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Chelsea have started the Premier League season with five wins on the bounce as Sarriball takes hold. With Eden Hazard firing on all cylinders and a midfield that clicks Blues fans are being treated to an attacking football masterclass.

Is it one that makes it the most exciting teams the Blues have had for almost a decade.

Cardiff, Huddersfield and Newcastle have all tried to upset the expert weekend accumulator tips and bust a few coupons with defensive teams and tactics that have taken time to break down.

Chelsea are managing to break down even the most defensive of opposition tactics through sheer weight of passing and being able to change gears and add a touch of class at just the right moment.

When early goals have not come, they have stuck to their task, probing and passing their way to create chances and puncture the opposition with sheer weight of effort.

Sarriball means Jorginho is having more touches of the ball than the entire outfield unit of opposing teams as the Blues recycle the ball and probe defences. When the time is right Hazard, Pedro, Giroud and even Morata have been there to add a sprinkle of class to make the difference.

Sarriball dominates  Dominate & Add Attacking Excitement

Against Cardiff Chelsea played with a zip and intricate passing that had Cardiff on the back foot the entire game.

The Blues have stood up to the tests ahead of them and top the table on goal difference. A stat that shows just how prolific the Blues have been despite conceding against Newcastle and Cardiff.

Whilst defensively there are questions to answer it was an incredibly enjoyable site to see the Blues building attack after attack in a game where they could have scored 7 or 8.

We were watching from the Shed End and even though the Blues went behind they produced an almost instant response and were deservedly ahead before the break with the equaliser a showcase of the attacking flair and movement we currently possess.

The last time Chelsea were such a consistent threat was under Carlo Ancelotti in 2009/2010 season when the team scored 103 goals on the way to a historic league and cup double.

This team has potential, but it has not yet been properly tested. The true challenge will come when autumn turns to winter and the Blues travel to sides with no intention to give Chelsea space to attack into.

There may not be Nicolas Anelka and Didier Drogba tearing up defences and scoring goals this time around, but Eden Hazard looks like he might take a stratospheric jump and place himself at the pinnacle of Europe’s elite.

Sarriball looks like an exciting experiment.

Fantasy Football is one of the best things about pre-season as fans get to pore through the new signings to pick their team for the year ahead. 

Unlike our childhood most games are now free to enter and are a great way to prove to your mates that you know the game better than they do!

It is great to beat your mates, particularly if they support a different team. Although it can be conflicting when you have Harry Kane in your fantasy team and you almost fist pump when he scores to boost your points total.

This year we have partnered with Fansbet to offer a FREE fantasy football game. There is a top prize of £20k and it is free to enter – http://bit.ly/2M3m6yl

Having won every conceivable trophy since arriving at the club and being our captain, Gary Cahill is a hero to many Chelsea fans.

Unfortunately, as time moves on his credentials as a top-level Premier League central defender are being severely tested. He did not have his best season in Blue last time out and lost his place to Rudiger in the New Year and only got back into the frame at the back end of the season.

If Chelsea sign Danielle Rugani then the writing would really be on the wall for Cahill. He is already going to be competing against Kurt Zouma, Rudiger, David Luiz, Cesar Azpilicueta, Andreas Christensen and even younger guns such as Ethan Ampadu.

Why Should Cahill Stay

The argument for keeping Cahill is simply his previous record and the influence he can have on a team in transition. He will undoubtedly add something to the dressing room but may struggle to get game time.

The real question is can he rally and get back into a position as a first choice centre-back?

If he can then he should definitely stay and remain as captain in the Sarri ball era.

However if not then it might be time for Cahill and the club to look at other options as he deserves to be allowed to leave the club with dignity and plot the path for the rest of his career.

Where Would He Go

Cahill is at an odd point of his career.

At 32 he is too young to be put out to pasture and could still do a role in a Premier League club and is not ready for his MLS or Chinese payday.

He could walk into any Premier League defence outside of the top six or he could go abroad, hopefully the decision to stay or go is in his hands.

Chelsea played their second pre-season fixture against Inter Milan in the International Champions Cup at the Allianz Riviera in Nice.

The Blues started the game well and squeaked to victory on penalties.

Top performances were again delivered by our top two youth prospects Ethan Ampadu and Callum Hudson Odoi.

The season is almost here and despite a poor season and a new manager Chelsea have not gone crazy in the transfer market and time is running out. 

The transfer window closes at the start of the season for the first time meaning there are less than two weeks before the window closes.

The club are bound to be targeting some signings but the time to act is NOW if we are to get the players we want at the right price!

The appointment of Maurizio Sarri has seen Jorginho arrive with him from Napoli, however, the only other reinforcement is veteran Robert Green who joins as a homegrown third choice goalkeeper for registration purposes.

Realistically Chelsea should have decided if Thibaut Courtois, Willian and Eden Hazard will be allowed to leave the club by now. If they have we should be signing replacements before the ink is dry to avoid any deadline day panics.

If that is going to happen we need to ACT NOW before it is too late to identify, negotiate and complete the signing of appropriate replacements.

Positions Where Chelsea Must Act!

Regardless of departures Chelsea realistically need to sign a defender and striker to improve upon the line up from last season.

Defensively we have been linked to Rugani and a host of others, whereas up front we have been linked with every European striker going without much progress.

Without direction for quite some time, it will be interesting to see who Sarri and the board are targeting. There is bound to be some activity but it is unclear who the club will be going after and why.

Let’s hope that they are ahead of where we think we are and on the verge of the signings Sarri and Zola will need to get Chelsea back into contention next season.

Chelsea got more than a manager when Maurizo Sarri arrived from Napoli. He brought with him the highly rated Jorginho.

Here is a video of his debut thousands of miles away from his new home in Australia. It covers pretty much every touch he made in this low-key promotional friendly debut.

A few decent touches will be good to see how he develops to the English game once that new club smell wears off.

Check out his performance

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ap8Ijk4f–U

Chelsea started pre-season in Australis with the Blues beating the hosts 1-0 with Callum Hudson Odoi stealing the show with some brilliant skills to set up Pedro.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PF5-yxK1DZY

Thibaut Courtois talks to the media frequently and has the arrogance you need to succeed as a top-level goalkeeper which is not a great combination.

He is generally quiet when at the club and handled by the club’s PR but once he is on international duty it is like a Bonus Code from Mobilbet for the media who get a much more candid account of his relationship with the club than usual.

Courtois has had a difficult relationship with the club since he was signed and sent out on loan, he felt that he was a superstar from day one and liked to tell whoever who would listen what he thought.

This calmed slightly when he usurped Petr Cech as number one at the club but every international break he gets in front of the media and says whatever the hell he likes and normally this involves complaining about the club or courting a move back to Spain.

His performances for Chelsea have been ok on average, but nowhere near high enough to justify the “star of the show” attitude that he brings to mentions of his future.

Courtois Yearns To Return Home

I do have some sympathy for Tibo, as his family including his children have remained in Spain rather than relocating to England. If he wants to leave then I think he should be allowed to do so.

However, it should be on Chelsea’s terms rather than his and he seems to be conducting himself via the media than the club.

One Year To Go

The complicating factor on the future of Tibo is that he only has one year left on his contract. Meaning that for his future to be in control of the club he either needs to put up (request a transfer) or shut up (and sign a new contract).

The best scenario for the club would be for him to sign a new contract and leave next summer for his market rate. If he leaves this summer we will get less for him than he is worth (around £35m) however if he leaves next summer without a new contract we will get nothing.

It is a little frustrating that the club have let Tibo run down his contract to the point where he has all the power. We should avoid letting players negotiate and delay to the point of power and being near the end of their contracts whilst in their playing prime.

Should he stay or should he go? I don’t really care but it does need to be sorted soon.

Let’s hope Tibo’s future and the club’s goalkeeping options are secured well before the transfer deadline.