Barbara

I don't think it's up to discussion that pre-season time is used by the manager to assess his options and team, test tactics, get to know new players, etc... I think what's been questioned by Choulo is that the pre-season matches - or at least the very first of them - aren't about players causing impressions on Mourinho and more about match fitness. There's fitness and match fitness. It's one thing to get your body ready and reacquainted with the physical demands of a season (long term) and another is match fitness (short time). After a few weeks without the usual physical activity, the muscles 'go loose' again. the many subs in the first few matches isn't only about testing and seeing everyone in action, but also about getting used to 90-minute matches. It's rare to see a field player in the first couple of pre-season matches play for 90 minutes. Kevin de Bruyne stopped featuring in the team and ended up leaving altogether because of what Mourinho saw in training, not in pre-season matches where he was one of our best players last season. He gets to know those players better in training sessions more often than the first pre-season matches. I do think by the end of the pre-season preparation the matches played - normally against more difficult teams - there's more at stake in the matches, but right now is more about fitness indeed. There's also the kind of player - like Hazard (according to many Belgians here) - that just can't take a friendly the same way as an official match. Their motivation may be different - even for the youngsters (although probably opposite to the seniors in this case), they want to be careful and not get injured during pre-season (the exception seems to be MvG - who's been a beast), etc... there are many factors (imo) that make those first few pre-season matches more about fitness than anything else.

I'm not comparing the talents, but how it's handled. Boga definitely seems something special - whereas I agree Lucas is nothing out of ordinary - but I think lack of stability detracts their development no matter how good, ordinary or special they are. They're kids in formation, how can they be properly formed if different people, with different philosophies are telling them different things each step of the way they take? Many times one manager or league will demand them to unlearn or forget what they just learned in the previous spell because of styles. After you're a mature player, it adds to your repertoire and you can be more versatile. As a kid in formation it can be confusing and the lack of continuity may even lead to being a guy that doesn't do anything particularly well as he tried a bit of everything, but didn't have a chance to really go deeper in anything.

which should be reason enough for us to review some of our loans lately. It's bad for a player to go to a different team, manager, league every 6 or 12 months. It disrupts their development imo. Courtois should set the example that stability is absolutely relevant and maybe even mandatory for a player's proper development. I don't like our policy of loaning those young players to different clubs and let alone leagues every year. Look at Piazon, he played a bit for us, then Spanish league, then Dutch and now he's going to German league. Those four leagues differ a lot in style and he's been used at least in three different ways (positions) in two and a half years. How can we expect him to develop properly if he's been thrown around with different philosophies, ideas, demands every new season? The same applicable to Nathaniel, that has wasted a year at Forest after a successful loan at Watford. Why not keep the kid there or bring him back for good? That's the only mistake I see us doing lately with the loans, especially the kids with more potential and talent.

there are differences - more than from English spoken in the US and UK. The way they commonly call a young lady for example is the same word we use for a bitch or not reputable woman (although we don't use it commonly). The structure of course is the same, but in terms of vocabulary - as expected for a language that isn't internationally used as English is- it has many different words used for the same thing and the same word used for completely different meanings. Now as for Spanish and Portuguese I'd say it's same between German and English? The former are Latin languages, they have a lot of words that are similarly written, as the latter as anglo-saxons share the same, but grammar rules tend to differ. So while many, many words share the root (there are plenty of false cognates too), the way it's spoken and used differs considerable - although imo Portuguese and Spanish are the closest latin languages (compared to French and Italian).

the tree-player limit from a team never sucked so hard. I wanted to have at least Luís, Terry, Fàbregas and Costa in my team. Had to go with only Luís, Azpili and Cesc. I can't afford Costa now, but soon I will in exchange of one of the defense guys for him (although Chelsea defense is synonymy of easily earned points every match day). Eventually I'll have Hazard too, but he's a slow starter (or used to be), I don't think he'll shine in the first few match days. I'll replace Cesc for him, as much as it hurts.

yep, that's one of the best things about it (in addition to him being a beast defending). That's what I addressed in the live match and post-match threads about having someone to do smart movements around him. The kids - and God bless them - tried, but they haven't developed that instinctual, smart movement yet (they'll hopefully get there though). so you could see Luís presenting himself to receive the ball in good positions, but the link up didn't happen because the wingers didn't do the most natural and expected movement. With chemistry and those smart runs and movement (only thinking about Schürrle doing them and Luís catching him makes me come undone) from Hazard and André (if he has a chance to interchange in the left a few times) we'll be very dangerous in the left side - without exposing his back as he's as fierce as they get.

that MvG tackle at 1:15 mark is just I'm in process of being in love with the boy. Luís was downright solid. I think is going to be great to have him here.

I don't mind them even if they're not common in Brazil - as far as I can say. Here we do club songs, my team (even if I don't watch Brazil football anymore) has a beautiful song made by the fans - my very fave football chant. I've been at the stadium once and when they (us) sang it, it gave me goosebumps and I cried a little, lol, but that's because I live far from my team and don't have a chance to do it week in week out. If that was the case I would have grown used to it. But I think singing during matches is one of the best things about going to the stadiums, regardless if the songs are towards the club or the players.

if Hey, Jude wasn't a tradition our rivals, we could make a short parody with Hey Judas for Fab - of course, making it clear he's a Judas for Arse fans, not us But yeah, don't want the tune to be around Stamford Bridge... we do fill our stadium for every match something (and everything else) our rivals pale in comparison to us - True Blues but a kind of Willian song - except making fun of Les Arses for him choosing us over them is definitely in the cards. It'd be perfect. Make it happen Londoners!!!!

I had fun playing it for the first time last season, but not as much fun as it could have been if we discussed and bantered about it. I hope this thread becomes more active this year. It's fun to pick the players and all, but it's even more fun to banter around about it

And I'm sorry if I offended you. You called his actions on his beliefs moronic (maybe even the beliefs themselves as your statement was too succinct and up to interpretation)... I feel that's disrespect and I may have disrespected you back. So for that I'm sorry and I apologize. I could have worded it differently, but at the spur of the moment I didn't. I'll edit it. As for the second part, my idea wasn't to patronize anyone. There are beliefs around that think sacrificing your first child is not only acceptable, but a privilege. I could never understand that, I would oppose to that politically if it happened here in Brazil, I'm all for human rights, the same way I don't understand wars made in the name of religions. It isn't something I understand because it isn't part of my culture. I know Europe grew more secular in the last two centuries. I have a major (even if incomplete) in Theology where I've learned that, it's no offense or assumption, is a fact. I just pointed out that as the culture changed, it may be hard for people to understand such things. Of course not as hard to understand and accept human sacrifices and wars (I think few would understand it), but in much lesser extent for a lot of people an athlete starving himself before/during matches and during training sessions would make little sense whatsoever and it could be hard for them to understand why he does it. I wasn't judging, I was trying to understand where you could have been coming from (I don't even know - or want to know - if you have any beliefs yourself, how could I patronize you about it?), but at the same time we have to respect his decision. Calling him (or his actions) moronic because of that is harsh when it's one of his universal rights. Again, I apologize, TOPTB if my post was offensive or disrespectful. I'll edit the first part and I hope you were able to understand what I meant with the second. As for the kind of conversation you'd like to engage with me, if you judge that wouldn't be a topic to discuss over because of whatever you may have noticed about me, it's your prerogative and right - even to judge what type of person you think I am. I hate discussing beliefs either way, so chances are you wouldn't have a chance anyway. My beliefs are mine and everyone else's are theirs, they're not up to discussion unless it's relevant and the only time it's relevant it's when someone is curious and wants to learn more about mine and come to me (privately, I don't discuss them in detail publicly - only superficially as I did in my hotseat when asked about it). I don't expect that to happen in a football forum - despite it already having happened twice through PMs here on TC. Per my experience with you, I don't think that would be the case, so I guess we'd never have that convo and I don't think we're missing out anything.

Data until September 2013 can't be counted as a whole season. It means until two seasons ago Cech was better... currently is anyone's guess as Thibaut had his best season so far and probably improved those stats... then again so could have Petr

I stand corrected then Either way, it's his right to choose to do it, and I don't think in a moment like the first couple of weeks of pre-season it's a huge factor or detractor. He'll be fine physically the rest of the season.

It's uncool calling his beliefs/actions on them moronic... What's the problem fasting in two weeks of pre-season? Players did it during the World Cup, why doing it during a few worthless game should be held against him? I get it that people in Europe don't feel that spiritual these days and it's hard for them to understand people making sacrifices in the name of their beliefs, but respect towards one's beliefs is universal, regardless of how secular, agnostic and non-believer one can be. I don't think two weeks of fasting will affect his pre-season in such a way his whole season is compromised. That said I don't believe some of the issues he showed had anything to do with fasting. If he could run like he did, but didn't know what to do with the ball or had bad finishing it has more to do with lack of rhythm and/or confidence than something physical caused by his lack of energy/food.

I find it interesting that a JoséXXXX where XXXX were some numbers, from Germany, was banned a few weeks ago for name calling and racism would have worded it just like you did now. Learn how to respect others.

that's his biggest chance right now and he seems to be wasting it. Maybe he's overwhelmed? Feeling the pressure? Either way, I'm not panicking yet, but he's wasting a golden chance. I really like Baker and Aké from our youth and I think they should be in the senior team as we'll need to register a few youth players to fill the homegrown quotas in EPL and UCL. I'm not so sure about Boga only because maybe a loan would be more beneficial to him. we'll see. Brown could stay as well, but we need to see the positions we actually need replacement, if we're keeping the boys. I think we're stacked in his position. My biggest joy in this match was watching a confident, daring, bold, giving-his-all Marco van Ginkel. I know he wants to impress to keep his position and may have been a tad too eager, but the way he's played the first half has more than assured his permanence with us imo. Either way, it seems like his confidence is unshaken after a very serious injury at age 20. That shows a lot of character - the kind I like. I really liked Luís too and I can't wait for players other than the ones we had today to receive his passes and link up. The kids are still very much green - most of them - they don't have movement awareness yet - which is fine - and they don't do the instinctive run and movement. They were a bit lost at times, moving to the opposite side, not offering the better position to receive the ball, but that's all part of the learning curve. It's complicated to say Zouma had a good first half and was bad in the second when the opposition only tried something more solid in the second. It may seem harsh, but when he was proved, he failed imo. I'm not writing him off, I'm not bashing the guy, I'm talking exclusively about this match. When he was pushed he messed up.

oh Chelsea TV guys... you didn't just compare Boga to Romário, lol There's nothing in common between them imo

that's a world class finishing if there's one

Zouma is so big and scary. It's really intimidating

I want Marco to be careful, but damn it, when he made those tackles I wasn't flinching, I was getting goosebumps. That's the kind of physicality I love in the game. It's beautiful to watch. So yeah, let's pray and hope he doesn't get injured, but I love seeing those tackles. It shows he has balls and clutch - two things I love. It shows passion too.

van Ginkel was the best player in that first half. Salah is a bit out of it. He makes the runs, but he turned around himself a few times to get in the right side of to receive the ball, it was weird. Seemed out of place. His final pass or finishing was as much as off too. Baker did very well as did Luís.

Eden's (in the one in the pic)

how many times has he said 'important'? That's how he starts and basically finishes every and all of his answers, lol

enter the Matrix. Where do we take the red pill? Or was it the blue? That's so 90's of you, Adidas. But I don't hate it as much as I thought I would.

He seemed constrained, nearly embarrassed talking about the #3 in his interview, like it was a legacy Cole left here... but then it was supposed to go to a 19-yo center-back? it makes no sense whatsoever, but it makes more sense now