Henrique

When we lost against Manchester, 3-2 at Stamford Bridge last season, it was the same, he barely touched the ball but when he did he scored. Same today, he had two chances in the match, when created on his own, another missed header. The teams was more solid today, but so was under Benitez compared to big matches under RDM. Nothing special in this match on in Mourinho's tactics.

Benitez defeated Manchester at Old Tradford, 1-0, and also got a 2-2 in FA Cup that could have been a 3-2 if Mata had scored in the last minute. Football is not as complicated as it seems. Today Mourinho got his tactics wrong, as simple as that. The result was good, but the football was far from convincing.

This game was a reality check for those people believed he was our 1st striker this season. Mad people were saying Mourinho did not start him against Villa because he would start against Manchester. I really dont know what Mourinho has against him, starting Ba over him last game was a really stupid decision.

We dont because they are not good. Moses was the only Nigerian around that would fit in Chelsea transfer politics: young and winger, and he even had PL experience. The fact that Emenalo is from same country played a part on the deal, as simple as that.

Thats not. When Wenger buy a lot of french players, or players from French League, everybody says its because he is from France. Just because Nigeria is an African country you are afraid to make the same comparison. Moses is really average, there are many players that are in the same level, but denying that the fact he is from Nigeria, and the man who was buying players at the time is also from Nigeria made a huge part on this deal, is what is really stupid.

The only place to be, on 25 Aug 2013 - 06:45 AM, said: Hazard did not radically redefined the team. A player alone (Messi or Ronaldo aside) cannot redefine a team on his own. What redefine a team is the way the manager choose to use the players he has at his disposal. If you say that Hazard redefined the team, it wasn't to a new great way, since last season we were trashed by Atletico, humiliated by Shaktar and had to play in Europa League because the team wasn't good enough to be at least 2nd in a group that Juventus got in 1st. But the team had the poor run because RDM kew very little about the game. No surprise that Hazards best games were under Benitez. Hazard alone cannot radically redefine the team, he is player that would fit Bayern, Barcelona, Real Madrid but he also would be perfect in Mourinho's old 4-3-3 Chelsea. All those teams are 4 completely different animals. So Willian is not the kind of player do "radically redefine the team", because we dont even have a team, and because perhaps there are few players in the world that could do such a thing on their own. Mourinho is the one who will redefine the team, and of course its related to the quality he has at his disposal. More quality players means he has more options to create a good team.

Moses, lol

Few brazilians that got into PL had 75% of games for national team. Luiz did not have 75% of games, same to Oscar. Not sure if thats a problem.

Really?

Listen to this: the club announced the deal before the work permit, because they know Willian wont get it right now. So they will loan him to Inter de Milao for one season. Next season the club sell Mata and bring Willian back.

They want, but they wont.

You have to look back to Mourinhos first days: in his first hi used two systems, 4-3-3 or 4-3-2-1. In both we had 3 physical players in the midfield, players that could create, but had defensive abilities as well. Makele, Lampard and Tiago was Mourinhos favourite trio. Up front he used to play two wingers (Robben, Duff or even Joe Cole) with a lone striker (Drogba or Gudjonsen), in the end of the season, tough, he was playing Joe Cole and Gudjonsen in the mid, and Didier as the CF. In 05-06 we had the same pattern, Tiago left but Essies arrived, the we had Makele, Essien and Lampard. Still a very physical and solid midfield. There were the 4-3-3, with Robben, Duff, Wright Philips and Joe Cole as wingers, but he also used a 4-3-2-1, with Gudjonsen dropped to the mid, playing alongside Cole or Robben, and Drogba and Crespo rotating as strikers. We had the same pattern in the mid after the WC, but now with Makelele (Mikel), Ballack and Lampard, with Essien now playing a lot of games as a RB, up front we had some confusion, and I think that Mourinho's static system was one of the reasons why Shevchenko failed at Chelsea. Mourinhos always used a static 4-3 system, and the dynamism was only changing from 4-3-3 to 4-3-2-1, and during that season he used a weird a 4-3-1-2, a system he created to accommodate both Shevchenko and Drogba, but at the end of the day we say Drogba and Kalou playing together in most part of the season. The pattern followed the next 3 season, both Avran Grant and Ancelotti used even more static systems, Carlo tried to use some innovations, but at the end of the day Chelsea were playing in a 4-3-3 for 3 long seasons, with Makele, Lampard and Ballack, then Mikel (Essien), Ballack and Lampard as the "power trio" in the midfield, always a very physical mid. The system was so static, that even Anelka had to play as a winger, with Cole, Malouda and Kalou as the others "wingers". The problems started when we lost Ballack and bought Ramires to replace him, in 2011. Ancelotti kept the 4-3-3, but we did not have the kind of players to make the mid work in that system, you need players that can create and destroy at the same time, players like Xavi and Iniesta, or like Makele, Lampard and Ballack. Ramires was a different animal, he just dont have the same offensive abilities that Ballack had, and he lacked the presence the german had. Lampard was getting old, Essien was doomed with injuries, so Mikel was playing more games which means he was making more mistakes. Our midfield was once a physical, strong and aggressive one, but it became slow, boring and the team's weak point. AVB's and RDM's tenure were chaotic, because both knew very little about the game, Benitez was there to fix the role, but now we have again a chance to create another team. Mourinhos is a very smart man, he knows his own architecture, we just dont have the players to play in a 4-3-3 system. Forget about those fantasy line-ups with Ramires, Oscar and De Bruyne playing in front of the defense in a 4-3-3 system. Playing in a 4-3-3 right now is the same as playing Essien, Joe Cole (Geremi) and Robben; Duff, Drogba, Kalou. Can you imagine we playing with this kind of formation against a big european side in a UCL semi-final? With these players we need two players with a more defensive role, and thats why we will be seeing Lampard and Ramires playing most part of the season as starters. Perhaps there will be a 4-2-1-2-1, and thats almost as the same as a 4-2-3-1, but indicates that a players is playing in a number 10 position (Oscar/Mata), while you have two others playing more on the flanks. Mourinho himself said his system for this squad in 4-2-3-1. 4-3-3 is never a possibility, imo, unless we want to lose a game. Sorry for the long post and for the mistakes.

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Not sure, he already played both matches, Mourinhos likes to rotate, probably want Hazard to make an impact in he 2nd half for this one.

Can you read? The article said the Chelsea agreed the transfer, but the announcement will be made next week. Willian deal is almost done. and the mods should ban these stupid gifts, they are destroying the forum.

i dont believe its even possible to play in a 4-3-3 system with the current squad.

Cech, Ivanovic, Terry, Cahill, Cole. Ramires, Lampard; Oscar, Mata, Schurle; Torres. Thats my prediction.

Emenalo from Nigeria. Moses from Nigeria.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/premier-league/10264473/Chelsea-seal-deal-for-Samuel-Etoo-as-Jose-Mourinho-decides-to-wait-for-Manchester-Uniteds-Wayne-Rooney.html Chelsea end Rooney bid by signing Eto'o

About Mata, what I think is: -Perhaps he is not that good, perhaps we all made him look like bigger than he really is. The reason why I'm saying that is very simple: as soon as Willian thing appeared, people got worried about Mata. Are people questioning Ronaldo's future at Real because of Bale? People would question Messi future at Barcelona if they were signing Bale, people questioned his future when Barça signed Neymar?

Dude, dont try to make Mourinho a enigmatic or messianic character. What he said is very simple: Mata is not leaving, and if a player is going to leave, its on loan, because he want to work with 22 players. About the squad he said all managers are the same, because even when they say they are happy with the squad, they are always trying to make it better, he just said managers are always trying yo buying new players. Please, stop the bullshit.

You seems to be huge Oscar fan.

lol Nothing in this video make him look like a world beater. By the way, in both matches against Chelsea last year, Willian played better than Mata, Hazard or Oscar,

Any link to Spurs forum?

1- Mourinho himself said today that Mata is not leaving; Want better confirmation than that? 2- Van Ginkel is a new DM/CM. 3- The window is not close yet, and sopme days ago many people were saying Lukaku was a beast, and now if you dont want a new player to "harm someone else", so why are you asking for a new striker? A new striker (CF, you mean) will only harm Lukaku, he wont take as many chances as he would right now;