DYC.

I find it funny how people are talking about rest after four whole games this season . And it's the opposite with Sturridge. He lacks match rhythm, you could see it against Sunderland (the last game he played was against Rangers). He needs to play as much as possible now to get in a flow and gain form.

:wag_finger:

There are two things we absolutely shouldn't do: Play a high defensive line We don't have the right CBs for it and Man Utd are at their most dangerous on the break because of their pace and their ability to combine at high speed. Start with Anelka I don't think I've ever seen a bigger big game flop, every single time he doesn't manage to deliver.

Yeah but he plays CM though, we need him to contribute offensively as well. We don't need two defensive midfielders. Especially with our most advanced midfielder, Frank, not offering a whole lot up front

Again, Ramires has disappeared for a huge part of the game.. What is that in his game? Really needs to get rid of that quick, he needs to be a more dominant figure.

Source?

Juanandoridge :eyebrows:

Not true. Negredo has scored 12 goals in the last ten league matches he has played (add 5 goals in 7 matches in the NT to that), that's why 'he's in the form of his life'.

We've brought in someone even more special than I initially thought he was (I think). Mata's intelligence is really impressing me, he has great talent as well. But we'll really need to speed up our game and move more otherwise we'll never get the most out of this very, very interesting player. And this is just me being a bit greedy here, I'd like for him to dribble and take on players more. If he does that, he's the complete package.

He hasn't been a starter for a while and deservedly so. Negredo, Llorente and Soldado (for some reason Soldado doesn't get called up) are all in much better form. Del Bosque has been good to Torres until now but if he keeps this up, he'll loose his place.

Yeah that was me, he's pretty weak physically. You can (kind of) already tell by his very slim built, you won't see him outmuscling players. The commitment and attitude, when he goes into challenges, is there though. Wonder if he'll start this weekend, would love for that to happen. Frank needs to fight for his place in the side.

If Real add a football brain to the deal, I'd be happy.

Personally I'd like to see Anelka up front. His off the ball movement was great in that game where he played CF in pre-season, very intelligent and incisve. We'd also have a very fluid front three with all players being able to comfortably move into several positions and they're all good on the ball.

Yeah the Mikel-Ramires-Lampard midfield is terrible (European top standard) but I just wanted to point out that the lack of a good understanding in that midfield three (with the rest of the team as well) might end up backfiring us. And I think Mikel's game would speed up if he had players in front of him who actually move.

It's risky though, playing three midfielders who have never played with each other, in a away game against a tough side as well. And I have a question for those who say Romeu should start, what is that based on? He has played just one league game at the highest level in his career so I'm interested. Or is it just for the sake of starting a new player?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ushvFs96JNk&feature=player_embedded This is the Yuri Zhirkov I was hoping to see at Chelsea, what a shame..

That's the issue that needs to be dealt with.

They still play a slow game in Italy so he could succeed there. Though I agree that there's hardly any, if any, room for his type in today's game (in Europe).

A CM who'll hardly defend and is static.. don't know about you but that doesn't sound good. He's a pure AM, Riquelme-esque.

My thoughts exactly, though I'd play like that in (most) away games, especially against stubborn teams who will mostly defend and try to hit us on the break, and a serious option against Utd and Spurs (because they also play 4-4-2).

Very harsh. He was the only good thing about Liverpool last season and therefore won the Liverpool Player of the Year award. He won the PFA Fans' Player of the Year award too. He's a good player and most importantly, he's intelligent and he loves to move(!). I think he'll surprise a lot people here looking at most of the comments.

Think Frank Lampard of two, three years ago. Not of the same class he was back then though.

Yeah he can play a through ball, not his specialty though. I think most are just very disappointed we didn't sign a playmaker (I already gave up so I'm cool), which is understandable, but Mereiles is a good player imo. And another plus, we've pissed of Liverpool fans yet again

15 according to the rumours.

We've got our marquee signing