Kostas

Strongly agree with the first part. Not too confident on the bolded part. Will unfortunately depend on whether the manager actually imposes himself or just tries to present an imposing image to the media.

We've played Malouda on the opposite wing, at left back and he's played quite a few games as a midfielder. And that's just without going into appearance/starts statistics. Their contribution as squad players are hardly comparable. A (soon to be) 27 year old Kalou may be a better athlete than the 32 year old Malouda but I think(/hope) the club/the manager will want an actual footballer considering how many younger players we'll have.

Tbh I think Drogba's departure hit him harder.

~10m € isn't too shaby.

Piazon is an 18 year old no-one. Give him 3-4 years until he's a real part of the squad.

I was a bit impressed with him refusing to speak even after we won what was supposed to be the only reason he got into football. In a way it weakens the Russian gangster who sought protection from London's people theory.

Not sure how much he's on but unless both De Bruyne, Marin, Kakuta + new wide forwards are all part of next year's 1st squad he'll have his uses as a squad player who offers depth.

Hope it's over soon. With the season done and dusted I can't afford having my eyes hurt by capri's posts rather than Kalou's performances.

Struggling to believe we'd give Essien a new contract unless it's on vastly reduced wages.

Don't get us excited until its official.

Phil Dowd is apparently not fit to be a ref. Literally. He failed the PL fitness test for referees and is in danger of being ruled out for the next season.

Erm..don't contracts expire on the 30th of June?

Lukaku is 19, don't expect any sort of change in formation to accommodate him until he's ~22.

Hope we'll see him working at the highest level of football in the future. His tears of joy shall forever be my favourite football memory.

Almost an unwatchable interview http://bcove.me/q83lmufl "..you know.."

AVB dared try to play an 18 year old attacker on the wing? He and every Premier League manager should be ashamed.. He can't forgive AVB for giving him a reality shock? What about Anderlecht who made him overweight? By all mean don't let me get in the way of horse-beating, witch-hunting and demonizing..

The guy who's hysterically laughing is a fucking cunt. It's penalties FFS.

Won't shed a tear until it's official, and even then he'd have left our club as a European Champion.

No coach (apart from someone like Mourinho/Wenger) will be held responsible by the club for transfers. Abramovich wants a "big name"? Do you people think he's retarded or a 11 year old who inherited billions? Why is such bullshit repeated all the time? Such a simplistic logic does not apply to any 1st division club in all the big leagues of Europe. The club may want someone proven, which is understandable considering the annual investment being made.

I can. The fact that he won the CL does not mean we should overlook the fact that he never went through the hiring stage (his CV was never judged or considered) and that no talks between the club and him in March extended over that 3 month period. I know that over-analyzing anything that was said in the night of the final is very risky but his interview in the mixed zone gave me the impression that he's not staying. Of course any possible parting will be presented as mutual or even sought by RDM for personal reasons (not that he cannot take a long break from football to enjoy his achievement).

A headline created to cause reaction and succeeded in doing so.

To be honest getting the user who constantly made us :banghead: leave is a bigger accomplishment in my book.

You know I've often said there's a chance we were watching different teams back then. Not as important as this year and in 09/10 ? Maybe But there's no way in hell you'll convince me that team wasn't built around a direct center-forward like Drogs. Again null points since Saturday's match was the one that mattered. It was by far the most important game of their careers.. and they did not fail to stand to the occasion. He carried Marseille to the final of a European competition, he wasn't just a talented part of a greater team. Of course it was. He gave the guy license to roam and our left wing was unoccupied most of the time, our whole fricking team was unbalanced so that Mata would have the "freedom" to do his thing. I'm not sure this was actually a point of if you were disagreeing for the sake of disagreeing. It wasn't meant to be a critique against Mata, but more of comment on the good-old revolution/evolution BS, a debate which was naturally formed to the wishes of transfer muppets. I don't need anyone telling me what a season my Player of the Season had. Much like I would gladly admit any day of the season that while extremely talented and intelligent in terms of football Mata is nowhere near the league of Lampard and Drogba when it comes to mental strength.

Beginning to understand what Killamanjaro was pissed about.

I agree, giving monetary substance to popularity awards is never going to work.