The only place to be

I'm starting to come round to this transfer too. Always liked De Rossi and he's certainly a rare combination of physicality and technical ability which we could do with. Plus he looks like a real throwback player at times, with the beard especially. Trying to think of the last Chelsea player who had a beard.... De Goey? Eidur liked a bit of fuzz but not that great. Hmmm.....

The argument might be hypothetical, but you are the one saying his wage demands are high - you haven't got a clue what he would ask for do you? I don't, and I don't pretend to know. His fitness isn't good enough and he hasn't looked motivated - these are all things that are fixable under the right coach. He isn't Essien who has suffered TWO terrible knee injuries so it's a bad comparison to make. He did have cruciate trouble but that was before his 2010 season. As for pace, we're talking about a guy who could come in for Mata - I don't think it's something we'd miss. But if you're telling me there are better options on the market (worked with Mourinho, high skill level, £5 million, under-30) then that's a great point - one question though.....who??

The difference being that Sneijder is being mooted to cost one-tenth of what Torres did.

But we clearly have learnt a lot. It seems weird that you would take all the other good transfers and then look at this one transfer and use this one example to judge the club's performance in the market. Personally I'm looking at it the other way - we clearly have learnt so if we're pursuing this guy then the people in charge of recruitment must see something in him. I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt at least until he's stepped foot on the Stamford Bridge pitch ready to kick a ball. You know what, the sun is shining so I'm going to be extra nice and not write him off until his second game for us. How patient am I??

That's pretty much my objection to this transfer. I think he will cost too much (although we're talking about roughly the same money Benayoun was on, and the same fee) and I don't know if he'd be comfortable as a squad player BUT there is the Mourinho factor and I'm sure Drogba will tell him good things about us. If he sat down with Jose and said he just wants one more shot at the big time (with all due respect to Galatasaray) and was prepared to work hard with the understanding that Mata is very much our main guy then I think this is a decent move. Yes we have a strong XI but you need players who can come in and do a job when the main guys need a rest and he has the skill, knowledge and experience to do a job - for me it comes down to hunger and fitness.

Exactly. The simple fact is we don't know what we're going to do next season, so you have to build in a lot of 'what ifs' to this discussion. Some people are quite prepared to say they simply don't know, but that under certain circumstances it does make sense. Others are happy to dismiss it out of hand which is just ridiculous in my opinion. That's the key point for me. We won't pay over the odds for him and he might be at a point where top-class football means more to him than a paycheque. If he's got that hunger then he's got to be looked at. The fear is he becomes another Benayoun and that's a fair point, but I really don't think we're the type of club to get into that type of mess again. Mata and Hazard are the future - this guy is at best a great squad player which is something we lacked last year. We're getting rid of Malouda, Benayoun and probably Marin so there will be gaps in the team and a cut-price Sneijder under Mourinho could be a real bargain.

Mate, I would message you but I think you're pissing in the wind with this fella. My first thought was that this was a terrible idea, but as a budget buy (basically taking a chance like we did with Marin to a certain extent, and even Belletti in a way) then I think he'd be a great bench option. I totally agree with you on Piazon who is more of a Hazard-type player who cuts in. Having said that, I was never blown away with him in the youth ranks. Lovely touch but never really imposed himself on matches (Forest was an exception I suppose, maybe even United). The one thing he showed at Malaga which did surprise me was workrate. I think he could have a future here if he takes another step and shows something more.

I'm not changing the subject - you brought up Deco, called him a Mourinho player and failed to mention that he was actually Scolari's signing (easy way to tell the difference, Scolari is bald, Jose isn't). Again, this is a discussion about a player who has undoubted skill but seems to have had motivational issues. I don't know if you're new to sport or not but things like that matter, and if Jose thinks he can get him back to his best (which is what we're predicating this transfer on - the people suggesting we sign him are using arguments with nuances that you simply don't seem to be able to grasp) then he offers a lot of options to this squad. Oscar played 64 games as well. Hazard played 62. Now I know you're easily confused/fucking thick but we didn't play 180-odd games last season so there was some overlap (i.e. they played most matches as a threesome) and there's also talk of moving Oscar back in the team so having another potentially top-class player in the mix as an option is something any team looking to compete on 3-4 fronts will want. At the right price, on fair wages and properly motivated (see all these conditions people are factoring into their analysis??) he requires consideration. He isn't going to be like Deco who was envisioned as being a key player in the team, in a new system. He's going to be a rotation option (that means we give players like Mata a rest, m'kay?).

Mata played 64 games last season. Who did we have as back-up? Benayoun? Look, no-one is saying that he should be a starter or that we should spend tens of millions of pounds on him, but that if the circumstances were right that he could be a useful addition to our thin squad adding experience, a great relationship with the coach and options in a couple of positions. Has he been at his best in the last few years? No. But anyone who knows anything about sport will know the importance of motivation. There is a great discussion to be had about signing this player, where he could fit and what he could offer but that's beyond some people who can muster nothing more than 'he's overrated'. Fucking ridiculous.

Seriously? We're talking about signing a 'Mourinho player' with Mourinho as manager and you can't tell the fucking difference? Are you fucking serious? I'm starting to think that you might actually be the real Pacquiao and all those blows to the head have taken their toll.

He might have been a Mourinho player, but he was a Scolari signing. Maybe that was part of the problem.

I think he's making a point about Sneijder's character, that he didn't get dismayed about missing a chance but got back up and slotted the next one away. Surely no-one could be stupid enough to criticise a player for missing one chance. I mean.....that would be laughable.

I wasn't aware his wage demands to come to Chelsea were high. Exactly how much was his agent demanding when he was informed of Chelsea's interest? Oh right....sorry, I confused you with someone who had a clue about that. Again, we're talking about a player who is still relatively young. Talent like his doesn't just evaporate - it's the hunger that goes. If he still has that and he is prepared to come in and work his bollocks off to silence the doubters then he offers a lot of options in a Mourinho team. Personally I'm happy to give Jose the benefit of the doubt considering he hasn't even named his first team yet. If he thinks that Sneijder could come in and do a job then I'll trust him. Oscar and Mata played 64 games last season EACH. If we can get someone like Sneijder to come in and lighten their load then I don't see how that doesn't make us stronger IF he's prepared to work hard.

You talk in such broad terms. He's either a potential ballon d'or winner or he's doing nothing at all. It's all rather superficial but you've chosen what your point of view will be on this and nothing will change that so it's really not worth discussing it with you. Anyone expecting anything more than 'he's overrated' is really pissing in the wind. Basically that's the way I see it. He's a great option to have if he's the right price. £5 million for him on decent wages is great for experienced cover in a couple of positions, especially if we're going to try Oscar in a deeper position or simply keep him wide and use Sneijder to give Mata some rest. He's 28 and got something to prove so if he's got the hunger then I don't see any reason why we couldn't get three decent seasons out of him.

I totally agree with you on this, but I think that's something that will come with experience and confidence in this league. When he does put his foot down he can absolutely destroy teams but I think our system had a part to play in him being somewhat reticent to do so. The support wasn't always fast enough in getting forward so if he did break he could get isolated quickly and if he lost the ball there'd be massive gaps around the pitch, and that's something Benitez simply wouldn't tolerate. Unfortunately the last time he put his foot down his hamstring went (against Villa) but it was actually a rare sight this season, him going on the outside of full-backs and beating them for pace. Hopefully he'll have a summer to recover and come back to a new system that allows him a lot more freedom a la Ronaldo at Madrid. Oh and as for that Monaco story.....silly season has officially arrived. We don't need to sell him, he doesn't want to leave and the price is about 50% of what we would realistically demand.

What the fuck are you talking about? I haven't seen any 'cronies' nor have I seen anyone 'turn on him', so I really don't know what it is you're getting at.

I wouldn't say he had one good year, but a good career and one exceptional season where he was probably the best player in the world or at least in the top three. It's very easy to throw out words like 'overrated' but it's quite ridiculous when you break players down and look at what they've actually done and what they can contribute now. I think he made some serious errors with regards his contractual demands though and that he might actually be in a position to re-assess where he is and re-apply himself to his game. If that's the case then he's an interesting possibility.

Yep, that's exactly what I thought when he tore our defence apart with one ball and put Eto'o through on goal....overrated. Didn't you call Rooney overrated as well, or was that just Kojo? Because if you did I'm thinking we should not be letting you use that word anymore. Sneijder is a fantastic player in the right system. He's a bit like Mata in the sense that you have to cover a lot of his deficiencies but at the right price he's a fantastic option to have and he's still only 28. Can he play the pivot? Probably not against teams who will look to counter-attack but he would be cover for Mata (if Oscar is used deeper or wide) and he could be a fantastic deep-lying playmaker in matches where we dominate possession.

For me, the league is the priority. The CL is the biggie but I want us to win that when we are the best team in Europe, not the 6th best team in England. So with the managerial changes at the Manc clubs I think we need to capitalise and hit the ground running. Moyes and Pellegrini aren't at the same level as Mourinho as coaches, and I think we already have a pretty good team. Citeh are going to be moving to a whole new system whilst United could really struggle to move on from arguably the greatest British coach of all time. The dark horses could be Arsenal though, depending on their spending this summer and the fact they'll get an earlier competitive start in the CL. But I've thought for a while now that next season was when we make a proper run at regaining the title and that this season was essentially a write-off with the appointment of Robbie and the loans we made. FA Cup - have to win it. Jose takes the cups seriously and although a lot depends on the draw (can see United and City struggling in this too, United less so) I reckon we could go all the way, especially if we use some of the fringe players who were on loan last season or just coming through the academy. League Cup - not mentioned, but this was important to Jose in the first season and will be a good measure of where we're going. Also important to use the likes of Ake, Loftus-Cheek and even some of the older players like Lamps and Essien to keep the squad fresh and if we do that then I think we've got a very good shot, although I expect Arsenal to target one of the two cups. Champions League - this season I don't really care to be honest. I've said final because I don't want us to reach the semis and get knocked out, and for that to become a thing with Jose but in all honesty I'd take a respectable run and the league title, and then focus on winning this the season after. Having said that with all the managerial changes in Europe this could be wide-open next season. So my expectations are high. I said to a friend when I saw the odds of the quadruple at 1000-1 that they were low and I stick by that, but next season is about coming out of this period of transition and establishing something new for the next decade. It's a first-step in a new direction but I expect us to be back at the top of the tree with the right signings. The use of players like Lukaku is going to be a massive factor but I trust Jose.

AVB made plenty of mistakes on his own without the players being responsible. But I suppose when you see him taking a team like Spurs all the way from 4th last season to 5th this season with one of the best players in Europe holding them back, it must make you wonder about what could've been. He's readily admitted that he has a lot of love for Inter too. But England suits him well and he's a lot of fun to have as manager. Klopp is similar in a lot of ways, but he's not got that nasty side that Jose has. He could've been a great option but it simply wasn't possible, so we've gone a different yet familiar direction. As for master manipulators loved by the press.....doesn't seem to have done Fergie any harm.

Monday 10th June 13:30 FIRST PRESS CONFERENCE. RSVP

That's a very cynical view to take. To be honest with you, I'm not sure what the point of supporting the club is if you can't enjoy days like this. He clearly has great affection for this club - you might call us naive for believing that but it's really not that unusual to have great affection for a particular employer. He fit this club so well. The simple fact is that you're bitching and moaning but can't come up with a single decent alternative. You talk about 'debates' but you're hamstringing yourself before you start.

Who did you want us to appoint? Klopp? Not available. I was all for us getting Pep, but he went elsewhere. The fact is that we've appointed the best available manager and he just so happens to be a Chelsea legend. You're asking what will happen in the future and the simple fact is we don't know. Yes there are concerns over the youth integration and the players he'll sign but until he names his first squad it's hard to guess what we'll see. You really need to pace yourselves because you could have four years of Jose and you'll tire yourself out the way you're going.

Basically they want Casillas out.

Honestly, I don't know where we go if this doesn't work out. But let's not forget that things already got to the point where we hired Rafa Benitez. Once again you've ducked a very simple question - who did you want us to appoint?