nadavTKL

I dont see those two chances from Falcao as 'real big chances' for goal. Its half a chance for me, something that happens a lot in every game, in both cases our defense dealt with it, even if it was close to be dangerous. I dont think United created enough in the final third.

Sounds very strange what his agent said... cant belive it. Can he play on the wing? thats the only reason we'll be interested imo.

From this post im not sure if you understand that "RLC will get minutes" doesnt mean starting games.

8 points and win it on goal difference. Though we should win at least 4 of those 5 games (i would've said easily, but our form). * Only if Arsenal winning every game off course.

You're right about compact, but he have Willian. And Koke is alot better in the center than on the right side. More likely imo: Hazard-Costa-Willian Koke-Fabregas Matic

Not surprising at all. Im happy Mourinho look at those kind of players. Like i said in the Isco topic, Koke he's not as bright as Isco in the final third, and he's not as good in creating possession like Thiago in central midfield, he's the one who's doing the little-big things around the pitch. He'll be a lot better than Oscar. If i had the choice I would go for a Isco/Thiago to be honest, but its pretty reseonable to see why Mourinho would want Koke. He likes to be flexible, have the ball when its the best option, counter when its the best option. Fair enough.

Lots of chances for United? I think the tactics looked bad in the first 20 minutes, where the players didn't operate like they were told to, Zouma was walking around, our right side was open for Shaw and Young, no tracking back there, but it changed for the next 70 minuets, and since than they created only one real worrying chance, Falcao who hit the post. This tactics were built on the awareness of the players, a player losing is awareness for a second is something you think would happen if you're Mourinho, the issue is that it can't happen more than once or twice, and it didn't. Rooney chance in the start of the game, Falcao chance when Zouma loses is awareness for the only time, that's a good day for those tactics, always was like this, even with Atletico or Inter 2010 they gave that 1-2 chances when playing in a similar way. If thats the best way to approach those games in the furure? i very hope not, but it succeeded for this game. Results like PSG game happens when the players dont execute the game plan, when they lack urgency and energy "to get the job done". They just werent up for it this day, its Mourinho's fault as well. Better counter attacks from us would have made the tactics look much better for us vs United, but we couldn't do it mainly because of Drogba who's too slow this days (the speed of running and actions).

I think you rate our squad more than you should. There's something that we all want to see in Chelsea - the ability to play stylish football, more proactive. I'll elaborate what it acutally means - the ability to create posseseion game, to press high, play a higher line in defense, link up play between attackers, midfielders, full backs. Posseseion game - Lets take a look at our midfielders first- Matic, Cesc, Oscar, Willian, Hazard, Cuadrado, Ramires, Mikel. There are exactly 4 players out of this group who can play posseseion football in a descent enough way against quality sides- Matic, Cesc, Willian and Hazard. Oscar, for his role in the 10, just cant. Oscar loses the ball, Oscar misplace simple passes, Oscar cant take the very important role of being the second playmkaer next to Cesc. If a team presses Cesc, we cant control the ball, Oscar wont be the guy to run the show. Every top team who plays for possesion have at the very least two Playmakers in their line up - Real (Modric, Kroos, Isco), Bayern (Thiago, Schweinsteiger , Alonso), Barcelona (Iniesta, Xabi, Rakitic. and Rakitic isnt that great like Barca would like, thats why they cant keep possession like they used too with Xabi-Iniesta, thats also why Real completely controlled the El Clasico in the first half for example). We only have Cesc to create possession from central midfield, thats not enough for a team who wants to control the ball. How can you control the ball against the better squads this way? its too hard and its too risky. You're talking about "attacking coach", i dont know what you mean by that at all if im honest. imo our problem is that we cant have the ball enough. Pressing higher - Lets take a look at our first CBs for this season - Cahill and Terry. You just cant press and play a higher line against quality sides with such slow central defense, you'll get punished. I believe Zouma will take the place of Cahill next season from the start. That would be the right step. This team is still a work in progress, we have some players who can play more proactive, but the others cant. You're right about Hazard, Cesc, Willian etc, they can play differently, but others still stall the team from making real progress. I dont see a reason to think its the manager who stalls us. When we'll have another playmaker and a line up with better technical players, the ball will stay in our feet more, in a natural way, we would lose the ball less. If Mourinho wants it? i think he is, but thats the only question. If he doesnt want it i will be upset about him like you, but we should see. About PSG - Imo our performance was just awful in the bridge. The players didnt show any urgency, energy, it was the opposite of yesterday. When you play this way, thats one of the risks, people are right to say you cant play this way all the time, because its hard for the players. I believe if we played like yesterday against PSG, we would have go through. But playing for possesion? we cant do it against this side, like we cant do it against Arsenal. About Mourinho in Real - The problem imo was that this team wasnt able to create possession good enough. Ronaldo, Di Maria, Ozil, Khdeira, all of those players not contributing enough in keeping the ball. That was their biggest issue imo. They also couldnt break a defensive formation good enough, for the same reason - too many very direct players, not enough pure magic. "The brutal fact is, there is no big team in Europe playing this sort of football." First of all - Atletico. But Mourinho is very different from Pep or Barcelona or Real Madrid (as clubs), he doesnt care about not playing pretty, he can play ugly and stay happy just about winning the game. Those clubs and Pep and the likes of him dont want to play only for results. Mourinho before every game thinks what is the best way (in his opinion) to win the game, or not to lose it. And every way is acceptable for him. He knows what he can do with his current team and what he cant do, or what will be too risky and what will be less risky. And if playing like yesterday was the best option, he'll do it. I dont see it as a weakness at all. When our squad will be better fitted for more proactive football, im sure we wont see performances like yesterday. When we'll play against Bayern (with Pep) or Barcelona, im sure we'll play on the counter, no doubt, because Mourinho know they play for possesion and the best way to score against those teams is to let them play the ball, steal the ball and counter, but im sure the apporoch will be slightly different if we get the right players, like pressing higher. Bayern 2013 destroyed Barcelona with counter attacks, thats the ultimate goal for Mourinho imo. A team who can do both. Another thing - if Mourinho is so anti-possession, anti-proactive football, why did his Real Madrid side played this way against Barcelona when he felt they are good and talented enough to do it? he actually did it in the first game when they lost 5-0. Because of that lost he played more conservative in the next games against them, and in the second season and third he tried again to play more proactive and also succeeded most of the time.

Pogba? surprise me to see that people still dont know who he is. Pogba is not a classic CM to play in a pivot. He likes to go fowrard just like Isco. Matic-Luiz and Matic-Pogba is very different. You'll get nothing out of Pogba if you ask him to sit back. If he'll come, Cesc will be the one who sits back more. Pogba will be our Oscar, thats where is future is at. There are three "brackets" for midfielders this summer: 1. Pogba, Isco - players who'll play in front of Cesc (like Oscar), because their big advantages (along with great skills on the ball) are their dribble, the penetration, the ability to score (for Pogba) and assist (for Isco). 2. Thiago, Gundogan - players who'll most of the time play next to Cesc, but will give Cesc the option to get forword. They are more "defensive" than Isco or Pogba, they'll most of the time sit back and dictate the game with Cesc (i would call them "possession monsters") 3. Schneiderlin - players of his kind will help Matic in stoping the opponents. In aspects of playing the ball and keeping possesion they will offer a better option than Ramires/Zouma, but not like the players i mentioned in 1 and 2. There is also Koke, who is between 1 and 2. I wouldnt put him in the same bracket as Isco and Pogba because his contribution in attack, his penetration is'nt close to be that good. And i wouldnt put him in the same bracket as Thiago and Gundogan, because he's not a player who dictates the game from the back. He's a player who does the little-big things around the pitch, if its passing, if its keeping the ball, if its defending.

There's really one question, and its not about Isco who would give us just what we need - an option to create possession, another player next to Cesc who could dictate our game. So the question is what we could expect from Mourinho when his midfield will be Cesc-Matic-Isco. Will he build our entire game around this trio? we all remember he did it with Cesc-Matic-Oscar in the start of the season, but he throw this trio -and the game we played around them- away by now. Will he feel comfortable enough in the big games with this midfield? In that aspect, actually Gundogan sounds to me like the most secure option. He can sit back, he can let Cesc go forword, while given us option for possession with his technics and smartness, point is that he's a pure CM unlike Isco or Pogba. But its really about our manager and what he prefers.

Mourinho came with his beloved plan and it worked great (except the first 20 minutes when we were very confused). Im happy it worked, but thats not the football i want to see next season. He should get those few players that he needs to get back to the football of the first half of the season (Another playmaker and a CB).

We were lucky not to concede in the first awful 20 mintues. Around 30 we started to press more, and the goal came from it. We cant return to sit back with no press at all, that will end with a goal for United probably. Need to keep pushing and get on more counters as we did in the last 15 min. You dont have to be in possesion, but you cant be passive. Thats what we (again) learned in this 1st half.

I wouldnt say tight, Valencia should have lead 2-0 at least in the first half, they pressed so well and Barcelona paid for starting with Mascherano-Busquets-Xavi in midfield, they couldnt keep the game calm. 2nd half Valencia didnt have the same energy and Rakitic got in.... Valencia are great, its a shame they missed so many chances, that could cost them for the 4th place. Otamendi? they woudlnt sale, they have the money there, he would maybe go for 50m euros imo.

Mourinho you have no balls. I hope you grow a pair next season.

And if we want empty statements get BlueLyon? Explain yourself.

"Zamparini is asking for €40m and it seems to me like a fair price. Chelsea presented an offer a while ago, but it was very low." Seems like an old story... cant see us entering this race.

Again with 22m for Koke? supporter you mentioned it more than once and i still cant see why you hold on to that number. Your source is an unproven/unknown Spanish outlet. And why would Atletico sell for that price when there's a release clause of 60m euros? they are a very competetive club, and there are enough clubs to pay the 60m if he really is leaving, Everyone has their own opinion, i would take Isco before Koke. I think he's better in pretty much everything besides work rate, although Isco is very capable too in doing the defensive work. In Real he's playing one of the 3 in central midfield and doing a fine job at both sides of the pitch. I wish he would be available, it would be another great option for us. I think Supporter mentioned all the best options (or "could be options"). To be honest if Thiago would be available i would pay my own money to have him in Chelsea, i already said i think he's the next big thing in midfield. He'll probably stay in Bayern, i think he'd stay even if Pep will be gone, they know what they have in him. I'd say for me its: 1.Thiago 2. Pogba 3. Isco 4. Gundogan (if he's back in form) 5. Koke. But really, anyone of those 5 and i'll be super happy.

What? he said in the press cornfrence that he doesnt think about a year off.... you're trying to trick us or something? Rumors (or its a fact i dont know) that the whole medical depertment of Bayern resigned after Pep blamed them for the loss vs Porto.

Ok, but i still dont get something, those "PFA Members" made this shortlist of six players and than they vote AGAIN for the best player from that shorlist? or the shotlist was made by the FA? And "PFA Members" - who are they? Terry is the one in Chelsea, so its captains?

Anyone actually know how this PFA awards work? cause i dont. i mean we saw Terry already chose his player and team, so whats with that list? and what happens next? And who votes? only the capatins or all players?

We have a better LB than Bertrand, but he doesnt play.

Third goal was a huge mistake by Luiz, shouldnt went for the steal so agressively, second goal was just the brilliant Suarez imo.

You're ignoring the fact that we dont have any backups for attacking midfield except Cuadrado, and Mourinho for now not using him, so if we repalce Oscar with Pogba/Koke and sell Oscar, we need some more options in the squad. Valencia can be that option. Getting him doesnt mean he's going to get a spot in our XI...

Mirror are running an exclusive that Mourinho wants to sell Oscar and he's after Enner Valencia again. I think Jose really wants another winger, thats why we're hearing about Valencia, Douglas Costa and Gaitan. He know he doesnt have any options on the bench (i think he know Cuadrado was a mistake), he wants to bring in a winger with better ball control. I believe and hope he doesnt want those players to be "Oscar's replacement" in the XI, like mirror are saying, and he'll bring more of a balanced midfielder for his place (Pogba, Koke, Gundogan). Not a natural AM. Right now we dont have any good options on the bench in midfield. Ramires, Cuadrado and Mikel cant fit to the game we played in the first half of the season and the football we'll want to play. If Oscar leaves, we need two players, one for his spot and one for depth. and we need a Matic back up who's comfortable with the ball. A summer of Pogba/Gundogan, D.Costa/Gaitan (if Oscar leaves), and Imbula/Kondogbia sounds like the best case for me. That and a CB.

Porto is a wonderful team, they always are a joy to watch, playing the same way season after season, and this season they have a really great team. Bayern just cant do too much in the final third without Ribery-Robben, but that would have been the case in Barcelona too if Messi and Neymar were not playing... so its just bad luck. Porto took advantage of that, they waited for them and in the right moment pressed, and if they couldnt get the ball they just set back and Bayern couldnt figure out how to open their defense. And they were there to take advantage for the huge mistakes by Bayern. I dont know what people talk about "Mourinho not playing this way, shame", it was a classic Mourinho what Porto did today. In the first half of the season, with Oscar-Matic-Cesc we pressed very well in some games, but like i said already in some occasions, the problem is that Mourinho cant trust this group in the big games, and thats because of Oscar and our slow central defense. Oscar not good enough in keeping the ball and its making us too easy to handle, just press Cesc and thats it, you killed our possesion. And if we press, we have Cahill and Terry who cant play a high line against the big teams, you cant press with a low line, it will leave hugh spaces. So Jose play Ramires so at least he'll have better defending... so we seat back, wait for counters more passively. I dont like it like you, and i think that now after we secured the title more or less, i want to see the same approach he wanted and started with in the beginined of the season (with Zouma in the XI and hopefully Luis and not Ivanovic). Hope to see something like that in 3 days.