Ketsbaia

If thats all it needs, Joey should sack him on the spot. This would be last major contract, so he won't have much need for an agent anyway.

I don't think we pay the armband. Might be wrong though, could be a hangover from the Shepherd years....

In this situation, most clubs would understand how good Sturridge can be. But Abramovich is panic buying and won't think about the consequences on other players. They want Lukaku, Neymar, Aguero etc. Sturridge - as mental as it seems - won't get in the team. Plus, the new manager mightn't know him. If he was at any other club, I'd say theres no chance they'd let him go. But this is Chelsea.

i'm refusing to believe we're not in for him because it wouldn't make sense. he's mint, we need him, the fee is reasonable and he wants to come back. hopefully we'll do a u-turn like Ba and theres plenty of time to do that. i can't see us sitting back whilst someone else goes for him.

theres something very impressive about the way we're swiftly buying players. this summer has been meticuloulsy planned for months, so maybe its no surprise. quality players are choosing us for our 'vision', which - whatever it is - is encouraging. on the flip side, we'll be selling pivotal players. this giant summer gamble will either backfire massively (the missing team spirit) or work handsomely (the vastly improved quality). i think this summer will be the end of me emotionally draining stuff.

eh - the sun? and people are assuming he's gone. right, ok. in theory, if he went, there'd be no way back for ashley (for me).

If he goes to Sunderland, it's because nobody else is in for him. And theres no chance of that happening, people!

I keep worrying he'll do a Ronaldo* and get crippled on his comeback. Can't believe we still have to wait 2 months to see him! * the player, not the poster. unless it happened to him too, which would be.....strange.

Incredible. Hope we're in for N'Zogbia though.

Nowhere near Sunderland city centre. Good lad, Seb.

Was that the one that always got Simpson and Routledge the wrong way round?

Seen as we're signing a bunch of Frenchies/Africans, I thought it'd be good to check we're saying their names properly. I've heard several ways to say Yohan Cabaye, which one is right? Also, what about Mevlut Erding, Blaise Matuidi and Emilio Izaguirre?

love that interview and the way he says Newcastle i was so impressed by the Cabaye signing that i thought he'd be our best signing of the summer, but now i think it could be Ba. that can only be good news. Cabaye and Ba speak of the plans this club has and even though selling Nolan, Barton and Enrique is a hammer-blow....i believe this giant risk can pay off: a new team, new formation, new style, new ambitions. if we sign players with a winning mentality to go with their talent, something great could be happening (until tomorrow when something awful happens again)

Bravo. I love that Southampton strip.

The last few pages, man Special mention to the Lady GaGa one.

This whole situation is glorious

Fucking hell, I think I'm psychic Guessed the second game correct too! To cheer everyone up, this 'vision' had us winning the first game 1-0 in the glorious sunshine.

I called it a couple of weeks ago - Arsenal at home. Sky love a background story....

I love this signing Brilliant in so many ways, obviously it could backfire with his knee but for no fee we've bagged a quality striker. Superb

Matuidi would be incredible although I'm suspicious (think thats the natural reaction to the club now). 4-3-2-1 but when we need a goal, we make a sub and go 4-2-3-1. Lovely. I'm worried that it's Barnetta instead of N'Zogbia though, because I'd much rather have Zoggy.

This has recently started, just about to give it a listen: http://www.europeanfootballshow.eu/ The European Football Show is a new podcast launching in June that takes you on a journey across the continent to discuss the stories that matter. Presenter Dave Farrar will be joined by European football writer Ben Lyttleton and a host of guests, including Gabriele Marcotti, Jonathan Wilson and Iain Dowie, to go behind the European headlines, while there will also be regular tactical analysis from Zonal Marking's Michael Cox. Coming up in the next show: Spain and its problem of competitive balance. How Sampdoria went from Champions League to relegation. A former Premier League coach explains West Ham's demise. The story behind Germany's new generation of coaches. French football prepares for a new dominant force.

I like that.

All the ITK's are agreed that Modric won't be sold, if he goes Bale and VDV will follow soon after. I fully expect Modric to be a Spurs player on 1st September. Once your little ITK committee makes a decision, do you personally call Levy?