Nicks' note: This is a guest post. Like Ramires powering through the middle, straight-talking Sahil Dumir holds no prisoners and says it like it is. Small bio? He's a smug-smiling, hard-working, all-round good egg. He's also a Chelsea fan, which offsets all of the above.

Football, or soccer, is one of the most popular sports in the world, so naturally football betting would be one of the most popular forms of sports betting around. Betting on various aspects of a football game adds an extra dimension of suspense to the game, since you have a very real stake in the outcome, win, lose or draw.

...well that's according to our favourite newspaper the Daily Mail anyway!. Being a Chelsea fan, hardly a day goes by without reading a ridiculous headline from this lot as they look to fill their pages and websites with headlines to grab peoples attention with little basis for the story!.
In this instance, they claim the following:

Chelsea face a battle to keep Daniel Sturridge after Arsenal took significant steps towards a shock summer swoop.

England striker Wayne Rooney scored 2 penalties and produced an inspiring second half display as Manchester United fought back from a seemingly hopeless position at Stanford Bridge. Trailing by a single goal at half time, even the most die hard of United supporters must have thought all was lost when a disastrous start to the second half saw early goals from Chelsea playmaker Juan Mata (who buried a stunning volley) and a deflected set piece header from centre back David Luiz treble the home side's advantage in a sequence of events that all Chelsea fan's must surely have believed would put the game to bed as a contest.

Didier Drogba to the Chicago Fire. I'm not sure how it even started but now we are really getting into absurdity.

Chicago Fire confirm talks with Chelsea's Drogba

Thanks for the big headline Tribal Football. On yesterday's conference call, Chicago Fire head coach Frank Klopas did say all of the following: "Drogba?

This'll probably be the end of this site. Who the hell lets a Chelsea fan write on their Spurs blog, anyway? Well put the flaming torches and pitch forks away, folks. This one cometh in peace and he's here to save the world. One person at a time. Trailer Trash's Harry Thompson talks racism...

This being a Spurs site, and I, ahem, being a Chelsea supporter, I understand the absurdity of the task writing for an audience that already hates me.

One thing I have noticed on my blog and amongst Chelsea fans in general is a difference of opinion about our formation and who should be starting games. Of course we all know that for now AVB prefers the 4-3-3 formation as per managers before him here, but I just wonder what you the Chelsea fan reading this believes to be our better option(s).

When I am sitting there at the Bridge this afternoon watching the side we all adore, it never occurs to me just how lucky we are in having the chance to do it week in, week out, it's almost like we take it for granted.
This video I am about to show you below from UselessZ007 on YouTube tells the story of someone in their mid-twenties living in Florida and the couple of days he spent in London over the New Year period.

The result last night has really put the cat amongst the pigeons with Chelsea now sitting eight points behind Tottenham in the Premier League. The remit for Saturday's game now is simple, we have to win and get the three points and the performance doesn't matter. We have to get on a run of results and keep picking up three points week in, week out and anything else will be a disaster!

Arsenal traveled across town to Fulham on January 2nd for a Premier League match. Both teams were looking to win. Arsenal's rivals had slipped up in recent days which presented a great opportunity to tighten the title race. Fulham were looking for points to give them breathing space from the relegation zone.

I think right now as a Chelsea fan we want two things from today. First and foremost we want and desperately need three points and secondly, a performance would be nice!.
No one would have imagined that we would find ourselves in the position we are in at the moment and no one would have predicted the result on Saturday against Aston Villa.

The winter of discontent continues at Chelsea as players openly defied coach Andre Villas-Boas' decision to bar Nicolas Anelka from the club's Christmas dinner. The growing unrest and souring relations at Chelsea sunk to new depths over the New Years weekend when under-fire coach Andre Villas-Boas barred departing striker Nicolas Anelka from the club's Christmas [.

Let's not beat around the bush here and let's tell it like it is. We've seen two managers, drama, controversy, speculation, excitement, frustration and find ourselves at the turn of this year in the exact same position as we did a year ago. Isn't it strange how things have turned out!
This is my review of 2011 and a year on my blog as written by me, a lifelong Chelsea fan giving you my take on everything that happened.

Let's not beat around the bush here and let's tell it like it is. We've seen two managers, drama, controversy, speculation, excitement, frustration and find ourselves at the turn of this year in the exact same position as we did a year ago. Isn't it strange how things have turned out!
This is my review of 2011 and a year on my blog as written by me, a lifelong Chelsea fan giving you my take on everything that happened.

Let's not beat around the bush here and let's tell it like it is. We've seen two managers, drama, controversy, speculation, excitement, frustration and find ourselves at the turn of this year in the exact same position as we did a year ago. Isn't it strange how things have turned out!
This is my review of 2011 and a year on my blog as written by me, a lifelong Chelsea fan giving you my take on everything that happened.

Let's not beat around the bush here and let's tell it like it is. We've seen two managers, drama, controversy, speculation, excitement, frustration and find ourselves at the turn of this year in the exact same position as we did a year ago. Isn't it strange how things have turned out!
This is my review of 2011 and a year on my blog as written by me, a lifelong Chelsea fan giving you my take on everything that happened.

With an evil grin we at In The Stands have rummaged through our video archives to showcase what must be the worst female goalkeeper ever as woman's football gets scrutinized! We do not know her name and frankly we don't care, but we certainly do enjoy watching the video. Not for the eye candy, [...

From The Archives: Jon Horner's "A Chelsea Christmas Carol"

Click images to make them larger. Yes, this was done by our brilliant Jon Horner last year. Yes, it's still relevant (minus Carlo). Sometimes it's nice to reflect on the past year and see what has changed and what hasn't (even if you're not a Chelsea fan).

Fernando Torres doesn't often speak to the media but when he does we sit up and take notice. If you are a Chelsea fan reading this blog post, you will know that Torres hasn't started a game for Chelsea in weeks now and it must be frustrating.
Torres's future at our club was called into question last week with reports that he would be sold for £20m in January which was denied by AVB stating that he is not for sale!

After being held to a 1-1 draw by Wigan Chelsea's slim title hopes have all but ended and In The Stands can confirm that coach Andre Villas Boas has written a letter to Santa Claus stating his Xmas wish list! It was then New Labour leader Tony Blair who, upon being elected as Prime Minister [...] Related posts:

1. VIDEO: Angry Chelsea Fan Demands Abramovich Sacks Andre Villas-Boas!

Dinamo Zagreb defender Domagoj Vida has been caught on video winking at Bafetimbi Gomis during Olympique Lyonnais' 7-1 UEFA Champions League win at the Stadion Maksimir fueling claims of match-fixing. The video comes not long after it was revealed that the French regulatory authority for online games, ARJEL, have already opened an investigation into Olympique [.

I think if I was John Obi Mikel I would be worried. The fact that Oriol Romeu has come to the club, worked hard and has impressed so much to cement a regular start in the Chelsea side week in, week out - it's no wonder really.
Chelsea fans have a divided opinion of Mikel. For me the defensive instincts and qualities he has shouldn't be forgotten.

OK let's get this going early this morning. Chelsea are in a slump, badly need a win, getting criticised all over the place, reports that the players are turning against AVB, we are asking to play a deeper defensive line and for now, AVB seems to be sticking to his guns.
So with the news that it appears Didier Drogba is ahead of Fernando Torres to be selected for this game tomorrow lunchtime, I am asking who YOU THINK, as the Chelsea fan reading this, needs to start the game to give us the best chance of getting a massive three points.

Source: ESPN Soccernet
I have to say that I am finding it increasingly difficult being a Chelsea fan at the moment. I have been and will be a Chelsea fan all my life and will support them through thick and thin. I have seen good times in recent seasons and plenty of bad times at this club. I stood on the old shed end and supported Chelsea week in, week out when we were in the old second division so I know just how bad it can be.

In The Stands can confirm that Chelsea are ready to cut their losses with beleaguered boss Andre Villas-Boas sooner rather than later after a poor 2-0 Carling Cup quarter-final defeat to Liverpool on Tuesday. Villas-Boas' fate was sealed after Liverpool's second win at Stamford Bridge in nine days saw the Blues crash out of this [.

Chelsea's poor form came back to haunt them once again as they crashed out of the Carling Cup thanks to a 2-0 defeat to Liverpool at Stamford Bridge. In risk of breaking all forms of ‘copyright laws', In The Stands brings forth highlights of the game which could well turn out to be one of [...] Related posts:

1. VIDEO: Angry Chelsea Fan Demands Abramovich Sacks Andre Villas-Boas!

For the life of me, I cannot understand why Fernando Torres has only played eight minutes of first team football in the last two games. You could understand Didier Drogba starting the game against Liverpool if he was playing well, on form and scoring goals. This was his first game back!.
I guess AVB wanted to use the a different physical approach with using Drogba there to rough up the Liverpool defenders but it never happened.

A frustrated Chelsea fan has demanded that Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich sack coach Andre Villas-Boas with immediate effect in a belated YouTube video. The Blues crashed to a 2-1 defeat against Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday night and with their qualification into the last 16 yet to be confirmed, Andre Villas-Boas' men face a nervous qualification [.

So it's been nearly two weeks since our last game at Blackburn following the international break and the players are back at Cobham preparing for a massive game on Sunday against Liverpool.
For the most part of the season at home we have seen a familiar shape to our play, Ashley Cole and Jose Bosingwa are expected to get forward and support our attack, a holding midfielder with two midfielders either side with licence to get forward and a front three.

Back on Friday, the FA confirmed that they have charged AVB for his comments made after our defeat at Loftus Road against QPR. The statement from the FA said:

Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas has been charged with improper conduct by The FA, following media comments he made about the match official after his side's match at Queens Park Rangers on 23 October 2011.

Following on from yesterday when I asked you to give your opinion's on AVB's start as Chelsea Manager, listing my reports and views on every single one of our games so far, I thought it's time to turn todays focus on the players.
So who do you, the Chelsea fan or football fan reading this, think has been our best and most consistent player of the season so far?

After watching what happened on Saturday, what happened against United and the fact that we haven't kept a clean sheet in the Premier League since the opening day of the season against Swansea I would love to hear what you the Chelsea fan reading this believes is our strongest back four.
For the majority of this season we can pretty much name our starting line up in the Premier League and that's a defensive line of:
Bosingwa, Ivanovic, Terry, Cole.

Today the CPO members will meet with the club officials to discuss the clubs offer to buy back their ownership of the freehold of the land Stamford Bridge sits on and Chelsea's future depends on what happens today.
Everyone has an opinion on this whether they are a CPO member or not and it has been a story that has been running in the media ever since the offer was made on October 3rd.

Tomorrow is the second of two massive games as we look to cut the gap to the Manchester sides above us and for some of you, it gets no bigger than QPR v Chelsea. Back in the big time, QPR will want to do everything they can to get one over us but saying that, surely with the form we are showing and the goals we are scoring, Chelsea have to be favourites for this one?

Chelsea's performance (especially in the first half) and result on Wednesday night was fantastic against (it has to be said) a disappointing Genk side at Stamford Bridge. For me, it was simply the best night of Chelsea football for many different reasons.
I have been a Chelsea fan all my life, I am from the area, my family are Chelsea fans and my Father, Uncle, Brother and Cousins all go to the game.

Tomorrow night at Stamford Bridge, AVB has to make some decisions on who his Chelsea team will be with a massive game coming up against QPR away on Sunday.
He has reiterated just how important this game is to the group with three points a must as Valencia and Bayer Leverkusen facing each other.

Everyone who is a Chelsea fan is well aware of the situation regarding the proposal the club has put to the CPO (Chelsea Pitch Owners) last week. If you missed it, check it out here and my take on things too.
Surprisingly enough, and to his credit he even says so himself, John Terry has decided to give his view on the situation rather than keep quiet and he raises some interesting points.

By Alan Duffy

New Fulham boss Martin Jol has been rubbing a number of his players up the wrong way with his brusk management style. The latest in the Jol firing line is young midfielder Patjim Kasami, who missed a spot-kick in the Cottagers' Carling Cup defeat against Chelsea last month.

For Fernando Torres, it will be a long way back to media approval. His move to Chelsea, for a record £50m, will lead to him always being highly scrutinised and criticised for each game where he doesn't score.

His performance against Manchester United, which included a fine goal, a number of feats of fleeting footwork and concluded a great week for him, which included two assists against Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday, will be remembered for one other incident.

Ducky's Note: Much like Torres' drought, BigFourZa has been suffering a lack of Chelsea contributions, putting the very name of our site at risk. Much like Torres' goal at OT, Sushajith has stepped up and broken the 27-month drought in BFZ's blue corner. Much like Torres' later miss in the same game.