Barbara

Oscar or Rami doesn't make a difference, honestly. But why didn't José do it? It's 85 minutes already... we're comfortably winning, not only in the scoreline but in the pitch too (despite those two latest counter-attack we've just offered) We've got it *high five*

What did Torres just do? Oh yeah, he Torres'ed it.

I want to see Baker a few minutes. I cover the Youth and he's a pleasure to watch. Would really love to watch him in the main team. I thought Willian was the one who got us the foul for his own free kick...

my samba boy is love

do we have a new set-piece assister? that set piece by Willian was mouthwatering.

I'd have Mata for Essien instead... but ofc I can't complain about Eden getting in. I would have subbed Etoo for Torres too.

Ramires off, FFS. He's been shocking in the wing (as usual)

I love the FA Cup. The only domestic cup in the world I really give a ship about. Love it to the bones

neither of them shoot enough (especially given how nice their finishing is) and it was a topic of discussion just earlier this week in one of the threads...

I don't drink love, people say I'm naturally drunk though based on how I behave. Nope, the little f! who took the pics in the NYE didn't share them yet, this was just a couple of hours ago We were in a karaoke and we sang Living' on a Prayer And a lot of other songs. Terribly sang btw... I can't sing for life. another one on this one we were singing Wonderwall.... lol it was TERRIBLE

The main thing about Oscar is his versatility to play as an AM in whatever way you want. Some things he does better, others not as much, but I don't think there's one thing he's bad or below par. He's showed he can be creative and I think it's only a question of sharpening and time. He's the youngest of our midfielders... he has time to sharpen it. He has everything to be the most complete footballer in his generation (not necessarily the best because while he does everything well, I don't think there's one thing he excels).

Livin' on a prayer!

@remains of the day, it makes sense everything you said, and I agree. Mourinho isn't always diplomatic, but his own tongue seems much more tamed now than it was in the past. In those three examples I gave I think he took the diplomatic answer, although you're right and he's showed his discontentment with Romelu. I can't say about Cole as I didn't follow because I didn't care. I still would like to know what could he have said if he disapproved Mata's reaction? I can't see him saying anything about how out of order he was... he knows why he's reacted like that and he's seen that a thousand times and he knows he'll see another thousand. I just came across this (from Mirror) Which is sort of what I said I think Mourinho would have said to Mata... I think you guys have a point that maybe Mou didn't think Mata was questioning his authority - or maybe he's just ignoring it, knowing how difficult it is for the player. I don't think he'd criticize Mata on his poor behavior publicly and I don't think he approves of reacting like that, but I do think he would never make it a big thing. He knows he will frustrate a few players here. He's frustrated Ash, Luiz, Schurrle, Mata, Kevin, all strikers because none of those guys have regular starting, all of them rotate. So while I think Mata was disrespectful in his reaction, I don't think a manager of Mourinho's caliber would make anything out of it. He reacted, but that was about it. He didn't call Mourinho's mother any names or called a press conference to say shit about him. It's a minor incident from Mourinho's pov, one he's used to.My reaction is exclusively about how I despise that kind of reaction, but even then I've never said Mata should be punished. He shouldn't. It's a minor episode in the big scheme of things... just a lamentable episode still imo.(ps: I've changed the convo to Mata's thread because I don't think it has much to do with Oscar. I never related both incidents or the reactions from us about them, so I'm moving it where it belongs imo. I think most people's reaction towards Oscar's episode and Mata's episode aren't correlated or interdependent)

it's hard to deny how 'balanced' Arsenal's fixtures are... Anyway, I think Liverpool and then us are the one who left the worst behind them already. If ManCity keep their away form (in general, not only against the top teams in the league) I'd say that will be their detractor. I hope they do

Interesting article, coming from Daily Mail of all places... It's a fair analysis imo and it show why Mourinho isn't marginalizing Mata THE NUMBERS GAME: Why Mourinho is RIGHT not to play Mata... but Hazard, Oscar and Willian could fire Chelsea to the title edit: does this guy read TalkChelsea? I can't count how many times a few of us said those two things!!!!!

the problem is history for shallow people is restricted to titles, but it's much more than that. Ofc titles are important, but this club has a beautiful history, filled with passionate fans that continued to support Chelsea even when we weren't winning much (or anything). When we were relegated and promoted again. It shows a history of true love and passion, and not the kind of fans that only 'choose' the club because of titles prospects, which isn't wrong or lesser, but it certainly doesn't bide well for those people accuse others of the same. It's like the pot talking about the kettle (or whatever the saying is ) They call us plastic because they think we've only added supporters when money was injected and we were capable of winning titles. Why do they think people chose Liverpool when they were winning consistently? Because they like an ugly cock? Spare me the lecture. Plastic fans are the fans that abandon the club in the hard moments, everyone had their own reasons to choose a club and they aren't more or less valid than others as long as people don't jump ships (I have a problem with 'stopping' supporting a team and starting supporting other, it makes little sense in my head, but who am I to say it's wrong? the most I'll say it's plastic, but that's about it). I'm really tired of their shit and I'm not exposed to much of it.

I'm one of those people that isn't so sure he fits our system... but then I read people saying that if he was here he'd probably score more goals than our currently ones, but that still he isn't a Chelsea player. I'm honestly The only reason I'm not sure he's a Chelsea player is because I don't know (can't predict, I'm sort of lost when it comes to him) if he'll score as many goals with us. If he does, I don't care about his inconsistent first touch, his lack of stamina, and his lack of technicality in some kind of plays. I only still have doubts because I think maybe those aspects will prevent him from scoring frequently based in our system, but if they don't, then what's there to question? The kid is 20. 20!!!!! It's not like he doesn't have time to improve those areas and if he just can't improve them, but still can score often and end seasons with 20-30+ goals for us, I honestly don't see the problem.

where's that South Park gif when we need it? ORGASMIC stuff! I think the best is yet to come when it comes to him. He was adapting to the physicality and the league itself last season (and while I think he's adapted mostly, he hasn't completely, exactly because he's a 'light' player or whatever should I call it). Now he's adapting to maturing his game, something I don't think any of his previous managers were that worried about. They capitalized his talent and gave him freedom to do his thing. Mourinho is turning him into a more completed player, that once reaches his full potential will be rewarded with even more freedom. I don't think he'll miss or lose any of that, it will come back when he's fully adapted, comfortable and confident playing this league, this team, under this manager. Every time I stop to think about when this time is finally here I find myself with a broad smile on my face. I swear I do.

do you honestly believe, Mata, would have been grumpy after Chelsea won an important match? In all honesty, what kind of person do you think he is if he does that? I agree with @ and @The only place to be because that's how Mourinho handled Kevin's discontentment, Lukaku's not ideal comments, Luiz's supposedly wanting to join Barça and I'm sure other tricky situations that happened since he's come back and that I'm forgetting to say now. So your idea not only doesn't make sense because I can't see Mata ever being grumpy or crank or even bitter about his team winning an important match no matter how frustrated he was (and he had at least 40 minutes to cool down a bit, which I think he did), but it also doesn't make any sense for José to expose the possible changing room problems he has to the media. I just posted in Mata thread that I don't think José will allow this to become a problem between him and Mata, but I'm also positive he's had a conversation with Mata about his reaction. Now do you expect him to expose all those things to the media? How would that benefit him or Mata or Chelsea? I'm not even implying said conversation was something like 'you better not behave like that again otherwise there will be consequences', but more like 'I do what I see best for Chelsea and the team, that's my job as the boss here, and sometimes it won't be what you, Oscar, Willian, etc... want, but still that's how I'll act'. I honestly don't expect anything different from what was said publicly and I think that's how things went privately between him. That if Mourinho didn't take a chance to use the episode and give a message to the whole team and not only Mata. He knows he will upset a few players with his choices because all players want to play, but he can play only 11. I'm sure he's had this convo before, but I suppose little reminders now and then are necessary. edit: perspective is everything Only now I saw @remains of the day's post on the matter and the fact she and I have completely different approaches of how Mourinho's managed those situations just show perspective is very subjective. I didn't follow Ash's episode closely because I don't care, but am I wrong and didn't Mourinho refuse to give an opinion about it, saying there was nothing for him to say? Lukaku said a lot of BS (from Mourinho's perspective at least) until Mourinho finally answered, but he didn't say anything bad about Lukaku, just that as he likes to talk to so much he should tell why he left because he said everything but that. How is that detracting the players? I'd love to read what's the Mata's version Mourinho could have said that is the equivalent of what he said about Ash and Romelu... because I think he was very diplomatic in all three and he could have said that Ashley didn't have any business going there and that if he misses them so much he can ask to leave, no one is holding him back, or how Lukaku should learn how to speak less and play more and stop saying all sort of bullshit - whether he's baited by media or not. Now this is how I perceive those three situations. He could have been straight about it, he chose to be diplomatic in all three. He's ignored Lukaku's for a while. Romelu had about 3-4 interviews with a few unnecessary words and Mourinho was mum, until he finally addressed it and in a very mild way imo. But well, this is my perception. Now I want to know what's the equivalent of the Mata situation would have been if he thinks Mata did anything wrong. I'll be delighted to learn what that could be because in all honesty I can't imagine.

Mourinho wouldn't be the manager he is if he answered to those kind of things in a 'vindictive' way, given some of the players he's managed in the past. When was the last time you saw him detracting about one of his players to the media? How many things have Lukaku said and how many times have Mourinho been questioned about that move, until he finally said Romelu should say why he really left Chelsea? People expecting Mata to be punished by that, are deluding themselves imo. Now go ask him if he'd allow his son - who's training to be a footballer - to behave like Mata did. Go ask him if he approves it. He knows it was a heated reaction, filled with anger and frustration. he wouldn't let this affect how he manages the team, especially if Mata is good for the team. He NEVER took Sergio Ramos from Real Madrid except for technical reasons even though Sergio Ramos kept doing what he did which was a personal attack more blunt and more articulated with the media. He's managed Ballotelli (sp?), Sneijder (for different reasons, I'm sure you know better than me) and all kind of challenging players. Mata isn't a challenging player. He had an outburst. Mourinho overlooked it. Did you expect him to do what? To bench Mata forever as a punishment? If Mourinho allowed those kind of things to interfere in his management, he would have 'ended' (in the club) a lot of his players careers and he didn't. That was the thing Spanish media never understood about the Casillas gate. It wasn't personal, it has never been personal. Casillas was dropped in a more permanent way when he didn't do half the things Ramos did and said, and Ramos was kept in the team after being dropped shortly because of bad performances. The same happened with Pepe. ******************************************************************************************* Now I've seen some posts about Mata in the Willian thread and I didn't read all posts in this one yet. But people are saying we should sell Mata to make money and buy the players we need. We just released our financial report and we had no problems meeting FFP requirements in a year we were kicked out of UCL in group stage. Our new Adidas contract will show only in the next financial year, so we don't need to sell Mata in order to buy the players we need to sign. I'm positive we'll start selling some of our loaned players (Moses, Marin, a few others). The reason some of those players are loaned isn't to sharpen them enough to be Chelsea material, but to give them exposition enough to value themselves more than they would be valued if they were partially squad members here. Only the young prospects are there to be polished and grown. But slightly older or plain older players will be offloaded, if not next season (summer window) than at most another more. I don't think Mata will be sold and I have doubts if de Bruyne will as well. De Bruyne mostly likely will leave, but I still think he'll be loaned. As José said, the players don't have control in this situation. If he wants to play Wolfsburg, I'm sure the Germans won't refuse a loan opposed to nothing at all. do you have a source, mate? Thanks

we better talk about boobs than argue about Mata - given how heated the discussion was. I regret nothing Come on, Jason, everyone has boobs... this is mainly a men forum. Don't be so shy

that's basically my body, so I guess it represents me well opening it Surely I don't. Did I say member X, Y, A are blind fanboys? do I think there are some? Well I do simply because it's statistical, I'm not calling anyone specifically except me on Mourinho.

well, I guess I was the one to introduce the term in the thread, and I have been very active in the Luiz/Cahill discussion, so I thought I was included in the group of people you meant. I don't regret using the term. Being a fanboy/girl isn't a problem. Being blinded by it is. We all could be subjected to that, I'm sure I've been in the past (may still be about Mourinho actually)

and still they went to the Cahill thread and said he was the best CB playing for us and David rightfully deserved to be benched. Or recognizing him as our best man in the pitch, not only among the defends, but the whole team. There, mister, is the difference between fanboying/girling and still being able to see instead of being plain blind. Cheers!

I don't have footy novels, but I have 13 novels. Want the ebooks?