Madmax

So for once we'll sign someone who doesn't score against us.

You should've listened to him for the Stoke game going on and on about who and how many are off the Chelsea bench protesting against refereeing decisions. He even managed to make Andy Townsend sat alongside him not sound like an insufferable tit.

Sam Allardyce

Excellent freekick yesterday - http://www.gfycat.com/BruisedFoolishAlbatross

Need a new defence? Spend 120m on a forward. Chelsea of 2010-2013, is that you?

And unhealthy.

He's said publicly Mourinho wants him to finish every match with atleast 3 shots.

All touches vs Stoke The quick freekick at 1:12 was fantastic.

Neville and Carragher analyse Matic on MNF :

Gary Neville : Alex Ferguson : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTGd4ZBJ4FQ

https://gfycat.com/IncompatibleMelodicKingfisher Man, this play deserved a goal. Costa should've buried it.

Excluding fixtures against promoted teams, Everton (a) +3; Man City (a) -2; Palace (a) +3; WBA (h) +2; Sunderland (a) -2; Stoke (a) +3 That's an aggregate improvement of 7 points from these corresponding fixtures from last season. Hopefully another +2 vs West Ham.

Milan wants to get rid ... Milan have opened negotiations with Atlético Madrid as they seek to dispense with the services of Fernando Torres, who is currently on a two-year loan from Chelsea, and are hoping to secure Alessio Cerci in exchange. Torres, a British record £50m signing when he moved to Stamford Bridge from Liverpool almost four years ago, departed for San Siro in the summer, effectively to see out the remainder of his Chelsea contract. Yet the World Cup and European Championships winner has scored only once in 10 Serie A appearances and has not played in the first-team since the draw against Internazionale on 23 November. Milan had initially hoped to cancel the arrangement with Chelsea, but the London club are adamant the player is not returning to José Mourinho’s squad. “We have no space,” said the Portuguese when asked recently. “We have no space for players in our list, either in the Champions League or the Premier League.” With that confirmed, the Rossoneri are now exploring alternatives. Milan’s coach, Filippo Inzaghi, is understood to have met with the chief executive Adriano Galliani after Saturday’s league draw with Roma – the Spain striker was an unused substitute in that fixture – to discuss transfer plans and determine how best to address the issue. They hope to offer the 30-year-old a temporary switch back to his former club, Atlético, in exchange for Cerci. The Italy forward has struggled to settle at Atlético since moving from Torino last summer and having yet to make a league start, has managed a solitary goal in nine appearances in all competitions. It remains to be seen whether a deal can be struck, with Torres’ £150,000-a-week wage package a potential issue. Any deal would have to be sanctioned by Chelsea. The Premier League club do not anticipate any first-team players coming in or leaving in mid-season, though they may consider permanent moves for some of the 25 players out on loan. Borussia Mönchengladbach are keen to secure Thorgan Hazard after the Belgian impressed on loan at the Bundesliga club while Mario Pasalic – who has spent the first half of the season on loan at Elche in Spain – could depart for Besiktas. http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/dec/22/fernando-torres-atletico-madrid-ac-milan-chelsea

Would make for a nice couple of renders ...

So after the entire circus over Cahill's dive, no outrage when it comes to Bardsley's intended leg-breaker, blatant tug on Costa's shirt as last man when already on a yellow, or Charlie Adam shaping up to elbow Schurrle in the face?

Indeed, I said 'GOAL!' the moment it took a nick off JT. Great reaction save made all the better because he'd been wrong footed. He must provide so much relief to the defence ... compare Cech's flapping at the ball to his self-assured cool catches.

Possible. I memorised them off the few seconds they were shown on the screen.

Nah. I memorised these when they were showed on the telly. They were comparing Matic's numbers to Cahill and Terry's combined ones.

Our Xmas - New Year's schedule is a killer. 2 London derbies and away to Soton who've annoyingly come back to winning ways just as we're about to show up.

Stoke can't.

I really, really hope Bardsley breaks his leg. Absolute Grade A cunt.

9 tackles, 5 clearances, 2 times possession gained, 11 interceptions, 2 blocks. WHAT A PLAYER! Cahill and JT could've got their deck chairs and pina coladas out today and it wouldn't have mattered.

It seems silly to say this for a player who's missed two straightforward finishes (for his standards), but I thought he had an excellent game, his best performance in weeks. Proper centre forward shift - battled for everything, every ball played up to him stuck and even had a role in the 2nd goal with the run that opened space up for Fabregas.

Really confident. Boys look pumped.