DYC.

He'll never be dropped though.

Cesc is vibing, grooving, jamming. Looking like the Cesc of the first half of the season. Eden and Willian quiet. RLC invisible. I'm going to take a wild guess and say he's not a DM. He certainly doesn't move like a DM. Steven Gerrard of all people, seriously. 1 goal in 39 games against Chelsea before this game. Hope the boys can find that final ball in the second half and win. Liverpool don't deserve a draw.

Talking about moments of the season https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maUyxE8VYuY Gariano Dos Santos de Moonwalkarera Cahilinho Jr.

Take out Cesc and the level of technique and comfort on the ball of centre midfield becomes midtable level. Even Cesc becomes very erratic in his distribution when his form drops. I find that worrying and I have a very hard time believing Chelsea can compete in the three major competitions with a similar approach. That's just my opinion of course. But if things don't turn out well next season, the club and the manager have no one to blame.

Hope Sterling makes himself familiar in these surroundings. Hope Lambert doesn't make himself familiar at all. Bizarre rumour.

Ivanovic ever present as always haha. That guy is the first name on the team sheet. No Cech. I was hoping he'd play, he's not even in the team. What's wrong with him?

I wasn't particulalrly looking forward to this game but this is a pleasant surprise. He must be ecstatic and extremely nervous (unless he's ice cold like me). Hope he plays the game of his life.

I disagree with the quality squad players part. Cesc and Matic were played to death. It even got to the point where you could obviously tell they were very tired. But the drop in quality is too big when even just one of the two is missing from the starting XI. Both Ramires and Mikel are lacking in too many areas. So barely any rotation there, bar injuries, suspensions and the big game shuffles. That can't happen again. Adding a player for rotation but more importantly adding some competition is key imo. And that way neither Cesc or Matic can become too comfortable with their nailed on starting spots. I hope one of Ramires and Mikel moves on, with a new player coming in.

Statue! Statue! Statue!

Yaya Toure and Pogba, the most relaxed 'box to box' midfielders in the world. Arturo Vidal defines the term box to box midfielder.

Okay performance. Can't wait for Real - Juve.

Outstanding match. Valencia unlucky today. They should've won, so many wasted chances. Edit: Well unlucky, both sides had plenty of chances. But coming away from the Bernabeu with a draw is anything but a bad thing. Otamendi The Champion. Fantastic player. Oh man, I want to see him in Chelsea blue so badly.

The business done in the summer all depends on the ambitions of the club and their plans for next season. The way I see it, there are three options: 1. Retain the league and try your best in Europe. 2. Take the next step and improve the quality of the performances. Win the league and seriously challenge for the CL. 3. Project Treble. The last one is the most unlikely. I can't imagine Chelsea going crazy in the summer and add two/three world-class players, a few high quality squad players and instantly try to match Bayern, Barca, Real. The first would require very little business. Replacement for Cech, and possibly Drogba. And a player for the attacking '3'. Either one for the starting XI or a squad option. Unless Chels decline massively or Arsenal/Utd/City raid Barca, Real, Bayern, Atletico, PSG & Juve, that would be enough to win the title. The second would take a bit more work. You simply need more quality for that to happen. Cech (and Drogba) replacement, 2-3 upgrades in the starting XI, 1-2 new squad players for rotation and a few players leaving the club.

If you're talking about me, I never suggested that. That kind of reasoning is far too simple. The two sides can not be compared imo. Different times. Chelsea ranked higher back then, the differences in terms of quality were slimmer back then, and there were no superclubs in Bayern, Real, and Barca back then. European champions Milan struggled to get past PSV. They had a good side but they were nothing special (referring to PSV). Porto and Monaco in the final a year before. Football has changed a lot in just 10 years.

04-05 lost 6 games in all competitions, 14/15 lost 3.

Seems like we just won't agree, Stats. I'll leave it here.

I'd personally be fine with Azpi on the left with a better option on the right. A backline this slow and sluggish is not of this age.

There seem to be some conflicting reports on the sum of his transfer clause. I've read about figures in the region of €30 mil, but also €60 mil. Do you have any idea which is (more likely to be) true? Logic would say the latter is true, but I wouldn't know.

I can understand how someone would make such a statement based on his time at Atletico, but Griezmann never played in the middle before his move to Atletico. He played as a wide man for Sociedad, style comparable to Pedro. His apparent ability to play in the middle based on this season is only a testament of his versatality and quality as a player. He never sticks to the centre though.

Damn you, Tomo. I'm so tired of the Ivanovic and Azpi combo.

How reliable is The Telegraph? Reading the piece, it sounds made up.

30 mil pounds for Christian Benteke? My goodness, talk about being robbed.

Haha that's the Utd factor. Desperation for a new CR. Though tbf, he made a name for himself at the World Cup. Definitely talented, but I would be very, very surprised if he took the PL by storm next season. I imagine he'll need 2 seasons to reach potential stardom. The great thing about Depay is how developed he already is on a physical level. Great upper body strength, stamina, fitness (withstanding injuries) and durability at such a young age, which is uncommon for a young winger. He won't be bullied, and should adapt to the physical demands far quicker than most youngsters. Explosive and fast as well (don't expect Walcott pace though). Good with the ball at his feet, though far from a expert dribbler. His strength lies in his goal-scoring and rocket shot. Good FK taker and has real potential in his finishing. And the guy has the drive and determination to reach the top (apparently because of a tough childhood). If he doesn't make it, it won't be because he didn't try hard enough.

I prefer a creative #10 as well. But Mourinho sold/allowed creative #10s in Mata and KDB to go. And now with Fabregas in midfield, I doubt he'll be looking for a player of that ilk to play behind the striker. Coutinho's status as Liverpool's star player (according to you, some would argue it's Sterling but it's close either way) is the reason he should be scoring and assisting more. He's the one the players are looking for, he's the one touching the ball the most, he's the one that has to make the difference. Kane 20 goals, Austin 17 goals, Siggurdson 10 assists, Brunt 9 assists. With all the talk of Coutinho's quality and potential (his potential is massive imo), I prefer Eriksen. He's a enjoyed a far better season imo, but does not receive nearly the same amount of hype. He's not as technically gifted as Coutinho, but has the superior tactical awareness, physical presence (in terms of upper body strength, stamina, fitness and durability), consistency and is more effective. Only 23 as well.

Disagree. It's easy to back Coutinho because of his superior form in the second half of the season, but like Tomo already said, he was rubbish in the first half of the season. Same as Oscar in the second half, but he doesn't have Oscar's level of defensive contribution and work rate to fall back on. Even in his improved showings in the second half of the season, his form fluctuates. Not strange, he's 22. Coutinho's a very aesthetically pleasing player, but the majority of his moves lack purpose. Again, he can pull off one or two wonderful dribbles/passes/shots in a overall average performance, and suddenly his average performance magically turns into a good or great performance. Not that I'm saying he's incapable of producing top performances, he clearly is.