OhForAGreavsie

And Thibaut

I see nothing wrong with what KDB is quoted as saying but in any case there is no news here. We can all read the runes and realise that KDB would not put returning to Chelsea at the top of his wish list. The only thing likely to persuade him to rejoin is a monster contract offer. Problem is I don't believe for one minute that Jose will want him back because those same runes tell us that the boss was even less happy about Kevin's off field approach than he was with the young man's efforts on match day. If it was only about performance levels that would be one thing, but when it's about attitude then it's hard to imagine Jose ever changing his mind. I would therefore say that the first step on the road to KDB's return would be Jose's departure. Even speaking as KDB's biggest fan around here, which I think I probably am, any choice between KDB and TSO is an absolute no contest. Ten more years please Jose.

Doubt there will be many, if any, there.

It's a bit of fun. I enjoyed it Alex. Good work.

No, I think it's great. Well played Alex. Mind you I did know about Thorgan's move before reading the headline so I was never in danger. We'd all be surprised though, wouldn't we, if anyone here actually thought the worst? Is anyone willing to admit they saw the headline and thought we really had sold Eden?

We have 10 days between Sunday and the return with PSG. For that matter we'll have a full week to prepare the Paris game after the trip to West Ham. Even if the Paris game did follow straight after Wembley there is, in my opinion, no way Jose should opt to use a shadow squad in the CapOne. After all it's a final and there has been more than enough evidence to suggest that, if used, our squad team would be clear second favourites against Spurs.

It looks great. If they also improve transport access to the stadium, which I believe is a part of the plan, it will be a terrific venue for Spurs. In my opinion, it will boost more than just their financial situation.

Lol. @CurlyHairLikeLuiz, looks like this is gonna be with you for a while.

The concept, was arguably invented by Baird so in that sense a case can be made. TV as broadcast from launch up until the digital revolution however was invented by an American kid. (Still don't have a firm opinion on Pogba mind. )

OK, I know someone is going to jump out from behind the monitor and shout, "Gotcha", but I'll bite... Calculators at the ready, 13 x 3 = ? :)

Chelsea won of course We all knew that they would And the star of that great team was... Forever in our hearts. Long live The King.

Now I'm not sure if you're not sure or if you're messing with me. Either way it's a good one because it made me smile.

Agree with your overall view but, just to dot the is and cross the ts, I'd say it actually is a personnel issue in the sense that Jose does not have the personnel he needs to solve the problem. I think this is a circle that can't squared which is why I believe our boss deserves a lot of praise for finding solutions that win points, even if not plaudits.

Oops?! We take your point though.

I'm strongly in the pro Jose camp but I have to say that I think this criticism is unfair. Critical posts do happen after a win but they are met by various versions of the, "We won, just enjoy it can't you?", comment. People who post negatively get complaints about their timing whichever way they go. In that sense, they can't win. At this point I should admit that I'm one of them. I frequently post negative comments. It's just that, Bradford apart, my complaints are about the players, not the manager; and about what I see as the lack of sufficient quality in the squad, not about an individual's form. I make such comments just as often after a good result, as after a bad one. For example, despite his positive stats, I was unhappy with Oscar in the 5-0 at Swansea and said so. Often.

And missed 5 great chances, at least 2 of them sitters.

I can't vouch for Pogba, don't watch him, but I agree to a large degree with your general idea. Only the best will do. Outstanding must become entry level for Chelsea transfer targets. I say that I go along to a degree because I think we need to recruit at least three more outstanding players. I'm not convinced that we can pay as much as €70m for any one of them.

The right question I think. It doesn't seem to me that he'd be prepared to return or that Jose would want him for that matter. I don't think his links to the club, through his mother, would make any difference. On the other hand, if we did want him then I suppose the new TV deal might.

It is the point to me. Chelsea being better is what I care about, City getting better is their problem.

After all? Nobody liked hearing what Nasri said but surely only those with their head buried in the sand ever doubted that he was right.

We do have a habit of doing that of course.

Some people like to blame Jose for our continuing struggles going forward. I don't. My point of view is that Hazard apart, our AMs are not good enough* for the level we aim to reach. Further, fluent attacking play is best served when the central striker possess high technical ability. Unfortunately that is not Diego Costa's greatest attribute. Size and physicality are useful but are not enough without the ability to retain possession under pressure. That requires great touch, quick feet, dribbling and good passing. As I've been saying for years, we lack such a striker. If Zlatan had been playing for us last night, we'd have won even with the other shortcomings we had on show. Now, if you want to say that it's Jose's fault we don't have the squad to match our ambitions, then that is at least arguable. Personally, I think he's made progress but when he came back we were a long, long, way short. The journey to take us where we want to go has started but we aren't there yet. *Don't know about Cuadrado but early looks are not encouraging.

I don't watch Serie A so I have to say I had never heard of this lad until the Palermo president's comments were reported last week. I did though seek out a few vids after reading of our supposed interest. It's impossible, I think, to tell from those highlights whether this lad is a potential Chelsea player but he definitely has something I like very much. What's more it's something I believe we could do with, something I've been saying for a long time that we should acquire. Those videos reveal that Dybala has outstanding technical ability. We don't have that among our strikers and, in my opinion, we need to add it. Such a player would provide Jose with the ability to pose defences a different problem as well as a complimentary presence to pair with Costa if TSO should want to go with two up top. It's one thing to have the ability, but if Dybala can actually play as well then I can see why we're reportedly interested, and I'd be excited to have him here. This is a Scout Nation video so you won't see any action in the first 80 seconds or so.

Well some tools are there and some talent also, but a large slice of what it takes to make you first choice at a top club is missing. Permanently so. Inadequate tools might be honed but you either have talent or you don't. If you're Joey Barton, you are never going to be Lionel Messi; and if you're Romelu Lukaku, you are never going to be Marco Van Baston.

Exclude me from that particular us please. I was saying within the first 20 minutes of Lukaku's Chelsea debut that he would never be first choice here because his touch simply was not good enough and that it would never improve. I was called foolish for offering that opinion. Well, I certainly am a fool, but probably not on that subject.