Madmax

Premier League TV says Hazard faces a late fitness test because of an achilles problem.

What do you make to the start of Chelsea’s season? JT: I am enjoying how thick and fast the games are now coming at Chelsea. We are going into a stretch of the season where we will be playing two or three matches a week on a regular basis. This is what it’s all about - you want to be playing in all the big competitions. Will this period be a test for the squad and show whether you can handle a busy fixture list? JT: I think we have a bigger squad than last season and it is going to benefit us. The Champions League kicks in next week and then there is the Capital One Cup after that. It’s going to help us that we have a bigger squad. Manchester City benefited from having that last season and we will this time, too. How excited have you been by Chelsea’s performances so far? JT: We have started brightly. You always hope that your new signings come in and hit the ground running and our players have done that. Diego Costa has scored four goals and got off to a flyer. We are hoping he is available for the weekend against Swansea but he has made a good impact so far. You have high standards when it comes to Chelsea’s defence. How disappointing was it to concede three goals at Everton even though you won the game 6-3? JT: I know some people have been talking about that. We went throughout last season not conceding many goals and probably not scoring enough. We go up to Everton and score six and concede three but everyone is talking about the defence rather than how good our attacking play was. Before that we had only let in one against Burnley. Have you had a chance to work on the team’s defending in training? JT: We are only three matches into the season and not had much chance through this period. I was the only defender in at training for much of the last two weeks. Everyone else was away on international duty. For me it’s nothing to get concerned about yet. If it (conceding too many goals) happens three or four weeks on the spin, then it is an issue and I’m sure the manager will take a look at it. There are no qualms or problems for me at all. Everyone associates Chelsea with keeping clean sheets, though, so do you think people react more when you concede so many? JT: People can look at it that way but I think more should be made of the fact we scored six goals at Everton and how well we played going forward. Chelsea signed Loic Remy before the international break - what impact can he make? JT: I had my first training session with him on Wednesday and he looked sharp. He scores goals and makes it awkward for defenders because he plays on your shoulder. Is there even more hunger in the squad to succeed after just missing out on winning trophies last season? JT: For me the hunger is there from not winning the League. We need to get back to winning the title. It has been four years since we last did it but I believe we have the squad to do it. We are so driven. You have lifted the trophy three times. Does it hurt you to see other teams celebrate winning it? JT: Naturally. No player should stand there when seeing another team succeed and not feel hurt. We came so close in the League last season, Liverpool probably feel the same. When you play all those games and just lose out at the end, it’s disappointing, it’s heartbreaking. This is what you work all season for, it’s what you live for. I want to win trophies, last year we didn’t. We’re not more determined because we always are but with the signings the owner made, we will go for it again. http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/it-has-been-four-years-we-need-to-win-the-premier-league-title--qa-with-chelsea-captain-john-terry-9727789.html

I'm just sort of floating this out in the ether ... if he spends 2014-15 bench warming at United and they're willing to sell for ~15m while Oscar endures another season of the terrible form from Jan onwards, how many of you would take him back?

Real football is back

5/10 You could always check out sporcle soccer quizzes.

You're working hard, Choo.

If I win, I get to be mod for a day. If not, I don't.

Nobody who watched the Colombia game would tell you it was actually played like a friendly. We lost to Basel ... good thing we're actually playing Schalke, then. We did beat them 3-0 twice, after all. And with a much weaker squad. Thankfully Luis will be playing with Costa, Matic and Fab; not Torres, Mikel and Lampard. Anyway I think it's best to agree to disagree on this one. I'll quote you when he starts this time next week

Source : http://chelseaindex.com/1261/chelsea-and-transfers-an-evolving-outlook.html

Interested in the Leeds managerial job

Andre Schurrle talks life and soccer in London If nothing else, just watch the last 3 or so minutes of that video. He talks about his voluntary training initiatives and committing himself completely to becoming a better player.

I'd be disappointed if that statement is true (unless they've suddenly become pals overnight in Nyon). He has no business talking about Guardiola's hair and I wouldn't want to be associated with the idea of my club's manager making unprovoked personal remarks.

It's not an issue because even without any competitive football except 10 mins at Everton, he was fit enough to start twice on successive occasions for one of the world's most high profile NTs against 2 others who gave them a run for their money. He was part of the side that kept clean sheets both times with a comparatively much weaker defensive line (who he's seldom played with before i.e. no harmony) when compared to Chelsea's. I guess I'm trying to say he slotted in very well. With those games and an adequate rest behind him, why should his match fitness not be good enough to take on a decent albeit unspectacular side?

I don't know, I'm just relaying. He said he got word from someone who's in the know - a club source perhaps? On the surface there's not much inventive for him to make it up.

I'm watching this show called 'Football Today' on Premier League TV. There's a Daily Mirror journo on the show called Andy Dunn who narrated an anecdote that supposedly happened in one of the early season training sessions. Apparently Diego Costa summoned Oscar towards him and asked him to gather JT, Gary Cahill and Branna so that he could translate to them something he wanted to say. Oscar calls them all, they're standing in a circle and Costa tells the boy to translate this message - "I'm going to war this year and I want the three of you to come with me." I have a boner.

Well he's started 2 games in 4 days for Brazil and he'll very likely be rested at the weekend so I don't think match fitness should be an issue. I don't think their situations are similar. Azpi was brought in because he'd (presumably) impressed Mourinho with his work ethic while Ash wasn't at his best whereas Luis is the specialist who you have to assume will displace Dave once he settles and proves himself worthy of breaking up last season's settled line. By that train of thought, Azpi is your current first choice LB, so why would he be made to play thrice in 7 days when there is a bona fide, quality specialist on the bench, especially with City coming up just after? This is the perfect opportunity to bed him in.

Well that's an understatement. Yeah, he's not shit. And playing him against Schalke won't lose us the game, harmony or not.

I actually expect him to start against Schalke. Swansea probably comes too soon for the Brazilians seeing as they're just about getting back to England today. With 3 games in a week we'll see some rotation in that back line.

How did we go from discussing a contract extension to a move to Madrid? Bored journos pulling old rumours out of their backsides is one of the reasons I hate international breaks. No doubt next month we'll have someone revive the classic 'Hulk to Chelsea' story.

Excellent goal line clearance vs Ecuador yesterday

I think he's pushing that barrier. I tend to rate managers based on league exploits as in my opinion the sustained nature of the competition is a better barometer for defining 'success'. As you said, he'll be right up there if he can emulate his La Liga achievements of last season. That would put him level with Rafa - who's criminally underrated. For me Ferguson and Mourinho are at the very top and it's just about impossible to separate the two. Ferguson's squad building (and re-building) and his longevity is unparalleled, as is Mourinho's versatility and they're both unique in those aspects. Guardiola rounds off that top bracket simply because he revolutionized world football for ~5 years. And from your list, I'd have Klopp definitely above Carlo and Wenger (who's more of a coach) in my books, fwiw.

How much is Chelsea's army of youngsters on loan costing the club? It's actually earning them millions

What is one stereotype about Mexicans that applies to you, and one that doesn't?

1. What does 'No era penal' mean? 2. Have you ever watched Lucha Libre? Are Mysterio and Sin Cara genuine LL wrestlers?