The only place to be

Mourinho is probably the perfect personality for us. We're always going to be hated for a variety of reasons and he OWNS that. He doesn't care about being popular or being loved by anyone but us fans. Looks like he's not just going to ignore Hazard's mistake for the first goal either. Whatever anyone thinks, conceding an away goal against a better team one minute before half-time completely changed the complexion of the match. Harsh to blame the loss on him, but if anyone wants to argue that it wasn't a turning point then they're clueless.

Under Benitez he improved dramatically when it came to defensive positioning. I think people are underestimating his ability to do a job defensively, or simply rewriting history to cover his arse. He made a mistake. People make mistakes, especially when they're young. I don't think anyone is saying he should be sacked or flogged for it, but simply that it should be acknowledged. I guarantee the coaching staff will make it very clear to him, because that's how people learn from mistakes. And I disagree that it was bound to happen - if it was bound to happen then he wouldn't have been trusted in that position. It was a one-off mistake, I don't think he's a brainfart machine like David Luiz. I don't really think a lack of match-sharpness is the cause either. He knows exactly where his man here but he simply doesn't track it for some reason. The discussion about it makes it seem like a far bigger deal that it is. It was a mistake so why people feel the need to defend it or the fact he was put in that position is bizarre to me.

I love that we'll get warnings to stay off the pitch or else the players won't do their lap of 'appreciation'. When's the last time we rushed a pitch? Adams can set up a team to hit us on the break if his management of the youth team in last year's final was any indication, so we've got to respect them. One of the things I do enjoy about Jose's management is that the team selection isn't always predictable so apart from Schwarzer, Cahill, Terry, Matic and probably Hazard, I'm not 100% on anyone. He's not averse to throwing in some curve balls after a defeat though so I've got a slight hope that Van Ginkel might get a start. Need a fast start though. Then we can worry about putting on a show.

Schurrle, Salah and Willian aren't natural defenders either. They aren't being asked to stand in the six yard box and clear crosses for 90 minutes, just to track runs from full-backs like he has done many times this season. He fucked up. That doesn't mean he's a bad player and it doesn't require people to leap to his defence for the most bizarre of reasons, but when you're assessing why we conceded then it's an obvious error. Atletico did very well to spread the play and move us around, but you simply can't make mistakes at the top level like he did and not expect to be punished.

No, you're saying that a player like Hazard shouldn't be asked to track runs into the box from a full-back in the 44th minute of a second-leg when we're looking to go into the half-time break with a lead.

It's not ridiculous in the slightest, especially a few minutes before half-time when the emphasis has to be on maintaining a lead going into the break. Col got caught out of position tracking a run, but JT actually shifted along the line because in a TEAM you cover one another. Hazard knew Juanfran was his man because he looks at him at least twice. He fucked up and it cost us a goal. That doesn't mean the loss was his fault but people who are trying to excuse him don't know the first fucking thing about sport in my opinion. Oh, so he should track players runs but only up to about 20 yards from goal....and then stop?? Juanfran was his man. He should've tracked the run as far as he needed to. JT even points to him and tells Eden to watch him. But maybe JT is wrong about this.

On here there's a small number of 'fans' who regurgitate the same shit over and over and over again. I wouldn't read too much into that though.

Starting for the under-21s in the premier league semi-final. It's halfway through on sky sports 1.

So banned for 1 less game than what Pardew got for headbutting a player? Pardew's was 3 stadium and 4 touchline....meh. At this point I'm past caring what the FA does in regards to us.

Matic had a better performance this week.

Because since they appointed Simeone, we're had four different managers. It's why I don't get the constant moaning about the playing style of our team. People seem to want to criticise Mourinho for being conservative and saying that's his 'nature', so what do these people want? Do they want Mourinho gone and us to bring in someone else or is it just whining for the sake of it?

"We still have two very important games in the Premier League because Chelsea can still be champions, but it is important I rest because the World Cup is here." No, it's important that we do all we can to win the league.

It's not scapegoating. The truth is that Atletico are a better team than us right now, and they're at a different stage in their development. They're peaking, two and a half years into Simeone's tenure whilst we're probably one transfer window away from being a 'Mourinho side'. That means we can't beat them in a level game, and have to out-manoeuvre them just like we did against Liverpool at the weekend. We won that game because every player did their job. Every player marked their man, tracked the run and was in exactly the right place at almost every time. What yesterday highlighted is just how much bs Rodgers was spouting when he said it was easy to coach - it isn't. It requires intense focus and no mistakes, and unfortunately Eden dropped a massive clanger. It's unfair to say he cost us the game because there are factors that go back years that contributed to us not winning (signing Torres, not signing midfielders, suspensions etc.) but he was at fault for that goal, and it turned the entire tie on it's head.

He wasn't though. Fair enough Ashley gets dragged across but it's still essentially a back 6 with the wingers as auxiliary full-backs. He doesn't have to tackle the guy he simply has to get in Juanfran's eyeline, just like he did for the third goal. Maybe it's a lack of match practice but it's just horrible to watch back because he knows the run is going to be made but he simply doesn't move. There were obviously other problems in the team that contributed to us losing, but we're not bad at getting one goal and then putting up a brick wall. Unfortunately it is a pretty big mistake to make.

Looks like Kia Jaroobchian in the top left too. And is that Clive Owen next to Lukaku???

Salah, Schurrle and Willian managed it against Liverpool. What makes Eden so special that he can't be asked to do dirty work as well? We were in a situation where we needed 11 men to work together and stay focused on keeping their shape. This is just a perfect example of what happens when one person doesn't do their job. It undoes the good work done by the other 10.

Integral in the build-up to their first goal and wins a penalty (and scores under immense pressure) for the second. Did more against us than Zlatan, Cavani and Suarez have this season and has done something Messi has never done #justsaying

First season in England under two different but equally incompetent managers. At the right price he's a nice squad option.

No, he said this. I think the wind must've changed or something.

Paulinho always had a reputation as being more than simply an athlete. He was supposed to be an all-rounder, good in possession, strong defensively, had a few goals in him and even decent in the air. As a replacement for Mikel and Ramires and a third option behind Matic and hopefully a new signing then I'm not entirely against his signing. For my money he's certainly an upgrade on Ramires if you want to focus on being in possession and not chasing the ball.

Fair enough. I imagine when Jose envisaged his team it didn't have Ramires and Luiz at the heart of it though. He wants players like Matic and maybe even Paulinho who actually have some talent on the ball.

So Mourinho should've been able to institute a counter-attacking philosophy as well as a possession-based plan B in his first season, that can be used even when we're facing the team top of La Liga and have Ramires and Luiz in midfield (pass masters don't you know) and are missing our best midfielder and the number 10 who was carrying us earlier in the season.... oh and Torres and Eto'o as our striking options. Right. Here's a question - there seems to be a few of you who constantly criticise Mourinho. If you don't think he's the man why don't you have the balls (or cojones to use Diego's word) to actually start a thread entitled 'Mourinho Out'. Better yet, bring a banner or start a chant at the next match and see what response you get.

You moan when he goes too defensive or cautious, yet when he picks our most potent attacking threat (who actually didn't seem to be too far off match fitness considering his energy in the latter stages of the match) who we also need for the last two league games of the season, you also moan. Your card is marked son. You're just a miserable person who moans about everything and delights in the team's failure. You're the first to criticise the manager and then the first to moan about our lack of consistency. You want to know the problem at this club over the last few years....you want to know the cancer that needs excising....it's YOU!

I'm not sure if you were unaware about this before last night's game, or if it's just a dig at Mourinho. Simeone has done a fantastic job in his two and a half years at Atletico - in that same time frame we've had FOUR managers. You'd expect any top manager to develop a team to play in their philosophy in that time wouldn't you?

One of those defenders was Luiz, a guy who has played more in midfield than he has in defence. You're just regurgitating the shit other fans throw at Mourinho, but we'll forgive you because all the blood probably rushed from your brain to your cock when you woke up this morning and saw the score. But yeah, he should have chosen Lamps Mikel Matic Oscar Van Ginkel.