The Skipper

Completely disagree. There is quality youth in our team, we have a lot of talented youngsters here. The main reason they haven't made it over the reason years is because there was a lack of managerial stability at the club. No manager who constantly has to win to keep his job safe is going to risk his job by playing youngsters from the academy. Also, the fact that someone does well or not in the Championship does not indicate whether they'll be good enough either. Ross Barkley is a prime example - struggled in general at Championship level but has bedded in very nicely at Everton this season after he was given a chance by RM. The PL B league proposal is a lot of bogus as well as it isn't anything like the systems implemented abroad. There won't be a Chelsea B playing in the Championship - it'll be more or less the same - they'll be facing Arsenal/United/Liverpool B's, which is again pretty much the same thing. It's a pretty pointless rebrand IMO. Again I reiterate, the main reason why there hasn't been any youngsters coming through is purely due to lack of managerial stability. There is no way a manager who was never going to be given time is going to stick his neck on the line for youngsters to come through.

Lol, I wish people would stop saying this. You're telling me that if Torres and Mikel stayed as squad players, (especially the latter as he isn't on high wages and can give you at least average performances consistently) we won't go anywhere as a team? Bollocks IMO.You don't need 25 world class players in a squad.

I always say Josh has all the talent, but simply lacks the drive to be a top player, which is a shame. If he put his mind to it though he could be a decent squad player for us here, especially considering we lack a true DLP.

Matic is definitely a good passer but he isn't your traditional DLP. I'm talking about players like Modric, Gundogan etc. who would also play next to Matic. So hypothetically speaking if we signed someone in that mould, e.g. Gundogan, our first string for a possession game would be something like Matic - Gundogan, and if either needed a rest we could rotate them about: Mikel - Gundogan, Matic - McEachran etc.

To me, JOM is good enough as a squad player and could be great in the pivot if he had a passer/DLP next to him. He's not indispensable but at the same time it doesn't hurt to have him as a squad player. Him and Josh McEachran would be a pretty solid pivot for example IMO, especially if we played a possession game.

He's scored more in the league than your buddy Fernando Torres despite playing less. Why don't you use the same rules for FT? Isn't he a striker too at the end of the day?

Unbelievable. One bad game and someone instantly becomes a "very poor player". Yeah, he had a bad game, as did others, in fact most of the team did, but there's too much doom and gloom in here. This stupid "you're only as good as your last game" saying stands so true for too many on here. You've already forgotten that he was probably our best player vs. WBA.

Reading the thread would make you think Luiz had an absolute clanger and was at fault for both goals...Tbh, It's not even just Luiz, it's the likes of Salah, Rambo, Mikel etc. Apparently we need to buy a whole new team according to some now. 2 bad results and the place is in melt down.

As mentioned above, if Mou didn't want him too, he wouldn't have been signed.

Luiz comes alive in big games full stop.

Does what he wants.

Luiz and Ivanovic at CB then (who are a decent pair based on their previous outings together at CB) if JT and Cahill can't make it. Should be interesting.

Some Arsenal fans calling Mou a failure because he got "sacked" at Real and in his first stint here. How they despise him as a man and that he's the biggest dick in the PL... It's hilarious. Gotta love how Mou is getting under the skin of these lot. They're angry because it's true.

Of course they can be but people are acting like he'll never get over them which I think isn't true.

He's not going to be injured for the rest if his career is he? Yeah he's had a bad year of injuries but that doesn't mean he won't get over it.People are overstating his injuries IMO.

Brendan Rodgers and Joe Cole did the same. I would honestly take it with a pinch of salt.

Hopefully it isn't anything to serious, Gary's been vital for us this year. As mentioned above, hopefully it's just a strain.

Cech Azpi - Luiz - JT - Cole Ramires - Matic Salah - Oscar - Hazard Torres Maybe rest Hazard for Schurrle and bring him on when we need him or vice versa. Luiz - JT because Cahill is probably out. We can beat these, we've done it before, let's do it again and make this trophy ours for the taking.

That is very true, but that doesn't mean everything he does is the right thing.

No he hasn't been 'terrible', he's been inconsistent yes, had some good games and some bad games. He has created chances, surely you remember the Newcastle game where Schurrle and Salah both messed up their clear cut chances? They were created by Oscar. Also in that game he had a lot of good passes. Like I said, he hasn't been amazing, but he hasn't been terrible either. One bad result and people want to throw/sell people from the team, it's getting ridiculous.

Again, my point is that if Luiz was so awful as a CB, why is he even in the NT to begin with?

My point is, if Luiz was such an awful CB he'd not be playing ahead of Dante, Marquinhos, Alex etc. because they are all decent players at the least. Andre Santos and Jo made most of their caps when they were in Brazil. Robinho was actually good in his first season here in the PL and was Brazil's wonder kid for awhile. Willian and Fernandinho barely got picked because they played in Ukraine.

If he was so awful, why does he get ahead of Dante for his NT? Explain that one.

Seriously? I think he's been quite average in midfield in general, he's had a pretty average season. He's been made to look decent now because he's playing next to a proper player in Matic now who'll make it easier for anyone playing next to him (i.e. in the City game). It's not that saying Luiz made a mistake that's the problem for me here, feel free to do that, that's fine, no player is exempt from critisicm, I have said myself that Luiz was definitely partly to blame for the goal, it'd be great if people would just stick it to that and move on, but no, certain people think it's okay to then go on and say Luiz cannot defend at all, that he's a poor defender, should never play at CB again, that he isn't good enough for CFC etc. when in truth he's just not having a good season at the moment. Some are acting like Luiz has never ever been good in his career here at CFC and that he's been a horrible defender; that's my main gripe. This is exactly it. Cahill deserves to be in the team right now because he's been outstanding, but IMHO opinion, if both were in outstanding form, Luiz would play ahead of him because when Luiz is on form, concentrated, focused and determined he's a great CB, but obviously that hasn't happened this season, and Cahill rightfully has taken over the mantle and has done a splendid job.

Nope. Think the ref made the correct call. It was a 50/50, both were tugging.