The Skipper

Apply all of that to Vidal and the statement would still be true, but one thing Vidal has over Schweinsteiger is his physical traits (speed, strength). That IMO edges him over Bastian.

Everyone knows Mata is not a physical phenomenon, but one thing he'll always have over Oscar is creativity and he will always be the better creative number 10, whether you like it or not.

Wouldn't mind it, no. I'm okay with the current layout as well though. Like Barbara said, it's more about having time for me.

Granted it's on a different level but our academy play better football. They dominate games a lot more than we do.

I still wouldn't put down Lampard as a creative CM, even in his prime. He was an all round B2B player. I've seen enough of Marco at Vitesse to tell you that he's an all round B2B player too but more tenacious defensively. I think we need a player like Kovacic or Rakitic because we lack that sort of profile in CM. A proper playmaker in midfield. He would help immensely in breaking down teams that sit deep against us. Can't say the same about Marco.

Because Van Ginkel isn't a creative CM. They're different type of players. We're missing a creative CM in our midfield collection and Kovacic and Rakitic both come under that profile. I'm just saying I prefer Kovacic because he has a much higher ceiling.

Barca and Bayern have always had the foundation to allow their youngsters to flow - managerial stability, one philosophy. That's the level I want us to get to but it's going to take time and stability must be maintained throughout the club. Arsenal haven't challenged for the title in God knows how many years so again it's easy for them to nurture their young talent. United again benefitted from managerial stability at the club. Fergie has been there for years so it was easy for him to bring through those players. Yes we aren't great at bringing through players but surely people understand why that is? If we were under the conditions a United, Barca or Bayern have been and still failed to produce or bring through good talent then yes, I'd be blasting the club but for me it's understandable why we're in this sort of situation.

Your Gotze example is irrelevant because Borussia finished 5th in his breakthrough season. They weren't challenging for the title.

We wouldn't buy him for his shooting ability though. His creativity and crossing abilities are very, very good, he usually finds his man very well. He isn't tactically inept either, if he was he wouldn't have ousted Isco from the starting line up in the middle of the park as a CM. You say you don't like him in the middle but some of his best performances in a Real shirt have come from there this season. So you don't rate him because he believes he's got quality? Right... That's weird... I thought Di Maria was known for his energy. Di Maria doesn't stop running, his stamina is good. In what sense is he extremely predictable? It seems like you're still looking at Di Maria from Benfica and failing to acknowledge that he has improved as a footballer over the years. We would improve. Di Maria as a RW offers you width, pace, and he stretches other teams well and he has that final ball on him. We don't really have that on the right side of our pitch. I'm not even advocating that we should sign Di Maria or anything, but to say he'd be a waste of money and a bad signing isn't true in my opinion. We don't particularly need him but if we signed him he'd be a good signing.

That is my concern as well. Don't think he'd be able to cope with the pace of the PL. Would rather go for Kovacic.

Cancer is a bitch. RIP.

I've seen a lot of Di Maria myself, watched Real a lot myself over the last 3/4 years and it sounds like you have some sort of personal vendetta against him, how anyone could call Di Maria a shit player is astonishing - he's been inconsistent in his career in general yes, but he's been less so this year and has been one of Madrid's best players this season whether you like it or not.

This is nonsense. Real created the best chances in the game and were a constant threat on the counter against a possession based team in Bayern. Of course they won't have most of the possession. Us on the other didn't create anything, didn't counter well and Atletico aren't even a possession based team. It really isn't the same. We parked the bus, Real didn't. Real played true counter attacking football.

Wrong thread but Di Maria would be a good buy, not as a #10 though. He was bad against Bayern but that was an anomaly, he's been fantastic in most other games this season. He isn't overrated at all. EDIT: If a mod could kindly move the discussion to the general transfer talk thread I'd appreciate that.

Yup JT too.

Mind games from Jose I think. Hazard will be fit IMO.

His own dad came out and said that the report is bogus. There's no theories to it at all. http://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/2014/4/16/5620716/andreas-christensen-daily-mail-wages Liverpool were not a top club last season, hence why they could give players like Sterling a chance.

They're all okay in my book - what I was trying to convey is that the Liverpool PR machine get all of these players to say these certain things to try and make it seem as if they're better than us.

Another excellent piece of the supposed "We're better than Chelsea" propaganda from the Liverpool FC media officers. Joe Cole, Brendan Rodgers, Glen Johnson, Sturridge. They're sad.

Likewise with grass roots football, I have recently been watching my cousin (U16) play some football and the general philosophies in play were absolutely shocking, as was the refereeing. Can you believe someone got sent off (straight red) for apparent dissent? A lot of things need to change from the foundations up, that's for sure.

One of my favourite Chelsea players ever.

23 man England squad selector for the WC. Here's mine: http://www1.skysports.com/FIFA-World-Cup-2014/england/squad-selector/5e8b6fe6d23989c9a94287a272047afe04d32ce9

You've got to be kidding... If anything, him not playing is a precaution so that he doesn't overexert his injury. I don't know why he has to go to Belgium when Chelsea have a world class medical staff themselves.

You've got to be kidding yourself if you don't think Hazard is as good as Reus.

I sincerely doubt clubs will be flocking in to match United's £30m offer if he stalls it.