Barbara

well it seems Marco can also deliver some corners. That was superb

there, moaners, Diego Costa for you And Cesc edit: I only now realized we're playing with two strikers. Thought Torres had come for Costa. So it's 4-4-2?

4-3-3 now? (or is Matic off too?) I think I'll come undone

also let's not forget the players are very careful not to get injured. Injuries in pre-season are a nightmare... ask Mata last season. I think there's a lot of positives and I'm flabbergasted at people criticizing Costa already... and that comes from someone who doesn't even like him that much. The guy's first match for us, he didn't get proper service and he's still rusty and hell is released on earth? LOL FOREVER I still get only adverts or no, lol, it seems now they've stopped. Thanks, mate

this stream http://streamsp.com/ stopped showing the match for me... it just shows adverts vids now. Is anyone going through the same or knows how to fix it? If not, another link would be appreciated. Thanks!

Boga on the other hand can just stay... really, I can't believe he's only 17. I know it's a position we're stocked with players, and if we're going to register some of the boys to fulfill the HG quotas, it should be in a position that we may need depth, but Boga has been just great through and through. Let him play with the U-21 and registered for the competitions with the first team. He could play a few cup games

I've got my quota of Izzy Brown for this pre-season....

and we have set pieces again! Cesc And even if Matic was offside, that was very good by Zouma there

don't know what's better in this stream: the picture quality or the lack of Chelsea TV commentary. Thanks a lot, man

his problem was never in the pitch though and that's why I disagree with you. José was really disappointed with him in training. Whether the problem he saw was physical, commitment, motivation, character (more like weak/strong, not bad/good) we don't know, but that was what Mourinho said around Octorber-November or November-early December about de Bruyne. So if the problem was in the training sessions he was given as many opportunities as possible, as he trained here for a whole semester (even if he went to the Youth once). Maybe Mourinho even recognized that he could have good matches as he did against Hull, but that whatever he saw in training proved those matches wouldn't be often or that they weren't worth. For a player to deserve a chance in the matches he has to prove his worth first in the training sessions. Normally 90% of the players do well in the training (of course, taking into account their own limitation/quality) and then they are given chances in the pitch to prove they can displace some other player. At least in Mourinho's eyes, Kdb failed in the first instance. It's hard to give a player a chance in the pitch if you don't like what you see during training sessions... Which is why Mata was given chances to play whereas KdB wasn't. Mourinho always praised Mata's effort in training and during matches. It was just he didn't fit the system based on what Mourinho had in mind. IMO if KdB didn't fail in training, he'd take Schurrle position in the squad - especially because Schurrle went a period without playing because he was getting stronger physically - all more chances for KdB maybe even grab a first team spot (displacing either Willian or even Oscar when he went downhill from January on). So I think he was given chances if the reason why he didn't make it into the team was because he trained bad in whatever aspect. Spots in the team have to earned and the first place you earn them is in the training sessions. Kevin couldn't do it.

If that's true... so the player doesn't have balls to stay and fight a deadwood and an ancient (who's probably here to his benefit more than anything else) and prefers to leave and somehow Chelsea suck handling it? Sorry if that's a hard angle for me to understand. If he leaves AGAIN on his own accord is because he's a big coward. If he had high competition for the spot I'd say well, he's not the bravest guy around, but that's also a hard situation. But last year he had to fight his spot against an old Eto'o, deadwood Torres and I-can-also-score-double-figures-in-mid-tables-teams Ba. Now he has to fight to be #2 against Fernando Fucking Torres and Didier Once-Upon-a-Time-A-Regular Drogba? Sorry if I can't see a big character and personality behind those decisions IF HE DECIDES TO LEAVE. And I think the comparison with Daniel is a really bad one. Daniel proved at this club - facing off Torres competition when there was still hope about Torres - with Didier still around while he was still THE Didier Drogba. Daniel proved his worth while he was at Chelsea, not loaned somewhere else. The least you can say about Dani is that he stayed to fight for his position and then we fucked up. We can't say the same about Lukaku, can we? He asked to leave last season and who knows if he doesn't ask to leave again. Daniel had better competition when he chose to stay. A guy that runs away from fighting against Ba, Torres and Eto'o and then against Drobga and Torres doesn't deserve a place in this team if you ask me. All that said, I won't believe some twitter from a guy that gets it right as much as he gets it wrong... But as everyone here is discussing it as a done deal, that's my position. I don't believe the board or Mourinho would allow him to go (unless they plan to bring someone else to replace him), I think if he leaves it'll be because he wants it and we won't stop it. And if that's the case he's never deserved to wear this shirt anyway because if you want to take a #2 position at age 21 in club the size of Chelsea for granted and want everything handed to you in a silver tray without fighting (and then maybe what José told about Costa - who got nothing for free in his life and had to fight for everything he's conquered - was already alluding to a possible Lukaku departure, as he has all info and we don't) you simply don't deserve to be here.

why are people even linking one thing to the other (Drogba arrival and Lukaku's potential departure)? There has been rumors about Lukaku leaving since the window opened. He himself talked about it and that was before the rumors about DD even started, let alone turned to be true. Who said the board and/or Mourinho is behind his transfer if it happens? Mourinho has been clear last season that when a player puts in a request to leave, they won't deny it. I'm not saying this is Lukaku's idea instead of ours, but it's a bit premature to assume this is board and Mourinho business before 1) it actually happens; 2) if it actually happens someone - or maybe even everyone involved - talks. Remember last season when he was loaned to Everton and everyone was badmouthing Mourinho and then when he said Lukaku asked the move a lot of you still didn't believe Mourinho was telling the truth (as if it was possible for him to lie about something like that) then a couple of weeks goes by, Mourinho through a press conference tells Lukaku that he talks a lot, but he hasn't talked about the only thing that he should and then Lukaku himself admitted he asked to go? How do you think people looked after the whole ordeal was clear? Willing to look like that again? Let's wait and see what happens and if he indeed leaves, let's see who's responsible for that before we call Mourinho and the board all names. I really doubt Mourinho brought Drogba here to be the player that will have 20-30 minutes every match - as he admitted that the striker position is one they always substitute (true to almost every football team in the world).

Oh, Sam (taking the name from others, hope you don't mind), little James (also assuming from others) is such a cute little thing!!!!!! He's too cute for words, congrats man!!!!!

Well, it's nearly 2am, I arrive home to this news. I've spent the whole day out and I had no idea what was going on. Anyhoo, I was giving it some consideration... we need someone like him in the dressing room. This is the guy that fires you up from the the dressing room, from the bench and the moment he enters the pitch. Also he can continue from where Eto'o stopped being someone else to help Eden Hazard fulfill his potential. I think Eto'o's presence was crucial for Eden last year and I think Didier's can make wonders for him. Those guys have the kind of personality that Eden needs to have around him and learn from. I hope he helps him as much as Samu did. I don't think what he's done for us is at stake. This idea some have that he will tarnish and lose the perfect career he had with us is crazy imo. What could he do to even stain what he's done? Absolutely nothing. If he misses an important penalty it won't undo what's done. I don't think as a striker he adds that much. I think he adds a bit less than Eto'o because his legs seem more tired... but he's still a beast in the air and that's something Samu didn't offer for us. So maybe he could still be useful as a striker in the pitch, but his impact in the squad, in the dressing room, in the bench and in our hearts is nearly immeasurable. I wasn't fond of this, but now that the deal is done I'm holding onto the positives. If this somehow gets Torres out of Stamford Bridge for good, that's is the deal of the century. I think José is also targeting on Didier to mentor Lukaku in addition to Eden. I don't see Romelu leaving for a decision made by the club. Maybe he decides to go somewhere else, but he should know having a mentor such as Didier Drogba is invaluable.

Boga = ass hole (as in the hole in the ass, not the jerk) in Brazilian portuguese, carrying on the previous discussion about similarities between the language here and in Portugal. Not sure if there's another meaning though

I still don't get where the CTV guys took this idea that Boga is in any way similar to Romário. He could end up being one day, but this video of yours just prove how at the moment they have a few small similarities to them, but in general one doesn't remind me of the other at all.

I found out a few weeks ago that in Bahia they also call pão cacetinho. Lol

I wasn't aware of 'Jewish' involvement in those seemingly authoritarian Muslim government issues that led to conflicts, although I was aware of the Zionism movement to some extent. Well there's a reason I prefer to keep away. I'm too soft for those things and easily impressed by violence, so I never really researched about the roots of the problems. Thanks for the clarifications. I'll choose not to know further... and pray for peace

so are you trying to tell me that Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Libya and many other countries that have been through hell with their internal politics are in this situation because of a group of Jewish rabbis? Now that's new information. I thought it was an extremist and authoritarian wing of Muslims... at least as far as I've read the info media spread here Jewish were never even mentioned.... I'm absolutely surprised by this revelation.

My knowledge is very limited and while I have absolutely NOTHING against the religious Muslim and I definitely think that the situation in Israel doesn't have a right and a wrong side for a long time, they're both wrong at this point and time, it's easy to find people in the Western not sympathizing at all with the civilians being killed... But that's not only why I think there's such an 'anti' feeling towards Muslims in many places in the Western. That's only part of it, I'm not even sure if that's the biggest part of it, but I'm positive the Muslim involvement in many wars and conflicts in many other countries are one of the big reasons people can't be sympathetic to them. Yes, the situation in Israel is impossible to choose a side imo - they're both equally guilty at this point (at least from my little informed perspective), but what to say about other countries where some sort of authoritarianism Muslim organization or radical wing wants to have the power, to control everything and whoever disagrees is in the middle of the cross fire? Everyone (hopefully) can separate the normal religious person from those extremist/terrorist/violent believers, but they - the bad guys let's call them like that - give a really bad reputation to Muslim in general - even when we know most people are peaceful and lucid in their views and takes and won't resort to violence. It just gives the whole community a bad name... So when you see Muslims associated with wars and conflicts in Syria, Egypt, Middle Eastern countries, African countries, etc... is really easy for the neutral person just have a bad impression about them. I think the Western media escalates things a lot and The Jew community capitalizes on a bad situation for the Muslim... that's why so many people in the specific conflict with Israel are pro-Jews. A huge mistake imo, but it's easy to understand why it happens when the first thing many people at this side of the globe associate with Muslims is violence whether Israel is involved or not. Things couldn't be more distorted by how they are currently imo, starting with the idea that a God - whoever that God is - want people to die and be in war because of his name. Confusing and distorted. edit: I deleted an important part of the post trying to shorten it. I think Western media is biased in the Israel x Palestine conflict and it influences people. But the other conflicts involving part of the Muslim community - the crazy ones - do no favor for their name... edit 2: I am sympathetic to everyone who dies and have their loved ones killed, I don't care which side of the conflict that is, a minority has no right to destroy whole countries - physically or emotionally - because of their beliefs, whether they're political or religious.

don't know if it's true or not, saw it at some friends' but there's this site with all sort of videos about what's going on there currently and in one of them a Palestine said that the Israeli went through a village or something at one evening and said they would attack there the following day and said people should leave so they weren't killed in the process. Then civilians were getting their stuff packed to leave and the Hamas soldiers came and told them if they left they'd kill them because they need to touch the world with their deaths when Israel attacked them. I don't know what shocked me more - Israeli soldiers thinking that asking people to leave their houses make it okay for them to destroy them - or the Hamas ordering and threatening people to stay and probably die, just so their potential deaths shock and touch the world. I ask if that's true because the audio of course wasn't in English and who knows who's translated that. In the site seemingly had videos pro-Israel and pro-Palestine (or against both, you decide). Either way there's a reason why I don't try to get too much informed about what really goes on in some places nowadays. The reality is too shocking for me and I don't know even 0.01% of what really goes on.

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).