Jase

Understand where you're coming from but the thing is how often can we rest Mata though? Even you pointed out that we need a decent back-up player and it's because we don't have a decent back-up player, we have to play Mata more often than not. And yes, when you look at the bigger picture, Mata has played loads of game but it's not like he doesn't get some rest here and there(thanks to Benitez's rotation!). Unless he plays like 9-10 games in a row, don't see why he should be rested anyway after just 3-4 games etc. Mata is strong enough to handle this issue even though it's tiring.

Don't give a tosh about it.......

Too many random memes going on. But really, you're talking the same things there as you would here.

@Stingray, is there any need for this thread? Gonna merge it with the Pub...

The thing I don't get is this. If Gomez is available for only £25M, why are we not going for Lewandowski then? He's available for around £25M, has so much more about him as a player and would be absolutely perfect for us with the players that we've got.

Now now. There's no need to go and read so much into these things. Maybe the others just went for Mikel's birthday.

Oh gawd. Please no. Not Mario Gomez!!!

Then this happens...

If Guardiola really is trying to create the False 9 role with Gotze, then he really is a limited manager. Guardiola obviously wants to play expansive football but there are other ways of going about it than trying to create what he did at Barcelona with Bayern(assuming if that's his intention). And furthermore, there is only 1 Messi around.

As much as Mata doesn't exactly have a super human level of stamina, we need to stop championing for him to be rested after just 1-2 non-performances, like really. The game against Liverpool was his 3rd game in a week but that is already normal for him and especially after he had a week off before the City game. It wasn't his greatest of performances but people need to stop behaving like just because he didn't score 3 goals and get 3 assists, he needs to be rested completely from the next game.

Chelsea target Andre Schurrle told to make his mind up

That was after Honigstein said this yesterday when the Gotze story broke out.

Well to make matters fun, Dortmund will face Bayern in the Bundesliga next Saturday on 4th May.

It was Dortmund that decided to make this news public first though. Bayern just follow suit after that.

Now Gus Poyet has his say... http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11669/8666928/Brighton-manager-Gus-Poyet-slams-hypocrisy-in-criticism-of-Luis-Suarez He tried to bite? Tried?!!

http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/393865/Chelsea-register-interest-in-Barcelona-striker-Alexis-Sanchez Express claiming we are now interested in Sanchez. This is surely rubbish with us already going for Schurrle!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2013/apr/23/mario-gotze-signs-bayern-dortmund?CMP=twt_gu Even Guardian have reported it.

Blimey! Gotze has been with Dortmund since 8 years old and now he's joining of the club's biggest rival in Bayern, just like that. Gotze has some explaining to do. And this also probably suggests why Dortmund is interested in getting De Bruyne.

Some fun facts... 1. Giggs and Ferguson has won their 13th league title, which is as many as Arsenal have won in their history. 2. First season in England and Kagawa won his first Premier League title while Gerrard still awaits his....

Errr.... Chelsea in fresh race row over Benayoun as ref Clattenburg prepares to return

Surely not...

Branislav Ivanovic rejects Luis Suárez's apology for biting arm