Barbara

felt that too. He had a good debut, but ever since he's been fading and struggling more. Each match is a bit worse than the previous. That way he may tempt José to move Azpili back to the left. Hopefully it won't happen though as he's still new in the team and is adapting.

sorry then, but summing up your post here and the posts in the match threads, it seems like people are labeling Cesc in the pivot something that won't work because he loses possession and isn't fast enough to recover it based on matches when he hasn't been there for 135 minutes now... It seems like people are coming to conclusions based on the matches, not simply on their theories, but if it's only your theory, okay then. Again, the 45 minutes he played there we completely dominated the midfield and that was against Vitesse. Although we played even better when it was changed for a 4-3-3 in the second half of that match. So I misunderstood your whole post. Also the ideal 4-3-3 doesn't have Ramires anywhere the lineup against the average side. Not sure Mourinho will see it that way but his insistence on praising Cesc in every interview, the way he stresses he's a CM or someone that gives his best #8 but also with flexibility to play #10 and basically no mention of Ramires at all makes me think he'll try that. Actually he will have to cope without Ramires anyway because he's suspended for a few matches (I guess 3?) as he didn't complete his suspension from the end of last season. He's a moron.

Costa didn't get ANY service today!!!!! How can he be said to be as bad or worse than Torres when Torres had a sitter (from a cross that was supposed to be to Costa, but didn't reach him) and missed chances and Costa had nothing? He received one ball at the edge of the box and he chose to pass to Salah who was much better positioned and unmarked, but he was a bit ahead of the last defender and his goal was disallowed correctly. Costa could have shot, but that was literally the only service he's got today... a pass outside the box.

watch the match again... first, our FB didn't bomb forward. There were times we had possession in the attack and you couldn't even see Azpilicueta in the frame. I remember one interception by Werder in our attack that ended up being a deflection and Azpilicueta got the rebound. He was in the middle line of the pitch literally while the ball has been in the attack for a while already. Luís was up more times, but often when Azpili was high, he was way back. We will never have both FB bombing forward as you call it. Cesc played #10 today the full 90 minutes he stayed in the pitch. I can't connect this to what you're assuming will happen, but that hasn't happened yet as our best midfield presentation so far has been with him and Matic in the pivot. It's pre-season, the opponents aren't stellar, but all conclusions are made in people's head as they haven't seen it happening yet to base their theories simply because it didn't happen as they picture. I'm convinced we won't play him there in big matches, I'm aware he isn't that fast, but no one can say based on what they've seen so far that it doesn't work and he doesn't work because when he played there it simply worked. It may not always work - it certainly won't, but I'm actually surprised about the overreaction towards him in the pivot when he hasn't played there for one match and a half now (he played as third man midfield in the second half against Vitesse). It's okay to have theories, we all have them, but make it clear they're theories about what you think will happen, not based on what happened because that couldn't be farther from what really passed.

I don't get why people are complaining a lot about Cesc either. The first 20 minutes or so he misplaced some passes, but again he's been training for a couple of weeks, we can certainly cut him some slack. Then I see the lack of pace argument, but he wasn't at fault in the attacks against us. Matic and van Ginkel didn't work well in the first half. It wasn't clear who was the #5 and #8 and they seemed to alternate between that - a major mistake imo, a pivot should have the positions well defined and absolutely NO interchange, except maybe which side each is playing, but who's the #5 and who's the #8 should be unchangeable throughout the match. As a consequence there was a lot of space between our lines - both the defensive and the offensive regarding the midfield. That's where we lost the game tactically (the result was a mere consequence). Cesc ran almost as fast as Eden (I'll concede Eden wasn't at his best pace yet, which is expected and understandable) to that shot he chipped over the goalie. While it wasn't Usain Bolt sprint, it was far from slow. If I'm to fault his display today would have been for some passes - most of them at the beginning of the match. his supposed lack of pace (emphasis on supposed) didn't affect us where we had problems. He didn't have a top presentation, but he's one of the last I'd blame for the mess we were. I'm not denying he isn't fast, but I think you guys are overestimating his weaknesses - maybe in a way we're overestimating his strengths, but questioning his signing is too much. Suggesting other pivot players is too much. For the first time in many years we have a good depth in all possible pivot positions. The moan is not reasonable, especially over a pre-season match.

the overreaction in this thread is absolutely unbearable!!!! Get a grip, people! I can't believe I'm seeing people asking more signings, others saying we shouldn't have signed Cesc, others saying Hazard is clearly out of form. The only already in form player in the team is Torres. The sitters he missed against Vitesse and today are proof of that. Everyone else is having ups and downs because they aren't entirely match fit yet. There are new players coming (new signings and players coming back from holidays), Mourinho is making tests (we played with Torres as a winger ffs), and while things were a hot mess today, it was just that, a test. One that didn't work out. So onwards with the next idea. The squad will be complete as of tomorrow and hopefully all Brazilians (including Ramires *sighs*) and Shirley will get some minutes already on Friday. Yeah, the EPL starts two weeks from now. Two weeks is as long as our top players bar Terry, Iva and Cech have been training. Also we'll face Burnley, not City. There's no reason to panic, the moaning is disproportional and it feels like some people's fingers itch to post their negative takes. It's almost like they can barely wait for a chance to put the team down. It wasn't pretty. It wasn't supposed to be with Torres in the wing anyway. It was a test that didn't work, move on already! Some of the reactions here are so serious you'd think this was UCL knock-out stage. Yeah, the sarcasm from others may be too much (for you, not for me), but even if all those complaints make a lot of sense (most of them don't, tbh), this is a team that Mourinho is setting up now. If van Gaal already fixed Manchester United, good for them!!!!!! The only race I'm worried about is the race to the EPL title. As of now we have as many points as anyone else. God's sake, this place can damn right have its Torres moments...

oh guys, at least you made me laugh with your latest comments here. I swear I laughed out loud

Atletico de Madrid's president said they have NEVER made a bid for Torres. Inter clarified the same... I don't believe for ONE SECOND that Wolfsburg even thought about it. It's all speculation. Who in their right frame of mind would want him? Sometimes even teams start those rumors because if a player is rumored to be wanted by a few, it may lead some others to really think about him.

yeah, but when has it been reported we EVER rejected an offer for Torres? If nobody makes an offer is hard to sell him...

but in all honesty, it's not even time for that yet. Not only we don't have some of our key players back yet (or just back), but the sessions should be intense about players getting back in shape, I'm not bothered about the lack of those drills, if we're not training them that is. I'm not too concerned about those things now and while this match has been underwhelming, it's still pre-season. Yeah, we're 2 weeks away from the start of the season, but we didn't have Hazard, Oscar and we played with a dummy in the left wing. I swear I'm a second away of losing it. I just read we shouldn't have signed Cesc. fuck my damn life. This forum can be toxic sometimes....

it still isn't worse than the sitters Torres keep missing. It could be 1x1 now if it was even my mother in that rebound instead of Torres. No excuse to our defense, but our main problem continues to be having Torres in the team. Zouma is 19yo that is here to learn and grow.

but that's not our pivot today, so I honestly don't get your point? Our best half this pre-season had been exactly with them in the pivot...

did the referee just finish the match at 44:16? I mean I know this is a friendly, but he stops one of our attacks without even reaching full time? JOKE

yep, his problem is definitely lack of service FUCK MY LIFE TORRES

I'm not sure if he's the #5. It seems like van Ginkel is... Matic seems to be playing higher than Marco so far.

The team isn't playing well at all. Cesc isn't having a good match at all. No comments on Torres. The pivot isn't working that well defensively, there's a hole between the back four and the pivot. It's still early, pre-season matches are for those tests, but it looks scarily bad so far.

Torres inability already destroyed three of our good attacks and yeah, I've been counting...

Welcome to the Twilight Zone.

Now that your opinion is finally in the open, do you feel better? Is it like a weight has been dropped from your shoulders? Has this confession changed your life already?

He hasn't gotten even one RC while there and if anything I believe the referees are way softer in La Liga than EPL - soft in the meaning that they give fouls and cards more easily. The slightest contact is called a foul and therefore what here wouldn't even be labeled as a foul, there could even get a player booked.

Was checking his stats now, and it's funny that half of his shots were on goal and half not, and half of the shots on goal ended up in goals (in La Liga). So he's shot accuracy % is 50% and his goal accuracy is 50% of shots on goal and 25% of shots in general. All those in 34 matches + 1 as a sub. 108 shots, 54 on goal, 27 goals in La Liga.

he gets booked a lot, especially for a striker 7 yellow cards in 34 (+1 as sub) league matches, 2 in 9 UCL, 3 in 5(+1) Copa del Rey. But the fact he played in 35 league games and 9 UCL matches from 38 and 10 possible, means he doesn't miss too many matches a season.

with Cesc feeding their runs @Ainsley Harriott, the Emma gif is especially for you

reading the Telegraph article someone posted in Cesc's thread, I saw this in the promoted posts at the end of it. I'm posting it on Oscar's thread, as we were just talking about him and he's brazilian. I'm not going to be arsed to open a new thread http://www.babbel.com/magazine/brazilian-football-video?slc=engmag-a9-vid-in2-braziliansoccer-ob OMG, this is priceless (there's a vid in the link illustrating the plays). I don't often realize how funny those expressions actually are. I've never head of 'levar um ovinho' (nutmegged). Normally we say 'deu uma caneta' (gave a pen) for when you puts a ball through the middle of someone else's legs. Translating better some expression (levar um frango or levar um peru) is to get a chicken or a rooster. The goalie isn't the chicken or the rooster, he just got one (the goal he accepted is the chicken or the rooster) There are so many other funny things you'll hear a commentator say during a football match. I had a laugh with this article. From a fan perspective, my fave is 'pede para cagar e sai' (ask to go dump a shit and get off), we use that when a player is having a terrible match.Commentators won't say that on TV, ofc, but fans will say it often.

I think Mourinho has been sending a lot of hints he prefers Cesc as a #8. I really hope that's the case. Nobody can offer us what he does there - offensively speaking. It's like having a #10 playing as #8, with a tank behind him (Matic) and a workrate horse by his side or a bit ahead of him (Oscar) to compensate his not so wonderful (but not so bad either) defensive abilities. when we have the ball, if he occupies the space Lamps normally did (even when playing with Matic this year), he'll in a position as good as a #10. So we actually have two #10's playing against teams going overly defensive. That if we don't have two strikers as well, if Mourinho decides to move to a 4-3-3 with two strikers.