OneMoSalah

Well if Terry, Ivanovic and Cech aren't in the team last year we need to look at who has captained former clubs and national teams in their career as well. Look Cesc has captained Arsenal, Cahill has captained Bolton, those are two out the current lot that spring to mind to me. Sure Cesc just arrived but he wasn't made captain for no reason at Arsenal. Not saying he should be but he could be considered eventually. I think Terry will play a lot next season anyway as will Ivanovic so we will be fine.

Would hardly say we should sell him because of some poor performances in his first World Cup at 21 years of age. He needs another year or two on loan playing every week and some more training to get his touch and movement much better yeah but hardly sold. I think you can see why Mourinho didn't keep him in the squad last season and when Everton came in for him it was a good move to loan him there, hes still lacking things which he will only improve with experience and hard work.

A Roman signing? So Lavezzi, a player who is very fast, direct, good at carrying the ball, scores goals and works very hard is not a Mourinho sort of player? Hes exactly the profile of player Mourinho likes and he'd suit our team.

Was pretty awful but special players are decisive when their teams need them to be. Great assist.

So far against Russia his hold up play, first touch and movement has been awful, also the last game it was terrible. He'll never be our number 1 striker if he doesn't improve on that aspects of his game, I mean look at Eto'o's movement for us in comparison or how Eto'o holds the ball up when he has to and has very good control in tight areas while shielding the ball, he needs to improve that. I know hes still young but still its so frustrating to see him mess up simple things like a first touch or like Henry, Shearer and Seedorf said before the game he isn't on the half turn to receive the ball when he should be so he can drive at the back 4.

This team needs more ready made players in their prime as opposed to 20 or 21 year olds so I ain't going to be complaining about this deal at all given Luis is as good a LB as their is out there in this moment other than Alaba and possibly Marcelo if you discount how bad he is defensively like everyone else does these days. Look at who we've signed under Jose since he came back last year. Matic, Willian, Fabregas, Tiago, Costa & Luis (well they're basically signed). They are all over the age of 25 or more or less and most of them have the prime years of their career just about to come, except Tiago who is in the latter stages of his career (but he will likely only occupy a squad player role I'd imagine). Then we have Schurrle, Salah and Zouma who are younger players that are good players but a lot of potential and time to improve. There is a very nice balance of younger players (Courtois, Hazard, MvG, Oscar, Salah, Zouma, Lukaku), guys coming towards their prime/in their prime (Azpilicueta, Matic, Willian, Fabregas, Ramires, Cahill, Mikel) and then older more experienced heads (Cech, Torres, Terry, Cole, Ivanovic, Tiago too when he comes/if he comes) in the squad and if we get maybe another striker or resign Eto'o and sell Torres then the squad would be very very good.

Not just you everyone whos fretting about when we will sign him lol! He will sign eventually.

Is anyone else gonna screenshot any tweets from twitter from unreliable journalists saying its gonna be announced tomorrow or Christmas day or some time in 2095 or what? It will be done when its done, I mean all the build up from his agent coming out and speaking about our interest then Atleti signing a good LB as a replacement does that not point to something?

Well he was anonymous for half the season after a very bright start, where his form prompted Mata to sit on the bench and eventually leave because he couldn't get in the team. Someone who was putting Mata, 2 times player of the year, arguably the best playmaker in the PL since arriving in 2011, only behind Silva perhaps, on the bench you expect much much much better. I am not stupid, you might want to say that but I'm not, the Southampton game where he and Willian came on was the last good game I can remember him playing for a good while but still if you look at how any other number 10 in the top 5 or 6 PL teams played in the last second half of the season you really have to consider how poor he was. Then when he lines up for Brazil and plays an outstanding match it makes me think what could have been. Don't even bother starting with this fans like you bullshit, you're just being like that for no reason, I am not the only person on this forum who was disappointed with Oscar's season and just because you disagree doesn't mean you're right. In fact by the time Jose Mourinho even said he was disappointed with Oscar towards the end of the season that says something doesn't it?

Well when you watch someone who has had 5 or 6 months of underwhelming performances and has been accused by the manager as saving himself for a World Cup play like that you can't do anything else other than complain when you think what could have been had he arrived in games playing like that. He was very good for Brazil, if he'd played like that in some of our games and inspired us in the same way he did for Brazil tonight then I am positive we could have won the league. Ok I am not saying he cost us the league, no way am I saying that but if he played like that and created many chances in games then who knows. I don't like this players taking the World Cup more seriously or saving themselves for it ahead of their clubs season, its a farce, Luiz and Willian were fully committed in every game despite a World Cup and Ramires also was before he got suspended. I don't care if its just because he became a father or that he is Brazilian and its a World Cup in Brazil it is unacceptable in my eyes to prioritize a World Cup over a whole half of a European football season.

Selling David Luiz, who was used more in CM than CB under Mourinho for 50m and signing Cesc Fabregas, for 3/5ths of the money is the best transfer move we've made in years. Outstanding midfield player, vision, goals and whatever else, he's brilliant. Great work again in the market.

Pretty shocked at the level of performance he gave tonight giving how bad he was for about half of the PL season. Sure hes playing for Brazil in the World Cup in Brazil but its blatantly obvious he was prioritising that over the PL for a while. If we had that level of performance from him in some of the games where he was underwhelming against smaller teams then maybe we could have nipped in front of City and won the league, who knows? He inspired Brazil tonight. I wish he'd have given that sort of performances for Chelsea in the second half of the campaign and perhaps we'd be talking about being PL champions.

Can't wait for the look on every fucking Arsenal fans face when if sign him or the potential shirt burning and constant booing when we play them. One of my best mates is an Arsenal fan and he was convinced Cesc would be going back to them so if we get him hes the first person I'm winding up.

A year playing every week is better than 10 minutes every 5 or 6 games than 2 consecutive appearances in a row towards the end of the season. What is the fucking issue with loaning him out?

Hopefully Mou goes and tries to hijack the deal. He'd be the perfect partner for Hazard, such a good wee left back, offers so much going forward and also very solid defensively. Would be disappointed if the Scousers get him because hes going to be one of the best of the lot in a few years I think. Think he is just as good as Ricardo Rodriguez, although I hope we get either him or Moreno those two are definitely better than Luke Shaw right now.

but its true, he was a vital part of that team, wasn't he? or did you not know that? You don't concentrate on the past but you can't dismiss what a players done in his past. Hes done his fair share since arriving, hes a good player. Sure hes not world class but hes a good player and is worthy of a role at Chelsea.

Exactly but specific players who have also had bad seasons like Oscar are apparently still good enough? Its the same thing really. Just people are taking it out on Ramires and not Oscar. I've seen people in this thread criticize Ramires but I bet in the Oscar thread they are saying he needs to stay when others are saying he should be sold if we get a high bid and he will improve because he is a world class talent and whatever else etc. No I thought your point was Ramires didn't deserve to wear the shirt and he was living off one goal he scored and you've not given one response which explains how you think that. Instead you've gone on about how he'd be a good squad player now or that he doesn't create chances or whatever but you've not said why he doesn't deserve to wear the shirt or how hes been living off that goal when he hasn't.

When did Ramires actually create chances from open play a lot? Never, hes a box to box midfielder, covers a lot of ground, supports the attack, breaks up play. I think your fucking high because if you ever thought he created a lot you really didn't watch the same Ramires as I did. Lose his cool? Shit happens, stop trying to nitpick because if thats your argument it is fucking stupid because good players have lost their cool for stupid reasons. Players get frustrated and do stupid shit, always have and always will do.

A left footed CB, would add a bit more balance to the team I feel but at 35M no thanks.

You said he was living off a chip he did in a CL semi final in 2012. You made out hes done nothing since that by saying' he's living off it' so don't give me your fucking bullshit 'I didn't actually accuse Ramires of having done nothing good apart from the Barca chip', where you basically were accusing him of living off it saying he didn't deserve to wear the shirt in previous posts etc. He scored big goals in the FA cup semi final and then the final after that game vs Barcelona in that season for fuck sakes. Hes not living off anything, out of the midfield options we have had since 2011 he has been one of the best of the lot, hence why hes been included in more or less every game he's been fit to play in since 2011. Robbie, Rafa and Jose didn't just pick him because he chipped Valdes in the Nou Camp loool. What are players not allowed to have a run of bad form? It happens mate.

Still living off that chip? After his first season where he had to adapt to English football he kicked on, he scored our goal of the season in the 2010-11 season vs City and looked like he was finding his feet in the PL. In the 2011-12 season he was one of our best players, under AVB where he was given more offensive capabilities and also under Di Matteo when he came in and took over he kept, performing well despite being shuffled out wide to accommodate Lampard and Mikel as the two holding players in a 4-2-3-1. He scored big goals and provided big moments, not just that chip against Barca, remember the goal he scored against Liverpool in the FA cup final? Also he scored against Spurs in that 5-1 game in the semi final. He also set Drogba up against Napoli at the Bridge for the first goal, kept Lavezzi quiet when he had to defend and was very heavily involved with the crucial fourth goal Branna scored. Under Jose this year he looked more at home in the 2 for a good half of a season. The Super Cup final he impressed me a lot, despite receiving a red card. Ok he started to fade away during the second half of the season and didn't put in good performances but that's football, form doesn't last a whole season. Also he done some stupid things but because he did two or three stupid things doesn't mean hes a poor player who doesn't deserve to wear the shirt. Hes done well and contribute his fair bit since arriving here, big goals/moments/performance in specific big games the last few years (vs United, City, Napoli, Barcelona, Spurs, Liverpool, Bayern, Benfica etc) so I think you need to re-evaluate your opinion. Fabregas coming here would be a great move, Matic sweeping up in front of the defence and Fabregas feeding the likes of Hazard, Willian, Oscar etc with the ball in between the lines... please make it happen.

Seen rumors floating about on twitter Atletico are close to a deal with Granada for their LB who was on loan at Benfica last season so they might have decided to sell Luis to us...

Its a factor to consider though, yes not every winger is at that level but its something that worries me a bit given we will be looking to get to the semi finals every year and we will end up against a team like Real/Bayern/Barca or that eventually. Its the same with at the World Cup, he's really unknown quality on that stage as he is in European competition, also with a massive price tag (which I wouldn't pay even if he was going to be our LB for over 10 years given hes a full back, I mean cmon we got Azpilicueta who was just as good if not better at LB this year for 7 million). What if he has a bad start? Half the forum go ape shit and say we shouldn't have spent 20-30m on him like Oscar this year lol? I'd prefer a more experienced player over him right now or Cole to stay just so we have an experienced backup of some sort. He is a great talent but he is also a slightly risky signing. I'm sure he'd be a success but I'm just looking at what could happen because theres no guarantees that he will replicate how he's played for Southampton for Chelsea as its a different team, much more pressure as theirs an expectancy to win every game. I mean if we are desperate for English players why don't we go and get Baines? Sure he's 29 and will only do a few more years but hes a better player right now. This team needs players who have already developed to close to their best so we have a mix of youthful players, players in their prime and then the much more experienced players.

Could Shaw cut it in Europe against a very good wide player, someone like Pedro, Bale, Di Maria or that at 18, 19 or 20 ? Sure Walcott or Lennon is one thing but if we got one of Barcelona or Real Madrid in the CL, players like Bale or Pedro or Di Maria I feel would probably give him a hell of a time. Maybe a more experienced player could be better for now, maybe not though. Jose will get a very good LB in though, so we will see. If we kept Cole then signing Shaw would have made sense, if Shaw struggled against some bigger players in Europe then Ash could step in and do what hes been doing for years, big performances in big games. I don't think Jose will spend a fair chunk of the Luiz money on a 18 year old LB with 60 odd PL games though.

Lol I remember when everyone said he was a flanks player. Simeone plays his playmakers on the wings, Koke would be brilliant for us in the pivot, great vision and technique and in general a very very good rounded player.