Barbara

Nice interview to FIFA.com http://www.fifa.com/world-match-centre/news/newsid/226/157/4/index.html?intcmp=newsreader_news_caption

the best team about this transfer is how fans from others fans are already crapping their pants because they know we're fixing one of our biggest vulnerabilities. We are where we are with two big deficiencies in our squad (in addition to the transition and maturity issues that come along). now the team is gelling up, growing, maturing and settling to the new system and in addition to that we're fixing one of the big problems we had. Some of those teams don't even need Matic, but they'd want him just so we wouldn't have him and take yet another step into making this team one of the best. Or a step to world domination

when you least expect. watch your back

I don't get why we can make things happen and get a midfielder - which we need almost as much as a striker - but Mourinho keeps saying he trusts, supports, likes Torres (he doesn't say much about Eto'o and I don't remember ever reading him complimenting Ba individually, he does say the old 'work hard strikers he can't criticize'). I think the strike position is even more urgent because through the good the bad we can defend most time and Oscar really makes up partially for the lack of a better passer and a player with a better vision in the pivot. I'm not saying we should prioritize any striker over the Matic deal. We need both desperately, so I'm just questioning why we go out of our way to get a MD but we don't do the same about a ST. Do you guys feel like someone in the club doesn't want to admit the failure the Torres signing was (out of pride) and sign a new top class striker? Because signing one midway through his contract is admitting publicly this was one of the worst business ever done in recent story of football (if not the worst). I don't get why we're so reluctant to sign a top player because it's clear both Ba and Eto'o were here to be a quick fix (and they couldn't be even that). Another possibility is them trying to protect Lukaku's position, but that makes no sense given how we have no problems packing ourselves in the attacking positions. So while this would sound an acceptable reason - to try to avoid limiting his chances and consequently his development, which may lead or not to another loan - it just doesn't fit our profile. It'll continue to be a mystery for me, but I do hope we get a top striker the next summer window. I don't have a problem with Lukaku having competition. We could have a top striker, he could be second choice and Torres - if still here (as I doubt Ba or Eto'o will continue to be) the third choice. I doubt we'll be able to offload Torres before his contract expires or is about to expire.

I think we could play 433 in some matches and through some phases during some matches, but I see the midfield triangle being the opposite as you guys posted. I see it being something like Ramires - Matic Oscar or Lampard Willian or Oscar - Hazard striker

Lex, I'll go all way to England just to stalk you and get your autograph Then I'll stalk @CHOULO19 in Lebanon and give him a hug and will end my adventures stalking and kidnapping @Steve so I can have an harem with him and Fernando, the two best good looking guys I've ever seen

I didn't make it after the first paragraph. I could smell crap coming so I just stopped

A bunch of Chelsea supporters from my city (and from a couple near here) will go to a pub to watch it. I'm SO excited. I've never watched a Chelsea match in a pub (did it a few times with Flamengo and Real Madrid and the environment was simply great). Will post pics and hopefully celebrate the win with some fellow Brazilian supporters

Why is the David Luiz deal bad when he's clearly increased his value since he has joined us? Torres yes, Luiz no. If we wanted to sell Luiz he'd go for more than we got him for. And again before you say it, there is no way Matic would've made it if he stayed here. And that's still ignoring David Luiz's services in those 3 years and the many times he's saved our sorrow arses. Gratefulness is rare to find these days... Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note 4G using Tapatalk

I don't think he's good enough for Inter, let alone for us.... also he plays as the third guy in a 4-3-3 (or simply as an AM in a 4-2-3-1 or 4-5-2) more than he plays in Mikel's position and I think what we need the most is a guy that plays #6 but who can pick passes during the match and who can improve our transition. I don't think we need much of a DLP with how deep Oscar plays sometimes, we just need a guy that can defend really well, but who can also pass and have a bit of a vision. DLPs are hard to find and I don't see any available to come...

I've cried like a little girl, I'm still emotional and he's just proved that he's a great guy, skin and bones, not some smug, cocky guy people make him out to be. Yeah he might be too convinced about his own quality I think it's more confidence than arrogance if you ask me. It bothers people he loves himself. I'd love myself too if I were him.

thanks you put it better than me. I think Guarin is more like Lampard style, which is a proper midfielder, but more attacking, and not really the guy to do both, defend and transition and sometimes go forward. Thanks for the #6 explanation. I think we need a DM that knows how to play as Mourinho would say, the kind of guy that can pick not a pass, but passes, most of them.

tbh I don't remember much of him. #6 is the same position as Rami? In Brazil #6 is the left fb and I always mix #6 and #8 in Europe. In Brazil #5 is the most defensive guy in the pivot (DM) and #8 is the less defensive (CM or MD). I suppose the #8 is the same and in Europe you call the DM #6? I'll trust you guys saying this is a good signing. We need to improve our pivot asap and Guarin isn't the answer to that. He's not a proper midfielder imo, almost like an AM.

what the hell is Messi wearing? He looks literally like some sort of clown, or is it my fangirlism on Cris showing?

that's why Fergie didn't show up. He's in the Caribe

Cris already won, guys I'm a huge Irina fangirl

Brazil well represented on the stage right now. Ronaldo, Neymar, Fernanda, Adriana...

I don't want to read the answer redcafe is no different from TC before we played Arsenal and Pool. Their fans probably came here and copied and pasted some people saying they were sure we'd lose. I do hope we beat them though, but anything could happen because big games like this defy logic and are even more unpredictable than the usual match

I don't think he had a bad match against Hull. I guess I'd like him to be more incisive actually rather than consistent as I don't think consistency is one of this problems.

actually Squawka (which is one I like the best because I can see the time when the play happened when I click on it and evaluate if I agree with them or not) gave him 16 clearances out of 16 (10 of which aerial duels), in addition to 4 interceptions. 16 clearances is just insane. 78% passing isn't that bad either. He had 8 long passes completed and missed 6 which is rather good considering the risk of a long pass. Two of those completed long passes were from the defensive half into the box. I remember the pass to Eden, but there was another at 49' and another one was from the defensive half right into the edge side of the box. If he doesn't play for us we don't have that kind of pass. I wouldn't call that bad at all. Far from it. http://epl.squawka.com/hull-city-vs-chelsea/11-01-2014/english-barclays-premier-league/matches

In all honesty? I have no idea what you're talking about... My comments were made based on a general reaction I've seen from people here and on Twitter talking about many problems we had in the first half. I think the biggest problem we had was a playing away against a very solid and organized team that used our own poison (high pressing) against us. So instead of tiring ourselves, we tired them and took advantage of their lower energy in the second. I have no idea you complained about the pivot (maybe I even read your post, but I don't remember) and I don't think it bothered me if I don't even remember it. Then in my post (not the part you quoted) I said I wouldn't talk about the pivot because it continues to be our problem and explaining why would be repetitive... do you mean that? Because I didn't explain what didn't work in the pivot because we've gone through that a thousand times. I'm at loss here and have no idea what you're talking about. Sorry.

yeah, but there are difficult matches even for Barça and Bayern on their best days. Today was a difficult match but it wasn't ugly by any standards imo. We did what we had to do, it wasn't only about being effective, but especially being in control and having patience. We knew we were the best team and we tired them out and then played our game in the second. It seems strategical more than lacking inspiration. I'll take those matches along with some great performances we did have this season already. My point had nothing to do with ugliness or inspiration, but how people simply overlooked the difficulty of the match. It was a tough match and that's why we didn't dominate, despite controlling. I think expecting that is being grounded... I didn't expect any less before or during the match. Hull is one of the best teams in the league playing at their turf and they had only conceded 6 goals there in all season (and they had a bad day in the office when they've conceded those three goals to ManU a week ago). At the end of the day we're a better team than we've been in years imo. We're progressing right now and the prospects are good. I can see some serious evolution in the style, in the effectiveness, but also a lot of maturity, calm and patience when it's required. A lot of steps in the right direction and when we're finally the finished product I'm sure it'll be more beautiful and inspiring to watch. But then again that's my take of it. I'm not one of those people who's thirsty to see pretty, inspiring football by a team. I'm in for entertaining, good football with our players have a beautiful, inspiring moment a few times in the match. I'm here to be entertained by the match and many times I am without it being beautiful or inspiring. So at the end of the day it's how you approach the sport and what you expect from it. I've enjoyed a big deal our latest matches (before this one) and have been quite entertained by them, so I'm good with the team, the progress, the style, the evolution...

Unstoppable. Unplayable. Unmarkable. UNF!!!!!!!! Now in all seriousness, he's been amazing for us as we all knew he'd be and some more. It's a giant pleasure to watch this guy playing. The way he glues the ball on his feet and gets rid of so many markers is nothing short of brilliant and genial. the sky is the limit for Eden and he's improving seriously our chances of winning EPL. The way we've been solid defensively and he's winning us match when we can't find other solutions is a big deal. that's what you expect from the team's star and he keeps delivering, all with a great deal of work-rate as well. Irreplaceable.