OneMoSalah

I've seen him play before for Belgium, Genk and Werder but I'm not judging his Chelsea career on what hes done for those teams. He played piss poor against United and Swindon imo and was quite average vs Arsenal. He has a lot of work to do.

If Spain included him in there Confederations cup squad there is a chance they would have to wait for international clearance like they are now. They wanted to use him in the last international break but FIFA hadn't cleared him to do so yet.

Buzzing that we've signed him up, looked a very good talent.

I'd say he probably is right now the least talented one but thats not a bad thing given that players like Mata, Hazard, Oscar, Schurrle and Willian are in the squad. I used to think De Bruyne was better than Schurrle but looking at the situation and how Schurrle has done he edges it for me. You go on about how we base him on the few minutes he's played for Chelsea, ultimately that is what we are judging the players on, how well they do for Chelsea.

Personally Willian and Schurrle have done much more than Hazard so far this season. Both should start until Eden ups his game. Or Mata could play on the right after a great game vs Arsenal. Schurrle - Oscar - Willian/Mata

What were you lot thinking, that after a good loan spell in Germany where he is basically given a free role he was going to waltz into the Chelsea team? Fucking hell. 'De Bruyne should go he's wasting his talent' if he is to go, where will he go? Barca/Madrid/Bayern won't sign him, going to any other club is a step down in his career. He was always going to be a back up this year. Please don't say I am aiming this at every Belgian member on this forum but it seems some of yous would rather see him play for Chelsea even though he isn't as good as his competition so he can be in good form and good shape for the national team. I won't name names and it certainly isn't a lot of you Belgian members saying it, just a few.

What I loved about Riccy was he wasn't particularly a really tall player or really strong but he was quick for a CB, excellent at reading the game and despite being physically smaller than most CBs in the PL at the time would throw himself into tackles. Was a brilliant player for us, hes still kicking ass in France too. Think he was better than JT tbh, both exceptional CBs though.

double post

Its hardly killing the momentum of our offensive play, you don't always attack in football, nobody attacks, attacks and attacks constantly for 90 minutes. You need to control the game at times, like defending with the ball, keeping it so the opposition don't get it, limiting the chances they have to score. Mikel is exceptional at helping the team do this. Safe passes aren't bad passes, they are no risk passes, help the team retain possession, means the opposition has to either press and leave spaces for us to expose or stay compact and we run the clock down if we are winning 1-0 or 2-0 for instance.

I think Khedira as well was a major downfall in the Madrid game, Alonso received the ball and was pressed instantly, Khedira was too high up to provide an option at times. But yeah I agree he'd be a short term option but a very very very good short term option. A 2 year deal would be ideal for me.

Solid but not so spectacular 2 or 3-0 win here would do. Obviously Ben Arfa, Cabaye and Remy are the obvious threats but we have too much for them. Still the PL is a difficult and surprising league so we cannot afford to slip up.

Ramires - Mikel vs Newcastle anybody?

He turned his national down because they effectively turned him down by snubbing him for the Confederations Cup despite him being better than anything they had.

I am not saying fuck his nation, I am saying that if his nation refuse to pick him when he feels he should be picked then why should he pledge his allegiance to that nation? Diego Costa is a good player who should have been playing for Brazil regularly for the last 2 years when you look at his performances and the strikers ahead of him. They wouldn't pick him for a year so hes been put off playing for them obviously because he doesn't feel like they want him. Its his choice, I agree with his decision, why should he say no to Spain if he has a better chance of playing for them? FIFA rules are there for a reason, if the rule says he can change his allegiance then he can change his allegiance, he won't be the last player to do this and he certainly isn't the first. Well I'm not gonna lie but I find it extremely stupid that a manager has to pick certain players to keep the fans happy. Really strange. Fans are really important in footballl but fans don't pick the teams, fans don't train players to go and win world cups or confederation cups. Mate your english is fine, don't worry we are just arguing about a specific topic. Diego Costa is good, hes better than most of the strikers that Scolari will have the chance to call up for the world cup so its only obvious that he should have called him up for the last 2 years or whatever. I've seen a few Brazilians call him a cunt or a traitor, he is just doing what he feels he needs to do, which is play international football and compete against the best in the world. He was really only called by Brazil when Spain started to look at him a while back despite having scored 20 goals last season so its logical why hes turned Brazil down.

So Brazil is the only nation in the world where there is pressure on the manager, that is fucking bullshit and you know that. There is pressure on the managers in most international teams, not at the same level due to their targets but the fans want to be happy but when it goes to the fact a player shouldn't be picked up due to the fact the fans won't know him then I'm sorry but that is the stupidest reason I've ever read for a player not to be called up.

I don't agree with any of that at all. How is he a traitor to both teams? He was tossed aside without being given the same chance the likes of Jo or Fred was who are inferior players in an inferior league (no offence to the players or league). He wasn't called up for about a year, he was called back up because Spain only started putting in an interest in him so he declines Brazil because Spain want him and have spoke to him about this for a few months. He is choosing to play for Spain as he feels it is the best for his career and he feels more appreciated by Del Bosque. If you're angry because he's already played for Brazil before blame FIFA's rules and not the actual player who is doing what he thinks if best for his career and if Del Bosque picks him frequently then it is completely understandable.

Wtf? Alonso has never had power or pace.... he is certainly still mobile enough and throws himself about still like he used to but he was never in particular very powerful or very pacey. On a free, this would be an exquisite transfer. No other words for it. Always has been a world class player.

I understand what you're saying but I strongly disagree. You made out that because the people don't know who he is, that he shouldn't be picked on that basis because people can't see him but they can see Jo and Fred. Since when was it that people who aren't the Brazil coach need to see a player for him to be picked? Its never worked like that so why do you keep implying that?

Couldn't agree more. I still feel Spain will edge Brazil as favourites despite it being in Brazil. If Brazil don't win the World Cup there will be extreme consequences I think, they will be branded as failures because looking at that comment you quoted it seems that a lot of Brazilians have the feeling that Brazil are already champions too. Don't want to call who will win the World Cup, I feel there will be a surprise winner which means Spain or Brazil won't win it.

His two best performances for Chelsea have came against Arsenal at the Emirates. Was joint MOTM with Willian in my eyes.

What so the almighty 5 times world champions Brazil cannot send someone to watch Diego Costa in Spain? Or Scolari can't go there himself? Jesus fucking christ. Other national team coaches go to watch players they are interested in play in other countries..... Also since when did the Brazilian people pick the Brazil squad? Recently Scotland picked a lad who plays for Watford that nobody had ever fucking heard of, hes played 3 games for Scotland but hes been brilliant. Its not upto the Scottish public to pick the team is it, same with Brazil, same with England, same with Tunisia, same with fucking anybody. Yous are all posting stuff about Diego Costa being a cunt but Scolari refused to pick him so when Costa declines to play for Brazil how does he become a cunt or whatever? Would also like to know that, how is someone a cunt for exercising his right to chose between 2 top national teams?

I totally agree.

Maybe Del Bosque could have called him, I'm trying to read up to see if I can dig anything up on when he gained Spanish citizenship. According to something of the BBC website, Del Bosque would of had to wait for FIFA to clear him to switch his allegiance from Brazil to Spain anyway as he had to in the last international break but the fact stands that Scolari only used him twice last year and basically threw him aside despite the obvious fact that Brazil is really lacking a good striker. Well Diego Costa in 2012/13 scored 20 goals in all competitions, playing at a much much higher level of football than the regular strikers picked by Scolari (Jo and Fred), how does that not warrant a call up for Brazil? I would like to know how 20 goals in a single season from a good player playing in Spain's top flight and European football, shouldn't result in a call up? Are Brazil such a footballing super power that they shouldn't be calling him up? No. If you have a player scoring 20+ goals in a single season and he's playing for a good team in a very high standard of league you should call him up. Brazil may be his home but still do you think that he appreciates being picked for a game or two games maybe a year and a half ago and then not being called up against despite having a successful season? Hes been living in Spain for something like 7 years now, its a second home to him, Brazil basically shut the door on him after not picking him for the Confed Cup, Spain became interested and he obviously felt he wouldn't get many games for Brazil after not being picked for the Confed Cup so why can't he accept Spains proposal of playing for them? Scolari isn't being made out to be a villain, just everyone making Costa being out to be a complete cunt is uncalled for. Hes doing what he feels he should do, he obviously wants to play international football and feels he will get more of a chance for Spain. Just my two cents on it anyway.

Well me, if I were in Diego Costa's situation, I'd rather play for someone who appreciates me more. The fact Scolari has constantly picked strikers like Jo and Fred ahead of him for however long is ridiculous. Why would you be patriotic if you feel that country hasn't neccessairly wanted you despite being one of your countrys top performing strikers?

Brilliant offensively and more importantly defensively against an Arsenal side who have more of the ball than most of their opponents.