Tomo

I would also be worried about that point if we had still had Robbie or Carlo but Jose has form in picking players on merit regardless of price tag (Sheva, Kaka). With Didier if he was mid 20's and just had a season like his 03/04 one at Marseille, the French club won't let bidding start at anything less than £40m i believe.

How did Tahiti win the Oceania cup? did Aus and NZ not enter? sorry for my ignorance about football over the world. I need to start getting back in to football outside Chelsea properly again. I miss having an eagerness to watch any and every game

Henry being at the club is irrelevant to this argument, the point is RVP wasn't ready to be #1 at a title challenging club at the age Lukaku is now, im sure if he got a loan in 03-04 to a PL club he would have shined just like Lukaku did but still required a bit of fine tuning. If the market was still the same from 9 years ago Cavani would be going around £25-30m, but the market value of players has increased, we smashed our transfer record for Didier and it went straight in at 3rd for England at the time (behind Veron and Ferdinand), in 2004 £24m was just as big money as £50m is now, if not more. Drogba wasn't 3 years younger either, he was 26. Eidur started playing in midfield in 05/06 but the majority of his appearances in 04/05 were as the lone forward (or as a partner to Drogba for the first 8 games before Jose swithed to 4-4-3).

Some have taken my post a little bit too seriously Lukaku will get chances next season regardless of Cavani. We signed Drogba for £24m in 2004 (out of interest, who didn't want that to go through?) which is roughly similar to £50m in the current day, now correct me if im wrong but i im pretty sure Gudjohnsen didn't rot on the bench that season? even Kezman got his fair share of matches despite being utterly crap.

Us giving Lukaku number 1 forward this term is the equivalent of Arsenal doing the same to RVP when he signed in 2004. Great forwards (Lukaku 2013, RVP 2004) and have a fantastic future but not ready to be #1 at a club with designs on winning the title.

Our whole policy as a whole has changed yes, but their can be exception's to that rule. If our main aim in the transfer market is building a upcoming team with say one (two at a push) marquee big signing's every 3/4 years i don't see the problem, infact i think it strikes a perfect balance.

Exactly, the way some go on i swear they won't rest until we are fielding a team full off under 21's.

Torres hasn't played under Mourinho yet. Remember Sheva? even Ricky (who was the most expensive defender behind Rio at the time) saw his fair share off the bench under Jose.

WHS, any tips offs?

Isco looks a good player right now, but so did Royston Drenthe after an u21 tournament.

So one poor game against Spain proves that? :doh: Maybe we should judge Ronaldo from his last 2 competitive displays against Spain then.

What was every one's least favorite Chelsea kit? For me it was the 05/06 away light blue come white shirt, i didn'tlike it at all.

RMPR, some nutter. and OMG Lawrenson, "will be nice to see Isco for a bit won't it" How the fuck do well paid people keep getting away with such basic mistakes?

Watching Tahiti will be painful.

Imagine, just imagine if Luiz made the mistake the Italian defender did today for the penalty, just imagine.

He might not get a proper break for a while yet. Confederations this year, world cup next year and Copa America year after that.

Balotelli could really be such a great player. Iron out the rough edges you have the best forward in the world.

Brazil are great going forward but going back David Luiz can be a liability (like how he mentions him and not say, Marcelo). Can't remember it word for word but it was something along those lines and completely out of the blue, its like he gets paid for it.

See Lawrenson couldn't resist another random dig out of the blue

What is also worth noting, if Rooney is or can get back to being as good as he use to be, would United sell to us? absolutely no chance.

I think it was more down to the fact we were overloaded with experienced players in their early 30's (especially in midfield), back then we needed more young players to balance it out. If he was 31 now with the young players we have, i guess the same Chelsea fans would take him in a heartbeat, similar to how the majority want De Rossi now.

Ballotelli must have been so frustrating for City supporters. The guy has absolutely everything, if he knuckles down and builds on his Milan form, he truly could be the best of the rest (IE behind Messi and Ronaldo).

I like how when Mexico were on the counter attack, one defender was out of position and he legged it to get goal side of the forward.

Ofcourse im not, i rate him highly but i highly doubt he will be one of the best ever PL forwards. I highly doubt he will reach the levels of Henry, Drogba, Bergkamp, RVN, Cantona, Zola etc..... He could get to the second level where the likes of Hasselbaink, Owen (before he got fucked up by injuries) and there's no shame in that. If there was belief he could reach the very top level, wouldn't a better side than Liverpool have snapped him up for such a low(ish) fee?

He's good but he's not that good. He has had a good start for Liverpool, but so did Papiss Cisse for Newcastle.