The only place to be

The two-tone blue makes it look a little bit like one of the Le Coq shirts from the early-80s just without the red accents. Looks like they'll be narrower though.

You may have a point in that Mourinho probably should've shifted the deadwood last summer, but clearly he wanted to see if he could utilise the existing assets effectively before cutting them loose. He's already done that with Mata, Essien and De Bruyne but there are still the likes of Ba, Mikel, Torres and Luiz hanging around. Maybe there weren't buyers for them in January and we still needed players who weren't cup-tied in Europe, but I expect all this to be addressed for next season which Jose has always stated was the target. By the way, everyone sees something in David Luiz. He should be one of the best defenders in the world with all his talents but he's simply not got the right mentality. I'm not going to discuss mentality with you again because it's clearly something you don't believe in, but every supporter of this club sees what David has. It's just some ignore the things he doesn't have.

Costa is available if he wants to leave, and let's not pretend that he isn't a better player than Lukaku - he is, but he's older so that's natural. Lukaku still needs to work a bit harder and that may come with time but he's certainly burnt bridges at this club with his attitude. Maybe not, but Jose expects more from players. He wants them to want to be the best, to want to work harder than everyone else and not give up. It's why Azpilicueta has become one of his favourites this season. He worked unbelievably hard in training and then took his chances in the matches to the point where he's undroppable. Can anyone honestly say that they think Jose would be happy with a player facing some adversity and then asking to leave the club? Is that what Frank should've done when Roman bought the club and we spent massively? Or did Frank work harder and score DOUBLE the number of goals the next season? What worries me is that Lukaku saw Eto'o, Ba and Torres ahead of him and didn't back himself to overcome them. He instead went somewhere he was virtually guaranteed a start each week. Does anyone seriously think that wouldn't raise red flags in Jose's mind?

No, but we have the beginnings of a spine in Cahill, Matic and Oscar. Plus you've got one of two world-class keepers, Azpi and Hazard and whomever we sign in the summer. Teams aren't built in one season. Mourinho's first team here wasn't, Pellegrini's wasn't, Rodgers's wasn't. Using words like 'failure' is ridiculous when the long-term goals are yet to be known. The target was ALWAYS next season, so you've only got yourself to blame for getting your hopes up.

So you're backing a failure? Why are you supporting failure? Pellegrini did well to assemble that spine of Hart, Kompany, Toure, Silva and Aguero so quickly didn't he. Should we get him in?

That is very true. United didn't solve their underlying problems, whereas we actually seem to be identifying the issues and solving them at a pace that's dependent on when the players are available and when they fit into our budget. Jose has only been here for 10 months. In Rodgers first season he finished 7th. In his second he could finish higher....why are Liverpool fans able to be patient when you're not?

It's funny how you talk about all these managers because the problems at this club stem from chopping and changing managers and never sticking with one. A lot of us actually think we need to stick with one manager and give him a chance. But if you think he's a failure then you want him gone surely. So who do you want to replace him with?

Why does any dog bark at a little bitch? Woof!

You played a good game. There's still another 90 minutes to go. Good luck.

Rodgers finished SEVENTH in the league in his first season, yet the fans stuck behind him as did the board and allowed him time to build his side. Supporters like you could actually take a lesson from the Liverpool supporters. That's fucking depressing.

The build up play is linked to the striker. How do you not understand this? But even if we do have tactical issues we have the best man in the job to work on them, unless you want to start a Mourinho Out chant at the Bridge this weekend? Go on, money where your mouth is.

There were better teams in the league than us. What's your excuse for not understanding that? What's your excuse for not understanding than title-winning teams aren't built overnight but take time. What's your excuse eh?

Because people want to lay the blame on Jose, or the lack of creativity. Others simply like to moan no matter how nonsensical it sounds (lionsden for example). Some just have an agenda against Jose (rubber bullets) whilst others have simply gone full-henrique. It's why we have the stupid 'success or failure' thread when we're in a building process whose results won't be seen until next season. Spoilt, myopic fans who want everything now and don't understand that the mistakes of the past can't be solved overnight. And what others are trying to convey is that a competent striker completely changes the way teams play. EVERYONE on the pitch has more space, more time, more options when there is a legitimate threat up-top. Spot on.

Congrats on winning.....you're still only at half-time and even if you win you're still a small team in France. FFP bitches - enjoy while you can.

Or we might be successful. Then what would you moan about (because you do fuck all else Alf). Then what would you do to fix it? Or are you actually just that miserable old git that exists in every pub who simply moans about shit but never actually comes up with anything positive to say?

He's already said he doesn't want to stay. He handed in a transfer request and left on loan. I don't particularly want him to go but like I've said, don't piss off Jose. Lukaku ain't Rooney. But why don't we just talk about the guy who had a chance to play for the club he loves, had limited competition for a space and still managed to bottle it and request a transfer? Not being funny but he needs us more than we need him if he's looking at a choice between Everton and Spurs. We'll sign Costa, we'll play CL football and he can hopefully learn from his mistake.

It's amazing how you fail to understand things which are so simple that even a child could. Luiz isn't getting bashed for the own goal - own goals happen. He's getting bashed for the needless free-kick that he gave away. Or maybe we're just racist. That must be it. We love JT because he's English and hate Luiz because he's Brazilian. You really shouldn't be supporting such an institutionally racist organisation, so see ya.

I'd sack Torres tomorrow. You really do have to stop bringing him up at every opportunity. Fact is, Lukaku was faced with adversity and told the club he no longer wanted to play for us. Someone like Jose might take that personally. Because he asked to leave the club.

It's amazing how people like you simply can't recognise the importance a striker plays in the overall shape of the team. It's like you think all they do is pop up and finish chances when they do far more than that, well at most clubs anyway. And yes, his introduction and Schurrle's removal was part of the reason their midfield grew as the game went on because there was less pressing on the likes of Motta (who was being marked by Oscar) and Verratti.

1. So? The season is long and it's apparently a fact that Lukaku would've been better than Ba and Torres. 2. Yes it does, but look at how he's responded. Had we signed him, we'd have probably won the league. 3. The Brentford link was facetious. The point is that Azpi could've looked at the fact he wasn't starting this season and put in a transfer request. He didn't. He worked hard and won his spot. Why couldn't Lukaku do the same? 4. A strop?? He told the manager he wanted to leave. It's amazing how you can so repeatedly vilify Torres but give Lukaku a free pass when he says to the manager that he no longer wants to represent Chelsea Football Club. He responded badly to adversity. If anything is going to piss of Mourinho it's that. Maybe he can come back but if he can't then we all know the reason why and it's Lukaku's fault.

Really? We signed Eto'o and then refused to deal Ba to Arsenal but this is somehow Torres's fault?? The one who has scored 15 goals and had 10 assists? Is it? So why didn't Azpilicueta put in a transfer request when he saw Ivanovic ahead of him? What an idiot he must be to have just knuckled down in training and then done everything in his power to impress the manager when he got a chance. I mean, WHAT A FUCKING IDIOT when he could've just put in a transfer request, gone to Brentford and played every single week as a guaranteed starter. A fact that neither Lukaku nor Lukaku's agent seemed capable of working out. I get the frustration, but if you walk into Jose's office and put in a transfer request then it might come back to bite you on the arse. One of the things you learn when growing up is that actions have consequences. I've defended him this season and I wish he had stayed but Jose is the lord god almighty at this club and he needs to set an example for what is required from the players.

Or we sell Lukaku, bring in Costa, re-sign Eto'o and then.......drumroll.....activate the clause in Lazar Markovic's contract. Then the season after that we include whichever one of Feruz and Bamford has scored the most out on loan. Anyway....I don't think Jose will see what Lukaku did as brave. The challenge laid out before Lukaku and Azpi was broadly the same and they reacted in very different ways. Honestly I wish he hadn't put in a transfer request because it really did fuck us over.

Would say play Ramires alongside Matic for this one because he's out of the PSG game, but he's also still suspended from league games. Incredibly he's managed to reach a whole new level of being completely fucking useless. I'm all for starting Ba in this one as well. Not for any great tactical reason, but simply because why the fuck not? Back five stays the same, Matic in midfield, Mikel alongside him (because we probably need Lamps on Tuesday), Willian, Salah and Hazard all behind Ba. Give Oscar a rest and leave Schurrle to repeat his Arsenal performance against PSG.

These are all good points, but ultimately the guy put in a transfer request in August. Jose puts a lot of stock in players' character, I mean it was only a few days ago that he questioned the balls of some of the players in the squad. I've wanted to see Lukaku get a chance here for the longest time, but I can see why there are question marks about him. He will score goals wherever he goes but Jose has always asked for more than that from his strikers. Look at Drogba - he scored less goals in each of his first two seasons in English football but he was key to bringing other players into the game. Ultimately I think it comes down to one thing - don't cross Jose.

Previously, the argument was always about potential vs proven class. I'm not the biggest fan of experience....it has it's place but it's occasionally overrated. Right now I don't think there's an argument about who the better keeper is though. Cech, for all his legendary status and his importance to our recent successes is costing us points this season and that means the risks of bringing in Courtois are lowered considerably. Despite that I think Cech might still be our keeper next season.