Barbara

Merry Christmas... or if you're Diego Costa La La La La La La La (although he sounds like a dog, lol)

That's not the point (missing Oscar) but having him and Willian limited us creatively, if you read my posts on the subject for this match was to have Schurrle, but he disrupts our style. My main complaint is general. I said more than once Mikel did well on what he's good. We shouldn't have played Willian (nor Oscar). At Stoke what matters is winning, no matter how. But we've playing Mikel for the last what? Four matches? We need someone who has more to offer than defensive skills to replace Cesc in the pivot And we still until a couple of weeks ago we had not lost a match. Seriously, this idea that smooth football doesn't win matches is ridiculous. We were winning just fine. I agree we needed him against Stoke, but him and Willian is nearly impossible to watch through the frustration

In no way we were the oiled machine that dominates the midfield involving opposition with a fluid attacking play. We were good bullying them . They didn't have a good response for an early goal. It was a solid match but far from what we were producing a couple of months ago. Willian created nothing, no need to mention Mikel. Hazard and Cesc were good but worse than usual. Sorry if tackles aren't the only thing nor the main thing I want to see in the team. They're important just fine, but our midfield should make the headlines for other reasons.I look at the latest matches and it's been the same story. We were dominating teams by playing a smooth football, now we're shutting them with tackles and interceptions. We can and should do better.

I don't like our midfield with him, I feel that to play Cesc behind the striker and give us more in the final third we have to play Mikel. It doesn't mean it wasn't effective. I was complaining about it through and through though. I hate that we lose to much in the pivot, in the transition, in the way we dominate midfield to have Cesc behind the striker. we need someone better to replace Cesc in the pivot. I'm positive Mourinho moved Cesc ahead for a combination of two things: the game was too physical for Oscar to play at all and too physical to have Cesc in the pivot. The change isn't only about Oscar. If Oscar handled those games better, Cesc would still play #10 and Willian would be dropped. So imo Cesc was moved higher also because it would have been suicidal to play him in the pivot away at Stoke But the idea of Mikel still makes me frustrated. Hopefully when Ramires finally recovers (maybe he also had mono, who knows) he'll get a chance there too because I'd rather have Ramires and Matic than Matic and Mikel. But who knows if that'll work.

which Google confirms as the virus that causes mono. That's sad

so why not discuss the changes he's made yesterday? That's the whole point of the post. It was so damn quiet. A lot of people were saying before match how difficult that match was going to be, crucial for us and whatnot. Then he makes a change, we win comfortably and not one word here about it is posted. Had we drawn or worse, lost, them this place would be on fire. I'm not saying we shouldn't discuss. But there are people who are only willing to engage into discussions these days if it's about moaning, criticizing, etc... What he did yesterday offered a lot of food for thought... still no one talks about it

I disagree. The right question for me is 'has he improved enough to consistently starter for Chelsea?' And to that question the answer is no imo. He's good to be a squad player but as he's a workhouse and Jose loves those he's been promoted to a starter which he shouldn't if we aspire to be among the best teams in the world. Chelsea is way out of his league as a starter, but he makes the cut as a sub.

Mikel is a very good defensive midfielder completely useless to anything else that isn't defending or passing backwards. While I think Jose's assessment regarding Oscar was spot on - the match was too physical for him - I hate the fact that to afford Fabregas at #10 we need to partner Matic with Mikel. Mikel did what he normally does good well, but he also did pretty bad at what he's bad. He can't give one single pass forward, with him in the team we naturally sit deeper because instead of advancing he makes the AMs and FBs go deep to get the ball going. That drives me nuts, a team of our size shouldn't play like that. I don't like to have him in the team because he disrupts the fluidity of our midfield moving forward. I don't have a problem with his latest performances, but it's no wonder we've looked worse than usual, didn't dominate the midfield at all like we do when we have Cesc, Matic and Oscar. I like Cesc better when he's in the pivot, but I understand why for certain matches Jose wants him as a #10, but knowing the price for that is having Mikel in the lineup just gives me more reason to like Cesc better in the midfield. And for God's sake, if we're playing Mikel, Willian just has to be on the bench. I can't measure how frustrating is to play BOTH at the same time. Schurrle should have started...

Yeah, but when he does the smallest and most insignificant thing wrong for some, it goes on and on. Even when he does nothing some people come to criticize how pragmatic, conservative, bad dressed he is. So it's sort of normal to expect the same when he does changes and we win or maybe, just maybe, there should be a little bit more praise because the pragmatic and conservative manager has got us at the top of the league for 17 matchweeks now... out of 17.

Thank you both!!!!!!!!! what he's done so far is no short than unthinkable and spectacular. He's been crucial to our position in the table and I'm sure he has more to add to what has already been instrumental for us, but if worst case scenario happens and he goes through a quiet period it doesn't diminish how amazing and vital he's been for the title, if it comes. There are no periods more important than others maybe except December and that's not to be top of the League at Christmas, but because there are way too many matches and it can take a toll on players. The second half of the season is as important as the first and we're about to finish the first half at the top of the. league much because of his ridiculously incredible mark of 12 assists in 17 matches. Maybe instead of demanding him to assist more, we should ask others to step up too. That's the only fair thing indeed.

Merry Christmas, Shirley. You can save that gift I asked you a minute ago for boxing day

Proper Blue already Link me some arses forums, they have to see those pics

just as expected as the absolute silence after won... that's TC these days. Loved his absolutely infuriated reaction at Barsdley's tackle on Hazard He was furious - rightfully. That's what sets him apart of everyone else imo... his passion

Can't play as a #10 they said.

I'm blaming Mourinho for choosing to play Cesc as #10 with Mikel coming in the team. I'd rather keep Cesc in the pivot. I'm not blaming Mikel. Although I'd be much happier if we offloaded him next season. It's the same with Willian. As long we have them in the squad Mourinho will resort to them instead of going with Schurrle for example. André should have started... if we have Mikel in the pivot there's no way we should play with Wililan (not even Oscar). We just look completely toothless in the final third

and people call my baby selfish... what a chance Costa wasted here...

the best part is that they hate Cesc. An assist and one goal. PERFECT and that a touch to get rid of the opponent. The strike wasn't exactly what he wanted, but the touch before, was

FABREGOL!!!!!!!

and that's why we're looking a lot like last season right now... which is not a good sign I'm saying exactly that, if Jose wants to use Cesc as #10 sometimes we NEED to sign someone because playing Mikel is destroying the progress we've made. What role could Mikel possibly play at Stoke away? There's absolutely NO NEED for him

Because we have no transition and play possession with Mikel in the team is asking to play deeper and deeper, so they're getting rid of the ball way too soon. Mikel completely disrupts our play and Willian is visibly tired. mourinho is just being stubborn

so he can't be Cesc's replacement when we play Cesc as #10. We need someone better. we're playing with two DMs... even though Matic is good on transition. We evolved because our pivot evolved, playing Mikel is regressing, is taking a step back from the new style of football we upgraded to this season

if we're going to play Cesc as #10 we need someone more like him. Playing Mikel is just annoying, frustrating and BAD. We can't continue to play Mikel

I can't get over Mourinho's love story with Willian...

which is what our team is. We aren't an one-man team like some teams are. We have key players, and Hazard is one of them. For me, you're absolutely right, those five are the core of our success. I do think Hazard and then Cesc have a bit of an edge compared to the other three, but we need Matic and JT as much as we need Hazard, Cesc and Diego.u And for me a team player like Hazard is way better to have than players such as Aguero and Sanchez. I can't believe someone said di María is playing better than Eden... I just can't. I do wonder just like @sutro before me, if people watch games or just read articles and check stats. Sanchez has paid off brilliantly for Arsenal in terms of goals (he's contributed directly, scoring or assisting, 50% of their goals so far). It doesn't mean he's as good as Hazard though, because he isn't. Eden is way more talented and the cheater is already 26, on his peak years. We already have Cesc and Costa to provide goals for us... Eden is better, more important even if he directly hasn't contributed as much as Sanchez had. Indirectly he's probably at the same level, if not higher...

Oh, I see. So you, your wonderful and insightful stats just proved me that Hazard is thrice the defender Cesc is. Let's do this, mate. You stick to such a precious piece of information, I'll stick to watching football matches and dragging my conclusions from that instead of a bunch of numbers that don't tell the whole story (and in this case tell a blatant lie) And you know what my poor watching experience tells me? That Cesc is thrice the defender Hazard is, not the other way around. I feel like this post just proved my further, but I guess that's the difference between us. I'm born in a country that watches sports - especially football instead of looking for some nice data (although we have plenty of that here, I often use them to write my weekly column about Chelsea). But thanks, for supporting the idea that according to Squawka and their brilliant data we all now know Hazard is the better defender between him and Cesc. If it wasn't for both of you I'd die without knowing it. Pardon me, but it seems like between the two of us, you're the one so blinded by what you were reading and typing, and wanting to win a stupid argument, that you didn't realize that writing what you've just wrote proved my point further. You just found some data to prove that Cesc is a worse defender than Hazard is. Brilliant. Except real life tells another story. So I'll rephrase my signature. Stats GIVE you a GOOD IDEA, but they hide the most important parts. Too bad Hazard being a better defender than Cesc isn't a good idea. You could give me all stats you want in the whole world, you won't convince me otherwise. the big question is, if your pride will allow you to honestly answer between the two of them who is the best defender and therefore who 'should' have a better score at that. But then you'd have to consider the area of the pitch each of them play at, how our set up using Cesc to be the brain the team exposes him, how he isn't that fast and has that much of stamina. I mean, why analyze what really happens in the pitch and what influences on that if we can just open a website and find out Cesc has the most plays passed by him, right? So could you answer me, who is the best defender or who's better defensively between Cesc and Hazard? I'd love to read your answer and your arguments to defend it. I'll waiting for it. edit: btw, Oscar has a -55 score for defending - our best defensive AM without a doubt. And our DM, Matic, has a -3 score. I mean, Hazard is a prowess defensively, we should employ him in the pivot next. He's almost there with some CBs scores. The more I read about those stats, the more football makes sense in my head...