CHOULO19

Mikel has more PL goals than Torres, Eto'o and Ba combined this season. This goal is joke goldmine!

He scores when he wants, he scores when he waaants, Obi Mikel, he scores when he wants :cfc:

Hahahahahaha Couldn't stop laughing when he scored I actually had a feeling he would. From the first half, it was clear that he was given a slightly different role as he was often continuing the run forward after passing and was involved in more advanced areas than usual. But ultimately he scored from a corner so all that has nothing to do with anything

You reckon Jose can have a word with Duff at HT and convince him to play for us in the second half. We could really use him. Our wingers have been absolutely abysmal.

Is no one here actually supporting the team?! We all sound like player fans instead of fans of club. Snap out of it, people! Strong line-up that should be more than good enough to get the 3 points. We'll dominate possession, and hopefully the front 4 will finish the chances this time. COYB!

yeah, the rumors is that he's on 35-40k.

No I don't think he'll actually strengthen our pivot at the moment. Like I said, he could be a decent cover in the pivot, especially next to Mikel. He might be able to improve our pivot in the future because his vision and long passing is miles better than anyone we have there right now, but naturally, he will need time to adjust.

He did play a few matches in the pivot for Bremen and did well. But, tbh, he was so much better, both technically and tactically, than all the Bremen players that I think he would have shined in any midfield position. But I have seen enough of him to be convinced that he can be a decent cover for the pivot at the very least; definitely better than suited than Oscar or Luiz, for example. But like I said earlier, this discussion has nothing to do with the one here because, even if he is suited for the pivot, he should NOT be played there just so we can squeeze more attacking midfielders into the team.

You're so mean!

^^ LOL beaten to it by a few seconds Best of luck to Nathanial. EDIT: Check out the Forest official twitter account, they're really making a big deal of signing Nathanial.

Lol, my bad. Yeah, I actually agree there. I said somewhere that he's been on the decline since Ancelotti left and got slatted for saying I think it's time we cashed in on him back in the summer. Right now, my issue with Iva is his positioning and his inability to close crosses down. Lost count of the times we've conceded because of that.

Can definitely see him being a squad player next season, but I could also see us doing with him what we did with Lukaku and preferring to loan him so he can be a starter elsewhere. I said at the start of last season, I think he is a very special lad, and if he could become a starter at Watford at the age of 17 then I'll be confident that he'll make it here at Chelsea, and that's what happened. He still has all the time in the world, and I know that he will be a Chelsea player one day, but there's no need to rush him.

It's a side that will lose the midfield battle against most PL teams. Coutinho has zero defensive work-rate. I'd much rather play Suarez there if I were the manager.

I think the CB ship has sailed some time ago.

I think that, unless something major happens unexpectedly, Mata will leave either in Jan or next summer.

Under Ancelotti? You mean the season where he was injured almost all of it or the season that he was mostly Iva's sub? Bosingwa had a good first season here, but was hardly the best in the league. We may have different ideas on what a fullback should do. Imo, a fullback should defend first. Anything he provides on the offense is a bonus that counts for nothing unless he does his defensive duties first.

Well it's the only explanation for starting Lampard in a game like Bayern, for example.

I have absolutely no idea What Xavi, Iniesta or Kroos have anything to do with the discussion here; they play in a different team with a different system that does not require them to do what our system does. I know this is what Jose wants by watching what Oscar and KDB did in that role in preseason and in the first 6 games, and even by what Mata has tried, but failed, to do when he has played that role. Why doe he want that? Because, like I said, our biggest problem last season was ball transition and this solves it. I meant that Mata is not comfortable when he has to move with his back to goal when the team is in possession. He's very unfamiliar with the role and his movement becomes ineffective. Pep's team play a "free-formation", they don't really have specific formations. The argument for Oscar playing in the pivot because he usually drops deep is the same as that for Luiz to play in midfield because he usually goes forward. Just because a player drifts to a certain area during the game, does not necessarily mean that he has the skills to play in that position, in fact, he is probably being effective in that area because he is coming from a different position. To continue with the Luiz comparison, see our goal against Basel: Luiz was able to create space with his forward dribble by forcing a Basel player out of position because he was playing at CB; if he were playing at CM, he would have been marked without displacing the defensive shape of Basel. Same goes for Oscar. He is effective when he drops deep because he gives us the numerical advantage and forces, with his movemnt, a couple of players out of position. And still, his job there is completely different than the actual pivot players. Take the defensive duties, for example: When Oscar drops, he chases the ball around and harasses players while pivot players have to have much more tactical awareness and block areas and passing lanes instead of players; they have to show discipline and and not commit to challenges so they don't create gaps in the defense unlike what Oscar usually does. So, No, I don't think Oscar can play in the pivot, nor can we afford to give him the time he needs to adapt there.

I've seen Kevin play there and even said myself that his future could be there, but I find it annoying when people say it just so they can cram another attacking midfielder in the team. Kevin in the pivot is a different debate, imo.

So does playing a 35 year-old for sentimental reasons..

I don't think it's a matter of who's better, but rather a matter of inability; that is Mata's inability to play the number ten role that Jose wants in the team right now. The role has changed immensely since last season under Rafa where we were basically playing a 4-4-1-1 with Mata as a second striker. First, Jose wants the number ten to play like a central midfielder in defense. He wants the 4-2-3-1 to turn into 4-3-3 in defense. Mata cannot do that, he doesn't have the physical strength, nor the defensive abilities to do so. Jose also wants the #10 to be the player chases the ball and put pressure on the opposition's deepest midfielder. Secondly, and I'm really surprised that this has not been mentioned because, for me, this is the most important aspect, Jose wants the number ten to drop to receive the ball and then be the one that moves the ball to the wings or strikers. Last season, all Mata had to do was sit in the final third and wait for the ball to come to him. He can't drop and link-up with the pivot and fullbacks like Jose wants because he's very uncomfortable with his back to goal. The mistake which led to the corner that Basel scored from is an example of that. Last season, our biggest issue imo was our inability to move the ball from defense to attack and playing Oscar in the #10 role practically solves that.That's why, for me, he has to be first choice. As for Mata, I think he will need to play on the wing. Yes, he doesn't have the pace to be effective there on the counter attack, but most of our games we will be dominating possession and he could be vital for the team by providing a creative spark. On the left wing, he is capable of proving some much needed width in some games. Oscar and KDB should be our two number tens, imo. And as for Jose's comments, he knows exactly what he's doing. He's trying to motivate Mata who is a professional and will only try to work harder because of those comments. Oh, and can we pleeease stop putting Oscar (and KDB for that matter) in the pivot for goodness' sake?! This isn't FIFA, players don't have perfect movement off the ball even if they're playing out of position. You can't squeeze all out AMs into the same formation, so please stop trying to.

Dunno. Last I heard he opted against the operation to join the team in the US tour, but he couldn't get a Visa. Don't know if he did the surgery or not.

Any idea if he'll be in the squad for them today?

Jose is not idiot, he knows exactly what he's saying and doing. He feels Mata needs some motivation and he is giving him it. If he had any doubt that Mata cannot deal with this kind of public criticism, I am 100% sure that he would not have said it. But rather, he knows the kind of guy Mata is, and he knows how he will deal with this criticism.

Probably done but the club has not announced it. It's not like we announce everything.