Tomo

I'm not arguing with your main point just the United stat in isolation, they were just as cautious and passive as us, they were just passive with the ball and they needed the win more than we did.I'm not sure about all the "park the bus" games but I checked a few other than United and our possession was always around 45-50%, if United were more adventurous themselves we would hace seen more of the ball regardless of how deep we played.

He's still young enough, some players don't reach their heights till 27 plus.I think he's just keeps responding to the tedious comparisons to Messi and Ronaldo and that he needs to do more because he isn't a stat whore, I mean if they were playing today the likes of Giggs, Pires, Zola, Bergkamp and Ronaldinho would be "not doing enough". Messi and Ronaldo have destroyed the mind of the average footy fan.

Not saying it wasn't on the manager for not rotatingitsmore down to the displays then vs now, I wasn't too worried about them because like I said it was obvious we only had one agenda in mind and that was just getting over the line, yeah we looked lethargic at times offensively but I always felt we would get the points, a big difference compared to now, honestly we could have Watford at home next and I'll fear defeat.Also those games you've mentioned were the only ones where the defense was a real problem last term, this time round they have all fallen off a cliff, even Cesar is losing a few 1 on 1s and that's unheard off. Against City Aguero had 5 clear chances before he actually scored, that's unheard off for a Chelsea team let alone one managed by Mourinho,before these four games the only times I have seen us cut open so much was Barca and Bayern on the CL run in 2012, but for obvious reasons no one was that bothered in any of the post match threads. Point is tho for me there is no comparison between the displays second half of last season and this, the former we were proffesional answer focused on getting that title come hell or high water, this season so far we have been playing like a bunch of ametuers not even that from a defensive POV.

That minus 30% stat vs United is so misleading, it was like that because United spent most of the game passing between defence and defensive midfield.

There is actually a big difference in performances for me, right now we look as open as a defensive unit as we have ever been, the stats are damming. Second half of last season wasn't pretty but there was nothing to suggest was what was coming in August, our players were tired/lost form so we strangled the life out of games to get us over the line. We never really looked open or exposed at the back, whereas now.....

10-11 set us back so long, we have for the main part been winging it ever since.

The funny thing is if he was our player on loan at Reading last season and we loaned him out again the same people complaining about his signing would be slagging off the club for refusing to give him a chance It's almost like a reverse to the Bamford situation.

Has he got Mendes as his agent? How the fuck did he pull this off

If his career here runs a Similar path to Smallings I won't be complaining

I don't get why Mourinho is the only one that gets criticised for "not being proven long term", how many managers are in this day in age? Pep while at Barca admitted he wasn't going to stay because players will need new and fresh ideas and Klopp ran out of ideas at Dortmund and they have looked rejuvenated since he has left.

We saw with Varane, Mikel and Wanton that when Jose commutes to a young player he commits. I know its early days but the fact he brought him on when chasing a game vs Palace says a lot for the faith Jose has in him.

But of an exagaration, Ivan might be awful right now but Bosingwa was off the scale horrendous.

Ake is a fair point but Kalas needs to be put into context, he was given a job to do and done it well, but his performance in the backs to the wall at Anfield can't be used to determine his long term future here, I mean people say Cahill or even Terry look good because of the deep defensive line, in Scouse land that day we played the deepest line we have done for a long time bar vs Barca and Bayern on the run to the CL.Similar with Meireles (I know he ain't a youngster but the same principal as such) he was tasked vs Barca with running around and harassing Iniesta and Xavi best he could and done really well, but ultimately did anyone really shed a tear when he was sold months later? Although having said that I think Kennedy has a big chance here purely because of his mentality, to take Wickham on as the last defender on his debut at 19 took some serious bolax, I know its a little thing but how many that young would risk that knowing if they got dispossesed the striker was through on goal?

I swear we could sign a young keeper and people would comment on what that means for Bamford

Neither am I plus Aguero can handle himself, I'm thinking more striker who's quite flashy andskillfull but not very in touch with the tactical side of the game.

I disagree re movement, I've played in defends before and strikers who move around a lot are an absolute nightmare to play against, I'd much prefer facing a skillfull player who doesnt move around as much. Also drifting wide can often drag a centre half with you, like the Arsenal game when he drifted wide took Mertresaker with him and left Koscielny at Hazards mercy.

So great off the ball movement is "nothing" is it?

Costas early form last season spared us the Lukaku meltdown, let's hope Pedro can have a similar affect here, a goal and two assists in two games, so far so good.

Drogba wasn't much use in his last two seasons in the first spell(late cup runs aside).

Tbh if we get complacent against Barcelona because we beat Tel Aviv then quite frankly we don't deserve to get anywhere. I'm sure Barca had pretty easy groups on the way to winning their four CLs in the last ten years, Real in the group stage we would use up lots of energy on them and could be knackered for a league game and drop two vital points that could cost us in the league. Furthermore, Porto will be a decent test anyway, especially at The Dragao, it is probably the equivalent off going to White Hart Lane which isn't easy at all.

Can't we get that in the knockout rounds? Ask any manager and they would want the group stage to be as stress free as possible.

Yeah. Carvalho was a tank

We did a lot box rotating (for our standards) in the group stage last season. The group stages is the best time to take calculated gambles with selection.

The more "boring" the better in the group stage. Means we can rotate and keep players fresh, remember what happened the last time we had a "entertaining" group?

Theres one thing being a fan of Moses when the other alternative off the bench is Cuadrado, its another when Pedro is here to compliment the band of 3 we already have.With the four we have plus the option to go 4-3-3 Moses game time would be even more limited than Salahs.