OneMoSalah

If he returned in a player-coach capacity yes because 1) his wages wouldn't go on FFP as they would be taken out of the coaching staff's wages 2) we lack players that are leaders now that Lamps and Cole have been released and Tiago resigned for Atletico 3) he can mentor our younger CFs like Lukaku, Bamford, Solanke, Brown, Feruz and whoever else and 4) if we have an injury crisis or need to rest players for big games I'd prefer Drogba coming in even at 36 and playing ahead of Torres. The only issues is, if he comes in just as a player and he doesn't play a lot will he get disruptive like it was reported under Boas? Lets be honest, hes not a quiet guy, hes a big personality and even now at 36 he probably isn't happy when hes not playing. Jose would be daft to resign him just as a player in my eyes, as a player coach though, there is more potential in it.

Pepe and Ramos won't cut it? They managed to cut it last year. Pepe and Ramos are two of the best CBs in Europe. If you don't think Real will win something then you're daft. -A few of the key players from Atletico have been sold (Costa, Luis, Courtois well recalled) while Real still have the same spine, although they are improving it with the signing of Toni Kroos in central midfield. If they lose Di Maria and replace him with James people will complain but if James hits the ground running like Bale did, they will soon forget, like they did with Ozil. -Barca have got a problem, how do they get Messi, Suarez and Neymar in the same team as well (all three prefer to operate in central areas) as Pedro who would start at most teams in Europe (brings width to their play). Also who do they replace Xavi with if he does go? Cesc's gone, Rakitic isn't a natural like for like replacement for Xavi. Sergi Roberto? Not the same quality. -Atletico still have key players like Tiago, Koke, Raul Garcia, Gabi, Godin and Miranda but have lost one of the best LBs in Europe, one of the best keepers in the Europe and one of the best strikers in Europe. Although they have replaced Costa with someone of similar quality, are the other players they've bought in as good as Luis or Courtois? No.

Why is Eric such a twat? Is there any way to cure Eric? If there is no cure for Eric's twattish condition, do you want to help me kill him? You said Oasis is one of you favorite bands, so what is your favorite Oasis album and song? You also mentioned Arctic Monkeys, who is your favorite front man out of Alex Turner and Liam Gallagher? First Chelsea match you ever seen? P.S sorry Eric but you are a twat

Nasri??? Navas??? Both really good players. Also Arsenal's attack could be better than ours now they have added Sanchez, sure Willian and Oscar are good, hardworking players but in terms of creativity I'd say Sanchez-Ozil-Cazorla will create more chances than Willian-Oscar-Hazard. I mean we can be biased and say we prefer our attack to Barcelona's or Madrid's or Arsenal's or City's but the strongest part of our team is probably the defense.

Hahaha fucking class Happy birthday mate, better have plenty of booze its Saturday now FFS

Meant Luis. Not Azpi.

FFS we should have retired the number 19 shirt after all Demba's heroics for the club.....

Hes a good young player but he still needs to play with the 21s for another year I think, hes still a young guy, only 17 so he has plenty of time. Shouldn't overhype him either, give him time and space to develop without the whole 'hes going to make it' pressure thing we did with Josh under AVB and Kakuta/Sturridge under Carlo.

Has he played at CB before? Oh well thats a relief because I know when Jose's chasing games that 3-5-2 is one of his main tactical switches to try get the team back in the game.

Find it odd a lot of people are saying Azpi over Branna even if we get Luis at left back. Branna is very important for set plays so I see him remaining as our starting right back due to the fact he is used strategically by Mourinho to get us higher up the park from goal kicks as opposed to the slow building from the back like under Andre. The fact hes also able to play center back means that when Mourinho wants to put on another striker like he done at Madrid frequently by withdrawing Marcelo/Coentrao and also here last season a few times replacing Cole with Torres or Ba, it makes it easier for him to play 3-5-2 as opposed to having to use Azpi as a right sided center back where he isn't familiar. 4-3-3 Courtois/Cech Branna - Cahill - JT - Luis Matic Ramires - Cesc/Oscar Willian - Costa - Hazard 3-5-2 Courtois/Cech Branna - Cahill - JT Matic Willian - Ramires - Cesc/Oscar - Hazard Costa - Torres/Lukaku

Meh who gives a shit.

Good player, not a great player but he was one of the many reasons Sunderland stayed up. Seen him play for Celtic as well and I'll tell you he has got great two feet, can pass it long/short very well, shoot powerfully and accurately on both feet as well as tackle but I don't think hes at a level where he should be a regular for a team like Chelsea. Honestly surprised he wasn't kept at Swansea last year though.

Don't get why Real are selling him, he was so key to their system under Ancelotti, playing more centrally but coming out wide to do the donkey work to free up Ronaldo. Also didn't he get 17 assists last year? Do Madrid really value players like Ozil and Di Maria, very creative playes who can win you games? Sure they can get James but hes not really needed. Kroos is different he can play various roles, as a 6, 8 or 10, which I can see why Ancelotti's approved a transfer especially given Alonso's in his 30s as well.

As much as I agree with the thing about a lack of end product, hes coming into his second season where he will get a full pre-season. He still did well, in terms of adapting and consistency, he needs more goals and assists though that will come. Maybe 30M was a bit much, remember Anzhi, although they sold their big money and name players, were financially safe at that point still, also they paid more than 30M for him too IIRC.

Who does Branna think he is sporting a beard like that, Meireles? But yeah when you thought he couldn't have gotten any scarier after shaving his head, he goes a grows a beard that makes him look even scarier.

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Don't know how anyone can say he is one of the best CBs in the world or could be one of them after a performance like that and fuck knows how many individual errors at Chelsea. One of the best CBs in the world is a guy who never gets caught out, never/rarely makes mistakes, is very difficult to play against and can ALWAYS be depended on by his team to never fuck up. Why do you think he featured in the big games as a central midfield player at Chelsea? Because he never learned from his mistakes at center back and can't be trusted there in big games. Top notch by Jose to get anything over 25M for him let alone 40M. Absolutely brilliant work. Lets be honest he might have an amazing long pass in him or a great free kick or step out of defence and go on a good dribble but for all of that theres a dummy against Cardiff when he hasn't seen an attacker 3 or 4 yards away where you concede a goal or a stupid needless foul on a QPR striker which leads to a penalty and goal as well as the multiple needless attempts to come and intercept a ball hes getting nowhere near, continuously giving away stupid free kicks or very very rash over the top blocks like the one on that kid when we played Swindon. Sure having talent is one thing but a CB isn't always a player who needs to score freekicks or play 60 yard passes, sure it helps but if they can't do the basics whats the point?

This. Totally agree. I am a Chelsea fan, club should always come first.

Really don't see the need for Pogba when we already have Ramires and just signed a creative central midfield player in Cesc... if Ramires goes then maybe but the chances of that happening? Very slim. The same with Khedira, hes a box to box midfielder, we already have Ramires and Marco van Ginkel who are both box to box midfielders.

He asked for a fucking permanent transfer. Jose said to the media to ask Romelu why he was loaned out after the kid opened his mouth to try and fire shots at Jose. I wish people would stop saying he asked for a loan, he wasn't sold because Jose didn't want to sell him, he was loaned partly to take points off title rivals and partly to keep him happy. Fucking hell.

Second goal had an unbelievable first touch and finish in it, hope he can get a start in the final.

Are you sure? He was great tonight. What a player, world class midfielder, also look at how he played for Bayern in many games. Technique, vision, scores goals, sets them up, very good player. Madrid have done very very well.

I hope so for his own sake because to say Higuain is slowly turning into a top player... would be incredibly daft.

The fact is hes a very average player still, lacking a lot of things to be a top striker. He couldn't have been dropped at Everton because he was their best striker but at Chelsea he wasn't the best striker. Eto'o as old and if you want to say past it as he was, suited the system, better technique, better footballing intelligence and had the knack of being in the right place at the right time. Look at Lukaku's WC performances, if he thinks hes ready to be number 1 at Chelsea after those he's sadly mistaken, his best role at Chelsea would be coming off the bench with 20 or 25 minutes to go when everyone else is tired and hes fresh and can make an impact. Look at him when he was on loan at West Brom, he didn't always start, he scored a lot of goals coming off the bench for them. Hes a deluded boy if he thinks he deserves or has got everything he needs to be Chelsea's number 1 striker right now, it was only a matter of time before he wanted to leave, he already tried to after missing that penalty in the super cup, pathetic mentality and mindset to have, if he keeps thinking like that he will never be a top player. Football these days is as much mental as physically, very talented players need to handle pressure, deal with mistakes, if he cannot deal with missing a penalty and wants to leave after it then I can't see him reaching the very top. I know he isn't Drogba but look Drogba was perhaps the opposite, he was a good player but he was probably not thought to be as talented as Lukaku but his mindset, his ability to deal with pressure, bounce back from mistakes, was as vital to him being a top player as his ability.

Lol I love how he says Higuain slowly evolved into a top player.. this is a guy who scored over 100 goals for Real Madrid before he was 26.... 'slowly evolved into a top player what a joke'. Yeah the guy can talk. Some of it bullshit. Some of it makes sense.