The Skipper

...So are we still a Charlton/Millwall in your eyes then? If we go by trophies alone we're the 4th most successful team in England. Surely you understand that with us signing well known players from all over the globe, and being one of the most successful European clubs in the last decade and with TV and technology being at the level it is now that we're massively exposed to the global stage now?

I would give him two with maybe an option for a third if he plays enough games on his second season.

...Surely you understand that CFC is one of the biggest clubs in the world now, thus attracts fans that aren't from west London or England/the UK?

I understand what you mean, but we already have two modern midfielders (possibly three if you want to add Nat to that) in MvG and Matic. It would be better if we could have a specialist playmaker in there in scenarios where we struggle to break down teams - Kroos would infinitely help in that regard. Don't forget, he won't be too expensive either considering his contract is expiring in a year or so. He'd be available for a relatively fair price (i.e. £25m at most) which is fine.

C.13 The League Champions shall further receive 40 commemorative medals to be presented by the Club to its Manager and to such of its Players and Officials as it thinks fit provided that any Player who has entered the field of play in a minimum of 5 of its League Matches that Season shall receive from the Club a commemorative medal. Additional medals may only be presented with the consent of the Board which shall only be given if the total number of Players who have entered the field of play that Season in a minimum of 5 of the Club’s League Matches exceeds 39. From the PL handbook. So if we want to, we can give Mata a medal. Suarez had an Eredivisie medal from Ajax despite leaving in January to Liverpool.

We have that in Matic... What we really need is someone next to Matic who can give us more impetus in our attack especially against those teams that just sit back with 10 men, someone in the mould of Kroos would be ideal. My midfield options next year would ideally be (someone like) Kroos, Matic, Ramires, MVG, Chalobah.

Go back in this thread before the Arsenal game and you'll see me and a lot of other people saying exactly the same thing. EDIT: Here, quoted it for you, my post a few weeks before the game against Arsenal.

He's a very good player, and people are commending him for that and how well he could perhaps fit in the team next to Matic... I seriously don't see how that equates him being the new Zidane.

RR will not be £6/7m. He'll cost around the same as Shaw will.

How are people pretending like he's the new Zidane?

Would prefer Azpi starting over Ivan in most games where teams sit back because Azpi is just as good, if not even better defensively as Ivanovic (apart from his aerial game).

Don't have to make up stuff, no one was beating Ronaldo that year. Even if he didn't win the CL he was still the best in the world. Torres finished 3rd in the Ballon d'Or behind Messi and Ronaldo that year, so it wasn't as close as you're making it to be, and Messi was not as good, similarly with Ronaldo, as he is right now. He was definitely the best striker in the world back then but Torres at his peak was not as special as Messi or Ronaldo are right now. Those two are being talked of as being the best players ever, peak Fernando Torres is not up for that discussion sorry.

So do you seriously consider Lars Bender as that playmaker we need next to Matic?

Was at Villa Park for this game, probably the best away game I've ever been to, the atmosphere after Lamps banged in 203 was incredible. What a guy

How is he technically 'very good'? Unless you have a very low boundaries for technically good players I don't see how Lars Bender is "very good" technically. Technical attributes consist of more than passing you know... and his passing isn't even anything spectacular. He doesn't have vision or creativity, doesn't have the ability to take on two or three players at a time, doesn't have much attacking finesse or a great long range shot or finish... I don't know how anyone could say Lars Bender is a technical midfielder in the ilk of Modric, Kroos, Schweinsteiger, Pirlo, Alonso etc. just to name a few... Those are proper technical midfielders, not Lars, who is more about winning the ball back, great positional sense and just being a midfield warrior... He's not bad technically, don't get me wrong, but he isn't known as a technical midfielder at all. He's known for his great defensive contributions.

Lars isn't known as a technical player though, sure he's a pretty decent passer but that's about it. Not sure why you would anyone would say that Lars is technical, no one is underrating that aspect of his game because he simply isn't that sort of player.

That would be very interesting, two monsters in midfield and Witsel is great going forward too. Wouldn't mind it but if Kroos or a fully fit Gundogan are available I'll take them over him.

I wish people would stop saying this, he definitely doesn't work hard in every game. Eto'o and Ba work hard but still get abused by many on here. There have been plenty of games where he's made Berbatov look like a train.

That's what I meant. We don't need him in the squad, he doesn't offer anything different. He won't compliment Matic just like Ramires really doesn't.

We need someone that compliments Matic, not someone who does more or less the same thing.

Similarly with Mata's situation here and to why he wasn't producing his regular numbers, he isn't the side prime creator, Hazard is. He however does have workrate and defensive positioning over someone like Mata or KDB, hence why he's overtook them in the depth chart. As mentioned by some on here before, next year when he's more relaxed and more suited and used to how the team functions, we'll see a lot more creativity from him.

I agree, but barely anyone played "well" today IMO. Everyone was average bar maybe Eto'o, Ba or Matic who were probably slightly above average.

Balanced team I like it. Schurrle deserves to start, Lampard going forward is balanced by Ramires on the right wing. Great subs to bring on too.

Still pretty average game from him, the goal was probably the easiest goal he'll score in his career.

I'd be up for this.