How to "Fix" Fernando Torres

The biggest question around Chelsea Football Club at the moment seems to be all about the form of Fernando Torres.  Some so called "fans" have even gone far enough to boo one of their own players.  He seems at the moment incapable of scoring or even being dangerous throughout a match.  The Spanish striker seems completely lost trying to implement his old highlights in a new kit, but one thing is for certain, form is temporary and class is permanent.

At the beginning of the season the question Di Matteo was asked was, would he get Torres back to his old Liverpool days? He didn't.  When Rafa Benitez was brought in, all the questions were the same, would he bring Torres back to his old form? He didn't.  One things seem strange when you look at what managers say about Torres.  All you ever here is either, he will get back to his old form, or he won't get back to his old form. Why do people not see that he is no longer the same age? Why does no one see that it's not 2008?  Fernando Torres will never be the same player, never anything close to it, he is never going to burst by back-lines for his goals.  It's entirely impossible.  This isn't to say that he can not be one of the best players in the world once again.  He can, that's entirely possible.

The day Fernando Torres will be back is the day a manager comes and tells him to forget the old Torres and invent a new one.  He needs to become a new player.  He needs to create a whole new style.  He needs to stay in the box and not try to play the wings like he used to in his pacier days.  His aerial game already looks like it has gotten better and he needs to capitalise on that.  Chelsea loves to cross the ball in, and the better he gets in the air the more he will score.  Chelsea loves to play one touch passes with their new plethora of midfielders and if he stays in the box instead of trying to make his "Liverpool" long ball runs, he will score.  If he takes more long shots, instead of trying to play give and go like he used to do with Steven Gerrard, he will score.  The more Torres plays to Chelsea's style instead of making them play to his, the more he will score and make an impact at the club.  He is certainly going to have to earn his time now that Demba Ba is there, but his time to shine is not over.

The question isn't which manager will bring back the old Torres, it's what Manager will create a new one.

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Player Ratings for Chelsea vs. Southampton

Chelsea were desperate to get on the pitch Saturday as they wanted to get over their dreadful loss to QPR in the middle of the week.  The main talking point of this match was clearly the debut of Chelsea's newest addition Demba Ba, and he didn't disappoint.  The Blues ended up with a 5-1 victory as they launched into the fourth round of the FA Cup.  Let's take a look at how each player did.

GK Ross Turnbull: 8.0

Ross Turnbull's antics are always fun to watch on the pitch and he's also a pretty good keeper.  He held his own in the absence of Petr Cech and even made a pretty spectacular save in the second half.  Hopefully he'll see a few clean sheets in Cech's recovery time.

D Cesar Azpilicueta: 8.0

Cesar is turning into a very good right back and he continued his success in this match.  His overlapping in attack is becoming a huge hassle for opposing defenders.  It will be a tough choice for Rafa Benitez when John Terry is fit on whether Ivanovic or Azpilicueta will reign on the position.

D Branislav Ivanovic: 8.5

Ivanovic may not smile a lot, but he sure does love to score a lot.  Not many times do you see a central defender in the oppositions penalty box in open play, but Ivanovic welcomed it with a header.  His defending was class as usual; him and Cahill are forming a good partnership at the back.

D Gary Cahill: 8.0

Gary Cahill was a classy defender as he most often is.  His name wasn't called to much but he put in a very good 90 minutes.

D Ashley Cole: 8.0

Ashley Cole was Ashley Cole, almost impossible to get by.  He continues to show why he deserves a new contract.

M/D David Luiz: 7.5

Maybe the loosest of all of David Luiz's midfield adventures.  His defending was very good in the middle of the park, but he had some loose touches and his passing was not up to his usual standards.  David is still learning the position and he will develop into a classy midfielder once he gets his feet wet.

M Ramires: 8.0

Ramires used his pace to blow by defenders, as usual, and he was dangerous, as usual.  But his defending coming back was what made this a classy performance.  He was always there to help Chelsea recover from Ashley Cole and Azpilicueta's overlapping to slow down the counter attack.  Great all around play from the Brazilian.

M Juan Mata: 9.0

Chelsea goes as Juan Mata goes.  He controls the match for the Blues, and when he's on the pitch Chelsea's goals usually come from his play.  Mata looks to already have a good feel of where Demba Ba wants the ball as they seemed to be on the same page instantly.  Having a consistent finisher in front of him will make his stats look even better than they already are.

M Eden Hazard: 8.5

Eden Hazard was using his silky touch to get Chelsea's attack going as he usually does.  It's completely impossible to keep him out of the box.  He topped off his great play with yet another assist, for Demba Ba's second goal.  Hopefully Eden will start to be a little more selfish so he can start tallying the goals.

F Victor Moses: 8.5

Victor Moses is one of Rafa's favored choices on the team sheet, and it's hard to disagree.  His pace is deadly and he has a great shot.  Moses grabbed a goal right before halftime with a lovely left footed finish to give Chelsea the lead.  The winger has been consistent the whole season and will only get better.

F Demba Ba: 9.0

Chelsea may have grabbed the biggest bargain in the Premier League in a long long time.  Demba Ba came into this game, never have playing with anyone on the pitch before and looked like a Chelsea veteran.  The Senegal man's movement was top class, he always found his way into dangerous positions and found the back of the net twice.  Chelsea fans wanted a striker and they may have gotten the Premier League's best one.  Don't be surprised if Demba competes with Van Persie and Suarez for the Golden Boot in England.

M Frank Lampard: 8.0

Sign him up, end of story.

M Oscar: 7.5

Oscar is one for the future but his play against English clubs is still very unproven.

M Marko Marin: 7.5

A very talented player and finally is getting to play, but he seems to force it a little to much.

Man of the Match: Demba Ba

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Demba Ba Transfer Stalls at the Moment

Chelsea are in desperate need for a striker or maybe even a few, as at the moment Fernando Torres has no real backup. With Daniel Sturridge going to Liverpool and Romelu Lukaku staying on loan there is no question that management will be busy in January. Sunday, Sky Sports reported that Newcastle Striker Demba Ba was meeting with Chelsea officials over a 7 million pound move. Talks were then reported as unsuccessful when Ba's wage demands were brought up. Whatever the wages may be Chelsea may want to pay his amount wanted as there is slim to no chance that they will find a bargain like this. Look for talks to resume in the coming days.

source: Skysports.com

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David Luiz Finds a Home in Midfield

No one has ever questioned David Luiz's skill or even his desire on the pitch, but he just didn't fit in the center of defence.  It seems Chelsea manager Rafa Benitez seems to feel the same way as the Brazilian may have found a new home in Defensive Midfield.  The "Geezer" always has had a unique and weird set of skills for a central defender, only maybe comparable to countryman Thiago Silva.  Only there is one big difference, Silva wants to sit back and defend where as Luiz will always attack given the opportunity, and even when there isn't an opportunity.  At times he seemed confused in his head and it showed in his play, and the change needed to be made.

Many Chelsea fans begged Roberto Di Matteo to give David Luiz the chance in midfield, but he never seemed to give him a look at it.  Even when Luiz made a strange or shocking error, Di Matteo was stuck in his ways to keep him at the back.  There is no question that in an injury or suspension crisis that Luiz could play in central defence, but when you watch him play it's more than obvious that his talents go to waste there.  David is one of the only players in the world who seems to be good at every aspect of the professional game.  He has the Brazilian touch and flair that the country thrives on,  he is a very strong defender and not afraid to make a tackle, he has a good shot including his knack for scoring free kicks, he is excellent in the air, he has amazing passing skills and has good pace for a player his size. He is one of the finest talents Brazil has produced and is a joy to watch.  With this kind of talent it wouldn't make sense to let him sit at the back, and ever since he has started in the midfield his game and attitude has improved.  He now has a openness to his game which makes his skill set shine even more and he is developing into the outright leader of the next Chelsea generation.  Overall this move is going to drastically improve the clubs morale and chemistry as they make the move from old guard to young talent.

Chelsea fans have finally got what they wanted, and now they are going to see one of their fan favorites develop into one of the world's best midfielders.

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Chelsea May Have the Craziest January of Any Club

Chelsea Football Club has never been shy in spending money in the transfer window and the January market will be no different.  There are a lot of scenarios that Chelsea could pull out of the hat and most likely will shock a lot of people with the moves they make.  Radamel Falcao is the most likely scenario for the Blues along with Fellaini from Everton.  Here is a list of possible targets and departures.

January Transfer Targets:
Radamel Falcao
Marouane Fellaini
Theo Walcott
Willian
Demba Ba
Fernando Llorente
Bafetimbi Gomis
Klass-Jan Huntelaar
Paulinho
Loic Remy
Simone Pepe
Yann M'Vila
Gonzalo Higuian
Daniele De Rossi
Yaya Toure
Neymar
Nelson Oliveira
Taison
Jackson Martinez
Oscar Cardoza
Wilfried Bony
Luis Suarez
Marek Hamsik
Victor Wanyama
Ryan Shawcross
Joao Moutinho
Marcelo
Edin Dzeko

Possible Departures:
Frank Lampard
Ashley Cole
Daniel Sturridge
Fernando Torres

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Player Ratings for Chelsea vs. Leeds United

Chelsea continued their pursuit of a trophy tonight in a match against the always tough Leeds United.  The match was very tight in the first half and Leeds even took the lead into halftime.  Chelsea came out firing in the second half and broke the match open and ended up grabbing a 5-1 win to send them to the Semi-Final of the Capital One Cup.  Let's take a look at how each player performed.

GK Petr Cech: 8.0

Pretty much catching practice for the big man but didn't come away with a clean sheet.

D Branislav Ivanovic: 8.0

The Serbian looked a little caught out defending in the first half, but gave Chelsea the lead with a brilliant header.  Good match.

D David Luiz: 8.0

The Brazilian was caught out in his attacking ways and loss possession leading to a Leeds goal, which most likely would have been prevented with a defensive midfielder on the field.  Luiz more than made up for his mistake with maybe the Chelsea assist of the season with a one touch long ball to Eden Hazard's goal.

D Cesar Azpilicueta: 7.5

Looked a little caught out a lot of the night, but still did his job.  Azpi still isn't showing the form he had going at the beginning of the year.

D Ryan Bertrand: 8.5

Bertrand's last performance at LB wasn't anything to brag about, but this one was one of his best.  The Englishman was strong in defence and great going forward.  He looks to finally be figuring out when the right time to attack is.  He made no mistakes and practically shut down the left side of the pitch.  Hopefully he will continue to develop and play like this.

M Frank Lampard: 8.0

Frank Lampard has never been a good defensive midfielder and tonight was no different, but he didn't have a stinker by any means.  Going forward he is still the legendary attacker that made him so great in the past, he hit a sizzling free kick from 35 yard which was somehow magically saved by the keeper.  He also had 3 or 4 long range classic Lampard shots that somehow were saved by the keeper.  Great in attack, poor in defence and at DM it will always be like that.

M Oscar: 8.5

This kid just seems to change the game when he's on the pitch.  He didn't score a goal but his presence can not be overlooked.  His passing his elite level and his on the ball skills may only be surpassed by his Chelsea teammate Eden Hazard and Brazilian teammate Neymar.  Chelsea's attack just seems to flow better with him on the field and hopefully he will regain his starting spot.

M Juan Mata: 8.5

Juan Mata doesn't really have form, he's top class every time he steps on the pitch and tonight was no different.  He grabbed the Chelsea equalizer and also assisted a goal.  I don't think there's even a question that he's the best player in England at the moment.

M Marko Marin: 7.0

The Chelsea fans finally got what they wanted and Marko Marin got the start, and he hardly made an imprint on the match.  He's looked good when he's came on as a sub but this match is one he will certainly want to forget.  Hardly even was noticeable and got subbed off for Eden Hazard.

F Victor Moses: 8.5

The Dark Knight rises once again and made a big impact on this one.  He was all over the pitch and looked likely to score the whole match and finally did score, for Chelsea's third goal.  Moses's pace is hard to handle for anyone and he is becoming one of the most dangerous wingers in the Premiership.

F Fernando Torres: 7.5

Yes he scored but it was a open net, something Petr Cech probably could have scored.  Torres was practically invisible the whole match and doesn't look like his good form lasted too long.

D Ashley Cole: 8.0

Came on for a injured Ryan Bertrand and did his usual business.

M Paulo Ferreira: 8.0

Glad to see his dedication to the club is finally getting him some playing time, good on the ball tonight.

M Eden Hazard: 8.5

He's a game changer, and changing the game is exactly what he did.  He played less than a full half, yet scored and assisted a goal. Enough said.

Man of the Match: Victor Moses

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Top 10 Footballers in the World (Updated December 2012)

Over the past few months my view on who the world's top players are, has really changed.  You may think you can guess who are the top 10 but I guarantee you are in for quite a few surprises.

10.  Yaya Toure - Manchester City - Midfielder

Yaya Toure could be one of the most influential player in the world.  No other midfielder is as well balanced as he is.  He is a unbelievable defender and even better going forward.  The Ivorian is one of the strongest players on the ball and vitally important to any success Manchester City wants to have.

9. Vincent Kompany - Manchester City - Defender

It is becoming very clear that Vincent Kompany is the best defender in the Premier League.  I think the fact that within minutes of coming off injured in the last Manchester Derby that United scored shows his worth enough.  Kompany is a stonewall in the back-line and hardly lets anything get passed him.  The Belgium is brilliant in the air both defensively and in the attacking sense.  Vincent is a amazing captain to go along with his footballing skills and will most likely shut down elite attackers for many years to come.

8.  Andres Iniesta - Barcelona - Midfielder/Winger

I've always thought Barcelona was more about a system and not just about having elite talent, but I can't deny what Iniesta does for both club and country.  He was a huge part of Spain's Euro 2012 success and is the driving force behind Barcelona.  Not only is he a big goal threat but his passing is marvelous.  Going along with his slick moves on the ball there is no question he is one of the very best.

7. Zlatan Ibrahimovic - PSG - Striker

Zlatan scores like he's playing against school kids.  I don't think I have to explain much more, he doesn't shy away from describing his own talents.

6.  Eden Hazard - Chelsea FC - Midfielder/Winger

There's really only one way to stop Eden Hazard and that's by fouling him, even then he is still close to impossible to shut down.  His on the ball skills are second to none and no defender has yet to figure out his slicing and dicing.  Eden could easily work his way into the top 3 in the coming future.

5.  Juan Mata - Chelsea FC - Midfielder

Juan Mata has quickly became the best player in the Premier League.  No other footballer in the league can compete with how he affects the match.  He controls the pace for his side and always seems to pick out the perfect pass.  Now that he has added goals to his play there is really no ceiling to how good he can be.

4. Mesut Ozil - Real Madrid - Midfielder 

Mesut Ozil's stats speak for them-self, the guy always finds a great pass for a great assist and is most part the reason Real Madrid scores as much as they do.  The German has a silky touch and is one of the most consistent players in the world.  Ozil has a great knack for scoring goals as well and always seems to take a lovely free kick in the latter stages of a match.  

3. Cristiano Ronaldo - Real Madrid - Winger/Forward

Cristiano Ronaldo puts the ball in the back of the net almost every match.  He is brilliant on the ball and great in the air.  His pace blows by any defender and makes almost any club fear his greatness.  Ronaldo is one of the worlds all time best and doesn't look to be slowing down anytime soon.

2. Lionel Messi - Barcelona - Striker 

I know I know, I'm crazy because I put this legend as number two.  Messi has scored 88 goals thus far in 2012, that's basically all that needs to be said about him.

1. Thiago Silva - PSG - Defender

Yes I'm crazy but in my opinion Thiago Silva is the world's finest footballer.  The Brazilian simply has no flaws in his game.  He is one of PSG's fastest players, and he's a center back. His defending is easily the classiest in the world.  No footballer seems to score getting past him.  He makes elite strikers look like they have never played football in their life, ask Falcao.  Even when he makes a tackle in the penalty box he is cool and calm on the ball and usually goes with his slick South American skills rather than a booming clearance.  Other than being the most complete defender he could well be the best passing center half in the world.  Some matches it seems like he is controlling the pace of play, even as a defender and time and time again he puts long balls right on the money, that loads of the time lead to goals.  Unlike elite attackers, a defender affects the match in defending and attacking and no one is better than the captain of Brazil.

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Is Fernando Torres Really Back?

It is no secret that ever since Rafa Benitez took over as manager of Chelsea that Fernando Torres is oozing with confidence.  He even stepped up to take a penalty which didn't even occur in all his time at Liverpool.  Something has definitely changed in Torres's mind that is making him play like this and it will be amazing to see if he can keep it up and lead Chelsea to raising trophies in the coming future. 

But is he really back? or the better question did he ever leave.  You would probably be surprised to here that even in his so called "poor form" under Roberto Di Matteo that his conversion rate was higher than in his golden days at Liverpool.  These stats may be due to his higher shot rate at Liverpool, but still the critics of Fernando have been way to harsh.  Fernando Torres isn't back, because he hasn't gone anywhere.  Yes he may have a lot more confidence and look ten times better to the eye but lets think about the competition he is scoring on.  One thing I've learned in my years of watching football is that big time strikers pad their stats against the smaller clubs and the truly elite ones find the back of the net against top clubs.  Fernando Torres has never left that group of elite strikers; he grabbed a goal against Barca in the Champions League Semi-Final, and has led Chelsea to big time wins against Newcastle, Arsenal and Shakhtar Donetsk.  It shouldn't be a surprise that when he scores that Chelsea is always victorious and the same goes when he plays with Spain.  Fernando Torres can lead Chelsea's attack and make them the Premier League's best and with his new found confidence and stellar scoring prowess against top clubs that's exactly what he's gonna do.

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Player Ratings for Chelsea vs. Nordsjaelland

Chelsea went into their Champions League clash on Wednesday having almost no control over their destiny in the Champions League, but they still had to handle their business. The Blues did just that and came out with a 6-1 win that still came up short as Juventus took down the Ukraine side Donetsk.  Let's take a look  at how each player did.

GK Petr Cech: 8.5

Cech didn't have the most active night but when called upon he saved a penalty that could have changed the whole match, but did allow one goal.  By far the best performance while he has had the armband.

D Branislav Ivanovic: 7.5

Wasn't really in the match, but when he had some action Nords forward Joshua John blew right by him for their only goal.  Clearly more comfortable in central defence.

D Ashley Cole: 8.0

Wasn't really much to do for the outside defenders but Cole did his job while on the pitch.  Did pick up a injury at the end of the first half.

D David Luiz: 9.5

David Luiz may have put in his best performance of the year tonight.  He was solid all night defending, which is a success in its own right, and also grabbed a goal with a perfectly taken penalty in the first half to get the scoring underway.  Luiz looked like the leader on the pitch, and under Rafa Benitez he has been nothing short of spectacular.  He even grabbed a few minutes at defensive midfield where he looked just as stellar.  Great all around performance from the Brazilian.

D Gary Cahill: 8.5

Defended with class and scored a magnificent header, other than a handball which lead to a penalty a pretty good performance.

M Oriol Romeu: 8.0

Just to let everyone know, Romeu was playing and did play the whole match.  His name was maybe not called much, but he shielded the defence with class.

M Ramires: 8.0

Box to Box play is what you expect from Ramires, and that's what he gave.  Nothing to dazzling but was consistent while on the pitch.

M Juan Mata: 8.5

Another classy performance from the Magician, he controlled the pace well and contributed to most of the goals.  Mata could be the most consistent player in the world at the moment.

M Eden Hazard: 8.5

Hazard was dazzling and blowing by defenders as usual.  He was in most part the one who created the chances for Chelsea's shots on target.  Yet again I will say you must foul him to stop him.  If it wasn't for a particularly weak penalty that was saved, it would of been one of his best Chelsea performances.

F Victor Moses: 8.5

Dangerous in attack as always and played a lovely ball to assist Torres's first goal.  Deserved a goal himself.

F Fernando Torres: 9.5

Rafa Benitez promised he would get Torres scoring and looks like he wasn't lying.  The Spaniard had the utmost confidence in his finishing and looked likely to score every time he was on the ball.  I don't want to jinx it, but this was a "Liverpool Torres" performance.  There is no doubt in my mind that this is Fernando Torres's best performance as a Chelsea player.  Not only did he score two goals and put almost everything on target but he contributed to every aspect of a match.  He came back and defended set pieces, he chased loose balls like his life depended on it and did whatever he could to help out his teammates.  If Torres can continue this form than Chelsea may not be out of the EPL title race yet.

D Ryan Bertrand: 8.0

Came on for a injured Ashley Cole and did his job very well.

M Oscar: 8.5

He scores in the Champions League like it's the easiest thing in the world.  The Brazilian added another goal to his UEFA tally and Rafa Benitez needs to give him his starting role back.

M Paulo Ferreira: 8.0

Hasn't played in a while, and Stamford Bridge thoroughly enjoyed seeing him back in action.

Man of the Match: David Luiz

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Chelsea Supporters Disgracefully Slate One of Their Own

First John Obi Mikel, and then David Luiz, it seems Chelsea fans have made it a habit to shamefully tear down one of their own.  This week the hate has come to a whole other level from Chelsea supporters in attacking Spanish striker Fernando Torres.

Maybe they want him to have a emotional breakdown, maybe they think the hate will force him undoubtedly out of Stamford Bridge, maybe they want to force RDM to put Daniel Sturridge into the starting role, but whatever it is, what Torres is experiencing could be one of the ugliest things ever seen at the club.  No matter where you go, Twitter, Facebook, the News, Journalism, your neighborhood pub, all you will see and hear is the utmost disrespect for Fernando Torres and the absolute worship of Atletico Madrid Striker Radamel Falcao.  By the way most Chelsea supporters talk you would think Falcao is already at Chelsea.  Things said such as, "I hope Torres get hurt next match" or "Let's hope Torres sucks so we can get Falcao", are examples of what are being said and it is only getting worse.

When Torres has a bad game you would think he committed murder by reading some of the things that are said about him.  Yet when Radamel Falcao has a bad match, he gets protection and immunity.  Maybe it should be reminded to some that Torres puts on the Chelsea blue on Saturday and not Falcao.  This situation has nothing to do with football.  Yes, Falcao has been more impressive this season, but no matter what, whoever is Blue you support them through and through.

If you take a look at Chelsea's captain John Terry, all you see is class.  He is respectful to fans and does whatever he can for the club.  Terry never says anything bad about any of his teammates and has their backs no matter what;  It is time for Chelsea fans to look at him, realize what crest they're wearing and start showing the same kind of class.

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Player Ratings for Chelsea vs. Shakhtar Donetsk

Chelsea resumed their Champions League play tonight in a match versus Ukraine Champions Shakhtar Donetsk, in a big match for their future in this years tournament.  The Blues needed a win to further cement their chances of coming out of the group stages and they came out on top in a exciting 3-2 scoreline.  Let's take a look at how each player performed.

GK Petr Cech: 7.5

Another less than stellar performance from the legendary keeper as he let in two goals.  The defense did leave him exposed many times, but part of being a keeper and a captain is organizing the back line.

D Branislav Ivanovic: 8.0

Ivanovic put out a very strong performance in defense as he usually does.  He was very good at manning the right side and made many threatening runs on the wing.  It was a very typical Ivanovic performance.

D David Luiz: 7.0

Another shockingly poor performance from David Luiz.  At the beginning of the year it was thought that he had gotten over his bad habits as he started off with brilliant defensive performances but tonight was nothing like that.  With John Terry by his side he seems to be one of the world's best but without him he seems to lose all of his focus on defending.  Sometimes even the simplest things such as clearances become problems. These last couple years with John Terry will be very important for David if he wants to release his unlimited potential, and he needs to study the Chelsea Legend's way of going about business.

D Gary Cahill: 8.5

I don't think Cahill's name was called very much throughout the match and for a defender that can be a good thing, but when he was called upon he defended with class.  Cahill is definitely one of Chelsea's most consistent footballers and may have taken Luiz's starting spot beside Terry.

D Ryan Bertrand: 7.0

Bertrand is usually a solid choice when Ashley Cole is out, but tonight he was no where near solid.  Both goals from Donetsk came from Bertrand's poor positioning on the left side.  Ryan was nothing close to his usual self and looked at times lost on the pitch.  Ashley Cole getting a new contract is going to be vital for Chelsea's future.

M Ramires: 8.5

Ramires was all over the pitch tonight, as usual, and made many darting runs from box to box.  His pace is a huge problem for any defender and he also was a very solid defender alongside Mikel.  Good performance from the Brazilian.

M John Obi Mikel: 9.5

Mikel is clearly the most underrated footballer in all of the world, and maybe the most consistent.  He shut down many runs from the Ukraine side in front of a very shaky defence. Mikel also looked likely to score, which can't be said much and even scored an off-sides goal.  Mikel is a stonewall in defence and is a huge staple in the Chelsea picture.

M Juan Mata: 8.5

Not the Spaniards usual magic but still a wonderful performance.  He controlled the play great for Chelsea and found Victor Moses on a corner for the winner in extra time.

M Oscar: 9.0

This kid is truly something special.  He seems to get more confident with every touch of the ball.  After his wonder goal vs. Juventus you thought it might be impossible to score one better, but he proved that wrong.  After a mistake from the Donetsk keep Oscar struck a wonder volley from 40 yards out with absolute perfection for his yet another brilliant goal.  He is spectacular on the ball and puts almost everything on target.  If he figures out how to bring this play to the Premier League he will be truly unstoppable.

M Eden Hazard: 8.5

There's only one way to stop Eden Hazard, and that's by fouling him.  The Belgian drew 7 fouls and used his slick skills to threaten the Donetsk defense every time on the ball.  Another great performance from the young star.

F Fernando Torres: 8.5

He put the ball in the back of the net. End of story.

F Victor Moses: 9.0

Scored a miraculous goal in extra time that probably looked very familiar to Bayern Munich fans.

F Daniel Sturridge: 7.5

What honestly can he do with 5 minutes on the pitch? Come on Di Matteo.

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Player Ratings for Chelsea vs. Manchester United

Over the weekend Chelsea were defeated by Referees United, I mean Manchester United, and tonight in a Capitol One Cup match-up  they got a shot at revenge.  It was well known that Roberto Di Matteo and Alex Ferguson were going to play reserves, and thankfully they were allowed substitutions.  Both sides showed their youth in the first half and also showed a bright future for the Blues.  The second half showed off better football with a high pace tempo and led to extra time.  Chelsea went on to win the match 5-4 and knocked United out of the Cup.  Let's take a look at how each player performed.

GK Petr Cech: 7.0

Cech made a few saves but also made one of the worst mistakes he has ever made since being at Chelsea, which led to a Ryan Giggs goal.  Also allowed 3 more, maybe not all his fault, but no where near his best.

D David Luiz: 7.0

David Luiz goes from brilliant to oblivious in seconds.  The Brazilian scored a wonderful penalty then his over-attacking led to the second United goal.  Then that was followed by a marvelous free kick that struck the crossbar.  David is still a work in progress, but if RDM figures out how to always get the brilliant side, then Chelsea will have something that special wouldn't begin to describe.

D Gary Cahill: 8.5

Chelsea fans think it will be impossible to replace John Terry, well they may have his twin.  Gary Cahill was a stone wall in defense and shows a brilliant knack for shutting down attacking runs.  He added another goal to his tally for the year from a great header.  Cahill may be England's best defender, and striker.

D Cesar Azpilicueta: 8.0

Chelsea just seem to be finding gems all over the world.  Azpi looked like a veteran in defense and showed his worth to Di Matteo.  He did a great job in manning the right wing and wasn't to bad in attack, his finishing however is another story.

D Ryan Bertrand: 8.5

When Ashley Cole missed matches three years ago, the left side looked like Goals Galore against Chelsea.  With Ryan Bertrand, it's hard to notice a difference.  Ashley Cole has clearly taught the youngster his mistake free football as Bertrand seems to go a whole match without making one.  Ryan handled the left side with perfection and made sure that no one could get passed him.  Maybe Chelsea management is on to something about not giving Cole a multi-year deal.

M Oriol Romeu: 7.5

Definitely one for the future.  Looks strong on the ball, but not quite there.

M John Obi Mikel: 8.0

Mikel was Mikel. He defended and kept possession. Subbed out in the second half.

M Juan Mata: 8.0

Looked a little tired throughout the match, but controlled the pace of play and did his usual business.  Nothing special compared to his recent games.

M Lucas Piazon: 6.5

Piazon is a brilliant footballer and has a bright career, but he is no where near ready.  He is very weak on the ball and acts like he doesn't even want it.  Bit of a disappointment after all the hype that surrounded him.  It could be 4 or 5 years before he is ready.

F Victor Moses: 8.5

Easily the most dangerous footballer throughout the whole match. He has a distinct power on the ball and doesn't give it up easily.  He drew a penalty and led many of the Chelsea attacks.  There is a good chance that a lot of playing time is headed his way.

F Daniel Sturridge: 8.0

Nervous in the first half, but showed his talent in extra time with the go ahead goal.

F Eden Hazard: 9.0

I wonder if Alex Ferguson still thinks Hazard isn't worth the money.  He came on in the second half and looked nothing less than spectacular.  Shredded through the United defense with silky skill and grabbed a goal on the last kick of regular time, something usually only made happen by a certain Ivorian in the past.  Eden however wasn't done, in extra time the Belgian worked his way through the United defense with a assist to Ramires and maybe broke the ankles of a few United defenders.  Easy to see why he has been compared to Lionel Messi.

M Oscar: 8.5

Oscar came on in the last third of regular time and made a immediate impact.  The Brazilian gives Chelsea a whole other dynamic with his passing and pure on the ball skill.  Created many of Chelsea's ladder attacks and controlled the pace during extra time.  It's very clear that Oscar makes the whole engine go.

M Ramires: 8.0

Came on for Mikel in the second half and grabbed the fifth and important goal with a lovely finish.

Man of the Match: Eden Hazard

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Chelsea's Top 5 January Transfer Targets

Ever since Roman Abramovich has come to Chelsea it has been no secret that he likes to make big name buys.  Even with the purchases of Eden Hazard, Oscar and Victor Moses it seems he isn't done for this season.  Chelsea have been the strongest side thus far in the Premier League but they will most likely make a big time transfer come January.  The biggest question mark seems to still be around Spanish striker Fernando Torres and even with 6 goals, his play must improve if he wants to keep his spot.  Daniel Sturridge is pushing him and Roman will most likely grab a forward in January.  All this being said let's look at Chelsea's most likely transfers to the club.

5.  Neymar | Forward | Santos

Easily the least likely transfer that would be made, but maybe the one that would work out the best for the club.  With Chelsea continuing to go after Brazilians and the chemistry that both David Luiz and Oscar have with Neymar, he could easily become the leagues most dangerous footballer.  Playing along with Juan Mata and Eden Hazard wouldn't hurt as well.

4.  Sergio Ramos | Defender | Real Madrid

The transfer of Sergio Ramos all depends on the validity of the reports of John Terry heading to Valencia.  If Terry somehow ends up surprising everyone and leaves, this transfer could be as good as done.  Even if Terry stays at Chelsea for one or two more seasons, this is still a likely transfer.  Ramos could be the world's best defender behind Thiago Silva and if he isn't happy, he will demand a transfer.  Roman has shown interest in the Spanish defender and if given the chance will most likely scoop him up.

3.  Marouane Fellaini | Midfielder | Everton

Fellaini could be the best addition Chelsea could make with Frank Lampard going down injured early in the week.  It was thought last year that Fellaini was already bought by Chelsea but it turned out otherwise.  He is the most certain target for Chelsea in January and would most likely have no problems fitting in.  Look for Roman to be putting in bids for the Belgian midfielder.

2. Radamel Falcao | Forward | Atletico Madrid

Easily the most talked about transfer target to be linked with Chelsea.  Roman has already confirmed he is going to be bidding on Falcao and trying to bring him to the Bridge.  Falcao is certainly a great scorer, but he could bring chemistry problems by causing the exile of Fernando Torres, from a forward in the same stage of his career.  A big gamble to make that could come up very ugly or very successful.

1. Romelu Lukaku | Forward | West Brom

Yes, Lukaku is technically a Chelsea player out on loan, but he could be the key to the whole puzzle.  It is still very clear that most of Chelsea's squad is still used to having a elite aerial threat up front such as Didier Drogba. Romelu is almost a mirror image of Chelsea Legend Drogba and could be the most physically dominant forward Chelsea has ever possessed.  Lukaku in his time at West Brom has looked more than dangerous every time he is on the ball and this is with a less than stellar team.  Yes, he is young but he is close to finally being an elite forward.  Put him in front of the likes of Juan Mata, Eden Hazard and Oscar, and you could quickly have the most dangerous striker in the world.  He is allowed to come back in January, by leaving his loan move early.  Maybe a little of a gamble giving him the position so early but definitely brings the biggest pay off.

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Player Ratings for Chelsea vs. Tottenham

It's no secret that Chelsea have been the best side in the Premier League, and a match up against Tottenham at White Hart Lane would test how good this team really is.  Chelsea's football has been nothing except brilliant this year and it continued today; a full on team effort led to a 4-2 victory for the blues.  With great performers all around let's take a look how each player contributed.

GK Petr Cech: 8.5

Petr Cech made many unbelievable saves today, but still his hands are not what they used to be and it showed when he dropped a ball that could of lead to a Adebayor goal.

D Ashley Cole: 8.5

Look up consistency in the dictionary and you will find a picture of Ashley Cole.  He is still the world's best Left Back.  Cole struggled with Aaron Lennon's pace, but who doesn't.

D David Luiz: 8.5

Another absolute outstanding performance from David Luiz, he stopped many dangerous attacks and put his body on the line to block many shots.  If it wasn't for a foul on Dempsey that led to a goal and a bit of confusion with Cech, it would have been practically flawless.

D Gary Cahill: 8.5

Cahill was very strong in defense and even scored a unbelievable volley, but at times was not successful in marking Jermaine Defoe, who grabbed a goal in the second half.

D Branislav Ivanovic: 8.0

Great defending from the Serbian, but with Gareth Bale not playing, he really didn't have much to do.

M John Obi Mikel: 9.5

John Obi Mikel could be the best defending midfielder in the world.  He goes out every match and plays remarkable defense.  Mikel sometimes single handily shuts down the whole middle of the field.  He was a stonewall to Tottenham attackers who looked frightened to go at him.  Mikel's passing may be the most underrated part of his game, as he fueled many of Chelsea's attacks today.  It takes an elite attacking player to get past the Nigerian, and even then it isn't very easy.  Mikel never gets any fame or credit for his play, but is definitely the most important player in this squad.

M Ramires: 8.0

Ramires isn't the same attacker he was last year, but still great in helping out Mikel in defending.  He does however need to leave the flair to Oscar and Hazard.

M Eden Hazard: 9.0

Hazard continues to rack up the assists and show why he was such a expensive buy.  Eden can get by any defender with pace and skill.  His feet do things that only may be possible by him and Neymar.  The youngster is making a great name for himself around the world.  Tottenham had really no answer for him except to foul him.

M Oscar: 8.5

Oscar is finally looking completely comfortable in Premier League play.  He controls the game with ease and uses his quick feet to find openings in play.  The Brazilian seems to put every shot he takes on target.  There were at least 3 shots by Oscar that troubled Brad Friedel in to making a save.  He will have no problem scoring goals in England.

M Juan Mata: 9.5

There's really not words that can describe Juan Mata's play this season.  You would think that he was just on a hot streak, but this may be the Mata we see week in and week out.  He scored two lovely finishes against Tottenham and silenced White Hart Lane; but that wasn't everything; he also grabbed an assist to Danny Sturridge that finished off the match.  There wasn't a single player for Spurs that could mark him, or even slow him down.  Juan Mata is the clear front runner for player of the year in the Premiership.

F Fernando Torres: 8.5

Fernando Torres didn't score any goals, but played a great match.  It is very clear that he has worked on his skill over the past off season, and he'll need it with the pace he lost from his past injuries.  Fernando came close to scoring at the end of the match but sent it a foot wide.  Not a miss but something that he is capable of finishing.  All around good outing by the Spaniard

M Frank Lampard: 8.0

Came on for less than 5 minutes, to bring veteran leadership; and well, we got the win.

F Daniel Sturridge: 8.5

Sturridge finally made his way back on to the pitch after missing 6 matches and he didn't disappoint.  Daniel always seems to find a way to score, and in his 15 minute cameo that's exactly what he did.  Torres has played well but Sturridge deserves a chance to prove himself with his scoring prowess, and with Torres needing rest that's exactly what he is going to get.  We could have a Center Forward battle on our hands.

Man of the Match: John Obi Mikel

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