OhForAGreavsie

Are you serious? Are you claiming to know of Chelsea fans who care more about how Jose and United fare than they do about Antonio and Chelsea? I don't know any, not a single one and I'll be stunned if you do either. In fact if anyone self-identifies as one of us but then says she/he subscribes to the ManU before Chelsea silliness, I'd say that's all the evidence you could need that they are either deluding themselves or just plain lying. Me? I want Jose to do well but since I always want Chelsea to win everything, there's a limit to how well that amounts to.

Lots of people who are just as much Chelsea as you agree that they want United to fail. I therefore can't deny that yours is a widespread point of view but I don't think the Jose hatred is shared by a significant percentage of us. The anti-Jose minority is hugely over represented in this forum's membership. Personally, I'd be happy if Jose wins the Europa League and finishes second in everything else.

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This is why I mentioned the Eva incident. There was, I think, discernible dissatisfaction within the squad about the tactical change Jose made after the Tottenham game in January 2015. A dissatisfaction which had already manifested itself in pre-season but which was given focus, and rallying point, by Jose's behaviour during and after the opening game of the season. You are absolutely correct that it is the manager's responsibility to maintain squad morale. Jose clearly lost the group and paid, as managers must always pay, with his job. This does not however absolve The squad of its share of the blame. The title win is clear evidence that our squad is better than 17th. Had it not "betrayed our work", as Jose put it, 17th would have been out of the question. Do you believe however that any other manager could have taken that group of players to an eight point title triumph? I don't but they clearly did. I hope they realise now that they were wrong and lest anyone imagine that the title was a fluke please remember that an even weaker group of players were still title favourites three weeks from the end of the previous season. Had they managed to win all of their games from that point on, the 2014/15 victory would have been a successful title defence, not a first crown in five years. When The Beatles thought they had outgrown George Martin and produced an album without him, the outcome, Let It Be, was, I think, a good bit of work. The Beatles are The Beatles after all but when they asked Martin to return for their next LP, and agreed to allow him the control he requested, the level of control he had had previously, they created the Abbey Road masterpiece. Our lot got carried away. They thought they were the Beatles in full creative flow and demanded to be let off the leash. You only have to read the urgent pleas on this site for many of them to be discarded and replaced to realise that they are not however . In any case even the Beatles were better when they accepted guidance.

I do not, repeat not, object to your opinion on Brana. In fact as long as 3 1/2 years ago, around the time of the Swansea semi-final, I was calling for him not to be selected any more. I'm glad we're on the same page about what the coaches can and can't see. it's just a statement of the obvious that they can see what we can. Where I think you and I differ is in your comment that the coaches think Brana is a top-class full-back. With respect, you don't know any such thing. You know that they select him, but all you are entitled to assume from that is that they think he is the best option they have. One after another very skilled, trained and experienced football people have made the same choice. I'm as convinced as you are that if they thought they had a better alternative they'd take it but none of them has. That suggests to me that no matter how bad we think Brana is, the coaches think everybody else is worse. Despite the fact that so many people wanted to see Dave moved to the right and Baba brought in on the left, successive managers have rejected that plan. This should tell us something and I suggest Baba's departure on loan merely confirms it. Where I think there is room for criticism is in the fact that the problem has gone unsolved for so long. Presumably someone thought the signing of baba would be the solution. Let's hope it won't go on much longer.

Thanks Iggy. My coments about the things I see being posted were not referencing you, but rather were examples of why I might be coming across a bit hostile. I agree with you about JT and said so at the time of the controversy. Indeed I was furious with him for the stunt he pulled in that post game interview. I made the point that loyaty goes both ways, that the club had stood by him through bad times and that although he stayed when City were sniffing around, he had been handsomely rewarded with a big new contract. I felt he owed the club better behaviour than he showed then. My objection to what you said is the suggestion that we, here & in the stadium, can see things that the coaches can't. The notion is just ridiculous. They see it and they choose the best solutions available to them. If they don't choose the same solution I might, or you might, that is in part different opinion and in part because they have more information than we do. We need better defenders but the coaches don't have the luxury to just moan about it or to just wish new world class players into the squad with no thought to the cost and other practicalities of their recruitment, Instead they have to put a side out. When they do, they have reasons for the choices they make and it is, I think, no coincidence that they all seem to choose the same ones.

To you my view seems nonsense. To me yours seems nonsense. I don't see how you and I are going to square that circle.

Jose would have found a way to shield that back four. Just as he did the year before when winning the league by such a comfortable margin. He wanted defensive recruits but didn't get them. Even so, had he not been abandoned by the squad, he'd have produced another competitive season. Jose left in part because of his stupid behaviour over the Eva incident but mainly because our squad believed their own hype. They felt they were too good to play the Jose way even though that 'way' was designed specifically to hide their shortcomings. Oh well, they behaved as they did. The upshot of which is that the whole world now knows how useless some of them are. Edit: Just noticed that I must have quoted the wrong post, since my comment has nothing to do with Skipper's.

You could not be more right. Especially your second paragraph.

Am I suffering a sense of humour failure here? I guess I must be since you can't possibly be serious about this. Maybe I'm just becoming increasingly wound up by the pile of nonsense I'm reading in post after post on this forum recently. I see people criticising the board for not replacing John Terry, when three months ago they were holding up home-made posters demanding his contract be renewed and filling this place up with essays about why JT was still a vital cog for our team. I see people saying, correctly, that we will find it almost impossible to win with this squad, while simultaneously pouring hatred on Jose because he did. Most laughably of all, I see people who believe the transfer market is a simple matter of snapping your fingers and buying all the players you want. Forgive me therefore if this buildup of bewilderment and amusement has caused me to take your post too literally. I'm sure that I will eventually be able to figure out what you really meant.

The maximum number of competitive games Chelsea can play this season is 54. Plus Belgian National games for Edenof course. Whether Eden would actually be selected for all Capital One and FA Cup games is another matter.

If Arsenal win the league this coming season it will be their first title in 13 years. (2004)

It's easy. Improve the midfiled. Don't pass yourselves into trouble, don't pass to the oponents and don't unerhit backpasses. That improves our defence immediately. Anyone blaming our defenders for the defensive woes we're seeing today is way off beam.

There are days when Eden just looks too good.

Defence yes, defenders no.. All of Bremen's threats are coming from the same old sloppy midfield play.

We should be so lucky! Show me a team that doesn't defend,and defend deep when required, and I'll show you a team.where the players pay subs and there's no running water in the changing room.

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Well I don't suppose that we have to guess or presume. We could do other things but if you're like me I imagine you enjoy doing it. Everything remotely sensible said in this or any other form is something that will almost certainly have been thought of by everyone in the game. Of course we can discuss them. We, that's me you and everyone else here, just have to avoid giving the impression that we think we are cleverer than the people who actually do the job

If the story about Diego is true, would it be wise for we on this forum to imagine that a swap would not have occurred to Chelsea? To both clubs indeed? Of course it will have done, but whether or not it's viable or can be arranged on terms which suit the two clubs and the two players is another matter.

First of all of course, whether a player is actually for sale or not, "not for sale", is always the opening gambit by the selling club. Secondly any speculation you and I get into as to what might have happened in the course of this negotiation is just guesswork. Let's say however that it went as you suggest, and Chelsea picked up a vibe that Napoli actually were prepared to sell. I'd suggest that gives Chelsea two potential moves they might make, urge Napoli once again to name a price or put in a bid. In either case, nothing will come of it. To start with, Napoli will not weaken their negotiating position by naming a price. At least not one which is anything less than twice as much as they calculate Chelsea might actually be prepared to pay tops. This leaves the other option which is to put in a bid. Chelsea know full well however that any bid which is less than the think of a number and double it figure will automatically be rejected. That's the way the game is played. Dealing in the real world, the club must walk away or engage in the negotiating game. Either way, they face criticism from people who know the process is not as simple as they portray it, but who like to imagine that Chelsea can behave as if it was.

So Petre, you call Napoli, you ask them how much they want. They tell you the player is not for sale. Your move. What do you do?

I've never really been confident about Tammy's Chelsea future, believing that he's a bit short on technique but I felt he showed good progression last season. Although his goal count was down, his hold up play as he led the line for our development teams was pretty decent. He's deserved this move I think, great club to join, great start and, let's hope, great loan.

Not much you can do about it though Ryan. I watched a lot of Belgium in the run up to the last World Cup but very litle since. If the impresion I formed while watching them is still valid, assuming it ever was valid in the first place, then Belgium fans are about to loose a favoured excuse. Wilmots was, in my opinion, blamed for a lot more than was in fact his fault. Those things which were not the manager's fault won't automatically change because the man in the dugout has.

Tells you something when you can't get minutes in pre-season and I fear MH must have received the message loud and clear. I've only watched Michael in a competitive game once. He played as a DM in that match, I came away wondering why on Earth we had signed this bloke. I saw absolutely nothing that suggested he was of the level required. Mchael comes over as a really nice bloke in interviews. If he had the quality, it looks like he'd be a welcome presence in the squad, but sadly I just don't think he has it.

Our defenders unuestionably need upgrading but upgrading only those players will not, on its own, have the desired outcome. Antonio can't improve those defenders but he can improve our defence. Our defence consists of 11 players, not four or five. Improve the front six and the efectiveness of the back four is automatically lifted. Keep the ball better and not only is the average position in which opponents recover possession less dangerous but our defenders are afforded vital extra moments to recover shape. I believe that we have improved our defence because we have, with the additions of Michy & N'Golo, improved the front six. Antonio has simply not chosen as yet to put his first choice front six on to the pitch at the same time. Whether that's because he's felt unable to, or because he wants to keep his powder dry, I don't know. We need a great deal more progress, but there is a better side in this squad than we have yet seen in this preseason.