Can Chelsea win the quadruple?

Luiz Felipe Scolari is a name which will be rolling from the fingers of football bloggers many a time over the next ten months or so.

Before being appointed manager at Chelsea, Big Phil already had a huge profile in England.

Let's face it, as fans of the national team we already know all about the Brazilian. He should've been appointed instead of Steve McClaren.

He's also developed a thoroughly annoying habit of knocking England out of competitions.

Besides which, Scolari is a larger-than-life character with plenty of silverware under his belt.

Now Chelsea boss, he has a chance to prove that international success and Brazilian domestic dominance can translate to the major honours in European club football.

While Scolari has been at pains to distance himself from the brash cockiness of predecessor-but-one Jose Mourinho, he did manage to slip in a show of confidence earlier this month - he believes that Chelsea have a squad capable of winning all four trophies this season.

It's not a claim for the faint-hearted.

Chelsea have a lot going for them, and Scolari won't be the only man claiming that a stunning quadruple is within the realms of possibility. There is, of course, the bottomless pit of cash provided by oligarch owner Roman Abramovich. Apart from the massive wages paid to the likes of Michael Ballack, John Terry and (currently) Frank Lampard, it allows the purchase of players like Scolari's compatriots Deco, Robinho and Kaka.

Deco's already in and, if the other Brazilians follow, Chelsea will have begun to sign the kind of players one would suspect Abramovich has been after all along.

One of the biggest factors in Chelsea's favour is Michael Ballack. I've been a huge critic of Ballack. Between his performances at Germany 2006 and around April 2008, I think he was very poor. Now, people are writing Ballack off because of his age and, strangely, I find myself rushing to his defence.

Ballack's form improved towards the end of the domestic season and carried into Euro 2008. He showed that on his day he can be far and away the best midfielder in Europe - quite how frustrating that must be for Chelsea fans I couldn't speculate. He's now having more good days than bad, though, and while Lampard's future remains uncertain, Chelsea need not worry. I think Ballack could be much the better of the two if he keeps on the way he's been going. Michael Essien's no mug either.

Of course, Chelsea - and in particular Ballack - are something of a wounded animal. And they'll be desperate to prove a point. They will be disappointed at the manner of failure in all four competitions last year. Noble, battling assaults on the Premier League and Champions League were heartbreakingly foiled by Manchester United at the final hurdle. But defeat to Barnsley in the FA Cup and a tactically inept performance in losing to Spurs in the Carling Cup Final will smart just as badly.

As with anything in football, though, things won't all go Chelsea's way. Manchester United should be their main obstacle, and they look as strong as ever with Cristiano Ronaldo's transfer to Real Madrid seemingly dead in the water. United will fight tooth and nail to retain the Premier League and Champions League titles.

More than this, the Champions League is something of a lottery. It may be my imagination, but it seems to be won by managers with a fair bit of European experience. Scolari cannot boast this, but then again he does know how to progress well in a cup. The FA Cup? It's anyone's. With any luck, Portsmouth have broken the Big Three Plus Liverpool dominance.

The competition doesn't end there. If Chelsea take the Carling Cup seriously, they'll find they're not the only ones. I expect several other sides to challenge for the League Cup this season, and Chelsea can no longer assume victory over the likes of Spurs, Portsmouth and Villa.

I can't see Chelsea winning four trophies. I wouldn't be surprised if they won three, probably domestically. However, my official Chelsea prediction for this season is a limp failure in the FA Cup, a brave but unsuccessful run in Europe, and Premier League and Carling Cup glory. Stick a pin in this one, folks. It'll help make me look stupid in May.