Barbara

I love his haircut and I don't see where he needs to lose a couple of pounds. Man is as sharp as they get - body wise Well, Mourinho said some very nice things in the mirror interview and I'm willing to stop with my discontentment towards this piece of business now that it seems clear that Remy is staying. What Mou said about different players working better or worse under different managers and in different clubs is absolutely true. We've seen so many cases of that and as I said the first time around, Mourinho seems to be convinced he can bring Falcao to a high standard again. Some think it may be a vanity thing - like Mourinho throwing at others that he could save this player when others failed to. It wouldn't be too off the line, Mourinho really is a very confident man when it comes to his people skills. Looking this way, it's a gamble that isn't too risky. We only have a loan contract, it's not like we've paid millions on the guy, he may recover some or even most of his old form, which gives us a deadly duo/trio of strikers. I'm still not convinced Mourinho can pull it out, but now I'm at least willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. If it works out, it's Mourinho's magic once again, if it doesn't, we've cut our losses with the way we got Falcao and by keeping Remy. It's worth a shot, I suppose. I admit the Torres' ghost was responsible for most of my reluctance towards this move (and of course, a potential Remy exit because of it)

I think even if he wants to leave, Mourinho will try to convince him to stay and I'd say Mourinho is quite the persuasive guy. He's had convinced many players in the years he's been around, Fabregas being one prime example of that. This was the reassurance I needed to know he won't leave. Mourinho sees him as necessary and part of the plans. The lad can say and win titles - or at least fight for them - and still play his part. I think that's a good enough package, isn't it?

I think many of us wanted the most last season was for a better bench. Of course, Oscar, Willian, Cahill could play much better than they did for some stretches of time. Hazard had to carry the team on occasion and Cesc and Costa injuries hurt us a little bit, but I still see us much better than the domestic rivals. As you said, they have to settle those players, while we'll be working with the settled team going through their second season together. That's a good plan for me. As I said a few times recently, what concerns me the most is how our far from solid defense requires so much protecting to look good and how it compromises the team's fluency, but Mourinho hinted on it in the Mirror interview, maybe he's more ready to make changes than we believe. Or maybe he isn't, either way I feel we should be looking to improve our defense and with his admission on trying to sign Stones, I think he knows we need it. I think with less pressure on his shoulders - we haven't won the league in way too many years, and still some smart-ass comes here saying he shouldn't be given a contract extension without giving more proof he actually deserves it - so the pressure is off. He and the club still have some pressure about UCL, but it's remarkably less than the league. Barça, Bayern and even Madrid have deadly teams, so winning it will be hard for whoever does it. So I think it's a good strategy to get a better bench, look what Cuadrado's presence did to Willian's performances. We have a very good starting XI - with the exception of Cahill imo - but some of those guys aren't playing to their full potential. Oscar, Willian, Iva, Azpili (attacking wise) could and should improve some. If Cesc and Costa are able to miss less matches and if Cesc's gas doesn't end towards the last part of the season, I see us winning the league even more easily than last season. We need to progress to stand a chance in UCL, I agree, but maybe the answer is within our squad rather than a flashy signing. It may look like some serious gambling, but I don't see why we shouldn't do it. We're the fucking reining champions, we can afford it and still get away with everything. If I felt threatened by City, Arsenal or United, I'd be more concerned, but I don't. It feels weird to say it, but from the bunch I think Arsenal might be the ones we should be more concerned, as they're being as clinical as we've been the last years, instead of splashing money everywhere like City and United. But their medical department will continue to be a major damper in their plans imo. I don't know if their players are more injure prone or if their docs aren't top (probably a combination of both) and unless their key players stay healthy the whole season, I still see us head and shoulder ahead of our local competition.

What does one thing have to do with other? He proved he's capable of winning, so we support him because he's the manager, not because we want to change him for the next shiny toy - who I might ask who would be. Before Guardiola a few years back, Mourinho has been the only one to win two UCL close to one another. He has 7 league titles under his belt in a fairly short career so far. So if he has a catastrophic season as it seems to be written in the stars he'll have, we just back him up and hope he does better the following one. Barcelona, Bayern, Madrid - all went through the same. I never said Mou is the same as Chelsea or bigger, I just said he has nothing to prove, he's good at his job and I'd rather him to stay a long time even if I disagree with him on many occasions. So if he's one of the top managers of the world - which he is, whether people like you believe it or not, like it or not - then we should just settle and be prepared. No other team, let alone manager, has been winning it all for years in a row. It's very competitive and sometimes the best wins, sometimes they don't. There's a lot of good teams out there. So I'm not following the shit you're saying, but fact remains, some people just look for trophies. Well, guess what, they're not easily won.

you're kidding, right? I seriously can't with the shallowness and lack of loyalty showed time after time. It's too much for me. Mourinho doesn't have to prove anything else on football and definitely not to Chelsea. Teams don't win every season, United, Barcelona, Madrid, Bayern - even when they were very dominant, didn't carry on winning for seasons in a row. The sport is highly competitive, winning is becoming more and more difficult. I think fans are just too spoiled and ungrateful and don't know the first thing about support. Which is why calling them fans instead of supporters seems fitting. They're fans of winning and signing some stars, not supporters of a club. If the difficulties we had early in the 80's had happened now, this club wouldn't have a ground anymore and God knows if it would still exist because that kind of unconditional support and love is very rare to find these days. There are still many people who are like that, but they're an underwhelming minority that wouldn't be enough to do anything like that.

Which is the puzzling part. It has been divulged by the club our U-21 were going to Austria, the senior team to Canada and the guys who are going to be loaned to stay training in London. Makes no sense in my head...

He's joined the team in the US preseason - which makes no sense whatsoever. I don't know how to link instagram pics, so I'll just post the link https://instagram.com/p/5LSM4eB7Ap/

Had to unfollow premier League Twitter account... For a moment I felt there was some arse fan in my timeline given the amount of tweets about them. Unbearable

Oscar's acting skills are so bad... And people complaining of his vision How can he pretend and act like a #10 with those acting skills. There is the answer to all his problems And damn Cesc, that was HOT

Oscar trying to look tough and menacing is the funniest thing ever... In a cringing way. And the way Diego shows off his chest in the end is overboard. Looks like a goose lol

yes! I hope Steve will give us new codes

It's almost as if we hadn't had the Samsung Mobile logo before. The reason Yokohama is sponsoring Western teams is to brand awareness, its expansion and to penetrate in the market share. I remember WHS teasing us about the new sponsor saying it was Asiatic and that he hasn't heard of it yet. So I suppose it's not a well known brand in Europe and other parts in America (although they've been sponsoring American teams) and they want people to easily associate them with their products. I think the tyres will stay at most two seasons, but it may be as well as just this one. Once people know they're a tire brand, it'll go away

I agree with the main point Peace did... which is Oscar is inconsistent. I just don't agree about the causes, because they feel like unknown for me. It could be his thing (problem) or it could be a consequence of too much football and not one single proper pre-season. People are different, just because extremely lazy Neymar can play well in a Barça team tht is absolutely fantastic, it doesn't mean every other player including Oscar should have a similar reaction. His problem is consistency, the cause could be one or some of multiple possibilities. I admit being disappointed by his (lack of) development, but I also believe he's a very useful player that has had great match for us. I don't even think his best was the Juve, disagreeing with The Skipper. His 30 minutes of football against Southampton last year was great, as well last season I guess against Crystal Palace. I think it's a bit of ignorance to keep saying he's just only played the Juve match in high level. He had some other very good matches, he has been useful and contributed with important goals and assists that counted for the title last season and the team worked the best when he played the best - he brings balance, whether people want to admit it or not. Does it mean his inconsistency should be disregarded? Of course not, and there should have improvement. He isn't as bad as some make him out to be, but he isn't a freak of nature either. His problem may be physical and in that case, lack of pre-season time after time and too many matches especially two seasons ago would only make matters worse. Or it could be something else. The only way to discard the lack of pre-season as a reason is seeing how he'll do this season as it'll be the first time he'll prepare properly. I think he lacks drive and motivation a little bit, but I'm still hopeful he'll turn it around like Hazard did (attitude wise) and will step out of his comfort zone.

Things certain in life: death, taxes, Oscar's thread being filled with hatred and hatred to the hatred. Except when we go off topic, that had been the case of at least the last 100 pages here with little change. We all got it already at this point, so some he's good for nothing, some are skeptical, others think his main problem is physical, others mental, others ability, others consistency. There isn't one single aspect of him that hasn't been put under the microscope here, both by groups that support him, that don't like him and that are giving him one last chance to prove his worth. I know this is a forum and we come here to discuss stuff, but those posts had been done a thousand times (if not more) on this thread. We don't need to keep repeating it endlessly. We've heard you.

my love for him is strictly professional. He's a hell of a player, but not my type. Now when Azpili has another son I hope to be the mom

we should be aiming for another AM - preferably a winger - that is WC or close to it, who has goals and assists on them and then Oscar and Willian can figure their shit out and play in the CAM position. Whoever is better plays and the other is the 13th player in the lineup, as this is a very common sub to be done during the match. If we sell Oscar, I agree with the poster above me, we'd need two more AM's in high level, not only one. I just don't know how Vidal is considered one... but well, that's me. He's a MD, not an AM imo.

please!!!!!! But I don't see it happening in another five years... which gives me nightmares. Five more years of a mediocre defense holding back the team's potential is a crime. Mourinho is stubborn and he doesn't mind compromising the team's fluency to keep the defense protected. I can't believe he isn't capable of setting up a defense that doesn't need as much protection, so the only reason left is because he really trusts those guys. I'd keep Azpili - of course - and JT should be analyzed one season at a time. Cahill doesn't seem to have that much of trust, so he's the only one I see leaving earlier than this, but Iva will retire from football as a Chelsea starter - for my complete desperation. I love the guy, I have advocated his spot in the team before, but that was because we haven't won the league in five years. Now we need better things to higher flights. Iva ain't the answer to that. He holds back literally with 2 or 3 players if we think he exposes Cahill already noticeable deficiencies, the RW and one of the midfield players to cover for him and help him mark. I can't get over how he marks every cross from at least 2m away the opponent, with his hands on his back.

Different subject demands a separate post. I won't quote, because I'm lazy to go back the pages, but I just read the problem in our defense is JT? Sorry, but the only expression I can find to answer that is WTF? He has one shortcoming - and that's his lack of pace. If he doesn't have to cover for Cahill, and babysit him, if Iva doesn't do his kamikaze thing (and arms behind his body marking his man 2m away) JT can be our sheriff without having his slowness exposed. It's the fact that Cahill backs away even from kittens, the fact that Iva does MIA sometimes - dragging Willian or who else is in the right wing to be the first combative man avoiding a cross that makes us look overly defensive, especially against big teams. Take Iva away from the team (something I know also brings a couple of down sides, but the up sides are more meaningful imo) and move Azpi there, and we'll have the best one on one defender in the league protecting the always so scared of pro-active marking Cahill. Luis isn't too fast himself and he might support the attack more than Azpi would, exposing JT more, but then we have Matic - the golden condom - to stay a bit back when Luis is up. I'd rather use a DM to cover for a CB than half the team cover for a FB. The thing with Iva is that it becomes a domino effect situation. With him not only going up and leaving the defense uncovered and his stupid man marking, we expose the weakest link in the defense: Cahill and he's left more often than not in one on one situations that he will undoubtedly back away until both him and the opponent are in the box.The only reason our defense looks good is because it gets a lot of protection from our AMs and Matic. A good defense doesn't need this much protection and until we move on from Iva, it won't look better. The thing is he isn't that old, José loves him for his spirit and attack presence. JT might demand a few tactical adjustments, but take him away from the team and Azpi will continue to play LB because Mourinho would rather play Zouma or anyone else alongside Cahill than take Iva from the RB position. Also, JT has been anything but brilliant last season for us, Azpili or no Azpili. The same can't even remotely be said about the undisputed Iva. Not even close.

Iva was undisputed in the team of the season and Fabregas wasn't at the expense of Coutinho, those things really don't tell much. As I said he found a team his size at Southampton, and yes, I don't rate Bertrand at all. He pissed me off way too much the few times he played for us. The one exception had been the UCL final, when he was okay, but still did some Ramires esque passes.

didn't watch, can't say. I was basing my comments in what was supposed to be a sitter at the end of a match to decide the champions. I should have known better. Poor guy has been crucified for something that only Messi didn't mess up in the shootout... okay then. Also, if he's bad taking pens and his stats show it, why did the manager pick him?

I don't get why Higuain is the only one to blame if Argentina lost the penalty shootout 4x1. As for the sitter at the end of match, I understand some of the stick, but everything seems just not proportional.

I must be the only one that didn't give a shit about Bertrand. Didn't think he was ever even marginally good enough to play for us. He was a backup, almost useless as he could only do one trick when we actually needed him (basic defensive work). Even then he had more downs than ups imo, impossibly overrated player around here. He found a team of his size when he moved to Southampton. Back to Luis. Sorry, but it pays him sort of right. I like the guy, but he forced his exit last season when Atletico were very willing to keep him and did everything they could because he wanted to play in a 'bigger team'. now he wants to go back because although he won two titles here, he wants to play more often even if it's not in a team as big (generally speaking). Some amazing career management skills there. That said, he should be our LB starter... he won't improve his timing and defensive moves in EPL if he doesn't play and he didn't compromise much when he played, although he's definitely a downgrade to Azpi defensively wise, the same way Azpi is much worse supporting the attack. I'm just tired of the whole team paying for a messed up defense (one kamikaze, one brainfart waiting to happen, a sacrificed RB and a WC CB that's slow and should have better players surrounding him, so his one shortcoming wouldn't be exposed). Luis and Azpi just keep paying the price for that and I'll always call Mourinho's mistakes in how he sets up a winger, a MD and who else is available to cover for Iva in the RB. It's a lot of compromising just because of one player. If we have a better partner for JT and Iva wasn't our RB we'd be a much better team, way more balanced that wouldn't need to play so defensively in certain kind of matches... *sigh*

I'm sure there isn't anyone cooler than Diego in any dressing room. The guy is a gem, lol

First, they'd do that either way. That's how they operate these days and they aren't fools to have release causes so low like Diego's anymore. All their new contracts have astronomical release causes. Second, who's to say we'll ever be interested in any of those players. Right now, if we can take that Rob guy's word, we aren't interested in any of their players... which could be a lie (not by the Rob guy) and we're only tempting them enough to offer the player we really want. I really don't have a clue of who we'll be landing this summer in addition to Falcao and Begovic... which isn't that much exciting. I wanted only a couple of signings, but to address areas we need, such as a backup for Cesc and a better RW (because I have hopes Zouma will displace Cahill from the team), if we're only signing replacements for the guys who left, then it would have been a counterproductive transfer window as both players - Falcao and Begovic are worse than DD and Petr (and someone being worse than DD currently says a lot about how bad Falcao actually is), and that's not even considering Remy may also leave because of the Falcao deal. It feels like we've been regressing in terms of transfers. Letting Schurrle go, bringing Cuadrado, signing those guys. Where's the sharp Chelsea of the last two summer windows?

When I saw so many unread posts in this thread I thought that had been some development about Oscar. Then I come here to read posts and more posts about Azpilicueta - who is only recognized by Chelsea fans, that much is true. Few people I know have any sort of praise for Dave, unsung hero and all that. Not among the best FB in the world at all for me, but I'm Brazilian, a FB that can only defend or mainly only defend does nothing to me.