The Skipper

Exactly this!

I agree, I said in that same post that I think the credit of our defenders making fewer mistakes in general goes to Rafa, who's set up our team a lot better defensively than RDM did.

I don't want us to rely on having David Luiz in midfield next season, I'd rather us get in proper midfielders. We don't really need to get a CB next year anyway, we can manage without for another season, we're more in desperate need to reinforce the midfield. Regarding Ogbonna, he's a good defender but we can do a lot better. I'd rather Howedes or even Papadopoulos.

Can you please give me a list of the "many mistakes" he made? You're over exaggerating. He made a few, but they weren't many, and overall his performances back then were still good, he was still our best CB then. Our defence wasn't as organised as it is now for sure, but you can't blame Luiz for that, it was more down to the way RDM set up the team. One thing I will give Rafa credit for is that defensively we look a lot more sturdier, and due to the way we set up defensively, Luiz, even Cahill and Ivanovic (who both made more mistakes than Luiz at the start of the season) haven't made as many mistakes as they did back then.

Those first two months is what made me fall in love with Luiz to begin with. Never have I seen a CB so technically prudent, matched with the aggressiveness in his tackle and determination to win the ball back. I really thought then he would be the best CB in the world one day, simply because he's so unorthodox. Even my United and Arsenal mates were excited about his potential. Even though he went through his rough patches, I never gave up on him, told people to keep the faith because he still has the potential to be one of the best under the right manager, under the right circumstances etc. but people failed to look past a young player's mistakes and kept focussing on his weaknesses instead of thinking outside the box. I'm very happy that Luiz is proving everyone who doubted him wrong, he's done it throughout his whole life. As you said, he's still got a lot more to show, and we'll see that over the next couple of seasons. I've always said it from day one till now, defended him through his rough patch... This guy will be a special, special player. It's scary to think he's only turned 26 considering CBs reach their best years at around 28/29/30. We've got a great player on our hands.

How is his talent "wasted" at CB? Why do people still think it's illegal for a CB to have great technique, strong on the ball & a great pass etc? I think it's more of a waste to the team if we don't play him at CB. That's what makes Luiz a weapon - he's still an offensive threat no matter where he plays on the pitch - we play him at CB, and we have a spot open in midfield for another midfielder who can again be an extra offensive threat; thus making our team a lot more unpredictable with more offensive weapons. If we get a system going which allows Luiz to roam forward then teams have more to worry about - traditionally, teams do not worry about CBs being an offensive threat in open play, but that's something we have in Luiz, so why waste that? We'd be better off if we got in another midfielder so the XI in general has more offensive weapons, which will open more spaces, make us more unpredictable etc. Luiz could easily reinvent the modern CB role. It has actually sort of been done before - look up the libero. PEOPLE NEED TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX. That isn't true at all, Luiz was very solid at the start of the season when him and JT were our starting CBs which saw us go to the top of the league. Luiz's has had a good, solid season overall, it's just in the last few months where he's really picked it up and shown everyone what he can be. He's been our most solid defender from day one this season.

Our strongest team. Wouldn't play anything else.

manpe.

So because of those two factors you think we've got no chance of signing Xabi? Not even the slightest chance?

For the umpteenth time, Luiz has played better at CB this season.

Dutch star Wesley Sneijder, who played for Mourinho at Inter Milan, has revealed the Portuguese coach harbours a deep love of Chelsea. He said: “In Jose’s heart it goes his wife, his kids, then Chelsea. “He has never made any secret about wanting to coach in England again — and when you hear him talk about Chelsea I don’t think he could coach any other team there. “It sounds crazy, but when he talks about the Premier League and Chelsea, it’s like a kid who is telling his parents what he wants for Christmas.”

Sergio is one of the elite CBs in the world IMO. He would walk into any top team.

Are you suggesting he wouldn't because of his Liverpool association or? We've seen Torres and Rafa Benitez, who were both more important to Liverpool, join us. Why wouldn't Xabi?

I'd start Chalobah and Josh in CM. Both complement each other very nicely if you think about it. For what Josh lacks in physicality, Nat makes up, and for what Nat lacks in vision, Josh makes up.

manpe, you've got my vote in the bag mate.

Rob Beasley who's meant to be Jose's friend said that he thinks Mourinho's coming back. https://twitter.com/1RobBeasley

Question, would anyone still take the rumoured £30m Barcelona would offer for him?

Real Madrid? Bayern?

Nah, Fernando was decent today, bar that horrendous shot. He linked up play pretty well, responded well to grab his 20th goal of the season. Still not good enough to lead the line though.

Not much to say about the game... Rafa Benitez got his tactics spot on tonight, must be said. Never even got out of our 2nd gear, never really chased the game apart from the first couple of minutes of the second half... Hazard ran the show, Cech bailed us out at times, and Luiz's goal... No words can describe how sweetly he hit that. MOTM Hazard.

such a talented footballer.

How is Serey Die a footballer?

Ake's coming on!

Please. Cardozo isn't all that.

Oh come off it, his goal was absolutely superb, but overall he hasn't done anything special in midfield. He's been average in his general play. No one's said he's shit at midfield, he's versatile enough to play ANYWHERE on the pitch, but it's gonna take him seasons before he gets fully accustomed to the role, and frankly, we don't have time for that.