Barbara

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.

was about to post the same. He's changed completely the dynamic. Matic's hard work stopped being wasted when Oscar came, there was more space for the guys ahead of him and he gave support to the pivot, as he always does. But there are some people that seem to only be able to see the assists and goals. But even in that case he gave two key passes that should have been turned into assists. With him in the pitch Tottenham couldn't find space anymore. Compare Tottenham actions in the first and in the second and then you'll realize as DDF said that he completely changed the whole dynamic of the game. That's why I think he played much better than recently. And he also tried to link up with Willian and Hazard (even Eto'o) in a much more incisive way. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. I don't think he's missed three chances of goal either - as Rapha said - I think he's missed one, that cross I guess Ramires or Willian provided. the other two were plays that required him to dribble or pass by an opponent and they beat him or something. I don't remember properly. But he's been ineffective in the last few matches even in things he never fails, so it's a good sign that he improved his level. I still think people should watch the two halves carefully, and then pay attention to him in the second to see that he wasn't just another passenger.

while not even close, the one thing that comforts me about UCL games is that Mourinho is very likely to use Luiz in the position, which already improves significantly any combination between Ramires, Lamps and Mikel. We'll still miss his impact, but I think to a lesser extend if Luiz is fit.

and my fave thanks to @iceman and from tumblr

He's played MUCH better today - bar his finishing. Which is saying a lot from his recent form as he was still far from brilliant. I think he linked up very well with both Hazard and Willian as well as Eto'o and later Ba. I want more of this, I want more than this and if his presentation as well as Willian's is showing where they're headed, then I think they're recovering form just when we need them the most. I hope they continue from where they stopped there today. Unlike Hazard I don't think the main detractor to their form is motivation, I think Willian's been struggling to adapt to the league and was a bit nervous and uptight because of his spot in the NT being threatened and Oscar's really, really tired, still adapting to the physicality. But I think they're motivated just fine. They just need more time. Oscar might need a special work to be done with him if he continues to struggle with the physicality and the weather, as those are the things he's struggling with according to Mou.

a like as a consolation prize I think he was really good. Remember at the end of the first half when he's got the rebound from a corner (or a fk) and he's tried to dribble the defender and actually succeeded on it and at last moment the defender deflected for a corner? It was near the corner flag. That's something Mikel would NEVER try to do, he'd try to pass several meters behind him, in the sideline either to a FB or whoever in that zone. He offers something else, and while I don't think he's right there with the modern DM he's a great asset. Actually the modern DM who can pass, dribble, set up a counter or start an attack is the #8 guy in the pivot, rarely the #6 and Nemanja is a #6. He's a beast. One of my fave players in the current squad.

surprised to see no one posted here yet... Willian had his best creative match for us imo. He was really going for the tricks he did in Shakhtar. He's got three long balls (two to Hazard and one to Ramires) that were precise and very well done. He also worked so well with Oscar and Hazard in other occasions. I think he might be getting into his best form under us since he's joined. Right when we need him Very, very good match. I would have picked him as my MOTM if it wasn't for Samuel. I'm very pleased to vote for Eto'o though. I love the guy. Both of them

I edited my post before you posted Also my heart is already yours, and I said I'd bet parts of my body he'd say some of the things we were saying and he said we couldn't dominate I also said that, so there, I win the bet, all my body parts are still mine, but I gave you my heart a long time ago, it came with a hug

http://firstrowsports.ge/?watch/81471/1/watch-chelsea-tv.html Mourinho's speaking now at Chelsea TV btw Choulo, he's just said we didn't dominate in the first half hahahaha, happy I'm keeping all my body parts intact Actually he's said a lot of things we did - including the Oscar part, the getting control of midfield. So yeah but I'll give to you he said he was calm and the team was calm too. I wasn't, hahaha edit: BRILLIANT comments by Mou in that interview, I'm laughing my arse here. Said Azpili had Walker in his pocket, hahahaha

You guys keep tempting me. I'm only a girl and you're all... well you and many Bring it on, Jay. A friend of mine will do some homemade for me too. Then it's your turn Also, all of you boys, today's is Women's day

all beers taste like pee to me, Tom. I've had Irish, German, some special American thing - Indian Ale or something, a few mainstream ones. They're all like drinking pee indeed

call me optimistic, but we may have already be declared champions - at least unofficially with a lead of maybe 4-5 points by the time that match comes love, I don't drink beer. They all taste like horse piss for me, but that was the best among all the pee I've drank

can't quote you @iceman because the live thread is closed, but remember when you posted this and said he was going to change the match because of that? Well, it happened that's still the funniest shit ever. The way he widens his eyes, I'm laughing my arse here

someone here told me to try Heineken, so I did. Don't remember who. Well, I'm sure I won't find Belgian beer here

If Eto'o wasn't so frigging class, I'd give the MOTM to Willian. Seriously, it was his best minutes for us in terms of creativity. He was very carefree. He hates Tottenham (yeah, it's the 345874987546th time I say it today, but I'm drunk too to make @Stingray some company. I'm naturally drunk most times.

blame Chelsea official account, they did it, not me I tried a Heineken yesterday!!!!! It's the best beer I've ever had, beers are still horrible though

three goals? The first goal he contributed with nothing... then he took the penalty, he passed to Oscar in the third, but the fourth was a Sandro mess... did I miss something?

I do hope this match was the final testament Mourinho needed to never ever - especially AT HOME - to play Ramires in the wing. We were absolutely toothless in the first half. Our midfield was dominated by them... that's a shame on itself. We didn't know what to do with the ball. We had a couple of counter - one at 20 seconds and another at the end, but that was it. The rest between was either shit or Spurs. Even if he didn't have a match like he did at the start of the season, Oscar coming changed the match because at least we had a balanced midfield. We weren't going for nonsense long balls anymore and the troubled transition. We had the ball in our feet and we started playing. Then shit hit the fan, lol, that's one of the most bizarre matches I've ever seen, but that's also how champions win matches. Some playing poor piss, some with lucky and some with some surreal stuff such as this one. Spurs' defense is a joke, but Eto'o's celebration is funnier Ba's scored two goals and might make the dream team of the week in the Fantasy Also, Willian-Oscar-Eden had a good understanding once Willian got into the match. They have to start next match because they simply earned it. I think Willian might be more relaxed now that he's likely to go to the WC. Doesn't have to worry so much with impression Scolari here, as he did a very good job in the NT. Oscar played well for Brazil and it seemed to have carried on here, despite his poor finishing today. But one step at a time. Now it's the crucial part of the season and the right moment for them to pick form again. The title is our to lose... and this man has my respect

HE HATES TOTTENHAM HE HATES TOTTENHAM HE HATES TOTTENHAM