OhForAGreavsie

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.

Wembley Stadium, 30th October 2016. Very Happy. We better not have a game that Day.

Discussion point: Is finishing third, and therefore dropping into the Europa League, our best hope of qualifying for next season's Champions League?

First I have to admit that I have not read the regulations so I'm basing this comment on my knowledge of NFL tiebreakers, which uefa's version is modelled on after all. Jason may therefore be absolutely right, and my point might be nonsense but... In the NFL, the three-team tiebreakers are applied only untill one team advances or is eliminated. The rankings of the two remaining clubs are then reconsidered using the two-team tiebreakers. In that method a draw at The Bridge and a home win in Kiev would eliminate us, as Blue Lion originally said, since the head to head between Porto and ourselves would favour them. Given that uefa introduced this method because they felt it was fairer, and that they borrowed it from the NFL, it must be at least possible, if not probable, that their Champions League regulations run along the same lines. Just to restate though, I'm being lazy and have not read the rules so Jay could very well be right.

The lack of a break thing has been well and truly exposed for what it always was. An excuse with no truth to it whatsoever.

I don't agree with this. He's as good, or as bad, as he ever was. All that's changed is that people's patience has run out. No longer is anyone, it seems, prepared to excuse his under performing as they had been doing for virtually the whole of Oscar's time here.

I think they'll rotate in midweek. Doubtless some starters will appear but I'd expect quite a few to be excused.

I'm guessing that Jose will guess they will use the same system as against West Ham so, subject to no further personnel changes being forced on them, he'd expect them to line up with; Loris, Walker, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Rose, Dier, Dembele, Son, Mason, Eriksen, Kane.

Your post was the springboard for what I wanted to say but absolutely not the target of it. Although I hope you'll see that if you read it again, I apologise for allowing the wrong impression to be formed.

Remembering of course Jose's explanation that Kennedy was selected precisely because of the expectation that Norwich would not attack down that flank. Clearly that was just a once in a lifetime lucky guess by a coach who knows nothing. Naturally I didn't realise that the multi trophy winner knew nothing until the experts who spare enough of their time to post in this thread enlightened me. Who knew this was the place to find all of the greatest living exponents of coaching theory? Bloody hell, sarcasm. I must be really tired. Still shouldn't let the inmates get to me though.