diskoviolente

I know, I just like to throw in a cheeky abbreviation here in there

http://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/index.html

My thoughts exactly! We should probe another bid in January. When United won't even make Euro League anymore.

Great goal by Swansea! Bony involved. Like the guy

Have to say, I am impressed by Arsenal this season so far. They are playing some attractive football and finally getting the results in as well. Wouldn't be surprised if they go all the way. The Manchester clubs are fun to watch as well....

Great move by Arsenal.

Torres will be lucky if he escapes further punishment for attempt face-lift on Verthongen. Fernando seems to be energized by the arrival of José. Really, really good performance from him today. One conclusion, however, stands out for me: Mata is a big game player and he needs to play.

Robbery. Torres deserved a red but not for what actually got him the red.

To me it seems that Mourinho wants to play a style of football that doesn't fit the team he inherited and he doesn't really know what to do with it. No offense to Oscar, but he lacks vision. He shouldn't be our 10, it should be Mata. Oscar is a midfield grafter, creating the space for Mata. What I don't understand is that Mourinho in his first press conferences stated that he likes the creative ways of our three amigos and that he wants to build on that. Now what? It looks to me that we bought all these players to suit a certain Pep, and now we got Mourinho who brings different qualities. Sub Lamps, bring on Mata, Ramires dropping alongside Mikel, please.

MATA MATA MATA MATA Amazing, how Mourinho actually sucked out any flair of our attacking department in just 2 months.

Well done. We look totally toothless and and no spark. No Mata and we look the direst days of the late Ancelotti era.

i don't quite get that point with the spanish national team. the players starting in midfield for spain is pretty much the monolith of the barca-midfield. i am not surprised that mata can't get in that squad just yet. that, however, doesn't reflect at all about his form for us and in the premier league in which he, apart from Van Persie, has been probably the best player last season. the spain-argument, i think, is coming from the "jose is always right" brigade who just looking for any old argument. (not saying you are one of them, meetdoscar )

Two grown ups duking it out who was Bobby Robsons favorite protege. Hilarious. I think we should start with Torres tomorrow, he offers more "direct" (i know, i know) play towards goal. I think Jose drilled it into him that he is a true number nine and not a 8 1/2 or 9 1/2, because he is getting in the box more and getting at the end of attacks. Something that rarely happened. Mouthwatering game tomorrow. Make it three points at the Lane, boys!

i love you

and also, what the club will do now regarding the midfield. Can`t just rely on Essien and Lampard. Why not recall Oriol

SHIT! Another Oriol situation. That is so cruel on him...

Mykhetarian, Reus, Hummels, Aubomyang, Subotic, Gündogan...they still have a fantastic backbone of a squad. Just need to find a striker now..for no money. Bayern and Lewandowski really twisted Dortmunds arms there. SO annoying. Bundesliga will get even more boring now.

Should have gotten his shirt back then. Love players like him.

I was at that game and saw Franco lining up. Was a bit surprised to see him there, even more so to see him sent off. Bremen were terrible in that game.

it would break my heart if Mata leaves under these circumstances. he is such an elegant and subtile player. maybe Mou wants to flex his muscles and make a stance who is boss or whatever, but i don`t know how you can say that he has been below par when he only played that little. hopefully he gets his chance and can play in the middle with oscar just as Jose said in the sky interview today. Oscar is strong and ahead if Mata, true. But why is Jose taking this weird road again after the Joe Cole Scenario. I don`t understand why he isn´t dealing with this quietly behind the scenes.

I mean, we`ve waited so long for him to come back but clearly things aren`t the same anymore when José first arrived. He is not the same manager as before. I sometimes think that Real Madrid wore him out. He looks a lot older and not as energetic before, but I am sure nonetheless that he`ll figure out what our best 11 is and that he`ll drill into the lads to never give up and just play teams off the pitch. It is a difficult situation we are in team wise - it is as it`s almost too good. I am sure that we`ll be fine at the end of this season but it schurrle will be a long and difficult way. Best thing i*ve read in years on the Guardian about Chelsea was this: http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2013/sep/19/chelsea-jose-mourinho

It is laughable to see how people are turning against José all of a sudden. What do you guys expect ? Him coming in, waving his hands and all of a sudden we sweep away all the teams in front of us ? No, José knows this is again a difficult season for him and for the team because we still need to find our feed and so does he. It is football, thankfully it is unpredictable. Of course it feels shit losing two games in a row in a disappointing fashion but people aiming at Mourinho...

the way we play sometimes i can't help it.

I think we have to accept that this season stills falls under the much dreaded label "transition". At the moment I am not quite sure what José is after and what he prefers. Clearly the spending policies can`t be based on a mere "oh he's good and it might be helpful to have him", as to me the Willian signing appears, but then again we haven`t seen him yet and maybe José will find a preferred system and a starting 11 when everyone played a few games and everyone is fully fit. I think spending wise we have done well this season given the options available. We might have slightly overspend on Willian but the other signings are good (Schürrle, MvG, Eto'o). On the strengthening aspect: in the strikers segment there just was no one available who would have solved our problems upfront (Lewandowski, Cavani, Falcao, Rooney, the pair City bought...all horribly overpriced and we would have risked another Torres there), same for the midfielders. I don`t need to go into the Modric scenario, as it is clear that he "would have been" the perfect option but... I think we have to wait and see. It is difficult given the buzz everyone was feeling when José signed but I think we have to accept our situation and trust José to bring the best out of our CM and ST department and then see who is available in January and next year. It is a bit early to make any significant statements about our team just now, i think.

Thank you @Alex. A voice of reason, coming across solemn and almost lost. I thought we weren't that bad, the finishing was awful but to be fair, our team was stretched out all over the place in the latest farce of the "international break" that they just looked tired. Schurrle apart from his finishing yesterday looked really good and will develop into one of the best players on his position i am sure. Everton away is always a tough place to go and especially yesterday when they had a big point to prove. Not concerned. Mata started to shut up all the rumors i am afraid. Clearly not match-fit yet.