Barbara

the matches are far and apart for most of it. If they regress from last season - after qualifying to knockout for the first time and once again they get out in the group stage, their morale will be down. They'll drop more points in the league because they've been dodgy and struggling a bit. When Aguero doesn't bail them out of the jail they actually have a hard time to win - especially away from home. Aguero can't stand to play physically throughout the whole league, he's likely to have a few muscular issues from now til the end. So I don't see how we having the eventual midweek match is a problem, especially because after we receive City at Jan 31 three weeks before the first knockout UCL date, we have quite the manageable schedule, meaning we could rest some players in the league matches. The ones in bold are the matches closest to the UCL tie February: Villa (a) Everton (h) FA Cup (if qualified) Burnley(h) (UCL R16 match before or after Hull match depending on draw) Leicester (a) March: West Ham (a) FA Cup (if qualified) Southampton (h) Hull (a) (UCL R16 match before or after Hull match depending on draw) April: Stoke (h) QPR (a) UCL Quarters Man U (h) - this match will probably be moved if we qualify for FA Cup SF as they're played the same weekend UCL Quarters Arsenal (a) May: Palace (h) UCL SF Loserpool (h) UCL SF WBA (a) Sunderland (h) So I think the fact we may have 7 extra midweek games that City don't, doesn't give us a disadvantage because we have quite the favorable schedule, with games at home, against mid table or relegation fodder sides... We don't travel to play QPR and Arsenal away during April, so I must say I think our schedule looks great, who cares about City? WE take care of our business and we'll have an even larger lead over them...

We have a 8-point lead having already played at their stadium. If they challenge us in the league is due to our incompetency not because they're resting the during the week. UCL affects only seven weeks in the knockout stages... so the sooner and the further they get screwed up the better, no questions about that imo

Someone recently brought up Jose's record of signings in January and it's pretty low. We had a DM situation last season . We definitely don't have an AM situation right now. We actually have three players - four if you count Ramires to play there. So I don't think the situations are comparable at all. Prices in January are inflated, the club's philosophy has been to spend wisely so unless we're activating some release clause to hijack someone's business I can only see us selling...

I think Mourinho could have answered in many other ways if he wanted to mask his interest. A straight 'no' answer is a real no imo... I don't see us going for him in the winter window. Actually saved from injuries, I don't see us buying anyone in January and I'm not sure we'll enter the auction for him in the summer window. I don't think we're going after him at all.

it's impossible... working with him full time, day after day they saw everything he does to motivate players, they saw how he prepares his training sessions, they saw his philosophy. The thing is he's a genius, especially tactically and that one doesn't teach to another, even if they try hard. It's like a talent such as Hazard, you either has it or you don't, you can't teach someone dribble like that, it's inherent to them. Mourinho's understanding of the mechanisms of the game is something special. People can learn a lot of things from him, but that's his. Someone would have also to have the same to be able to be like him, but then again they wouldn't have learned it from him either, they would have been born with that.

I'm choking on my own spit laughing

Chelsea have more points than Liverpool and Arsenal combined. Good days to be a Chelsea fan

So often we see the players using the same words Mourinho does, and then you can just be sure that he isn't speaking that for media and telling a completely different story in the locker room. I feel like this is what he tells the players - "For us to be comparable to Invincible Arsenal, Chelsea of 2005 or anyone else, we have to win things first because those teams were champions. So let's make sure we keep biting strong, winning, looking for the win at all costs, then we'll win the league and maybe be even considered bigger than those other teams". At the same time he's saying there's no parameter to make the comparison he's also fueling them up to be even better than some of the remarkable winning sides were. I just loved everything Fabregas said in the interview... his will to send even a bigger message to our rivals is all I want too. I'm positive the others have the same way of thinking and I feel it's only a matter of time before we start capitalizing our chances more. CAN. NOT. WAIT. Although I'm very happy with the team now regardless.

it was so clear the boys were having a lot of fun there. It's one of my first comments post-match. They had a great time... I loved it

who said anything that could even remotely imply we beat RM? People are actually very contained in their reactions. Some of us just said we played magical football in the first half. Is that the notion that gives you that idea? People complain we don't play beautiful nice football then we go there and play and then they look hard to find something else to complain. Whatever shit you want us to believe, there no big team to have beaten us in the last two seasons in the league, so why don't you wait for it to happen before you came her spout this? So City, United, Liverpool and Everton away weren't tests, it's coming the next months. I wonder who that is... Arsenal and Spurs away? Sorry, mate, you make no sense whatsoever. can't see it, can you post a direct link pls? Thanks in that case unless the Saints really keep it up for 38 rounds, we have a 7-goal advantage over our 'closest' rival for the title. We have one over Southampton too, not to mention four points. And how many times has the league been decided on GD?

1) said no one else in the whole world, not even the culès themselves. 2) just stick with watching the best than ever Barça then because I think you haven't been watching Chelsea anyways

This makes him have an incredible 65.6% of his shots on target and a goal conversion rate of 34.3%. Both are outstanding... not to say the 1,1 goal average per game played...

Fabregas nearing one goal-contribution per game. What a signing... it never gets old to praise him

And we've reached the 30-goal mark as we enter 30-point mark as well (30 and 32 respectively). To think last season in the whole term we've scored 71... It's a jump from averaging 1.86 per match to 2.5 and I can easily predict a few big leads for us this season. It feels so good.

He played well again - which is a relief, as I wasn't so sure how he was physically. Let's hope he wasn't in pain. Something I noticed, especially at the second when we took the foot off of the pedal is that the players were simply passing the ball from one side to the other while we were surrounding WBA box, but none of them positioned themselves to penetrate. Than Cesc came and received the ball centrally looking forward and you could see how the players' posture completely changed. Oscar, Costa, Willian, Hazard, even the fullbacks approached or entered the box waiting for him to deliver his magic. It's like the rest of the players know that when he received the ball in the final third, out of the box, something good could come from his foot. Another assist (unbelievable) and another good match by him. The sky seems to be the limit for this guy. And as I said in my prior post in this thread, it feels like the team plays much better when Cesc is playing well. Today was yet another example of that.

His chance conversion continues to be unbelievable, though he had a couple of unlucky shots today that could have added to his goal average. 11 goals in 10 matches is unbelievable and I think if he received more the ball he'd be even better. Sometimes it feels like our AMs are too focused on passing, setting up the play or just taking shots themselves to catch him moving. His movement is always so amazing. I feel like once we really mature as a team (we aren't there yet) he'll score even more. We'll play nonstop now til the end of March when there's the next International break. I feel like the team will progress a lot in those months, with the matches piling up. The players will have even a better understanding between them and one of the players to benefit the most about it will be Costa imo. His goal was so nicely taken, he's so precise, so direct. It's such a blessing to have this guy playing for us. I hope we start feeding him more as time passes (we did it very well in the first, but I feel in the second, we didn't give him too much to do).

Great match by Oscar. He's been maturing so quickly these days (I mean his game). He's been improving his vision and passing drastically over the last few weeks and here is hoping he carries it on throughout the whole season. In that DM article Mourinho claimed he reached new levels personality wise as well as technically, so maybe fatherhood helped and he put the anxiety about being a daddy, playing a WC at home, proving his value to Mourinho and everything else behind him. The fire proof is coming as winter comes, but I feel like he grew a lot compared to last season and he seems more composed, more confident and more daring. The assist to Costa was fabulous (Fab style actually) and there had been a couple other passes that were simply magnificent, showing great vision, creativity, precision and touch. Hopefully he keeps improving. If he does (and I can't talk about his ceiling because sometimes it feels like it's so high and in others like it's not far away), with Hazard also being magnificent, I think whoever we have in the RW simply won't matter much. Those two at their best can produce some magic - although through completely different styles.

The players just came back from international nonsense, so I think it was a nicely taken win - easy, fun (for the players), in control. Of course, it feels like in the first half alone we could have doubled the lead, but this isn't the season we're breaking records and I don't think GD is something that will matter in the end. The only team close to our GD (and points) is Southampton and unfortunately I don't think the Saints will keep it up (although if they finish the calendar year among the top four I can see them ending the season there - they have a complicated schedule starting next weekend). So while you may feel frustrated that the scoreline could have been more imposing, the way we played also matters. Isn't that what some people here complain all the time? About how we play? I don't think there's much to complain about how we approached the match. Needed more luck than accuracy in the chance conversion imo. Foster had a worldly and I'm just happy. Top of the table, comfortably, November about to finish... let's hope for a great December

that's offending Mourinho's brain... how could the alternative to Cesc be Paulinho if he doesn't get to be a regular even for Spurs? I don't see a player that would have replaced Cesc at the same level, but there's no way Mourinho was thinking of Paulinho as an alternative

it's a shame we'll win this only 2-0... I'll take the clean sheet, but this could have been at least 5...

bring Remy for Wilian and let's play 4-4-2

wow, that pass by Oscar was just mouth watering. He's surprising me with those chances created tbh

I don't feel we aren't leading by more now because of over-complication. Foster had a worldly and Costa was unlucky in a couple of very clean shots. None of those shots as far as I remember involved over-complicating things... but yeah, it'd be a shame if we didn't finish 5-0. We deserve at least 5-0. Let's hope the boys carry on the high rhythm.

the wink to Cesc is so lol Hazard really needed this open play goal.

the thing is the guy jumped with both feet, if he by mistake hits Diego instead of the ball first, he breaks his legs and he can never play football again. So looking that way, it's a very dangerous tackle.