Chelsea Legend 11

I'm not saying Shaw wouldn't be well sought after but not for the ridiculous amounts of money I've seen him linked with. LB and RB are not positions that are traditionally big money positions mainly because the game is played in the middle of the pitch. If Shaw goes for more than £18M I would be astounded. I don't care how young he is you don't pay much more than that for a LB because he has potential... Not in a FFP world anyway.

Ryan Bertrand got called up... Luke Shaw is a newish, hot name but in terms of World football he only has potential.

£20m? to start? wow... I don't know man that is a lot of dough for just potential, English or not... And I'm sorry but Rodriguez is without a doubt better than Shaw in every aspect of his game. Going forward Ricardo is better and defending Ricardo is WAY better. Shaw is decent young English talent but not bordering on world class... As I said I like the fact he is English but I don't see Ashley-like skill there. just my opinion but £20M is where it ends for me not where it starts and I don't care what the journos say anything above that is ridiculously overpriced

We don't know how much it will cost. But given the fact that Cole is out of contract and Azpilicueta is playing out of position I'd say that is an area where investment is necessary. £45M sounds like a lot I'd £35m for the two sounds more realistic. No way Luke Shaw goes for stupid money, he has potential but it still needs to be realized. The numbers being thrown around for him are INSANE and I doubt its realistic.

Why can't we have both? Luke Shaw is young and Rodriguez is nearing his prime years. Also lets not forget Shaw isn't tested at a very high level, he is looking good for Southampton but is he good enough for Europe? Rodriguez is without a doubt the better LB but I like the fact that Shaw is homegrown and a Chelsea supporter... I say grab both and allow them to duke it out for minutes

I just think he's tired. would love for him to play but he hasn't been the 'legs in the middle of the pitch' for quite some time now. I think we can counter Paulinho by packing the midfield which is why I have Lamps, Luiz and Matic

its like people have forgotten we have VanGinkel

I think this is a game we should play 4-3-3 Ivanovic -Cahill - Terry - Azpilicueta Luiz - Matic - Lampard Schurrle - Eto'o - Hazard Change it late on if we're not getting the result and bring on Hehatestottenham, Ramires and Oscar.

Honestly, I have no idea what you're talking about... When you win at this point in the season it will buoy you! Winning is contagious and also great for morale. You don't remember when Chelsea won the title with Jose? How all the players took the Carling cup seriously and used it to spur them onto the title? Its about motivation and finding ways to win which is exactly what they did against Sunderland. Not sure why you keep mentioning Barca, it was never gonna be an easy run in and without Aguero you can say they were even more underdogs. Europe you need to be lucky, in the EPL you need to be good... I'm not talking about anything other than City using the cup run to spur them on... It is a good thing for them not a negative.

Winning a cup will buoy them for sure. Its just whether or not they can ride the emotional high for long enough to see them across the finish line. Any motivation you can draw from at this point in the season is a positive no matter how "mickey mouse" you consider it to be... If we finish above City we will be champions of that I have no doubt. We have to win our games but more importantly than that is we need City to slip up and coming from behind to win a cup final is more a positive than a negative. All we can really hope for is fixture congestion and mental fatigue become major factors from here till the end...

How many attainable top top strikers are there?

Keep in mind we don't need a 30 goal a year striker, it would be nice but not necessary with the team we've already built. Costa is a very good striker, not elite but just below that. I like the fact he is strong, quick and can score with either foot. Costa with Hazard, Oscar, Schurrle and Willian would give us a formidable attack. Of this is bearing in mind we're pretty good right now with Eto'o, Torres and Ba. If we can find a few more goals up top we'll be deadly! I like a strike force of Lukaku, Costa and Torres.

How does Torres miss that? Honestly he's got to be the most unlucky striker ever to wear the Chelsea blue... Its bordering on divine intervention.

Definitely weren't a lot of major talking points in the game for me. The first half, as well all can attest, was dreadful! We had nothing going forward and the decision making in crucial areas on the pitch were woeful... Throughout the first half I just kept thinking we were tired and its gonna take something lucky for us to nick it, I was wrong. the 2nd half the team played with more endeavour and for some strange reason Fulham started to defend with a highline! lol... With the team having not had the chance to practice and work on Fulham tactics Magath handed us 2 goals by basically playing Mancini like tactics at the beginning of the second half. It allowed us to run in behind them and play the ball into open space, similar to what we did against Galatasaray. Eden Hazard is just fucking incredible! If you give him space he'll hurt you, if you play him tight he'll blow by you and hurt you. Watching him play this season has been some of the most enjoyable football I've witnessed as a Chelsea supporter. I was screaming at my computer for Schurrle to be subbed at the half, glad he wasn't that was a man of the match performance in the second. He finally timed his runs properly and was clinical. We will need him BIG TIME throughout the rest of the season, he can finish and has fresh legs. Cahill is emerging as our most crucial defender. JT still is but the gap is narrowing I thought he had another inch perfect game and made some timely interceptions and tackles. Keep saying it but these are the types of performances that win titles... Derby game away after a tough midweek and we do enough to get the win. Jose will be proud the boys found a way to navigate that.

Truly, all we can hope for is fatigue becomes a factor for City. They will have more games to navigate but the opposition isn't exactly stellar. The London derbies we have coming up will be the key if you ask me. If we go 9pts clear of City (albeit with 3 games in hand) the pressure will start to mount and then all we can do is hope mental fatigue and physical fatigue take their toll.

Awwww how cute you even put happy faces in your post.

Just make sure you come back here after the two legs... Don't be as cowardly as the other Gala supporters please.

Some things are bigger than the game itself. Just my opinion...

If we had Sturridge instead of Eto'o(similar players in my opinion) we'd be out of sight right now... Sturridge with Hazard, Willian and Oscar would be a VERY dangerous front 4... No doubt.

You must've bumped your head.

Couldn't have said it better. I do think we need to progress in this tourney mainly to show were are one of the top teams in the world, but Prem is taking precedence over the champions league this year... For me at least. I want this tie put to bed long before Didier's return to the bridge! He deserves a proper ovation and will get it so long as the return leg is more like a testimonial than a match.

Who then? Cavani? Costa?

I don't trust that at all. Sounds like someone ready to offload damaged goods. Don't want another Torres...

Please translate! http://www.canalplus.fr/c-sport/c-football/c-ligue-1/pid6219-canal-football-club.html?vid=1025867

lol...