Superblue

My worries aren't so much with our defence, the problem is they are so easily exposed. Any great defence will struggle if one ball can completely take out your midfield and your left against two or three attackers running at you. The pivot is obviously the biggest issue. I actually think Mikel alongside somebody mobile, disciplined and defensively aware would work. Mikel is left too exposed alongside Lampard and needs somebody dynamic alongside him. With a more defensively sound pivot, it will: Negate a lot of easy counter attacks for the opposition. Give protection to our defence. Allow our attacking four players in front of the pivot do exactly that...attack. We would no longer have to have a balance in the front four, i.e. a defensive winger like Ramires. I don't see these problems however being too badly exposed domestically this season. We can dominate and outscore most teams. I don't envisage a problem getting top four. The problems will be in Europe this season where more teams are clinical. I can see us struggling this year in europe.

Clearly not a good enough economy to pay Malouda!

Right my thoughts after tonights game. I left it for a couple of hours to try and calm down and post with a clear head so here goes: A lot of people on here have highlighted the worry that we will get annihilated on the counter attack by good teams this season with the current personnel. Tonight has certainly highlighted those worries. However lets just consider that no one else has Falcao in their team. Everybody thought Newcastle would expose us and they didn't so let's not completely push the panic button just yet! I think that we can cope with the way we have set up this season domestically because the majority of teams we can 'boss' and outscore. The problems this season will come in Europe, playing against teams who I think will be more clinical in their counter attacks. Our pivot should have been strengthened this summer and wasn't. For our formation to work, IMO we need two defensively minded midfielders which will negate the threat of counter attacks, whilst given the platform for the players in front to play and attack. Long term, we need to buy a mobile, disciplined and defensively aware midfielder - M'Vila, Witsel, Tiote spring to mind. Essien five years ago would be the perfect player now for that role. However short term I would look at Romeu lining up alongside Mikel to give a greater balance to the midfield. If Robbie sees Romeu as too inexperienced for a two man midfield, then it has to be Ramires or Meireles as an alternative to give the midfield a bit of energy and dynamism. So where does this leave Lampard? Well, I personally am worried that Lamps will never properly adapt to the pivot. Tonight's game showed this perfectly - He still plays like he is in a three man midfield, with his first move to look to attack. This obviously leaves Mikel, never the quickest or most mobile, exposed and Lampard doesn't have the stamina to get up and down the pitch as well as he used to either. For me, we have to start phasing Lampard into a squad player. He still has a role at the club this season because I think he can still play in the pivot against weaker teams where we will be on the offensive for most of the game. I love Lampard and will always regard him as a legend, but I do believe that if this is Lamp's last season at the club, it may be to the benefit of the club moving forward. Similar to Drogba, I think he is too big a personality with too big a history at the club to accept playing a peripheral role at the club. In terms of with the ball, I did think Mikel used it pretty well tonight and was looking to get the ball forward much of the time rather than backwards. This is a positive, and I think he could flourish alongside an energetic ball winner alongside him. I have praised Robbie a lot of times for some of the tactical decisions he has made since he joined but he dropped a ricket tonight. In the first half anybody could see we were struggling to break through the middle of Madrid's team. Bringing on Oscar just gave us another playmaker who's first thought is to look to go through the middle. It packed even further what was an already congested centre of the park. Robbie should have brought on Moses or Sturridge at half time to give us width. They happily tucked their full backs in and let us pass the ball out wide to the right because they knew we were no threat with Ivanovic out wide on his own. Having a player who could give us a genuine threat out wide would have stretched them more, and THEN left more space in the centre to try to expose. Ivanovic and Ramires were very poor tonight and offer nothing together offensively on our right side. I'm looking forward to seeing Azpilicueta over the next few weeks hopefully settle in and provide some stiff competition to Ivanovic and push him. With a more solid, defensive minded pivot, a defensive winger will no longer be essential. Ramires has started the season in poor form also so if we do continue playing with a defensive minded winger for the forseeable future I would currently have Bertrand over Ramires. I hate buying in January so unless we have key injuries, I would actually prefer us to keep this squad throughout the season and make any changes next summer when better value can be had.

Honest and hopefully as he says, a reality check for this team.

Great so Essien is shipped out after our pivot has been smashed to bits tonight, and nothing on Malouda leaving!

Witsel, Tiote, any midfielder who is disciplined and defensively aware enough to give Mikel some support in the pivot. I'm not sure if Lampard will ever adapt to a pivot role.

This is fucking dreadful and downright disgraceful! Robbie must feel sick

Why are we playing long fucking ball??!! Pass it to hazard and mata - this is awful!!!

Sky Sports just advertising a documentary that is 'coming soon' on sky sports called 'kings of europe' about last years champions league win. Wow, fair play to sky sports and just highlights what an achievement it was.

Essien can only move if we buy a replacement. Is the French international rumour M'Vila??!! And to Arsenal? What happened to a £8m Fenerbache bid?

Hope he gets enough games to make it worthwhile. Club doesn't normally loan out so young so he's obviously highly thought of and we're looking to fast track.

With all the competitions we're going for i just worry that we're hedging our entire bets on an inexperienced forward line without Torres. Neither Sturridge and Moses have cut their teeth as a lone forward at the top level yet. And note that Torres has been injury free since joining Chelsea because he hasn't played every game. His injury problems occured when Liverpool burnt him out and i worry the same thing could happen with us if we over-rely on him.

As much as i would like a quality midfielder to challenge Lampard and Mikel - we need a striker! I can't believe some people think we have enough. If Torres breaks his leg tomorrow are you telling me we can go through until January with Sturridge and Moses as our only senior striking options? I would love us to pull off someone like Llorente or Remy, someone in their prime years with good experience but not a huge name that will come with lots of pressure.

Fresh from his successful court battle does anybody get the feeling that Roman will not want to be usurped on deadline day by anyone!

Llorente is even money to join Tottenham. If he is in there instead of Adebayor then they do have a formidable first XI. Spurs biggest problem is that they have sold a lot of squad players to fund these buys so I do think they are light in their squad should they suffer a few injuries.

I don't like what Tottenham are doing because it seems they are stripping out the deadwood and actually buying some real good players across Europe, but we can't buy everybody. One thing is for certain and that is I wouldn't swap Hazard for anyone else's transfers this summer. I'm still pretty confident that given the start we have made to the season that we, along with United and City, are nailed in for top 3. Fourth however is up for grabs and the moves Spurs are making will put them right up there for that!

Anything definite about the Moutinho rumour. Don't want him at that rabble!

You don't say?! If you read my post properly i said 'standard' positions, i.e when people dish out awards or generalise positions they inevitably go into one of four as mentioned. If going on that basis, i am saying that there is no way Ronaldo and Messi can be classed midfielders over strikers.

If things are based on four standard positions being keeper, defence, midfield and strikers then Messi and Ronaldo have to be considered strikers. The offensive area they play on the field suggests they cannot be classed midfielders.

Have Spurs still got enough players to make up a 1st XI with?

Daily Mirror seems to think we are wanting to buy Schurrle and loan out Sturridge. http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/chelsea-transfers-daniel-sturridge-poised-1289577 Daily Mail thinks that we'll be loaning out Essien to Arsenal. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2196041/Arsenal-want-Michael-Essien-loan.html Thank fuck we've got a game to enjoy watching whilst the last few hectic hours of the transfer window tick by with endless shite!

Yeah, although it is not impossible, I would take it as pretty solid indication that anybody who has travelled for tomorrow's game won't be going anywhere. Liverpool would have to make a move very early tomorrow if anything was to happen because they wouldn't have any real time to complete a signing after our match, as the window shuts at 11pm. Yossi has apparently been ill for a couple of days although he has tweeted today I think that he is hoping to tie up a move tomorrow. Robbie has said he left Malouda for 'technical reasons' which surely spells the end for him.

I can understand why Liverpool want Sturridge, a natural finisher...have you seen Suarez again tonight?! He has a case for being the worst finisher I've ever seen for a striker! And if we think Sturridge is selfish, watch Suarez!

First off our group could have been a lot easier - we only have to look at United and Arsenal's annual free pass into the knock-out stages! Shakhtar is a horrible place to go to, particularly late in the year with the cold weather and long travelling. The squad will have to be used to it's maximum with premier league games in between this. If we don't sign another striker I'm really hoping Sturridge can step up to the plate in supporting Torres. Juventus is a bit of an unknown quantity. They were obviously excellent in Italy last year, although I think Serie A is probably at the weakest it's been for years. The lack of recent experience in Europe and having Conte suspended also I think will make them a little easier to play, although it will be extremely hard to go over to Italy and win. Playing them at home first game is probably good to get it out of the way and hopefully get a win. We will be buzzing first game as holders and Juventus may take a couple of games to get into their stride in the group. Nordsjaelland with the greatest respect is probably the easiest team on paper we could have drawn from pot 4. Yes, it's a tough group and the teams deserve great respect, but let's not kid ourselves - we should be winning this group! Teams may well be 'gunning' for us as holders, but on the flip side knowing the mentality of our squad, we will play this season in europe with a touch of swagger and arrogance, and should be showing we were worthy winners last year.

Let's not help West Ham, Fulham is a better bet and Martin Jol seems to be doing a good job there.