets by a defender with 9. As stated earlier, Villa is tied for the league in goals allowed with 18. Dunne has played every league game for Villa, except for 1. And in those games - he played all 90 minutes.

Defender - Thomas Vermaelen, Arsenal (2nd in Fantasy Points by a Def with 98) - Tied for the league lead in goals by a defender with 5 - and has also chipped in with an assist. He has been on the field for all 25 goals that the Gunners have conceded in league play - but the offensive threat he has become from out of the back helps get him into the Best XI. He also sits just on the outside of the Top 10 for clean sheets by a defender.

Defender - Patrice Evra, Manchester United (3rd in Fantasy Points by a Def with 95) - Evra has been huge for the Red Devils this season. It seems like for a while, ManU was playing with their 8th, 9th & 10th string defenders because of injuries. Heck, even Darren Fletcher and Michael Carrick have had starts as a centre back. But Evra has been a rock. He has played in every league game for United and has only been subbed out 3 times. He has added 4 assists while being tied withJohn Terry of Chelsea for the league lead in clean sheets by a defender with 10.

Honorable Mention:
John Terry, Chelsea

William Gallas, Arsenal

Midfielder - Cesc Fabregas, Arsenal (Leads the EPL in Fantasy Points with 161) - I got nothin....okay....just kidding....this guy has been sick! Fab has 11 goals and 13 assists in only 19 games played. And in 19 of those games he has only played a full 90 minutes 14 times. Cesc leads all midfielders in goals with 11 - and that tally is still good enough for 7th overall in the league. He also leads the league in assists with 13. He is also tied for the league lead in Bonus points with 32. The next closest midfielder in Fantasy points is Lampard with 129. The next closest midfielder in Bonus points is Aston Villa's James Milner with 19. And doing all of this at the ripe young age of 22. Can you name 5 better players in the world right now? Didn't think so!

Midfielder - Frank Lampard, Chelsea (2nd in Fantasy Points by a MF with 129) - Lampard is 2nd in goals by a midfielder with 8, 4th in assists by a MF with 8 & tied for 3rd in Bonus points by a MF with 18. Raise your hand if you had before the season James Milner having more Bonus points than Lampard at the halfway point. No one??? But since Carlo Ancelotti's arrival over the summer, it can easily be argued that this is now Didier Drogba's team, and without a doubt took some getting used to for him. Frank had only scored 1 goal in his 1st 9 league games...but now really looks like he has settled in to Ancelotti's system...and because of this - you can see where Chelsea will make a strong push for the Premier League title when Drogba returns from the African Nations Cup.

Midfielder - James Milner, Aston Villa (3rd in Fantasy Points by a MF with 106) - Milner has scored only 4 goals, but is tied for 4th in assists by a midfielder with 8. He also has 19 bonus points which ties him for 5th in all of fantasy. He has quickly passed Ashley Young as Villa's most dangerous midfielder. The big question is - if Milner can continue his strong play - could he be a reserve for England in South Africa?

Midfielder - Ryan Giggs, Manchester United (79 Fantasy Points) - This will definitely be called a "homer" call. But hear me out. I want the best on this team - and when Giggs plays - is he not one of the top 4 midfielders in the Premier League. Giggs is tied for 2nd in the league with 10 assists. Only 8 times has Ryan played a full 90 minutes. Seven other times he was a sub or was subbed out. And in 4 of those games he played 45 minutes or less. The guy is a machine when he is on the field. He has scored 10 goals, has 10 assists and 11 Bonus Points in the games he has played in. A Legend!

Honorable Mention:
Clint Dempsey, Fulham
Antonio Valencia, Manchester United
Dirk Kuyt, Liverpool

Forward - Wayne Rooney, Manchester United (Leads all forwards with 159 Fantasy Points) - Rooney leads the league with 19 goals (4 of them yesterday against a sad Hull City squad). He is also tied with Fabregas with 32 Bonus points. One year ago, if someone would have asked you the Red Devils can keep Rooney or Ronaldo - what would you have said? 99.9% of you would have said Ronaldo. Well, Sir Alex continues to make decisions correctly. Rooney means more to the Red Devils than any other player in the League does to his respective squad - except for maybe Fabregas at Arsenal. Most importantly, Rooney needs to stay healthy and in great goal scoring form for England to have any hope in South Africa.

Forward - Didier Drogba, Chelsea (3rd in Fantasy points overall with 130) - Drogba has been brilliant all year for Chelsea. He has scored 14 goals, which is tied for 2nd in the league, and leads all forwards with 8 assists. Didier is also tied for 3rd in Bonus points among all forwards with 19. He has quickly become the best player for Chelsea under Carlo Ancelotti. Drogba also leads the league for the most dives, as well as, crying more than any player ever to play the beautiful game. He is a physical presence and delivers punishment on a regular basis, but does not like it when others even touch him, no less tackle him. Just play Didier!

Forward - Darren Bent, Sunderland (4th in Fantasy Points by a Forward with 117) - Bent has been tremendous for Steve Bruce's squad. He has scored 14 of Sunderland's 30 League goals - which comes out to 46% - that is unbelievable. Bent has also chipped in with 4 assists. Bent also scored one of the most unique goals in Premier League history...Liverpool fans - are you at the beach right now?? Do any of you remember that one? Sunderland is sitting in 13th place with 23 points (4 points out of the relegation zone), but where would this team be if Darren wasn't there? Would they be near Portsmouth? Probably!

Honorable Mention:
Carlos Tevez, Manchester City
Jermaine Defoe, Tottenham

What do you think of our Best XI? Have a better one or think we are way off? Let us know in the comments below!

EPL Fantasy League Update

epl@goalmouthscramble.com (Goalmouth Scramble) — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 19:26:00 GMT

Ok EPL Fantasy Fans - we are halfway through the EPL season - and I thought I would give a little update to everyone about our Goalmouth Scramble Fantasy League.

As of today effiniesta (Dustin Irwin), must be a Chelsea or ManU fan, leads the league with 1254 points. Sitting in 2nd, 23 points back is Armored 11 (Philip Agbede) with 1231 points. Bayer 247 Nevaklosen sits in 3rd with 1191 points. Dustin & Philip are threatening to runaway with the League if the rest of us don't start to pick it up.

Other notables:

Sitting in 7th is the host of the Goalmouth Scramble, Curtis Stelzer with 1133

Nick Degel, the Official Chelsea Blogger of the Goalmouth Scramble, sits in 11th with 1116

The Official Arsenal Blogger for GS, Greg Pennington, sits in 12th with 1112

Whewell Not Kewell, Harry Whewell's squad sits in 22nd with 1062 - Harry has been a contributor to GS since the day we started the podcasts.

Steviie's Xi, Stephen Dillon's team sits in 27th with 1047 - Stevie has also been a contributor to GS since the day we started the podcasts.

Derby City FC, Zack Burleson's squad sits in 28th place with 1043 points. Zack is the producer of the Goalmouth Scramble...he was the 3rd producer hired - and still to this day the best one the show has had.

Fincastle Utd - Mark Henty's squad sits in 38th with 971...Henty has always been a huge GS fan - and also consistently kicks the ass of the GS Host online in FIFA 10 for XBox!

If you want to see the complete list of where everyone stands - here is the link

http://fantasy.premierleague.com/M/table.mc?id=3675&phase=1

A couple other notes to pass along - if you would like to friend me on the XBox - my name is GS Host....but you can just ask Henty - I suck....I hardly ever play the games - I just love simming and building the teams throughout the years.

And yes - the podcasts will be back up and running as soon as possible. If you have not heard - the laptop where the show is created from bit the dust - and unfortunately the GS isn't rolling in any dough!! Donations are always welcome

Fulham lose more than just the match against Blackburn

epl@goalmouthscramble.com (Goalmouth Scramble) — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 19:12:00 GMT

Clint Dempsey went off in the second half as Fulham lose to Blackburn at Ewood Park 2-0.
The extent of Dempsey's injury are not yet clear as examination of he knee are still under
way at Motspur Park today. Early reports indicate that the injury could be to his exterior
cruciate ligament, though the extent of the damage will not be known for some time.

The game as a whole was disappointing from Fulham's perspective, as the Cottagers dominated
possession for the entire game, but were really unable to do anything with it. The first half
saw Fulham put twelve shot attempts at the net, and Clint was quite unfortunate not to score
on a couple of occasions. You could tell something Fulhamish was in the cards as Damien Duff's
clearance off the goal line off a free kick fell directly into the path of Chistopher Samba, and
he clinically put Blackburn into the lead.

The second half was a bit sluggish compared to the first, but Blackburn didn't fail to impress
from another set piece midway through the half as Ryan Nelson put a header in off another
free kick conceded by John Painstil's replacement, Irishmen Steven Kelly. Fulham tried to muster
as much as they could but were unable to find the answer.

From my perspective, Fulham are going to need to be extemley lucky to finish in the top 7 now
as injuries to Diomansy Kamara, Bobby Zamora, and now emergency up front option Dempsey are
going to really thin out options up front. David Elm is not ready for extended Premiership
minutes and with the loan of Eddie Johnson to Aris, Fulham may be pushed into action to buy
or loan in a striker before the deadline. Stephano Okakas' move to Southwest London has seemed
to hit a snag as he and the top brass are unable to come to terms over the terms of his
compensation package. Other long term injuries of John Paintsil and Simon Davies will continue
to hamper the Cottagers as well. One can only begin to wonder what type of magic Roy Hodgson
can muster in the next six to eight weeks.

Thanks to Tom Mollison for the article. Tom is also a major contributor to fulhamfc.com & fulhamusa.com.

Thanks again Tom and welcome to the GS Team!!

Drogba? Who Needs Drogba?

epl@goalmouthscramble.com (Goalmouth Scramble) — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 02:24:00 GMT

OK, that's total hyperbole. Of course Chelsea need Drogba, but you wouldn't have guessed it from their 7-2 drubbing of Sunderland at the Bridge today. How they would perform without Didier's scoring prowess up front was the biggest question facing them and the Blues answered ina big way.

It was Nicolas Anelka who answered the call and became the focal point of the Chelsea attack, scoring two himself and assisting another. But even his stat line really doesn't show just how influential he was today. Every build up seemed to come straight through him and his mere presence seemed to open things up for the likes of Frank Lampard, Florent Malouda and Joe Cole. The win was so textbook, so effortless, it was like watching a friendly against League One talent. Chelsea attempted 29 shots to Sunderland's 6, and though they pulled two back the visitors never really seemed to be part of the game. The way the West Londoners have been dropping points lately, they needed a game like this one. Not just a win, but a complete landslide;a return to early season form. If Chelsea can take their new found confidence and apply it to their schedule they have every chance in the world to hold off Manchester United.

I'm going to say this until it happens: Zhirkov needs to start. Period. He has yet to score in England and maybe he doesn't catch everyone's eye when he's on the pitch, but I can completely see why Chelsea battled Barcelona for his services. Give him a full run out on the left and he will cause all kinds of problems for any defense. He handles the ball like Joe Cole and he's as strong as anyone on the pitch, no doubt from playing in the very physical Russian top flight. On a team that has a tendency to lack pace in the midfield (depending on the starting 11), he's a breath of fresh air.

And is it a mere coincidence that his enormous head is shaped like Pavel Datsyuk's? I think not.

Written by Nick Degel, The Official Chelsea Blogger of the Goalmouth Scramble

Birmingham City - IS EUROPE POSSIBLE?

epl@goalmouthscramble.com (Goalmouth Scramble) — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 23:27:00 GMT

After an impressive 0-1 win against Stoke at the fortress that is the Brittannia Stadium, Birmingham have stretched their unbeaten run to 11 games. At the start of the season, the question was can they stay in the EPL, but on recent form the question is now can they get into Europe? Well they are currently in 8^thposition just one point behind 7^th place Liverpool. Birmingham have a tough fixture list in January though, as they travel to in form Championship side Nottingham Forest, welcome Manchester United to St. Andrews and they then hit the road again to Portsmouth and end the month against Chelsea.

How Did They Get There?

Birmingham’s unbeaten streak started at St. Andrews with a 2-1 against Sunderland and then carried that win to draw with Man City and Liverpool. They then went on to win 1-0 vsFulham and Wolves. The rest: Wigan away 2-3, West Ham at home 1-0, Blackburn at home 2-1, Everton away 1-1, Chelsea at home 0-0, Stoke away 0-1. This is the clubs best run since 1908 and key to the clubs success is that the manager Alex McLeish has named the same side for the last eight games.

Written by Sean Cox, The Official Birmingham City Blogger of the Goalmouth Scramble

Oh Thank God In Heaven

epl@goalmouthscramble.com (Goalmouth Scramble) — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 05:24:00 GMT

Skysports reported earlier today that Nicolas Anelka may be fit in time for Chelsea's FA cup clash this Sunday against Watford. Whether he passes his fitness test or not, this makes him a lock for their next league match on the 9th with Hull City.

I can't tell you how great this news is for me. Chelsea was facing the prospect of starting Daniel Sturridge and Fabio Borini in the absence of Anelka, Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou. The Ivorian forwards will be playing in the African Nations Cup along with John Mikel Obi (even I have no idea which is the correct way to write his name) and Michael Essien (should he return from injury). There's no question about the bright futures ahead of Sturridge and Borini, and Chelsea by association, but their inexperience overwhelms their upside especially at such an important time for the Blues.

After an embarrassing draw to West Ham and a truly uninspired goalless game at Birmingham City, Chelsea finally took all three points against Fulham with help from a very unfortunate Chris Smalling. Chelsea have not been the same dominating force from earlier this season and it is crucial that they maintain their lead over Manchester United while their main offensive cog is away.

United are hot on Chelsea's tail and have been playing much better despite limited options on defense. Chelsea's late form has allowed United to control their own destiny. Had they not fallen to Fulham and Aston Villa in December, those Red Devils would be top of the table by four points. It's just nice to know that Chelsea will at least have Anelka to partner Sturridge and fend off the champion's push (as well as Arsenal who have been making a run of their own as of late).

Written by Nick Degel, The Official Chelsea Blogger of The Goalmouth Scramble

The Red Devils - Can they be EPL Champions Again!?

epl@goalmouthscramble.com (Goalmouth Scramble) — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 16:42:00 GMT

Manchester United sit 5 points back (with 1 game in hand) of Chelsea at this very moment - andf I think if you would have told Sir Alex this to start the season - he would have said perfect.

The Red Devils are trying to make this a 4th consecutive Premier League title - and they do not look like they have even started to play well up to this point. This team looks to me like they are still trying to figure out who they are. They lost the best player in the world this past off season in Cristiano Ronaldo. They are also figuring out on the fly exactly what I said about Antonio Valencia - he is not a replacement for Ronaldo - they overspent big time for this guy. Outside of Wayne Rooney - the only consistent offensive threat is the ageless Ryan Giggs, who arguably could be having his best season yet. Yes, I know Giggsy has only scored twice, but he is making every player better with his play. Rooney leads the team in goals with 13 - the next closest is Berbatov with 5 and Valencia with 4 - but both of those players aren't guaranteed starting spots from week to week.

Now the big reason why Fergie is a okay with being a few points back at this stage of the season. Chelsea loses the League's leader in goals, Didier Drogba to the African Cup for the next month or so, plus Anelka has suffered a groin injury. So now the Blues are relying on Kalou (ha) and Sturridge to get them through this stretch...that's not good. Fat Frank (Lampard) has really regressed and looks to me like he might be fighting for a place on the England squad, rather than a key to the team. I will say this about Chelsea though, how good is Yuri Zhirkov? The guy is as good, if not better than advertised - he is dangerous going forward every time he touches the ball and is a brilliant defender at the back.

Last, but not least, The Blues do get a break in January with their schedule. They travel to Hull City to start the month and end the month at Burnley, with home games against Sunderland & Birmingham sandwiched in between. So even without their 2 starting strikers - Chelsea should claim all 12 points in the month of January. But we all know that Manchester United really starts to make their move for the League title once the calendar hits Christmas - so everyone better be paying attention...

Oh yeah - just something to think about - this is not a 2 team race - because if I was a betting man (and we all know that I am), if Cesc Fabregas stays healthy - my money is on the Gunners. What do you think? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below!

Have a Happy New Year everyone - and thanks for reading the Goalmouth Scramble Blogcast!

WHERE DID ALL THAT MOMENTUM GO?

epl@goalmouthscramble.com (Goalmouth Scramble) — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 15:55:00 GMT

I'm not sure, but it's gone. It took luck for Chelsea to claim one lonely point at Upton Park today and it's hard to believe this is the same team that was mowing down all competition through November.

But December has treated the Blues as it seems to have been treating the Dallas Cowboys for the last decade-plus. A decisive loss to Manchester City came after falling to Blackburn in penalties in a Carling Cup exit, and Chelsea have only managed one point from every match since with the exception of a 2-1 win over Portsmouth.

Derby or not, Chelsea has no excuse to draw to a West Ham team fighting to stay out of the drop. In fact, if a questionable penalty call did not go their way they would have faced a truly embarrassing road loss in a weekend that also saw United fall at Craven Cottage for the second time. Couple this with the fact that Didier Drogba was the only reason all points were not dropped to Everton last weekend in a match that displayed just how awful the set piece defending has been. Honestly, if I'm any other team in the league, I'm trying to draw as many corners as humanly possible when I play Chelsea. They did an admirable job defending today but, again, it was West Ham. About the only promising performance came from late sub Yuri Zhirkov, who displayed just how dangerous he can be out on the wing.

I have faith that the defending can improve but I'm a little less enthusiastic about the looming cloud of the African Nations Cup -- a tournament that will see to Drogba's absence from over a month of matches. Say what you want about him, he is a leading candidate for player of the year and Chelsea have been bailed out far too many times by his dominance in front of the goal. Which poses the obvious question: who will score when he leaves?

Obviously, Chelsea will look to Nicolas Anelka to fill those red-laced Vapors. But little confidence can be drawn from his game-time absence from today's match. Anelka has shown many times before that he can carry the load but his game lacks the danger of the Ivorian's. Salomon Kalou will be missing as well, leaving the second striker's role for either Daniel Sturridge or Fabio Borini. Borini is too young and inexperienced to start on a regular basis, in my opinion,although he has shown that he at least has the ability to keep up. Sturridge seems like the more obvious choice but he has played very little this season. One wonders if the team is second guessing their decision to loan Franco Di Santo to Blackburn.

But let's be real here. It's Chelsea. Their transfer ban has been suspended (for now?) and it would shock no one if a striker is purchased to fill the hole. The rumour mill has already lost its collective mind linking big name after big name to a West London move. Here is the list to date(understanding full well that most of this "news" comes from The Mirror):Sergio Aguero, Fernando Torres, Luis Fabiano and Edin Dzeko. More names to come I'm sure, but of those names Aguero seems a real possibility. His is the longest running and most realistic of the rumoured players and he has all but flat-out stated that he wants to go to Chelsea.Would he fit? I don't know. He's small and he goes to ground easily,but every team could use a player with that much talent. I don't know how reliable the Dzeko rumour is, but he's a player I'd love to see in the Premier League. He's very tall and a real poacher inside the box.It would be an imposing addition to a Blues side that has few aerial threats.

Can anyone really replace Drogba, though. I seriously have my doubts. But the optimist in me sees his absence as a chance for the team to rediscover its overall quality. Knowing that "Drogba can't bail us out anymore," hopefully the team can regain its composure and return to its bread and butter: dominate possession and bend the opposition until it breaks. The confidence seems to be missing and it needs to return for this team to right the ship. Luck has been the theme and reason that this team remains in the driver seat, but it's crucial that Chelsea realizes that luck runs out.

Enough tired cliches for you? Need one more? OK. The team has been a shell of itself since falling at the Eastlands and its time for Ancelotti to get out that hairdryer we were all hearing about on his way in. Suck it up and finish the job, Gentlemen.

Written by Nick Degel, The Official Chelsea Blogger of the Goalmouth Scramble