English Freak

Considering our upcoming fixtures: Spurs (A), Steaua (A), Norwich (A), Cardiff (H), Schalke (A), Man City (H) I'd like to see Bertrand get the start against Steaua & Cardiff.

It doesn't matter if there was a video recording of Jose talking to Baker... In the long-run, I don't see Baker making it at Chelsea.

Agreed. He needs a bit of confidence and regular playing time... If we can find a suitable PL club, then loaning him out in January would be a decent option.

Got a bad feeling about this game...just like the Everton one. If we play Mikel - Lamps pivot...Spurs will beat us.

I see him leaving at the end of the season if things don't change. He was the focal point of our team for a reason, he created a good partnership with Hazard over the course of last season.. Then suddenly, Mourinho comes in and makes him the #2 option.

Completely agree. I'm sure we'll win trophies under Mourinho...but I doubt we'll see attractive football whilst he's manager.

Who's Van Pussy?

Post the link? The only club interested in Ginter was Arsenal. They made a 6 million bid and Freiburg rejected it. He'd be useless at Chelsea unless he gets regular playing time.

He'll either join United in January or finish his career at Everton. I just can't see Baines playing for any other club at this stage of his career...

We needed the win and the 3 points. The Positive from the game: Mikel finally scores in the PL.

The only change i've seen is Oscar being preferred to Mata. Our defence is the same, Our 'pivot' still has issues and we still lack firepower up front.

Exactly, we had the whole transfer window to buy a new pivot player (e.g. Witsel)...but instead, we decided to buy another attacking midfielder for 30 million. Mata's ability to create chances is far superior to Oscar. Mata can get you 15+ goals and 25+ assists a season...i'm not sure if Oscar is capable of doing that just yet. If Mourinho really doesn't appreciate Mata's talents...then he should be sold.

From my observations, Chalobah looks like he wants to learn & keep improving his game. He seems to have alot of drive and determination (which are key attributes for any top class player) As for Josh, he just seems a bit laid-back in his approach to the game...which is hurting his development. He needs a good old kick up the ass if he wants to make it at Chelsea.

Boruc (Southampton) isn't a bad option cause Southampton have a solid defence.

Terry's reading of the game and natural leadership is instrumental to our defensive structure. The problem with Cahill - Ivanovic & Cahill - Luiz as a CB pairing is the lack of a dominant defender, who is capable of keeping a cool head in pressurized situations.

Would like to see Ramires - Mikel as the midfield pairing for a consistent run of games because that's our best combo. Lampard can start against the weaker teams and come off the bench when needed against stronger opposition.

Completely agree with Savage about Lukaku. Lukaku could have been our super-sub this season...cause the last thing a tired defender wants to see is a physically-gifted young striker come off the bench.. Our strikers simply don't scare the opposition.

Rafa adapting to the personnel at Chelsea was made easier because of the lack of options in our squad. What I mean is that, Rafa had a small squad to work with and because all the players understood their roles, they played relatively well. But now, we have three new attacking midfielders, and a new striker who are only starting to bond with the rest of the squad. It's going to take time for José to adapt to his players, I just hope we don't see too many more disappointing losses.

Regardless of Mourinho's future plans, we're still a midfielder short this season. For some reason, my gut feeling is that De Bruyne might be 'converted' into a CM (because Willian isn't going to sit on the bench & Schurrle needs playing time)

I think you're overrating Ivanovic. He's a top-class defender, plays with alot of passion but attacking-wise, he's very limited.

I don't think the problem is Mata...it's the other players. Like last season, Mata knew he would be playing alongside Hazard, Oscar & Moses. There was no confusion about which position they should play and due to the lack of options, the manager couldn't afford to 'chop and change'. But this season, Mourinho just keeps changing the three AM's starting each game...and this is creating confusion amongst the players. You can't expect Mata to magically play at his best if he doesn't know who will be playing alongside him...

Time to give Bertrand a chance. He's good enough to be the starting LB on most PL teams..yet at Chelsea, he's on the bench.

what about the older managers (began coaching before José) who are considered great? Examples: Jupp Henckyes, Hiddink Jose is great...but there are other managers who are also great.

Technically, Barca's style of play gives Messi the freedom to flourish. At Chelsea, the problem is, we don't really have a style of play yet..and we haven't become a strong unit yet (cause of all the new signings). Once all the players understand their roles (which will take time), the likes of Mata & Hazard will be able to play their natural game and begin to flourish under Jose.

Yeh, could of spent that 30 million on a top-class central midfielder. But for some reason, we just had to buy Willian. Our situation is like what Zidane said when Madrid sold Makelele..'why add another player of gold paint when your taking away the engine'. Unfortunately at Chelsea, our midfield engine isn't good enough.