The Big Drog

Im never high on seeing Ivanovic at centre back. I thought Cahill and Terry would have been the obvious choice with Luiz unavailable. Still fingers crossed, with Man Utd and City winning this weekend we really could do with a result.

Huge result. As a football fan the game was a joy to watch, the football that both sides produced was how football at the highest level should be played. Always a great feeling when we snatch a result late in a game, brilliant header from Moses. I have to pick out Oscar for a special mention, he was simply majestic, a privilege for anyone at Stamford Bridge tonight to see a player with that kind of rare talent in that vein of form, for the longest time we were repeatedly linked with Kaka, we've signed an improved version of that great Brazilian number 10.

A quick reminder of this comment. This is why I can consider your opinion idiotic. Not only is it ridiculous but, later in this thread, you admit to rarely watching Barcelona under Pep thus your opinion is entirely irrelevant if you've barely seen them play.

I'd hardly call it an insult, though yes I am good and yes I did find his comment a bit ridiculous.

Ignorance is bliss.

Anyone watching the Sunday Supplement should direct Patrick Barclay towards Graham Hunter's Barcelona book if he wants to know what Guardiola contributed to Barcelona. "A donkey could manage that team." A level of pure idiocy rarely seen on television (and that is saying something)

It's bad, it's really bad. It's like playing without a striker. For defenders in the Premier League or Champions League they must know it will be an easy night when they come up against Torres compared to what they usually face. All of the threat is behind him. With a first or even second rate striker this team would be a real force.

If you have zero interest in them and this little to no knowledge of them then posting comments about their managers or the difficulty of managing Barcelona isn't advisable. Your original comment was ignorant and simply wrong, any Barcelona fan would be quick to point that out to you. Great management is great management no matter where it occurs. IMO he is the finest manager on the planet, any club would be lucky to have him.

Stats wise yes, that can't be disputed and the stats previously posted show Lampard's as more impressive than Drogba's. That being said, anyone watching Chelsea over that time period and for the entire duration of his Chelses career knows that Drogba was always about far more than stats. His contribution to our way of playing could never be measured in stats.

Really stupid comment that exposes a criminal lack of football knowledge. I would say that you are better off avoiding topics which you haven't the slightest clue about, in this case Guardiola's impact at Barcelona.

Stats. Lampard was a great player, nobody is denying that but at no stage was he the main man in the team like Drigba was.

Stupid comment. During their Chelsea careers neither Zola or Hasselbaink had a real claim of being the best player in the world in their respective positions. Drogba always had a genuine claim of being the best striker on the planet.

Because he is that good.

You have to give credit to Ramires who was an excellent foil beside him last night but it was breathtaking to watch Oscar play last night. Everything he did just oozed class and quality. He defended capably, he floated breezed forwards, he floated about the pitch, it was a show of ability rarely seen in English football, this was the type of stuff normally reserved for Barcelona or the great Brazilian teams of the past, no the opposition wasn't was strong as it could have been but this was a young lad coming off the bench after an exhausting game only 3 days ago and playing out of position and it was nothing short of a masterclass. However I don't believe he should be played in the double pivot. Mikel and Ramires both serve important purposes and I quite like the partnership they have formed, in any case Brazil's starting number 10 has been in stunning form since breaking into the team, no point in changing something that works.

I think that because the quality of the teams at Chelsea have improved since Abramovich so too will the calibre of player at the club, thus these lists will always consist more of players playing at Chelsea during the Abramovich era than those playing at any other era at Chelsea. Don't be surprised to see Hazard, Oscar or Mata in these lists in the near future and it wouldn't be incorrect, afterall there haven't been many players of Hazard's genuinely world class qualities at Chelsea and it's not everday that Brazil's starting number 10, and a phenom at the age of 20, plays his football in England.

lol I cant argue with that.

I know he scored last night, and he did take his goal well but my God that was ridiculously frustrating. The really dreadful thing is that Im not sure that Torres would have done any better. The case for signing a truly top class centre forward was only reinforced last night. With a great goal scorer this team would be genuinely lethal.

I don't see why he wouldn't be the greatest. The main man in the team during the most successful period in the clubs history. Not only did the great man do it domestically but he also did it in Europe. One of the few players in the history of the club who could mount a genuine claim of being able to get into any starting 11 in any side in his pomp. One of the best strikers on the planet for a very long time and probably the most complete centre forward of the modern age. Didier Drogba had it all and he did it all at Chelsea. The argument for Drogba isn't one of sentiment or nostalgia, it's one steeped in logic and fact. Lampard and Terry will have won more than him at the club and both are absolute Chelsea legends but I, like a lot of people, feel that it is Drogba that defined the most successful era in the club's history. For me, when you were talking about Chelsea or other clubs o fans were talking about playing against Chelsea they were talking about playing against Drogba. Some may have been here longer, some may have won more, some may have been prettier to watch playing, some may rekindle a greater sense of nostalgia but none had the impact of Drogba, the finest striker I've ever seen, and probably ever will see, and, the greatest player I've ever seen play in a Chelsea jersey.

Ramos has been nothing short of incredible for both club and country, he more than merits his place on the list and, is arguably, the best centre back in the world.

Somebody call the PO-LICE!

Messi and Del Bosque imo

I hardly think the greatest manager in the history of Barcelona will be "whoring" himself to anyone. I'd very much expect it to be the other way around.

I honestly didn't know that Clattenburg hadn't refereed a Man Utd game since sending off Johhny Evans. Of course we all know about Martin Atkinson being on the Ferguson black list too. You've hit the nail on the head, he has such influence on officials. Give a decision against his team and you are black listed from Man Utd games so, like with Clattenburg today, when you get the chance of redemption in Ferguson's eyes you grab it with both hands.

I'm now looking forward to Di Matteo's post match interview. The basis for this ridculous refereeing performance was forged a few seasons ago with Ferguson talking about the standard of refereeing in games vs Chelsea at Man Utd, that he again reinforced that point in the build up to this game is no coincidence. His influence over officials was clear for all to see today. What Ferguson did to Martin Atkinson a couple of years ago Di Matteo should do to Clattenburg. That Atkinson now hardly ever gets a Man Utd game (and this is one of the elite officials in England) is a perfect example of his influence over officials.

An absolute disgrace. Full credit to the fans, they were terrific. Full credit to the Chelsea players, a credit to the club. 11 vs 11 we were the better team overall, the attitude if the players was spot on. The first red card is probably a correct decision though you could certainly argue how much contact there actually was between Ivanovic and Young and with Ferguson on the sideline that decision was only ever going to go one way. My only criticism here is Gary Cahill being turned far too easily by Van Persie which allows him to play in Young. The Torres sending off is ridiculous, Evans could have seen red for that or for a two footed lunge on Ramires later in the game and then, inevitably, Man Utd's winner is offside, an apt way to wrap up the game. Ferguson's behaviour on the sideline was vile and would not be tolerated elsewhere. Anyway still top of the table and we proved that we can more than hang with the Manchester clubs, with a real referee we may have gotten all 3 points. Either way, credit to the team and fans at the game today.