The only place to be

He did come in last season away to Benfica, lacking in match fitness and ran his bollocks off for 80 minutes. Let's not pretend he wasn't part of this squad over the least few years. Maybe you just have a different criteria for judging players and that's fair enough, but the guy is very much loved because of his attitude and his character - precisely the reason some other players don't get quite the same affection. That love was on display on Sunday.

Their squad is going to need tweaking because they seem hell bent on changing to a 433 (oh hi Txiki). They've got a nice spine to their team (Hart, Kompany, Yaya, Silva and Aguero) but some of those parts might not fit quite so well into this new system and the bits around them will need a serious upgrade. Plus there are massive question marks over Pellegrini if he is the guy they bring in. Completely unproven in this league and with a rather pathetic resume he could be their Big Phil.

He was a good bloke who was always prepared to do a job for the team, and was always very good with the fans. He wasn't flash, he wasn't spectacular but he was someone you could rely on week-in and week-out to give EVERYTHING for the shirt. No-one attached to the club had a bad word to say about him and he never sought the spotlight or attracted negative attention. He just turned up, did his job and represented this club well. That's why there's love for the guy.

Based on where we are at the moment and assuming we get Jose then I think we're in a very strong position in the league. Of course the transfers made in the summer will be decisive but I think we've got a great shot at the title. If we had won our games against the bottom seven teams (not throwing away two goal leads against teams like Reading and Southampton, and beating teams like QPR) then we would have had 89 points this season. We're not that far away from being a very good team and the two teams above us are also going to be going through bigger changes than us (CIty tactically and United having a massive change at the top). The same could also apply to the European Cup with so many big teams changing their managers. It's going to be the most exciting season for years, but I think we're in a strong position to do well.

Couldn't disagree more. That strike force is capable of winning us the title, so long as we improve the midfield. That's where we lost games this season.

Not sure whether to put this in here, or just start a 'let's all laugh at Liverpool thread' but http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11661/8725273? Liverpool in for Kolo Toure. :lol2: :lol2: :lol2: Here is a picture of Kolo Toure in his girlfriend's shower (that would be the girlfriend he told he was a car salesman named Francois, despite being married).

Why weren't they in for Azpi? Or De Bruyne? Or Courtois? This is just how football goes sometimes. Other teams have other priorities and see different things in different players. Clearly the people at this club see something in this guy and it's not something impulsive or recent.

Sounds almost too good to be true with the talk of young talent, dynasties and even recalling people like Lukaku but it's something I suggested a few months ago. People do change and the way they approach their careers changes with them. The targets that Mourinho had 10 years ago won't be the same ones he has now because he's pretty much done it all. There are no more leagues left to conquer, so you look to build a massive kingdom in one of them. If the first 10 years of Roman's reign was to establish us as a leading force domestically and continentally (which he has certainly done with the league titles and European cups) then the next phase is to consolidate that and make something that is both self-sufficient but also consistent. What does success over the next decade look like? Ideally, Mourinho in charge, Chalobah, Lukaku, Courtois et al established in the team, five league titles, at least two Champions Leagues, solid financial results, increased commercial income and a new stadium. All that starts the moment we hire the new guy. :blue scalf: :blue scalf:

No reason not to start a full strength team and rotate players in and out at half-time and just after. I doubt the players will be going at breakneck speed, but it'd be nice to win these games.

I disagree. It's where he came to prominence at both Liege and Everton and being moved into a more advanced position seems to have wiped the collective memory of football fans of this point. In fact I'd say one of his most impressive games this season was away to Arsenal when he had a deeper/box-to-box role and was probably their man of the match. With the options available, he can't be overlooked and he really doesn't deserve to be dismissed. He was influential from a deeper role but he did have an injury that kept him out for a while. He does have a bit of rashness about him but I'm sure the right coach could help him channel that better. As for going to United, he might just be going there because he's a good midfielder and they're crying out for one. Someone should probably tell Moyes that he's not good in a deep role if he's planning on sticking him there though.

I disagree with a lot of what you're saying, but you're factually incorrect on why he was moved forward. It's simply a pragmatic move based on his aerial dominance and strength. We can discuss whether or not he has poor tactical understanding or not but on this one point you're just wrong. It's interesting that despite all that you still think he'll make a move to the champions though. But I'll have a look through the thread to see if anyone has made the points you're unable to.

Why wasn't he in the squad yesterday? Is he now behind Ake in the pecking order?

Why? He's got a good engine, good distribution in that position (his passing percentage seems to drop off when in more advanced positions which isn't that surprising), he's good in the air, strong and offers a goal threat. He's not perfect (I'd love Javi Martinez but that ship has long since sailed) and I've got high hopes for Ake, Chalobah and Romeu but it does look like we're going to buy a midfielder and at the right price he does need to be part of the discussion. Personally I'd be happy going into next season with Oscar, Lamps, Rami, Chalobah and Romeu but I think we do need one more for that position and I think it's too early for Ake (although he was very good yesterday) and I'm not sure about De Bruyne in that role.

He's probably still in the discussion because who else is there? I'd love for Romeu, Chalobah and Ake to kick on but realistically we're going to invest in someone to play alongside Rami and Lamps and Fellaini is a good player if the price is right.

At least we had fans like you to make it as hard as possible for him. I've criticised the guy and he does have tactical limitations, and I'm glad he's gone...but give it a fucking rest. This squad was designed to reach top four this season - anyone who thinks differently is a fucking moron and I couldn't give a fuck where Robbie got us in his few months in charge because IT WASN'T GOING TO LAST. We were directionless, relying on moments of inspiration from players like Mata and Hazard. We got knocked out of the Champions League not through bad luck but simply because there were two teams in our group who were better than us. This was a stop-gap season, a moment of transition before Guardiola came and boy did that fuck us up. We're lucky Mourinho is coming back. Despite all that, we managed to finish top three in the league and win a European Cup. I hated the idea of Rafa being manager, but he did a decent job and now he's left us in a position from where we can challenge for the league next season. I'm not going to miss him, and I'm certainly not going to miss some of the absolutely classless shit that a minority (and it is a small fucking minority) of fans have come out with over the last six months.

I honestly don't know if Makelele would fit into our team anymore. I think players like Martinez and Khedira have taken that role forward, albeit in a slightly different direction. That's what I think Ake coud emulate, getting up and down the pitch with a greater emphasis on mobility and endurance.

Just to give this kid more credit, but both goals came from good defensive work by him. The first goal starts with him playing a one touch ball out of defence to start the break which is key to catching Everton in transition. The second goal all starts from him putting a strong tackle in on Pienaar, knocking the ball into Mata and then getting the ball back off him before putting it into Torres who then knocks it wide for Oscar to put his cross in. What's more impressive is that he continues to track the play forward and occupies the space about 5 yards outside the box so that if the ball does come out he's ready. He could be the modern day DM we need. His first instinct always seems to be to defend (he dropped in to cover Luiz and Cahill on a number of occasions) but he's a very switched on player in attack too. I love the effort he puts in. You can easily see why some people have been omitted from recent squads when we have young, hungry talent like this on the cusp.

Have you learnt nothing from watching Mikel play? When you make a mistake, the last thing you do is go to ground. What you do is stand there for a few seconds and do nothing.

The local lads still need scouting and developing so I'm not quite sure I agree. Obviously if there is a fee attached then the club probably has a duty to try and get the most out of them but from my experience the coaching staff treat the kids equally and the players who get a shot are given it on merit. The financial commitment to someone like Loftus-Cheek will guarantee that he gets chances, but he also happens to be a very good player who probably has the skillset best suited to making the transition to first-team football. Baker, Swift and Kiwomya probably won't get similar chances but that's primarily down to them not being quite as good/ready. All three of those need loans to Championship/League One clubs first and they'll all need to show something to be considered for a first-team shot. Oh well.

Pretty much exactly how I feel. I like the guy from what I've seen of him and he does have a pretty good engine which is something we definitely value at this club nowadays, but I also trust our scouting department. This isn't an impulse buy for the latest flavour of the month, this is someone we've studied over many years and still want to get in. The same was true of Lukaku, de Bruyne, Courtois, Azpi and a few others who are on the cusp of breaking through. Let's be honest, when it comes to players aged around 19-23 we've got a pretty decent recent record. I'm absolutely prepared to give the board and this kid a chance.

Because the youth are the future of this club, and that's something people care about. As for your assessment of those three players, I think you're wrong but that's up to you to choose to be wrong. There are plenty of people who have watched these kids over a number of years and believe they've got a good shot at making it at this club and I suspect if they don't they will shed a tear because they've emotionally invested in these kids because they're part of the Chelsea family. How silly of them.

You're right. He could really love that club and want to stay, and then you'd have to wonder what we would need to do to bring him back... Oh right, I forgot....WE OWN HIM. We essentially click our fingers and tell him to come back.

I can't understand why we're playing these games. Sure it's a massive media market and sure it's the fastest growing sport in America and we need to be at the forefront of this explosion in popularity in order to grow our brand worldwide so we can then reinvest the money in growing the club so it can be more successful, maybe even reinvesting some of that money into a new stadium so we can take greater strides towards self-sufficiency and really 45 minutes of playing time in a glorified friendly is a small price to pay not just for the short-term income (measured in millions) but also the payoffs down the road, as well as it being a little thank you to the fans who are in these markets but never get a chance to see the team..... but why? just why? I just don't understand why?

I think his recent run of good form certainly puts him in the shop window and there will definitely be teams who take a look at him - one of them will be Atletico. I also think some of the arguments being put up against his move don't quite chime with 'reality'. He's a professional footballer and a decent bloke by all accounts so I could imagine him taking a slight pay cut if the circumstances were right. As for his agent, he'd probably have him moving every other season because that's when he'd get paid the big bucks. There are teams with money who want to win the Europa League and he's had a very good season at that level, and there are leagues in the world where he would put away 25 goals a season. If he does stay then there have been a few things in recent weeks to suggest he could be a useful player but we've all seen this before. Ultimately he's enhanced his reputation in the last 6 weeks not just with prospective buyers but also with the fans a little bit.

Really grew into the game yesterday after a few early missteps and has real composure on the ball. Obviously needs a bit more experience and might be one of the first players who has a loan arranged next season but it needs to be akin to Chalobah's where he is playing competitive football in a decent team week in and week out. If he does stick around then one of the main things he offers is versatility. He's a proper Dutch sweeper-type player although at some point he is going to have to pick a position and stick to it.