Magic Lamps

our ball retention is sublime, our conversion rate not

only watched the 2nd half. did hazard really play so badly? because we need so who can score

that's our problem now. we got nice skillz, showing lovely football at stage but we have no scorer

all refs are incapable of staying on par with the modern game. In the EPL there is an extra caprice in their decisions. Actually, every referee and his assistants commits numerous grave mistakes every game (wrestling in the box before a corner, flagging onside for offside every 3rd time etc). We've simply grown used to that. The "beneficial" side of these decisions is that the underdog is always helped a bit, as the attacking team usually get the big decisions against them (penalty, offside, hidden foul plays in the box etc.). Makes games closer but with less goals.

azpi-cahill-luiz-cole -----romeu--Mikel--- -Moses-Oscar--Mata --------Sturridge----- 1. would love to see marin, probably our most agile defender + mata has not to go the full distance 2. stoke will provide little threat up front so we can play a high line with our fastest and most mobile defenders 3. mikel does not deserve to play but lamps needs rest and ramires even less deserves to play 4. Sturridge deserves a start, torres was already useless against stokes big defenders twice last year. (btw is sturridge taller than nando? he is listed as 1.88m/6'2'' but a friend of mine has met him and is exactly as tall at about 6') 5. Remember what hard work we made of stoke fixtures last year? we need mobility and pace amap

I would not generally but one game I'd pick exactly one formation most fans demand with the players they want and demonstrate that it wont work.

He's 34 he can not invent himself completely new. He is not efficient in a 4-2-3-1 in most games but our best option for the dlp role. Nonetheless he can't defy his natural offensive instincts. Anyway the 4-2-3-1 is simply playing him and Ramires out of position. In a 4-3-3 he still can be an attacking force as its his natural position. Of course he has to be used more sporadically but when he is used he has to be rather offensive.

One thing, I wanna see Cesar Azpilicueta vs Stoke. Ivanovic is a great defender but he is not necessarily a great footballer. He is rock solid but his technique is average and his crossing is simply woeful. Exactly in this game Hazard became useless playing on the right because, Ivanovic could not feed him. Cesar offers way more possibilities in terms of attacking

That's exactly what a forward is about. He can score goals out of nothing, he is a clinical finisher and he knows how to position himself to nick in the rebound, he has the killer instinct, Torres seems to have lost. I do not remember one match when he was awful in a more offensive role. I remember him playing CAM under AVB (Stoke, Bolton, Sunderland) when he was great.

Frank's probably the better striker atm. The reason why we lack efficiency in front of goal is that our best finisher Mr Frank Lampard is restricted to a defensive role.

In addition to his sublime goal, we must not forget that he kept Pirlo quiet all game. He might not be the best tackler but his agile, adamant closing down of juve players in posession was key to them not overrunning our midfield all the time. Today we showed some good pressing in the opposition's half and he was central to it. This boy is our future.

hey, many teams play with only one striker, It's torres job to make himself available. He simply becomes invisible in lenghty periods of the match

One Fellaini does not make a summer. IMO he is rather a better and more complete mikel. You seldom see him run, with or without the ball, probably even less often than Mikel, but he is better in his passing, shooting, tackling and is arieally great. IMO u have to combine Fellani with a more mobile and faster DM like M'villa or a deep lying playmaker who can intercept etc. fellaini - modric or fellaini - m villa would be quite a good combination. If we are only to buy one DM, Etienne capoue is the man to buy.

Very disappointed, hope this does not become a "slump". Its always a disgrace to concede a 2 goal lead, but we were completely outplayed in midfield at times in the second half, mikel made far too many mistakes, torres is back to his usual useless self and ramires and ivanovic are so bad technically they are a dead end for our play Juve did nothing to deserve that draw, but I don't care, we got denied a penalty once agian as refs don't buy unfair tackles on hazard any more. I rather care aobut the bad mistakes we committed. Several players committed amateur errors. A.Cole, Oscar, Hazard were class, luiz, lamps, terry, cech and iva were okay but torres and Ramires were utter BS. Ramires is technically no match for a RW cause HE IS NO RW. Ivanovic also provided little help as he is technically limited, too. Torres does try but he again got "no service" as his runs were crap, he always was found in the channels or near the corner flags but never in the box. Lamps is missed in front even more than he is out of position in the pivot. No idea why we had no Moses to offer sth against the great and strong Asamoah, our right side was never really up to it. Nonetheless much better than against QPR we will demolish Stoke with a similar performance IF WE TAKE OUR CHANCES. Mata HAD to score or cross for torres who was completely free to wrap things up and there was a great chance by ramires were he decided to dribble instead of shooting. In european football u simply HAVE to defend a 2 goal lead at home. Imagine this in a k.o. game, it would be a horrific result. This game (once again ) showed 1) RDM has to utilize the right players in THEIR position 2) 4-2-3-1 with Ramy on the wing is crap 3) Mikel is not that good 4) Lamps should play more offensive or not at all 5) Oscar is a gem and is fit for first-team action 6) Torres is crap 7) We need more quality in CM and ST 8) Ivanovic is not that good 9) Terry and Offside trap do not match 10) There's an awful lot of work to do

once again the referee and our wastefulness cost us

we were wasteful we lack clincialness without lamps up front, mata and torres squander it all the time

so clear after mata missed that 100% chance, we would let the lead go

ref lost it. completely misjudges most tacklings

?????what an idiot??? why turning and curl a shot then?

Ramires is simply no winger, I hope RDM finally gets it, such a nightmare performance by him, the rest did okay so far, Mikel is tackling and intercepting well but He and Lamps need to rectify their passing. hazard and torres do their bit, whilst Oscar ahs produced the magic. Should be more efficient with our chances.

what an incredible goal by Oscar, the first one was only to remedy the many missed chances,the second one was simply pure class,the goal against us was completely unnecessary and scored by the chief cuntface Vidal.

chiellini's wrestling against terry is a penalty, but referee's seldom care

juve look nervy as fuck atm

feels like a champions league semi final even though its only the first game. we can lose this and still win the tournament

We're fucked if we really play this 4-2-3-1. RDM always argues, Ramires gives us "balance" IMO he rather makes our system asymetric. RDM is simply so fixed on his 4-2-3-1 and Ramires on the RW that he plays anyone out of position only to maintain these to principles.