Barbara

The worst part is that he got his facts wrong. Mourinho was beating Barça as of lately during his RM spell, but whatever. Bitch is pressed because in four days they got their arses kicked out of two cups. Weeping and moaning is for free, Yaya.Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note 4G using Tapatalk

I can definitely see a battered City dropping points against Hull away. I'm not saying it'll happen, but I don't think it's unlike as some do. City are down now, their spirits completely defeated (just as their results, bahahaha), and a Hull is quite the decent side playing at their stadium. If you don't consider the off day they had against United (!!!) and the two goals we scored there, they conceded very few goals in their turf throughout the whole season, scrapping results such as beating Liverpool and drawing with Spurs. If they didn't have collective and repetitive brain-farts like Spurs defense had against us, they would have beaten (or at least drawn) against United. So I don't think City will have a cake walk after being kicked out of UCL once again. They're hangover and not the good kind. Perfect timing for them to face a team like Hull away. Then their little fixture madness will start and I think could escalate quickly if they don't recover fast from being out of the two other cups they were destined to win this season. I have a good feeling about it

a 40yo male virgin in a brothel to pop his cherry has about the same confidence City has these days. And I was supposed to believe they'd win the quadruple. But I'm sure Pellegrini will state how unlucky they were to play against one of the best teams of the century or how their fans will be comforted with at least moving into the knock-out stage. Quadruple my ass - and I'm actually happy to have stated such a month ago. Now let's watch they crumble under pressure in the EPL. All that buzz and noise for them to end the season with COC!!!!!! COC!

I'm not saying they're bad under Pep, just that they were more overwhelming with Jupp. I felt like they were more feared and teams had less hope of beating them because they were brutal. This Pep team isn't by any means weak, poor, bad, or even only good. They're great, but the style will always afford a good opposition to gamble with a result especially in UCL knock-outs. I just think last year Bayern >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> this year's Bayern, both performance and excitement levels. They're still a great team, one that is hard to beat, but I think they were nearly unbeatable under Jupp, I don't feel that as much under Pep. Now @Eligius does have relevant points about a few players. Lahm is one of my fave players in the world and is a pleasure to watch him. I'm not sure if Pep improved him. I don't know, I'll always see him as a FB... but yeah, he did a great job with Rafinha, that's for sure. if we consider RM the second best squad in the world (or the best as you do) I think Bayern's defense is better than Pepe + Ramos. it doesn't need much to be better than Pepe + Ramos. Marcelo isn't that amazing defending (although he improved 300% working under Mourinho) and Carbajal still has to prove a few things imo. And that comes from someone who dislikes Dante.

it's just @Rmpr is literally all way over me, lol, my bad

you skipped me

in all honesty, losing a title sucks either way. It doesn't matter if it's because of one goal or one point, at the end of the day it just sucks, we're bitter as hell because we're close and the talking for weeks will be the matches we drew or lost instead of 'it was only because of a point' or 'it was only because of a goal' Our chance here is City dropping more points than us... I think we'll still be behind them in the GD by at least six goals (and that's me being nice about it) to them. I do believe we have big chances of finishing ahead of them in points. If we lose the title (if is only here for caution reasons, we're not leaving the top of the table again , they shouldn't have let us get it, now they're screwed), I just hope it isn't like United lost two seasons ago. You're already celebrating and then someone scores during stoppage time. Kill me, that must have sucked monkey balls - but then it was United, so I just laughed my arse off.

And so what? If Mourinho decides to play tiki taka tomorrow I'll hate it just the same. I hate the STYLE, not the guy. I'm no Guardiola's fan, but I only hate the FSW I don't like parking the bus either, but Mourinho's pragmatic style mixed with objectiveness is something I actually like. I'll never forget a line I heard about tiki taka football: it's too much sex for too few orgasms. In that case, no thanks. I don't think Barcelona poor form has that much to do with that. Of course they felt his absence, but they were still a top team two years ago. The thing is the form of their players. Xavi, Iniesta and especially Messi had physical issues in the last couple of years and they've always been the core of their team. I'm not saying Pep isn't a top manager (nor am I now saying he is, as I'm one of those people who would like to see him work with not a super team and see what he gets from that), but imo his Bayern doesn't play anywhere close Heynckes'. That team was a machine, the way they played while not my fave style of football was exciting. Pep's boring, just like his Barcelona was boring (then again, it's my personal taste). They seem better simply because there was an incredible drop from other german sides - especially Dortmund. I've watched their matches against Arsenal and ManCity and imo that team doesn't compare to Jupp's, but as you said, it's about opinion (and I guess also taste). That doesn't mean I don't think Bayern isn't one of the faves. They just don't have the large gap they had last season compared to others. Nobody came close to them, now there are teams that can play against them equally imo. But I wonder what any of the good managers in Europe wouldn't do with the best squads in the world of football at their disposal. I'm not dismissing Pep's work, I'm just not totally convinced he's that great when the two works he's done he did it with the best teams in the world squad wise... I'd just like to see him managing a club that while one of the top, not the best. He would have convinced me of anything if he accepted United, for example, and had them leading EPL.

I said it then, and I won't walk away from what I've said when he was appointed. Pep is going to destroy this Bayern team. The entertainment is all gone. Bundesliga is a big joke and while I think they're still very, very competitive and one of the best teams in the world, that's what they are, one of the best. Last season they were absolutely the best by a fair lead and a thrilling team to watch. If he played a more challenging league, I don't think Bayern would be doing that well. Champions League is a completely different matter, but imo he's already destroyed part of the aura Bayern had. No one looks to Bayern now the way they did last season, unless the bandwagoners and the fans.

to do it Kevin style Swiss Park, Campinas, Brazil

I gave you exactly why and furthermore that's my opinion, so we're not discussing facts here. For me it's about match-ups. I think Bayern's style is less challenging for us than RM. Simple like that, never said Bayern is a better or worse team nor that it would be easy. We drew with Bayern in a glorified friendly a week after we were slammed by Real Madrid - in case you don't remember... All three teams progressed a lot since then, but I think the difficulties each team offers would still be the same and I think we can handle better a possession team like Bayern, than an explosive, offensive and mainly objective Real Madrid. You talk about Bayern not being the same team then, but you seem to ignore we aren't the same as well. I'm talking about styles, not simply about those matches, but I think one thing we can take from those matches is that RM and Bayern improved, but they didn't change their philosophies. I hope we don't get either, but between the two of them, I'd rather Bayern.

I think we can beat anyone at UCL right now except Real Madrid. Bayern would be difficult but I believe we can do it. I hardly see us beating RM right now but I believe Bayern can beat them. I guess Bayern is a bad match up for them and they're a bad match up for us because of the teams' styles. Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note 4G using Tapatalk

the problem is if it comes to GD it means they won all their postponed matches... meaning they're adding at least another three goals, making it 11. Then we'd have to keep outscoring them in the other nine. I think it's still farfetched to think about surpassing them in the goal difference. Their attack is likely to score 3-4 goals against weakest sides - which they still have to play plenty. I don't think we'll end the season anywhere close their GD, unless as I said the other day, we win 7-0 or 8-0 one of the easiest matches (if there are any easy matches to start with). The eight-goals difference with three less games is very misleading, even more than the nine-points lead.

We all know Goal.com shouldn't ever be used as a reliable source, but well, let's do it for fun anyway. They're saying Mourinho is going to sign a new CB, LB and ST as his main targets during the next window. I really wish he didn't love Ramires that much and actually replaced the CB for a top #8, but as I also said a few times, it's not going to happen. Ramires is going to stay at Chelsea forever under Mourinho. Anyway, this is aligned with what we've been talking and I do hope Shaw comes and a great striker. Now who could the CB be? I'm still not sure Varane's release clause is so low, but if that's the case, then I'd say bring him. I can't think of a better prospect unless it's someone more experienced... but we only need experience if Luiz leaves http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2014/03/10/4674683/revealed-mourinho-finalising-chelsea-summer-overhaul-plans

thanks, everyone. I don't watch Bundesliga, so I still have no idea who he is for real, but now at least I know where he came from. Sort of.

pardon my ignorance, but who the heck is Firmino?

I had this discussion a few days here. Again it's only my opinion, not a fact either. Brazilian players are light - in the style and physically by default. Hulks aren't easily found here except for defenders and from time to time a CF. Our wingers, midfielders and strikers are normally very light, used to a lot of space, with slow football and way less physical. When they go to a league like English it's a shock of reality. Why do you think Ramires took two years to really be able to cope? He said for a few months he felt like a truck ran over him after he finished the matches. When they play for the NT they normally play Brazilian style. Also the same reason they more often than not play better in Europe. The style of many countries is less demanding physically, they have big pitches and the teams are slower than what they face in England. Other South American countries are more physical, or faster or other characteristics more similar to Europe although in general South American football is about flair, talent and time to think style, while European is faster, more physical and more tactical. Tactically we're years behind Europe (generally speaking). That's the reason why. David Luiz may have had half-heartened presentations for us. Ramires, Oscar and Willian never had one. They give their all every single match, even if they suck that particular day and have dips of forms now and then

I stand corrected by the semantics of it then. I think the title has our name on it. That we're likely to win. I've seen that expression being used in tennis matches a lot of times before the matches. I thought people used it loosely in football too. When there's a #1 or #2 of the world playing a GS final against number #40 American tennis commentators often say it's the top guy title to lose. Also I'm not making any case... nor stealing anyone's thunder. That's my take on this. We're likely to win. Two weeks ago I said 50/50 two weeks prior to that I said City had the edge. Now I think we do.

Nah, we hate Argentinians, they hate to love (or envy) us, but good call If this guy didn't say a lot of nonsense about almost all things he talks I'd credit his comments on Oscar on that. But go do a search on his posts and you'll see his BS is a gift that keeps on giving... so I don't think it has (solely) to do with Oscar being Brazilian. Now all of you approving of selling him for 40m. Who will we replace him with that will start playing high level from the first day? No foreigners, unless they already play in EPL, because otherwise they'll have to go through an entire adaptation process. Then, what are your guarantees that said player will actually adapt? I can already see people saying Lallana... still, a risk imo. It's different selling a useless-to-the-system-Mata for 37 than a fit-the-system-perfectly-Oscar for whatever amount of money (it's not like anyone will offer him what was paid for Neymar, so realistically speaking, 40m already seems like a stretch of what the market would pay for him). The thing with Oscar is that he still struggles with the physicality and the weather. He's 22, just give him time and he'll flourish. English football might not have been the best suited for him (as it normally isn't for most Brazilians), but I do think he can work it around perfectly... with time and a management from someone like Mourinho. Too bad he had a season wasted here being coached by limited di Matteo and nonsensical spanish waiter. He could be further in his development and adaptation process with proper management.

Personally, when I say our title to lose, I mean that we have more chances than them, not that we depend only on our won. Ofc we don't depend on our results alone to win, but if City draws one single match, neither do they. Unless it's a situation like Bayern in Germany now and PSG in France, where they're several points ahead of runner-ups, whoever wants to be champion won't depend entirely on themselves and then we'll have to work with the odds of their rivals dropping points. We will drop points, but so will City and with three piled up fixtures and some challenges of their own coming with difficult matches, I think chances are they'll drop more points than us - and that's not even considering the pressure factor, just mathematically speaking. The moment you leave three matches behind you with three wins, mathematically you won the odds there. They're still to beat the odds, they can win, lose or draw any of those three matches by definition. It's statistical... That's why our winning % is higher than theirs, because they're yet to beat the odds. I still believe it's nearly impossible to catch up a 12 difference in GD because if it comes down to GD it means City is also winning matches and making their GD bigger. We'd have to outscore them by basically 2 every match they win and given our trustworthy clinical finishing I don't see that happening at all. Now analyzing things less coldly, leaving the numbers and math aside a bit - in the subjective side of things, they have a lot of pressure on their shoulders. They have to catch up nine points, end of the story. If they drop even one point, they know they'll have to make sure they don't drop more and they'll have to pray for us to drop. One of their rescheduled matches is the derby of Manchester. No matter how toothless United is with their Chief Clown in Command, it's still a derby - away nonetheless. That's why I say it's our title to lose. Not that we depend only on us. In theory City depend only on them, after all, they only have to make sure we don't outscore them. But what if hypothetically we win 8-0 against Villa next week, then what? Or 7-0 against Norwich? Are those unlikely to happen? Ofc they are, as much as City winning 100% of their 12 matches. I don't mean if we lose the title it's on our own incompetency of winning our next fixtures. I'm just using odds against City. They will drop points and I think oddly speaking the probability of them dropping more than us is bigger, as mathematically speaking they have more matches to play than us.

I said it and while I haven't checked all matches, my memory serves me well. Every time they had a big UCL coming, they messed up in the domestic competitions just prior to that. It was like that before playing Bayern, Barça, and now Barça again. Maybe even more as I didn't check their fixtures, but I remember those cases. They can't handle the pressure. While I think when they lose the UCL knock-out some of the press will be relieved, it'll be replaced by a defeated spirit. They're screwed imo, but we shouldn't relax at all. They'll drop points in the league, but so will we - for different reasons. But we do have a good chance here.

and then people wonder why we say they can't cope with the pressure. I wouldn't even be surprised if some of those players - even Pellegrini himself - weren't sort of relieved about being beaten by Wigan ( forever though) just so they don't face Arsenal or have still another match to add to their piled up scheduled. They'll crumble, the pressure is too much and I think it could become even worse if they lose to Barcelona. Then they'd be defeated in their spirits, even if they'd have less matches to cope with. Nine points is a lot to look at and having the obligation of winning all your matches to make sure you catch up... I don't think they can cope mentally with that.

sorry but I have to laugh at the face of those who say his RM wasn't entertaining to watch. I also roll my eyes at the lack of patience showed by you and others that want a team that had no spirit, no personality, burying its legends while they were still alive and playing to be magically transformed in the span of a few months, only a season into a champagne football as you call it. You don't need to support Bayern, RM, Barça or whoever you think plays this kind of football to be entertained. Go watch their matches and fulfill your need to watch proper football. I'm with the others that can see the change already in a lot of aspects, and being a big Real Madrid fan and a big fan of the team he's set there, I can't wait to see him do something similar and probably even better here. Saying that team wasn't entertaining, champagne, or whatever other adjective you want to add is a joke imo. You can also watch vids from the last two years we had a maestro leading the midfield to fill your quota of entertainment. I'm positive you'll be entertained too with Mata's first two seasons here. now this is an analysis I think is fair. Yeah, we've been playing bad in some streaks. It's appalling to play like we did in the last two first halves - especially against Fulham. I think at some point during December - when he saw we really had chances of winning this - he's changed his short term objectives. That interview after the Sunderland match was very telling. He admitted then he'd have to approach the game more defensively because the team wasn't ready to go otherwise. I think the mentality changed there. Although in his speech it's sort of implied he'd rather lose the title (as long as he assured his Top4 position which is already assured at this point, let's be real) at the expense of improving the team. But I think many of our players have a LOT to develop mentally. They may have won two consecutive continental titles, but their display in the league while doing it show how much this team lack a winning mentality. Those boys (some already men) don't have blood in their eyes for titles. They don't have the appetite, the hunger, the nearly obsessive will to just win. That has to be cultivated on them. Some of them are older and they have some tools, but I feel they lack the spirit. Two of his legends from his first days here were sidelined, unmotivated and fading because of the disservice some of those managers who passed here did. I think there's a lot of work to do in those players' mentality, add confidence and just change how they approach things. The first thing Mourinho has to do with those guys is teaching them how to be winners, because even winning a couple of titles, they don't know anything about it, except the ones that were here before. I think that's what separates them (and of course maturity from the boys that are still very young) from being at the level Mourinho expected them to be at the end of the season - football wise. So when he's realized his work was harder than he's expected and that maybe he'd have a very real chance of winning the title, I think he chose a more pragmatic approach and is trying to combine the mental work with the result-oriented work to at least accomplish something tangible from this season. Now, I also have to say, as much as I loved his RM and that was entertaining as fuck, sometimes it's not possible to have it all. There's a distance between those two first halves and good football. We need to present good football - which is cutting the suckery from our presentations - we don't need to be mouth watering. I don't need my teams to be like that. I want to watch them play well, to dominate, to win comfortably against weaker sides and make the stronger sides shake on their legs with the prospect of playing us. The objective is very clear from Mourinho's words since the start of the season. Abramovich wants more. He wants not only the titles, he wants to become the Barcelona of few years ago or the current Bayern. He wants to be the best team in the world, I hope Mourinho accomplishes it, but I can live without it. I can easily live with us being the same of his RM of two seasons ago (before the dressing room destroyed his work there), but I understand those who can't live with that...

Nah, he's amazing, but I'd choose Eden any day of the week over him. I already voted for Eden as POTY last year, with Mata in the team, let alone now. But that doesn't diminish how important, brilliant and amazing this guy has been for us. I think the shortest rate I gave him in the whole season for Chelsea Brasil individual analysis in the match was a 7. That's saying a lot! a guy who's consistently delivering 7.5, 8, performances with the occasional 7 or 8.5 is just immense. Why Mourinho doesn't take turns with him and Iva though? I mean, if Azpili can play out of position the whole season, they can't he switch with Iva a few times and have Iva playing in the left? I'd love to see him playing a few matches in his natural position, but I don't think Cole would cut int the team right now, nor do I think Mourinho wouldn't want to count with Iva. So at least switch them for a couple of matches.

The guy is indeed a champ and that's why the board should treat his case carefully. One of the things that the youngsters or the younger players need to add into their mentality is this winning thirsty and belief. Hazard (and someone else I can't remember, I guess Azpili?) already testified at the power this guy has in the dressing room and during trainings. We see the goals and assists he brings (I guess it's 7 and 5 respectively in EPL), but there's this whole psychological aspect we don't see but that Mourinho and a few players keep saying he brings. It's different from John Terry saying it. Eto'o is a striker, I think he's one of the keys why we saw so much improvement in Eden. Yeah, the tactical part is all Mourinho, but I credit some aspects to Samuel too. Having a guy like this in your squad is always useful. We already waste whatever wage paying Torres to be there every week and add nearly nothing. I'd consider keeping him. Also his experience can be a key factor when we need a goal to win a very important match. We could play with two strikers and bring him because not only he has the experience and I feel he also has the winning thing about him that could score us the deciding goal to win a title or to get into an UCL final for example. Whatever striker that comes to us, except Mario and the ones playing the EPL, will have to adapt to style, so having someone like him in the squad is really, really important imo. No one is fooling themselves here expecting he'll be the Eto'o of old from Barça or Inter, but he's still an invaluable asset imo for the experience and everything he can teach to our AMs and even Lukaku if we keep him next season. If we keep Lukaku is all more reason to keep Samuel too.