Superblue

I've said it already, anything under £18m and he must be snapped up. I don't think it will take any more with a year on his contract left.

For those critical of yesterday's performance, the first few games of the season are all about getting results until the team settles down. United and City were both pretty poor and it cost United.

Anything under £18m should make him our first choice striker target!!

My thoughts on the game... I felt the decision to pick Bertrand was a breath of fresh air. People on this forum were very critical before the game, but with Ramires injured who else should RDM have played? It's unfair to expect Oscar to start so soon, starting Sturridge would leave no striking option on the bench, and then that leaves Meireles, which judging on this forum, would be even worse. People need to appreciate we cannot go gung ho and transform into a much higher offensive mentality immediately. Also we were playing away from home first game of the season. Home fans will be buzzing, and not to mention the run of form Wigan finished with last season. Bertrand gave a greater balance to the midfield considering the defensive deficiencies of Mata and Hazard. If you want really attacking football with no real tactical structure and discipline to it then go and support Arsenal or Spurs...and enjoy winning fuck all season after season! And following on from that, we as fans have been moaning for years all of the times we have been winning comfortably with youngsters on the bench and they're not brought on. In RDM we have someone who doesn't seem fazed about throwing an inexperienced body in if he believes in them. I personally think it's fantastic. Hazard's first half was excellent. It's going to take time for players like him and Oscar to adapt and grow into the Premier League. Hazard fading away the longer the game went was proof of that, but if he is able to produce game winning periods of play like today whilst he is still adapting, we're only going to get better and stronger. Also fair play to him for coming onto Sky Sports after the match and answering a question in English. Defensively we looked more solid today. I was critical of Terry against Man City but he looked much more solid today. A couple of early clean sheets will breed confidence at the back quickly which is what we want. When the defence is confident and feel strong, then the attackers can play with more freedom. Wigan had more possession but at home so they should. They are a naturally comfortable team in possession, but they didn't create buckets of clear cut chances for the possession they had. We went 2-0 up early and were looking to pick them off as they had to then come at us. Our counter attacking was not fluid enough at times which is understandable at the beginning of the season. However to be as critical as some have been that I have read, to a 2-0 win away from home seems non-sensical. Why does there seem a need to comment on Torres' performance every game no matter how he has played? Is it about time we treat him as one of the boys as opposed to an enigma? Victor Moses looked good today. Easily their best player. He has an unpredictability about him, and never gives up trying. His final ball wasn't always the best but in fairness to him he mostly only had a static Di Santo to aim for in between 3 or 4 Chelsea defenders. For the price being quoted, he would be a solid addition to our squad.

I agree. Whelan has said that Chelsea haven't come back in for a few days now. If we get Hulk, we should inform Moses' agent to hold out and we'll come back in next summer when his contract is up and a small tribunal fee will be payable. I would be happy with Moses, but I do think another full season at Wigan will help up ten fold.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19286776 Good head on him, and he seems to be thinking along the same lines I am - having played 15 games last season, 20-25 will be good progress this season, particularly as he continues to be trusted more in bigger, more important games. We will also see the best of Ashley Cole this way, as we cannot continue to expect him to play 2-3 games a week. We no longer need to expect now.

He's nearly 21, it's hardly an 18 year old. I believe we will slowly blood him in over the next 4-6 weeks - a couple of 30 minute sub appearances, and probably his first start in the league cup. He might even play a game or two for the U-21 reserves to get acclimatised. However I think thereafter once he's settled, he won't look back and will FORCE his way into the team with his ability.

With a bit of luck in training he'll break anton's leg and end his career in one of those late tackles we know he's capable of!

Agreed mate, although you do always want a handful of experienced players in the side to strike the right balance. If Moutinho left, Meireles could provide ideal experience to the younger players.

I love Luiz, what a legend! I have nothing but admiration for the players who go out of their way to help a new signing/fellow countryman settle in. Mata always speaks of what Torres did for him, and it allows the player to hit the ground running for the team.

I did say that his physical abilities excel in my previous post but the stamina and work rate of Meireles is also very high. However i was comparing the pair's technical ability more - does Ramires excel in anything technically? Is he a better technical player than Meireles? Yet most love Ramires and hate or seem to scapegoat Meireles! And just for the record i love Rambo and would always try to find a place for him in my Chelsea team - i'm just making an observation.

Fair enough mate. Would you take Meireles back as part of any deal for Hulk?

Some would argue that Ramires 'excels at nothing' perhaps with the exception of his stamina/work rate, but most Chelsea fans rate him very highly and would rather find a spot in the team for him than not.

Source? That being said then, how about Meireles moving back to Porto as part of a deal for Hulk? I would loathe to see him go to help out Tottenham. At the beginning of the season he was playing well, is capable of scoring a couple of pearlers, and let us not forget was superb in the defensive masterclass we gave against Barcelona home and away. Ok, he's not as good as Modric, but he would benefit Tottenham's midfield.

I reckon £16-18m will get him and he is definately worth pursuing for that!

Whilst RVP is a great player, as is Rooney, having two great strikers on the books doesn't necessarily equate to a world class partnership that's going to 'click'. We know this ourselves over the years (hughes/vialli, drogba/sheva, drogba/torres). If they don't click together it may end up being an 'either/or' situation which could cause both to struggle like we experienced with drogba and torres. Obviously they could work and score bag fulls but there is no guarantee and RVP isn't at the age where time can be given to make it work.

I would much rather us go for Welbeck! Has he signed a new contract yet, as I'm sure he only has a year or two left? He might just rethink if he hasn't signed it!

English papers tomorrow suggesting that Javier Hernandez has told Fergie privately that he wants to leave with the imminent arrival of RVP, and possible destination is Arsenal!

I don't understand your point mate because at Liverpool, Torres consistently scored goals for them, and nobody has ever called him a one season wonder. Taking the price tags out of the equation, I would much rather have Torres leading the line than Hernandez. You can expect Torres to get involved in build up play, create chances for teammates and himself, and press the opposition. You get none of that with Hernandez. Regardless of our signings, until they prove otherwise, our style of play over the last few years would suggest Hernandez would struggle here.

This has nothing to do with Torres. His first season he was undisputed first choice alongside Rooney. Last season even when fit he couldn't dislodge Welbeck who himself is hardly prolific but gave more to the team. A player like Hernandez brings absolutely nothing to the team besides goals and last season he didn't score enough to justify a place in utd's first team. So yes at the moment he still has something to prove.

Plenty of players, strikers in particular, have been one season wonders in the Premier League. Until Hernandez produces another similar season like his first then the jury is out.

First cap for Bertrand and within a minute clears one off the line from a corner...Ashley Cole mk.II Great start to what will be a big breakthrough season for him this year!

Don't agree with this. If we were talking a couple of mill difference then yes but we're talking potentially in excess of £15m - that is almost what spurs have paid to buy Sigurdsson AND Vertonghen! A big club would have no qualms selling to a league rival for that difference in money as they would be confident of using such money to improve their squad. They also generally know when best to offload a player. As Spurs can't offer champions league they know they'll struggle to replace modric and have well and truly made a mess of this!

You could buy Llorente, Moses and Azpilicueta for that price...

That is something that can never be disputed is his love for the club.