Rekin

Some people have limited rationality it seems. There is a big difference between having ankle injuries and having a chronic ankle problem. If someone smacks me in my toe several times and I keep having to put it in a cast then I'm unlucky, and nothing more (except in pain). If I keep having toe problems that keep me from performing my duty as a player and they arise without any trauma then I would say its chronic. To use a simple example: If someone kept smacking Nike in the head which resulted in him writing annoying and nonsensical posts he would be unlucky but otherwise function normally. If he keeps writing annoying and nonsensical posts without any trauma I would say the problem is more likely related to chronic stupidity. Returning to Reus I would say that he has been unlucky in a few tackles that sidelined him, and then having the usual weakness in the muscles that come from said injury affecting the area causing him to miss a few short periods.

The Guardian speculates further about Messi leaving Barcelona due to him feeling singled out over his tax trial and how non-catalan sportsman have been able to settle matters out of court but not him. Now I am pretty certain that he is going nowhere, but suppose that he is available on the market, is it not obvious where he would go? There are currently two clubs in the world who have the economic muscles to pay whatever record-breaking fee Messi would cost and not get in trouble with ffp, and those clubs are Manchester United and Bayern Munich. One is the best team in Europe with Messi's old pal Guardiola managing it, the other is a mid-table house of cards not even playing in CL. BM just released a statement basically saying that they are extremely rich, and there arent really that many players in the world that would improve them. I would say that it is like 90% that Messi stays in Barcelona, and 90% that if he leaves it will be for BM. Still, a pretty nice fantasy if he ended up in Chelsea. This is after all the best player in the world, and his stats are mental in every way. We would probably have to sell say Oscar/another key player for an inflated fee to be able to afford him.

When it comes to the offense I would say that there are extremely few options available in the market that could improve us. Players such as Talisca are far too raw to be considered just yet (although Mou seems to be a huge fan), while other interesting options such as Firmino would most likely be a marginal (if at all) improvement on Oscar. We do however still have the right flank that we can not seem to really work out. I value Schurrle and Willian, but they are both the wrong type of starters for the team that Chelsea is today. Schurrle is a direct player, but he lacks the creativity and finess of players such as Götze/Hazard/Reus, while Willian just lacks the end-product. One might argue that Willian provides enough in the defense to make up for it, but at the end of the day his true purpose is to create/score goals, not to keep the opposition from doing so (of course doing both would be ideal). Now, in my opinion Reus would be a dream purchase. There arent many players on the market not only able to improve us, but of such a great money/value ratio. Reus is end-product personified, he is also a lot smarter than Schurrle in the way he plays and can make good use of space better. He is perfect both for counters and possession. There is also the huge plus of him being in Dortmund, a team known for its hard-working players and collective spirit. I would say that the only problem is with him being best in Hazard's position, but we all know that Hazard rarely stays in the same position the whole game. Hazard and Oscar are in great form, and we reap the results right now; imagine adding another excellent player to the offensive midfield and how that would make our already potent attacks even more dangerous. Reus is no Willian when it comes to defense, but I have no doubt that the overall benefit to the team with having Reus in it would be greater than with Schurrle/Willian.

It is exactly the kind of mistake young players make though. Zouma showed in preseason that his weakness is both his technique with the ball but also his positional ability. In order to truly develop it is essential that he gets to play more. I am not confident with him as right-back, but I think it might be beneficial for him to play there against QPR (which I assume is the case) since it will be a challenge to him. The best way to develop youngsters is to challenge them, let him play CB against Shrewsbury & Maribor while he can be RB against QPR. If he does well in those games than he is ready to start against mid-table teams more often. There needs to be a certain kind of progress in the way youngsters are introduced, and the next couple of games are the perfect arena for him. I am not fully convinced by him yet, but he is still young and have not developed yet tactically to the point where a CB should be.

Matic is one of the best defensive midfielders in my opinion. Excellent heading, good positioning, strong tackle and ability to read the game and intercept. The problem though is him being very slow. No player that has defensive duties while trying to contribute higher up in the pitch can make up that ground unless he is quick. Matic has more than once been just outside the opponents penalty box when they break, and he has had no chance of getting back and helping out. He also has a habit of sometimes overcommitting and again being caught out opening a huge gap for the opposition. It is a shame, as he actually has all the tools for being a complete midfielder. His technique is criminally underrated, and add to that a great passing range and a thundering shot and it is a player the other team correctly fears. He/we must accept that with Fabregas next to him, he is even more responsible for shielding the back four, and it is necessary that he stays back and do what he does best from there, even though it limits him. The team will be better off from it. Immense player either way, really happy that he is on our side.

Matic is the best player so far. Wins several balls and the passing is just superb, should have had 2-3 assists already. Costa and Cech are the other two stand-outs for me. Costa does everything right and his movement and control led to both goals. Cech looks sharp, maybe the competition from TC has awoken his best side. Fabregas and MVG have been quite invisible, need to get more involved in the game. Luis has been misplacing several simple passes, needs to step up as he has been very reliable in the previous games. Good at offering options higher up though (which Matic failed to spot a couple of times). Salah is doing what he did in the previous season. Excellent at finding space, bad at executing actions. I would like to see a 4-3-2-1 with Matic and Fabregas in the second half, that would offer more of the ball to Fabregas.

I dont think Zouma has been terrible considering the circumstances. I also think Matic together with Boga has been our best player, most opening passes have come from him. Zouma is a raw player, but just as you can see his rawness you can also see the potential. He needs to get a lot of playing time, and if Sunderland is the place for that then he should be loaned out.

One of the articles linked here (I think the plains of Almeria one) really brought up a good point. Costa is not the type of a player who is easy on the eye, the first couple of games I saw him in made me think he was just lucky each time he ran, dribbled past a player or somehow managed a really good touch. That is why a lot of people who have only seen him 4-5 times will think he is very limited. It happens too often though for it to be plain luck, he is actually more skilled than he seems. People might say that he loses the ball often, but you have to put it in perspective. Comparing with a player like Mandzukic you have to consider that Atletico is more of a counter-attacking team where Costa will often battle several defenders by himself, why Mandzukic often has a lot of support because of Bayern's style of play. It would actually be very interesting to learn what happens behind the scenes on this transfer. I have been convinced for a long time that he will be our player, but what are they discussing now? Considering the buyout has been agreed, it means personal terms only remain, could it really be a drawn out negotiation going on? Are there third parties involved? I'm not complaining, just curious how these things get done on the big scene.

Why do people still value Falcao so highly? He is a very good player, and I would have loved to have him straight out of Porto. Cavani is excellent too, just like Falcao he showed true class in his previous club. Having said that, we need to remember a couple of facts. First of all, both are older than Costa. Both have had so-so seasons in the weaker Ligue 1 (Falcao was not bad before his injury, but he was not as excellent as in Atletico. Cavani has been stuck on a flank but he has also been inconsistent [in my opinion] in the games where he has been a striker). Falcao is coming back from a very nasty injury, it is very possible that he will not reach his previous levels again. Cavani have gone through personal problems which have affected his game. Both would also most likely cost a good deal more while also asking for higher wages since they come from being star signings in extremely rich clubs. Because of two games many suddenly have doubts about Costa (yes, some will claim rightly or not that they had doubts before the WC as well) even though he was coming back from an injury in a new team that plays completely differently than he is used to. If we are only judging players on recent accomplishments, how can Falcao and Cavani's stock be higher right now? We do not need a striker who is good at everything (although it would not hurt) but a striker that fits our system. Few doubt that Costa fit the system Atletico plays with, and even though Chelsea is not an exact copy it is more similar than many other clubs. Costa will be a slightly better choice against teams that defend very deep, but he will be the arrowhead against big teams where he will be left with space ahead of him. Judge him for what he is, not for not being what you would like him to be.

If Lukaku was to be sold/loaned out then Mandzukic would be an excellent addition to the team. People often say Costa or Mandzukic, but they are completely different players. Mario is one of the very best targets there is; he rarely loses an aerial duel, he holds on to the ball really well and has that box instinct that makes one think of Nistelrooy. I am not saying that we should get Mario ahead of Costa (especially not because of their world cup performance), but Chelsea do not always play the same way and when you need to adjust your tactics for your team, it helps to have players with different strengths. Against teams that do not park the bus (roughly half the games per season) Costa would be the better choice, a more direct player with pace who is at his best when we has space ahead of him. Against teams that do park the bus, Mario would most likely be a better fit. His movement in the box and ability to dominate in duels would provide a greater threat. I like Lukaku and I like Costa, if we end up with those two I would say its a big upgrade to the last couple of seasons. Mandzukic and Costa would however be a massive upgrade. The only question would be if any unhappiness would emerge as both would expect to be starters. I am starting to have doubts about Lukaku to be honest. He is young and have a lot of years ahead of him, but he does not seem to have the patience to wait for his chance. He is still a raw player that needs to improve in several areas if he wants to make it in a better team than WBA or Everton, but I fear that his attitude might force a move, a shame really.

I think that Filipe Luis is an excellent player, one of the best left backs in the world. Having said that, paying roughly €25m is not the smartest decision. I can see FL giving us three seasons in his peak, and being an excellent reserve for a year or two, but that transfer would make the largest amount of sense in a transfer environment where excellent left backs were few and far between. That is not the case right now, we have Alex Sandro, Luke Shaw and Ricardo Rodriguez who are all on the market. While they would most likely cost around the same amount or more while currently being less skilled, they have all showed great potential and could be at a similar level within a few years. I would understand this transfer more if we got FL for maybe €10m less, but at that price there is little to no reason to ignore the younger options on the market. I assume that Mourinho (if this is his transfer fully through) knows that he must deliver next season and will thus go for a finished product, but I think that the difference between FL and the others is not large enough to motivate such a decision. Then again, who am I to question the board and Mou? I am certain they know of RR and the others existence, so they are obviously going after FL for either tactical reasons, or the one mentioned earlier. If we win the league or CL next season then these complaints (while valid) will be largely forgotten.

Yes, he was quite poor, just as the rest of Spain. Then again, after he left the pitch Spain only had two very isolated opportunities. He does not possess the first touch that is required to make the most of the way Spain is playing, but he is good at sniffing out spaces to run into, which we saw in the first half. It, in turn, opened up spaces for others such as Silva. The head-thing was in line with how he is, you could see that many spanish players had a problem with Indi. Not to say that he did the right thing, he need to cut that out if he wants to make it in the PL. He will be important in Chelsea. It would however be good to have a different type of striker as well.

We have yet to see what role Fabregas will have in Chelsea, but if we assume that we will stick to the 4-2-3-1 at least in the easier games with Fabregas next to Matic, this could be the answer to unlocking Oscar's potential. I have never seen him as a true playmaker, so I have often been annoyed by his tendency to fall deep and collect the ball (altough it was necessary before). I felt that it excluded him from the initial phase of attack, which meant that he rarely got the ball in those key positions that he thrives in. With fabregas able to start attacks now it will allow Oscar to at least be a little further up, and CFC should see a few more goals in total from it. The same can be said with better attacking fullbacks in Cesar at DR and Luis at DL. Still, it will be interesting to see if Mou can protect the solid defense while improving the attack. That will be the key Q, and Oscar will be an important part of the answer.

I honestly do not understand why Drogbathegoat is not yet banned, he is obviously just trolling and is trying to derail this thread. Deals for tens of millions of pounds rarely get done fast, there could be a lot of paperwork and other considerations we do not know of. Reputable sources have confirmed a medical took place, the president of atletico has confirmed a CFC approach, Mourinho has hinted heavily in his Yahoo blog and the player himself has confirmed he will most likely go to CFC. Short of an official confirmation I do not see what else one could want right now, just be patient people. Diego Costa will be a CFC player. Whether it is is official this week or next month makes little difference as he will not play for the club before that either way.

The pen was bad but I really don't care about it, we have hazard for them. The header was not that great of a chance, and Cesc is not exactly known for his aerial play anyway. What matters is that he is doing what he is supposed to well.

People should look at the game right now. He is showing exactly why Mou is going after him. Excellent through balls that have almost led to two goals from Costa already, and his passing is very neat.

It has been mentioned before, but our main problem last season was creating good chances against weaker teams. Sure, there was West Ham where we created many good opportunities and can only blame bad luck, but then there was Norwich, Crystal Palace, Sunderland, Stoke etc where you could tell that only a flash of individual brilliance would change anything. I do not know how many times I saw the games we played turn into handball where we were passing it around outside the box without any real threat. Costa will make a big difference but the delivery is just as important as the finishing, and while I think Matic is amazing he is not the type of player to consistently look for gaps or to quickly start counters. Ramires and Mikel are not even worth mentioning in that regard. It does not strike me as MVG's main strength either. Tiago is a good passer, but his game is more all-around and I would personally feel better having a player who is specialized in finding that last pass. Fabregas is such a player. Mourinho likes changing things around in big games and can start with Tiago, Ramires or MVG in place of Fabregas if he finds him a liability. When it comes to the other 12-13 teams in the league where Chelsea find themselves being the controlling party I would say that Fabregas could make a huge difference. Still, Koke would offer much better balance which is why I prefer him, but Fabregas would be a great transfer.

Still, it is just a number. Statistics are hardly responsible for how people choose to interpret them. I am actually encouraged by those stats. If Costa can be one of the highest scoring strikers in Europe and still miss a boatload, does it not translate into him being phenomenal in finding spaces for himself?

It is worth pointing out that The Times have joined the Fabregas and Koke bandwagon (and they are very reliable in my experience). It seems clear that Jose sees Koke as preferable, but that Barca could stand in the way. I think we will only complete the transfer of Fabregas once it is clear that Koke is out of our reach, but it is encouraging that the club is trying to get him. Fabregas would add heaps of creativity, but Koke would add that plus his high energy and defensive contribution. Perfect transfer.

I think Chelsea might be in a better negotiation-position than we think. We are currently bidding for three of their players and own a fourth one. I do not know whether Tiago has other options, but I have not heard of anyone else being after F.Luis, and we do own Courtois who would like to stay at Atletico until he is no1 at Chelsea. That means that if we go all the way with this Atletico has to replace four players at the very least, and Barcelona could still use the buyout clause and get Koke. If I was in the Chelsea board I would use this to my advantage. I would offer to withdraw my bids for Luis and Tiago (after all, CFC can replace them easier than Atletico can) and offer Courtois for another season (provided he signs a new contract) if we can get Koke for £35-40m while they do not negotiate with Barcelona for a lower fee than the buyout. This would offer the option of getting around anti-competitive laws by claiming that the difference is the Courtois-fee. This would actually be a strong argument for Atletico, as instead of potentially losing five players, they would lose two (Koke & Costa). They would also not see Koke play against them and help strengthen Barcelona (think of Modric-gate). I know what I would prefer. Of course, it is just speculation on my behalf and might be a completely stupid way of thinking, but IF Koke is our first choice, then there is no reason to withdraw the claws and settle for second choice Fabregas (even though that too would be an excellent transfer).

I would prefer Pogba or Koke (both would be amazing signings) but Fabregas is world class, cunt or not. Have we not been crying for creativity from the deeper positions? We are getting one of the most (if not the most) creative CM's in the world and yet people are not happy. I understand the reasons, but if the club was making decisions based on emotion we would not be where we are today. We need to be pragmatic about the squad. Just over six months ago we would start with Torres up front and Ramires-Lampard in the pivot. Now it seems more and more likely that we will start with Costa up front and Matic-Fabregas in the pivot. This is an absolutely massive upgrade on every level and would give us one of the best squads in the world. Fabregas is 27 and with his set of skills he can be expected to perform (unless injuries happen) on a very high level up until he is 33 or more. That is six seasons of Fabregas in his prime, £30m is nothing for that. I applaud the board if this goes through, and I will have the time of my life when meeting my dear Arsenal-friendly friends. I also think Fabregas is underrated in the defense. It is not his main strength obviously, but he is not exactly a complete liability. Matic-Fabregas is not exactly Arteta-Wilshere.

Milito Hazard Hazard Hazard Bender Bender Da Silva X Milito Da Silva X Would be a nightmare to be a commentator on.

I actually agree with the last part. Full backs should be able to hold a high level until they are around 32 (in my experience at least) which would give us 3-4 seasons with an excellent option on the flank. Of course it would propably be wiser to buy younger and get more for the money, but at the same time we can not only have talented youngsters in the team. Some experience is required, and Luis and Tiago would both add that. I am in the RR-camp, but Luis is a very good defender that would add a lot right from the go. Chelsea can afford to spend £20m without thinking twice. If our transfer window is Tiago, Luis and Costa then we will actually end 2014 with a net profit (an even larger one if Marin, Romeu, Moses and one of Ba/Torres) leaves. The wages should also move downwards. Costa Hazard Oscar Willian Matic Tiago Luis Terry Cahill Cesar Cech That would actually be a much stronger lineup than last season, and it would give MVG and some youngsters a chance. I would love to see Koke or Pogba come in, the same with RR, but this is very good. I would say that the only weak link would be the very slow pivot (and then we can throw in MVG or Ramires if the need arises).

I actually think this would be an excellent temporary signing. Tiago is not the best CM in the world, but he is quite complete and a pleasant guy. Excluding any potential leadership-abilities from Lamps, Tiago would be the far better option on the pitch. Ideally this would allow MVG to show whether he is ready to take the step up after his injury, while at the same time have a backup in Tiago. I always approve of trying to use current resources while also having a contingency plan. Should this not work out I'm pretty sure Pogba and Vidal will be where they are at for another season. PSG have Motta, Cabaye, Matuidi, Verratti, Rabiot and to some degree Luiz already. This is not to say that I do not want Pogba now, but we must realize that problems can be resolved in more than one way.

The Skipper > I looked over my previous post and it was a typo at the end, I meant to write "weaker" rather than "weak", so you are correct in adressing that. As for the aerial duels it is generally a better accomplishment to keep a ratio where the frequency is higher. If Shaw won 6/10 duels that would give him the higher %, but the sample would not indicate consistency. Shaw is however not weak in the air, that is true.