CHOULO19

Well if you want to be unbiased, neither really deserve to be even on this shortlist. But I'm happy that they are.

I'd rather both.

Mikel with some nice words about Jose:

Ribery might nick it from Messi this year. Don't think Ronaldo is any threat to him this year, in fact after Ribery and Messi it should be Ibra in third place.

But that's the thing, can't the EPL incorporate those kind of defenders? I think it will have to because teams in the PL always want the best players and currently, most of the best defenders in the world are more like Luiz and less like Carragher and JT. Can no team with different ideologies than that of the Spanish model have defenders like that? You ignored my Carvalho example and he played in a Mourinho side that pretty much played traditional English football. What about Luiz himself last season? After Jan, we played with a lower block and defended with two banks of four; hardly the way your Barcas and Madrids play. And yet Luiz was our second most important player, imo, after Mata. I think Luiz has played too great at times and helped us win too many things for us to say that he can't play with the team.

My weekly KDB thread routine: Click on thread --> Read first 2-3 posts --> facepalm --> read another 2-3 posts --> give up on humanity --> mark thread as read --> don't click on the thread for a week --> repeat.

He used to just love my 'Jayjay' in "there" as well! I guess it's true that old habits die hard...

Oh crap! We need to put Jayjay on suicide watch, pronto! @Stingray, you take the first shift since you're on holiday!

Plus, he always has his best games in the biggest matches.

Added poll. But the max number of options you can have for a question is 20. So, let's forget about Toure, RVP and Xavi...they're never going to win it anyway

That's what happens when you spend all your money on win bonuses!

Well technically, if you're dead, you can't be sorry...

Good morning to you too, grumpy old cat-lady..

What about Carvalho? Don't you remember how he used to go flying forward and intercept balls and then he'd continue his run and be next to the striker? Alex did it sometimes as well but he was too slow to do it often. Have you seen Ramos play at CB? He's almost NEVER on the same line as the other 3 defenders. Puyol to a lesser extent, Hummels all the time...etc the list is endless. I know that's how you believe a defender should defend, I'll tell you something: that's probably how I'd prefer my CB to defend as well; I'd take a Nesta or a JT over any kind of defender any day. But what I am saying is that there is other ways to defend, that's not the only way. David Luiz's "philosophy" about defending works and has worked recently for teams like Spain and Brazil and clubs like Barca and Madrid that have been winning all the trophies.

A comedy called "David Moyes tries to be a top manager"

The dig at the FA in the end

Mistakes is not really an argument for one over the other as both are too error prone for the liking of any manager. Take this season for example, Luiz made major mistakes that led to goals against Everton and Cardiff and Cahill made major mistakes in Aguero's goal yesterday and both of Basel's goals. But honestly, that shouldn't even get into the debate. What Garry Cahill is capable of and David Luiz is capable of as defenders and as footballers as whole, cannot even be compared. Luiz is just superior in every single aspect, except maybe aerial duels. His reading of the game is one of the best in the world, he's quicker, his decision making is a lot better, he can defend 1v1..he's simply in the top 7-8 CBs (for me in the top 5 even) in the world. I like Garry a lot. He always comes across as a genuinely good bloke who tries to give 100% and is always passionate about his football and is genuinely happy about playing at a club like ours. But he's just a squad player for a club like Chelsea. Decent back up for rotation and injuries, but, and I hate to sound cynical but it's probably true, Wenger got it about right when he bid 6m for a decent mid-table team CB who is no where near world-class. That's the whole point, though. That is the issue with most of the English media and a lot of fans with Luiz. They expect a back four that is always tight and stays together on the same line and defend against players collectively. But for Luiz, defending has a completely different meaning. It's not that he's doing those things poorly, it's that he's not trying to do them because to him, and a lot of Spanish and South American CBs, there can be another philosophy to defending. Guys like Luiz, Ramos, Puyol, Hummels...etc they don't just sit back and stay tight, they want to charge forward and intercept and clear; they try to snuff out danger before it becomes danger; they go forward and play 1v1 and quite often win the ball. And that's still a foreign concept in the PL because managers have just started to accept such change in the mentality and philosophy of defending in the last couple of seasons with Luiz here, Vertongen in Tottenham. Carvalho was somewhat similar and he was superb for us because Jose understood how he played, while Pique, who is one of the highest rated CBs in the world now couldn't get into Ferguson's team. But I think that change will eventually be forced in the PL simply because that what football is headed for. The highest rated CBs in the world mostly play like DL, not JT. I think that the PL can and will incorporate those type of defenders but the road won't be easy for the first few ones like Luiz. PS: Just to be clear, I'm not in any way taking all the blame off Luiz who has made his share of school-boy mistakes that have not at all helped his cause nor am I saying that all his critics are wrong or that the cultural difference about the role of the CB is the only reason he's been criticized.

Never mind Jayjay, he's just turned into a grumpy old cat lady since I dumped his ass..sad, really.

Class is for wankers...

Why so blue?

HAHAHAHAHAHA Promise?!

Which was more enjoyable than hearing you talk about Jonas and Bieber..

Hahaha You're such a "manyak" You're such a moaner Jason! This is why I left you for francozola.

Josh McEachran had a 96% pass accuracy in the first half, the highest of any Watford player.

According to CTV, he is already off his crutches and walking freely (since Friday). That is incredibly good! Very happy that his recovery is going so well. Genuinely made my day