Rubber bullets

Its the Three Amigos once again!

This is what I have always like about Mikel; he knows how to play it simple,keeps hold of possesion for us and makes it difficult for opposition midfielders to completly over run us when they have the incetive. Tonight was a great example. Waits for flames....

4 goals in 5 matches. Should play everytime we face Arsenal.

I was wondering where he had gone. Showed us how superb he is going foward and his link up play was terrefic. Good finish for his first Chelsea goal as well.

Thats how you strike them!

I honestly believe this guy (if he continues like this for another 3-4 years) will be seen as one of Chelsea's greatest midfield players. While some may critcize him for his suppose lack of technical ability, his work rate, energy, and drive is absolutely immaculate that just brings something special to the midfield, and what he has done for us so far has been in my opinion criminally underrated (I think he was such an important player in us winning the Champions league.)

Hopefully this will be the start of a much more consistant state of scoring in the league, something which he has never managed to do so far for us.

Nice to know we have another player with agood sense of humour.

Had a really solid perfromance today and was a constant threat in the wide area. Such a shame that as soon as Cole is fit Jose will put Bertrand back on the bench.

Title race between us, Arsenal and Liverpool. Who would have thought?

An often forgotten one was Anelka's performance against Sunderland playing at the tip of the diamond. One of the most complete and perfect performances I have ever seen from a player

I think he got booked for the trip, not that. But yes he was extremely lucky not to get a straight red.

So an all London race for the title this season? Who would have thought?

And how the hell could he performed when he had very little chances in the first place. Against Hull he did not start. At Villa he did start and while I agree that he did not play well, so did a lot of other players (e.g Hazard) not play well but still got picked regardless. He then does not get a chance to prove himself against United, Munich or Everton, and with the exception with parts of the Munich game we played shit. Then against Basel he does not play until about the 70th minute when we have already conceded and look absolutely clueless. And even though the whole team should share the blame for that awful performances its Mata (despite not starting the game) that gets flak for it. Fulham again we play crap but just manage to scrap a win due to the fact that Fulham are very poor. So I still think that Jose should be called out for not trying to utilize Mata until now. But I was (in an indirect way I admit) showing gratitude for finally letting Mata do what he does best. You trying to use personal insult me just confirms my suspicions that your acting like a wind up merchant to start a fight. Sad really but never mind, have a nice life.

I think you can only appeal straight red cards, and even that is for only getting the card being scrapped all together (i.e in that situation you can't get it downgraded for yellow.

It was Swansea. And I do hope you're right. Its just to me that it seems every time Torres gives a fiery performance he always looks vulnerable to get sent off.

I'm just making my point as to why I think Mourinho was wrong in not giving this guy a run of games and collaborate it with the crap performances we gave without him. Consider it as my gratitude for putting Mata on for the second half. Again its just you trying to pick a fight because of some stupid grudge you hold (that you really need to get over). Oh well its the ignore list for you.

As much as people are praising Torres for his performance today, am I the only one who gets nervous when he is all fired up? Is just that the always seems to commit stupid fouls (granted that second yellow should not have been given) and looks vulnerable to get sent off (the match against Swansea always springs to my mind).

This is only his second start in the PL (if I'm correct) and with the exception of the first half against Hull we have played some dreadful football and had to rely on getting lucky scrappy goals to get wins (as against Fulham).. Same again first half against Tottenham, soon as we put on Mata e play like Champions. Still trying to making a poor attempt at starting a fight, well done.

See, playing Mata means that we can actually play good football. Hopefully this convinces Jose that Mata should be a nail on starter.

Got to take the rough with the smooth.

In some aspect this was not a good game from him. But there were a few incidences where he made a defence splitting pass that no one else in the squad can provide on a regular basis. Jose, even if he does not rate him, must (imo) try and get him involved in the first team becuase he privdes that spark of genius that can get us goals (especially when the opposistion play two banks of four and sit deep) that others so far have not shown us.

A not spectacular but efficient display. Shout outs to Torres, Bertrand and Mark Schwarzer. All played very well and the former two argued why they should start against Tottenham instead of their underperforming colleagues. Willian was really poor though. Greedy in the boxand not showing enough creative talent to justify his £30 million price tag. The rest were very, very average.

I bet you Eto'o will start against Spurs.

Of course you have a point, but that could be attributed that teams like Fulham basically play so deep and clearly just hope to get a draw that having more possesion is a certainty, but even then I felt that there was an air of being overly cautios (fullbacks not making overlapping runs, wingers not taking on there man etc). But then I look at the Manchester United where we played so rigidly and defensively even though this Man Utd team under Moyes is absolute clueless it baffles me what he was thinking. Of course this all speculative and it will be a matter of time on what type of football we will be playing in the next few months