Tomo

Thats why he regularly takes off defenders to bring on midfielders or forwards when chasing games.

On the train back from last night's game some bloke said Messi wouldn't last 2 minutes in the PL , i challenged him on it and had him tripping over himself.

DId you actually watch the game? i was there and he was doing everything to drive the team forward but it just wasn't our night. Before you go on about how Mata would have done this and that he played in home defeats to QPR and Aston Villa during his time here aswell as a defeat to you've guessed it West Ham.

For the last time Hazard has not been sold

My prediction 12 pages off people saying we are going to get hammered and using examples of City beating teams we didn't just like against Arsenal and Liverpool and also like on those occasions we get something due to a good team effort. This is getting tedious.

There cant be comparisons to West Ham tonight to us at OT and The Emirates ? jesus christ. For a start when we went there the home teams were just as cautious as we were, something the media, oppo supporters and bizzarely a section off our own support tend to overlook. We weren't cautious tonight also we had chance after chance shot every 2 and a bit minutes on average. I don't blame gum chewer for his approach but if you think we went that defensive then watch all 3 games back.

Adrian was right in my line off sight in the second half and he kept moving the ball for GKs and even once caught a shot then acrobaticly fell to the ground. Theres eating a few extra seconds then theres taking the piss, how he didn't get booked is beyond me.

Just thinking back to the Hull match when Jose mentioned the tough choice he had between Carlo and Cech. Was that a subtle hint off something similar this summer.

I kept a close eye that night and yes only one off the goals were his doing i felt his positional sense was terrible even for someone his age. The reason i kept a close eye that night is because like you now i liked his game going forward and wanted to see what he was like at the back. Im usually against turning defenders into mids but maybe the Bale route might be worth considering with him?

Was that in the Carling Cup when we conceded 4 and he let Nile Ranger in behind him for one of them? Scoring and assisting one is pointless if you let in 4.

Whats all this sudden hype about PVA? he may have pace and occasionally hit a beauty but his defending is cringeworthy, Leicester fans couldn't stand him and Martinez froze him out at Wigan after 3 games. We got rid off Bosingwa, the last thing we need is the left back version.

It would if Torres and Ba go. Apparently Eto'o has been passing his experience onto Hazard (see his thread couple off days back) if he can do the same for Lukaku then that can only be good. Costa, Lukaku and Eto'o would offer us a real balance up front, one in his prime, one young and upcoming and one who's been around the block and won everything.

No he doesn't, Torres has many lazy games and when he does he makes Berbatov look like a workhorse.

I dont think he had a particularly good game, but even that is better than what Torres gives 90 percent off the time. You are right he does sometimes hold on for it longer than he should but even that beats turning it over and setting the oppo up for a counter attack. Before the Liverpool match remaisoftheday posted turnover count which was Eto'o 8 Torres 19, if iwas a betting man i wouldn't say that gap has closed much. Yes Torres has scored some vital goals but so did Kalou, Sheva, Kezman and incidently so has Eto'o.

Cant? he because i can remember 3 times in the second half were he escaped from a tight space with the ball still planted firmly at this feet. If it was Torres he would have conceded a turnoveror tripped over the ball but let me guess he scored 2 league games in a row so he deserves another 2 years?

80 percent of the time i go to Stamford Bridge we win 1-0, so get yourself down the bookies now. That tally would be higher if it weren't for Tim Cahill in 2007 the bastard.

Why is Marin even on any ones list? If quality players with not great work rate like Mata and KDB struggled to break into Joses side a crap player with no workrate has got absolutely no chance.

There was absolutely nothing in the 5th or 10th minute, infact i didn't hear about Mata once. There was defiently no chants showing frustration at Jose.

In the second half he went to take a corner the MHL chanted his name and responded with a clap and thumbs up back at us.

This is the first time i have gone to Stamford Bridge this season (im going again wednesday vs Wet Sham) and looking to the dugout and seeing Mourinho once again just fills me with such natural confidence and assurance. Even if we dont win the league this season it wont be long before we do that is for sure.

Just got back from The Bridge and i have to say that was a 1-0 thrashing, Stoke are so poor its unbelievable they had one half chance when Ireland hit the side net, their next best thing after that was a 25 yard shot from N Zonzi which Schwarzer easily caught. Scoreline is deceptive we battered them. Props to Ash today, he was getting forward even today especially in the second half, Oscar, Hazard were brilliant and Matic made it look so easy, what impressed me is he was always were he was needed to be if that makes sense, he read the game superbly and when we were going forward he gave the attackers an option, his passing was spot on to. City in the next round, get em back here and well do them.

This is in a nutshell why experience is pivotal at the highest level.

I dont know why its widely assumed Mata and Jose dont get on, Jose has only ever praised his attitude and individual quality while Mata has took to his blog to thank Jose. It was the same at Inter, he let Ibra and Vieira go (and the latter got his game time significantly reduced under Mou) yet both wax lyricals every time they talk about Jose. Off the pitch im sure they got on fine but its like he said on football focus once the players accept the club comes first, then everything is good.

I wasn't refering to you , you just mentioned the Casillas saga and i was just pointing out that i find it hilarious people are backtracking now Ancelotti has also chosen Lopez.

That Casillas material is pretty useless now considering Ancelotti has done exactly the same thing. It is hilarious watching journos and Jose haters back track on the Casillas-Lopez saga.