Magic Lamps

this one could get relevant if the club decides to change some personell in the engine room, esp as Essien is courted by Fener. Capoue has all the attributes to become a great player, (better than Mikel at any rate ): He has the size, the power, the engine, the pace, the passing, the instincts, the right mindset and the blood-hount attitude in his tacklings and interceptions. He can destroy the opponents game and open the play. He is also a threat in the air.

Would get rid of him sooner rather than later. Don't get me wrong, he's a lovely guy but he simply has absolutely nothing to offer by now. We should have sold him a year ago before he got injured that summer, we probably would have got 20+m now we can be lucky if we get 10 or so. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2194947/Fenerbahce-want-Raul-Meireles-Michael-Essien-Chelsea.html Reportedly they alsow ant Meireles, I'd gladly part with, too. Would like Capoue or M'vila as replacement

Think at CFC he will refrain from doing so automatically, cause he is not the single star player here, tehre are many who can take his place if he plays the diva

He has a point. There more similar the basic positons of both teams is the more probable it is the top team wins. We have two teams in good recent form, scoring main strikers and a so far relatively solid defense on both sides and no majer reprisals. Top teams are top teams because they use to win when it counts most. In a league game, or an fa cup 3rd round, there can be upsets, because its rather routine and the big boys often do not take it as serious as the underdog. But when teams like ManU, Real, Barca or Chelsea play, there is that kind of killer instinct around them and when they are fully focused and there is no real disadvantage as bad form or bad mindset, they are simply gonna win. u get that situation very often and i have never seen a surprise result in those.

Still falcao can do crazy things and score goals out of nothing. I have seen him running from his own half to the oppositon's box and somehow turning and twisting himself an acre of space against an excellent marker which was enough for him to bent in a scorcher into the top corner. I also have seen him absolutely hammering a 2m high corner as overhead kick. I have seen him performing the exact same skill a week later. The guy is a phenomenon he actually CAN create on his own, even though he is no Drogba therein, he is in the form of his live and I think everyone knows what a top striker in the form of his live can do.

sorry my portugese is not as good as it could be, but if he really thinks he could displace Lampard, I am hugely disappointed with his attitude. How can a 20 year old nobody who has never won anything in his career be sure to swiftly replace the best midfielder ever?

Yeah and even last year spuds did not make the CL nonetheless: signing a palyer like dembele for 15m is good business, signing sigurdson almost on a free is good business too well, caulker is a decent defender but rather fitted for a top bundesliga side or a bottom half EPL-side. Vertonghen is also a good prospect. So your right, spurs are an downgrade, as u can expect when AVB is the manager, he will bet on worse, younger players. But no one knows if it will pay off long term

But double pivot is not "lampard position", its only where he usually has to play in a 4-2-3-1. It would be suicidal to play oscar in a double pivot. Lamps position is the offensive part of a mid-three. Don't remember Oscar saying anything about "mata'spositon" or "lampard position"

he said he will be playing anywhere the coach wants him to. But IMO Oscar is a no.10. He might displace Mata or a winger if anyone but his physical and defensive attributes are nowhere near Dembeles. A deep lying playmaker has to defend. Even Lampard is more of a deep-lying playmaker than Oscar

Hate to see this distinctly talented player join the spuds. 15m is a bargain. Levy might be a cunt and always ready for a an epic mistake but spurs make good business in their acquisitions more often than not. Dembele is seen as a 1:1 replacement for Modric. He might not be technically as apt, his passing is not as precise and his vision cannot compared to the croatian's but he is one of the most capable deep lying playmakers in the league, a player-type we, except for maybe McEachran do not even possess. Moussa is fast, can dribble is big enough, has good acceleration and is defensively one of the best mids in the league, so i would really consider hijacking the deal. We probably will never get a cheaper lampard "replacement"

but we have to prolong his contract ASAP due to being left in need of strikers could prove a costly issue

none of our signings will make up fo the loss of Drogba or the loss of height in general, We will irrevocably lose some effectivity in freekicks and corners. Torres, Lamps and Mikel are all average heading players despite their decent height, so only the centre-backs can be an asset here.

Does Moses actually help out in the back? At any rate, he's got the physical attributes. It's always good to have some defensively capable wingers in the event of playing a still far superior Barca side.

Is there extra time or a shoot-out in case it's level after 90mins ?

yeah but Tiote did not play that well in that match and got injured early in the second half. It was rather Cisse who teared apart an uninspired B-Team with two amazing goals

Courtois is not eligible to play against us.

Players should have nuff time to regenerate till friday, esp as some were rested against Nucastle. Don't know how fast Moses and Azpi will fit in, but I'd rather not rush ist so I'll go for my fav linup (except Terry): ----------Cech------ Iva--Cahill--David--Cole ----Ramy-Mikel-Lamps ------Mata-----Hazard- ----------Torres-------- Think we are slight favourites, as the CL-Winner always should be, but nothing to get complacent about. Falcao is a Top10 Striker (frighteningly 4 of those 10 play in manchester), can create a goal out of nowhere, but we are the in-form team. Expect a tough 2-1 win.

There is one think I understood completely different than most of the commentors here. IMO, we practically played a christmas tree-like version of a 4-3-3 with mata and hazard operating as playmaking wingers, coming inside more often than not, mikel sitting in front of the defense and bertrand and meireles cramming the holes between wings and defense. This allowed hazard/mata enough space in attack, support and defensive cover, whereas also mikel, whose biggest problem is his limited range of movement thrives having a fellow midfielder on each side. So the answer is not meireles and the problem is not lampard, the solution is a mid-three. Hence i think a 4-3-3 alternating with a christmas tree with the same players is our best formation, as it comforts every players strengths. mata and hazard can go outside as well as inside, create and/or provide width, lampard (best position lcm) and ramires (best position rcm) can alternate going forward, whilst mikel has protection

Can't remember any Chelsea player ever having surpassed its achievements here anywhere else in modern football 2ndly the identification with the Chelsea Family is so strong, our top players only leave when the club decides not to prolong the contract or the player wants to end his career elsewhere. The EPL is by far the best league in the world, here is where players peak and here is where champions are made. if u make it here, u have proven everything

As long as hazard keeps winning penalties, Lamps has a chance of topping the CFC all time goalscorer list. - 6 assists, assited 5 of our 6 goals in epl, nuff said.

Referee does like whistling foul but does not like whistling for handball or foul on Oscar

Mata, Lampard need a rest

this one even torres can not miss

Mata fucks it up once again.

Failing to use the momentum a goal gives u a second time in a match: check