Barbara

I'm on my way to a busy day out (gotta love those sight-see tours), but I've been checking the site on my phone a few times a day just to make sure I don't miss any news on this... This is more alarming than not signing a new striker imo. We've seen how our defence without Luiz performs against a strong side and the answer is simple: no thanks! We had almost as much issues with the amount of goals conceding (not the entirety of the league, but at some streaks and some isolated matches) with Luiz in the team (Terry off), if we permanently lose Luiz, pardon my French, but we're screwed. If there were better or equivalent options around, Barça would go for them. The fact they're aiming Luiz after Thiago said no is because that's the best deal CB wise. So we won't be to replace with the same level and I'm not sure we would be able to replace at all. How many available guys are there? So we would definitely be replacing him for less quality. Given the time that the new guy would take to adapt and the many matches where the partnership would be Terry/Cahill until the new guy was fully adapted, I'd dare say not even Cavani + Lewa would solve our problems because our defence with TC is a nightmare... So I hope Dani Cunt Alves wasn't trying the fake modesty when he said on TV (in Portuguese) that of course Barça would want Luiz (and he implied Luiz wants Barça too saying that Luiz was the one who asked him how the environment was and a few other rubbish that I don't remember because I was too busy rolling my eyes - I HATE Dani Cunt Alves), but then he went out of his way (for his standards) and said that there was no way Mourinho would allow it to happen, that Mourinho is smart and Mourinho knows Luiz is important and he wouldn't allow him to join Barça. The motherfucker only said that because if Luiz indeed goes it's also a jab on Mourinho - with whom he had epic press battles in Spain. They hate each other. So why would he call Mourinho smart and say he wouldn't allow it to happen? This stupid international week was in the worst possible time because Dani Alves is courting Luiz (private and in interviews like that) worse than Pique and Puyol did with Fabregas and I'm sure some of you remember how that was. His interview was SO rubbish that I nearly punched the TV. Good thing I wasn't in my house, otherwise I wouldn't have resisted the urge to punch that cunt in the face.

This girl here watches Russian football - what can I say? ESPN shows it and I watch because it's normally in a slot I'm doing nothing. This girl here thinks compared to Lamps he's a step (or two) ahead when we compare what they were and what they are now. Physically he's at least two (possibly three) steps ahead of Lamps. I do the comparison because I'm sure everyone here knows the level he used to be and the level Lamps used to be, so it gives you an idea - although of course it's only my opinion, someone else who've watched could have a different one. So the question is there for you to answer, lads. Would you like to have a striker version of Lamps who's slightly better technically and plain better physically? And please I'm not implying when at their best Lamps and Eto'o were the same level (or weren't). I'm just comparing where they are currently in their careers.

was about to leave for the day when I saw this on my twitter and decided to share Luiz posted this on his Instagram accompanied by the word "fact" Translation: 'People will judge you without knowing you. Get used to it' be the judges of it yourselves.

I made a post about it the other day. SAF put a lot of pressure on officiating. He was going his job... it was up to the referees not to let it happen. I have no doubts Mourinho is going to do the same if he feels like he can have the upper hand. It's not illicit to do that. And again, for that advantage to happen the others have to lose points. I remember laughing on opposition scoring during Fergie time last season. I don't remember the matches, but I guess it happened two times... Jay may help me there As I said it look suspicious, but I believe that's only that. Referees being intimidated by SAF. It's part of his aggregate value Thank God he's gone now, let's hope he won't continue to do it in the sidelines. Let him enjoy his grandkids and I'm off lads. Now I'm actually on vacation, I was just spending time at my mom's. But I might check the news once/twice a day.

this dummy here trying the whole fantasy thing for the first time ever really appreciates it. Maybe I won't suck much now!

Well, everybody knows how much I hate ManUtd and how I think they had more than suspicious calls by officiating... just like everyone else does. But one doesn't win so many times, becomes the club with the most national leagues out of luck... Those suspicious calls were just poor calls I want ManUtd to never win even Charity Shield again, but to credit all their honors and glories to luck and corruption? It sounds bitter, childish and it makes us look worse. If they're so average, then why haven't we won the title in the last few years? Yeah, the officiating in the first EPL match against them was ridiculous, but those 3 points weren't the difference between them and us at the end of the season. So if they're so average, shame on us, because regardless of how much they were "helped", as a team that is more than average we should have won our matches. At the end of the day it doesn't matter if they win their matches or not, if we keep drawing and losing ours... Or if ManC draws and loses theirs. Or the conspiracy theory goes as further as having referees to lead Chelsea, ManC, Arsenal, and Liverpool to lose their matches for 20 years? Yeah, that's what I thought. I really feel sort of embarrassed when our fans resort to that kind of argument. It makes all of us look like sore losers. And then I have to hear one of my friends who is a ManU fan telling me every single time we have referees making mistakes that favor us if Roman is now signing referees as well. She's very vocal about it because people are very vocal about bad calls favoring ManU... She knows I don't credit ManU titles to that, but I of course bitch about mistakes while watching the match. What some call lucky, I call being obstinate and just forcing the result. That's determination, hard work and of course, luck is an aspect. A minor one. One simply doesn't get lucky for so long. Corruption is everywhere, I'm not naive to believe otherwise, but not to that extent and not to make a team like ManU reaching UCL finals - where I suppose SAF isn't as influential... for as long as human beings are the ones officiating there will be mistakes... The difference between ManU squad and some others is that they were a team in the truest meaning of the word and that passes through SAF - who made so many mistakes in the last few years in many matches, but as they work as a team, and team that has a winning vocation and thirsty they just win. I hope they don't win a title for the next 20 years though

Thanks for that. I sort of backs up the article I wrote last week, though I didn't have some of the Primavera info. It doesn't make me feel good because I wrote it first, but because both me and the author may be right. (the name of the blog is PRICELESS) I really think he's going to look carefully at our Academy and hopefully it will improve. I'm longing for more John Terry's in Chelsea. We need those home made guys, that love this shirt, honor this shirt and live to this club. It makes it special. We don't need 23 players like that - although Schurrle could fit the description - and I think it's important for EPL to continue to be the best league in the world for English football to continue to develop and make more 'cracks' I disagree slightly about winning with a lot of resources when you look to that Inter team. We had Sneijder and Eto'o who were amazing. Lucio, Júlio César and Maicon who were very consistent, but that was about it. We had a bunch of good players, but only two really good and a very solid defence. And the legend that goes by the name of Javier Zanetti. But when you compare to the big teams in Europe, we were very, very modest.

actually he's the one who mentioned Arsenal (in Portuguese while joining the NT)

I thought the same...

I still think he's a great sub, but he just doesn't perform as well when he starts. And that's the main reasons Kevin starts in my lineup

Maybe even younger. Looking good and rested Such a cute couple! Congrats yes, I guess he'd not that fond of weddings. Still very cute

Cahill, Lamps and Schurrle (briefly) speaking the team is ready. (vid in English) http://www.espn.com.br/video/348192_apos-vitoria-sobre-a-roma-lampard-faz-elogios-a-pre-temporada-do-chelsea-e-diz-estamos-prontos

he is very much right Also I always suck in stuff like this. I'm unlucky and sometimes clueless as well. So join, I'll be last in your place, Chou, Chou

WTH did I just read? I now understand what some people warned me about the Eden thread. This is the 2nd, 3rd nonsense I've read about him this week (although some of it was in the match thread). I don't know where people get those ideas from I honestly fail to understand... Hyped on potential, now sloppy passing and decision making... and to ice the cake poor/average for most of the season... And who are neutral/unbiased fans? Because they can't be Liverpool, Arsenal,ManUtd, ManCity fans... who are generally very biased about our players. I understand frustration with his finishing.. he is frustrated with it and he set a very high bar for him this season. He has a great manager that already recognized his potential and talent. And he is 22!!!!! Give him time. And if our glasses are tinted with blue, I suppose yours is with solid black? Because there's no way you've seen Eden Hazard at all.

yeah, I don't think Mata will play. I'd go with KDB in the right, Oscar centered, and Hazard in the left. We shouldn't play Mata 90 minutes even if he's already recovered from his injury. It's not that much of a hard match - although I really believe there's no easy match in football (anything can happen) - so I'd spare him from starting and if he's fit to play, would play 30-35 minutes in the second. I think we can't afford to lose him for later and those pre-season injuries should be handled carefully so they don't create a situation later. Let him take all time in the world to recover... as much as he needs to really be able to play 90 minutes again.

but didn't we agree that match reviews would be posted the day before the game, no earlier than that? It could be posted on the 17th, right?

but as far as I understand it will cost us 80/year, so it's not like we can improve a server with that amount of money... I think the best thing about the chat is that it's stable, doesn't overload the server and you can actually post... even if the server we have now is definitely better than the previous one, we still had minor problems during matches in the pre-season that were scheduled in ungodly hours in Europe. The real test is next week against Hull. If the server can hold up through an official match great, but if it can't, then it's better to have a chat where everyone can actually post instead of an unstable server that sometimes won't allow you to post... but just like you, it's just my opinion

they're enough. How many teams in the world have better than those 5? I'm not talking about the 2 main guys, but the 5? We need to know that no team has world class in every single position and then some "world class -(A-)" subs to every position. Would it better if we had another guy there? Yeah, and so another guy in the defence, and so a better replacement for Cole as Bertrand has one decent match out of 20, then we might need a good right winger because no one we play there play their best in the position (for some people). Then we must sign not one, but two strikers, etc, etc, etc. I guess we're fine there, I don't think we'd be less competitive because of that area. there's some experience, there's some holding quality, there's some box to box quality, there's some defensive quality. So I think we've got it covered. Now that's an assessment I completely agree with. I still stand by we could use a backup CB just in case Terry gets injured again - or worse, Luiz does - but we definitely need a striker. I've watched the match replay and it was insufferable to see how our strikers are overall just harmless. The best without a doubt was Ba, who I always criticize, but because he scored the winner Lukaku is being hyped (again) - even though he needed the help of the defence because the camera from the back angle shows that ball was going to go wide otherwise (or maybe Ramires or Oscar who were nearby could have pushed it into the net). It was Ba who fought as a crazy for the ball, and also Ba also passed the ball to Lampard score. So I appreciate those link ups, and I appreciate Lukaku's goal (I more than appreciate it because he needed to score a goal against a significant opposition that isn't from Asia to build up some confidence), but both are still weak overall. I think Ba last night showed the best performance from a striker in the whole pre-season as far as I can remember (as I write this I watch Robin scoring a beautiful header - *cries*) because although in whatever match Lukaku ran the channels, and another match Torres had decent link ups, it was only yesterday that one of our strikers (the less reliable of them generally) really did something to help us win. I'm one of those people who believe the striker is the to score us goals (whether by netting themselves or assisting) while I appreciate work rate it's not enough if they simply run channels, do link ups, have good runs, but never end up in goals! The only positive note is that at least Lukaku can develop throughout the season - and that's the only thing that comforts me - and maybe we could have a more reliable striker as the competition goes. Ba is a question mark for me. He's been here only for a semester and he could use more time. The striker is the position that depends more on squad chemistry and a position that really requires a lot of confidence, so maybe Ba could turn the tables around this season. I'm still not sure. And Torres while having a completely different attitude on him under Mourinho, working very hard every match, still doesn't score or creates clear goal chances for others. I can't overlook those things. And if someone secured a starting position against Hull last night was Ba, not Lukaku... sorry to disagree with most. The thing is I don't think last night was about assuring starting positions because of course one game isn't enough. The thing is the three of them produced so little in those 4 friendlies that it's hard to pick someone.

I'll be forever indebted to @mediator. That beautiful soul (and body) told me about TC and brought me here and then I saw the light That's one of the best things ever - internet wise, surely - because I love this place!

no, love, I just meant you probably thought he was younger than 25 but was shy to say how much and went with 25. You're not only grown, but a fine man. and a beautiful smile

thanks, guys

given you're 17 I'm right

link please?

you thought even less but won't admit

Mourinho - The Boss