Shakez

Schürrle and Ramires are out. Mikel probably too i think but not sure.

I have a feeling Drogba will start the game because Mourinho was quick to praise him after the game :/

Another fabulous performance, keep it up son of Diego!

GOAL OF THE SEASON, GET IN CESC!

As i recall Costa wasn't involved in the goal Oscar scored against Villa, u where saying...?

He'll be fine, there is also the Maribor game inbetween where he can regain some fitness (he already played for Brazil too).

Are we drawing or losing? No, so your comparison ends there. We where also 1-0 up against Villa at half-time with Costa in the squad, jeez... Remy played pretty good from my perspective.

Atleast it's even now, hindsight is a bitch with us taking Willian off. On the other we can still bring in Salah for an extra winger.

What a PEACH , Oscar really found his form back!

Suarez and Ibrahimovic would like a word...

Lol, against Palace? Remy/Drogba are more than adequate enough.

I took something entirely different about Mourinho talking with Eden's dad. Mainly getting in the psyche of Eden Hazard, searching for mental aspects he could improve in Eden. Namely "A killer instinct", he basicly say's the same about Willian but much more concrete, in that he wants him to average more shots each game (wich kinda worked against Aston Villa with him scoring and assisting a goal). There's also a comparison with Duff and Robben: "You don’t see Duff dribbling without a shot. You don’t see Robben attack the space without getting a penalty or shooting. We have some guys still in the line between the artistic side and the objective side. We need to kill more matches.” "This team is not there. We are more artistic, I believe. We have better control of the game by having the ball, and by knowing how to move between players – the circulation of the ball." Duff and Robben where killing machines but they don't have the flair players like Hazard and Willian have. They are much more direct.

Don't believe it, Diego came back training at monday while he only had to report back at wednesday.

One of the best Mourinho interviews i read just popped up before our game against Palace (taken by Gary Neville). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/managers/jose-mourinho/11170519/Jose-Mourinho-talks-to-Gary-Neville-They-wanted-us-to-be-the-clowns-at-Anfield-we-werent-having-that.html

Mourinho thinks he can change Willian: So will they, and be champions this season? “Sometimes I think it's part of the players’ DNA. Things that you cannot give to the players. But as a coach I always feel I have the quality to interfere. I can help, I can change. So I try. “For example, Willian. Willian does fantastic work with the ball and without the ball. I say to him: ‘You have to finish a game of 90 minutes with three shots. It’s not possible you play 90 minutes in the position you play without three shots. Three shots, two assists. It’s such amazing work you do for the team, in the build-up, in the defensive transition. You do such amazing work for the team, but with a little bit of this and a little bit of that you’ll be fantastic.” Mourinho comparing our squad with City's: “You tell me. If we keep this team, and they keep that team: in five years time, who is going to be better? “I say immediately – us, because in five years I’m going to have Hazard, Oscar, Willian, Azpilicueta, Zouma, in the best moment of their careers, and the fantastic players I have now, at 28, 29. A fantastic team with lots of solutions.” Link to full interview: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/managers/jose-mourinho/11170519/Jose-Mourinho-talks-to-Gary-Neville-They-wanted-us-to-be-the-clowns-at-Anfield-we-werent-having-that.html

Mourinho on Eden Hazard: We can never transform these fantastic players and men into a competitive animal, a competitive machine. Not even his father wants [that]. We have just to bring him to a different level, working hard in training, which he’s doing.” Is Hazard responding to that message? “Yes, yes, yes. He’s never afraid to play and take responsibility. But it’s not about that. It’s about him saying – today, I have to be decisive. What he says in that press interview, when he says ‘I’m not one of the five top players in the world’ – he can be, but he cannot be in a match where he doesn’t do something in the 90 minutes that makes him decisive. A common belief is that Mourinho can’t abide players – wingers especially – not tracking back. It is more complicated than that, he maintains: “I had some guys in my career – they didn’t want to [defend]. You try to build something behind them to protect. His [Hazard’s] problem is not that. He wants. The only problem is to be focused during the 90 minutes and understand when he has to, and when he doesn’t have to. Here is the link to the full interview: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/managers/jose-mourinho/11170519/Jose-Mourinho-talks-to-Gary-Neville-They-wanted-us-to-be-the-clowns-at-Anfield-we-werent-having-that.html

Dammit, beat me to it

Gary Neville made a big interview with Jose Mourinho, im gonna post some snippets but i advice everyone to read it . Seems to me José is really excited with the squad he has at his disposal. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/managers/jose-mourinho/11170519/Jose-Mourinho-talks-to-Gary-Neville-They-wanted-us-to-be-the-clowns-at-Anfield-we-werent-having-that.html “Five points is nothing,” he says. “But I think Man City have everything. I think they have lots of talent and they have lots of physicality. They have more options than everyone else. When you speak about the replica – the second right back - they have replicas for every position. They can cope with injuries, they can cope with suspensions, and the team is basically very stable. “From Mancini’s time, three years with the same team, players in the best moment of their careers, they don’t have the young players in the development phase, they don’t have players who next season can be better than this season. They don’t have yet – Frank [Lampard] is the only one of that age – the players who next year are going to be one, heavy year older. They are all on the 27, 28, 29, 30, 31 level. “You tell me. If we keep this team, and they keep that team: in five years time, who is going to be better? “I say immediately – us, because in five years I’m going to have Hazard, Oscar, Willian, Azpilicueta, Zouma, in the best moment of their careers, and the fantastic players I have now, at 28, 29. A fantastic team with lots of solutions.” A common belief is that Mourinho can’t abide players – wingers especially – not tracking back. It is more complicated than that, he maintains: “I had some guys in my career – they didn’t want to [defend]. You try to build something behind them to protect. His [Hazard’s] problem is not that. He wants. The only problem is to be focused during the 90 minutes and understand when he has to, and when he doesn’t have to. “I prefer my team to press in a low block, but if the opponent prefers to build from the back, and they are fantastic, it gives them huge stability in their game – I’m going to press there. Liverpool wanted to play with Suarez behind the defenders, Sterling the same thing, and Steven Gerrard in front of the defenders. So I go there, I play Lampard on Stevie G, I play my block completely low. I win. And I’m criticised because I [am not allowed to] play that way. So I am the stupid one. I’m not fundamentalist. And I think some people in football are becoming a bit fundamentalist.”

Tbh, i would only miss Diego... I hope Ramires get's fit enough for the game against Man U.

Really hope he comes together this season and gives those performances against villa and now against Argentina on a consistent basis. He has all the ability in the world, would be such a shame to see it go down the drain.

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/amigos2002x Brazil vs Argentina is on now!

Currently nobody because we are just fine. That doesn't mean things will change come next year. Aside from a CB i can't see us beïng very active next summer, unless either Oscar/Willian/Schürrle prove to be to inconsistent for a regular role.

That's why i said MoTM "performance". Willian, Oscar and Fabregas all played extremely well that day. Willian had 1 bad game against arguably the thoughest match we will face in the league this season. Inconsistency my ass because he started less games than Schürrle and against thougher opposition. Hazard isn't setting the world on fire either (he was very good against Arsenal though) having started every single match (except Bolton). Schürrle was subbed of against Swansea at half-time, had 17 shot's on target against Bolton (no goals), could hardly control the ball against an almost none pressing Sporting (same story against Arsenal). I agree with Barbara that Willian is more talented, aside from intelligent runs what is it exactly Schürrle does better than Willian? I dunno if you even watched the Aston Villa game but tbh. that was our most solid allround performance this year. Willian was involved in all 3 goals, linked up better, defended better, can interchange position's with Hazard and Oscar, cuts inside so Ivanovic can bomb forward down the flank (aswell as covering him when he does). Those are things Schürrle just doesn't offer. He probably will improve but i doubt he has the technical ability (at his age you either have it or you don't) to be a regular starter for Chelsea. Anyway's Willian and Schürrle should be quality enough to contend for the title anyways + Reus is a big option next summer if either Willian or Schürrle don't improve from last year.

Also had a MoTM performance against Aston Villa...

Excellent performance?? Coming on and scoring against 10 men and immediately after that he was also responsible for the counter-goal (with Ivanovic). Anyway, he's a good player. Just not regular starting XI material... he lacks the technical ability to control the ball and keeping vision of his teammates under pressure. And yes ,Mourinho was right to start him against Sporting and Arsenal. These are the games that where most suited to his strengths. Both teams normally play with a high defensive line and don't play a pressing game, we needed players to exploit the space they provide. Arsenal did play alot tighter than last year though. For Germany he never started a game of real importance (he was subbed on early in the final to cover for a injury) clearly Löw had his reasons. Willian and Schürrle should be quality enough though to fight for the title.