Slam Dunk

Even Torres' biggest critics know that his movement is still terrific. Granted, his finishing has been shot to pieces, but you can't deny that it was his movement that created those chances for Spain/Torres during his 15min cameo.

Standard with every order. Nice gesture, shame it's fucking useless

Very impressed with what I saw today. Don't believe the club are looking at him as one of their first choices for RB (Azpi/VdW), but hopefully they become interested.

I wouldn't go that far. French midfield was poor in my opinion. After watching Cabaye at Newcastle over the last season, i'm not convinced.

Has to be this season for me. A culmination of every emotion we've felt throughout the Roman era and a true marker of our club's status amongst the current elite that all started after a 2-1 win over Liverpool. It's incredible to think how far we've come since then.

Funny that you talk about useless posts when you've just posted a lineup with Ashley Cole at RB and Ivanovic at LB...

Is that a joke?

Well of course they wouldn't. I was just being hypothetical. Perhaps he isn't. He has previously been the best striker on the planet which drove the club (Roman) to pay £50m in the hope that he would eventually regain his form. Frankly, signing him was a huge risk in the first place which hasn't paid off. The fact that, as Cap said, we've paid £50m + wages, automatically means that we won't be selling anytime soon as it is simply bad from a purely business perspective. Therefore, like it or not, Torres is here to stay. We won't be signing Falcao or Cavani, the board have said Fernando will be the first team striker and we, as fans, have to accept it/cant change it. I'm not defending Torres by the way, simply thinking objectively about the situation.

It's not his fault that Chelsea paid £50m for him is it? If he had cost us £20m, would the media be so intent on judging his every move in order to justify his price tag? He handed in his transfer request when it was obvious that Liverpool wanted to sell. As I said before, he's the kind of player that needs to know that everybody is confident in him. Personally I think he's too fragile mentally, but as I said, that's just the way it is. You have to make the best of what you have. As I said, that's your interpretation, I simply don't agree with it but fine. Ok, let me put it this way, anyone who thinks that Mata and Luiz are Chelsea legends at this point in time, know nothing about football. And I can say that just in the same way that you can say Torres only wanted personal glory.

He doesn't give a 'F' about being here? So why did he seek a meeting with the board for assurances about his role in the team? He wants to be playing. I believe it was the journalist Henry Winter that time and time again mentioned that Torres is the type of player that needs to know he is loved/wanted. He clearly needs to know people are confident in him. Maybe that isn't a great mindset for a footballer, but thats just the way he is, like it or not. Seems like your preconceptions about Torres have forced you into thinking this way. He wanted to take a penalty to help the team is another way of looking at it. No, they're not. Or, if they are 'in some eyes', they shouldn't be. He's already said he wants to stay and prove himself hasn't he? I don't think he'd ask to leave.

Why would he leave Newcastle to come and sit on the bench for us? Great player though.

Good to hear.

http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.anderlecht-online.be%2Farticle.php%3Fid%3D17378%26lang%3Dfra So we've signed all 3 brothers?

In all likelihood, yes.

Piszczek is awesome. Although along with Lewandowski, Dortmund won't sell.

I really doubt it was a bidding war, considering there were 15+ candidates interested in the site. All I know is that the council had conditions that the prospective bidders had to meet with their plans (rail extensions/local area redevelopment/etc), so I imagine that would have been a big factor when the proposals were being considered. The 'preferred bidders' as they are now called (the Malaysian property developers) have promised a new underground station, as well as the extensions of the Northern Line. They're saying that they are looking to regenerate south-west london, which means it'll probably be a shopping centre/housing. Such a disappointing outcome/bad choice. This would truly have been iconic.

Welcome mate! You should definitely get involved with posting, the forum has been quiet lately, the more posters, the better!

Clarke deserves a crack at management, he's been an assistant for too long now. I wonder if he needs any players on loan...

Didn't know he could play CM in the 4-4-2! I'm not sure if Chelsea would ever use him in that position though (I doubt it), which was why i'd have imagined that he'd be playing as a winger for Southampton (or whoever he joins on loan).

FFP rules do not count stadium development/building towards expenditure as far as I know. If we were to redevelop the Bridge, I'd imagine we'd play at another ground, because as you've mentioned, it isn't a modern stadium and large areas of it would need updating. Where we'd play though is another question entirely... Of course as you've said, there is a chance the Malaysian investors could pull out of the deal. Although, considering they've agreed to meet the conditions of the site set by the council, it seems very unlikely.

The problem with Swansea, as mentioned above, was that Sigurdsson was so good, he and Josh couldn't play together as they were so similar in style. I know nothing of Southampton's team (especially out wide, where I assume KdB would play, as Championship teams don't generally play with a no.10). Hopefully they need a left-sided winger...

He won't want to go on loan. Besides, I think there is an opening for him in the squad for the coming season. Benayoun and Kalou will both be leaving. KdB and Lukaku will be going out on loan, and with Sturridge taking the 2nd striker spot in Lukaku's absence, we'll have Marin/Kakuta as a youthful backup to either the winger or the no.10. Unfortunately, Malouda seems to be adamant he'll be staying, which could potentially block his route to the bench. He won't be playing week in, week out, but he should realistically get a couple of opportunities to show what he can do. Hazard/Mata/Marin/Kakuta Hulk*/Sturridge/Ramires/Kakuta --- Torres/Hulk*/Sturridge --- Mata/Hazard/Marin/Malouda Is not too shabby. * I added in Hulk because it seems inevitable he'll be joining.

Not to mention, before that, one of the best pens I think i've ever seen. The stutter, the placement, the spin on the ball and the beating of the badge afterwards. Class.

Tell that to Yaya Toure. And yes i'm aware you said 'rarely' before you go pointing that out.

Really want to see the club pushing the idea of redeveloping the Bridge now. It's the best option. Any other sites will automatically be seen as second-class, as TX said.