Barbara

wow... it seems people here knows better about player management than Mourinho who's working on this for a couple of decades and who has just recently done amazingly with Varane - who was younger than Lukaku is right now btw I guess the difference between their bank accounts proves who knows better not to mention the successful work in clubs in different leagues and the many titles, but let's hear to TC specialists instead. not to say he's the one that has been with the guy day in and out since the players came back from vacation. It'd be amusing, if it wasn't ridiculous

isn't there a feud between him and Eto'o? Last thing we need is dressing room feuds...

no, what's the scoop?

Only because I like you and your member id is made of win.

then it's a matter of opinion actually. I think Lukaku is too raw and not nearly ready to deal the pressure. Also he has tons of technique to improve. Let him improve there and then Mourinho just gives the final touches in the gem It's not that I prefer Torres over Lukaku. Short from my mother, I'd prefer anyone else over Torres, but if Lukaku is burned again - just like in the penalty gate - it may harm his progress more than contribute to it. And I think being as raw as he is and how he crumbled emotionally situations like that could be prone to happen. Let's not mess with the kid's head. He's 20, there's plenty of time for him to shine for us.

I'll give you my two cents about what happened. They had two strikers and had to offload one through loan. they put both in the market and waited for the best business. For them it doesn't matter which one of them left because the third striker will be used scarcely and they're trusting on Eto'o and then on Torres, so for them, this guys that will play under 10 matches is a non-factor. The best deal came for Lukaku - which is obvious. Lukaku >>>> Ba. So Lukaku is out. Fair enough with all parts involved, especially Lukaku if you ask me. He'd be frustrated knowing he'd be third best. On a kid his age he needs to play - although I think we would benefit from training with Mourinho too (although I have to give other style of players would benefit from training more than him - for example Kevin)

a summary of deals made today and confirmed by the clubs, if anyone is interested GERMANY Patrick Helmes - Wolfsburg -> Colonia Jeong-Ho Hong - Jeju United -> Augsburg Tranquilo Barnetta - Schalke 04 -> Eintracht Frankfurt Makoto Hasebe - Wolfsburg -> Nuremberg Serdar Tasci - Stuttgart -> Spartak Moscow Aristide Bancé - Augsburg -> Fortuna Düsseldorf Per Ciljan Skjelbred - Hamburg -> Hertha Karim Haggui - Hannover -> Stuttgart SPAIN Lisandro López - Benfica -> Getafe Denis Cheryshev - Real Madrid -> Sevilla Josuha Guilavogui - Saint-Ettienne -> Atlético Madrid FRANCE Mevlut Erdinç - Rennes -> Saint-Étienne Emmanuel Mayuka - Southampton -> Sochaux ENGLAND Morgan Amalfitano - Olympique de Marseille -> West Bromwich Marko Arnautovic - Werder Bremen -> Stoke City Alvaro Vasquez - Getafe -> Swansea Mamadou Sakho - Paris Saint-Germain -> Liverpool Tiago Ilori - Sporting -> Liverpool Victor Moses - Chelsea -> Liverpool Stephen Ireland - Aston Villa -> Stoke City Libor Kozak - Lazio -> Aston Villa Emiliano Viviano - Palermo -> Arsenal Barry Bannan - Aston Villa -> Crystal Palace Stephen Ireland - Aston Villa -> Stoke City Adrian Mariappa - Reading -> Crystal Palace Peter Odemwingie - West Bromwich -> Cardiff Benoit Assou-Ekotto - Tottenham -> QPR ITALY Kaká - Real Madrid -> Milan Luca Marrone - Juventus -> Sassuolo Jaroslav Plasil - Bordeaux -> Catania Andrea Petagna - Milan -> Sampdoria Etri Berisha - Kalmar -> Lazio Joel Obi - Internazionale -> Parma Walter Gargano - Napoli -> Parma Ricardo Centurión - Racing -> Genoa Birki Bjarnason - Pescara -> Sampdoria Javier Iturbe - Porto -> Hellas Verona Douglas Santos - Granada -> Udinese AROUND THE WORLD Sam Hutchinson - Chelsea -> Vitesse Vitinho - Botafogo -> CSKA Moscou Daniel Pranjic - Sporting -> Panathinaikos Lerin Duarte - Heracles -> Ajax Abdul Razak - Manchester City -> Anzhi (some clubs are funny spelled because I got this from ESPN Brasil, too lazy to fix one by one)

It seems Zidane is trying to convince the board not to sell Ozil. Can you imagine if the deal is vetoed and Arsenal don't get him? I'll laugh for days!!!!!!!!

is that how Chelsea hijacked the deal for Willian?

that's his point actually... We had only two strikers just last season and had to wait until January to sign Ba. I'm sure our memory isn't that short and we've learned the lesson. André is playing really well in the wing, but he was ineffective in the striker/false 9 position against ManUtd. Maybe it's because he hasn't adapted yet, but why gamble with a guy that does so well in another position instead of keeping another striker who's probably on low wages? As I said, I think they put both Ba and Lukaku in the market and will agree to the best deal they get, and keep the other player

I guess Chelsea is working on both fronts and will do the best deal out of the two, but not the two.

see? I keep saying I'm not smart enough and people won't believe it. I thought you implied I was drinking I didn't get your joke. Or the theories. Or other jokes. My 3yo don't tell me that stuff, my boyfriend is the most innocent and naïve person in the world. I'm too harmless and slow to make up those things - or even understand them. but I seem to be a good cheerleader from what I gathered from this gate. Now let's move on to the transfers before a new theory arises and I look clueless again (hint hint I am clueless)

I don't drink, love

guilty as charged, boss, about the bitterness comment. Won't repeat Alcohol affects your brain cells. I blame the alcohol.

I haven't been here since the morning (in Europe) and Ba and Lukaku had already been loaned and returned to at least 5 teams. So we better wait... SSN said something about Ba (don't remember because it's hard to keep track of everything) only to less than half an hour later say it wouldn't happen. They cleared their own 'rumor'. It's a lot of nonsense and speculation. But it's fun nonetheless - unless you're drunk that is. Then is conspiracy theories

no love, I didn't mean you at all. I just answered to you. There are things I'm too slow to understand. I have no idea what bushman and I are up to. I didn't mean you're bitter at all - if that's what you understood Thing is when I try to bait I fail, but when I don't do anything it's understood to be something. I'm not that smart. It's too much credit for a kindergarten teacher or at least this kindergarten teacher. such a cutie you are! Thanks, sweetie, but I don't mind at all. His problem is with me, will always be. But if you understand what you and I are doing here, please let me know. I missed the memo.

bitterness is a bitch Some things I just expect, although I'm yet to understand what bushman and I are up to because really, I'm yet to find out Not that it matters, at first it annoyed me, now it amuses me. As I said bitterness is a bitch and it stinks and stings. No pun intended

did you miss the posts in Kevin's thread? I understand the concern because it's WC year, so unless the player starts 80% of the matches there are people complaining of minutes played because of the NT. Lukaku's thread was the same with him being benched over Torres and Ba. Just because a player plays in a NT it doesn't mean a club won't overlook him because of a better player... So why campaign for another player to join when it's clear Ramires and Lampard is what Mourinho will play. Mikel, Essien and van Ginkel are completely overlooked by him. Witsel would as well, although he's better than all the three (probably together)

but then they don't play like Kevin and Lukaku and they all go insane saying we should loan or offload them. It's funny actually

do players smaller than our Juanito actually exist? relax, guys, Mata isn't going anywhere

I'm willing to bet Mata won't leave. He just won't. If he leaves it will on January - although I think not even then. If he doesn't adapt to Mourinho's style or fits his plans, I think he'd leave next summer, not the winter window, but today? Not a fat chance

nothing too important, but I had a few errants to run, a few people to visit. I've been MIA in real life for the past 3 days living under a rock, so I had a few things to do. It can wait tomorrow. I'm like a kid who's eating chocolate for the first time. This is so cool, when you least expect, BAM, someone announces a player. How have I never enjoyed DLD in the 30 years I'm a football fan?

I didn't mean winning trophies, but being dangerous to play against.

being here for only three months, this is the first time ever I'm experiencing this thread. Seriously, I've just canceled all my appointments for the day. This is amazing, I might even get some popcorn. How have I lived all those deadline days without it? I'm so clueless sometimes (most times) btw Pizy both Dion and can testify that's me in the avatar because both have seen me in my webcam on Skype in case you didn't believe me

yes I tend to agree more with Ryan here, bush... They can become very dangerous, and it seems like Lukas won't be leaving after all (there were rumors of him going to Valencia) Maybe there's truth to the rumors saying he didn't get along with Mou well because really, he never really played his full potential in the last two seasons and still his stats are better than any other #10 in the world. Better by far