Blue Armour

You also have to remember Paulo gets opportunities to play with the first team from time to time. Not exactly a reason for a 34 yr old squad player to complain...

Absolutely agree. A loan for 1 more year, with an option for recall depending on how the next season pans out.

Doubt it...what's left of the old guard is desperately trying to hang on, and creating an uproar won't improve their chances. I'm not sure what exactly happened with club and Malouda, but if I had to guess, they tried to get rid of him in the summer transfer window and he manged to stick on for another season. Fine, the club have the right to get angry.... but tossing him in the reserves to prove a point doesn't help anyone....

Maybe, maybe not. Tell me what you know and the name the source as well, thanks.

Credit where its due, he does play a part in some of our goals like in the last match. Rafa should honestly consider playing Torres behind Ba.

How can you call Malouda a cunt or a money-grabber when you don't know the inside facts? IMO, this whole charade has left the club in bad light more than anything else...

Shame it wasn't Drogba this year, but happy for Mikel.

I just hope Benitez doesn't see this is a chance of redemption and go all out for this...its a good thing he doesn't have a Ba in the matter...

No. But he's the only one of his kind, and our squad really needs him. Hopefully with Luiz back (and Mikel returning later), Lampard can get more rest between games and perform at his best level when called upon.

Hope not...after what we went through with Essien... :ph34r2:

Apparently the sub was nothing more than a precaution, as he was feeling some discomfort in his ankle. They need him for the final, after all...

Well that's a sacrifice he won't have to worry about...

Sigh...the sight of Rafa on the touchline when we concede...I should be crying, but more often end up laughing... Nothing Chelsea does makes sense these days....

That's true, but when have we ever given a crap about the rest of the football world? I wonder if the new manager effect will always have an effect...it didn't work for the fat man. There's only so much a team can take...

Absolutely true. I wanted our team to shut them up by taking the lead,..shame it didn't last long.

Won't be upset if he gets sacked soon, but I wonder what the players (at least the ones that give a damn) will feel...Two managers sacked in a single season? That's a new one even for them....

Horrible defending from him today, and sums up the problems we're facing in defense these days. No surprise two of their goals came from his flank..

Same here, but I'm in a state of disbelief. Like you said, the idea which sounds plausible hasn't worked on the pitch. Yet here he is on the wing again. And I think Moses will be probably two weeks (if you include the time the club will give to players returning from the AFCON) away from playing again. Could be less depending on how well Drogba does against Nigeria.

Imagine if this'll be the time when del Bosque decides to give him a rare start...

I'm actually starting to imagine that someone higher up has forced Di Matteo and Benitez to play Ryan on the wing.. Its almost impossible for these managers to make this daft decision over and over again..

No Marin/Bertrand on the wings..I don't trust either of them in this sort of game. We really need points right now to make up for the ones we lost.. I hope either: Luiz is fit, so we can push Ramires up frontwe play Ba on the wing, and Torres upfront or pair the twoBenayoun plays on the wing, Ba upfront.

Probably the main factor. But the funny thing is, after watching his recent games, his pace seems have to improved quite a bit.

His behavior has been on the whole pretty good, actually. The board really fucked up in this case...if they couldn't sell or loan him, they could have at least made him work for his wages. Would rather have Malouda on the wing than Bertrand.

Almost forgot about our Evertonian friend.., have to agree, a lot of his posts are quality.