Styles

Injuries and small squad because of the quota rules, he wouldn't be there otherwise.

Good things about the line-up: 1) Oscar dropped 2) Physical midfield to battle Atletico 3) Azpi playing at RB We have virtually no creative players on the field but who cares, it's going to be an absolute dog fight.

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: Go on, own up...who did it?

That's ridiculous. I know they say players are never truly 100% healthy and always play with a small injury but he's too important to be risked if he feels pain when touching the ball! We want him touching it, A LOT! We have to play without him today and make sure we have something to play for in the second leg. Hazard should hopefully be pain-free then.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA I don't like to use the term for that very reason and would NEVER use it offline.

It's nothing new for Mourinho or Chelsea. The media have hated us for years. That's what makes winning so much better.

I think we're going to be very, very defensive here. Play with a low block and commit very few bodies forward is what I'm expecting to see. Athletico are so good at pressing and counter-attacking that I don't think we're going to risk coming out and playing. As long as we have something to play for in the second leg I don't care how we play.

I'll blame Ramires for making mistakes on the ball and just showing a lack of quality, but I find it hard to blame him for having a dirty side when so many opponents get away with murder against us. The refs are also hugely responsible for making games pan out in ways that almost force players to lose their head. I won't blame Ramires for pushing back. I'd be happy if a few more showed as much fight.

Agree that he absolutely needs somebody else alongside him, Ramires does not help matters at all. Matic's pressing is very good when the rest of the team is pressing hard as well but sometimes he leaves huge gaps right down the middle of the pitch and he doesn't have much recovery pace. I like a lot of what he has bought to the team but against Crystal Palace where he tired badly and turned the ball over a lot and yesterday he has started to look a little ordinary after a very solid start.

Am I the only one who thought he was poor yesterday? Just as bad as Ramires in my opinion.

It was a very clear and deliberate display by the referee. It was just as bad, if not worse, than Chris Foy's performance in the Villa game.

He looks so powerless, weak and slow. It's as if his body gives up after 20 minutes. Just bench him for the rest of the season at this point.

Disgraceful ref but you come to expect that with Mike Dean. Of course the FA knew what they were doing by appointing a man from the Wirral to ref this game. There was never going to be any other outcome than what happened. They have been trying to derail us for weeks and they've done it. Brilliant comments by Jose afterwards. Well said.

Getting nervous now. It seems like every time we've been in a decent position in the league we've let it slip with a poor result.

Costa is a warrior.

Haha missed pen by Villa.

We need a draw here, that means their away game against Valencia will be huge with Barca/Madrid bretahing down their necks. Win here and they have some leeway.

He was brilliant and I enjoyed it, friend.

Fabregas is not a great player. And the bold is still my point and the reason why I don't want him. He was almost exclusively an attacking midfielder at Arsenal despite the common belief that he was some sort of CM there. He is not a pivot player and I wouldn't trust him there against any decent opposition.

No need for the youtube videos, I've seen enough of him to know what he does and doesn't do. We can and should do much better than Fabregas.

Lampard may not have been the quickest player but at his peak he was a very powerful runner and had incredible stamina. I've complained about Ramires being all athlete and struggling at the football side but at the same time I don't want a Fabregas who is all football and brings nothing else to the table. I want a balance, not to go from one extreme to another.

Too slow and not dynamic enough in my opinion. Great technique/ability but not for us.

He doesn't fit our team.

The stakes are too high here and all this guff about long-term management/stability doesn't change that fact. Luke Shaw is developing into a quality player by consistently playing football at a steady club. He has made 62 Premier League apps by the age of 18. RLC should be sold to a decent club with a buy-back clause, and that goes for every good young player we have coming through.