Chelsea season preview

Of all the 'big 4' clubs, the season ahead should be the most interesting for Chelsea. After all, they have a new coach at Big Phil Scholari and it looks like they will have a revamped team too. But can Roman's Blue Army continue to compete at the top?

As I write this article, no major names have left Stamford Bridge, but Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba could end up elsewhere early in the season, which would be a tremendous blow to Chelsea. These two players have been critical to his success in recent seasons and keeping them would be more of a blow than bringing in any of the ดาวเด่นเชลซี he has linked up with at Chelsea. The reason is that they have already been proven in the team and in the Premiership and you know they will do the business over the course of a season.

Last season saw some notable failures at Chelsea, most notably Florent Malouda, who came from Lyon and never reached the heights expected of him. If you consider that he was supposed to be a replacement for Arjen Robben, then it further highlights how disappointing Malouda was. However, a huge advantage for Chelsea was the emergence of Micheal Ballack as a true Premiership star. His first season was a disappointment with so many fans expecting great things from the German captain, but particularly towards the end of last season, he proved to be one of the best players in the league. If Chelsea can get a good season out of him, he will make a difference in his success.

Who should Chelsea bring? Well, if they lose Drogba, they certainly need a forward to lead the line. Chelsea may be able to return to a 4-4-2 system for the first time in many years if Big Phil plays the kind of attacking football we hope he will do. If this is the case, two great forwards may be required depending on whether Anelka is up to the job. Deco is a name that has been closely linked to Chelsea and his arrival would be a huge blow to both Chelsea and the Premiership.

As much as I can see Chelsea soccer jerseys regain the golden Premiership insignia by making the right transfers and landing on their feet this year, I can also hide them by doing it totally wrong and falling down the Premiership pecking order. If I had to make a prediction I would say they will finish third or fourth in the Premiership, but they will have a huge impact on the European stage. However, I am fully prepared to be wrong in this case.