Barbara

guess what, injuries are common in football. With Messi Barça lost to Celta with the same scoreline. Also the point many are making here and KdB fans (and Jose dislikers) are missing is that Kev can't step out and fill Silva's shoes. As you post just proves. And are you talking about Vicent freaking Kompany as if he was the player he was 3 seasons ago? Dude, wake up, he had a nightmare-ish season last year with too many mistakes, more than should be acceptable for a player considered to be what he is. most people already consider him to be in the descending years of his career and you're talking about him as if he was this solid rock. He was in the bench today, in case you didn't notice, not injured.

tbh I couldn't believe we'd challenge for the title after that start. I wasn't making City this marvelous team, but I knew we would struggle with other matches throughout the season and drop many more points and that was why closing a gap of 11 points was too much. But I think the league is finally as challenging and difficult as Mourinho says (the only difference is that I didn't think it was the case the last two seasons when he also said that). When we look to Leicester, Crystal Palace, West Ham and the challenge they presented to big teams and how they approached matches and look at the quality of their squads I believe anyone can drop points against them. Then there are the biggest budget teams and some teams that are just hard to break. With so many difficult places to go, everyone - not only Chelsea - will be dropping a lot of points and that's where maybe we could still have a chance, but I have to admit I thought our season was over given our start.

and I think being the best team in England as it stands isn't saying much. Fact remains people joined the City bandwagon way too early in the season, with 4 matches.

he already answered it in another PC. They noticed the players were battered too soon last season and thought it was because of extensive and too early pre-season. They tried something new, didn't work, time to move on. The thing is players were drained because there was no rotation. That's the problem he should be addressing, but I won't judge them for the pre-season option. The calendar IS TOO FULL, having a shorter and delayed pre-season is sensible, the thing is, others aren't doing it, so we pay for that. Now we have to see if we prefer to have this kind of start and have the players healthier - if it proves to bring that at the end of the season - or if we're going to continue to do business as everyone else. Also I think physical condition and health are different things. The players were tired, and that came because of lack of rotation. We picked too many injuries in the second half of the season and that could be improved with this new option. Personally, I wouldn't change pre-season like we did this year, I'd keep like it has always been and would just try to sign players that allow us better rotation and I'd also like to see Mourinho being more flexible about the players we do have, because even if most of our bench stunk last year, they'd probably look better if they played more minutes than they did. I think his squad management last season was barely a 6. not true. The season before we also had post-season tour - remember the City matches? and there was the WC and we still started pre-season around the time every other team did - a bit early than many of them actually.

dude, out of curiosity, are you a Chelsea fan? Not problem if you are not, I think this forum misses opposition fans. I always see you praise other teams, players and managers and say all kind of shit about us. And just like I answered to another guy, no one is saying shit because of one match, fact remains they won only 1 match - in COC nonetheless - in their last four... Mourinho had always recognized Kevin's talent, they just clashed with their both big egos and self-entitled personalities.

no, we came to the conclusion after the only match they won in the last four is a COC match... lost all the others - two EPL and one UCL. They need Silva in the team - Kevin or not - that as clear as day. Also isn't Aguero the perfect striker? That's what I read in Costa's thread every time I dare to go there. Fact remains if we had started well the league and City had had the same start they had, there wouldn't be as much talk around here how the title was already theirs. But as we were awful and they had 12 out 12 pts, so they were amazing and we were crap and let's kill Mourinho for being so bad and for letting Kevin - the third best player in the world according to some - go. So yeah, your post is completely nonsense as no one here is saying losing to Spurs is the end of the world.

oh yeah, the best team in England just right I think he's happy losing three matches in the last four. At least he's with a offensive oriented manager, so I'm sure it makes him sleep better at night because who wouldn't be happy to have Pellegrino as their manager, right? but when someone mentioned he wasn't that good today they were said they needed to accept he was good. Well, as long as an ex-Chelsea player - especially one Mourinho dismissed and didn't give the chances people believe he should have scores or assists, people come to make it a party. I haven't even gone to Mata's thread and I know what I will find there. Teams and players part ways every window, sometimes it works for the best, sometimes for the worst. This is life and it moves on. Both KdB and Mata sagas and obsessions around here are tiresome. Few people here appreciate Kev for what he really is, most are more interested in proving and repeating this will come to bite us in the ass 24x7. Okay, it could have been bad business - even if I think his attitude is what caused it - but it's over, move on. We won't be less of team because of only Kev. We just won the damn league. I'm sure we can survive without him just fine.

But isn't Kevin the second coming of Jesus and City the most marvelous team since that Barcelona? I'm confused

honestly, I disagree. He looks the same as last year when we look at the root of the problem: a player without any confidence. His movement is very good, his link-up too, but his touch, passing, and especially his finishing show how much he lost confidence. The solution is easy: getting the confidence back and he'll be a great player that could make the difference for us - especially given the amount of time Costa is probably going to spend in the sidelines. The thing about confidence though is although it's only mental, it's also very difficult and tricky to find out what could trigger it. But if there's one man I believe can help a player regain confidence, is Mourinho. So praying for the best, but not overly exciting about the odds of it happening.

I may be mistaken, but I thought the rules for HG players were for them to play three seasons in England under age of 19. Is it under age of 21?

his main problem imo is bad decision making, especially about when dribbling, passing and holding the ball. If he fixes this, I think he has enough talent to be a very good player, nothing exceptional, but something like Pedro. But the main thing is if he improves his decision making which can be terrible.

found this on tumblr today while checking the Chelsea FC tag. I really enjoyed that tackle. Top quality

Thank you! Jose was absolutely wrong for the way he acted, but she reacted in an even worse way. John came back to work, took it like a man (and I don't mean it in a sexist way) and life continued. Now she had to take it to social media, pose as poor little doctor for being yelled by someone simply because she was doing her job. As if nobody has never had a boss or a co-worker to behave like this. It doesn't make them (Jose in this case) any more right or less wrong about it, but she should have handled it professionally, as a situation, and get over it. IF she believes she has a case, good luck. I'm sure Chelsea will have the best lawyers defending the club and tell you what... they'll have precedents to justify their decision to demote her. As I said back then, no other doctor has made the headlines as much as her in the last 15 months or so, and always with her decisions being questioned. She's a woman in a sports that 99,99% of people involved in the matches are men. So whether we like it or not, she made the headlines for people questioning her work and that's questioning Chelsea. So maybe that also weighted in their decision to remove her AND John from the bench, after all even the entity they have to check if the decisions taken by doctors in concussions or suspected concussions questioned her decision with Thibaut and Oscar. So Chelsea can say a lot of things and the only thing she can get is a personal suit against Mourinho for talking what he did - which suits him right, maybe he'll learn to keep that big mouth of his shut - but even then 1) it will hardly be astronomical money 2) is it worthy? Aren't doctors - or at least the good ones - supposed to be passionate about saving lives or making their better? It looks like a bruised ego and someone wanting to make more money than they'd do working in a lifetime. She may get some money from Mourinho, but I doubt she'll get any from Chelsea.

she was the first team doctor to sit on the bench, she didn't carry or lead the medical department, that's another doctor and Chelsea have a lot of doctors under him - his name escaped me. She was one of them, but her alone is far from the reason of our record.

Guys, we have a thread for KdB and one for Bundesliga, suit yourselves, please.

discussing Hulk and Costa on Oscar's thread. At least those are players I don't think have been discussed here as they aren't even AMs

if they also did the same to other teams' player who did much, much worse and got nothing. I don't have a problem with a ban I disagree with, but I have a huge problem with the lack of standards.

dude, we agree on both - Oscar and Coutinho, but let it go... people who don't like either will continue not to and people who like either will continue to. This sort of discussion is moot. Although just like you I find it hilarious and obnoxious that people don't see how inconsistent Coutinho is, let's try to focus on Oscar

If most don't bite than it really isn't that bad. As I said players are physically bothering others everywhere. Costa is blatant about his moves, but he doesn't necessarily cross the line. I think he should tone down because the FA will eventually punish him for his handbags (thanks @pHaRaOn, and @Muzchap for explaining what that means). Compare those childish provocations that stupid opposition player fall for to what Suarez do to the people, is really overboard imo. Costa plays barely within the rules, but still within them. People are entitled to think the sport shouldn't have this and all the sportsmanship thing they want. The reality though is that football is much closer to rugby than to golf. I don't think putting his hands on Koscielny's face is on the same level as biting someone or a dirty tackle that could jeopardize a players' career. I don't even compare it to actually punches and slaps. He didn't slap Koscielny, he just slipped his hands on his face. Is it nice? No, that's why the referee can call fouls. Call it a foul and move on. Some people are reacting as if Diego has physically assaulted the Arsenal players in a way that put their physical integrity at stake. Actually they call him a criminal, a thug and other words similar and that's an exaggeration imo. So let's start using the same words - sportsmanship, morality, limits - to the tactical foul that stops a counter-attack? OR to players drawing fouls, begging the opponents to touch them and succeeding on that. I don't get this high horse morality some here have when the dirty moves Costa makes are within the rules after all. They can be punished with fouls being called and the eventual yellow card. I also think some are mixing the cause and consequence of his behavior. He doesn't start playing dirt - as you name it - because he doesn't want to focus on scoring. More often than not he resorts to provoking opponents when things aren't going his way. It's the way he deals with the frustration of not playing well. That's the real problem here. He hasn't been at the top of his game, his linkup, dribbling and movement have been bad and some aspects of them aren't even that great to start with. He uses those things to mask or make up for the lack of quality on his part. I don't even think he does it purposefully, he's just a hot fuse and when things don't go his way he's a bomb about to explode, but still he finds within himself the strength to prevent him from going too far. Let the press and the opposition fans hate him all they want. As long as he tones down a bit so FA - who doesn't punish actually punches, ill kicks, elbows and other stuff other teams' players do - won't punish him for just putting his hand on a CB's face. It's not nice, but football has never been about being nice. That's what tennis is about, not football and the purists and moralists have a field day with this behavior, but it doesn't change the fact football has always been like that. There's dirty contact to affect your opponent, there's a lot of dirty words being said to provoke opponents, there's malice in drawing fouls from unexperienced, limited or nervous players. None of those things are nice, but they are part of the sport just the same. I draw the line when players are violent or divers. Diego isn't either.

did you miss the match against Maccabi less than a week ago?

exactly my point, he could have played JT, but he still didn't. I see changes, a lot more chances to youngsters, even in the Premier League, I see him touching last season's untouchables, I see him changing the approach from his every day-system. It's early days and he could stop doing those things instead of carrying on. I hope it's the latter though.

can someone please explain to me what 'handbags' mean in the context? All I can think about when I read handbag is Channel. :blush:

We didn't desperately need the result against Maccabi as they aren't any prowess attacking. We could win even if we played JT. Nobody said he's changing his team into an attacking machine - although his RM side was an attacking machine, with little pragmatism to the side. I think he could be addressing some of our problems. We need a more pro-active defense, although I struggle to see it with Cahill, but anyway, those are the players we have and he knows that we can't play a high defense line with Terry as he's even slower than usual... I'm not saying he's changing for real the approach from last season, I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt and the support I think he's earned

Let's all favorite this page! 22 questions Chelsea fans have for Arsenal fans to answer http://www.buzzfeed.com/alexfinnis/questions-chelsea-fans-have-for-arsenal-fans#.yyo7xd46G

I've been called on my lack of gif posting... well, better late than never, right? @robdog and a couple of memes/pics for the laughs