DYC.

Yeah I was hoping for something like that. As soon as it became clear he was leaving, I thought of this: That does sound like a nice idea but that could take a while though. Terry's surprisingly fit and I think he would have less problems being a reserve in his final years as a player.

Still nothing special planned for Lamps by the club?

Fabregas' versatality includes a great sense of humor. Someone should order the Chelsea interviewers to stop asking players to comment on Torres.

You obviously don't understand the transfer fee game. When it's about your own favourite team, you go with the lowest reported fee. When it's about another team, you go with the highest reported fee. Crazy money but that's the way Real roll. They've been doing it for decades and they'll always keep doing it. I enjoy watching James play so I hope he'll be a succes. With Kroos and James in their ranks, I'll definitely be watching more Real games than I usually do.

I have the same thing with Ramirez, Valdez and the number one, Athletico Madrid..

2013/2014 Season https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvOW9Pck5ME

I'm sure those in charge know what they're doing. Not worried about that at all.

That's a strange way of looking at things. Take out Messi, Suarez and Neymar and Barca are left with Pedro, Deulofeu + youth player. Take out Iniesta, Rakitic and Busquets and they're left with Rafinha, Sergi Roberto and Song. Take out Alonso, Modric and Kroos and you get Isco (out of position), Illaramendi and Casemiro since Khedira and Di Maria are on the way out. Up front, Ronaldo/Bale/Benzema v Jese/Morata/? City without Yaya and Fernandinho are left with Garcia, Fernando and Rodwell..

Lampard never could make the midfield role (in a 4-2-3-1 formation) his own tbh.

I still support the signing of Tiago. I like the blend of skill and power he'd bring to the team. Not of the highest level of course but more than good enough as a squad player. Not to mention his capability of playing both DM and CM. He could be very valuable to the team for one or two years. Being able to bring in a player like Tiago in case of injury/suspension/rotation is far more comforting than bringing in Ramires or Mikel imo. Ideally, one of Ramires or Mikel would be sold with Tiago coming in. I personally think Van Ginkel should be loaned out. Don't think he's at that level to play plenty of football at Chelsea yet, especially after his injury. And he should be playing on a weekly basis for his development, as he certainly does have potential. It would be a real shame for him to end the season with only a handful starts.

I know. I still say he was decent though. His overall game was decent that season, but it depends on your expectations I think. I've heard people say Messi was poor last season. Any other player having a similar season would be lauded. And I wasn't comparing Costa to Torres. I was just saying having nice stats at the end of the season isn't enough.

Still amazes me Torres has managed to be Chelsea player for so long. Chelsea haven't had a in-form striker since 09/10! Diego has to change this.

Haha it's so crazy to think Juan Sebastian Veron used to be a Chelsea player. Loved that guy, amazing player. Such a shame it never worked out.

You know, Torres scored 20+ goals in 12-13 and his season was decent overall. So I'm hoping for a impressive season rather than 'good numbers'.

Yeah that's worrying about Fab. He won't be able to fade in the second half of the season at Chelsea as well. So here's hoping that will not be the case. His performances in the big games were indeed disappointing for Barca. But I'm hoping it's because he was never sure of a starting spot in the big games, leading to him trying too hard or not being sure of himself. Also hoping his injury troubles from his time at Arsenal won't come back to haunt him now he's back in the English game. Chelsea's fine medical staff should be a plus though.

Schurrle deserves a lot of credit but seriously, that first touch by Gotze was orgasmic, it made the goal. If it was a player with (far) inferior ball control, see Palacio after Rojo's amazing ball, scoring becomes a lot harder.

Even with his hands, his positioning is top-notch.

I actually found it hard to believe Oscar played 111 games for Chelsea but it turns out he's played 114 games for Chelsea. 81 starts + 33 sub appearances, according to ESPN. Impressive. *Had to edit.

You don't have to tell me Brazil did not look good this World Cup. But they looked much better before the World Cup. That's why I say, the pressure got to them. The whole fantasy of winning the World Cup in their own home, overcoming the trauma of 1950, the political pressure etc. Again, this team was unrecognizable compared to the performances before the World Cup.

The coach plays a part but I disagree about how big his part is. The huge expectations and immense pressure was key in the way the players performed imo. They tried too hard. It's like driving a car and never taking your foot off the gas pedal. Where was all this 'Scolari is completely incompetent' talk during the Confed Cup btw?

Kroos has been underrated for years, it's great he's finally getting the recognition he deserves. He played a huge part in Bayern's succes in 12/13 for example but was unfortunate to get injured in the final stages of the season. He's such a joy to watch. The accuracy in his passing, his passing range, the way he always turns into the right direction, great with both feet, hardly loses possession. I just love the way he passes the ball, he always knows how much weight to put in the pass and exactly when to pass the ball. And he's also very versatile, not only in the different positions he can play, but also in the way he can adapt his play. Brilliant player. But it has to be said, he's at his best in a dominant side (in possession). Chelsea's style wouldn't suit him. Not saying he wouldn't do well but he would't be as influential.

Fantastic player, can't believe he's only 21. Great season at Wolfsburg and he was amazing during the World Cup. Signing him would be absolutely immense. There have hardly been any links but the transfer window only just opened.

As much as fans like to think they know what goes on, you and I don't know why Mata and KDB were sold. Mourinho is a huge Ozil fan, he's a big fan of Sneijder as well. They're both very poor defensively. Edit: Fabregas is comfortably much better defensively than Ozil, Mata and KDB btw.

No not under Mourinho. I was only talking about his time at Benfica. They played 4-1-2-1-2, the diamond formation. Di Maria on the left, Ramiries on the right. Sort of half winger, half centre mid. Very attacking but it worked as the team had a high work-rate. Yeah I applaud Ancelotti for making it work. Khedira's injury was a true blessing in disguise. Well, for everyone who is not Khedira.. or a Khedira fan.

Actually, he played a similar role last season as he did in his time at Benfica, which earned him the big move to Real. Plays the same role for Argentina. You can tell he feels a lot more comfortable with the freedom to move both in the centre and the wings. It's actually very similar to Iniesta's role (completely different styles of course). And he's much better on the left than he is on the right.