The only place to be

He made some fine saves in that match, but what you want is consistency in that position. He's looked a little skittish at crosses which you don't expect with someone of his experience and when that's the main thing he has over Courtois then you have to wonder why we aren't jumping at the chance to give the Belgian a chance.

In what way is it idiotic? He got booed by some of the Chelsea crowd for diving against City once and he actually stopped diving quite as much and probably became better for it.

I think some people are thinking off the Cech of a couple of seasons ago and not the one who is presently in goal. The simple fact is that he's actually costing us points for the first time I can remember. He looks dodgy at crosses despite our defence being more settled now than it has done for a while. He'll go down in history as our greatest keeper but I can't think of a single point from this season which will be used to support that argument. Honestly I don't see this gulf in class. If Courtois was here this season then he would've got a chance already because Cech has been dropped once already. I'd drop him for the Spurs game to be quite honest but Schwarzer isn't the right replacement.

Those aren't emotions about Didier, it's the truth. The fact that you can't admit that and want to live in a fantasy world where Saint Didier can do know wrong is up to you, but the guy dived to the extent that his own supporters were getting very pissed off with it.

Chalobah is a player we own and was in contention for a squad place. Don't get all uppity because I pointed out that the player you're suggesting might not actually be available and you don't know his price. No, I'm saying I don't know anything beyond the price he would cost in his contract at this point in time. Again, if you're struggling to understand something just ask. Don't put words in other people's mouths, misrepresent what they type or flat out lie. Give it a fucking rest with the Saint Didier bullshit. It's a perfectly valid point to raise and just because a couple of sanctimonious members think he's too 'good' to be mentioned in this thread doesn't mean the rest of the decent members on this site shouldn't be allowed to invoke his memory. FACT - Didier was a diver, just like Costa. His cheating helped us beat Barcelona in the CL but don't mention that because it might get a couple of members' knickers in a twist. And that's the last I'm going to discuss this with you because it's boring talking to someone with nothing more to say than 'Mandzukic is better'

Hasselbaink. Stein. Drogba. Flo. Zola. We can service strikers and that's been the case throughout our history (which didn't start in the late-90s but goes back quite some way and includes people like Greaves, Osgood and Dixon). In fact we've created plenty of strikers for a number 9 to put away this season but they've just not had the quality. Now there is a point about us having goal threats behind the striker in Hazard and....well that's actually about it really. Lamps will probably get a goal or two before the season ends and there's always a chance that a clearance will rebound off of Willian's arse and end up in the goal but that's about it. Hopefully Schurrle can continue his form from Saturday, but we do need a striker who can score goals but also create chances for others. Like I said previously in this thread I trust Jose's judgment on this but I wouldn't be disappointed with Costa. Yes he's a cunt but so what? As for Bamford, if we didn't have Salah then I'd have liked to have seen in him the squad as a right winger/striker option, but he probably deserves a season on-loan in this league first. Hopefully that can be with Derby after promotion.

That's not what I'm saying. That has been explained to you but you don't seem able to understand it. It's just a point about the criticisms against him and how they could equally have been applied to Didier. Do you understand that now? Are you sure? Positive? Don't be ashamed to say you don't know something, especially in this case when you don't. Your argument is that you think Mandzukic is better. That's it. Well done. Most people don't think there's much difference between the two but you've bought up ridiculous arguments involving Soldado for fuck knows what reason. But Costa is available for a set amount at this point in time, which makes him a realistic signing. Until there's more information about Mandzukic's cost and availability then I don't know why he's being mentioned.

So you've told me the price he would be available? How the fuck would you know the price Bayern would sell to us? And I have seen Mandzukic play and I think he's a good player, like Costa. Here's the thing though....I know the price he would be available for to US. Mandzukic might be available because he's being replaced with a better striker but we don't know that for certain or for what price. You're entitled to your opinion of who is better but people don't have to acquiesce to whatever reasoning you throw up there. It seems people are just highlighting to you that every single argument you've put could've used against the signing of Drogba.

In the Madrid derby they played with Costa alone up front and he did a great job of making himself a nuisance, bringing other players into the game and providing a threat on the break. Honestly I don't quite know what the issue is with him. As a player I don't see anything to suggest that Mandzukic would be a better choice for us, if he's even available and for what price. Costa is younger, he's in great form, he's available for a fair price and he would seem to fit what we want. I think some people just don't like his 'character' for whatever reason and have decided to stick with that view.

Soldado is 5'10" and was never a physical threat. Costa is 6'2" and very physical, but he throws himself to the ground far too often. If you actually want to make a fair comparison then you'd look at how Negredo has coped with the physicality of the league.

In 9 seasons he's only played in more than 29 PL games twice. This season the most he can manage is 25. He's also 6 years older than Costa so there's little to no value in a transfer for him. How is he a BETTER option exactly? He's had two good seasons (where he's scored roughly the same number of goals as Costa) which you'd expect cause he's older, yet I don't see him as being a better option. I also don't know why Bayern would deal him to us on the cheap. I just think that some people don't like Costa because of his character. I get that. He moans a lot, he dives...but that didn't stop us from loving Drogba. I'm all for signing him if Jose thinks he's the right dude.

RVP? A guy who has really only ever had a couple of seasons that weren't injury-plagued....not including this one and who would be 31 before the season starts? Falcao is definitely unhappy, but that's mainly because he's suffered an ACL. Let's see if he can run again before throwing all those millions at Monaco. As for Cavani and Mandzukic, it depends on the price for both of them. Cavani would cost about £20 million more than Costa and Mandzukic doesn't strike me as a fantastically better option than Costa.

It really wasn't. That transfer window is so far removed from the reality of our transfer movements now that it's not even funny.

True. He was also a diver and he lost his nerve in the final in Moscow and may actually have cost us the cup because it meant he couldn't take a penalty in the shootout. But that's what humans are - complex. Costa is only 25 (like Didier was) yet he's had a fantastic season. Given his price and the lack of other options, he's probably the best option out there this summer and the point Skipper is making (I think) is that the reasons being given to discount him could equally be applied to Drogba before we signed him.

Our transfer policy allows for this type of signing, Last year it would've been Rooney if United had played ball. To me, Costa looks like he's in exactly the same position as Drogba was which is where you want to be signing strikers - approaching their peak, coming off of a good season and looking for a new challenge. Of course there are risks associated with any transfer but he seems to be the best choice at the moment. Firstly, his price is the price. That's the price at which the club have to sell so it doesn't matter how many clubs are involved because if the activate that clause (if it remains in place) then there's no reason to pay anymore. Of course there will be concerns over whether he can perform but he has that physical side to him that you need in this league. As regards his attitude, I think a lot of that might be down to playing in Spain. Let's be honest, our players aren't exactly saints are they. JT was sent off in a CL semi for kicking and Drogba was sent off in a final for slapping so there's room for a little bit of cuntishness so long as it doesn't escalate.

Honestly can't tell if this is a Drogba-related joke or not? It all depends on his contract and that release fee. The majority of our buys are value buys but we've still got room in our budget for 'marquee signings' as evidenced by Hazard in 2012 and Willian in 2013. So far we've got in Zouma, Croatian kid and Salah who are those young, FFP-friendly signings but I still think we can go for a Shaw (straddles marquee and value because of his age) and Costa in the summer. The other options are reportedly Falcao (older, similar price, serious injury and semi-retirement in Monaco) and Cavani (older, much more expensive if available but perhaps better/more established??). Then there's Mandzukic who might be available, isn't much cheaper and has only had one more 'good season'. It's a tricky one. What we all want is another Didier - a guy who would cost about £30 million, has presence, is still underpriced because he's only really had one good season, works hard and is 25/26 so is approaching his prime but can still be moulded be Jose. If there was a striker available who was like that and Jose wanted him then I'd trust him.

It's different. That time was amazing, but it was all about signing world stars who were already established and in some cases a bit past their best. When it began with the likes of Gullit, Hughes, Vialli etc. It was great but in some cases there were only flashes of the old them. Zola was already 30 when we signed him and very much at his peak. Hazard is the first player in blue I've ever seen who has the potential to be the biggest player in world football. Lamps, JT, Maka and Cech could all stake a claim to being the best in their position for a time but I don't think any has reached the level that Eden could (Lamps was closest in 2005). I actually think the same could be said for Oscar too. Honestly speaking, I think you might have to go all the way back to Jimmy Greaves for another example of us having such a young talent at our club.

Great point. I might be incorrect but weren't all three of his goals the product of a run that started ahead of Torres? Nando steps up, the defender follows and Schurrle goes into the space beyond him? At times in the second-half it actually looked like a front two rather than a lone striker. Spurs are dodgy at left-back. If we have Schurrle on that wing then Nando can drag one of the defenders out of the line and I guarantee that whoever is supposed to be tracking Schurrle will lose him if he makes a diagonal run. Of course I wouldn't be surprised if Eto'o and Willian started but it's nice to dream.

I'll throw this out there now....City can beat Barcelona. Away from home, nothing to lose, Aguero back, Toure out to prove a point and Barca nowhere near the team they were last season could all combine to give City a great European night. City can score two goals in the Nou Camp but it's whether they can keep it tidy at the back that's the issue. I actually think that Wigan might be able to get a draw in the Cup game if City rest players and focus on the Barca game (which they absolutely should). Barca have a match away to Valladolid before that which could be a potential banana skin.

Most of those players were older, established players when we signed them. Salah is young and will probably retain most of his value no matter what happens at Chelsea. I also think it's way too early to judge him considering some of Schurrle's recent comments about having to make changes to play under Mourinho. Jose asks a lot of players both tactically and physically and Salah is in the early stages of his career here. He may well play a small role this season but I don't think we'll see what he can truly offer until September/October.

The amount of width he gives Southampton in attack is amazing and that would allow Eden so much freedom to come inside. Also I'm not as down on Ivanovic at right back as some but having Shaw and Azpi as full-backs would be something exciting.

Amazing the stick he gets is the same stick Drogba got whilst he was playing for us when he was diving all over the place. Double standards much?

The difference between Spain and England is that the Spanish fans applaud that shit, whereas we would eventually get tired of it and give him a bit of stick like we did with Drogba. Worked his bollocks off up front today but just needs to get that cheating shit out of his game.

The game borders on unwatchable at points but there's some great moments of skill. It's just the lack of honesty, the blatant cheating and the ungodly amount of cunts that brings it down. Fact - football would be infinitely richer without Pepe.

Courtois in goal and Costa up front for Atletico. Varane on the bench for Real.