Fresh after firing the Blues to the top of the table with his opening goal against Portsmouth on the weekend, Joe Cole has expressed his desire to stay at Chelsea for the long-term.

Following the example set by Chelsea and England colleague Frank Lampard, Cole has moved to wrap up a new contract that would keep the imp-footed midfielder at Stamford Bridge for the rest of his career.

Speaking while on international duty with the England squad this week, JC explained; “I love it here, the club want to sign me and there won’t be any problems. I suggested that I concentrate on my performances this season because it’s not nice for the fans to have an ongoing thing, but I will be a Chelsea player for the rest of my career.”

While not actually name checking Lampard it is clear that JC does not wish to have a repeat of Frank’s contract saga, one that has engulfed Stamford Bridge over the past two and a half years.

This news comes as a boost for supporters following speculation linking the little maestro with moves to, among others, Martin O’Neil’s Aston Villa.

With worries hanging over our frontline JC could be one of the most important players for us over the upcoming campaign. However his progress in the team could yet be stunted, with the possible arrival of the overpriced and unreliable Brazilian winger Robinho from Spanish giants Real Madrid casting doubt over his place in the side.

One time Chelsea forward and Romanian international, Adrian Mutu, has today announced he will challenge a ruling by Fifa that he must pay the blues a whopping £13.68m.

Chelsea decided to sue Mutu for the sum on the basis that his own actions led to the club losing money that they had invested, both in his wages and transfer fee. His failed drugs test in 2004 spelt the end of his career at The Bridge after a promising start.

Today Mutu had this to say; "This sanction is not right, because I don't think I have committed a crime that merits such an amount. It is an unjust and inhumane sentence. We are going to appeal."

While he was at best misguided and at worst downright stupid in taking illegal drugs and risking the wrath of his club, the £13.68m total which Chelsea wish to be paid is a staggering amount. Making the striker’s protestations not the least surprisingly.

However, if football clubs start following the example set by Chelsea then it can only lead to a cleaner and subsequently improved game. Rumours that the club are set to fine the player a further £5m for a clear infringement of their ‘strictly no freaky Enrique Iglesias type moles’ policy are as of yet unfounded.

Mutu, a £15.8m signing from Parma back in 2003, was one of the first new arrivals at the start of the Abramovich era. An initial hit with fans before a series of indifferent performances, Mutu was eventually sacked by Chelsea after testing positive for cocaine.

Chelsea’s 4-0 demolition of Portsmouth on the opening weekend of the Premier League season ensured an impressive start to Phil Scolari’s reign at Stamford Bridge. However, as comprehensive a victory as it was, it doesn’t match up in terms of sheer excitement to Claudio Ranieri’s first game at the helm…

Manchester United 3-3 Chelsea (2000/2001)

Back in 2000, when Ken Bates ruled with an iron fist, the Kings Road was often the setting for many a weird and wonderful decision. Going into one of our biggest games of the season we found ourselves being led by the largely unknown and completely inaudible Claudio Ranieri. His appointment would prove to be a popular one, unlike that of the bumbling translator accompanying Claudio while he familiarised himself with the English language.

The exhilarating 3-3 draw that marked the start of the tinkerman’s time in charge would typify the style of football to be played by the blues under his leadership. Not even a blood-strewn, all action David Beckham performance could produce a winner as we showed why many had tipped us for success that season.

Taking the lead through a venomous Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink shot, only to allow Scholes, Sheringham and Beckham to put Man U in the driving seat would have spelt the end for many visiting sides at Old Trafford.

Ranieri’s spirited and wonderfully unpredictable side produced an impressive comeback, with the likes of Le Saux and Di Matteo shining as two Tore Andre Flo goals salvaged a point on a memorable day for the tinkerman.

Compared to summers of recent past the last few months at Chelsea have been noticeably quiet, give or take a £35 million contract for London’s finest fat midfielder. With this in mind you would have been forgiven for expecting a low key start to our campaign, one of those hard-fought 1-0 victories that Jose specialised in perhaps?

Nothing of the sort. This weekend’s lesson seems to have been, that unlike his predecessors, Big Phil doesn’t deal in anything but the spectacular.

Not since the days of the tinker man have we so effortlessly brushed past a side in the league, while under Mourinho and Grant it was often threatened a four goal hiding was still something of a rarity. Comparisons with Scolari’s world cup winning Brazilian side, while very lazy, seem unavoidable.

It was a game littered with accomplished performances from Chelsea stalwarts such as Lampard and Joe Cole, yet it was the two new signings that stole the show.

Portuguese international Bosingwa ripped Portsmouth’s left side to shreds, while Deco added an unusual air of calmness to proceedings with incisive passing, neat footwork and finally a thunderbolt of a fourth goal.

In his fluorescent orange attire our human traffic cone of a goalkeeper was required to make a sharp block from an advancing Peter Crouch in the first half, bar this he stayed untested for the duration of the game. Much unlike his opposite number David James.

The only difficulty Scolari now finds himself with is that of how to fit Michael Essien back in the team. With Bosingwa giving such an accomplished and at times terrifyingly attacking performance at right back, it seems as though the default ‘lets shove him in at full back’ move has been ruled out.

Overall. Far, far too comfortable. If Big Phil manages to operate such a well oiled machine when Drogba returns, Anelka throws the toys out of the pram, Ashley Cole berates his first referee of the season and Deco actually gets punished for a horror tackle then he really is a genius.