nullabletype

Obviously none of us really know how these characters are on the pitch. But if Cahill were to be a great motivator then he'd be fine as captain. The press is the least of our worries. Certainly a captain who can handle the press is good if you can get it, but if it comes down to great on field motivator and shitty press man V great press man and average on field motivator, I'll take the former all day long.

Personally, I think we should just let him go. Malouda can be poor and hasn't done himself any favors as far as getting a place in the team goes. But it seems harsh to toss him in to the reserves. If he isn't in our plans, then release him and let him get a year of football elsewhere. Of course, our reserves could do worse than to learn a few things off of a pro like Malouda. But still, if he isn't going to be used, then let him go.

The man had his moments.

Just joined the league, didn't realise we had one.

A team like Chelsea should be competing for everything we are in the running for. But that's not the biggest problem. The biggest problem for me, which tonight and basically all of last seasons league form highlighted, was that any team who decides to pressure us can push us to the brink and in to submission. Of course Atletico aren't just some team, they're a great oufit, but the sentiment stands true. Everything that went loose, they wanted. When we won the ball, they wanted it back. When they had the ball, they made sure not to lose it. They had a fight that we couldn't match. A fight, that in the past, smaller teams have brought to us and managed to take away similar victories relative to their stature. It seems we have plan A, and I'm not even sure what that is. But when that doesn't work, we have plan...

Begrudgingly gave the MotM to Mikel. Not because I'm a Mikel hater, I think he's just fine. But purely because being the best of a bad bunch doesn't justify a MotM. Pathetic display tonight. Well deserved the the whipping we received.

Why are they in full kit if this was after training?

:cfc: GOALS :cfc:

Don't think that was me, I just haven't been around cause it's pre season and there's not much going on. But the few occasions I have popped on things have seemed a bit grim. Here's hoping things pick up when the season starts.

When did I leave?

And what exactly do you suggest the people who are dissatisfied do? The point is perfectly legitimate. The forum over the last few months really has gone down the pan. And for people who have been around for a while they are reluctant to leave because they've enjoyed the time they've previously spent here. And just so you're aware, this is not a criticism on how the forum is run, or the staff who maintain the site. The complaints are more to do with much of the content courtesy of many new members. The amount of petty arguments, trolling and thread derailment is crazy.

This forum has gone to pot. And yes, before anybody says it, why don't I just leave and not say anything etc...

I have to agree with both sides here. As it's pre season the players aren't going to be busting their balls to play the best football they can, it's a lot about fitness. Also, when you play with a handful of reserves you're not going hard for the win. The other part of pre season though is assessing players and their performances, and also trying to gel the team and practice the style of play the team hope to carry forward. So whilst I'm happy to acknowledge it's just pre season, it would be nice to see some sort of sign of what's to come. Honestly, I don't know what that is. Just as a wee note, we have nothing going on down the right hand side of the pitch.

Rio calling Ashley a "choc ice" is offensive on a race level. But not in the same way that a white man hurling the "n-word" at a black man is. "Choc ice" isn't a racist term per se. The sting lies in the fact that he's calling Ashley's racial identity in to question, purely because he took the side of a white man because he believed it to be the right thing to do. The notion that black people and white people should stick together and look after their own (just for the sake of it and not because it's right) is throw back to segregation and not something anybody should aspire to. Rio Ferdinand isn't a hero of mine, and quite clearly the man is a bit thick. But that's all he's guilty of. I can understand why people want him to get in hot water over this. Of course it would be quite ironic (read: hilarious) if after all the stuff he spouted about JT over Twitter throughout this debacle that he, of all people, should end up in a damning race row. But for us to actually want that, that would just make us as bad as all the fans who so often jump on the anti-JT bandwagon, and in this scenario, condemn him of racism, not because it's true or can be proven, but just because they don't like him. So that said, Ashley's representatives have made a statement saying it's nothing and to move on. That's exactly what the fans should do. In reality it doesn't concern us. It has been handled between the parties in question, so let's leave it at that. Dragging it out and witch hunting would only make us as bad as the anti-JT brigade who so vehemently insist in going after our player. Let's try and stay above that. P.S. I don't like the man, but is wobbly lip appropriate? I'm not trying to find racism where it's not, but wobbly lip comes very close to the idea of black folks having big lips. Probably don't want to make things look any worse than they already are.

2:30AM, nightmare!

I'll bet money now that the judge will find Terry guilty but claim he doesn't believe him to be a racist, but somebody who made a mistake.

But since context is the issue then there's even less substance to this case. If you disregard lip reading evidence, and thus, disregard both the video evidence against Terry and Ashley Cole's statement for. Then all you're left with is tit for tat, he said this, no he said that. In which case, you have Terry admitting he said it, but in a sarcastic context in which he was repeating the comment to rubbish it, and Ferdinand who claims he can't say with any certainty that Terry every said those things to him because he didn't hear it. Honestly, do I think JT is a racist? No. Do I think on this occasion he may of risen to the jabs of Ferdinand and retaliated with a racial slur, very possible, he's human after all. The truth however is, that the only person who knows what was said is Terry, and unless he admits to saying anything there really is not enough evidence to convict him, in my opinion (which is worthless).

Spoken like a 16 year old girl. Grammatically compiled and punctuated like an illiterate. Where do we get these people?

Just bought my nephew the new infant home kit. Adidas the tight bastards don't do socks for the infant of baby kits any more!

Look, the press and rival fans who like to moan about this situation never like to acknowledge that there were other suspended players on the field, in full kits, celebrating just as JT was. Rambo, Ivan, Meireles etc. But they wont let facts get in the way of their petty hatred. All these players contributed to the campaign and have all the right in the world to go up, lift the trophy and be part of the big occasion. Particularly the long standing captain of the club. Don't let other jealous fans fool you in to thinking they wouldn't want their top boys who had played the entire competition do the same for their clubs. It's just rubbish that these people spout to be contrary. Shouldn't we be used to this by now?

Zolayes bounced? Aw fuck. Top bloke he was. Edit: Oh, he's back. Nice.

Totally agree. Spain and Barcelona are both guilty of this. They far too often stroke the ball about for stroking the ball abouts sake. It can be attractive but on nights like tonight it can also be incredibly boring. The only thing I really like about Spain is Torres and Mata, so I watch their games to see how they do. With Torres on and obviously wanting him to produce something, it was so frustrating watching them make horizontal pass after horizontal pass, and rarely advancing in to the final third. When they did try and get in it was useless, much like Barcelona playing us. There were at least 8 men sat behind the ball dictating what Spain could do, and ultimately it meant there was very little for Torres to feed off. Navas only got the goal in the end because Croatia were going forward hoping to take the lead.

I'd hate to weigh in to the Torres debate because it bores the life out of me. But Spain were stinking tonight. In fact, Torres was single handedly responsible for their best chance in the first half. He didn't have a particularly bad game tonight, the whole team just weren't firing. Truthfully, they were lucky to go through.

The good kind. The guy is stupidly overrated. There's a reason why he has a whopping 14 or so senior England appearances and no real club longevity at 31 years of age. There are players 6 or 7 years his junior with more national call ups. Also, it's only recently that anybody has really started to give a crap about him (god knows why). And I really can't stand how English pundits nearly stroke themselves to climax when he does anything that any other player in the team would do. *Player charges down a shot* Commentator: "Nice win of the ball there." *Scott Parker charges down a shot* Commentator: "Oh my god! Scott Parker is putting his body on the line not just for himself or the team, but the nation!" or something to that effect. Fuck, I even heard pundits call him a class act because he tucks his shirt in! Any amount of players do it, but when Scott Parker does it he's old school because he tucks that bad boy in and has a shit hair cut. He's not Roy of the Rovers, he's a mid table (at best) fringe player.