The only place to be

I really don't think Naismith has masses of knowledge to pass on in all honesty, but Pienaar does I suppose. Neither compares to the likes of Lamps, Terry, Cole, Mourinho, Faria, Mata etc. though and it's that environment that he'd be part of day in and day out. Ultimately it will be forgiven if he has a great season on-loan and Mourinho has success in the league, otherwise there will be a big 'what if?' (assuming our strikers continue their current form).

Nope. And he has two years left on his contract so it's all going to be decided this summer. Personally I think he's done everything that could be asked of him and more. I wouldn't sign another contract with this club unless I was going to be made number one or at least given a fighting shot at the spot, but it's a very hard position to 'win'. It's not like he's a striker and he scores a goal so he keeps his spot for the next game.

So he goes to Everton whose key playmaker this season has been that wise old head....Ross Barkley??? There's also Deulofeu and James McCarthy playing first-team roles, all selected by Martinez who (with the greatest respect) isn't exactly at Jose Mourinho's level. I suppose there's always Leon Osman and Kevin Mirallas around to offer words of wisdom to Lukaku. That last point is interesting, because that 22 year old is Oscar...a man who will carry much of the weight of Brazil's hopes in the next world cup which just happens to be on home soil. Is there a person with more pressure on him in world football in the next 12 months? Messi maybe?

Isn't he under pressure playing for Belgium? I have faith in this guy. I like his character and you can't use the argument that the pressure at Chelsea is too great for him without then accepting that it will still be great in a year's time. You either step up when the pressure is on or you shirk away and crumble - if you're telling me that he doesn't have the character to survive now then I you're living in a dreamland if you think he'll have it in a year's time. I've heard this man speak, I've seen the dedication that he puts into his job and I've watched him grow as a footballer through over 150 first-team appearances and earn over 20 international caps. My opinion is that right now this guy could do a job for us but there's something in this club that simply isn't prepared to take that step and I don't think it's good for us. The fact that some supporters seem willing to defend it isn't going to help us in the long-term either. But at least he'll be back next season. There's always the next season.....

Last year people were moaning about his crosses, now we need his offensive contribution (despite Ivanovic getting up and down that wing and having no support in front of him most of the time). All this and we don't seem to have anyone capable of actually reaching these crosses in the box.

Arsenal's problem was that they underinvested and let their best players leave, something we've not done.

And this season he is the form right-back in the league for me. He's been absolutely fantastic and provides so much at set-pieces too, so I simply don't get the arguments that 'he isn't a right-back'.

Because that isn't what happened at Arsenal. Not even close. As for Lukaku the argument in favour of the loan seems to be based on two things. 1. That he'll play regularly at Everton 2. That he wouldn't get game time here. Now 2 doesn't seem all that good an argument now. He would definitely have got a shot because our other strikers have been under-performing, and if Lukaku were to under-perform at Everton then he may well be dropped too.

He's guaranteed football at Everton IF he's scoring. Wouldn't the same have been true at Chelsea? And working under our coaches and playing with our players must surely be a better learning environment than working under Everton's. This guy isn't the finished article but he's scoring goals and dominating defenders. I'm all for defending our club's decisions but even I have my limits.

The problem lies primarily with two people, one who constantly berates Mikel and one who constantly defends him. Neither one uses arguments that the majority of us would find reasonable and both with occasionally say things simply to troll people (like saying people dislike him because he's a scapegoat). The majority of people are fair-minded, criticising Mikel when he deserves it but also capable of giving him praise when he earns it. But these two members are so entrenched in their views and so unwilling/unable/too immature to hold their hands up and suggest they might have been wrong that it drags the whole thread down.

It doesn't help that Makelele used to play there, but that's not just it. Mikel judged on his own merits doesn't exactly shine in many supporters' eyes.

So now the knock on him is that his goals aren't diverse enough? Fuck me....do we start getting extra points for stylish goals now? Does he have to do a pirouette when he's heading the ball in? Some of our fans are remarkably picky about what type of goals he scores considering our other strikers can't put the ball in the net in even the most boring fashion.

That's always been my (and other supporters') problem with Mikel. He's so ponderous on the ball at times when he should receive the ball and ship it on and it can occasionally lead to him getting caught in possession. It's one thing to retain possession but you've got to keep the tempo up and force the opposition to keep on moving.

Exactly, and that's a problem that we probably need to remedy otherwise there's no point in having an academy beyond producing items for other clubs to buy like a Chinese sweatshop. That seems like a soulless way to develop youth though.

Actually I was saying it would represent a lot of what I think is wrong with the club right now. I like Pogba as a player and I think he'd be a massive loss for your club, but I'd really rather see us give Nat a chance because I think he'd take it with both hands and would get plenty of support from the crowd. You think differently based on what Toli and Madmax said and that's fine - we all go by our own experiences after all and your's and mine are clearly a bit different.

I believe I said he had a chance at being a bolter for the squad if he got a Premier League loan...maybe I'm mistaken or maybe you're just lying. As for the posters who defended him, I'd say absolutely they're far more knowledgeable and far more representative of the Chelsea support than the posters who were laying into Nat, at least in my experience of following this club. Your's may differ slightly. Losing Pogba must be a horrible thought for a Juventus supporter though. He's been a big player for you guys hasn't he?

Well the problem with that fact is it's not a fact. It's your opinion, and I'm not entirely sure what it's based on. Don't confuse TalkChelsea with Stamford Bridge because they are vastly different places. As a young player I think he'd get a massive amount of support. The Chelsea support is knowledgable enough to know just how special this kid is, and being English helps as well. He'd get a lot of leeway and I doubt he'd be expected to carry the team from the off. The signing of Pogba simply puts one more player in front of him and that could damage his prospects immensely.

I don't for a minute believe they are a sampling of the Chelsea supporters...not by a long shot. In fact I think that's a pretty big insult to Chelsea supporters to suggest that. Some people came into that thread, slagged him off and a few members who know they're stuff defended him. One of the people criticising him said it was the first time he had seen him play. Please.

We're not talking about a 'half-decent product' here. As for this meeting in the middle I agree, and we're not even close to that right now.

So when you say 'our fans' you mean the people in that particular thread? I'm not sure if you're being serious or not. Madmax Toli IlyaDamdnodononcdov Nono These seem to be the people who blamed him. Most people (like me) saw it as a bad team performance. Please.

Not the supporters I know. In fact I think you're very wrong indeed. Many supporters who followed his progress were mightily impressed with how he did throughout the season and acknowledged that the final was an aberration. So please yourself.

So you wait until something is broken and then hope there's a replacement at hand? Isn't it better to replace something before the cracks start to show?

He shouldn't be thrown in to start but he should be given a chance to fight for that spot. Buying another young player for a lot of money is just a bizarre move to make when Nat has shown so much already. This is a guy touted for England and Chelsea's captaincy and he had a great season with Watford, but this year he's been sent to a worse Championship team. It's a fucking joke and buying Pogba simply compounds it in my opinion. I know what you meant. Still think it's completely wrong. So where's Van Ginkel in this? And Mikel? And Loftus-Cheek? I actually disagree with your comment about us all wanting to see our academy products make it. I think there's plenty of fans who couldn't give a fuck where the players come from so long as we're winning titles.

A small minority boos a couple of players and we decide not to give young players a chance? Drogba was booed for constantly diving by the way - he stopped it and became a better player. But oh no...what if someone boos Pogba? Best not sign him just in case.

I couldn't disagree more. I think young players should be given a chance and fuck the plastic cunts in the crowd who boo them if they aren't perfect first time because they're the minority. The vast majority of Chelsea supporters want to see young guys come through the ranks. Football isn't just about winning and losing - it's about developing relationships with the PLAYERS on the pitch. John Terry is so close to the supporters' hearts because he is Chelsea through and through - the same goes for Nat Chalobah. He should be given the chance to prove himself rather than buying a guy who was just as good at youth level despite being two years older.