Barbara

He's on course of proving his second halves of seasons aren't enough at all. I find this argument much more valid to Oscar than Cesc... actually it isn't valid about Cesc actually imo, but Oscar's three seasons here so far have been terrible from December on.

big time? So if he repeats 2009 or 2008 won't be enough? Damn if he repeats even 2009 - which is more than our AMs without penalties normally do, then it's still big time drop of form? also I didn't know wins in the second part of the season gave additional points. If he collaborated with X points in the first half of the league, they have the same weight as any points in the second, if you didn't know. This reasoning only apply to knockout competitions...

There's a line the size of a cruiser between fair criticism towards players and manager and the spoiled moaning from people that love to criticize. I don't know what's rational, fair, and so special in the arguments and reasonings a few have going on here like a broken record (thankfully they're only a few, otherwise I would have stopped coming here a long time ago, there's so many people I can have on my ignore list). They worship other managers and players - that make mistakes and have bad matches as anyone else, but they ignore completely when those teams and managers do badly. They also overly criticize Mourinho and Chelsea when things are bad or not ideal, but guess what? They take disappearing tea when things are well. This is not a case of greener grass, but downright unhappiness, bitterness and crankiness. Someone could defend them and say they're the kind of people that are perfectionists, that demand and expect a lot from others - be it the team, the manager, the board, the club. But some aren't anything else but narcissists that want to be proven right - even if it means the team's pitfall while others are just grumpy. Now, when people that can say the difference between fair criticism and bratty endless complaining have something to say, I'm sure most people won't react as if they were spoiled bitches and call them on their moaning because then it won't be moaning, but criticism. The team should have expanded the lead before the Matic episode, regardless of how awful the officiating have been and how it had clearly harmed us in the end. You could see the team was trying, they weren't complacent and lacking interest like we did some times last season. It's just that we didn't do it. Burnley played well against a few big teams, they were lucky today, had the referee favor, and we weren't clinical when we should have. That's what leads are for, for when matches get complicated and you just can't get the result, you still continue ahead. No team is going to win 100% of their points til the end of the season despite some here believing City, Aguero, Simeone, Atletico, Coutinho, etc are perfect and never fail, despite what their positions in the table say. Poor unlucky souls, they aren't leading their leagues, but awful bastards such as Mourinho, Costa, Fabregas, Chelsea are. This world is so unfair.

If I need I'll post this picture on every page of this thread, maybe then the myth will go away. He had good second halves of season as well as bad. He's been injured more often between Jan-May than Aug-Dec - which is normal as players normally start collect knocks and tiredness appears then. He was never played to his full capabilities on Barcelona as he was played out of position, so I won't bother with his Barça years and the 2005/06 season for Arsenal and the ones before he didn't have expressive numbers yet. I don't think a guy assisting a goal every two matches is bad return, even every three... there's no doubt he usually has better stats in the first half of the season - I suppose that was never in question - but the idea he can't perform from January to May is a myth. He's been plagued with injures the second half of season - most small injuries (except 2008/09) - but then again most players that are overplayed in the first months suffer from this. At the end of the day in 87 matches he started in the second half of the season he directly contributed with 47 goals, which means 0,54 goals+assists per match. If that's bad for a pivot player - then I don't know what is good... edit: all that said he had a bad match against PSG and today again. Maybe because he was ill, maybe he because he hasn't fully reach form yet after missing a few games with an injury. Either way this could have happened at any moment of the season, it has nothing to do with a general idea comes January he can't play anymore.

some here are missing an opportunity to work on FA. They fit the job description down to a T. You can't be worse than they are, so I suppose, one-in-a-lifetime opportunity?

he had been on bed for three days this week, because he was SICK. So Arsenal fans also predict diseases? Can they give me Brazilian lottery numbers while they're at it? Also most Arsenal fans don't claim this, it's Barcelona's fans because Cesc had been a key player for Arse in a few second halves of the season (the complaints only started when he started to force his move to Barça, until then, no Arse fan ever said a bad word about Cesc - especially because they have eyes (and memory)). I swear I get as angry about this eternal bullshit on this thread as I get about the fucking robbery today. All come from the same place: incompetence on checking really simple facts, such as a nearly broken leg, two clear penalties and a guy scoring and assisting consistently from January to May in years he wasn't injured...

oh, I see, and that's what the table shows? That we've been shit for two months, remaking a 7-point lead after it was reduced to zero points. Come on, in real life football teams struggle, but only champions keep winning. Sort of the opposite in video games, I suppose.

I suppose you've never played a game in your whole life if you think a guy should keep his 'cool' after someone nearly destroys his season - and maybe who knows his career. But whatever you think, mate.

Mikel is not available and there's no way José won't play Ramires. The problem here is playing Fabregas against Ericksen, Lamela, etc...

can bookings be appealed in the league? I don't think so, and if they can, do you honestly believe FA would rescind a CHELSEA red? Come, MM, not even in Wonderland

Mourinho said just yesterday Mikel will take at least two more weeks to recover. We'll go with Ramires + Cesc to the COC final... which is a disaster waiting to happen. We should actually move Luís to the pivot. He's played a handful matches there and put Fabregas ahead of him, 4-3-3 with Willian and Hazard alongside Costa

should have kept his cool? He's lucky to have kept his leg intact.... there's no cool there to be lost or kept. Seriously, the reaction wasn't proportional to what Barnes did to him... he should have broken his nose instead... or at least tried as Barnes did to his leg.

Drogba has been useless for every second he's played

what the fuck, Mourinho/ the one guy that can cross to Drogba is taken from the team? it's weird

imagining a pivot with Ramires and Cesc against Spurs is already giving me the creeps

I want to know if the fucking English media will do the circus they did about Iva and Diego for Barnes... or if the FA will investigate AND ban that son of a bitch. I know the answer to both things. Campaign or no campaign, we'll win the league and they'll just have to deal with it. FUCKERS

he could have broken Matic's leg. those fuckers can all die, go to hell. FUCKERS!!!!!!!! WANKERS!!!!!!!

Fabregas is not playing well... his passing seems rusty

our passing is sloppy... we're missing some key passes there, that are preventing us from being more dangerous... I lost account of the many penalties we were denied lately. They can do whatever fuck they want, we'll be champions against all and everything fuckers

Courtois, hun, how about you figure our those DAMN CROSSES?

we'll never get a penalty in the league, will we? fuckers

Hazard did everything he wanted in their box, that talent

Ivanovic, LOL GOAL

what a tackle by Luís

how Luís doesn't play more in this team, I'll never know. He brings us to a new level in terms of supporting the attack