Barbara

Phil Dow can take the piss. cunt edit: wow Mikel has been horrendous in only a few minutes. Figure it out!!!!

Iva

Mikel should come for Oscar

I love it when our players prove me wrong

FUCK YEAH DROGBA!!!!!!!

I can't believe this shit

Come on, Chels!!!!!! Let's win this!!!!!!

I can't decide what's worse, the game we played or the comments here. Usual suspects all around sprouting their BS. I do think we played poorly, but that was basically to players playing like crap. Mourinho set the team well, it's not his fault Oscar, Willian and Fab can't pass and Hazard can't pass when he should instead of dribbling. Two amazing dribbles sequences by him ended with him taking one too many dribbles, allowing United to compose themselves and creating nothing out of it. Still he's been our best player by far... but poor decision making all around.

our decision making has been horrendous. don't know who's worse tbh Cesc having a horrible match and what Willian just did with that counter makes me want to bang my head in the wall until I see blood

Haven't seen our players looking this nervous and erratic this season...

what was Willian thinking? The only purpose for him playing is giving us defensive stability, not ball watching.

Look, I'll support any and every player in our team, but I really don't feel like Drogba is the player to start this match. He's been terrible so far, he's not even a shadow of himself. He's never done that well against United (20 matches, 3 goals scored), hopefully today he'll score today, but I'm not excited about it at all. I'm quite disappointed and concerned. Which doesn't mean I don't love Drobga, or that I think he's horse crap. He just isn't the man for the job imo and I really hope he proves me wrong.

which is why Willian is there and not Schurrle

There are your confirmations... if Gary said Costa didn't arrive with the team, he isn't there.

Actually I know many people that think the opposite, they don't see what's so amazing about him. Had endless discussions on Twitter in the past defending him from people that say 'oh yeah, the little dribbler in your team that sometimes - against the middle table teams - decide to run a little show'. What is so hard for people to understand is that all of this is perception, each person in the world will have a different one. Bottom line is Hazard, Mourinho and even Hazard's father already commentated about these two areas he needs to improve. But I guess they have the right to comment whereas people who aren't close to him don't. I lost account of how many times ONLY THIS SEASON I've seen Mourinho and Hazard saying he needs to be more consistent and have a killer instinct. Because what can I think when Hazard and Mourinho say 'I need to do this/that every match' 'I need to start every match in a mission' 'He needs to start the game and do something amazing, direct' 'He needs to do that every match', they're talking exactly about those two things (ofc I don't remember the exact words each of them used, but a quick search would give it). So I guess there are at least three more people in the group with me.

yes, day light saving started (or ended) today at midnight in England, clocks went back one hour.

As you love stats, provide me one (from a reliable source) saying how many of AdM assists came from set pieces if most of their set pieces were taken by Ozil, Ronaldo, and even Alonso. I won't be surprised by the number you may find out, but you certainly will. Angel took set pieces there, but he was 3rd or 4th in the pecking order between corners and free kicks. Now who's talking about a team they haven't watched? Where have I ever said Hazard performed 'for a couple of months last season.'? I thought wording the phrase 'long periods of being outstanding' actually gave the idea of long periods, not exactly two months. What I call explode is a guy that wins matches week in and out for a team, like Suarez did for Liverpool last season. I think a lot of people on this forum turned Hazard's potential as something he already achieved. I'm not even slightly implying or saying he hasn't been great, but he hasn't exploded yet imo, one of the reasons for that is consistency and another is lacking that killer instinct. He's in route of making huge progress on both fronts so far this season. If he keeps it up for most of the season, diminishing his quieter moments from months to weeks, I'll call it amazing progress (he's been quiet from November-february in his first season here after a meteoric start and then unplayable from late February-March til the end of the season; on his second season he had a slow start, blossomed around november and carried it on until early March, then he slowly went quieter and quieter). I love Eden Hazard, I wouldn't trade him for di María or any other player in the world. I like him just the way he is. That doesn't mean my feelings for him will cloud my judgment and make me look at him and see in the present time the player he one day is going to be (hopefully)t. He's been amazing, but he isn't anywhere close to fulfilling his full potential (and that's not me underrating him, quite the opposite, if he's been this good without being even close to fulfill his potential, the sky is the limit for when he's on his peak). You call him 'future Ballon d'Or winner' as if such a thing existed. You're using his unbelievable potential, the flashes of what he's already showed here and at Lille to label what he is now. Let's have a Ballon d'Or winner label on him when he makes the top 3 voting and actually has a chance of winning it. Until then calling him a future Ballon d'Or winner is empty words that actually mean nothing about his present. At present time, no Hazard, imo, hasn't exploded, not even close. Look at Robben - a player with similar qualities (although Eden has potential to be better imo) and try to point out the moment he really exploded. Was it here? When he played in Spain? In Germany. Pinpoint that moment and compare (as you seem to love to compare players) to what Hazard effectively does now. Maybe then you'll understand what I meant. A guy who's exploded is a guy who decide the big matches, a guy who baits the team out of the jail every time (or most times) his team seem to fail to find a way to win or even draw a match (although I do think Robben had choker moments during his career). That's a guy who's exploded, a guy who took it to the next level. Someone who also did that was Ribery. I expect Hazard to become that guy and he's been great for us so far, but he's not there yet imo. The one who's being unreasonable about their expectations on a 23-player is you comparing him to players on their peak. I didn't compare. I didn't label him (and it does put pressure on a player) as a future Ballon d'Or winner. I didn't look at him and see the best thing since sliced bread at present time. I'm giving him plenty of time to develop. I said a few times in this thread during this season that I'm seeing progress compared to last season, that I can finally see him being fired up, showing tenacity, improving his approach of matches. I look at him and I see a work in progress. You look at him and see him just under Messi and Ronaldo. Sorry, he isn't there yet. If he was he would have led the team to the title last season, he would have made some magic and won us the matches we lost and drew in EPL when we were in the title run in. You know why he didn't? Because he's only 23, because it's not fair to ask him to do it when a lot of other players didn't either. But that's what Ribery, Robben, Suarez, Ibrahimovic and even Costa did last season or in recent seasons. That's explode imo. Diego Costa was already a good striker two seasons ago, but he exploded last season and was a vital part for Atletico winning La Liga and making an UCL final. He's carrying on that form here at Chelsea, with his incredible goal scoring record so far. That's a player that in my opinion has already exploded because he can do it consistently throughout the whole season even having a few bad matches. As I said I expect to see Hazard's quiet spells reduced to weeks instead of months - which means I'm 'allowing' him to have a spell of 2-3 weeks or even more being quiet instead of a couple of months. You made a lot of assumptions based on very vague words that were meant to be general in my first couple of posts. Then YOU made it up in your head that I made Hazard look like Nani when THIS is the first post I fully assessed Hazard as a player. until then I was just refuting di Maria as flavor of the month, the idea that if someone thinks he's a better player as it stands in the present, they are crazy, and I also implied in the last post that I think Hazard isn't anywhere near where I think he will be one day. How you translated that into him being a Nani, or me overly criticizing him it's anyone's guesses. But that's the problem in this forum anyway. One single criticism (if you can even call what I said criticism) towards Hazard is a capital crime and we're over criticizing him as you just said I am. I only said he's been inconsistent and that your stats were unfair to make a comparison as many other things should be taken in consideration. Send the cops to get me in jail. I'll repeat one more time, just so maybe you can absorb it, if I had to choose between Hazard and any other player in the world. If any other player in the world would be swapped for Hazard, I would say no to each and every one of them. There's no other player I'd rather have here and as I love Chelsea and I want the best for my club. I think that's testament enough of where I stand about Hazard and what my feelings about him are. Sorry if I'm not a blind biased fan with tinted glass over my blind eyes that could refuse to worship him 24x7. I can 'criticize' my club, my manager, my players if I think it's constructive or my perception of the reality, it doesn't mean I'm making them look the the crap that goes by the name of Nani. edit: I once broke down his goals, assists and chances created month by month last season - yeah, I had the work to do that. Go find the post in this very thread and see that the goals was just a reflection. He decreased substantially the number of chances created, barely assisted and only scored from penalties. Or go yourself to Squawka and open every single match on from March on and see how his score (rate), chances created, successful take ons and any other shit you want faded slowly until he was finally injured. As you love stats, I'm sure you'll have a great time doing that.

Dude, that's the problem with stats. Again I'm not disagreeing about who is and isn't better. You're comparing Hazard playing for Lille, at Ligue 1, taking all their penalties and having a team built around him, to a player in a team of galacticos, playing against Messi and Barcelona, in La Liga and with Ronaldo in his team. If in one hand as you say, di Maria assists Ronaldo, at the other hand, Hazard hasn't been overshadowed by such a player, neither has he played second fiddle. Then you have Hazard at Chelsea - also a penalty taker - that has yet to exploded (although he's been very good), with a lot of inconsistency throughout the two seasons he's played here. For example, his last on field goal scored last season was in the first week of February. Both seasons he's played for us he's been through long periods of being nothing exceptional combined with long periods of being outstanding. He's 23, it's not even fair to compare him to a player in his peak. But you make it look like Hazard is Pelé and di María is Robinho. I'm sorry, you may have your opinion, you may think Hazard is definitely the best player, but that's only that, your opinion and your opinion was much more likely to be accepted when you didn't decide to bring the stats to support it because those stats are very ignorantly dysfunctional (which is why I have the signature I have for a while now. Non-contextualized stats are the most misleading piece of crap in the sport). Hazard would probably have won none of those awards playing for La Liga and he definitely wouldn't have scored as many goals if he wasn't the penalty taker at Lille and then for some part of his career here. And just fyi, I've watched di María's every match for two seasons. Last season I haven't watched RM much because Perez is crazy and some of the players treated Mourinho in a really bad way. So I just couldn't watch them. I'm not talking about a player I don't know. Wherever I don't know a player I ask others about him. But I also know who to ask because there are few people at the forum I completely trust their assessment. on the contrary, I have a very strong argument. That's my opinion. It's what I think so whatever stats Cesc has or hasn't, I don't need to know, that's my opinion and I've forged it based on whatever reasons I had. Stats, Wikipedia and everything else you want to cite showing that Hazard has been better in any shape, form or condition won't matter because that's my opinion, not a fact that needs to be refuted. No matter how invalid, nonsense, stupid or whatever, that's only my opinion. Oddly enough if someone had asked me who I'd rather have in my team I'd also say Hazard. lol

yep, let's compare La Liga and playing against one of the best teams of all times with the amazing, outstanding, competitive, real tough Ligue 1. Not to say the team's official penalty taker for a while now... Right, mate. We've got it, you think Hazard is better. You can rest your case. edit: and the best part is you adding awards when di María played alongside one of the best players of all time and against a player many already consider the best of all time (I suppose Hazard would have won as many awards and would have scored as many goals playing with Ronaldo and against Messi). I'm not even going to make fun of it as much as you deserve, but whatever.... And also notice I never disagreed with your opinion about who's better, I just disagreed about your 'bold' statement that one is definitely better. IF I had to vote now on a poll, to say whoever is the best between the three, all things considered so far this season, I'd vote for Cesc... I'm not even voting who's the best player, but who's been best so far. You don't need to bring Wikipedia on me about Cesc though.

For God's sake!!!!!!!! How many times do I have to repeat I'm not saying Hazard is only flair? Look, man, I said that sometimes flair players are perceived like that. Did I say 'Hazard is perceived as better because of that?' No, I haven't. I said A DRIBBLER (no name) sometimes is perceived as being better and sometimes he is and in others he isn't. HE = A PLAYER. A being an indefinite article. What I was saying is that people were picking A, B or C as better. And some people think Hazard is better given the flair, tricks, dribble skills. Which is THEIR RIGHT. Maybe for them that makes a player better than other. I'm just saying some will pick based on flair, others on vision, others on ability to score goals. I've been keeping myself very neutral on this. I didn't pick anyone, I disagree di María is a flavor of month kind of player, he's on his peak, yes, he's struggled a bit at moments (I suppose no player can go through that in your book and the fans complaining about him). People that called him inconsistent are the usual suspects that are never patient and don't ever understand sometimes players go through bad moments. I just said whoever picks him over the other two won't shock me then I made a series of neutral comments. The way RM was set up under Mourinho di María was a feeder more than anything, he was there to create chances for Ronaldo, to balance the other flank with his pace (he's very fast). He wasn't in many positions to score. Most of the time he was there in addition to Benzema there was also Higuain. How many chances Fabregas wasted to score this season? I remember only a couple. playing in the wing, if you don't cut inside, doesn't give you great chances to score and di María more (much more) often than not dribbles and crosses or passes while running. Isn't that basic? Where's the angle he could score from? So now every AM should get in positions to score because they're attacking midfielders. Please. Robben scores a lot because even though everyone knows he'll cut in and shoot he excels on that and just do it. That was never what Angel did most of the times (although he sometimes does it). If you and whoever else want to think he's being revised and consider him flavor of the month, good for you. I don't and I left my two cents. I meant tactically and how he played the role he was given to a T. Matic is an instrumental player for us, it doesn't mean he's the focal point (although he's the boss of our midfield)

he knows how to score them. In a team with Ronaldo, Benzema and others he wasn't in the goal positions very often. He doesn't hesitate in front of the goal, he doesn't have a bad decision making in front of the goal. Given where and how he plays he just doesn't get in the positions often enough. Did I ever say Hazard is just flair? No, I didn't. Thing is a dribbler is normally perceived as a better player simply because of the flair, talent and tricks. And while that might make him better than others, sometimes it doesn't. I said clearly I wouldn't pick the best and I highlighted things about players such as Fabregas and di María that sometimes aren't given credit enough like players who dribble (although di María has quite some dribbles on himself). And just because he's definitely better in your opinion, doesn't mean is a fact. I'm not even disagreeing, but you guys always speak about players' comparisons and use terms such as 'X is definitely better than Y' as if your opinion was a fact. I like Ronaldo better than Messi. Tons of people agree with me and tons disagree. There's no definitely.

sorry guys, but di María is not a flavor of the month. He's been a key player for Carlo's success at Madrid last year, their most instrumental player after Ronaldo. I don't like comparisons, so I won't pick who's better between him, Hazard and Fàbregas... but anyone who says he's the best out of the three won't shock me at all. He's an amazing player. Cesc and di María are players on their peak, playing the best football of their careers, it isn't even fair to compare Hazard to them now. Hazard has more flair, but the other two have such amazing vision, technique, football intelligence and they are goal scorers (just they aren't too much in positions to score and normally assist).

Alemão - (german in Portuguese) is a common nickname we use for all blonde males. He probably calls him alemão. I don't think he can say German if he can't say John. lol edit: watching the whole vid now. He does say Alemão or maybe Alemán (Spanish) - which is what Cesc said.

am I mistaken or there isn't any Solanke thread in the current squad?

oh Mané - same as Mané Garrincha - scores a goal assisted by Pellé - nearly same as Pelé. It reminds me so much of Brazil's golden era.