teignman

Far too much dithering on the ball in this match, or at least for the first hour or so. We should've have played quicker and more direct on the occasions when they came out of their foxhole. The ridiculous shots from distance got to be infuriating after a while. Also, our insistence on crossing early on was an exercise in futility. Eto is poor in the air, and it's nigh on impossible to get one of your attackers on the end of a cross when you are completely outnumbered in the box. This was reminiscent of a match a few seasons ago at St. Andrews. We had 20 or 30 shots to their one. However, we lost that one 1-0 to a Lee Bowyer strike. Lee. Fucking. Bowyer. Goes to show things could always be worse I suppose.

Because according to their sycophants in the media, Urnited is going to blow 200 mil in this window and the next on the likes of Pogba, Vidal, Cavani, Gundogan, and Reus (to name a few).

Exactly. This is one of the multitude of reasons why this doesn't make sense for us. The only parties that this rumor makes sense for is Manure and their gobshite cronies in the media that are trying to increase circulation and page clicks.

Well this seems like an appropriate reaction.......

In this case we can make an exception

If he were going to Spurs, Levy & Co. would probably make him pay for his own bed at dodgy hostel.

Though today is supposedly the day, as reported by numerous media outlets, that he will become a Chelsea player (again), it would not surprise me in the least if it takes considerably longer to get any deal done.

Your credibility on this subject looks tenuous at best. I wouldn't have thought so from the outset, but in a financial sense, it's looking increasingly likely. I did take into account the money that your club receives up front from TPO's, such as the Benfica Stars Fund. Also, I noticed you failed to mention the transfers where Benfica fared far worse (the Di Maria, Coentrao, or the Ramires transfer,where Benfica received only 20% of the transfer fee) when citing an example. I wouldn't be surprised in the least if this was bandied about during the negotiations for Matic.

If you had bothered to read the link for David Conn's article, there were quotes from a Benfica spokesman speaking on the subject of the club's rather large debt. Furthermore, your dismissal of journalists that are not native to a country where a club is located borders on xenophobia, and at the minimum is nonsensical. It is simply untrue that you have posted a profit for the last 4 years (this is from a Reuters, Lisbon-based Portuguese journalist, amongst other sources, if it helps you). Also, this is a matter of public record, as Benfica is a publicly traded company. Your financial situation is not as dire as Malaga or Anzhi, most likely due to the holdings of Benfica's parent company. I did not intimate, nor did any of the articles linked, that Benfica was selling its players for a bargain. However, your club is not receiving the total transfer fee from these players. Large chunks of these fees go to third party owners, not directly into the coffers of the club.

Oh really? http://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/2013/12/12/5202204/nemanja-matic-to-chelsea-this-transfer-rumour-adds-up http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/22507686

Too bad. I was hoping Roman would hire a gang of toughs to find Arnesen and beat the money out of him for including Matic in the Luiz deal.

Sigh, yes. I can already see the journos running wild with referring to DL as our "£50m Center Back" in their headlines.

No, it was not. After a relatively dour first 45 minutes, we opened the 2nd half with a goal from a lovely low cross from Azpi. We then completely dominated proceedings and looked very threatening to get a second for the next forty-some odd minutes at which time Sunderland actually created a good chance (if recall correctly, the only one they had up to that point) and, of course, scored an equalizer. Extra time was a much more back and forth affair, and, unfortunately, we were downed by a Ki winner a few minutes from time. I think much of my and others' frustration and anger about this match is bore from the manner that we lost and the quality of the opponent. The same themes and shortcomings of this team are revisited on an alarmingly regular basis.

Nah, he has a ridiculously high release clause and his corpulence would cause massive mobility issues in the pivot. Wait, perhaps I read your comment the wrong way..........

Song's problem was positioning. Far too often, he would get caught high up the pitch, and leave the defense exposed. From what I've seen of him at Barca he seems to have improved on this aspect of his game.

We continue to rely on mistakes and pure luck for goals. If only we had a two time POTY to include in our starting eleven . Second, I am absolutely done with Iva at right back. He offers little to nothing, in an attacking sense, from that position. It has gotten to the point that the opposition allows him all sorts of space due to his impotence. Dave, as he has shown, can make that position his own.

One of the most enjoyable facets of the burgeoning Mourinho revival is the amount of effort and desire being shown by the players. It's a refreshing change from the listless displays and late-game capitulations that were the hallmark of the interim's tenure.

One of the sweetest LC victories in memory. A comprehensive victory from start to finish. As an added bonus, we stole the sanctimonious Gooners' comfort blanket by playing better football than them.

We're through the looking glass here people.

Yeah, I'm aware Mikel had the most touches in the match. My point was that up to a certain point deep in the game Brana had the most. Please don't take this post as being snarky either. I just wanted to clarify my original statement. Pedantic maybe, but definitely not snarky.

Just to add on to your observation, deep into the second half Brana was leading the team in touches. I found that to be disturbing and rather damning of our play as a whole.

No you may not. Carry on.

This "performance" was pathetic. We were at home against a far inferior side and were outplayed in nearly every facet of the game. The main issue that stuck out to me was that we look so disjointed, especially in attack. As we've seen before in this young season, we are very narrow and our creators are seeming stacked on top of each other. There were far too many points against Basel where our players literally could not get out of each others way or looked as if they had no idea what to do in possession. Don't get me started on the defense either. Once Basel decided to apply themselves in an attacking sense, they moved the ball about with ease, with Saleh in particular giving Ash an absolutely torrid time. I certainly hope that this is the nadir of our season. Unfortunately, my deepest, darkest suspicions that we are no where near title contenders, but rather destined to battle it out for a CL place, are being confirmed. Bottom line: We need to get our heads and our arses wired together or be prepared for heaping helpings of shit sandwiches until the end of May.

This summer we saw many twists and turns in the frenzied alternate reality that is the transfer window. We started with the return of our very own prodigal son and loanees both young and old. Then we strengthened the depth of our attacking band, added a promising all around young Dutch midfielder, and finished by signing a once world class striker that we hope can rekindle his lethal form at the highest level. Oh yes, and of course, because we're us, we purchased some young attacking mid/winger types that may never see the first team, but could make us a tidy profit in the future. As per usual, we also loaned out an entire squad of players to various clubs around England and Europe, the most notable of these being Rom and Victor. So I ask the habitue of the finest Chelsea Forum kicking, how was it for you? I have chose various strikers in our history as a means of rating. Please feel free to elaborate on your analysis, and try to refrain from bilious comments, at least to one another.

3 years. 3 agonizing, bitterly disappointing years.