capriccioso

Plebs the both of them. Rummenigge is just jelly that we're the new kids on the block who are challenging the Ancien Regime, de Boer is some Cruijff wannabe. He can go down 'fighting' and lose 12-0. I'll take both their words with extremely small pinches of salt. Frank de Boer and all the other critics of our game are no better intellectually than World War I generals, who believed that 19th century tactics were applicable and the only honourable way to fight despite the harsh reality of post Industrial Revolution warfare. Similarly, todays critics believe 20th century tactics of trying to beat a team in a non-Machiavellian manner are ignoring the truth. This is football, not life, there is no need to conform to what other people believe is honourable so shut your mouths and mind your own business.

Is it really worth spending 50 million on Cavani when we could have the best targetman in the world despite being 34 sign on for another season, and Lukaku as well? Cavani would hinder his development, though he is a brilliant player, you have to ask yourself if its worth stalling Romelu's career for that.

I must admit that made me chuckle. My apologies John.

Well, Australian cricketer Brett Lee was out for about 10 days with a broken toe in January before he returned, but thats a completely different sport and he got rushed back into the team despite being injured. Marin's signing might mean Tintin will be sent out on loan next season.

This Financial Fair Play stuff is rubbish, do you really think it will stop men like Silvio Berlusconi or Roman Abramovich, who have never failed to get exactly what they wanted when they want it? These are guys who happily evade tax and indulge in all sorts of illegal activities that could see them get some time in jail, if they can avoid getting caught over serious crimes like tax evasion and consorting with the Mafia, breaking football rules will be childs play for them. All of these tycoon owners probably already have hired platoons of creative accountants to mask any discrepancies, as if UEFA's financial investigators are going to be any better than those used at an international level.

Wow, the Guardian published that rubbish? Villas-Boas didn't buy Ramires

Just rewatched that game, I think its possible the fans were shouting 'Kalouuuu' when he came on for Sturridge.

Yep, motivation or no motivation Real Madrid would have battered us, because our strengths are nothing difficult for them to deal with.

As was Sebastian Deisler, and as is Gervinho. That's not a guarantee of a future world class player; for that; you need your head screwed on the right way, you need a good attitude to being benched and not being the main man, something poor Daniel seems to lack.

Wow, that thread is bitter. But fair enough, they consider us rivals but the fact that its been, what, 20 years, since we last played in the same division should kinda blunt that rivalry. Can't see Barcelona getting too worked up about Espanyol if they spent 30 years in the Segunda. Anyway, at least there was/is a rivalry, that puts them light years ahead of RAWK who seem to hate us for no other reason than that we 'stole' their God given right to win everything in England. Ironic of scousers to accuse others of being thieves. Cute, they pay attention to what we think of them enough to trawl through a 14 page thread.

Good point though, unlike theshedend this seems to be a rather foreign based Chelsea forum. Not that it matters, we're better than English fans anyway

I just have one, very small gripe about Marko (and no, it's not that he has effectively ended Salomon's career): I think he is just a German Daniel Sturridge. A great flat track bully (for non cricket fans, that roughly translates to one who has a blinder against lesser opposition or in favourable conditions such as playing at home but then bottles it away/against better teams) but he strikes me as the type to mope about if he doesn't get what he wants, and my German teacher back in high school who is a massive Werder fan who often criticised him for being selfish, though that was in 2009 so he may have changed.

That would be brilliant! Unfortunately I didn't make those memes. I appeal for someone with good photoshop skills (Sh0n3x that's you) to implement this suggestion.

:lol;

I'm not taking anything away from Marin at all, I think he will be excellent when we're the bigger team and don't need to be defensively oriented.

A good friend, eh? Would his name happen to be Spiegel Spike? On another note, TX is simply awesome. He must be Snoop Dogg in disguise or something, he's incredibly knowledgeable about hip hop and judging by his posts in this thread he 'smokes weed every day'

The problem with Bayern being favourites are that Germans never bottle anything. Well, nearly everything, excluding invading a certain Stalinist country far to the east in winter Look we are by and large rubbish, but motivation can do funny things to players. Every one of our players, even the much derided Bosingwakalouda trio, are playing at maximum output, and that makes us nigh on unstoppable imo.

Nearly a month old, but oh yes http://www.metro.co.uk/sport/football/895046-chelsea-to-offer-salomon-kalou-new-contract-in-bid-to-fend-off-arsenal

Look, the fact that there are good clubs interested in Kalou makes me think it will be a huge mistake to let him go for free. Well to be fair, I think letting him go before retirement at the ripe old age of 45 is in itself a huge mistake More seriously, a player like Kalou who gets back and defends, and is somewhat consistent in his performances at a solid 6-7/10, is always preferable for me over someone who has periodical flashes of brilliance (e.g. Marin, Sturridge) but then disappears for months at a time. Marin won't be useful when we play away CL ties where the important thing is keeping a clean sheet, and without Kalouda we won't have anyone capable of performing a shut down job. Attacking fullbacks are one of the most important facets of modern football, and to counter them we need defensive wingers.

Either flank, though he prefers the left as it lets him cut inside on his preferred foot.

Well, why not: Ramires-Mata-Marin? That way we can play Ramires where he has flourished, and we get to keep the Di Matteo 4-2-3-1.

That was the tie of the entire CL season, IMO, 5-4 win to Bremen, just a shame that that was the playoffs rather than a knockout match as both teams deserved to go through.

The shots were impressive, but what I wanted to show there was his ball control and dribbling ability.

I mostly agree with CJ, except I don't think what happened to the club under Villas-Boas was a reflection of the mans tactical skills. He's just not the best at talking to his players, I think for him to be a success at a big club he'll need to have a player-manager intermediary that both parties can communicate through, someone like a Ray Wilkins.

It is a lot of fun, though.