CHOULO19

Perfect start to the year Oscar changed the game. Hazard was brilliant. Cech Equals Bonetti's record of 208 CS. Perfect blue day! :blue scalf: :blue scalf: :blue scalf:

So much doom and gloom here as always. We played well in the first 45 minutes and created enough chances to score at least two. But our decision making in the final is not PL level. Simple as that. That's what you get with young inexperienced AMs and has-beens at ST.

Of course Mata has not shone offensively. Shaw-Lallana is one of the best flank combinations in the league. His defensive duties are huge today.

I think it's pretty much obvious that we need Willian on for Schurrle. We just CAN'T start without either Oscar or Willian at #10.

Yeah, maybe that's best. After all, he hasn't yet experienced English football even at youth level.

Lmaoooooo :lol: I think it's fair to say now that JT has been literally blamed for everything bad in the world!

Just think he's already way above the youth level and won't learn much there. He's been just sitting for how long? A year, now? I think we should get him in the action as soon as possible.

Great! Now loan him out.

Beautiful, but a part of my brain is screaming: "Too much needless air pollution!".

I hope everyone maintains a suitable chemical balance in their brains till the next time our planet passes through the random man-made set-point on it's imaginary trajectory around it's star Or in other words, Happy New Year everybody!

No, I understand what you're saying, but the problem is, if he is going to play in 4-2-3-1 he can't lose the ball that much. It would be a disaster.

Can't you then somehow transfer it to PayPal?

Came across this yesterday. Guarin was dispossessed 479 times in 2013. More than any other player in the Serie A http://www.sempreinter.com/2013/12/29/optasports-guarin-has-lost-most-balls-in-serie-a-during-2013/

Match Preview Here by @Strike.

Great work, mate. Should be another great tactical battle like one at the Bridge.

Yeah, I'm still waiting for the first "Mourinho Out!" thread. Took longer than usual this time around

Welcome Tim. Very pleased to meet you. Hope you stick around

In Porto he played the most advanced in a 4-3-3, practically what Oscar does here. He's not even a starter for Columbia. And he also played as an attacking midfielder for the vast majority of his first season at Inter. He probably played a few times at CM, but Strama was changing so many things from game to game and trying so many different things, I'm surprised he never played him in goal.. Don't believe me, go read what the Inter fan wrote in the Guarin thread.

Good news. Best of luck, Patrick.

So does Guarin. That's what I've been trying to say all along! They both could play at CM but are primarily attacking midfielders. Speaking of Guarin, I came across this today: according to Opta, Guarin has lost the ball the most times in the serie A in 2013. 479 times in 12 months! http://www.sempreinter.com/2013/12/29/optasports-guarin-has-lost-most-balls-in-serie-a-during-2013/

I think he'll continue to make the odd appearance off the bench. Believe it or not, Ba has already made 14 appearances for us so far this season!

Probably in the summer, but I doubt now. No team wants to lose players in Jan, even backup players like Ba. I was actually going to write that, but then thought that it's probably best for Bamford to spend the second half of the season playing regularly in the championship rather than throw him in the deep here immediately.

Watched it again today and you really don't appreciate how good the game was live because of the nerves. It was seriously one of the best matches this season with an incredible tempo from start to finish. And to think that the players put in this performance just two days after playing another match. Just incredible. I love the EPL!

It's so funny reading this thread from before the match till after it. It's like you suddenly moved to a completely different thread. The change in tone is hilarious

Well there's only space for one striker in the lineup and one on the bench so one will always have to miss out. Think he'll probably be on the bench vs Southampton.