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hmm I was actually referring to Gundogan as a B2B as in mobile player. A player who will not just sit and pass the football sideways, but actuall press high and join the attack whenever needed. Having a few goals on him as well.

We certainly agree on the passing. The fact our B2b cant pass. the football doesnt mean others cant. Dortmunds B2B dont have a problem handling the football. i just meant i dont want anotther slow player like matic. Mikel with matic Was painful to watch.

Disagree with the last bit. We already have that player in Matic and like you said, Nathaniel could perhaps cover for Matic. What we need is a B2B player who is technically better than Ramires. Ramires has the stamina and the determination, but his technique is lacking. I personally don't think the team work well with another DLP, or a slow player because of how deep our defense sits. Gary is pretty bad going forward in possession and so is Terry. So, that's help our midfield will never get, therefore in this setup we will need specialized midfielders to do that job and link defense and attack and do that quickly. That has been one of the problems this season, and one of the reasons Jose played Luiz in midfield so much against the top sides and fairly successfully based on results.

That showcases his current form not the player. He started in futsal with that small football in small indoor court. Tight control of the football is kinda básic there.Had a fine match with a clear pk not given, good work rate, and an assist.

This is all so relative. Yes, Mourinho does not trust Luiz because in his system with deep defenders who don't need really to participate in the midfield actions, David Luiz is not only uncomfortable, but also wasted. That's why I've always said he should leave because even though Jose has found a way to use him (thats what top managers do) Luiz is not fully utilized at Chelsea right now. It's really about either keeping Jose or Luiz. I am not a Mourinho fan, because although I consider him a top manager, there are others who play in a more appealing style (achieving as much). However, Jose is one of them (top ones) and we do have him; so we ought to keep him esp because of his connection with the club. I can certainly see Luiz becoming a far bigger nuisance when playing against us though. I can certainly see him winning those 50/50 and driving his side forward as a defender/midfielder when playing against us in the CL. The exact same thing hes done against Arsenal, Liverpool, and City. Still, like I said, I think he will be sold and it will be the right move for all involved. As long as he is NOT sold to another English club! Reckon he'd be a good fit for some English clubs who notoriously play a high defense line...

Lol aside, the loook on his face before coming on was like, "really!? now?! all right but I really don't give a shit."

Yup and a top striker might not be enough. This is the wrong setup for a team when playing a shitty side at Home.

I wouldn't go that far, but Luiz did get a pretty good 7.51 on whoscored, and had an overall good game from many sources. Wish Matic played last night though. Same folks who disregard the 90%+ completion rate of Mikel use it to slate Ramires and Luiz. The quality of the pass is only considered when that suits someone's agenda. torture numbers, and they will confess to anything...

We just need to improve if we want to compete against Real and Bayern next season. Don't mention Atletico because it's unlikely they will be able to hold on to their best players. At some point, having a good defense isn't good enough if you can't control the game. If you don't have the quality to do that. We fans tend to simplify about desire, and desire is certainly the key ingredient when facing a bottom table PL outfit, but not at this level. At this level desire alone won't do. Next season will be big and this transfer window very interesting.

Exactly! If anything Jose opened up the floodgates a bit too soon!

Hazard wasn't 100% fit and it was an unnecessary risk to start him. Aside from that, and that strange Eto sub, Jose did not really have many options on the bench.

Guys the only other CM we've got on the bench is mr MVG who hasn't played in 6 months! Oscar is not fit, and the others are similar to the ones already on the pitch. So, it's not like Jose has a lot to choose from at this moment.

If Oscar is fit to play, this would be a good time...

yeah I hear you but I didn't believe in a goalless final result anyway, besides, we'd want to win it not PKs.

all equal again.... it's all in the second half as we still need to win the match. A few adjustments here and there and we wil lhave this one.

I don't buy the reports. To me it's very likely Azpi will do a very specific job in the midfield rather than rounded midfielder role. We shall see who will challenge Costa first for ex, if Luiz or Azpi, because I know for sure it's not going to be Costa vs Terry/Cahill; that'd be asking to lose this. Or perhaps Azpi will attempt to block a specific run out wide... Very interesting formation but the most important piece if still missing: what their roles will be.

Paulinho is obviously a good player, but reckon he wouldn't fit the team very well. He can't replace Ramires because he's just too slow for that. Ramires plays at a much higher intensity. Ramires is also much better defensively, while Paulinho is better in attack. Yes, Paulinho has very good technique, but his slow languid pace isn;t really that great in the BPL. I'm actually unsure his best position is CM at all. He seems to shine when given a free role, so he can actually score and assist - more like a CAM. Kleberson had similar problems in the PL before. THis would be a very odd signing if true.

heh did not believe any of of the gloom and doom after the match... he will play in the final!

Nervy game ... We will be Liverpool and atletico will be chelsea. Well, that's the worst case scenario. Honestly don't think Jose will go for an all attacking a la psg frankly because we don't need it and it's going to be tight affair. Anyway. No excuses though players have been rested and should reach the final. They are good enough and deserve it.

It may be an unpopular opinion (in England), but I've always thought Lampard was better than Gerrard. Also, Gerrard hasn't aged as well as Lamps has and I reckon lamps at 35 is still better than Gerrard now... Ba had a great game and once again, if he doesn't demand more playing time we should try to keep him. He can't pick up a pass for his life though. and goes to the ground for no reason sometimes. In the first half he chests it beautifully, beats two players and then bizarrely goes to the ground on minimal contact.... I did not understand the reasoning behind signing Shwarzer, but it hs become crystal clear in the past couple of matches. Azpi was MoTM for me. He's even better on his natural RB position - didn't think it was even possible...

sorry a bit self-indulgent I know... I'm just an expert in ankle injuries as I've nursed one for a fucking whole year! yeah ligament damage and all. They will prob tape his ankle though, so he won't have all mobility by weds.

yeah absolutely, I don't think there is an "issue" per se anyway. Like Henrique, I was just expressing a personal preference, which is for the way Salah handles it. frankly, we just don't have enough visibility into the locker room and who's friend's with who. I assure you though, it is certainly something that clubs pay attention to.

Just notice that Salah celebrates with his teammates FIRST and then does his own thing. While Ba seems to ignore his teammates until he's done, which for a player so dependent on assists, does seem a bit odd to me. The club can also argue that "over" religion might be going against teamwork, unity, or whatnot. Wouldn't players of the same religion form a tight group? it ALWAYS happens as people team up with their equals. Like Henrique said it has happened in Brazil before and it has been rumored that Dunga (and Jorginho) built a weaker Brazil side in 2010 WC to accommodate a group of very religious athletes (some belong to a group known as "Athletes of Christ"). Also, imagine a player who will not play in certain places, or against certain teams. That might or might not be acceptable to the employer, the club. People don't seem to realize being a professional player is "just" a job. And NO players CANNOT do whatever they want to do. In some countries they have some legal protections concerning religion, but not in others. All I am saying is that this is a very controversial subject and not the "drop it" that some are trying to make it.

"parking the bus" is easier said than done. They all try to do it against the strongest sides, but I don't see many other teams playing the CL semis.

Well they can have them all for... the grand total of.... [evil grin] 1 million pounds!!! Seriously, no I mean the above offer is dead serious. The only striker in our squad that we could sell - as in someone would actually pay us to sign him - is Ba and for around 7m. That minus Torres absurd wages over another 2+ years... Torres' performances are consistently void regardless whether we attack or not. He does reach a certainly form at times (not long enough to regain confidence and goals though), which almost reminds ppl how good he used to be, then he picks up an injury and vanishes again. Based on what Torres has been saying, and his probable unwillingness to leave, would not be surprised if we give him the Malouda treatment next season.