Leif

The problem is this club hangs onto sentiment just too long. Or can't be bothered shipping players off (?). Essien should have been gone years ago. That should be Mikel or Chalobah out there.

I'd swap him for Barkley personally if Everton were up for it

Remember the Paulinho is better than Ramires comments lol

Oh thank god my anxiety was wrong

Got a bad feeling the moment Lamps put the ball down

Ramires on the wing to deal with the threat that is Joe Cole.................................or Downing if they switch wings. Fucking fuck cocking sake.

is this a fucking joke?

Called up to England U21's.

This thread is now like one big, confusing, angry orgy.

He's scary

No. We will not start blaming left backs and pivots for Hazard's own apparent below-average form like many did Torres. Just stop it before even starting. Mata for the last 2 seasons provided incredible attacking inspiration virtually on his own; Oscar continues to be a GoLaZo specialist in Europe and is now becoming one of our 'usual' scorers in the league; Willian puts in shifts every opportunity he gets, as does Schurrle (working with that same left back Hazard does no less.) Is all their good form down to Ashley Cole & our pivot? Are they sole influences of our attacking players form? Of course not. Ashley Cole, Lampard, Mikel & Ramires are not the reason for their form at all, and equally, our pivot and left back position has nothing to do with Hazard's lack of...consistent quality, recently. Hazard is a good player. Every good player goes through bad form (Messi just did). They deal with it and we should just deal with it. Hazard is not a Cristiano Ronaldo/Messi hybrid. To blame our left back (can someone name an actual attainable upgrade to our current left-backs?) and pivot, comprising of one of our very most vital & under-appreciated players in Ramires, is borderline shameful. If this Belgian Messiah can't make use of one of the greatest left backs that will ever be seen in football, what can he do? (that was tongue-in-cheek, don't hurt me)

He didn't really hint like the video title says but he was nice about us:

well no he probably won't play

"Scapegoat" and "Vendetta". It'd be so lovely if members could be critical about players without these words being thrown back every time.

We're quite clearly the best team in the country. Better than Madrid & Dortmund currently too. Up there with Bayern & Barca this season.

Bertrand is showing he's not 'average at best' IMO.

Kompany being officially ruled out makes my balls tingle

Similarly to how Oscar is deployed far forward yet constantly runs back to defend, Pjanic is currently deployed more deep but he constantly roams forward (which he can do with a free mind knowing both De Rossi and Strootman* are covering him.) Here though he'd be partnered with Ramires who loves to get forward too, so we'd end up having the same issues we currently have with the Ramires-Lampard partnership. Maybe the answer is not having a 'creative CM' at all. Perhaps we just need runners covering the back 4. They'd have to compliment eachother of course, one being more attack-minded with the other more of a holding player. The holding player should be a good passer, but deploying a player in such a crucial position just because they can pass the ball to even a world-class standard is naive. Ramires and Pogba, for example, would give us an energetic duo in midfield that'll never stop working for the team. Toure-Fernandinho would be given a run for their money too, that's for sure. I'd personally leave the bulk of creative responsibility to Oscar/Mata/Hazard etc. That's what they were bought for after all. *Strootman would be really perfect for the type of football I'm thinking of. Like Javi Martinez, but more mobile.

I think you're high. He's played in central midfield once this entire season and that was in a midfield 3 vs. Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey. He's been deployed as a winger every other game, getting 6 assists as a winger and 1 assist in that Madrid derby, taking his tally to 7. He's also only played 20 minutes in the #10 role for Atletico Madrid. He is a flank player.

We were in really good voice tonight.

Their central midfield is set to consist of 2 18-year old players who lack experience. Hugely talented though.

I've had enough of his inconsistency. Ready to hear Barcelona's offer for Luiz again.

Pjanic with his 2nd. Roma 2-0 vs. Napoli. 20 minutes left. Roma aren't pretenders.

Bayern don't play with strikers anymore