CHOULO19

Um..why? That's a pretty random assumption!

I think at that point he already knew that he was already gone in the summer so he didn't really care about his fitness this season. If there was even 10% chance that Diego would stay at Atlectico, I don't think he would have been risked.

It's September!

Highlights: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x265dfn_chelsea-vs-schalke-u19s-h-uyl-14-15-highlights-hd_sport

He's had that bandage on the same foot for some while. Can't remember which game, but I remember he having that bandage after coming off in one of our matches.

Apart from the Eto'o goal for which he was poorly positioned in, you can't really pin any blame on him for any of the goals conceded so far. Don't think anyone can reasonably argue that he hasn't had a good start with us.

It's pretty normal. The people praising him back then are probably the same people calling the criticism now scapegoating and the people criticizing now are likely the same that were saying that the praising back then was over the top.

What's your point? Those aren't the same posters. "In football, you're as good as your last game." - Frank Lampard

The one with the little pugs is soooooooooo cute!

Tbf, Cole was a decent crosser up until about 2009-10.

Add to that, ref just blew for a pen in the 90th minute, then after pointing to the spot, just changed his mind and ran the other way and just allowed the counter attack to go on while half the players had already stopped when he blew the whistle

This Gladbach vs Villa Real is the weirdest thing ever. Uche comes on for Villa Real, spends 5 seconds on the pitch, scores with his first touch, gets injured in the process and is subbed back off. Then ref stops match after finding a mobile phone on the pitch which turned out to have been dropped by Villa Real medic when he was aiding Uche off the pitch. Don't know about you, but that's a first for me...

Because the "unhappy" part was just media crap or more likely false stories by his agent to him higher wages?

Literally just signed a new deal at Madrid.

Breath of fresh air. I'm trying to convince myself that Jose would have been so impressed as to start him against City, but I honestly doubt he'd change the back four. I know you're joking, but I did seriously suggest that the other day in the Cesc thread because he 'd be perfect at stepping up and covering the spaces in left by the central midfielders and playing 1vs1 when needed. But even I can't see it happening simply because of his lack of physical strength and heading ability.

I wanted a CB this past summer, and I do hope we go for one in Jan, even if it means us playing an inflated price for him.

FFS, we DO NOT play a "pivot" by any technical sense of the word! We play with a single holding midfielder in Matic, a play maker in Cesc and a box-to-box or 'utility' player in Oscar or Ramires. Now, the choice between Ramires and Oscar obviously gives us different qualities on the pitch, and also affects minorly the roles and freedom of the other two central midfielders, depending on the dynamism and energy and technical ability of both. But in neither case are we a "pivot".

I thought that defensively, this was his best game so far for us, apart maybe from Burnley. He pressed mostly well and rarely got drawn too much out of position. But people will only remember that he lost the ball for the goal. That's just how football is.

I wouldn't know. Mainly because I could never understand what "entrepreneur" means. Probably because it sounds French...

Let me put it this way. It was the most "WTF!" moment I've ever seen on TC. Does that help?

Trust me, you really don't want to know!

Jose should have him do lines: "Must not back off near box" 1000 times. Each letter in different colored pen!

Complacent. Lackluster. Nonchalant. Missed way too many chances. It looked like the players were already thinking about City in the weekend. But credit to Schalke for snatching a point.

Regardless, he's 33, do we need to have him play 3 matches in 7 days? I would have liked him fresh for City.