Styles

Good second half? You must be having a laugh. Although that just confirms how sh*t he was in the first if the second was an improvement. Nothing will imrpove with him in the team every week.

Stll the same team so still the same performances. If we're being entirely honest with each other Lampard is now one of our biggest problems. He is slow and just passes sideways. He has no energy, speed and doesn't make progressive passes. He was worse than Kalou in my opinion.

I just like to see us get better and younger McEachran, Piazon, Mikel, Sturridge, Oriol, Luiz, Ramires etc all under 24 years old!

He might not be the winger we all want but he's a very good young player. He is the best player from the 3rd best team in Spain. That tells you he is a very good and at only 23 he will get even better.

That's already an improvement! We'll forgive him for being a bit hit and miss with his passing. I'd rather a player who sees the pass and can sometimes make it as opposed to a Kalou who can barely control the ball let alone see a pass. He will and thank god for that!

You're right but I didn't mean to imply he doesn't play on the sides. What I meant is that his skill-set is very similar to that of a number 10. I've seen him play many games, I just posted the video for those who haven't watched him regularly.

Some game videos for those of you who want to see what he plays like: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwJzYYdxQr8

I think you're in for a masisve let down because Mata is nothing like Robben. In fact he's a lot closer to a Malouda than he is to a Robben in terms of style. He is a number 10 that can operate out on the left. He's smart, technical and has good passing ability. What he doesn't have is the sheer pace of Robben that takes him past players. Mata will be excellent at finding space in tight areas, recieving the ball and moving it forward. That's exactly what we need so I'm all for this transfer.

He's only 20 and instead of sitting on out bench could be getting experience of games in better leagues. I would rather he grow than waste away like Kakuta did.

The Arsenal fans sang this song on Saturday against Newcastle

The French league has given us some great players over the years so it can't be that bad.

Wishful thinking mate. I would be astonished if City and Nasri don't already have an agreement in place. They were the team in for him first and have been tracking him for months so it's very much looking like a done deal.

LOL Hazard would complete our Belgian gang. Thibault, Lukaku and hopefully De Bruyne and Hazard! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CfamAKksd8&hd=1

He's won everything there is to win. Why not make insane money, he will probably never be offered the figures he's being offered now. Eto'o isn't some 25 year old with no medals. Good luck to him, hopefully with the money he earns his projects in Cameroon and Africa will continue and help poor children.

I noticed that when it happened, lol it was very funny. Torres always had that bit of a nasty streak in him, especially when he use to play against us. Some people underestimate how much better a player is when he's playing angry and nasty.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2011/aug/15/five-things-learned-premier-league

Tommy

True. He is both manager and director of football. Total and absolute control. But if Boas doesn't even recognize Kalou's lack of ability then he shouldn't have any control either.

Ok, fair enough. But you have to admire their ability to constantly change and still manage to remain on top right? Why are we so afraid of change? Why can't we get some new players in?

Brown, O'Shea were marginal figures. Smalling and Evans will give you the same if not more. Neville was useless and hardly played. Hargreaves was always injured and hardly played. De Gea will get better. He is one of the top young keepers in the world and is only 20. They only really had to replace VdS and Scholes. Not the other 4 players you are including to try and beef up your argument.

There was nothing different at all from last season.Same team with the exact same lack of quality in wide areas and no creative ability in midfield. If you wanted changes then you should have watched the Man Utd game, who even after winning the league comfortably, improved their squad and promoted young players into the starting line-up. Chelsea don't do change.

Even Anelka at his absolute worse is still infinitely more competent than Kalou. He has a better first touch, doesn't lose the ball even if he holds on to it for half an hour at a time and has the pace to make opponents back up and give him space to do something for instance the shot that was saved today that was nearly a goal. Nobody respects Kalou. He has no techincal quality. Zero pace. No strength. He is truly awful in every way. He doesn't have a single redeeming quality.

Slight murmurs of discontent at this point. If he plays Kalou again it will begin in earnest.

Barcelona just keep getting better. And we still have Kalou. I want to cry.