Tomo

While on the topic of Shane Long, he seems to be Louis Saha's replacement for he plays against Chelsea, if you know what i mean.

He had a great game against City, but is a couple of good game enough to forget the last two and half years? did you defend Kalou so much when he had a great game at Anfield?

A bit harsh, Cahill is a fine squad player, he is just over-rated for me by pundits, commentator's and supporters in general and will never be a first team regular, if Mourinho decides Luiz isn't good enough, we will sign a new centre half.

I personally believe it was a load of different factors. Carlo's tactics and refusal to mix things up (i know he had a ridiculous paper thin squad, but his idea of pragmatism was rotating Anelka and Kalou) basically just sticking with the same failing team and hoping we will suddenly win 8-0 again. Not replacing the players we let go (letting Ballack, Deco and co go was 100% the correct decision in my eyes, apart from Ballack, none of the one's that left had that great an impact on the double winning season, they had their moments like Joe Cole at Old Trafford and Deco against Villa, but all in all, the players that left were clearly on the wane and that has shown since they have gone). The players that stayed getting complacent, was another factor, the lack of hunger was embarrassing and what was worse, there was sign's something was not right from as early as the Wigan game (we scored with all 6 chances we created that day). They played truly like well fed players off the back of a double chilling out for the twilight of their career. The biggest indicator for me something wasn't right was when we were 3-0 up at Upton Park and i was still scared it would end 3-3, Parker scored and Piquionne then missed an open goal, if he put that in with injury time still to go god knows what would have happened. I think his two season's with us actually sum up Carlo as a manager, when it's good it is amazing, and when it's bad it is not even worth talking about. There was clearly a lot more two it than the reason's i have just gave, but those were three of the main one's, all in all i hope lesson's are learned from that season so we never have to go through a season like that again, without doubt the worst season in the Roman era and probably since the mid 90's.

Cahill's error's are more subtle which is why they rarely get touched up on, like when he let Darren Bent go and he had that one on one which luckily Cech saved, as an example. They both have their flaws (which is why they don't work together) and at this moment in time Cahill is on better form which is why he is playing, but if both were on the same form (whether that be good or bad) Luiz will in my opinion be the one higher in the pecking order every time because he is better (like this time last year for example, both were on pretty bad form, and Luiz was higher in the order out of the two).

Sheva wasn't in his prime for us, Didier was better in 06/07, Lampard yes, JT i personally believe hit his absolute prime in 2005 (but even in 2007, he was better than most defenders in his prime he was that good, he was just a monster in 2005). The main point i mean is like the winning mentality created by Ferguson won't disappear overnight so Moyes will have to be a proper dope not to get them in the top 4 and i still believe United are good enough to atleast challenge, anything else and i actually think Moyes has underachieved in his first season if im honest.

Hopefully we return to 4-3-3 for good (well immediate future at least) this time, yes that will probably mean 2 AM's will make way and almost certainly 1, but the club comes first and it's what's best for Chelsea going forward and for me that's 4-3-3.

Cahill is on better form (than Luiz) at the moment, but i can't help but laugh when he described as either safe or solid. He struggles to play the offside trap and is easily conned by the opposition (*cough* Liam Ridgewell *cough*). Atleast the days of calling him the new JT has stopped. People go on about Luiz's mistimed mistakes, but for one of them he makes Cahill will have 5 (maybe more) moments were he fucks up trying to play the offside trap or is spun by an opposition player.

Top 4 for United is absolute minimum requirement (i still think they will get top 3, they won't lose the Fergie factor overnight) and tbh i still think that would be very underwhelming for Moyes. Because they won the title so easily last season, Moyes should at the very least have them challenging for him to be able to say he/United have had a good season, i mean after Jose left we took a United side at the peak of their powers all the way under Avram Grant.

I don't think it was all Carlo's fault, i think by in large the team (mainly the attacking players) just hit father time and it showed in the lethargic performances, when a defender comes in and is one of our main attacking threats we know something has seriously gone wrong. Having said that Carlo's tactics and way of going about things didn't help, what on earth was he doing announcing the lineup's in the press conference? like against Villa when he announced Bruma would play, if Houllier wasn't planning on playing Heskey then that changed pretty quickly after hearing that. His public scapegoating of Luiz pissed me off, he sat there all season while our squad were strolling in first gear then decided to have a go at one of the few players who actually looked like he wanted to play that season and was one of the main reason's we got back in the title race in the first place. Although i did want him to have one more season to rectify his mistakes from that term, that season was so bad, i try and find the positives in any situation but even i was struggling that term, that Liverpool match at home is still to this day the only one that has had me in tears.

Which made it all the more funny when i kept seeing "PL proven" as a reason we should have signed Rooney ahead of Cavani if given the choice.

Come on, he did a decent enough job at Everton, no it was not the work of miracle's people like to claim it was and no he wasn't and still isn't good enough to merit the United job, but he did a decent job at Everton overall, no more, no less.

Ferguson inherited a poisonous squad with an alcohol culture (or something along them lines), Moyes has inherited a squad that walked the title last season, and lost out on GD the season before. Ofcourse it's still early, but so far Moyes is showing all the traits that had me vocal in my view that we should never have considered him for the manager's gig at Stamford Bridge (basically most of the traits Roy showed at Liverpool).

It was more after the match when he said he would have took a point before the match. This is not just the Champions this is a side that have won 5 out off the last 7 titles and missed out on 1 of the other 2 on goal difference, and Moyes is happy with a point at Cardiff? It's just like Roy when he was at Liverpool, they came from a club that have a "that will do" mentality and he can't shake it off, luckily for Moyes, his team is 100 times better than the one Roy had at Liverpool, which is getting him a few extra results, other than that the comparison between the two are actually so obvious.

I didn't mean you (sorry should have made that clear in the last post).

That's 4 in 3 against Liverpool now for Lukaku, maybe Liverpool will be to Lukaku what Arsenal were to Drogba.

I was told we won that game 1-0 last season, only to be told a week later that we lost 2-0. I should have smelt a rat when he said it was Cole that got a last minute winner. As for the upcoming game, any thing we get their is a bonus.

I miss the days Eastland's was a 3 point (plus a clean sheet) banker

Well i can only speak for myself here, i think Mourinho is the best manager for our club, so i support him because well, that's what i believe is best for the club. If people want Mata to play because they believe that he we will get more results playing him instead of Oscar (therefore it being best for the club) then fine, but i have seen numerous complaints on forum's and for real about Mata not playing even after we have won matches, i have seen comments that Mata should be played out respect. Also what if Jose leaves (won't happen but just for argument sake) and the new manager plays Mata just as sparingly as Jose does? (remember the outroar when he dropped Casillas? only for all in sundry to shut up when Ancelotti did the same thing), what then?

I swear some people actually think like this "Last season we were out of the title race by christmas, out of the CL in the group stages, throwing away 2 goal leads, losing at home to QPR, but it was all worth it because Mata was playing every week". It's actually laughable just how many people put players before the club.

City fans must be so frustrated, on their day they are easily the best team in the league, but that day doesn't come enough. As for Spurs, there fans are making the same excuse Liverpool did under Kenny (using 'net spend' as an excuse for the signing's under-performing).

I had an Arsenal fan come up to me in the town last night basically wanking over Oscar, saying how great he is and the way he offer's great balance to the team.

In teams that apply high pressure, every single player has to do there bit, even Messi in Barca does. The pivot bit is a fair point, but even when that's sorted, Mata or whoever plays AM will have to do their bit in the pressing game.

omg i just seen this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mfgjj9n24AE

I didn't say only tho? the point im trying to make is being the best player in a unbalanced and stagnant team and being the best player when we are looking to win the title is two different things. Mata has been great these past two season's, but this Chelsea Jose wants to create is completely different to the 'cup team' he has played in before, high pressure and a mentality to win every week, not win 8-0 then lose to QPR not long after. Oscar has played well up to a couple of games ago, Hazard hasn't been great but is still our chief creator of chances (2 a game isn't it?). Plus Mata started 5 out of 7 games until the Newcastle game, the only two he didn't were Schalke and City (i wouldn't have started Mata against City even last season, that team have always been a thorn in his side, like what Arsenal were to Zola). Can Mata adapt fully and be a part of the Chelsea machine that is consistently getting results? i have faith in him that he can, i love Mata, but i love the club more.