Tomo

What's Torres done now?

Liverpool, that club are scum from top to bottom. Them winning the title last season would have been a disaster for society aswell as football.

No, they sack managers who they believe won't take the team forward, I love how people just think that they were sacked purely because they didn't win the league or CL, it's such a simple way of looking at it. Lets look at the managers Roman has sacked. Ranieri - Roman never wanted him, he was gone regardless. Grant - Not a long term option, if he wasn't sacked in the summer it wouldn't have took long after. Scolari - players were unfit, we had no game plan, Benitez showed the world how to combat Scolaris Chelsea and from then on we had no answer. Ancelotti - Awful second season, comatose football, sticking to underperforming players, giving to much away tactically in press conferences and pre match interviews, making the same mistakes again and again and again, I mean ffs Kenny Dalglish tactically outsmarted him. People refer to 2nd place but that doesn't tell the whole story, we still had a good defence that season so managed to scrape a lot of turgid wins but our attack was horrific. Carlo was sacked due to performances, we were absolute rubbish and that season set us back years. AVB - Roman wanted to give him time and kept him for as long as possible, until a variety of things forced his hand. RDM - Never wanted by Roman despite the CL, was always waiting for the first excuse and took it. If we are dining at the top end and just miss out, what would be the point? We saw what happened to United and if we sack Jose and make a Scolari lite mistake, with competition increasing all the time we could be in serious trouble. At the very very worst Jose will have us competing at a high competitive level, and I think Roman knows that. Furthermore just because he use to be 'trigger happy' (again overexaggerated, all the managers sacked had reason for dismissal, and all turned out to be right, apart from Jose but that was mutual consent) doesn't mean hr still would be now, are you the same person you were in 2011? Saying Roman will sack because he done it before is just to easy a way to look at things, I eat a tub of Harbenero sauce a few years ago and I sure as hell ain't doing that again.

Why?

Agreed, we need to get someone else in, only issue is will they sign knowing they will be number 2 unless they massively exceed expectations or Diego had a massive dip.I still wish we kept Eto'o, but that's for another argument.

If he had the work ethic Lampard has ...............

If Arsenal get dumped in Europey, that could prove as much a distraction in the league if not more.It's easy to say play the reserves and the team will be fresh for Sunday, that sounds logical on paper but in practice doesn't work like that, see Spurs last season for example.

That's why we should have kept Eto'o this season, he is still good enough to fill in when and where, Torres and Drogba aren't imo.

How about this for a bold prediction people. We will win the league, defending and attacking as a team (nothing more 'attractive' than that) playing brilliant football, Hazard will be unstoppable, Costa will score 20 goals while Brendan and Pellegrini will take there defending doesn't count bolax down to 6th and 3rd respectably and best of all? We will regroup next summer and do exactly the same again and again and dominate the league for years while all these miserable purists take solace in their possession trophies. What would make all this even sweeter is everyone who critised Mourinho and keep enrolling on these tedious myths about him will be squirming when one by one all the myths get tore apart to smetherings.

He was actually a better understudy than was given credit for, that City game unfairly tarnished what was a overall solid 5 years as a back up keeper (his last game was 2011). He struggled with consisency if he got a run of games (most back ups do) but he could come in for one or two games and do the business, Liverpool 2009 and Barcelona 2006 the two main examples.

Tottenham could surprise a few this season, not in terms of the title but dark horses for top 4. They actually have a very strong and deep squad, just Sherwood is an idiot who had no clue how to use them, and even in the midst of that they got 69 points. With Poch at the helm I can see them being this season's surprise package. What I do know is competition for top 4 places is higher than ever before and will only get higher.

Remember Mata's achillies heels in games for us? City, Leti, Juve, Shacktar. All had powerful midfields. If Mata hurts us it will be a free kick, in regulation play im almost sure Matic will have the complete measure of him, if LVG picks him that is.

I meant Benatia lol silly me.

Just read your op Alex and had to comment on the irony of this part considering Fernandos gone all circle and returned to being a defender haha

Given the fact defence won't see rotation unless necessary and we have one of the best medical teams in the business, it's a risk worth taking. If we have 8 defenders in our system, 2 would see next to no game time whatsoever.Although having said that, if there's a real opportunity to sign Benat, we should snap him up.

Fair enough, tbh i wasn't even basing it on pre season games (i don't take much from them at all), i guess it looked that way given the timing off the post but i was more thinking out loud. My basis for my concern is Matic likes to take chances sometimes and press very very high to win the ball, it has high reward like against Arsenal but every now and again he doesn't win the ball like when Delph skinned him just before his winner vs us, this ain't a bad thing on Matic i think he is the best DM we have had since Maka im just saying due to Nemanja's proactive game there will be a few instances were he gets caught out and Cesc will be the only one protecting the back 4. Also i think Matic is underrated attacking wise, he has good passing (see assist for Salah vs Arsenal) and has devastating bursts forward in him (that run and dribble at Anfield a little taster, as well as his assist for again Salah vs Stoke).And I fear in a pivot with Cesc, Matic might get restricted due to Fabregas not being the best defensively. I personally think the best for this team would be 4 3 3 with Matic, Ramires and Cesc (offers balance but the only downside is that would mean an almost certain casualty in AM but that's the nature of the beast) with Rami being the main holder, I really believe Matic could be our box to box general, would be such a shame to see him restricted. I hope im wrong and Matic and Cesc partnership does turn out to be as good in practice as it is on paper, but im not sure. (Styles brought this subject up a few weeks back and he explained it a lot better than i am now)

Im somewhere in the middle of Term and TOPTB, honestly I can understand both arguments, I don't think he is a traitor, but I can't pretend this hasn't left a very very bad taste. I would be quite annoyed if I was a City fan to, because ultimately when he retires he will be back here as a coach or ambassador, and City will be a 6 month spell in his twilight years, he will be celebrating victory for us against City for years to come from the stands or dugout.

The I didnt care comment did it for me.

About Cesc, if your refering to my comment in the match thread I don't think we shouldn't have signed him, im just not convinced the Matic Cesc in CM will turn out the way we hope. Would love to be wrong.

I disagree re HG, I think a HG core off about six players is important in football but that's for another argument.About the youth tho, you couldnt be more spot on, people don't seem to get how complicated youth development actually is, every single time we don't throw a youth product in we are apparently what's wrong with football and ruin there careers, even some of our own lot jump on the bandwagon ffs. I mean if RLC was the best midfield option we have, mentally, technically and tactically he would play, it's that simple.

The first and hopefully last player I have grown to dislike while he plays for Chelsea. I genuinely can't stand the sight of him.

As the years went on yes, it became pretty obvious he wasn't good enough to be a main man, however, as a squad player I think he is fine. He came in at Leti last season in a CL semi final and was really good, we need squad players capable of that. We have our bonafide numero uno in Nemanja Matic, Mikel is perfectly capable of filling in when and where.

Gif of his miss?

Does it? Marko Marin alone is strong evidence on the contary.

AVB had a 100 percent record for us in his pre season. Freindlys mean fuck all.