SinineUltra

Time for the old guard to prove their worth in the team and step up as players and leaders. It will come down to Terry's and Lampard's skill to motivate the players and lead them out for a proper battle in a 6 point games. Don't care about statistics and records, we need a win and we can't settle for anything less - no room for excuses and fairy tales. Predicting a hard fought win.

All in all a good result. I liked the resilience and the desire to actually win it in the end, it would have been very easy to quit even trying in the first place. Brilliant goal by Hazard, a proper cannon ball. To be fair, we were unlucky not to score earlier due to their GK's brilliant performance. But that has been story of our life. (read: luck) Looking forward to meeting Steaua Bucaresti, who should be -on paper- a match against a far inferior side. That said, it doesn't mean anything, teamwork and motivation beat any superstar on the pitch. We have had it easy considering the teams still running in this competition.

He is still a great asset to the team but we miss his assists the most. Slowly but surely he is losing his influence on the pitch. He can be very useful as an impact sub but at the moment - due to the lack of options we have had recently- he has played week in week out for a long period of time and that has shown us that he is an AMF not a double pivot minded player. I think we shouldn't renew a contract for the sake of him being a legend and dishing out an odd 150k a week for sentimentalism. That's of course if he isn't part of the new managers plans. Another factor is that veteran players boast too much of an influence in the team and in a distant manner have a say in the new manager and its success. That's something that really has bothered me when we think back at Scolari, AVB etc.

A comfortable win, something you'd expect against a strongly weaker opponent. No brainer for MOTM - Oscar. Luiz and Mata were also great. Only negative I can find is that we even had to play this replay.

If only David Luiz could have a great and ACCURATE long shot in him, would bring another dimension to our attack. Lampard has missed couple of good chances but good thing is we are dominating. It has to pay off in the end, hopefully sooner rather than later.

That's a thing we have to exterminate from our club. Under no circumstance should a player talk back to a manager. Player power is out of hand in our beloved club, legend or not. We might hate Rafa but he does have a point. Terry is a veteran defender and should know better before lunging into a tackle. At the moment a manager can be successful only when the long serving players in the club approve him, which is completely wrong. So that's a big argument for not renewing some of their contracts barring out Cole, who still is one of the best LB in the world and we don't have a replacement for him other than Bertrand who is not exactly living up to the hype. The next manager that comes in should and must have a chance, regardless if Lampards, Terrys etc PERSONALLY like him or not. They are a huge part of the club and its legacy but they are not the club itself. They are mixing the two things in their heads.

A player we could have used this season. Really interested to hear his side of the story.

I wanted him from Udinese days also but his recent games haven't been that great regardless of playing in a overall weak league and in a stronger team. Plus he is another small player with an attitude to dive.

A bit unfair. He is the much needed spark in Real Madrid's attack and he has many options to his play. He is tall but then again good with his feet, blistering fast, unpredictable as he has more of a free role compared to other players and a winning mentality. I'd have him over Messi, though I know Lionel is statistically over him. Him and Ronaldo are clearly head and shoulders above others. In the current era if anyone else except them two pick up an individual award, it's clearly from mercy. You're right about people knowing what he will do next - more often than not he scores.

Great mod, humble and intelligent person, who tolerates different opinions. Also a pain in the ass with his team in xpert11. Keep it up man!

Again like I said, you're reading too much into this. I haven't seen these kind of knee jerk posts in Lukaku thread. I think everyone agrees that he is one for the future and a very important player for the club. Question is if he is ready to play and deliver week in week out for Chelsea. Relatively friendly atmosphere in this thread, can't see people posting extreme rubbish, just different opinions.

When a player has a bad game, people notice it and therefore give him a bit of stick. On the other hand when a player has a good game, he gets a lot of praise. It seems logical to me. Maybe you are trying to read too much into it? It's not like you have to crave your opinion into a stone with your own blood so you couldn't have a benefit of a doubt.

Quoting a classic "I dont aplaud it at all, opinions and brliefs change all the time. If they doesnt, it just means you are not evolving..." (just in case you dont remember, it was you today in Sparta Prague thread)

Mind you, this isn't even the most recent picture. At the time he was still playing for Anderlecht and was 16-17 years old.

Agger looked like a schoolboy next to Lukaku and he is just 19, 20 this May. If he gets playing time regularly and keeps improving then I think by the time he is 24-25 he can be the new Cavani or even more. Both very physical players with prone eye for goal.

Really like the new flag feature. Keep up the good work, Jim!

Nigeria is all over Burkina Faso. Moses is very sharp, fastest man on the pitch. Haven't seen much of Mikel - don't know if it's a good or a bad sign? Maybe he is silently going about doing his job properly. Great goal!

Hold on Southampton! 4 point gap would make the game against Mancity very very interesting.

An assist and a goal, seems like a key player in Werder.

Very refreshing, was a joy to watch. Azpilicueta MOTM - very easy decision. Can't say anyone played particularly bad, because it would be a shame to belittle anyone's performance today.

Torres isn't as bad as people make out of it. Only problem is that he is a bad finisher but still can contribute to the link up play and with assists. Azpilicueta has been beast - buy of the season. Very happy for Marin's goal and Lampard's! Comfortable victory, good tactics and subs by Rafa. Keep it up!

Not an example we should be eager to follow, don't you agree?

Agree, league should be a priority. Winning the Europa League will have a bitter taste to it if we fail to qualify for CL next season.

Harry Potter?

Haha, didn't mean anything bad, just a joke. Sorry if I did offend you tho! For sure, Brazil will get a lot out of the World Cup. I have always wanted to ask you this: I've seen documentaries that feature favelas and it criminality - is its really that big of a problem in Brazil?