Jase

Pardon me for my blurness but think I've got lost here. The club has announced on the site that we have agreed a deal with Leverkusen for Schurrle, only subject to agreeing personal terms, medical etc. They are slow yes but it has happened in the past with others as well.

They do announce when a fee/deal has been agreed with another club.

Performance awful yes but was Mikel the only one that played poorly? No. The whole team did and that's why we lost those games. Mikel playing didn't just magically caused us to lose when other factors led to it as well. Not much better? Ha. At least I'm not just tossing some stats or facts forward and just look at the surface without even bother to look further into the issue...

That's because he still hasn't agreed personal terms, complete the medical etc with us yet. Took awhile for Hazard to change his when he joined us.

Am I the only that just wants to punch that face of his?!!

You just don't get it, do you? At least when others voice their views on why they rate or don't rate Mikel, they look into factors. They analyze his performances, character, style of play, team play, strengths, weaknesses and all that. But here, you are being incredibly myopic in your view on Mikel that you are just comparing our winning percentages with and without Mikel. You are being selective by just choosing and looking at stats on its surface to pass a definite judgment on a play without even bother exploring further into those why stats are like that. The numbers will tell us we have lost more games this past season with Mikel starting compared to when he isn't. However, look at some of those losses we suffered when he played: vs Man City (in Community Shield) - Leading 1-0 at HT but Ivanovic got sent off and we just got pummelled in the 2nd half. vs Atletico Madrid - Abysmal performance all around. No spark in attack and absolutely atrocious defensively vs Man United (in PL at SB) - Conceded 2 goals that got nothing to do with Mikel. Fought back to make it 2-2 but then lost the game because of 2 RCs & to an offside goal vs West Ham (A) - Completely bossed the first half but only led 1-0 at HT when it should have been more. Whole team just switched in the 2nd half and no one, NO ONE stood up to Diame who just ran the game vs Southampton(A) - Lost the game because we didn't play well at all AND Benitez fielded a 2nd string side vs Man City (in FA Cup) - Whole team played like rubbish before deciding to turn up only when we are 2-0 down Are any of those defeats Mikel's fault? No. Those losses there came as a result because the team just didn't turn up or decided to capitulate for whatever reason. Has nothing to do whatsoever with Mikel playing or not. And then, when you look at the stats that said we won more and lost fewer games without Mikel, you didn't even bother consider the fact that he missed out about 20 of those 37 games due to his involvement in the AFCON and his hip injury at the end of last season. You just conveniently decide to use it as it is to suit your agenda. Moreover, a fair bit of those wins without Mikel came in last 10 games or so when a major factor of it happened because the players pulled together and was focussed on achieving our target then and also because Benitez's rant after the Boro game eventually led to less negative chants/pressure from the fans, thus allowing the players to express themselves and supporting them. I am not sure how pathetic can a person be to use such poor reasons like this to argue the ineffectiveness of Mikel.

I'm sorry but that is just really :lol: .

Presumptions? Did I blatantly outright say that what he earns is true? Have been using the word 'reportedly' in the discussion, to suggest assuming 'IF' it's true. IF what the media are saying about his wages is true, then 77k p/w wages for a 23 year old whose experience so far has only come in Germany looks even more ridiculous. And even with the potential, it doesn't explain that reported wages right now. It's only potential. Doubt he has a higher ceiling than most of young players in the first team right now. As for the comparison with Mata, I didn't bring up the comparison because it was you that started comparing Schurrle's wages with others first. Only went down that road because you decided to draw it towards that direction to justify his wages.

Here comes the club's financial advisor again... This may have been a model of restraint and financial prudence, in your words, shown by the club in recent years but does that mean it's the right one? Not necessarily. Schurrle's wages that he's reportedly going to earn obviously looks good when you compare with Benayoun, Malouda, Essien etc but in isolation, that's rather a lot for a player who is perhaps still a bit unpredictable in some ways. Doesn't necesarily deserve that wages right now. And if you wanna compare the wages, his one looks ridiculous when you consider Mata is earning less than him when he joined.

OR it's yet another typical case of the club being silly to overpay someone in the wages.

Was reported so by Kicker apparently. http://www.weaintgotnohistory.com/chelsea-fc-transfer-rumours-news/2013/6/13/4426038/andre-schurrle-chelsea-fc-personal-terms-rumor

First we hear the nickname Mazacar and now we have... Schumacar Schumazard Mazaurrle Shumazani Mazabryune Eden DeSchumacar

Hardly a surprise coming from you. Always 'The Skeptical One'.

Didn't know this thread has suddenly turned into the puns thread... Anyway, welcome Shirley.

Didn't know this thread has suddenly turned into the puns thread... Anyway, welcome Shirley.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2340652/Jose-Mourinho-eats-doughnuts-Heathrow-Airport.html Daily Mail published a story of Jose eating doughnuts at the airport. They truly are Daily Fail.

I know many here don't rate Mikel at all but to use misleading stats like that is just nonsensical. It's just so convenient for people to pick up stats like that to highlight the supposed rubbishness of player and at the same time, dismiss other factors that led to that stats. I'm pretty sure the low win percentage etc with Mikel comes during the mid season when we have our annual winter slump with the entire team just played like rubbish from November till about February. But of course, nobody is gonna look into these factors. And to say Mikel not playing contributes to our good end of season form is just plain nonsense for this reason posted below. To almost blame everything that is wrong on Mikel is just pathetic. As if everything we failed to do right in a game is his fault.

Won't have to compete at Barca? Erm, Messi? He ain't going to play out wide but Barca already have Villa (at the moment), Pedro, Sanchez, Tello, Neymar in those position. Will probably rot on the bench there even more than here.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2340597/Lucas-Piazon-Liverpool-Crystal-Palace-loan-target.html Linked with a loan move to Crystal Palace and...Liverpool...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2340580/Barcelona-want-Chelseas-Ruben-Loftus-Cheek-Fernando-Torres.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2340580/Barcelona-want-Chelseas-Ruben-Loftus-Cheek-Fernando-Torres.html

Hardly matters if the player can't perform effectively there. Hazard has played at RW before but we have seen he hardly has any impact there compared to him playing in his main position LW or even CAM. That's precisely why I don't want to see us playing players in positions that they aren't comfortable with. Enough with filling square pegs in round holes!

Playing Marin on the RW is basically just filling square pegs in round holes. It's not his best position and he won't have much impact on the RW like he can give on the LW.