TorontoChelsea

Surprised there isn`t a thread for him. Excellent player for us playing mostly left-back (but sometimes left midfield). One of the only players I can think of that we bought back years after selling. One of the best left-backs in the Premier League for a few years. He was always attacked for being gay even though he was straight because he was well-spoken, educated, and thoughtful. That cunt Fowler (maybe my least favourite player ever) kept taunting him, but Le Saux got revenge by elbowing him the head (unseen by the ref). Anyway, here`s a video of him trying to recreate his fantastic goal for England against Brazil from the Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/video/2013/feb/04/graeme-le-saux-goal-brazil-video

There's no way to know until we know. Preliminary round makes the most sense because if you are rigging games, you don't want to draw attention to it. Also, referees/players would be much less likely to be willing to tamper with high profile games. With all the German league games we know were fixed, it makes some sense that the European matches might involve the same people but we'll just have to wait.

He's not Belgian or Brazilian or Spanish so no interest....but seriously, it was up to Holtby and he wanted to go somewhere where he'd play. Arsenal was also interested but they already have a bunch of midfielders. Spurs really only have Dempsey for that spot and he's not in their long-term plans. We don't honestly need Holtby either as we have too many #10 sort of players anyway. It was the best move for him.

There are lots of matches that could be fixed but if that one was, the referee did an awful job. You can fix games and make it look a lot fairer than that. The easiest way is to give a lot of yellows out early. To the team you want to win, you give a couple out to attacking players, to the team you want to lose, you give it to defending players or for the team you want to win, you give them to minor players and the team you want to lose, you give them to major players. Then, later in the game, you give one key player a second yellow and he's off. You can also call a lot of unfair calls that nobody really questions like that shoving in the box on corners, Ovrebo's game was so obviously terrible, that everyone was talking about it. and we're all still justifiably mad over it. It could have been fixed, but it also could have been another game we don't know about.

Not true. I only watched him play one game (against City) and he was probably their best player. He just didn't fit the team and was not part of their future and then got hurt. He's hardly a superstar, but he's definitely a Premier League caliber player and is good enough to be a squad player for us for the rest of this season much the same role he played with Arsenal last year. I'd much rather have him (or Marin) ahead of Bertrand. Play him in the FA Cup and Europa League to give Mata and Hazard the rest they need for our push to stay top-4 in the league.

Great game. Thoroughly entertaining for a neutral.

What a strike from Gerrard. There have been so many beautiful goals this weekend. (Including two by us)

Maybe, but there are tons of plays that could be fouls that aren't called. It isn't like there was a foul that wasn't called that led directly to a goal. Dzeko had lots of time to get up and run back. What lead to the goal was Dzeko lying on the ground, faking a serious injury.

That's not the point. Once it was rules not a foul, Dzeko should have got up and Liverpool should not have kicked it out.

He was great before the goal. Great strike too. I can't stand what Dzeko just did there. He thought he got fouled and then stayed down. City demanded the ball to be kicked out of play, but Dzeko's head wasn't hit and it was clearly a minor knock and the referee rightly decided to let play continue, Dzeko just kept on the ground for about a minute. Liverpool scored.Then, Dzeko got up. He's fine. Why should Liverpool kick the ball out? You can't go down in order to disrupt the possession of the other team. The play should always continue unless there is a head injury or an obviously serious injury. That's it.

Sturridge having a great start. Liverpool should be up but are down. City really miss Kompany and Toure (who wouldn't?)

I can't stand when fans boo players for being the victim of something. WBA fans booing Walker for what? For getting spat at? The worst is Stoke fans booing Ramsay for getting his leg broken by Shawcross. How dare he get his leg broken!!

Chelsea were around for almost 100 years before Roman came along and they'll be here after he's gone. Roman brought huge money to the club and therefore a lot of success, but Chelsea didn't start with Roman. I don't think you understand supporting your club. The vast majority of clubs will never win the CL, they will never win the Premier League, they will never win anything. Their supporters still love their teams. They still go to games, sing their songs, and follow their transfer rumours. I love being European Champions, but I started following Chelsea years before Roman and it didn't bother me that we weren't challenging Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. Pre-Roman days, I used to wake up early Saturday mornings (sometimes hungover, sometimes still drunk) to watch Chelsea play. I never once thought "we are nothing, so what's the point of watching?". Your joy comes from different places. A big win over a local rival, an upset over a giant. There are supporters on here who have been following Chelsea for much longer than I have. Who lived through some really dark years for the club. There are newer supporters who are cut from the same cloth. We enjoy being a top European side, who wouldn't? However, our fandom isn't dependent on it. If things go bad at Chelsea, we're not going to go off and start supporting some other team that has a chance to win big trophies. Here's a little reading for you...http://www.chelseafc.com/team-history

Welcome!

We played extremely defensively for a total of three games. Two against Barcelona and one against Bayern. I can't stand when people act as if that was RDM's style or something. He just did what any manager should do and adapted his tactics to try to win the game. I think we're playing very similarly under Rafa as we were under RDM (when Rafa has people healthy) . We have mostly the same problems (poor movement, too much reliance on individual skill, etc...) and the same amazing things when they go right (incredible individual skill, beautiful passing, etc...). That said, our best games came under RDM for sure.

Yeah, like death brings stability to your heart rate. None of that fancy up and down stuff. Just a nice flat line.

Honestly, this game wouldn't have bothered me that much in isolation. Newcastle are a good team and St. James Park is a hard place to win. I think people can play armchair manager a bit too much with subs, but the complete lack of them today is just baffling. The game was end to end and physical. It was the sort of game where substitutes can make a difference in energy. I don't hate Bertrand, I hate the fact that he's being played in a position he is not remotely suited for. Chelsea's two "wingers" today have scored a total of zero goals from open play in 37 league games. What kind of attack is that? Unlike central midfield, we actually have some options there. Our players looked completely dispirited in the first half. Once again, no movement, players just standing still and waiting for something to happen. This team is clearly exhausted. Lampard and Ramires are playing 90 minutes almost every game which is two games a week every week. That's insane. We clearly needed another central midfielder. It's like Chelsea are pinching pennies in order to be able to splash massive money on big names. It's just stupid policy BTW, last three games, Chelsea have scored 2 goals. Each game, one goal by Mata, one by Lampard. In fact, since our 8-0 thrashing of Villa, we have played 8 league games. In only 2 of them, did we have someone other than Mata or Lampard score.

I need to go for a walk...this is exasperating...In a game with incredible tempo, massive physical battles, our manager can't even bother to make a single sub of his choosing (the Ba/Torres was thrust upon him.). I would have gone with Azpilicueta for Terry or Ivanovic at about 65 and Benayoun or Marin for Bertrand at 0.

Fuckity fuck fuck!!!

Not that I know. My point is not about him specifically as much as it's about the fact that there ARE cheap, talented players available.

Sissoko is a central midfielder, 23, and cost around 2M pounds....just saying.

It was definitely a pass. Webb has been way too lenient.

Would like Marin or Benayoun for Bertrand before the 87th minute please.

This is a pretty damn exciting game...

Yeah. You can't do that.