We are going to be very strong next season with or without signings.

I know at the moment especially with Michael Essien now out injured for 6 months, rumours have once again intensified after AVB had said he was not planning on making drastic changes.

Now I still believe that Chelsea were not too far away from winning the league last season with the players we had once we got our form back, we just lacked that little something extra to take us beyond United.

So I am just wondering if it could be only one player in and one out come the end of the transfer window and what effect that could have on Chelsea?.

All I am reading at the moment is Chelsea fans reeling off a whole list of players that they feel the club should be signing or at least three or four names.

You are missing the point people, you have to listen to what AVB has said before and remember, the club will not make the same mistakes as they did last summer but letting 4 or 5 first team regulars leave the club and sell us short.

So this leads me to Salomon Kalou and Frank Lampard both speaking on separate occasions, Kalou here after the Portsmouth game and Frank Lampard yesterday in Malaysia.

Both had exactly the same message and there is already signs of belief within themselves that they ARE good enough to challenge this season with our without new players. It's seems that AVB's motivational techniques and methods is beginning to have an effect already.

After Portsmouth Kalou said:

"It is up to the manager to decide who to bring in but we know we have the quality in the team to win the league. There is quality in the squad and now we have to play together. We have to keep going and I believe in the players.

There is a new manager, new challenge and a new chance for everyone and the one who shows better desire and quality will play. We are really confident and we are looking to win back the Premier League.

(Source)

Now moving on to Chelsea's arrival in Malaysia. With an expected 40,000 people due to watch their training session tonight, Frank Lampard again reiterated the strength we already have in our squad and stated that what United have spent this summer makes no difference to us at all. He said:

"They have been very active and spent fortunes on good quality players but we know we have a very good squad, But the manager wants us to come here so he can evaluate what he's got. We are going to be very strong next season and, however much Manchester United spend, we still believe in ourselves.

On the training ground it has been a bit different to what we are used to, It's always been fast and intense and there's not been one session where people can relax or be sloppy.

I think the fact that André is young is irrelevant. There is a nice freshness, a new style and new training methods from last year. His quality is important, however. You saw that at Porto and we know his ideals are very similar to what we had at Chelsea before.

(Source)

Similar quotes aren't they. I have to say, and I noticed an article in last nights London Evening Standard, it all feels very similar to the preparation the players had under Mourinho in his first season at the club.

Some people think that pre season is just about getting your players fit and to work on your tactics and set pieces for the new season. However, and I have said this before, it's now almost as important to prepare your players mentally for the season ahead.

I cannot emphasise this enough, these 15 days are massive for Chelsea not just because of the games we are playing, but because of the fact that AVB can now build this group dynamic he has been speaking about. The players are away from their families, living out of each others pockets and it's such an important time.

Mark my words, you look at the players against Portsmouth after having two weeks at Cobham to start training but then going home, to watching them play Rangers before the season starts after all being away together and see the difference.

It's the fact that already the message is clear from the likes of Kalou and Lampard. We ARE a strong side and good enough to challenge this season with or without signings.

Will it be enough for AVB or will he look to Parker and Modric? Only time will tell.

For now, we have to sit back and see what happens in the next two weeks, the most important period of pre season and hope by the time they come back, we see a very different, a very together and very strong Chelsea ready to take on the new season.

KTBFFH

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