DYC.

Agree. Do you dream of Torres, Tomo?

This is so hilarious about Gary. He looks like a mental patient whenever he does that. Lots of pressure on Gary. No JT. How will he perform individually and how will he guide the backline? Can he take responsibility?

You must have a very lively tongue.

I like Musonda. But promote him as well. I'm a sad panda.

That's not what she said.

Promote Musonda. Play Musonda.

I would love to see Willian finally be tried next to Matic in midfield. Willian wouldn't be the first offensive player to be converted into a midfielder. Even a player as talented as Modric didn't quite cut it in an advanced role at the highest level, lacking the the ability to make a real impact in the final third. Moving into a deeper role transformed his game and he turned into a household name, a superstar. Willian simply doesn't contribute nearly enough in the final third. It's not just goals and assists. It's his inability to create any kind of danger or cause panick to opposition defences. He doesn't even dribble past players to create space and gaps to be exploited. Not consistently anyway. I don't expect him to enjoy a similar breakthrough as Modric, as it's my opinion the Croat is of a higher talent bracket, but I do think he could experience quite the spike in the overall level of his game. Willian Matic Oscar Not calling for Fabregas to be dropped indefinitely, but I think this is a good opportunity to experiment a bit to help solve the current troubles in midfield, and possibly find a new gameplan to combat high tempo games, quite the achilles heel of this team. None of this difficult game talk for me. Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge. This is a good game to prove Chelsea very much mean business. Strong performance, first clean sheet. 2-0/3-0 would be great.

£27 mil down the drain. Just like that. Football is crazy. What are the chances of Juve buying him? Has the looks of a cheap gamble.

They started off brilliantly together, but they have been so far off their top form in 2015. They might not be as good a duo as we originally thought. I'm very concerned about midfield tbh. This is why I've been shouting for a quality CM all summer (all year actually). Add some real competition and the possibility to mix things up.

Yes, yes, yes. This will hopefully be the case.

To think some compared his technique to Schurrle. Couldn't help but laugh when I read that kind of stuff. Delighted with his strong start.

Don't like this signing at all. But on another note: http://www.espnfc.com/club/manchester-city/382/blog/post/2549306/manchester-city-need-eliaquim-mangala-to-justify-record-fee Mangala is the most expensive defender of all time. And now he's benched? We wouldn't hear the end of it if it was Chelsea.

Middlesbrough defenders don't play for Chelsea.

Quality player.

I don't even think he would want to join Chelsea, or any other English side. Unless they make him one of the top 5 earners in the world or something. Join Barca/Real, experience the fantasy, and leave for a PL side/Bayern (or some new super power) after a few years.

Better than Remy/Hazard, much better. He's completely ambidextrous. One of his greatest qualities.

A DM's role is not about tackling though. It's not about winning the most tackles either. That just shows the style of a player. Matic does have the physical presence advantage over Busquets, definitely. Busquets is a tactical defender for the most part. Intelligent positioning (he truly stands out in this, his performance in the CL final was simply immaculate), intercepting, blocking passing lanes, excellent timing when it comes to applying pressure, looking to oust any kind of potential attack very early. His tackling is very good as well. When he does decide to tackle or slide tackle, he rarely gets it wrong. Matic's aggressive nature also leads to him leaving gaps and getting dribbled past far too easily at times. Then there's Busquets' ability on the ball and it certainly does matter. 'DMs just have to destroy' is an outdated view. Matic has had games where he looked like an absolute juggernaut in midfield (he's also enjoyed some real stinkers), but looking at his time overall at Chelsea, he's been fantastic but not defining. Busquets has been bossing since 2010, shining in CL and World Cup finals, and all kinds of big games. He's an exceptional talent, I rate him very, very highly. On and off the ball. The whole playing for Barca is easier argument doesn't work for me. Barca are as good as they are because they have incredible players. Busquets is one of them. When you're not good enough or not as good as the rest, it shows (badly), and you either don't play or end up leaving. Edit: Then there's the fact Barca struggle when he's not playing when facing quality opposition. Controlling the midfield zone becomes a lot harder for them without Busquets. Matic wouldn't get into the Barca team btw. He's not that strong on a tactical level.

You're welcome.

If you say so.

Just scored a rebound. Not playing particularly well though. First time watching him play.

Busquets is an excellent DM, which very much includes his defending. Not one DM reads the game like him. He's a strong tackler as well. Easily better than Matic imo.

This is a very fair point. I've thought about this as well. I know it would matter to me if I was an extremely talented professional footballer.

True. Might not be capable of creating a team full of superstars, but more than 1 should be possible.

I wish he was better.

Why did you have to put that in my mind...