The Chels

It actually said 'Barcelona have this Saturday announced the transfer...' so I think it was a draft that they accidentally published.

Ok so it seems we were too quick to run to Lukaku's defence even though the translations are quite different. http://wk.voetbalkrant.com/nl/nieuws/lees/2014-06-06/lukaku-lijkt-aan-te-sturen-op-vertrek-bij-chelsea-er-is-heel-wat-interesse

Hmm on second thought perhaps we shouldn't pass judgement so quickly. The apparent sources of the original quotes say something very different to what has been printed in the English media: http://www.rtbf.be/sport/football/diablesrouges/detail_lukaku-fait-l-eloge-d-origi-auquel-il-laisse-sa-place-samedi?id=8286304 http://www.dhnet.be/dernieres-depeches/belga/diables-rouges-romelu-lukaku-fait-l-eloge-de-divock-origi-auquel-il-laisse-sa-place-samedi-5391c8c73570d60b4dc14687 I'd be very surprised if the Guardian just printed quotes without checking them though.

He's a Chelsea 'medic' but his picture is actually of a referee lol.

So the Daily Mail, Telegraph and Guardian have all published the same quotes without confirming the validity?!

Both the Guardian and Telegraph are reporting it so won't be fake.

Never mind.

The latter.

I liked his directness but he was easily tackled a couple of times when he tried to run through the midfield/defence, once by Matic who played very well. Ivanovic still can't deal with diagonal crosses which is why Serbia conceded.

To be fair we've known that for a while now lol! I think everyone is just waiting for official confirmation from the club.

How can you tell what he did there from a still image?

That can't be too hard though. It's amazing how none of our AMs can regularly deliver good corners or free kicks. Willian became the main taker last season but far too often his crosses wouldn't beat the first man! They're just quoting the Evening Standard who are unreliable.

What are his corner kicks like? We really ought to score a lot more from them than we did last season.

Southampton game in January I think.

This Gaz guy on twitter is hilarious. Pretends to be ITK but gets so many things wrong (Eto'o signing, Rooney signing, Mata leaving and most recently he said we wouldn't be signing Fabregas) yet many of the Chelsea pages I follow on twitter constantly defend him because he 'has his sources' hah! Gaz @BtntGaz · Jun 4 I note with amusement the Fabregas rumours have all but died today. Gaz @BtntGaz · Jun 5 I'll be completely honest; under RDM and Fatty I had a reliable couple of people who could pass stuff on. Under Jose, that's changed.

I read a comment in that thread recently saying, in reference to the BBC transfer gossip column (LOL), something along the lines of 'I'd rather trust the posters in this forum who say we're in for Fabregas than the journos who keep changing their mind' hahaha delusional

Damn there is just no escaping Ramires for you, having to watch him for Chelsea and then Brazil as well lol! At least he won't start in the World Cup (at least I think he won't?)!

Well perhaps it stems from the fact that whenever any criticism is hurled his way, fans like you automatically resort to:

Wow that's ridiculously poor. He doesn't even attempt any difficult passes!

Are you seriously suggesting Ramires didn't get enough game time last season? Personally I thought he showed more than enough reasons as to why he isn't good enough to start for Chelsea, not that he isn't fit to wear the shirt which I admit is not the right wording.

I just quoted that phrase ('deserve to wear the shirt') from another poster but fair enough I can see why you think it sounds spiteful. My point is simply that Ramires is not good enough to start for Chelsea.

That was exactly my point. Ramires is a good squad player and will no doubt be of use in certain games but for the vast majority of PL games he doesn't offer the attributes - passing and creating - we require from the CM partnering Matic. Also I think 'losing his cool' is putting it too mildly, more like petulance and brainlessness.

That says more about the state of our central midfield (before Matic came in) than anything else. Do CMs suddenly forget how to pass, create and keep their cool once they're in a 'run of bad form'?! If picking the team based on who is currently performing best is illogical, what is your proposed 'logical' method?

Telling people to re-evaluate their opinion because they don't agree with you is very rude and symptomatic of someone who thinks his opinion is superior to others'. In reply to your essay I didn't actually accuse Ramires of having done nothing good apart from the Barca chip. I accused him of living off it which if in anything is what your comment of "I'd love to hear your version of how Chelsea won its first Champions League..." reinforces. Ramires will make for a good squad player but should not be a regular IMO (although he probably will be) because of his limitations, ones made so apparent last season and for which you blame 'poor form' but I blame ineptitude.

LOL Ramires is still living off that chip. Judging which players 'deserve to wear the Chelsea shirt' based on one moment in the past rather than their present performances is illogical.