TorontoChelsea

Crap...just when we were dominating too.

Cisse put his hands around Cole's throat. He should have been off for that.

This is a game for gifs.

Mata with a wonderful goal!!

Lampard now has 10 straight years with at least 10 goals in the league. Incredible...

SUUUPPPPER, SUPPPPER FRANK!

We're lucky to be down only one but it is only one so we're still very much in it. Come on Chelsea!!

Everybody except Cech is shit today....Guess on second half subs. Azpilicueta for Ivanovic about the 80th minute and Marin for Oscar at about 89.

Fuck

Chelsea need to keep a couple these on hand...http://www.washingtonpost.com/rf/image_606w/WashingtonPost/Content/Blogs/early-lead/Images/Timberwolves_Lakers_Basketball_0ef06.jpg?uuid=SKDAamOqEeG1HAHZE1E9Yw

We're down to 9 right now.

Something I'm noticing a fair bit recently. When Chelsea have the ball, other teams press them so that whenever a Chelsea player gets the ball past midfield, he is surrounded by 2-4 Newcastle players making any passes (except a back pass) almost impossible. When Newcastle have the ball, they space themselves so that there are forward and sideways outlets as well, so they are able to move the ball much more fluidly. This is the sort of thing Cole was grumbling about against Brentford. Our attackers don't move properly and they don't space themselves properly. The only time our attackers have any space is when there is a turnover which we turn into a counter-attack (which is rare).

So nice to have Cech back. He inspires confidence while Turnbull does the exact opposite.

And just ridiculous levels of talent. Spain has, in the midfield, Xavi, Xabi Alonso, Silva, Mata, Iniesta, Busquets, Fabergas, Michu, Cazorla, Isco, Javi Martinez, Benat, Javi Garcia, Navas, Pedro, and Alcantara. That's insane!!! Their second team midfield would be one of the best midfields in the world.

This. Malouda was under contract so the board had a couple of options. 1) try to find a transfer to him 2) keep him on the squad. Once the transfer route closed, they should have just played him (sparingly). What exactly was the point of punishing him? Malouda isn't a great player, but like Benayoun is capable of playing in the Premier League and is a better fit at midfield than Bertrand.

I feel the same way...it's almost like there is a cancer at the club but I don't really know where it is either. I am 99.9% positive that Roman wants that specific attacking style. Chelsea sources have talked about it in the press quite openly (clarifying it as not being "attacking football" but rather a Chelsea style that takes the game to the opponent), but it also makes sense based on the players Chelsea buy. To me, there are three cures to this. 1) I think Roman needs some actual football people around him, rather than just suits. Yes, you need people who can do the sponsorship deals and figure out FFP but you also need people who understand football. 2) Chelsea need to listen to their fans more. That doesn't mean you have to do everything your supporters want, but there's an understandable feeling that the club is completely out of touch with the supporters. 3) Related to the first two, Roman needs to back off a little. Every Chelsea supporter appreciates what he has done for the club, but Chelsea would be better off if he backed off just a little. His impatience, his visits to Cobham to intimidate players and managers, his and his obsession with wanting something specific, etc...

That's exactly what I thought. They look like inbred zombies where you're not sure if they stumble around unable to speak or walk properly because they are undead or because they are drunken idiots.

Monreal is weird because that's exactly how how you say Montreal in French so it always make me do a double-take.

Most deadline days, especially the winter transfer period, are rather uneventful. Lots of minor players moving for 3M pounds sort of thing.

You're right about the need to tighten up at the back. After years of Terry, Carvalho, and Dessaily, we've become used to having top notch centre-backs and while we have a few good ones, we don't have anyone at that level right now. To me, the reason why central midfield is such a priority right now, is that we simply don't have the numbers. We have Lampard and Ramires and neither are even great fits there. It's a more immediate need.

Amels or Hutcho... but lots of good posters this month (as always).

Must mean they are going to move Begovic. This might not happen until the summer but the moves makes no sense otherwise.

I don't even think we'd need someone to chase someone as expensive as Moutinho to help is into 4th. There are many many players out there who would help us a fair bit and who are not particularly expensive.

Exactly and I don't even get it financially. If Chelsea miss a CL spot, it will be a disaster and cost the team what, tens of millions? Bringing in a good central midfielder, even just a decent one who can play a role on the club would be a massive help and shouldn't be all that expensive. We don't need to be chasing potentially elite players or prospects with every transfer. You need role players as well.

Fellaini-25-30M pounds or so. Essien-free. We need a long-term central midfielder for sure (and to me Fellaini isn't that guy), but Essien would have been a very useful player for us for this season. You think about yesterday's game. He could have started and given Lampard or Ramires a rest. He could have come on as a great defensive sub later on for one of them..