OhForAGreavsie

Douglas Costa's YouTube highlights showed him to be a far more technically gifted player than Juan Cuadrado who we nevertheless went for instead. Granted, technically better footballer does not necessarily equal better player full stop but, in my opinion, technique has been a sadly undervalued attribute in the eyes of our recruiters. We've always preferred a Diego Costa over a Sergio Aguero, a Torres over a Suarez. When all is said and done, the best sides in the world are stuffed with superb technicians. That is why they are better than the rest, not because they run more or are bigger or stronger. Lot's of other qualities are important too but, to be the best takes technique, technique, technique. We need more of it and the sooner the better.

If there is one thing the club could have done to appease me over the loss of Jose, it was the appointment of Guus. Very happy about it.

My translation of what he said is that he's going to assess his squad, including the youngsters, and that the kids will first have to prove to him that they have the qualities before they will get any minutes. Nothing more than the blindingly obvious truth really but it was good to hear him say it all the same. He resisted the myth pushing thrust of the question which attempted to get him to offer an implied criticism of our policy towards kids.

If I am recalling it correctly he said, "and hopefully a little bit longer than that [meaning beyond the last day of the league season]". In context I think he was just saying that he hopes we do well and still have football to play, i.e. a final, once the league is over. I'm pretty confident that is what he was saying.

Nope. Let's get a decent ref against Barca this time around.

Agreed I like Pedro. We are not a side that is built for his style of play but, in the right environment, can be a big contributor. There was a lot of good stuff from him in possession yesterday. He and Fabregas produced some pleasing tiki-taka combinations that pulled Sunderland apart.

The board did give Jose more time than it would have given to anyone else in these circumstances, that is true. We do not know however that the boss was allowed to do whatever he wanted. That is just speculation.

A sad Chelsea day. He'll always be loved by the vast majority of Chelsea fans.

True enough. Maybe bullet dodged but definitely ship sailed.

Any more? Was he ever really a top player?

That's been the case when I've watched Jed play at CF for Rennes. They are not to dissimilar to us in that they don't move the ball very well through midfield and into attack. Anyone would struggle for touches at the head of that team and Jed definitely does. I don't think a new loan is necessarily the answer for him however. The things that were problems in Jed's game 3 years ago are still problems for him. This is what is preventing him cementing a place in the starting line up. It's no good these lads reading TalkChelsea and believing people who tell them that they should be starting. No matter how many times people post the opinion that the only reason some of our kids are not starting is because Jose hates them and is deliberately trying to destroy Chelsea, it still will not be true. When our loanees find that other managers, who presumably do not hate kids, are not picking them either, then they might realise that the truth resides in other posts.

For me it was a typical Oscar performance. One which underscored the two great truths about Oscar and Chelsea. Namely that he is not good enough to be Chelsea's number ten but that he is, nevertheless, the best number ten we have in the squad currently. It's just opinion of course but, for me, we always look more dangerous when Oscar plays so his all too obvious shortcomings only serve to reinforce how badly we need upgrades in this area. A player with the right attributes in that position improves this team enormously.

Bad research - deleted.

Hello Skipper, Hope you are well. To be fair you deserved some criticism for that assessment. Oscar did not stagnate, he maintained his trajectory. That is to say he was never good enough and was never going to be. When I said so almost three years ago I was offered the usual excuse; he's young, and an unusual one; he's tired. I could not accept either. If a player isn't talented enough then simply getting older is never going to cure that and the tiredness claim has been well and truly exposed for the myth it always was. The big change concerning Oscar is nothing to do with him. It is that people are no longer ready to accept the excuses and are now judging him on what he does rather than on what they hope he'll do in the future. The player himself is the same as he ever was. If you'll forgive a further, slightly critical observation; people often complain that a player hasn't developed because it allows then to blame him for the shortcomings rather than themselves for having overestimated him in the first place.

Deleted: Replied to the wrong post. Reposted below.

Sounds like you're saying you would rather win than lose. Revolutionary. To be fair, I get what you're trying to say. It's just that you didn't quite say it.

I feel for you ZY. You just aren't getting any joy out of this at the moment and there are more disappointments heading your way in January.

I think the implication of this statement is completely wrong. Hazard obviously, and certainly Courtois too if he were fit, but how many other of our first choice players would be automatic selections for top six clubs? The answer you'd give might be higher than the number I would offer but it can't be that much higher I'm sure. We are getting the results our squad deserves, no more no less. Now, if you blame Jose for the shortcomings of the squad then that is at least arguable. (Personally, I don't blame the boss for this, at least not entirely, but it could be argued.)

You needn't worry about giving the wrong impression. You don't scare me and I think you are the very opposite of a cynic.

And there in lies Chelsea's dilemma. If Ramiers had Dembele's technique he would not be a Chelsea player. Both Barca and Real would have wanted the super player which that version of Rami would have been and he'd now be playing for one of those clubs. It is true however that our transfer policy over the years has not given as much preference to technical excellence as I'd have liked it to.

I think that's pretty reasonable of ZolaYes. Some people express opinions that they decided on well before before kick-off.

I agree to an extent but I'd say it is always better to have a striker with the qualities of Aguero than one with the qualities of Costa. A technically excellent striker is something we have needed desperately for years. We might have had Aguero himself but for Carlo deciding against him. Still, that ship has sailed so we must try to find another. I know some people see it differently but I can think of no situation whatsoever when I'd prefer Costa over Aguero.

A lot to like in his videos; good technique, nice body control, genuine finishing not just striking the ball toward goal, good passing in and around the box, plus more strength than I'd have guessed just by looking at him.

Only those who want to paint Jose's comments as lies thinks of them as such. I call it not showing your hand and attempting to maintain the self belief of the existing squad. That, for me, is what managers do so I'll have to agree to disagree with those who see it differently.

What, in the entire history of Chelsea transfer policy under Roman, should cause us to think that Jose means what he says? The transfer market game has to be played by all involved but that's no reason for Jose to show his hand or for us to take comments literally.