different level

We've had a bad run of results but LOL at all the negativity and doomsday talk around here. I can imagine if we slip up to the 5th place, then probably talks about relegation will appear.

Real Madrid are about to lose to Granada. Please RM, sack him now so we can recruit him tomorrow

Alright guys, it's not end of the world. We are 3rd with 4 points lead over the 5th and you are acting as our chances are really slim. Besides our seasons in the last couple of years usually go this way: strong start > november slump > resurgence > slump again late jan-early feb > picking up our form from March till the end of the season.

Well after I am over (sort of) my meltdown I will try to look at the positives here. The players will finally have a week rest after 2 months of playing twice a week, Hazard will be back, rested and recharched and Moses and Mikel will be available unless Nigeria reach the Acon final. I don't want to talk about the game because I will fall into a deep depression if I start recalling the events of the match.

So we have the human lightning back for the Wigan match. If Ivory Coast beat Nigeria tomorrow we'll have the squad at full strength by the next weekend.

I have the feeling if the team doesn't start delivering the results we may endure a second managerial change for the season. Even I, when I promised myself I'm going to give Rafa a chance, am running out of patience, especially after he managed not to win a couple of already won games, his late reactions for substitutions when it was obvious things are not going our way.

With Hazard and Moses still unavailable I don't feel as confident as always. Hopefully with the return of Cech we can keep a clean sheet this time. Also if we go with a 0-2 lead I will be very worried.

At this point I'll be happy even if we overpay for Fellaini.

Who?

"Chelsea have offered £31.75m for Everton's Fellaini according to various reports." Just popped in my fb page

I'd rather be optimistic, yeah the comedy yesterday pretty much ruined my evening, but I'm sure the team is better than the latest results suggest and with the returns of six first team players by the end of next week, we'll have the squad at full strength. We should get at least third place and frankly I still believe we have a chance of catching City.

Top 4? Are you kidding? Third place is a must and I think we'll improve a lot with the returns of JT, Luiz, Cech, Hazard and the nigerians.

Lol, note to self: Never ever think the game is won especially if we are leading 2-0 by the 80th minute of the match.

If Nigeria lose their match today we can probably have him back in time for the Newcastle game.

Not much to be said here, we'll trash them.

What annoys me the most is we offloaded so many players on loan and our squad somehow ends up thin and for some reason no one bothers recalling at least one of the loaned players. It's highly likely we remain with the same squad being out of different options, needed for the cup games when the top players like Mata and Hazard should be rested.

I'm seeing some rumours in facebook linking us with a £12 m bid for this guy.

Is recalling KDB and Essien absolutely out of the question? I think getting those two back is by far the better and cheaper option than overspending for some player days before the closing of the transfer window. However I prefer the latter than not doing anything.

Whatever you do Rafa please rest Mata, we need him for the PL games next week. Then again it's hard to think of someone who could replace him in the attacking trio. If it's Bertrand then Cole has to start and he also needs a rest. You can't put Ramires because him and Lamps are the only two available players for the double pivot. Piazon was loaned to Malaga, Benayoun has a small injury and Flo Mo is with the youngsters. Turnbull Azpilicueta/Ferreira Terry Cahill Bertrand Lampard Ramires Marin Oscar Benayoun/Malouda/??? Torres Something like that, unless Rafa doesn't decide to give some of the youngsters a chance.

Just realised there is less than a week until the transfer window closes. I haven't given up on the hope that we'll sign at least one of our targets. Miralem Pjanic could do a good job as a squad player as he can play both on the double pivot and the wings plus I doubt he'll be very expensive.

It appears that most of the football personas, players and managers are on Eden's side or at least aren't quick to condemn him, but then again we still haven't heard what a certain cenile, red nosed old fart has to say on the matter...

If they consider to overrule the red card it should be before the Brentford match, by tomorrow we should have a decision. If that's not the case and the FA monkeys are considering only whether Eden should get an additional suspension, then ... well, the people above have your answer.

I am cheering for all the teams playing Nigeria in AcoN, so we can have Moses and Mikel at our disposal as soon as possible.

Right now it looks like he will have his chance to be a starter in the FA cup tie and possibly in the two league matches next week (depends on the Hazards' red card outcome). Hopefully he will finally show some of what he did in Germany with Werder and Monchengladbach and deserve his nickname the German Messi (although I can't stand the real one )

Maybe in the next couple of games it's time to make him and Benayoun earn their wages, especially with the likely suspension of Hazard and with Moses still in AcoN. Not sure if it's the best, but probably the cheaper short-term solution for the absence of our wingers.