beyondinvisible

He looked really good when Barcelona were in their dominant phase due to the fact that the team retained possession for almost 80% of the time. So he was hardly ever troubled. Now that teams attack more often, he's starting to become exposed and his mistakes are getting picked up. He's an average defender. Considering the wealth of CB options we have, we can safely rule him out as a target.

I hope he plays and scores. It would be great for him, having been out with the injuries.

No player turns into a star overnight even if they have the talent. Assuming he does get the chance to play for Chelsea, he will need time to adjust to the league and to his teammates, plus the manager's style and philosophy.

I doubt JT will retire at the end of the season. On current form, he can easily continue for another couple of years.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2813887/Vicente-del-Bosque-reignites-row-Jose-Mourinho-stubborn-Diego-Costa.html And the Del Bosque vs. Mourinho drama over Costa continues.....

Up next is Derby.

No thank you.

Reminds me of a soap opera plot

He has hardly played for the first team this season and I don't see him getting a lot of game time unless it's the last minutes of a game we've already won or a match against lower league opposition. If he can play competitive games for another club, he can develop his game skills and make mistakes that are part of the learning process. Sounds better than sitting on the bench. Just my opinion.

Somehow I'm not too worried about this game. I have a feeling it will be a comfortable victory for us.

It's tough to judge someone when they don't play competitive games week in week out. Ake looks to have decent technique and skill but he's not the finished article yet. I think a loan spell in January might do him some good.

Yay! Feels like it's been ages since he last played for us.

The art of defending itself has changed over the years. Earlier, defenders never left their own half and their main role was to clear the ball once it got close to the penalty area. Modern defenders are expected to defend, be comfortable on the ball with their feet, bring it over the half line (if playing high), and contribute to goals from set pieces. Central defenders have to be especially good with positioning because most times they're left alone in their own half with the fullbacks going on attacking runs. Another thing is that defenders tend to mature later than other players. They start to peak around 27-30 and can comfortably maintain that standard of performance till they're 34-35. Hummels is nearing 26 so you can say his best years are still to come. But then again, our current CB pairing is going to remain for at least 2 years. So, it would be better to invest in someone who's 23-24 now.

I'm happy that we won the game but the performance wasn't the greatest. Fringe players were pretty bad and the youngsters were just about ok. Don't see any of them making the first team squad right now barring any injuries..

Sounds like Bayern Munich

http://www.sambafoot.com/en/news/55800_tim_vickery_column__can_diego_costa_s_spanish_switch_be_justified_.html From the article 'Now, well adapted to his new country and even with a Spanish daughter, Diego Costa would rather look forwards.'

There were some articles before the World Cup, which say he's married and has a daughter. I've seen a couple of pics of him with a little girl but no idea who his wife is.

Hope he does well at Boro. There's a huge competition with so many players out on loan trying to prove themselves.

How reliable is this source which says he needs surgery? This is the first I'm hearing of it.

Looking forward to seeing some of our youngsters and fringe players in action. No matter who plays, we need to get a win make the quarterfinals. No taking any game lightly.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2809469/Manchester-United-defenders-headlocked-Branislav-Ivanovic-corner-rages-Chelsea-captain-John-Terry.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2809501/Shrewsbury-Town-players-serve-tea-coffee-fans-queuing-Chelsea-tickets-ahead-Capital-One-Cup-clash.html Definitely a big event for them.

Who's the normal backup for Ivanovic?

Don't hold your breath.

Hummels is a defender who relies more on positioning. He's good in the air but not very fast. I would rate him as one of the better defenders in Europe. If we did go ahead and buy him,we'd have to pair him with a fast defender. Him + Cahill would not be a good combination.