Tomo

Jose sends loads of red herrings out in the transfer market, Rooney or bust, Mata staying etc etc

Just thought he has had seven managers in three years since arriving in England, even in the current climate that must be a record for a player in a three year period. In this country atleast. Andre Villas Boas Roberto Di Matteo Rafeal Benitez Jose Mourinho David Moyes Ryan Giggs Louis Van Gaal Any other player had that many managers in three years in this country? Obviously it's happened in Italy but here?

Terrible terrible news and RIP to passengers in all 3 planes. Ultimately tho flying is still the safest mode of transport, if you are ever involved in a plane crash or even a scare you are stupidly unlucky. Even when there's 3 in quick succession like now that still 3 out of hundreds of thousands. I have been on about 20 flights and never been remotely nervous, there's more chance of winning the lottery than being involved in a crash mid air.

Your first paragraph is basically what people were saying re Cech/Cudicini in 2004. Also Athletico last season were a more advanced version of where we are heading, so there won't be much adaption time needed in that respect, for as long as Jose is here he will be well protected.

Can see Mou signing another CB while Zouma is the Huth of this team.

Not to mention Schwarzer as numero tres. I have had my concerns on how it would work in terms of keeping them happy but if any one can its Mourinho, if we had someone like Rafa who isn't known for man management it could have been a problem.

Maybe on a personal level but professionally he is the most ruthless man in sport.Carvalho who followed him to three clubs was told to leave or face the reserves in 2012. Then he came back here Cole gets replaced by a RB, Essien barely plays then is sold, as soon as Matic came Lamps hit the bench. Mou will do what it takes to win, he will happily drop players he loves as well as sign player's he didn't have great history with prior, ala Eto'o and Cesc. I would say Mourinho controls the emotional and professional side of football very well, especially with his own.

When teams line up with two defensive midfielders people just assume it's defensive tactics when that isn't always the case.During Ronaldo s spell at United Fergie often picked two DMs to supplement Cristianos free role, even against shit teams, it's not negative, it's balancing the team out so CR7s free role didn't hurt the team defensively.

Would it be possible to have atleast two more freindlys before kick off? Im up for a big league, not sure if a 16 team league is ideal tho, means it will go on for 16 weeks, unless i have missed a change allowing us to play more than twice a week, it might become a bit to much of a marathon. Having said that i trust your judgement, so ill go along with what you believe is best.

Doubt it, i think this for season atleast Azpi and Luis will be the full backs and if Luis picks up a knock Azpi will switch to the left and Ivan comes into the right. Mou is building his foundation from the back and have his defence build an understanding so i think he will go for a versatile group of 6 (JT, Cahill, Ivan, Zouma, Azpi, Luis) rather than 2 in each position per se. Its a risk but having 8 first team defenders is pointless when we won't rotate there often, 2 of them would see no game time whatsoever. Maybe that's why Romeu's contract got extended incase of defensive emergency as well as midfield back up. Ake has a good future for us, but i think he will go on loan this term.

Messi and Ronaldo would score just as much in the current PL climate, the defences in England these days are bad, very bad.

A 3 skilled 23 year old whos money motivated gives him a good run for his money.

I agree, City is Juan's kryponite because of the midfield they have, that's why when he faces us I think Matic will have the measure of him.

Pointing out a player has weaknesses isn't downgrading there ability. The fact is Mata has weaknesses and in the system we are building they became a lot more noticeable than when he had the team set around him under Benny or was one of the few good aspects in a stagnant team the year before. The funny thing is I can see him having the same problems under LVG, the Dutchman likes high intensity games and wingplat.

I agree about them being different players, my worry was it took Eto'o adapting time so Didier being 4 years older and less games due to Costa he will probably need even more re adapting time after so long out of a major league.

https://fbcdn-photos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xap1/t1.0-0/10447670_10202623468092224_6650033202609409426_n.jpg my reaction if this happens.

I actually agree with Henrique here, the PL has declined tactically in the last 5 years. The entertaining games we have got in recent years isn't due to quality football, it is down to teams making defensive cock up after defensive cock up, I don't like that. Football is meant to be hard to score, hench why there are mad celebrations when teams do. High scoring games are a nice treat once in a while, but if they happen to often it actually makes a mockery off what the football is about, if there's another 7-1 in the latter stages of the world cup any time soon, serious questions will be asked. What im trying to say is in the second part of the 00's the prem was spot on tactically, teams had to score goals through great clever play as defensive cock ups were few and far between (Derby in 07 08 the only truly awful defensive side in that era) now half the goals are scored that way. The only good defence in the PL is ours and that's because we have a compent manager who implemented the system to help, when 2nd place Liverpool ship 50 you know some things seriously wrong.

Eto'o would have been a good safety net for Costa and Lukaku/whoever this coming season. Oh well.

Believe me i want that parasite out of this club just as much as you and it makes my skin crawl that he is still here and Eto'o ain't, but we can't just sign strikers on the basis there better than Torres.

Put it this way, 32 year old Eto'o needed a few months to adjust to playing in a major league again, now we release him when he is fully acclimatised to go through the same thing with 36 year old Drogba when we could jyst extend Eto's deal. The welcome back vs Leicester would be good but beyond that this has nightmare written all over.

Jose obviously thinks Didier can add something, he wouldn't bring him back purely for sentimental reasons to chase the past, else Essien and Lamps would still be here.

Not in isolation, if our basis for picking strikers are there better than Torres we might as well have left a written offer for Akinfenwa on the way out of Wimbledon.

Im in

Think your find Wimbledon ended a couple of weeks ago

He won't be forgotten in English football, his name will be chanted by home fans in every stadium bar Anfield in England for years to come.