GermanBlue

http://espnfc.com/news/story/_/id/1544383/everton-loanee-romelu-lukaku-was-90-per-cent-sure-chelsea-stay?campaign=rss&source=soccernet&cc=5739

MvG on game time at Chelsea
"That has been indicated to me. I will get minutes. From the conversations I have had, they are coming."
"In my position, in the middle, there are 4 or 5 candidates at Chelsea. There is great competition, but you expect that at a top club."
Good.

http://espnfc.com/news/story/_/id/1544383/everton-loanee-romelu-lukaku-was-90-per-cent-sure-chelsea-stay?campaign=rss&source=soccernet&cc=5739

Fair enough as the club wants to end the rumours, too, and wants the player to be able to totally focus on his performances.

Off to the first match of the season, FINALLY.

I remember one of our new signings of last season (anyone remembers who?) saying that Juan knows every corner of London so to say. If you tell him you want to eat a pizza or something, he knows exactly where you can eat the best pizza in London and all this stuff. It seems that he's really settled by now.

http://espnfc.com/news/story/_/id/1544383/everton-loanee-romelu-lukaku-was-90-per-cent-sure-chelsea-stay?campaign=rss&source=soccernet&cc=5739

Not a one-man team like Spurs were last season, because they still have the likes of Wilshere, Cazorla etc. in their ranks, but he'll be the key player and they'll struggle if he'd pick up an injury.

also a guy (whether that's Ba or Lukaku) who will play a very reduced amount of matches - unless any injury happens - and will mostly come for matches of minor importance, does not weaken our side.
It's clear José doesn't agree with many people here that think Lukaku is ready to play for Chelsea - so he knew he'd bench him a lot and probably wouldn't even bench him in many matches. Again, it's preference. I agree with José in this specific matter. Lukaku showed me he has potential, but he's way too raw both emotionally and technically. Thing is people here (some anyway) believe that he's ready or that at his present form he's better than Torres.
Also José may have had a few expectations when he talked to Lukaku when they both arrived at the club and he may have changed his mind during pre-season and the few minutes he played in official matches. How many times didn't a player reach the manager's expectations? More often than we would like, so even the promised stay could have been a consequence of José reassessing Lukaku. Or lack of interest on Ba. No one in our club said Ba didn't get anyone interested on him... it's all the press, and I'd rather not take their word as unquestionable. SSN themselves reported two different clubs interested on him and then they said no one was. So I guess their sources are as good as none?
Either way, I think I'd rather have Ba rotting in our bench as you put it, rather than a 20yo that has tons to develop before he can be a player we can rely on. Torres isn't a lot of things, but he is experienced and doesn't have problems with nerves and pressure... and if I'm honest with myself, I don't see a big gap - if any - between them technically. Lukaku is going to be better than current-Torres, but right now, I guess they're sort of the same, with different issues for different reasons.

Mata was again overlooked for the internationals so he'll be one of the few players staying at Cobham to train with Jose for the next week or so. Trust Mourinho to get him back to full fitness in time for Everton so he can give a massive fuck you to those who doubted his role under Jose.

So they didn't play the current Champions, and beat them, today then?

Can't believe how you are now just slagging off our best player for the past 2 seasons already because he isn't match fit to show what he can do.
1) Yes he isn't very strong but neither is Hazard
2) He isn't very quick but his job isn't to be quick, it is to create chances. He usually plays in the middle so it isn't as necessary for him to have a lot of pace
3) Attacking midfielder. There's a clue in the name. However, if you do want to go on about defensive responsibility then I suggest you lot at some of Hazard's piss poor defensive work from games last season.
4) Now this is hilarious.
Last season alone:
Assist and goal vs Arsenal away
2 goals and assist vs Spurs away
Goal vs Man United home
Only goal vs Norwich away
Goal vs Arsenal home
Only goal vs Man United away
2011/12
Best player vs Arsenal home
2 assists vs Valencia home
Only goal vs Fulham home and QPR (FA Cup) away
Goal vs Man U home
Winning goal vs Wigan home
Goal vs Spurs FA Cup semi final
Assist and MOTM vs Liverpool FA Cup final
Assist Champions League final
I don't get what more you want him to do in 'big games' to be honest. Probably been listening to media drivel that he hasn't shown up for them when he has consistently been one of our best players in them.
5) He can't get into it because he isn't 100% match fit at the moment maybe?

José is a great manager, an awesome tactician, but he seriously needs to grow up and accept unlucky defeats. It's fair to make the dubious statement that the better team lost last night as he's that teams manager and under certain circumstances you can see that Chelsea was more effective and tactically very disciplined, but to see a conspiracy behind every referee decision against his own team is immature. There definitely were wrong decisions in the past that had negative effects on Mourinho's teams, but the sending-off for Ramires last night was well deserved in my opinion. Although he hit the ball first, you can't go into a tackle like this if you were already booked. The ref didn't kill the game lol. The last-minute goal was unlucky. The added time was okay because of the injuries, that's football and not the referees fault. Still happy to have him back here.

José is a great manager, an awesome tactician, but he seriously needs to grow up and accept unlucky defeats. It's fair to make the dubious statement that the better team lost last night as he's that teams manager and under certain circumstances you can see that Chelsea was more effective and tactically very disciplined, but to see a conspiracy behind every referee decision against his own team is immature. There definitely were wrong decisions in the past that had negative effects on Mourinho's teams, but the sending-off for Ramires last night was well deserved in my opinion. Although he hit the ball first, you can't go into a tackle like this if you were already booked. The ref didn't kill the game lol. The last-minute goal was unlucky. The added time was okay because of the injuries, that's football and not the referees fault. Still happy to have him back here.

Just a stat to throw in here:
"Most goals + assists in the PL since August 2011: van Persie 75, Rooney 55, Agüero 47, Bale 44, Mata 43, Suárez 42, Walcott 40, Dzeko 36" @WhoScored

Just a stat to throw in here:
"Most goals + assists in the PL since August 2011: van Persie 75, Rooney 55, Agüero 47, Bale 44, Mata 43, Suárez 42, Walcott 40, Dzeko 36" @WhoScored

Lukaku isn't an idiot. He realises Benteke is playing at a club that is probably mid-table at best whilst he's at a club pushing for domestic and European honours.
So he probably doesn't think that, does he?
He hasn't ignored him. He's a young man with immense potential and we've played 3 games in 8 days at the start of the season. He'll get his chances and I'm confident he'll take them, but people need to be a bit more patient.

Come on, you're being naive. Okay, Ba hasn't been that good for Chelsea but if you think Torres is better than Ba then you must've been sleeping for the last two and a half years. Forgetting the price, Ba has been a much better striker than Torres over the last 2 and a half years, that's fact. Torres was not the best striker before he joined Chelsea, that's nonsense. I love how people are willing to forget how garbage Torres has been over the last 2 and a half years but when Ba has a rough 6 months with us it's easy to write him off.
Anelka was exactly the same when he joined us in January 2008 and guess what? He finished top scorer in the league the season after, after he had a proper pre-season with the team.
Again, I love how you're saying "forget the stats" but then being them up for your convenience when it comes to your argument against Ba. Ba has scores 2 in 14? Torres has 8 in 36. To even say Torres has been better than Lukaku last season is absolutely laughable.
You can't just forget their wages or prices either. Ba was brought to be the 2nd/3rd choice striker, whilst Torres was bought to be the leading striker. You can't have a £50m who's on £175k a week as your 2nd choice striker. That's nonsense.
Ba's been off form in his last couple of games so it's easy for people to look at him and write him off. Torres has ended the season quite well and people are willing to forget his whole time here. It's nothing short of delusional I think.

Yup. "Chelsea and José Mourinho have told us that Kevin will definitely go back to Chelsea next season."

Ivanovic blocking the entire Belgium wall.

PICTURE OF THE DAY!

ok it's officially in all belgian media as well! YES!!!
Also love his quote: "I'm sure I can play as many games as at West Brom + if I don't manage to succeed at the Bridge this season, I got to be honest and admit I don't deserve to go to the WC in Brazil!"
Love his ambition and I'm sure he will succeed!
We better get used to this image boys:

So wait....we've got rid of Benayoun and Malouda today, there's a transfer bid for Mikel and we're closing in on Cavani.
Lads, get out on the town tonight and go for the fittest bird you see because our fucking luck is in today.

I just can't see Ba leaving after just a half year. If one striker leaves, it will be Torres. Ba is the perfect rotation striker to me.
There's a bigger chance of Hazard doing the false 9 like at Juventus than Schürrle playing the striker I think. And for a reason. Schürrle is awful if he plays alone up front. I can see him as a second striker, but not alone.