Sheva.

Well no one can really know because we're going to change managers again, and maybe that new manager will prefer 4-3-3.

I think he should be given more chances in a deeper role, since Mata is starting every time as #10 now. He's only played there twice i believe against Sunderland and Leeds, and i've liked some of the things he did in both games, and in both he had to play without a proper DM beside him. He worked hard for the team defensively, something he is very good at, and we all know of his qualities going forward. Tbh he hasn't made the kind of impact i expected playing behind the striker, but i think he can do much better in the double pivot.

Don't want him here. I was never overly impressed with him when he played deeper in midfield for Everton, he was a handful because of his height and aggressiveness, but not someone we needed. He's only been much talked about this season because he has been playing much further forward, and using his height advantage to score and assist many goals. But that's not what we're looking for, we won't hoof the ball every minute to him too like Everton. If we're signing a midfielder then we should either get a DM - don't think we badly need one because we have Mikel, Luiz and Romeu. Or a deep lying playmaker who will come in and take Lampard's place. Someone like Moutinho, Modric or Benat.

Too much tension in home games.

I'm basing it on last season when he played on the wings, and also when Oscar was playing centrally earlier this season. He is almost as effective attacking wise, but defensively there's a lot more space to exploit with Mata on the wings, since he drifts into the middle every time. Hazard does a far better job, especially since Rafa took over. He could be made to put in a shift defensively, but there's no need for that. He has been more than brilliant for us in the middle, and i wouldn't switch him because of Isco tbh. If we're going to add to the '3' behind the striker, then i would prefer players who could add width to the side, something we really need. We already have Mata/Oscar/Hazard who can play down the middle, isn't that enough?

He's far better in the middle. Plus he can't track back as good as Moses, Hazard or Oscar.

Those are players signed years ago. I would say recently our scouts have been doing a good job.

He simply can't be that bad - there's no excuse for the club's scouts to recommend a player as bad as Arshavin and on the same level as Kakuta and Lalkovic.

Guardiola got in ahead of RDM for winning Copa Del Rey lol.

We need more options, so sign him up. Surely he will be able to offer more than Marin has so far.

Just saw Ronaldo's freekick goal lmao, what was keeper doing?!

Just saw Juve lost at home to Sampdoria wow.

Yeah the trophies make up for things, but I'm sure there will be players in the dressing room tired of all the chopping and changing of managers.

I'd rather have Benitez than Blanc. Anyway I just feel sorry for our players, every couple months they have to learn a whole new system and how different managers want to set up. They are just grasping what Rafa wants and next thing someone like Pep will come in and want something totally different - then he'll get fired by December and Sparky will come in with new ideas

Really? Mourinho is crazy.

I personally don't really care anymore, i'll support whoever it is, but i know he will be fired soon anyway.

If it was any other round i would agree, but this is the semi's - now this competition means something. Swansea will play a full strength team, and we need to able to field a team that can compete with them.

We can't rest too many players like against QPR. I would expect Mata to start and Hazard on the bench since he played full 90 yesterday. And maybe Torres instead of Ba. Oscar to replace Hazard, Marin or Ramires to replace Moses (or a surprise start for Piazon!)

Off topic, but i actually think we might see Ba and Torres playing together quite a few times. Because there's no Moses for a few weeks, he might just try to switch things up.

I like him a lot. His dribbling is good and he does so many nice flicks and back-heels that just keep the play going - and one led to our first goal against Southampton. Hope he comes back from ACN quickly.

I'd rather a player like Schurrle who can do a job on the wings.

Of course we can improve, we're not Barcelona that can win every game. I'm really just being realistic looking at our team, they're positions we can get a lot better at (one we just fixed yesterday) and so we can look brilliant one week and not so much the next. The team is also filled with not so great finishers which hurts in close, tight games with very few chances like the Corinthians one. And not great depth, which hurt in the QPR game.

They're games where you get completely dominated and there are times when things just don't go your way. We certainly did not get dominated against Corinthians or QPR, they just scored some fluky goal while we fucked up half-chances all over the place. Meh.

We have so many games coming up so Ba can't start all of them, and we'll see Torres at some point. But i do not believe Ba is "2nd choice" he is the better striker and has had the better season, he will start a lot of games, i'm sure of that. On his performance today - he deserved a hat-trick. His movement was quality, you wouldn't even know he just joined the team and unlike Torres, the ball didn't bounce back to the opposition when played long to him. Very good start, good things to build on. I would guess not, it's not our style.

Ba had a good game; nice movement, scored and also made some good passes. All in all, a good, deserved win.