CHOULO19

A win in a very even game. Happy about that. League is certainly getting more interesting now.

Thank you for that mentak image EDIT: I originally meant mental, but I won't correct it because "mentak" in Arabic means fucked up!

We can definitely forget about the midfield battle with that lineup.

I think you just proved that it should include two DMs!

Please take to PMs, lads. We don't want to derail this thread.

Do you have anything on topic to say?

Was an unused sub for Valencia again yesterday. Starting to get a bit worried about this loan. He's not getting any minutes at all.

I know, I know, I was just teasing you

You can't make a post comparing two situations and then say "I'm not making comparisons"!

Mata is a 15-goals 20-assist player here at Chelsea where our whole system is built around AMs. Of course a player's compatibility with a team's system affects greatly his effectiveness. Would Messi get half the goals he usually does at Stoke?

Here's a question we did not ask ourselves: Would united even want Mata? They play with traditional wingers; they always have. Their system doesn't include 'modern' attacking midfielders. Just look at how Kagawa has struggled there because the system is not built to suite a player like him. The only reason I can see them interested in Mata is to play that second striker role, but even there they usually have a bit more 'physical' players.

Did the ref really just stop the game to have some water? WTF!

You still doing the preview for united, Barbara?

I've always like Ross Barkley but he's been very impressive so far this season. Reminds me a little of a Frank when he was his age.

But he obviously knew at that point that there is a good chance he'd join us.

You mean like Torres who bagged a brace against us days before joining us?

Where's Stingray? Haven't seen him around here in a couple of days. Feels so weird!

He's a professional. He plays football for a living. He was clearly unhappy against Swansea but he still delivered two assists. He should be able to do it again.

Why?

After the calls we got in midweek, that's inevitable.

Yeah. He said that he's working hard to be fit and if he's not for united he'll be fit for Bayern.

Enjoy your holiday, mate

Back to the actual game... I think Jose is likely to make some changes after the performance in mid week. I really hope Luiz is fit but it didn't sound like he will from what Jose said in the PC. I think it'll be a tight match settled by the odd goal.

While I agree that there is always good music around, it doesn't mean that the amount of good music around is always the same. Of course there were flops in the 80s and 90s, but can you name 5 world-famous bands that make good music now? Good music doesn't come from just a bunch of people picking up guitars and playing some notes, it comes from certain states of society as whole. Every major musical revolution was the birth product of an intellectual and cultural revolution in a society: Rock, Punk, even pop and rap.

Regardless of whether this makes sense or not (for me it's "not) or whether the price is too much or not (and for it is) we have to come to terms with the fact that the deal is done. Jose would not have spoken about it in his PC if everything hasn't already been decided. So I guess, just like we did with Schurrle, it's time to put away the criticism of what's wrong about this deal and support the lad when he puts on a Chelsea shirt.