The Rising Sun

So if Mikel is given more freedom at Chelsea, are we saying he will start playing like Yaya Toure? If so, then lets keep this beast. If not, then i think it is time to move on.

Isnt pre season training supposed to begin today at most clubs?? I know Mourinho starts today and Moyes as well.... dont know about others.... Cant find anything official about when the first day of pre season training starts.... considering our first game is about 2 weeks away shouldnt training have started today?

Guys give the guy a break. Yes he hasnt lived up to what was expected of him at chelsea, but please lets not ridicule and trivialise his entire career. He was world class upto the season in which he signed for us and was murdering teams for a long time. Give credit where due and criticism where due. If he didnt score vs Tahiti, then people would have been on his case. He scored 4 and everyone is still on his case. When a player scores 4 in a game, he deserves a breather.... a few days without Torres-Bashing.

He isnt going to hang around for 2-3 years more being loaned out. He is simply too good I have personally never heard of any club buying a player, then loaning them out for 5-6 years in a row. If we have big plans for him, they are not showing . He wont be offered the no. 1 position till Cech is gone. he is already on his 3rd year being loaned at athletico.

In all probability, we will lose him to Barca/big club next season. As soon as victor valdes' one year on his contract is over after this season they will go all out for Curtois and he will definitely not say no to them. Chelsea needs to understand that any player needs stability. Being on loan year after year is not real stability, and by next season he will know he is top class and deserves to feel like a number one at the biggest clubs in the world. Next year will be the moment of truth for Chelsea, just like united had with De Gea( even though that was after VDS retired). If we dont get him as a No. 1 keeper for next season 2014-15, then in all probablility we will lose him.

Great concept. What would really be interesting is to have a comparison of exactly these stats, with the Premier League Winners and Champions League winners. That will put this exercise into perspective as well as allow us to see where we are in terms of players in the same position comparisons against winning teams. However, i dont see Mikel really "keeping possession". His style is more mechanical, and not that effective defensively or offensively. Clearly i dont rate him at all. So I am SORRY for putting this comment in a rather interesting topic!! Just had to mention.

Not sure, but they have to pay heavily inflated transfer fees and salaries to even get players.... They pretty much paid that sum to get a star name in so they can attract more players towards their project. We bought shaun wright phillips for 25 mill in 2004 or so and in todays value that must be like 30-35 mill. That wasnt his market value but the value we were willing to pay in order to get another player for our project. Cavani is certainly worth alot, but 60 million is simply not good business.

The Market clearly does not value Cavani at 60 mill. That is simply his buyout clause, usually inserted to prevent player poaching and safeguarding from losing your players on the cheap. The market values him differently.

He has to learn that he cant do this time and again, the constant wrestling matches he gets into, either when close to a corner flag or in the penalty box.... Its the type of reputation which referees pick up on and are quick to punish .

Mikel is definitely not poor, but he is not exactly a fit for what is required at Chelsea moving forward. Mikel's Situation IMO is the same as with Berbatov at United, Good players, but their playing style just is not intensive enough for their respective clubs, Both have skills, but intensity is lacking and for the top top clubs, intensity is THE most important aspect of the game. Berbatov and Mikel both look lazy. I say "look", not "are". Their playing styles are more suited to Italy than England.

Ron gourlay in the background at some club in brazil, right behind cavani

An old Ferrari is always a Ferrari, it was top of the line in its day when people(clubs - Chelsea) payed top dollar for it. Even today, that Ferrari can give any car a run for its money, but it is losing its resale value after 7 years of ownership and is not getting any newer or better. Today it gives a great ride, tomorrow it is stuttering and dayafter is unpredictable as well. Car parts(players) and Emission standards (club mentality) have changed significantly, and those changes mean that even though this ferrari can give any car a run for its money, its time it was driven by another owner on another road. It is time to let emotional connections go with your old ferrari, and forge new ones with a brand new Ferrari. I drive a civic.

Dont rate Hulk at all. I still think in overall play, link up etc Torres is better. Both are not good enough though. I would rather keep Torres than get another expensive player on Torres+ salary who is not good enough. Schurlle has a great foot too and has hulk like qualities but with more game.

possibly, but i remember last summer during the transfer window there was another guy on twitter who over the summer got some 100,000 followers because he was tweeting some transfer story from his "source".... maybe it was about hulk? But anyways, it was all over this forum as well, and in the end it ended up being some 15 year old kid who called all his followers idiots and fools etc, and said it was all fake and how gullible everyone is. Anyhow, you get my point. After that episode you should take most twitter folks with sources with as much scepticism as possible. However, you also cant discount that he has a source. Tancredi was sure cavani would be done in 48 hours and way more people believed that "journalist".

Next season is going to be a defining season for Oscar IMO. It will be the season where he either establishes himself in our spine, or is an important player but who doesnt get every game. Wherever he plays, he needs to score more goals, more assists and must impose himself more. This season he adjusted, had alot of games in the calendar year. He shone moderately and showed he can get better. Now he has mourinho and probably more players who are in sync. He has to take it up a few notches this season. During transition, it is the performances, effort etc that matter. But moving forward, stats come in to the picture as well. He will undoubtedly continue his good performances this season, but its a must he gets the stats as well.

Hey guys, i know this is a little off, and its been a while, but has there been any official interest/quotes directly from chelsea that indicate we are going for him at all?? as far as i understand, all that happened was basic media speculation, then De Laurentes saying he is expecting a call from chelsea( if speculation is true), which did not come, and later he said there is not even any official interest from chelsea and what he has heard is all rumors from the media. Am i missing something here apart from the Tancredis etc and their "sources"?

Really hope we dont buy him and he gets his dream move.

He would be good for us if we were to play 4-4-2 Lukaku-Rooney Forward line is devastating.

Backing your own player for a change is a good thing sometimes.

Well thats the way you view it, and you may be right. But not every youth player turns up and lives up to their expectations. Marko Marin was supposed to be the German Messi when he was doing the rounds at U19s . I just hope sometime in the future, Chelsea is not viewed as the destroyer of his career as well.

I dont want Cavani because i want Lukaku leading our Line, whether that means we win the premiership or not, is unknown. Cavani in anycase wants to go to Real, and if they dont buy him, he will come to us. Dont want a player who is "Settling" for us. He can go to hell for all i care. Lukaku gives a damn and has it all. That doesnt mean we should not sell torres. We should sell Torres and buy a solid striker. Doesnt need to be the falcao or cavanis of this world. That striker should be on level terms with Lukaku and Ba, fostering competition for places rather than a given. I really wanted Cavani and Falcao to begin with, but over time i realised that i am becoming a glory hunter , when we have immense talents, we cant always not give them a chance, specially after they have proven themselves elsewhere. Everyone has different opinions, but atleast for me, the club is hollow if all we do is go out and buy players others have produced. Its like the difference between getting laid, or paying to get laid. Id rather get laid on my own merits and be proud, rather than to have bought my way to sex and know deep inside that i am a shallow and hollow human being, and club.

Chelsea did not destroy him at all. He is the most annoying player to watch 80% of the time, IMO. May he flourish elsewhere after 7 years at Chelsea.

Not to be a buzzkill, but if De Laurentis was actually in London, then dont you think there would be some sort of Images taken of him, even if he was eating a sandwich somewhere, it would be online being passed around with hashtags and what not.

This news made my day. Thanks Mikel for not being a controversial player and trying to get better. BUT on a personal note : YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!! Now we can go and get the type of Holding Midfielder that this club needs, Or Luiz.( I rate him highly)