Barbara

Just wrote a whole scout based exactly on that, the player we've lacked since Ballack. It feels like that imo

He hates Arsenal, he hates Arsenal

Pundits on TV keep saying the spot is his for the take in the NT. I don't talk about NT football with my friends (actually I have very few friends that talk about football at all ), but I feel like it's a consensus that he's a few (if not several) steps ahead of Lucas Moura. He's well appreciated here, although not that much known compared to others (even Hulk). I've read a few fans excited while commentating in articles that mention him. So I guess the most part of the fans are getting to know him now because they didn't watch the leagues where he's played before, and they like what they're seeing.

this is part of the scout I'm writing for Chelsea Brasil right now. I think there's a chance Mourinho will interchange Ramires and Matic sides of the pitch (he does say he likes to play lefties in the right and right-footed in the left). But I think that's it. Rami as a B2B player, with more freedom, and Matic as the contention, defensive player, with the sporadic cameo in the attack (white arrows) to make use of his potent long distance shots. The other players I chose are part of the starting XI Mourinho's been choosing before Iva got injured. Not exactly a personal preference.

he's a leftie

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