Barbara

Those ratings mean nothing tbh. Proof of that is that Torres is the second best in the team with a 7.3 rating (http://www.whoscored.com/Teams/15/Show/England-Chelsea - at the bottom of the page) which isn't part of this chart because that's considering UCL too. If someone tells me that Torres has had a better season than Oscar, Terry, Iva and Ramires all I have to do is laugh on their face. It doesn't mean recently Eden hasn't been our best player and given how Oscar is back on form, I think it's fair to say the two of them are the best players for us this season, although I have a hard time deciding who's been better all matches considered. Oscar has been regularly one of the best players for most of the season having only a few matches after his injury in bad form, while Eden took some time to peak. I think Eden will surpass Oscar at some point, I'm just not sure if that already happened - which at the end doesn't really matter. I really want them to have the form of their lives in the following months and I couldn't care less (or couldn't it be any less irrelevant) which one ends up being the best of the season if both of them just play amazingly.

thing is I don't consider Arsenal or PSG as top teams. I mean the very top, he doesn't fit and the ones just after those - where I do include Arsenal and PSG, there's as much competition for him as with us. The point isn't that he can't play... he can, but I think nowhere he would have the same privileges he's had under Rafa. Teams just can't afford a guy with as much freedom unless said guy is named Cristiano Ronaldo or Messi. His style while the finest around there (although I think Ozil is a better player than him, Mata is classier in his plays), seems to be also difficult to afford given some of his limitations. I'm not totally convinced he can't work it around and improve some aspects of his game and turn this around. He has the hard part, which is the innate talent, vision and intelligence. Adapting to more demanding roles is easy compared to having those things, especially in the extent he has.

but in the end what matters isn't where he plays the most? He plays in the wing this season much more than he's played there since AVB's first system, but I feel it's been slightly exaggerated how he hasn't played in his more natural position. He has, but as the article explains well, he doesn't well the system and they came to the same conclusion I came a few days ago: he doesn't have space in any of the big teams right now, his style isn't that fitting in modern football and the league that seems to embrace his style better right now is Italian, but he has no space at Juve (both me and the author talked about his chances on Napoli though). I've posted all that just a couple of days ago if memory serves. He's in a difficult position with us now, but he'd be in a difficult position in most top teams now as well because of his style and the demands of modern footie. Which is all a shame.

still just a few days ago there were still people questioning why the POTY for the last two years has been put aside by Mourinho... implying that Mourinho didn't handle him well. If everyone knows all the reasons this article shows (and the another one posted a few days ago) and acknowledges them, then it's really more hard to understand why we have the same discussion for the past 5 months... Also check his heat maps and action maps on Squawka and you'll be surprised to find out he's indeed passed more time in the middle than in the wing, despite where he's started... he just naturally drifts inside.

I don't know where the idea of discussing how much he's worth starts (well I do, with someone that thinks the rightful star of this squad is Mata). Eden Hazard carried this team on his back at the start of last season when he's assisted and scored and the reason why we led the league back then. Then the last three-four months of the season it was him who shone as well. This season - as usual - it took him a while to be at the top of his game and then he's started influencing our matches like he did last season. most important of all, although he's younger than Mata and by definition more raw and less experienced and mature, still he's proved to be more willing to adapt. Hazard's game depends on his freedom much more than Mata's does (Eden is a counter-attack catalyzer, the less freedom he has, the less lethal he'll be), still the kid worked it around and now he tackles, recovers possession, help the FB, presses and still leads our attack. If anything I would have expected Eden to have more problems embracing the changes than Mata did, but the kid is proving his worth. He's not for sale and if anything Chelsea better work on his and Oscar's contract extension when they start their 3rd season with us and set some un-payable release clause on them (Eden even more so than Oscar). They've proved no matter who the manager or the system is, they're willing (and capable) of adapting and still offering a lot for the team. Not that I think Mourinho is going anywhere, any time soon...

Talk about entertaining football, I'll tell you my feelings. We've played some of our most entertaining football in the last few years back in October and the last couple of weeks. And we beat important teams in the process. I don't care if City outplayed us, we won (I'm not even sure they outplayed us tbh, but that seems to be the consensus). We beat Liverpool, we could have beat Arsenal if we didn't waste ALL the many chances we had (I'm not complaining about the draw though). We're still under development and we already played some entertaining matches. The last 40 minutes against Southampton were VERY entertaining. And maybe that's the difference, entertaining doesn't need to be beautiful footie. I just remember my feelings watching some of our matches this season and while we weren't anywhere close to Bayern last season (and this one) or Barça a few years back, I still had a great time watching us. For me that's enough. I want to sit to watch my team, have a good time doing it, enjoy our players, our display, and hopefully also have the result. Sometimes though as in a SF or F in an important tournament or a match that could give us the EPL title where the only thing I care about is the result. No championship is made of one match or a couple of them. If we somehow win the EPL this season, I'll be happy with the result, but I'll also be happy with many matches we've played. If we don't win, I'll continue to be happy with those same matches I've enjoyed watching. I'm quite happy with our past accomplishments, we needed luck to win UCL (who doesn't?), but we've won it, and I'm happy in this place we currently are now and I'm absolutely excited about the very realistic prospects this group of players, this manager and the two clinical signings (that we all know are a CM/DM and a ST) will give us.

The Chosen one to break all records

http://instagram.com/p/i3gJ3-QC61/# I'll do the honors and thank you all for him take that now, Jay Jay

but somehow were in those matches we've struggled which might be a coincidence, but it seems we produce better when pressured to win, not playing first. But I'm confident about this

let's all be sad, Xavi thinks football is dead because Mourinho destroyed it. Poor thing. Look even the ball is crying. (taken from this book http://pollybeam.blogspot.com.br/2012/07/xavis-pitch.html)

Mourinho will answer about his legacy, about how the team he's left here 7 years ago, carried on, how Real Madrid still plays the same style he left, and how the titles speak louder than what a midget like him says. I can't wait for the answer. Bitterness is always a funny thing around, I always laugh my arse off about it. He's still bitter we've handled them their arses (RM), beating the record for points and goals while doing it, he's still bitter about all UCL titles they didn't win, especially the one they lost in the SF for us (Chelsea). He'll always be bitter about how Mourinho stopped Barcelona and most importantly, he's bitter Pep couldn't handle Mourinho's mind games and how he handled the media and 'stole' Pep from Barça. Pep was supposed to be there til this day, but he just couldn't handle Mourinho anymore. That's what pains their butt-hurt the most. LOSER and BITTER, funniest combination around. Next he should join Liverpool's fans choir. They have a lot in common. I always have fun reading those comments it shows how hurt little Xavi is, hahahahahaha. Remember when he complained about grass and balls? That's Xavi, doesn't know how to lose which makes beating him and le spain arses much better!

Spot on, sweetie. I was really unfortunate in that sentence. I think he can't be blamed, but my main point is that we praise so much his stats, but to give him the freedom to have that sort of stat came with a high price. It isn't his fault for many reasons (although it IS a limitation of his game) and our pivot only made it worse, meaning that if we had a strong pivot, maybe we could afford to play him centered as you suggested without paying this price. I have no doubts about his talent, geniality, and quality. I have a lot of doubts on how to make it work for us currently (and as I said I also see problems in other teams for him too). The only reason I think Mourinho plays him more wide than centered is because the FBs are likely to provide better cover for him than our pivot (especially if Lamps is there). I really just don't get why he can't play well in the wing anymore... It's not even about where he plays better or not, but why he can't play well there at all. I don't expect him to have the same stats in the past in the system Mourinho has, but I somehow expected him to give us more than what he's been giving, which is why I said I guess he has confidence issues right now and it's affecting his game, in addition to everything you've said. And I agree with you about Oscar in the wing. Oscar used to play poorly there, average at best, but this season he's had some very good matches playing there. So if he can play well there and Mata can't and Mata play well centered the question will always remain, but I guess José isn't willing to expose our pivot even more. Thing is I think little from United could continue to work. ManU have been a mystery to me in the last few seasons. It makes no sense for a team like that to have worked so well under Fergie. Their team so unbalanced and Moyes only made it worse. As for Bayern, I consider a less extent because of Guardiola - Mata is very much a Pep player, the same way people say he isn't a Mourinho player (both things are true until a certain point imo). And I agree (and even said) he doesn't have space in Bayern, they don't need him. Bundesliga isn't as pace oriented as EPL, but they're more (and very) objective, so everything happens very fast, although they might not have as much pace.

Well, I've always thought @Steve is one of the hottest guys I've seen pics of, so I guess that explains a lot? Also, Michelle, I've edited my post to answer your question properly and not look like I'm cocky Why is that? A girl said he's handsome (which he absolutely is) and then the mates said he looks like you, shouldn't that be a sort of an indirect compliment? In real life he doesn't look like you at all (well, as much as I can say based in your pics)

I agree we've never built a team around him, maybe except with Rafa (I'm inclined to think Rafa did), but we made him our 'go-to' guy and the main star in the team, giving him plenty (if not all) freedom. Mata needs freedom, no defensive or pressing responsibilities and he clearly needs confidence for his game to thrive which he clearly doesn't have now. Attacking wise, Mata's always struggled with some certain kind of games (Southampton match is a testament for that, although people say he had a good match - which he did - he wasn't influential at all and the brightest side of his game is being influential with chances created, assists and goals). He slows down the tempo of the game and if a match isn't suited for that or we play a team that presses high (as we currently do), he'll struggle. He likes to play possession football where he has all time of the world to create his magic. Sometimes he doesn't need much time, but he needs to have the ball on his feet. If we had a stronger pivot he wouldn't be much of a reliability, but we don't and we hadn't. If a player is slow, doesn't press, doesn't defend well, how can we deny he exposes the players behind him? And then you tell said player 'you don't need to do anything but create' and the exposition will be even bigger. How many players in the world have freedom to just create like he did? Not many. He'd be the best player in the world by far a few decades ago, but modern football requires everyone to help with everything. Pivot players have to be almost as good creating, passing, transitioning, finishing, and viewing the game, as they should tackle, press, protect the defense and offer coverage. Attacking players have to be able to press, to tackle, to reduce opposition's space, to recover possession. Defenders need to be skillful, and strikers need to have at least awareness about opponents when the opposition has the ball. If he doesn't add that facet to this game, he'll struggle in any top team in the world, but chances are he'll shine in second tier teams - that aren't used to his level of creativity and who don't have a bigger star in their squad. RM and Barça have no place for him because they have the best players in the world. He doesn't fit Dortmund, he fits Bayern to a small extent, but he'd have fierce competition there too (and they simply don't need him, he isn't an improvement to their AM) and his slowness would be even more exposed in Bundesliga. He wouldn't play all matches at Arsenal or City (wouldn't displace Ozil or Silva), but I think he fits ManU perfectly. He doesn't fit Atletico and PSG really isn't a step up in his career and something tells me he wouldn't play by Ibra's side and shine. Should he go to Italy? Maybe where he fits better is Rafa's Napoli. He doesn't have space at Juve and the rest of Italian sides aren't worth mentioning. Still he's one of the best players in the world, the thing is his style limits his options today. It's no coincidence we weren't competitive while he was THE GUY in our side. People love to use his stats, but don't they ask the most obvious question of all? How come a team with a guy with such stats ended so far from the major titles? Excuses will spout like flowers in the spring, but the truth is our defense and pivot continue to have EXACTLY the same guys. We haven't signed anyone there except Marco who's got injured. we worsened our striker force and the only position we strengthened was exactly his position and that hasn't much to do with Willian and Schurrle as much as it has with Oscar and Hazard growing, maturing and adapting better. That's another aspect people normally ignore. It was only natural for Oscar and Hazard to be much better players this season than they were last season. Of course they'd provide more results and even competition in our AM now than back then. So is it a coincidence that when a fiercer competition arose in the team in his position he lost space? I'm not saying it is, because I don't have the answer to that, but I'm not saying it isn't either because not being a Mourinho player is a bad (and easy) excuse. Sneijder wasn't exactly what many people would have called a Mourinho player and neither was Ozil... still their best football was played under Mourinho...

Everyone is going nuts with Mikel's goal. Willian celebrating it like any other goal. Someone explain to the kid what he witnessed (more like provided ) today. I'm positive his celebration will change

best captain ever, supporting our youth #respect

I was censored on my boobs! I can't bring my boobs anymore. Jay Jay doesn't like boobs. This is the anti-boobs brigade. booo He's been very solid again and I'll risk having my words twisted, but that's my feeling about him in our team, so I'll share it The period he was injured and struggled to recover form after the injury (early december) is the period we conceded more goals, we looked worse, our defense shaky and the team seemed to have lost some of its balance. I'm not saying he's so good Chelsea only plays well when he's in form, especially because he isn't as creative as Mata, as fast as Hazard or not even as direct as Willian, but there's no denial anymore we're a team with him and another without him. Didn't play against Sunderland and Stoke (we conceded 6 goals to very bottom of the table teams and lost to one of them). Played only 21 minutes against the less than impressive match against Palace. Didn't play well against Steaua, another match we struggled to win. The only match we played well and he didn't was Arsenal (considering only the time after his injury). He's not a mix of Hazard + Willian + Mata. Those players are more technical than him in at least one aspect of their game or just better on something (passing, vision, pace, creativity, etc). He's very good in almost all aspects of the game, but he doesn't excel in any. Still somehow - even when we don't have a team built around him (we definitely don't, far from it) - he made himself cardinal in this Mourinho's system. If Oscar plays well, we normally play well, if he plays bad we normally play bad and if he doesn't play we look very shaky. Maybe it's what @CHOULO19 suggested and he simply capitalizes, does the right thing, at the right place, at the right time. But I think is how much he works and how hard that is. We praise his defensive work-rate, but his whole game presents an exceptional work-rate - whether it's attacking, defending, building from behind, controlling the tempo. He gives his everything, he never gives up and he brings his very best in each of his presentations. So it means I made a mistake. He does excel in something: playing with his heart, giving all of himself. We rarely look disheartened when he plays well (although ofc it's happened before) because if Rami brings energy, Oscar simply brings sweat. Never gives up on a ball, always tries to be useful and produce for the team and is always trying to help his teammates. I've seen many times he tracked back when he realized we had trouble moving onto the attack. Sometimes he tracks back because he wants, but watch the last couple of games and see him abandoning the attack and coming deep in the midfield to help. I wish he was more incisive though. But just like I'm patiently (liar, liar, pants on fire, I'm anxiously) waiting Hazard to peak, I think when Oscar does it'll be fantastic. He's proved he has vision, he's smart, creative, but I feel he produces much less when attacking than his potential. He has a great finishing, but he doesn't shoot enough (although he did shoot a lot against Derby), he can provide a defense splitting pass, but he doesn't do it often enough. He doesn't takes on the opponents as much as he could and watching him against Soton I wonder why he doesn't play as high more often. He's played ahead of Hazard and the strikers and received those two through balls Hazard provided him (the goal and the dive) and if he positioned himself a few times in the match to receive that ball, he would have good chances of capitalizing. His positioning is VERY smart and he has good pace and good finishing. I can't wait to see this kid as the finished product. I think we underrate some aspects of his game because he doesn't show it enough, but he's proved that if he develops to his full potential, he'll be one of the very best players in the world. And by full potential I simply mean consistency, he just needs to do certain things more often, there a few aspects of his game that really need sharpening (imo his overall pass, vision and incisiveness), but most of all he needs to try to be more offensive and creative more often and it'll start improving his tangible stats. But the intangible part of his game will always be one of the highlights about him. It's about the space he creates, the option he provides, the calm he brings, the defensive assurance he adds. A lot of very important aspects that major stats won't show us, but watching him carefully we can easily notice. Still not better than Hazard imo, and still not more creative than Mata. I don't think he'll ever be either of those things, but it doesn't take away how good he truly is, even in a less outstanding way (but not by much less by no means).

He is

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/matchzone/index.html#s2013-c1-m738366 down the page there's a section for players stats

you should check mine on Chelsea Brasil. A few seconds after final whistle and all highlights of the game properly described in addition to a summary of each half you should learn portuguese only to read that Still not as fancy as yours, quite direct and simple actually, but I have hope someday I'll be there

Mourinho is a joker, lol It was a landmark day for John Mikel Obi, in many respects… 'I never recognise his ability to score goals!' the Portuguese laughed. 'I recognise his ability to play as an anchorman, to play that position in a very comfortable way, with no mistakes. He reads the game well, plays in an intelligent and safe way, but I never recognise his goalscoring appetite. 'There was a smile on my face [when he scored]. For some reason Essien gave him the armband, normally it should go to Ashley Cole, so maybe it made him believe he was a goalscorer!

He's always fancy and clinical. Tough combination to find, but a pleasure to read. Damn you, @.

'tri-centurion' That's Lex for us

It was a very boring match in the first half, but with Ramires messing up the right wing, I didn't expect anything different. Oscar and Willian carried the team in those 45 minutes, but we had no penetration and although our shots were all off target, they weren't that bad (they were close), but we were toothless, although never looked threatened either. I would have gone with Mata instead of Eden, simply because I thought this match fit him better, but ofc one can't never complain when Hazard gets in (although I also think he could have used the rest). Eden gave us more directness and Willian and Oscar carried on from their first half displays. I voted for Oscar, simply because of the goal. He and Willian were the men of the match imo and getting Ramires off of the wing the necessary fix from Mourinho's part (I still can't understand why he insists with this formation. Although it did work a couple of times in the past, it made no sense to do it against Derby). Torres and Eto'o were both embarrassing, but then again, that's not really something out of norm. Enough to get into the next stage, but I don't need more than that right now. edit: Only now I saw the vid with Torres' miss. Yeah, the keeper touched it so I trackback on my comment on him, but Eto'o was awful.