DYC.

Even though I would be happy if he joined us, I'd rather have Sanchez. He's far more complete player as he can pass, link-up well, he's stronger and has loads of energy (stamina), he's a very hard-worker and he's a real team-player. He has all that and he's flashy player too with tricks, serious pace and a lot of charisma so in a commercial sense, he would be great buy too. And he's also player that can play the supporting striker and winger role with ease, he even played as attacking midfielder at times. Sanchez was always criticized for one thing, not scoring enough goals. But he's been showing he can do that as well. They would both cost about the same amount of money but I'm much more sure of him succeeding in the league than Neymar, who I think is better off in Italy or Spain. But that's just my opinion though. Getting both (and a playmaker) would be ideal but most likely won't happen.

Drogba scored two goals for Cote d'Ivoire, must be great for him to score again. If it wasn't for Torres' price tag, I would definitely play with him as our main striker (and no, not because he scored two goals voor his country).

I hope Ramires (gets to) attacks more at Chelsea like he did in this game. He was everywhere and was very confident in everything he did. He should've taken his time with that shot though, could've easily scored that. Great energy and an intelligent player, I'm starting to grow fond of him. And Neymar is class. Hope he grows into a international star in the near future. We need more exceptional players in football and he's very entertaining to watch. And ohw yeah, his hair is cool .

Who's watching the Argentina game? Argentina is playing phenomenal football! They should've scored a lot more but the ball isn't going in. Always been a huge Argentina fan and it's great to see them play some great football again. Messi is really shining and Cambiasso and Banega are playing great as well.

Fixed that for you . It's a shame really. He's such an amazing player when on form. It looks like he's slowly coming back though, he was great vs Hamburg two weeks ago and saved Bayern vs Freiburg I think last week.

Wow that's weird, he gets nothing but praise in Holland.. oh well.

First you say that there's no better mentor than Lampard, I disagree, you ask me to name some, I do it and now you say they are not with us... It's obvious he can learn those last two things from him but he could those things from most professional footballers and I don't think you can teach somebody how to make the most of their abilities since there are few footballers who actually do that. That has to come from the player self. Come on zolayes, of course you copy the positive things out of someone's game.. And didn't you ever play football yourself? Every footballer copies some things from a (great) player's game. The great Zidane always said he learned a lot from watching Enzo Francescoli, Van Persie learned from Bergkamp. Even Joe Hart admitted stealing a move from Kasper Schmeichel that helped him a lot in his career and still uses that move a lot. That's all true but absolutely not what I'm talking about. I'm purely talking about improving his game and he could (a lot) more from players who are the same type and share the qualities. You're acting as if I said he couldn't learn a thing from Lamps and that's not what I said.

:getyou: You're coming to that conclusion by watching him regularly? Eriksen is a HUGE talent, and comparing him to Stoch is an (huge) insult), and can easily grow out into one the best midfielders around. He's 19 and he's Ajax' best player, performing pretty muck week in, week out. His passing, vision and technique is incredible and something else when you think about the fact he's so young and only became a certain starter since Frank de Boer took over in December. Don't know why Chelsea would turn him down but these things happen. A missed opportunity, though moving to Ajax was a lot (!) for his development.

Players like Fabregas, Scholes, Modric, Arteta, Deco, Xabi Alonso could learn him a lot. And those are just players of who i'm sure speak English (and for all we know, Josh speaks another language like Spanish or Italian). Even Mikel could teach him a thing or two since he has some qualities Lampard doesn't have in the areas of passing and technique. And he could also learn a lot from other midfielders who's game is based on technique and passing like him by studying their game and copying their moves.

Yeah of course but zolayes saying 'there could be no better mentor than Lampard' is not true.

Neel was talking about a 'football mentor' and I'm saying he could a lot more from a player who is the same type. I mean David Luiz could learn a lot from JT defensively but when it comes to ball skills and his offensive game, Terry is not his man.

Frank and Josh are completely different players so there are definitely 'better' mentors out there for Josh. As for Pirlo, still a great player but too old, he can't handle the league physically (and i'm not talking about strength, i'm talking about him not having the lungs), too injury-prone and his game is too slow for the PL meaning he would need time to adapt.. and time is something he doesn't have.

I'm sorry but that's simply not true. Xavi can't play Iniesta's game and Iniesta can't play Xavi's game, you see that when one of the two is out. And while players can share some similarities, I don't think there are players out there who are (exactly) the same. Like the Drogba-Lukaku comparison, when I see Lukaku play, I don't get the feeling that i'm seeing Drogba. But I guess your talking about players sharing similarities and in that way, yes Frank Lampard is in some way unique. But someone like Hamsik has something Lampard-ish about him.

Welcome .

This is what Torres (and the rest of the forwards) is looking/hoping/begging/praying for:

Cheers LDN. About the bolded part, exactly my thoughts after he joined us as I was hoping for a playmaker and a winger (and still am).

I would put him behind Ivanovic, aka Mr. Consistent, too.

Excelled in? No. A solid performance at the very least in all of those big games? Yes. Ramires seems to have settled at Chelsea and has been doing a great job since we entered 2011. After the rocky start he had, I thought he would need at least a full season to settle but he did it much quicker so well done to him. Not an easy job to come to Chelsea, where the pressure is huge, as a relatively low-profile player with a big price tag in a new country and league, and not knowing the language, and claiming a starter place that fast. After a consistent three month period, it's safe for me to 'praise' some of his qualities. Physically, except for strength, he's obviously top-notch but I've noticed that he's an intelligent player. When he first came he seemed to be very sloppy in his passing, his decision-making was off, his link-up play seemed poor (except for some positive flashes) and he was pretty static in team-play and when he did move, it didn't look all too good. After seeing all that, I was afraid the club bought a runner for 17/18 mil pounds. But he's improved heavily in all of those areas and even took it a step further showing he's not just okay or solid in terms of intelligence but very good at the very least. He knows what he wants to do with the ball before he gets it and I was very surprised and at the same time very happy about that. He's a couple of steps ahead 'of the rest' and that's crucial in possession play and it really compensates his lack of any great things he can do with the ball (things like defence-splitting passes, being a ball magician, possessing great vision) Add his pace, stamina, high work-rate and solid technical abilities to that and you have an player that can become a crucial part of the team but will most likely always be underrated for what he brings to the team by the fans (ours and the opposition) and the media. Still enough room for improvement though. For instance, he needs to attack more and needs to be more of a constant presence offensively and in build-up play. Too much of our play comes from the left side and that makes us predictable. He also needs to take it easy with his rushed challenges and needs pick his moments to go for the foul (Nigel de Jong is an example of player that's great at that, you know when he's not acting like an idiot). And the rest of the areas in which he needs to improve will come from playing at this level weekly and from experience. I now do fully believe he can become some player for us if he keeps it up like this. (All we need now is an playmaker to complete our selection of midfielders.)

Roman Abramovich discovers that Chelsea's X-factor player is incredible David Luiz & not struggling Fernando Torres Brazilian is delivering sparkle that £50m man was expected to bring COMMENT By Wayne Veysey at Stamford Bridge One is the brilliant finisher whose class and composure in the penalty box is matched by his excellence outside it. The other is Fernando Torres. The sight of David Luiz producing an outrageous piece of skill is becoming as common at Chelsea as Torres looking forlornly at the touchline to see his No.9 being held aloft. The irony of the Premier League new boy completely outshining the global icon during their first seven weeks in London will probably not have been lost on Roman Abramovich, watching from his private box at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. His thoughts can be gauged only from his actions and not his words, as he never speaks publicly, but there was a rueful look to the Chelsea owner when the camera panned on him following Torres' 71st minute substitution. Having shelled out £50 million for what Abramovich would have reckoned to have been the complete article, particularly following a mini renaissance under Kenny Dalglish in January, Torres has reverted to the hesitant figure whose first touch is like a misplaced pass and whose speed across the first 10 yards seems half of what it was 12 months ago. It is not as if he did not try against a Manchester City rearguard that is a tough nut to crack under Roberto Mancini's cautious regime. When Torres was hooked with the scores still level, he was given a standing ovation. There were even jeers from some at his premature removal from the action. Yet Torres has been the beneficiary of faith from Carlo Ancelotti that is starting to look unwarranted. Abramovich's rouble outlay might be swaying the Italian's decision-making but the cold, hard facts are these. In seven games - six of which he has started - for Chelsea, Torres has not scored or created a goal. In six Premier League matches for his new club, he has had only one shot on target, a fine reflex save by Pepe Reina against Liverpool on his debut. In four of his six starts, he has been substituted. The brilliant striker who, at various times during his three-and-a-half-year spell on Merseyside, looked the best centre-forward on the planet now has a fight on his hands to be much more than an impact substitute for the rest of a season that still offers tantalising possibilities for his new club. How did it come to this, might think Torres. His Russian pay-master might think the same. Chelsea were energised by the dual arrival of Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka against City. Neither has been at their best since Torres signed his name on Chelsea headed paper but both have offered far more threat inside and outside the box than their new team-mate. Torres is trying to compensate for his miserable form by drifting into wide areas but he doesn't possess the invention to conjure regular opportunities for colleagues and the end result is he is rarely taking up positions in the area, where he is at his most effective. It is an indictment of his situation that Kalou looks a more dynamic presence up front. The X-factor that Torres was supposed to bring to Chelsea is being delivered instead by the riveting Luiz. For the second consecutive home game, the Brazilian, four years younger and £29m cheaper than Torres, lifted the Bridge off its feet with a consummate piece of finishing. He added to his majestic volleyed equaliser against Manchester United in Chelsea's last Premier League home fixture with a powerful and unerring header that undid City's massed defensive ranks. But it was not just for his game-changing abilities that the home supporters chanted 'Luiz, Luiz' at the final whistle. They have merely been mouth-watering desserts following delicious appetisers and main courses. In four-and-a-bit games since his switch from Benfica (sadly the Brazilian is ineligible for the Champions League), he has brought a swagger and majesty to Chelsea which has been the missing piece of the jigsaw for the majority of the serial-winning Abramovich era. Rarely can a centre-back in modern times have been such an asset in attack. One can think of Ronald Koeman and his countryman Lucio on the European stage and, Premier League-wise, the ebullient but brittle Philippe Albert at Newcastle United. Luiz's divine passes above and along the ground, forward bursts and outrageous pieces of skill, such as the bicycle kick on his full debut against Fulham, all have the hallmark of the footballer raised in Brazil. Even the rawness to his defending, which was exposed considerably more by Manchester United than their 'noisy' neighbours, only makes him even more engrossing to watch. He was lucky to escape a red card in that tumultuous clash against the league leaders at the start of the month but he is also racking up a healthy share of perfectly timed interceptions. The man known in Lisbon as Sideshow Bob from The Simpsons for his spaghetti curls has swiftly become the main event at Chelsea. Only perhaps Arjen Robben, when fit and in the mood, has offered such a capacity for the unexpected during Abramovich's reign. This is not to say that, by comparison, Torres is a busted flush. That is nonsense. But the Spaniard's travails cannot be dismissed simply as a blip or even new club blues. He will doubtless soon ease past Luiz on the list of leading scorers at Chelsea. If he gets enough minutes on the pitch, that is. It would not be a surprise if Drogba ends the season where he began it as the main man up front. It is seven weeks to the day since the football world was given notice that Abramovich has lost none of his desire to own the most successful club in the world. For the two signings who are the emblems of his ambition, the mood could not be more different. Link

Cech 7 Ivanovic 6.5 Luiz 9 Terry 8 Cole 7 Essien 7 Lampard 6.5 Ramires 8 Malouda 5 Torres 6 Kalou 6.5 Zhirkov, Drogba, Anelka N/A

Kalou proving he's so much better in his natural position as a second striker. Malouda needs to stop looking for an opportunity to shoot every time he's on the ball, it's very frustating. Ball tempo needs to go up but sadly our midfielders can't play the ball around quicker than this..

Tired of losing to City... COME ON CHELSEA !

Yup, Mourinho did what Mourinho does best and that is getting the best out his players. But Benzema is such an talented player so he just had to show at one point. Reminds of R9 (but not of his class though).

Loving how Benzema is proving everyone who said he wasn't good enough or didn't believe in his qualities wrong.

Thanks LDN .