Tomo

Balance in the team is important, if we use him in a 4 3 3 with Rami and Mikel, he can still make those passes without having to defend as much. When you are in the pivot you have responsibilitys to protect the back 4. I want us to be a ruthless team that wins 3-0 4-0 with solid displays at both ends of the pitch, not the second coming off Liverpool last season.

He has improved his defensive side in recent games since his first half horror show against Swansea, he will never be particully good at that side of the game, but he needs to be adequate if he wants to be long term pivot player.

Which will leave us with Azpi and Luis as our only fullbacks unless Ake is ready for a major squad role. We have imo made a mistake coming in the season with 5 defenders then teenagers, but we have a top medical team so hopefully it won't come back to bite us.

Decision decisions, nice to have options, not long ago we went into games knowing Malouda and Anelka will have another stinker. I don't think we will play as high up as last season tho, they had barely any pace last season at The Bridge, this time Welbeck and Sanchez will be playing.

Mikel, Matic and Cesc in a midfield 3 for this, Mikel can sit and let Matic press the shit out of their midfield, his pressing and harrasing in this fixture last season was the main reason we swarmed all over them. Looking forward to this.

If he goes Leti he will be sitting on yet another bench, Simeone is a Mourinho discipline.

It works both ways, I have seen Liverpool fans show Hodgson more respect than a few select members (not you mate) here show the club's best ever manager.

Do if post 2010 Ash had some one like Coentrao as his competition he wouldn't have been dropped? I never said Bertrand was a poor player, he's a solid defender the same way Guzan is a solid keeper. Also AVB tried to phase Lamps out of the team, it's only when Meireles started stinking the place out he got back in more regularly. Jose played him at the start if his return because he was better than the alternatives, as soon as that changed (with Matics arrival) he hit the bench.

With the rotation he would face I reckon he would have got about 9 in the league like Eto'o, and there is also the general play to consider. Edens second goal against Newcastle would never have happened if Lukaku played over Samuel, neither would Oscar's vs Fulham (Samuel got a shot away under pressure which Stockdale parried in Oscar's path). There's a lot more to it than he would have scored then, then and then. There's also the impact Eto'o had over Hazard, which can't be understated.

Bertrand had his reputation hugely enchanced by playing in the CL final, despite not playing that well, his productivity that night was poor, but we win so we forget it, if we lost RDMs decision to play Ryan would have been heavily slated.That summer there were constant calls for him to replace Cole and at the age of 22 the next season was a big season for him if he wanted to do that. If you look back to the period when he was playing due to Cole s injury, that's when people started to realise he is at best a good squad player, not crap at anything (apart from conceding crosses) but doesn't really excel either. I think Ryan is a case of absence makes the heart grow fonder. He could probably have been a squad player with us under a manager who rotates defence more, but unfortunately for Ryan, Mou builds the stability of the team on defence. He will have a decent career, but like I said earlier 5 managers passed on the opportunity to replace Ash with him, despite Ash declining all that time.

Agreed but because of that there seems to be some natural assumption that he will be one if the best at 26. There's every chance players his age we haven't even heard yet of will overtake him in the next 5 years.A decent talent but his flaws will prevent him from getting to the very top, a good PL scorer in the mould of Darren Bent and Micheal Owen will be his ceiling in my opinion.

The thing is, only Messi and Ronaldo play to their full potential most games, I have seen Bale, Reus, Neymar, Robben all have their quiet games, good games then games where they are touched by god. If Hazard has 20 percent amazing games then 50 percent good and even in quiet games still make an impact that's enough for me, if he can improve further then even better.

AVB used him as sparingly as Mourinho did and also attempted to bring in Perreira.RDM and Torres is a unique case, I doubt he had a say in it, for RDM this was his dream job, his pinnacle, Roman barely wanted him so probably gave him the condition Torres must play, RDM then probably accepted those "terms" knowing he will be sacked on the spot if he fought back. Furthermore Danny was injured during Rafas time and by then the move to scousers was as good as done. RE the bit about established players, Rafa dropped Terry and Jose at Madrid dropped Cassilas for Lopez and Pepe for Varane, I have no doubt those two would have had the balls to make the change if they thought he could be #1 for us.

Will we stop hearing how he would have won us the league last season when he clearly wouldn't have.

The backtracking by media, pundits, United fans and even some off ours now LVG has also dropped Mata is absolutely comical.

The key question you need to ask yourself is Cole declined in 2010, since Ryan got brought into the squad he played under 5 Chelsea manager's and not one thought he was enough to replace an ageing past his prime Ash. If Ash was up against a younger version of himself in his prime or even a Coentrao level player, he would have been fucked.

There is a new core emerging at this club and Hazard is the most vital part if it. When he doesn't play the step down in quality at AM is so obvious, look at the Bolton game. Willian, Schurrle, Oscar and Salah are all very good players in their own right, they have strength's to their game but also big weaknesses, they will never be the star man at the club, maybe Oscar if he brushes up a bit but that's it. Hazard is the man, there's a reason managers double and sometimes triple up on him, because he is THAT good, he won't be someone who takes 20 shots a game and scores 50 goals a season because he isn't that type of player, it kind off what makes him what he is, he always makes the best decision, if the shoot is on he takes it, if the through ball is on he does that, if putting Alan Hutton on his arse is the best decision he does that.. The way he drives at defenders terrifies them, one minute there straigthing him, the next he's away that's why they double up because one on one? forget it. Even when I think he has had an under par game, I look at the stats afterwards and he has created more chances than anyone else combined, made more dribbles and key passes than any one else combined. That's why I laugh at this rubbish he needs to take responsibility, Cesc and Costa have been making the headlines this season but make no mistake, Hazard is every inch as important to our season as those two if not more.

Fair points. I still personally believe we need proactive CBs and/or another midfield enforcer before we can play the way we did in first few games in an away big game especially and judging by our tactics in Eastlands Jose thinks the same (Benatia looks even more appealing in hindsight), funny thing is I still think this already great looking squad is two or three years away from being complete. Great times ahead.

Wenger thing is more in jest, but the main points I make still stands. We tried to play it the same way as last season there, but a mix of our midfielders having an off day on the ball (in February they were all spot on) and Citys persistent fouling meant wr could never build serious momentum on the counter, where as last season we took them apart. What is conveniently forgotten is that home games against the big boys we have won with good football, especially Liverpool at home, if City scored a goal with beautiful play like Edens equaliser that day people would constantly be using it on here as an example off how football should be played. Arsenal at home aswell, yes they capitulated but our high pressing (especially by Matic) and coming roaring out of the blocks was a major reason for that.

Well you will see a manager next week play the attacking football you crave in an away big game, and if we play to even 70 percent of our capabilities we will benefit big time from it.

Just found it Not quite on the level of yesterday's but still preety impressive and at a crucial time, that was a last minute winner.

When are we going to stop judging Eden on his goals? he is never going to bag 50 a season because he isn't that type of player, he will only shoot if the shoot is on. The criticism/under appreciation of this guy is comical, especially considering Mata had a legal defence team on his thread any time he was even remotely criticised.

It was in 06/07 I think, youtube Jagielka vs Middlesbrough and it should come up.

He got a similar one for Sheffield United vs Middlesbrough when they were both in the prem.

As much as the board deserve credit for pulling the recent deals off, it's clear Jose really pushed them into making it happen.