The only place to be

I'm sure someone on this forum was saying that we need to keep Lampard around so he can tell the other younger players what playing for Chelsea means and what the important games are. So far that's included games against QPR and Brentford. Now Frank's a smart guy and he knows how to use Google Maps. I'm sure he was even thinking to himself this morning 'Blimey, I don't have far to travel to this game today' so you've got to think he knows that he's at least very close to Chelsea. I hate to be critical of a Chelsea legend but this is like watching Tyson getting beat by bums. I'll offer 3-1 odds on him coming out in the second-half with a face tattoo.

Are ESPN actually discussing this back pass shit??? BURLEY IS A KNOW-NOTHING CUNT. You can't be sent off for that. Anyway, Turnball simply isn't good enough. We've known it for years and it's been a bit of a joke but he can't be trusted. He needs to fuck off in the summer or sat behind Blackman at least. Oh and yay, let's knacker Mata when that really ain't the problem.

The problem is the same that it's been the last few games - the midfield. There's no connection between the front players and the defence. That's Rafa's tactics and the performances of Ramires and Lampard. Like I said against Arsenal, when Ramires is your best player then you're in trouble.

Craig Burley really is a dumb cunt, going on about how Turnball could have been sent off for that. Just an utter cretin.

Torres once again failing to make a proper striker's run.

If I could like this as much as I dislike that toothless cunt..... It was bad enough that he set up Beckham at Villa Park, but I don't think he's missed a chance to have a pop at us in the last few years.

Feruz played on Friday. He could've skipped that game but the young players have their own development paths too. Incidentally he scored two goals and looked very good again. Missed a chance in the first-half but had another chance in a very similar position and didn't hesitate to have another go and scored. Very strong mentally. His second goal was a long-ranger that the keeper completely misjudged. Saville had a good game too. Really has stepped it up a lot since moving into a deep midfield role.

You probably weren't born when people worked out that dominating possession was the best way to play the game. Why wouldn't it be? You let the ball do the work, you knacker your opposition whilst you're conserving energy and let's be honest, the other team can't score if they don't have the ball. Barcelona are just doing it in a slightly different way. Looking to play a style of football where you invite pressure on yourself isn't exactly a long-term plan is it?

You just mentioned it before this match - I'm just wondering why. When you look at all the great players on that list, Tambling especially, I simply don't get why it's so important Frank beats it. He's going to go down as our greatest midfielder regardless, and the record itself is fairly meaningless when you actually look at it that I simply don't get the media's focus on it.

I would love Ake to get some serious minutes today. Just a lovely player to watch at times and has real potential to be a first-teamer. Oscar needs to have a big game because we can't rely on Mata all the time, and so does Marin. Disappointed that Cole is starting another game but hopefully we can bring him off after 60 and maybe even get something out of Yossi. But it's Brentford FFS - we should really be stuffing teams like this.

Out of interest, why is it so important that Lamps gets the record? What does it actually mean? Yes it would be nice for him, and a nice moment in a few weeks, but why do you go into each match thinking about it? The most important thing today is that him and Ramires actually assert themselves in a match.

You do realise that the way we won was probably the only way we could have won don't you?

Just read that line back to yourself.

Well next time you get together with these guys, you can tell them that Chelsea supporters don't give a fuck what they think. It was a pragmatic tactical choice. I'm sorry we didn't march into Camp Nou like Wenger and try to beat Barca at their own game, but we actually wanted Chelsea to succeed. The people moaning about our style of football clearly had nothing invested in our succeeding.

It may not have sat well with you, but every Chelsea supporter I know was fine with the tactics employed in three games last year (one of which was a two-leg tie against the best team in the world, who we actually outscored).

Huh? Phil Jones is a good player and has the potential to be a great one, once Fergie settles on one position for him and sticks to it. At the moment he's been shifted around the back four and midfield, but he's one of the players I wish we'd got. He has the ability to be a world-class DM in my opinion and could be a future England captain. But I agree about Zaha. He's got potential but he's a little sloppy at times.

Here's the point you're missing. Luiz has played less than 8 games in midfield, MIkel has played about 250. That there's even a debate about who is better is a sad indictment of Mikel and his inability to convince the vast majority of supporters of his importance to the team (yes I'm sure all those fans are to thick to understand what his job is despite them adoring Claude Makelele). I've been one of Luiz's biggest critics but he's been great in the last couple of months in defence and midfield. He's become a big presence in the team and someone that the players and fans look to for passion and enthusiasm. He isn't perfect by any means but he's shown a capacity to learn which is encouraging.

I think it would be incredibly unfair on Courtois to take him from Athletico and lump him at West Ham or Stoke or even Everton. He's better than that at the moment - you're essentially asking a guy to leave the second-best team in Spain, the Champions League, a nice city and an adoring fanbase to possibly go to some northern shithole who are are beneath him in many regards. If that's what we're expecting of him, then we should probably just sell him. As I've said previously, it's a luxury problem but it's a real toughie.

Knowing how The FA works, it'll definitely be some time this year....probably.

just as it's not a 'no-brainer' to keep Courtois ahead of Cech, you raise some valid points. Courtois could be a an option for 10-15 years, whereas Cech is realistically only going to be around for 5-10. Cech has transfer value that I'd put at maybe £12 million, Courtois's has to be double that. But the most important point is that we already own this guy and yet he's managed to prove himself in a top league. We don't have to hope that another guy of his quality just comes along and that no other team needs him. Off the top of my head, United, Barca, Real Madrid and Juventus could all be in the market for this imaginary Wunderkind, so even if he did exist there's no guarantee we'd get him. Plus we're in a season of transition now - I'd argue this summer is as good a time as any to put him in. But it's a toughie.

You and I have completely different views over keepers. I think they're the foundation of a good team and can make the difference between a win and a loss. Last year, how important was Cech to our season? You think they're just lying around and they're not, which is why I asked those questions. And that's a fair point, but your last point - You don't make decisions for five years down the road at a top club or you will always be rebuilding - is part of the reason we're in a mess now. When Roman took over we didn't think about the long-term. Now we are which is why we have these problems (which are luxury problems). Cech could be around for the next 10 years, Courtois WILL be around for the next 10 years. Cech is a top keeper, Courtois is on his way to being a top keeper. Again, it's not anywhere near as simple as you're making it. I'm sick of people who think having to 'just' spend £15 million on a player because we fucked up is the way to run a football club. I'm suck of people who think because we got lucky with Cech, we'll get lucky again. I'm sick of people thinking short-term and then acting surprised when we end up in the situation we're in at the moment. United are also talking about whether to start Cleverley or Welbeck or Jones or Smalling or Rafael. Most United fans are wondering who their number one is as well. Here's the difference between us and United - they think about the long term (look at who they just signed today - Zaha. He's nothing but potential) as well as the here and now because they put the leg work in on the youth side of the team. We didn't do that which is why we're suffering now, but we're looking to do it and quite frankly it's fucking annoying to see people like you constantly disregarding it and saying we should just spend, spend, spend completely recklessly. Think about the now, not the future. Well I care about this club. I want it to have a future and that means a bit of masterbating over the potential of players. It goes hand in hand (pun intended) with masterbating over the finances and looking at boring stuff like FFP and profit and loss sheets because this isn't FIFA. There isn't an infinite money cheat and tough, informed choices need to be made.

If he does get sacked after the United game, maybe we could hire him. In fact how about we hire him the night of the game and the next morning have him waiting in Benitez's office. All the players could be in there and when he turns the light on they jump out and shout ''SURPRISE!!!.......YOU'RE FIRED!!'. And the cameras from ChelseaTV are there, and we all laugh.....and laugh.....and laugh.....

Who replaced Seaman? How long did it take United to replace Schmeichel? When will they replace Van Der Sar (because spending £17 million doesn't seem to have done it)? Top-class goalkeepers don't come around very often, as you've alluded to in your post. What's even rarer is for a club to transition from on top-class keeper to another, and what Chelsea have done is fairly impressive. We've got a 30 year old who won the Champions League and a 20 year old with 7 international caps, nearly 100 appearances for a top Spanish side (by the end of this season) and a Europa League winner's medal. So it doesn't make zero sense. It actually makes long-term sense and economic sense to replace Cech, but there's also a case for keeping him and selling Cech. It's not a no-brainer as some people want to make it out to be.

We have Reading away three days after this game, and then a trip to Newcastle which I'm never all that confident about. Are you saying we shouldn't rest key players (Mata being the prime example) for a game away to Brentford and prioritise the FA Cup over the League?? You said Hazard joined to win trophies. He actually said 'I'm joining the Champions of Europe'. The league is the priority. It has to be.

The story has turned... http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2267629/Eden-Hazard-ball-boy-row-new-footage-supports-Belgian-claim-kicked-ball.html It's gone from '£170,000 p/w footballer kicks ball boy' to 'spoilt rich kid bragged about timewasting before match' and 'new angle may clear Hazard'. The reprehensibility of the press is matched only by it's predictability.