The Mak

Making De Gea look good. Tired of shit players doing that.

Typical Newcastle. The highlight of their season was last week. Pardew has also got MOTM as well so he thinks he's safe for another year; just watch them piss away the rest of the season. Wankers.

Two DMs like Matic and Mikel in a home game against Hull...not so sure. Here's hoping we score 1-2 in the first half or at least change it up early in the second if its not working.

Bullshit. Should've been on 25 minutes ago.

#1: Maybe because it's Mikel job to make the tackle before the CBs? You know, to protect them - like a defensive midfielder. Just maybe? If Cahill makes the tackle and fails, he's in on goal. If Mikel makes the tackle and fails he still has 2 defenders to deal with. Simple stuff mate. #2: Irrelevant. When you make a decision like that you have to go with it 110%, not half-arsed like he did. You either hang back and protect your back 4 from the counter (in which Mikel will probably do his party trick again anyway) or you go for the ball, failing that, get the man at least. Get his legs so it's more difficult to pass, wrestle him to the fucking ground, just don't let him skip around you while you flail around on the ground exposing your back 4. The Oscar point is kind of mute anyway, even if he still made that pass, if Mikel did his job properly Oscar would've been free to go for the player he passed it to. So no, there wouldn't have still been a gap in defence. And at least Oscar knew what to do in that situation and Mikel, with all of his experience, didn't. People think I'm being harsh on the man, but I have said for years and ever since I joined here that he wasn't good enough for the starting 11. I would point out where he failed and be labelled a 'hater' or whatever, well guess what? Matic comes along, shows everyone what you're supposed to do as a defensive midfielder and all of a sudden the Mikel fanboys are all in agreement that he is now only a good substitute! Wow! Doesn't that mean he isn't good enough?! What a turnaround! Anyway, do you honestly believe he had a good game? Because if you do we should just end this discussion right here.

I actually feel embarrassed for people who actually believe this. Honestly. Maybe the new hipster thing to do on TC since I've been away is to sing Mikel's praises anytime he is on the pitch, I don't know. As I have always argued, people can throw up all the stats they want about Mikel, that's great, because they only show what he has done. My argument has always been about what he does not do; his general passiveness on the pitch. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aVAfcwC5nk Goal #1: Mikel does his party trick: jogs alongside a player to make it look like he's doing something when he's actually doing fuck all. Marking someone? Nope. Challenges him? Nope. Runs alongside him for about 30 yards and does not attempt to challenge him even though he is well covered with 2 defenders in front. Lets a player freely run 30 yards into the box - great defensive midfield play. Goal #2: This is where he really fucks up. Tries to win the ball high up the pitch and completely fails, leaving the defence totally exposed. Yeah ok, we were chasing the game, fair enough but if you're not getting the ball you have to at least get the man - especially if you are supposed to be anchorman going to ground in the opposition's half! For fuck sake, it schoolboy stuff. He wasn't even on a yellow. At least Ramires would've taken the man. I remember giving Mikel stick for being passive and not making tackles, only for Choulo to tell me something like (I'm not digging the conversation up) that he doesn't do it because if he fails it will leave the defence exposed. Well, when we judge Mikel do simple rules like these not still apply?! Or do they change according to the agenda? It seems like they change... I'm not saying it was all down to him, but considering his involvement (or lack thereof) in both goals, the 2nd in particular, and to say the man had a good game is nothing short of embarrassing.

At least Matic would not stand-off, stand-off and stand-off like was done today for the first goal. There would be no Newcastle player freely running into the box if Matic was there. Don't even get me started at Mikel's 'attempt' to get the ball leading up to the 2nd goal...

Clearly there's still a lot Costa can learn from King Didier. No matter how hard the ball was put up to him today it stuck to him like glue, whereas Costa can sometimes look not in control of those types of situations. Drogba first touch is still world class.

Well he was having an oul cry when coming off, so let's hope he's out. Only good news today. He always gets injured, it was only a matter of time. I'm not worried about City. They can't get the rub of the green in every match like they did today.

Andre Mariner was just short of putting on the City jersey.

Yeah, and neither did Juve re-new Nedved's contract - he rathered retirement than to play for another team. What's your point?

Would the surface be a problem though? It is a rugby ground after all.

If Rooney was able to improve his heading vastly at the age of 25 in that 2010 season, I think the beast that is Diego Costa is more than capable of it as well. Didier will advise him. Costa also seems like a guy who just wants to learn and do absolutely everything because he is so hungry for goals.

Willian can make fantastic passes like that cross-field ball for Schurrle and the assist yet at times can't make a simple 10yd pass. Frustrating player.

Here we go again, the very, very few calling Frank 'Judas' and the likes are now absolutely everyone who isn't backing Lampard 110%. I usually like the majority of your posts man, but Christ if this isn't a good advertisement for the forum; a mod complaining about it's football fan members airing their opinions on a football forum about Lampard...in the Lampard thread no less, the cheek! Christ is right. Oh, how very TOPTB of you... Jesus fucking Christ, abandon thread. Abandon forum. Abandon all logic. Because no one is allowed to be disappointed in a legend's actions without being insinuated as a Judas themselves.

Manuel is pretty terrible at the old mind games to be fair. I'm sure Mourinho drives him up the wall. I think he's only beaten Jose twice and that was at Malaga and last year's FA cup, while Jose has beaten him 7 times and drawn twice. I'd say José is loving those comments from grumpy old skeletor!

My position hasn't changed, I'm still very disappointed in Frank's decision to join City. To be totally honest, if we meat that much to him he wouldn't have gone to another PL team, nevermind to our only title rivals. What else is he supposed to do? Literally anything else. I'm sure he wasn't short of options. He looked emotional yesterday alright. However, imagine the millions of Chelsea fans who felt like they got punched right in the gut while those knobheads were jumping around celebrating as if they won the league in their half empty stadium. I've also noticed that the initial main reasons backing Lampard's decision have dwindled in recent weeks... 1. He's done it to prolong his England career. 2. He won't even play against Chelsea. 3. He won't affect the title race.

I think it was his worst game in a Chelsea shirt. Not only gave the ball away countless times, but often did so when their was no pressure on him. Also failed to offer support to Hazard on the counter a good few times.

Neuer wore the same kit against City. A new CL thing?

Drogba should never start. I know it's customary to allow the new boys like Remy and Luis to work their way into the team, but there was no real valid footballing reason to start Didier ahead of Remy. Not that Drogba was bad, but he could not affect the game the way this Chelsea team needs now; he slowed the attack down and could not attack the spaces.

I don't know what the fuss is about. Ramires (and Willian) always started the big games and will continue to do so. The arrival of Cesc was never going to change that. It seems on this occasion that the movement and passing play of Swansea was a bit too much for the very young partnership of Cesc & Matic. Cesc will continue to play a deeper role against the lesser teams to help break them down and both Matic and Ramires will cover his defensive deficiencies in the bigger games. Oh, and I can't remember who it was, but screw you to the guy who didn't believe me when I said Fabregas will often take Oscars role as the main AM.

Stick to tweeting Rio you twat. Not even the best footballer in his family!

I remember when that Madrid/Zidane idiot was in here at the start of last season. I warned him to enjoy the first season under because the second is going to be absolute pants. Instead of a long drawn out will he/won't he be sacked, I think it's just been sped up because Perez decided to sell important players like Alonso and Di Maria while Khedira wasn't fit at all. Their midfield is probably the weakest defensively I've seen in years and were always going to lose against such a well-drilled side like Atletico. I hope we get them in the CL. It would be perfect match between 'The Madrid Galactico philosophy' Vs. The Mourinho philosophy' i.e. an imbalanced fantasy football team full of prima donnas Vs. a real team who'd run through a brick wall for their manager. I'd love for Jose to get that bit of revenge.

As I said when this first happened, it's pointless to try and dictate to others on how to feel about such a subject...