Barbara

he said he wouldn't say the nameS because the playerS belong to other clubs

Thanks God for that. I'm not one of the people who really wants Rooney here. I mean he's better than what we have, but I'd rather we'd get another high level striker... whoever that is. As long as it is a high level striker

Mourinho was asked if he has a plan B for the striker position. He answered "and C" So it's not Rooney or bust anymore

I'm not making one change in my team this week. I'm happy with my 75pts and I'll use the accumulated 2 transfers next week to get Terry and Kevin off the team and then I'll see if Mata will get in the team, I guess he will, so if it's Kevin who leaves the team, I'll buy Oscar back, if it's Oscar (very unlikely imo) I'll buy Kevin back. Either way I'm replacing Terry for a less expensive CB - probably Shaw

I didn't see his goal here that's finishing class I'd start Mata any day over Oscar as well if it was all about Mata getting us goals... the thing is we don't have the strongest pivot around and all our AM except Oscar barely defend if they defend at all. So it's a big exposure for dangerous teams... especially fast ones. It's not only about adding goals and assists... if we go back to last year when we conceded because our defence wasn't properly covered and protected (although the defence itself was fragile many times) no matter how better Mata is compared to Oscar, we'll continue to concede goals because our midfield is sort of too light. This is a team and as such we should look for balance. Also I don't think Oscar and Mata are fighting for the same position. Oscar will start under Mourinho, the discussion was just if he should be played in the center or in the wing. I think once Mata is fit is de Bruyne who is leaving, not Oscar.

not only a fridge, but also cupcakes!!!!!

I remember at least two tackles in the second half that are not here. One of them he literally threw himself on the ball, in the left side of our attack. We've lost the ball and he stopped Hull from having the counter attack. His work rate is really impressive. The boy is wonderful and although I believe he was tired - clearly noticeable in the second half - he seems more confident to play and more comfortable as well. I sound like a broken record because all my posts in this thread say the same, but I can't help myself: his 1-2 plays, his pass and his vision of the game are really impressive. He makes is all seem easy because he keeps it simple, but he's very smart in his quiet way. Sometimes he goes too quiet, but it's partially because he's still tired, and partially because that's Oscar... he does stay quiet a bit in the matches - saving energy it seems. Mourinho will have a challenge in his hand choosing between Oscar, Eden, Kevin and Mata for the 3 behind the striker. I think Oscar is ahead of the others because of his defensive skills and stats because the other three are way behind in that aspect. If we had two players with his defending skills we would probably struggle a bit more to be in the first 11. But seeing how he's the only one good at it (Eden improved a lot, and Kevin does it, but still not as near as Oscar, and Mata doesn't defend to save his life), and seeing how Mourinho really cherishes this in a player, I think he's secured his place in the first team - rotation aside.

wtching JAson and Ben drooling all over Kev on Chelsea TV now

Here's the thing that happened in my humble opinion - I have no facts to back me up except what everyone saw and read. He wanted to move to Barça because it's hard to resist them and basically every Brazilian player dreams of playing there. He may or may not have submitted a request to leave after their bid was rejected, but Mourinho and the board made it clear to him that they won't release him and that he has a new contract and 5 more years in this contract. Luiz accepted the club's position - he is happy here after all - and now he'll continue to give us his best because that's the man he is, he won't play bad out of a whim because we want him to honor the contract he signed himself. He's a man of character and he's a very good man, so I expect him to give us his best, as he's always had. If Barça comes again in the next window it may change, but if the team keeps the position, I believe he'll keep his as well. We won't see him doing what Fábregas did, whipping and whining about wanting to leave. He wanted to go, the club didn't want him to go. End of story, life goes on.

I'm happy I didn't completely embarrass myself. I even got a spot in the top5. For being 1)a girl 2)someone who never played it before 3)someone who doesn't even know all rules as of now 4)for someone who doesn't know many of the inexpensive good guys, I'm doing quite well! But I'm sure there's rookie luck involved, so I better have a reality check and keep my ambitions low here

Mata barely played... at all, not only in the middle or whatever, but at all. I think he didn't have time to test Mata there. He said in his interview to Chelsea TV that right now he's prioritizing stability over abrupt changes which implies Mata will probably play where he's used to, but I have no doubts his goal is to move Mata to the RW, especially after Oscar showed what he can do in the #10 position and what he can't in the wing. If Mata shows he can play in the RW (one would think he can as he played there in Valencia for years), Mourinho will probably choose Oscar to play where he plays well and Mata where he plays well, even if Mata plays better than Oscar in the #10. It's better to have 2 players producing in high level rather than one producing high level and the other struggling. I think Mata may be able to produce close to his usual in the RW. The only problem is that he can't defend for life - but that's another discussion because I think if he can't learn how to defend he will have problems with starting in a Mourinho team in general regardless of the position. But he's a hard worker and he's very committed (and seems quite obedient if you ask me) so I think he'll try to improve in that area. Oscar didn't have his best match defending, but he tackled many balls, literally throwing himself at them and that pleases Mourinho enormously so I think he's one of the men Mourinho will have in his first team. And why use the boy in a position he struggles if he can be used in a position he excels?

ALL newspapers in England have their main story surrounding Mourinho. The second story varies from everyone else http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/article-2396945/What-pages-say-Monday-August-19.html?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

even if both wanted it, Lampard can't start all matches because he isn't capable of doing so physically anymore. So I'm sure that's not his plan.

RW, he already said as much...

Well, my posts ended up a bit disconnected, so this is where I stand. Mourinho himself said he didn't like the 2nd half 5 minutes in - which really confirms the stats I've posts, he's changed, he's not the guy who conserves scorelines anymore. In one of his interviews during pre-season he said he wanted the team to play a football that would make the fans happy. The second half didn't make anyone happy starting with him. Whoever expects him to be the guy he was 6 years ago will be disappointed, especially because of the players we have. “When I saw the second half going in another direction, at the beginning I was frustrated because I want more. But after five minutes I thought we didn’t because we couldn’t. We can’t play that way for 90 minutes. We had no physical energy and no mental availability to play that way. The three boys [De Bruyne, Oscar and Hazard] behind Fernando Torres were fantastic. In the second half they disappeared. All of them played national team matches last week.” That's the reason I said in my first post in the thread, and that's the reason Mourinho gave himself. The team dropped not because Mourinho asked them to conserve even energy. They had no energy (the mental I couldn't say), they were tired. The article (which is posted in the Roman thread) hints that because of that he'll start team rotation, they conclude from this that because they played on Wednesday they were tired on Sunday and that's why he won't use them next Wednesday (as we have the match against Utd on Monday). So let's give them (and Mourinho) a break, and wait for them to settle physically. The team showed in the first half the potential it has under Mourinho. Until they're totally fit, it's completely understandable and expected that they will drop the level in the second. I believe Mou will change little the team for Wed, bringing only Mata if he's fit, but I believe he'll make the subs much earlier.

kudos to Ivan who pushes them back, if you look closely

Jose Mourinho reveals Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich visited dressing-room ahead of defeat of Hulll City

We played like shit today. I was really pissed on the team. I guess they used all the motivation to play against Mourinho when they played the friendly because they were dreadful there. Isco

I'm going to wait on news about how the players' condition is after today's game. I don't think there's anyone except Ramires - who was tackled ugly by the opposition twice - that should worry us. I wonder if Mata can start. If Mou were to choose who is to leave the team based in today's match alone, that would be Hazard. Kev and Oscar played better than him imo. Good thing that's not how Mourinho works and it takes more than one game for him to drop one of the biggest guys in the team. I also wonder how much of Eden's so-so match had to do with his physical condition. There's no denial he came back a little bit chubbier and maybe he's struggling a bit with his form because it's way too soon. All players take a bit to regain fitness. Or maybe it has nothing to do with that, but I think Mourinho would like for him to start as much as possible now. So for now I think he may repeat the team - adding Mata or not depending on his condition, or he will be cheeky and just use Mata in the second - to add some minutes - and have a 'surprise' for Moyes next weekend. What really concerns me though is when Luiz will be ready. I agree having Cahill against Villa will be challenging, but having him against ManUtd is a disaster waiting to happen. I remember Flopsy said he wasn't completely fit (in the pre-match interview he gave yesterday), but unless he feels really bad, I don't think Lukaku is going to start. I'm not sure Mourinho wants to start a team rotation against an opposition that beat Arsenal at the Emirates and that not only is confident, but also has some dangerous players while we're still looking our best fitness and chemistry. That's the main reason why I think he'll bring his A team Wednesday and his A team imo is the one who played today + Mata and Luiz replacing Kevin and Cahill. So I expect only those changes - if any.

on a different note

bringing the discussion from the match thread to Mourinho's - where it's more appropriate. Here are some raw calculations of how Madrid performed under Mourinho in the last two seasons: That's why he says he's a new Mourinho, not only because of how he behaves, but also his view of the sport. In one of his interviews he mentioned he changed his tactics. There you go. Compare that to his first spell here and he's a new guy, regardless of Madrid's natural vocation to attack - one we also have now, although not to the same extent they do.

Here to back me up. http://www.espn.co.uk/football/sport/match/index.html?event=28;team=381 There were 72 matches in the last two seasons (didn't use his first there because he was still figuring out the best formation, tactics, etc). Those are the stats (Excel calculation). Out of those 71 matches, they won 58. Out of those 58 this is how they scored in the second half: 3+ goals: 18 matches - 31% 2 goals: 19 matches - 33% 1 goal: 12 matches - 21 % 0 goals: 9 matches. - 15% (they lost 4 and drew 9 - and the SOBs don't recognize how much he did for the club, I want to slap some bitches for being ungrateful, that's TWO seasons) It means they scored 2+ goals in the 2H 64% of the matches they played. That's more than half! And that's considering scoring more than 2 goals. If you add the matches they scored another goal then it's 85%. Also, they were leading the scoreline in HT in 28 of those matches, meaning 48% of those times they scored in the second half they were already winning and chose not to conserve a lead and reduce chances of conceding. There might be small flaws in the calculation because I didn't write the IF functions on Excel because I'm lazy (was watching tennis and now I'm hungry). But point is, Mourinho isn't the guy who sits in the advantage anymore. Hasn't been for a long time. This is a new Mourinho that some may not know. I have no reason to believe he won't be the same here. This team has almost as much of an attacking vocation as Madrid has. edit: tomorrow when I'm not so tired, I'll cross the results and give a more precise result. 52% of those matches RM was either losing or drawing when they finished the 2nd half. 48% they were winning, out of those 48% there might be some of the 9 matches they didn't score. But I guess those numbers here alone give you an idea of my point.

add a CLEAR pen not called in the second. It's just the first match, some of those players are still not on their best physical form. Why give it all in the second with the match completely under control? There are Confed Cup guys, guys who were injured during pre-season, and a new coach. Let's give them (and Mou) a break