The Mak

Welcome to the TalkChelsea rollercoaster of opinions! Please be seated and be ready to change your opinion at the slightest suggestion of anything negative or positive. Some of the classics include: 'Ba > Sturridge' 'Moses > Schurrle' 'Marin > Salah' Not to mention the recently added: 'Costa = Torres' However, Mr. Diego Costa still has a World Cup to go to (and possibly a CL final), so there is plenty of time for opinions to shift once more! Stay tuned!

If he really has been offered a contract and he's delaying his decision, he should really just move on and give the youth a chance because it's clear then that he's already thinking of the MLS. You have to remember, that as little as we've seen him this year (especially after the arrival of Matic) we probably would've seen him even less had MvG not had that bad injury. I think MvG was purchased with Lampard's eventual departure in mind anyway. He and Didier should come back in a few years for his coaching badges. Until then, he should enjoy his last few years in the sun and not on the bench.

Now that is what you call passion. Totally committed. Maybe even some tongue as well. No messing about with this guy!

With this in mind, remember this very recent half-time overreaction (yes, this actually happened): Marin > Salah. Never forget. R.I.P. Salah's Chelsea career, 2014-2014.

I know everyone is excited to see Courtois in goal, but £4m is a big player's wages i.e. it could mean we've kept JT for another year. It'd be great to have Courtois here, but I've always said that if we get Costa for such a low price it's because Courtois will go there for another year. That's a price I'd happily pay. No way am I worried when we have Cech and Schwarzer. Courtois will most likely sign an extension anyway.

I'm 99% certain that I read last night that he does indeed have the highest chance conversion in Europe. So I laugh at some comments I've seen on some of the articles like 'he's not a clean striker of the ball' or he has a lot of 'scruffy shots'. I couldn't give a shit. He puts the ball in the net; how it gets there is irrelevant.

Come to Daddy. The type of player he is, he'll run through a brick wall just to get a sniff at goal. Mourinho will make him even better. Scarily exciting prospect that.

@,@The Skipper, Thank you both. If anyone knows me, they'll know how much I've been harping on about a DLP and you've both said every reason why we need at least one (Madrid have Modric & Alonso, that is just greedy). All in all, having Luiz as a DM because he has legs and has the best distribution in the team (which is not even good imo) shows the sad state of affairs that is our pivot. It seriously needs addressing. Acquiring players ala Paulinho will improve nothing and only add more 'dead weight' to be rid of in a few seasons. The apparent £30m+ for a 3rd choice CB would do nicely in finding a suitable partner for Matic (i.e. Rakitic).

That picture just sums this season up, disappointing. City never really 'won' it, they sort of got the league by default. They have the better overall squad than both us and Liverpool, but they still had to rely on both of us slipping up ( :ph34r2:) and until the very last day. Sure if you're a City fan you're delighted that your team has won the league, but in no way would I be thoroughly convinced by them or particularly the manager. In all honesty, with that squad compared to everyone else's, City should be winning the league comfortably. So that's why I couldn't disagree more when people (in general) say 'this has been the best PL season ever'. Maybe I'm just biased because we threw it away, but so did Liverpool. When two teams do that it makes for an anti-climatic end to say the least. The simple fact of the matter is, the dynamic of this team changes as soon as we get a top striker, nevermind other targets. So I've no doubts that if City want to win it next year they'll have to thoroughly earn it, and not rely on others to hand it to them (which is what the fan in the picture is admitting to).

To be fair, with in and around 20 assists, he's more creative than Oscar at least.

You think that even with his reaction after he scored today that he'd just be a man about it and piss off himself. It's quite amazing when you really think about it: it's clear he doesn't give a fuck about this club but at the same time it looks like he's holding out for a 'loyalty' bonus. Excuse me, but the absolute gall of this prick is astounding.

Pretty much. He literally did nothing afterwards. No emotion. He was just short of putting his jersey over his head to reveal a 'get me the fuck out of here' t-shirt. He couldn't have looked more miserable.

Always nice to finish with a win! Schurrle the difference maker. Hope to see more Kalas starts next year. Let's all hope that's the last time we ever see Torres represent Chelsea and, judging by his lack of celebration, it seems like it was. And for all of the praise City and Liverpool got, our goals record still intact!

ROFL Most importantly, well done guys!

To be honest, if they start throwing ridiculous bids for any of the two players I would take it. Hazard is central to the way we play but were Oscar and Luiz completely central to Mourinho's plans this season? No. Oscar went off the boil in and around Christmas and was dropped for almost everyone of our 'big' games. Luiz was 3rd choice CB and played in midfield more often than not (and he's NOT a DM, he's a CB with legs). FFP clearly does not apply to PSG and they play in a shit league so they'll naturally have to pay more. They also have Cavani...to be honest, doing business with them would strengthen us a lot more if we used to money correctly. We were always going to make 1-2 big signings but everything could possibly be addressed in the one window, i.e. Shaw, CM/DLP, Costa/Cavani along with an AM that can actually unlock doors.

You're right, if that does happen, it's be stupid from both parties. Specifically because Rakitic and Modric play together for the national team but they're seen as a bit too similar and a soft spot in the team in terms of their defensive duties because of it. If Rakitic went he'd most likely waste his best years on the bench 2nd to Modric or getting criticised for unbalancing the team. I doubt the Madrid link is solid though. And It'd be stupid if we weren't in for him. I mean, we already have leverage with Marin being there! The stats say he's only behind Iniesta and Xavi as the top midfielders in La Liga: http://www.squawka.com/players/ivan-rakitic#performance-score#sevilla-(current)#spanish-la-liga#23#season-2013/2014#69#all-matches#1-36#by-match

He's a fantastic sweeper keeper, but that is as far as I can compliment him insofar as the big games go. I just haven't seen enough from him in those game for him to be crowned 'the best keeper in the world'. No way. If Courtois does either the CL and/or La Liga, I think there's no disputing who the best keeper has been for the past year...

Manuel Neuer is perhaps the most overrated player I have ever come across in my entire life. I have yet to see him have even a 'good' game. I've mainly watched him in the big games (the two against us, against City, Dortmund, Real Madrid etc.) and he may as well have not been in goal for any of them. Maybe he's great in the Bundesliga, but he's certainly not a big game player. He was made look like a joke against Madrid, geting beat at his near post and all. Best keeper in the world? Don't make me laugh. Not even in the top 5. Courtois pisses all over him, he's 10 times the keeper he is.

I thought the whole point of the upcoming transfer window was to lose the dead weight, not gain it. Say what you like, but he is not top quality and he's not far off Ramires' level, in whatever direction. Buying Tottenham rejects while not even attempting to develop any one of our quality youngsters like Loftus-Cheek, Chalobah or Aké would piss me off to no end. If it does indeed pan out that way, I know where Mourinho can shove his 'this team needs nurture' bull to be honest. Either buy the sort of player we need at the sort of level we need (i.e. Rakitic) or develop at least one of the 3 top fucking youth CM/DMs we're blessed with having.

Fixed.

The bolded part (even I have to admit that he looks totally weird in a Spanish jersey!) I understand where you're coming from and even without the injury I'd be tempted even if the age rumour is true! But considering the sheer amount they would want to recoup we shouldn't go for him, as you said. Costa seems to be the default option for the club now compared to Falcao and Cavani regarding age and price. Now, if you were to say to me in 2011 'look at that sexy beast Falcao over in Porto, we should totally not be afraid to invest in a player who plays well in a different league and pay £32m for him!', I would say 'yeah, baby!'. ...however, the same can also be said of Costa in this exact moment! And, (while I understand why you don't trust him) for me personally, that's why I think it's about time we took a bit of a risk in the striker department! It certainly can't get any worse!

Falcao seems to be a 30+ year old cripple at the moment...I know who I'd prefer!

Why thank you for clearing that up!

Marin + cash for Rakitic. Done.