Tomo

As i said to BM i probably worded it wrong when i said single handedly, but you can't say he didn't stand out like a star in that stagnant squad.

As good as he was tonight, it's still Luiz against City for me. Although it was a friendly, what happened against Madrid will happen again here (and in every big game, unless we defend with a low block) if Luiz does not play.

It's the 9th game so the question should be. Which two of our players are getting sent off this time?

What's the score with Kalas? could this be the game he makes his CFC debut?

Ok you win, he's back, he's going to be the best player in the PL this season, he makes Aguero looks shit.

@, is spot on, i don't think he was that great, but he scored 2 goals and i have always believed that if a forward scores i can forgive any other parts of his performance, so for tonight atleast, life is good.

Maybe i should have explained he point better, but it's those two games that got us back in it aswell and above all that he defiantly helped restore some form of pride in that season, i usually try and look at the positives but even i was struggling that season.

Well, we would have been 18 points behind United had we lost to them at Stamford Bridge, Luiz's fantastic 2nd half performance especially won us that match, in where he scored the equalizer, he maybe was lucky not to walk, but the player he fouled should have been suspended, so swings and roundabouts. Then their was the City game, nothing got past him the defense and he won the free kick and scored from it to give us the lead. He was a big part in us recovering our season to an extent, their were matches he was literally the only positive in a stagnant Chelsea team.

The same title race when we were 12 points off the top when David Luiz arrived and he single handedly got us back in the race? We weren't winning it that season even if we won at Old Trafford, the damage was done in December. Also both JT and Luiz were at fault, Luiz for playing Hernandez offside, Terry on, but of course if forgot, Luiz is the only defender to ever make mistakes. Oh and just to add, he personally has a superior record against Man.Utd in head to head's. He has also never been on the losing side against Arsenal or Spurs.

I know, but their fans will always believe that, and always be kicking themself's because of it, and it's quite funny seeing them trying to convince themself's Moyes was the man they always wanted

Funny thing is, we may have to see Sturridge scoring goals for Liverpool and Matic playing well for Benfica knowing we let both go, but United are going to be reminded week in week out that they choose Moyes over Mourinho.

Happy to be wrong, i thought this game was tailor made for him to do one of his disappearing act's. Im glad he is on decent form right now, hopefully he can keep it up for a sustained amount of time, he needs to do that before i consider the dreaded 'he's back line'. Hopefully he can bring this form into the PL, im guessing he will play against City and Eto'o vs Arsenal.

Basle defeat now compensated for, and even better, Steaua have scored last on.

My would have been responses have basically been covered in my absence but i felt the need to reply to this. Yes i was away for 2 months, but when i got back i spent about a week watching the full 90 minutes of the matches i missed.

He defiantly isn't perfect, but i do feel he is better at right back than he is given credit for. I think it's more Mourinho's history with success more than his history with the club that means he is given more leeway by supporters, im sure if we had Fergie or Pep they would get similar leeway because they are also serial winners.

Fair point, but i do feel he is still a way from being a right back and i do believe Ivanovic is still better in that position than general opinion suggest's. For as long as Mourinho is here, we will get more results than we would any other manager, so i can live with a change that goes against my preference (not that this one does). I always have preferred Ivan as a full back, he may have started as a centre back, but like Carragher said, no one starts out as a fullback, they end up there by hook or by crook.

I can actually seeing us having a busy January, Mourinho is not known for hanging about when he see's need for improvement. If Dortmund exit the Champions League, it could be worth making a bid for Lewandowski, yes i know he will but cup tied for the CL, but who cares? The PL is the priority this season.

Post's like these make me wish we were allowed to create multiple account's to give lots of rep out Spot on.

Bertrand is never going to be a first choice for us, or any side at the top level of football, to put it bluntly he isn't that good. He is a good squad player and a reliable under-study to Cole and whoever our next long term left back will be, i don't see the shame in admitting that. But as Cole hasn't been great himself in recent years, if Bertrand genuinely was good enough to take over fully from Cole, he would have done it by now. Hopefully he is the start of us using our academy for squad depth instead of buying the likes of Marin and Benayoun for the same purpose, we should have done so with Jack Cork aswell, would have been a useful player for us in a 'john o shea' role of versatile squad player. Ryan Bertrand will get 20-30 games a year at one of the top teams, medal's round his neck, playing under Mourinho, charmed life

Ivanovic who helped us win the double at right back? Ivanovic who got in the team of the year from the same position? This notion/myth that he is a shit right back just because he started at centre half is laughable and Azpilicueta wasn't as good last season as general opinion suggest's, he had a decent first season but is a long way from being as good as people already think he is.

lol what? that's what playing at the top level is all about, their is constant pressure for anyone, to suggest that's why he isn't playing well enough is laughable, Messi is going to be under the biggest pressure of his career at the world cup next year, if he doesn't light up atleast 1, there is always going to be that question mark when comparing him to the greatest players ever (rightly or wrongly). Will that be an excuse if he doesn't perform again at a world cup? no. We have a strong squad now and our players need to fight to play, Mata isn't going to be excempt from that because he was our best player when we finished 6th and scrapped 3rd. Where's our love gone? it hasn't, just because we aren't whinging every time he doesn't start and creating Jose out posters doesn't mean shit. We love Mata, but we love the club more.

I actually agree with that. Mata's more of a match winner, where-as Oscar is the kind of player that's perfect for the 38 game slog in a title race.

Whenever i saw Santana play for Dortmund he was a menace who wouldn't give the attackers a moment peace, just the kind of player that makes Torres hide in matches. I doubt we will see them play together unless we have a stupid injury crisis at attacking midfield, and even then they won't both be up front, Eto'o will probably drop back to the right were he mainly played for Inter.

Eto'o is the best out of the 3 forward's tactically and away in the CL, a lot comes down to tactics, while Ba and Torres is like head or tails at the moment. I choose Ba because Felipe Santana is the kind of player that would gobble Torres up and spit him out.

------------------------Cech-------------------------- Azpi-----------Terry------------Luiz------Bertrand ----------------Mikel------------Ramires------------ Schurrle-------------Oscar------------------Hazard ------------------------Eto'o--------------------------- SUBS: Schwarzer, Cahill, Ivanovic, Lampard, Mata, KDB or Willian, Ba.