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Wenger zees nothing, Roberto knows nothing, what a pair. They should both get a room together and be roomies.

Lol. City plays on emotions, especially when it comes to Chelsea. Well they are not going to play Chelsea 38 times. That squad cannot sustain the rigors of the season.

I don't mean to sound rude or anything, but I think some of us takes ourselves too seriously. To think that a manager owes you or anyone else an explanation towards his selection(s), tips the scale. For the records, he doesn't owe you or anyone diddly squat. He's the manager, if he performs he gets the glory and credit, if he doesn't he gets fired. So unless his firing directly affects your source of income or employment, directly related to the Chelsea organization, your premises are on false grounds.

I have a complete analysis of the both Everton goals and Stones involvement with pictures that I will like to post on my desktop in a word doc. But the system is not allowing me the option to post. Is there a tech admin, that I can send it to for posting?

IF Stones performance yesterday was brilliant, then there's nothing much else to say. Ivanovic is vilified daily here for less.Not to mention Ramirez and Fabregas.

LVG will never pay $40 million pounds for a 21 year old John Stones. He's got like for John Stones there already. Smalling, Evans, Jones, Paddy Mc Nair, Blackett and Stones? Plus some of the same player caliber on loan. If he does he will be certifiably insane.

Don't forget we have Omeruo too.

Thank you. People talk as if its their check book. Just pay 55 million, just because you said so. Amazing!

I finally sat back and watched Stones yesterday without frills. The guy is another Luis waiting to happen, even worse. Both goals were partially his fault. He runs all over the field chasing balls and leaves his position wide open. The first goal, he let Raheem take him inside, from the right side of his defense, laving him with too much space, and passing the final ball through his legs to Kolarov, who easily beat the Gk near post. The second goal, he ran chasing the ball to the center mid-field, then all the way to the left side of Everton defense, clattered with his own man, leaving Nasri to complete a one-two flick pass with Yaya for a practice goal. Very school boy marking. Other than some aggressive English style clearing slide tackles, he's tactically naive, cannot organize a Sunday meeting and has a lot to learn. He played more like a defensive midfielder than a center back. If we are looking for immediate fix, he's not it. Maybe a long term fix, if he is allowed to work under JT for the next three years. We should back out of this deal and leave him be. Omeruo will be a better cover on the bench without drama of the English press, clamoring for an immediate playing time on a weekly basis.

Did he just say that "LVG has had more rejection than Arsene Wenger gets rejection in a speed dating contest on the transer rumor thread?

I guess Sanchez must be a flop

These are different conversations., I cannot reply to everyone in one post.

You don't seem to get it. He was a defining player for BD, but is he a defining player for Bayern? The answer is No. Mata was defining for Chelsea too, unless you are trying to be mischievous. He played for Chelsea in an important defining role for about three to four different coaches, I think. He was our key player, until he became a surplus to requirement, just like Pedro now is for Barca. However, Mata in comparison is now becoming relevant again at Man U. What is Gotze doing now in comparison?

Each person to his own thinking. Football is not mathematics. Tactics is the name of the game, you either know it or you don't. I get it, because its a second nature to me, but you on the hand are welcome to your emotions and feelings. I wish there were ways to make people eat up their own words. We shall see.

I totally agree with you on ManCity attack. They play very narrow, none of their short dudes in their attack, is above 5' 8". They (Sterling, Aguero, Silva and Navas) can sustain attacking from outsides, they will get muscled off the ball easily by good strong defenders, with the exception of big slower defenders. Their strengths will be to use good quick movements and agility to create spaces centrally and let the likes of Fernando and Yaya pick the opposing teams apart with neat penetrating passes without pressure. Jon Shelvy (sp) was used in the same mold against us. They stole the Barca playbook. Bilbao however exposed Barca this weekend by applying high pressure on the ball up-field, just like Athletico Madrid does against them. What we missed were the pressures from Oscar on those key deep lying play-makers. (This tactic was effectively used in the first half of last season) If you recollect, one of the City goals was scored, when JT left his position to pick up the midfield player above the box. Hazard was the culprit. He was 4-5 yards from the guy, but was not pressuring, leaving JT to step 12-15 yards up. This created a hole for Aguero work in, thereby isolating him with Cahill one on one, the result being the first goal. Difference in last season, was Hazard stepping up to defend also. The pressures from Costa, Oscar, Hazard and Willian, distrupted most team attacks from the back (their defense) Now none of our mid-fielders are up to tasks, because they are not in shape or fit. Mainly (Hazard, Willian, Fabregas,) leaving us with Matic to cover from one end of the field to the other. Teams know this and set traps for us all over the field. Overloading on the right flank or left flank, so Matic overcompensates by moving over, to the sides, leaving a big gaping hole in the middle, and no cover for the defensive four especially if Ivan is distracted by a flat out wide attacker, Aspi on the other end and one of the CDs slides over to help the outside backs on the flanks. What we have left is Cahill, one on one with central attackers. Bafe in the Swansea game and Aguero for City. We need our mid-fielders to be in better (Match- Fit) shapes, then we will start functioning again. We are playing short 3 or 4 players in defense. because Costa is isolated up front. There's nothing complex about City's game. They are overrated. There were some pluses in the game, as people also failed to see the plus points for Chelsea though. Sterling was rendered ineffective throughout the game. Yaya was not as dominant as his usual self. The only pluses for them were Silva, who was on top of his game and Aguero. Fernandinho was used as a thug and got away with murder. Sagna was used in the same mold too. If any Chelsea player had done half of the stuff he pulled, we would have news in the papers for another whole week. Coequlin (sp) of Arsenal did exactly the same, rough up our main attackers during the Cup also. First half of last season, we applied the Barca small group attacks and were very successful in getting balls back up-field in advantageous positions. This led to quick attacks and goals or near goals. However, the deeper we defend, the more difficult it is to get into those positions. Most teams are now willing to sacrifice a yellow to foul our key players at all cost in the mid-field or our own half of the field. We are not getting help from the refs either. Costa needs to go back to his playing style and stop worrying about getting ticky-tack fouls like in La Liga and his aggressive nature is often used in non calls for him. The crosses have been coming in against us, since the second half of last season. It's not new. We've been reliant on JT and Cahill to clear these crosses and have been lucky till recent. The new season offers a slight difference, because teams are now packing in goal poachers, in addition to the crosses. Their forwards distract and disrupt our two Cds, so there are less clearances and more opportunities to score for the opposing teams. Many people also fail to see the significance of Petr going to Arsenal. Most of our weaknesses have been given away to Arsenal. They in turn exploited them in the cup final. It's akin to your wife leaving you for your business rival and you expect your secrets not to be exposed. Now other teams are exploiting those weaknesses. Roman is going to have pay a steep price by investing heavily in the transfer window to compensate. So a change in tactic is warranted. But it's hard to implement is a such a short spell. So we are now adjusting and playing high blocks. However, high blocks comes with a price. JT is 34, soon to be 35 in December. However, high blocks comes with a price. JT has lost his speed of recovery years ago and AVB's tactics exposed him. AVB played high blocks also and we ended up losing to likes of Arsenal 6-3. Van P. Took advantage. RDM knew and parked the bus. Benitez was not so generous and axed JT. So if we play high block, which we will, more we will need speed on defense, so expect Zouma to play more. The low blocks were also as a result of our older defensive personnel. Flighted balls were a problem too for Petr also. He has been exposed at Arsenal with distant goals to his right side of recent. Now people will really see his weaknesses. Any coach worth his onions knows that your personnel determines your tactic, unless you chose your players from the get go. But you have to be tenured to do so; like Sir Alex and Wenger. They've been there for donkey years. JM is no dummy. He knows what he is doing. This team will turn around. I actually think its a blessing that our shortfalls have been exposed early enough before the window closes. The title is ours to lose. People forget that Head to head, Pellegrini has only won one game and tied one, maybe two against Jose. Wenger has only won one game. As we say in the USA, both coaches are still his bit$hes.

Because we have no one that can cross effectively from the left side into the box. Ivannovic used to be our go to guy, on the right side. On the left we often used dribble penetration with Hazard, or combination plays with Oscar, Cesc, Willian and/or Oscar. David (Aspi) can play with he left, but he quite often switches foot to the right to cross the ball. This deficiency makes it an easy pick up for the opposing GK, (in-swingers as opposed to out-swingers) and a quick restart for counter attacks against us. But lately, since Ivan's crosses are being blocked from the outsides, the services are piss poor into our attackers from the right side. Baba Rahman solves that issue. His biggest strength are his crosses into the box. Its a thing of beauty to watch. Falcao will thrive more from those crosses than Costa, as he is awesome in attacking flighted balls. I think Jose had all these in mind in assembling the team. If people are patient enough to wait for his final product, this is going to be a very new Chelsea tactical side. Cesc will be the new talisman, with the diagonal penetrating passes through to Baba and one touch flighted crosses from Baba into opposition boxes. Baba is a younger version of Ashley Cole.

Just like Jason alluded to earlier in your dialog, United under Sir Alex, United were always slow starters, but they won the league so many times in a not so fancy position on the table. Aside from Chelsea who led for some 274-5 days last year, most teams in the prem., do not maintain the lead from day one till the end. Its a marathon not a sprint. I'm pretty confident of our team. No worries here.

Key word "Was" just like Mata" was" a starter on every team sheet before Jose. He went to Man U. Struggled in the first season and now he's back to being a starter again. Falcao was a starter at PSG until injury. Each team to his own needs. Higuian was at Madrid, but he was sold too. E'too was at Barca, but was sold too at one point to Inter. The list goes no and on. Players come and go. The season is too early to be dumping players left and right. The team is not in shape. They are one to two weeks behind. We are still good to go. But if there was a choice of managers between Klopp and Jose, its a no contest.

Since he hardly defends, it will create a hole in the spinal column of the team. Most coaches prefer the absence of defensive input to come from the sides. First thing you are taught in a tactical game is to show your attackers to the outside, there you will have another defender, which is the touchlines.

I'm not bothered by the likes of him. He's on the ignore list. This is forum to discuss and share opinions. Everyone is free to share theirs. No one has a right to tell anyone to muzzle up, because they don't share the same views, then its no longer a forum. We can agree to disagree.There are no bosses here. That said, I'm off to respond to my fellow Chelsea fans.

WTH are you on about? Was I talking to you? I'm having a discussion with other forumers and you are here telling what me what? The ignore button is there use it. Its (CMS- ignore) How about you log off and go to sleep.

Really? What exactly is Gotze doing in the Bundesliga since that purchase? Last I heard he is on the fringe of being sold. He is not exactly tearing up the league is he? Neither is Robert. I'm not trying to be difficult either. Its just a discussion about differing points of views. So far I do not see any viable alternatives. Until then, I'll keep my faith with known quantities. I know for a fact that JM has never had a losing season or will he ever have anything remotely close to Klopp. Not in this lifetime. I'll bet my money on it too. It does not matter why any player was sold either. the point is they were sold. He's never not made the CL in any league, he's coached at. I don't remember all his records off head, but I think the the worst he's done is probably 3rd in a league. I'm inclined to think maybe 2nd, but don't quote me on that. So until I see something that will definitely improve Chelsea from a coaching perspective, I cannot side with you. Again, One loss, one draw and we are ready to throw the baby out with the bath water.

The way you are throwing suggestions out here, one would think you are playing fantasy premier league. Do you seriously have an idea what goes on behind the scenes to buy any player for that matter? This is not like buying cattle at the auction you know.

Seriously? You know very well what they mean by buying. Do you honestly think the people here were talking about Falcao/Baba/Begovic as major buys? I don't have to spell it out that you know exactly what they mean by buying.