DYC.

Love how Xavi and Messi don't understand a thing when they're speaking English

Good point but personally I'm tired of those boring games in the group stage.

I'm hoping for a challenging group (it's not like easy groups have led us to CL glory in the past). I hope we'll have a tough time to keep us sharp from the start and so we'll get some entertaining games. I'm hoping for this: Chelsea Benfica Basel Dortmund

Kalou's too good to be playing against small fry like Norwich . His very presence alone would make them forfeit the game.

I'm hoping for a very attacking line-up. I don't think Mata alone will suddenly make us a free-flowing and incisive side. I'd go for a 4-4-2/4-4-1-1 as they'll most likely park a bus in front of goal. Hilario Bosingwa Ivan Terry Cole *Mata Mikel McEachran Malouda Anelka Torres *Mata in a free role from the right, comparable to Silva's role on Sunday

Fair enough. But I just don't like us relying on him but I agree that he can definitely still be (very) valuable to us but so were the players I mentioned, Scholes and Giggs, without being definite starters and the same should happen to Lamps imo.

Agree. I think complacency is what got to him as he had no competition and Ancelotti kept using him no matter how poor he played. With that changed now, he should make a good back-up (I hope). Kalou's the one that needs to go immediately. Waste of a foreign spot and not worth his wages.

Hope it's just the usual bullsh*t.

Yeah but 25 mil pounds though.. (at least, that's what the papers said when we got linked the first time)

He's a wingback. You can compare him to Dani Alves at Barca, not a true fullback and like a half midfielder.

Coentrao is a class player though. Perreira isn't all that impressive from what I've seen of him and he's no big hype in Portugal. Personally I hope this isn't true as the transfer fee rumours were/are ridiculous.

First of all, since when do you need to see every single game a player has played wherever to know his game? Guess I don't know the likes of Lampard and Drogba as I haven't seen every single game of them in their time at Chelsea.. I watch City every time I can as Silva is one of my absolute favourite players and I saw a lot of his games at Valencia as I loved the 'two David's duo'. Of course I can't watch every single game but as if that's needed to know a player.. Are you f*cking serious? I don't need to see Terry and Anelka run together to know Anelka is faster than JT. What a stupid remark.. Silva's not fast. On the short run yeah but that's because he's got a good burst but most players catch up with him when running over long distances. I've seen Mata run at speeds Silva can never reach. I never said anything about Silva being more of dribbler or being more direct than Mata, I never even said a thing about Mata in my post. I don't know him well enough to say much about his game. Actually read my post when you reply please. But for you and that other guy to say that Silva relies on his dribbling skills and being a individualist ('playing solo') is just plain wrong. There's nothing with relying on those skills but that's not David Silva. His passing, vision, link-up play and intelligence is what he relies on. Dribbling is a part of his game for sure, he's a great one too, but that's not what he relies on. Maybe he used to when he was younger but that has nothing to do with the player he is now. But whatever man, I'm tired of this discussion.

I'd be surprised if Mata becomes our number 10 as we would still be too weak out wide.

Spain is the new Brazil, how can you have so much talent to choose from . Our new guy Mata is like third choice for the LM spot.

Don't see the link?

Haha fair enough. Hummels is just 22 though so the heights he could reach are frightening to say the least.

Excellent shout but I honestly think Thiago will surpass Riccy. Riccy lacked strength and wasn't the best of players in the air. Still one of the best defenders I've ever seen. Whether Thiago will reach Nesta's level or even become better than him.. that's a tough task.

Hummels is excellent but come on lionsden, Thiago is far better. The last defender who impressed me as much as Thiago is Nesta, he makes defending a joy to watch.

You gotta love how the David Luiz-loving took a huge drop after he made some mistakes. From world-class CB claims to let's play him at RB or DM. David Luiz is a very talented player, and I absolutely love his ball-playing skills, but he needs to grow up (experience). Whether he'll be the best CB in the game, I have no clue. Don't understand how one can make such claims. But I do think he'll become a class defender.

They would form the perfect CB duo. I've always had a weak spot for Anderson btw but he's been so inconsistent over the years (and he used to be a terrible shooter). It seems like those days are behind though.

So true. Messi's just.. I don't know how to describe that guy in words. Cristiano has a crazy goal-scoring record but other than that, I've seen better.

They're not of the same generation though. My answer is obvious: David F*cking Silva. Though a in-form Wayne Rooney is a very, very close second. Rooney needs to show he can keep his current form for a whole season. And the third place goes to Vincent Kompany, what a player.

You know what I don't get, why is Lampard being finished such a bad thing or something for us to worry about so much (as in, whether he'll ever return to his old self)? The man has been playing at the highest level consistently for over 13 years (!) now, playing 40 to 60 games pretty much every season with hardly any rest. Look at the likes of Owen and Gerrard, their bodies are pretty much finished now and compare that to Lampard who's even older than them. I'll always remember him as Chelsea and Premier League legend. But he's 33 now, he's allowed to be done and I don't care about him being finished. He's had a wonderful career in which reached the maximum of his ability, maybe even more. It's time to move on and he needs to be replaced. It's time for him to step aside and let someone else be our main man (I know he's not the one who decides who plays). And he needs to play less so he can extend his career at the highest level like Giggs and Scholes did.

Uhm you do know you can watch Valencia matches without being a fan right? You can watch Silva at City and the Spanish NT too.. Anyone who says Silva relies on his dribbling skills and plays solo most of the time is either drunk, on drugs and/or has no idea what they are talking about when analysing Silva's game. Saying Silva is faster than Mata makes no sense at all too as Mata beats him in terms of pace with absolute ease.