BlueLion.

And what's he done that's so bad? There have been far worse performers in Chelsea shirts so far this season, John Terry included.

Allez les Lyonnais! Glad they're through, fantastic club with wonderful fans, they deserve to be in the Champions League. I'd love to get them, the Gerland is a fabulous ground, Lyon itself is a beautiful city. Arsenal don't, because they're a shit club with shit fans, and they deserve the Johnstone's Paint Trophy.

Oh don't get him started on squad numbers, he's only just stopped going on about GK44.

I think people have the right to boo, yes, it isn't helpful for the team, but what's the difference between booing and calling a player "a fucking useless w*g" or berating the team by calling them "fucking useless cunts?" There's hardly a difference at all, so people who don't like it when other fans boo can bore off as far as I'm concerned, everyone has the right to be disappointed with what they see. If you go to a concert and pay £80 for a ticket, and then the artist can't be arsed and is just murmuring or can't be bothered playing their instrument, you'd be fucking furious, so why get all high and mighty when people boo? However I do find it funny when people say 'I'll never boo' but then slag off players and call them abusive names during the match One classic example was during the Burnley Carling Cup match in 2008, some guy near me in the West Stand started hurling racist abuse at Drogba but then said he thoroughly supports every player in the squad when I told him to shut up My point is this - if people want to boo, that's their decision. I know I wouldn't be fucking celebrating if I was watching us get thumped 3-0 at home by Sunderland for instance. Yes it is commendable to be supportive even through the thick and the very thick, but ultimately we are high achievers and when we perform below par, I believe people have the right to moan, gripe and boo, especially with the cost of tickets. I don't necessarily condone it, but I can accept why people do it.

He shouldn't be leaving before Kalou or Malouda.

How do you know that, were you in the dressing room? Moron. Anyway, back to Mata, absolutely delighted to see him join the club, this is a very big statement of intent for the coming season.

And that means he's unsettled? :lol:

I'd like to think the Moutinho part is true... unless we're offloading one of the Useless Trio then I don't think Perreira would be a prudent transfer.

I'd prefer Kalou to go. Even when they play poorly, Malouda and Anelka are proven goalscorers.

Fuck off, he's mine.

Hat-trick against Sunderland?

He'll score 20 goals this season just to rain on our parade. Kalou will score 60.

I really like this guy's attitude, he seems like he can't quite believe he is playing for his club. How he feels now would be the same for me if I was to train alongside Petr Cech! I hope he achieves here.

Norwich played their second string, and now will have a point to prove and will especially be up for this as we're no longer the team we used to be and Stamford Bridge isn't exactly a fortress anymore. We'll win, but they'll give it a good go.

This, because the rest are awful

Excellent, we need a new goalkeeper.

True but if we were going by that policy, we'd only have two open topics in this forum.

He's clearly moved for the money, if he wanted to develop as a player he should have stayed at Arsenal. Another one to join Mercenary City.

Buy him and loan him back, might as well get him before City do.

So he is going to have Romeu on his shirt instead of Oriol, surprising. Nice to see his shirt being sold in the megastore already though.

Wow, Oriol can smile! Lukaku seems to be very likeable, he will be a fans' favourite I think. He's also very intelligent: "To be compared with Didier is a very big honour to me. Every time I spend time with him we talk and I sit next to him in the dressing room. I listen all the time because he gives advice and, also with Nico and Fernando it is the same, so I am very happy to have world-class strikers around me." The fact he doesn't mention Kalou shows he knows his shit.

Fair point, although the Christmas Tree is, in fairness, a 4-3-3 variant. Maybe AVB will surprise us and use them both as a brace of wingers... and bring in Modric.

Lukaku was unveiled today alongside Oriol. Mata is either still doing his medical or has already returned to Valencia for a final press conference there, where he will say goodbye to his fans and team-mates.

Possibly, unless we're going to use the Christmas Tree formation (4-3-2-1)

I freakin wish.