Tchekitchek

Here is his performance against Inter http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmQlL7o_kAo He DID appear a bit sluggish and overweight tho, no doubt. Hope he'll shed that junk soon enough.

He had still the rhythm of the Belgian league in his feet; he didn't play that bad but was a bit too soft.

Let's hope he is more complete George said it best, no pun intended: "Beckham is a great player. Well, he can't tackle, has no left foot, cannot head the ball, he cannot dribble, he is not strong, he can't defend, he is rather slow, and not particularly tall; apart from that he is alright"

De Bruyne will be this season's Juan Mata I really didn't expect he was such a good player. When he was transfer to Chelsea from Genk, I thought he would pull a "Thorgan Hazard" (player not quite up to the level and being loaned forever). For exemple, Steven Defour was rated higher when he went to Porto, yet he's still struggling; the leap from Genk to Chelsea was too big to me. KDB's loan to Bremen was the best thing ever for him. I'm still sceptical about Lukaku as I ever was though. I wonder how KDB will develop though... as a Lampard, a Gerrard? More defensive?

Hazard is more cruyffy than kdb, innit?

I haven't watched the game, was he that bad? Goal.com says he did good...

Hazard is different from C Ronaldo... he is much more creative... I see more Inestia in him than C Ron...

I can't watch the game, how is Hazard overrall?

Will Mourinho play him in a more "sitting" role and give the wings to Schurrle? I hope Mourinho knows him well enough not to judge him over those two average games...

I watched only the second half. Sad for De Bruyne. I feel that Hazard did a so so match, and Lukaku had still his awkward touch. Is it me or Mourinho will use Hazard in a more "sitting" role? And will give the wings to Schurrle?

Mourinho actually speaks perfect French

Anyone else thinks he sounds a bit like Cantona?

The interview of Benteke stating that Hazard wanted to go to Madrid is actually not from December 2012 but before Hazard was transfered to Chelsea, somewhere during the summer of 2012. The interview was published in English in December because Benteke started to impress so the press wanted to dig back an old interview of him.

De Bruyne is a more powerful, no nonsense option compared to the other technical players. Mourinho loves powerful and disciplined players.

He did give an impression of being slightly "out of shape".

"exotic European players"?

Not his best game...

I haven't watched Gotze much but I heard he was more of the hard-working, no-nonsense type compared to Hazard; isn't he more comparable to De Bruyne then?

You would if you lived in the Matonge quarter of Brussels. Not speak it but hear it.

KdB understands French very well actually. Naingollan, the bald guy, seemed reluctant to speak French though as he essentially spoke Dutch to Lukaku. Flemish players like Dries Mertens and KdB (or even Lukaku) tend to get along very well with French speaking players. The video is kinda representative of Belgium though as you could hear French, Dutch and even Congolese with a bit of English thrown in.

When I heard De Bruyne was transfered to Chelsea, I thought he would never make it, like Lukaku (never had any doubt about Hazard); but he made awesome progress in Werder. I don't think he will be titularized; but he will add a harder working, more powerful option up front than the other players. In a sense, he is more a "Mourinho like" player than the other ones.

He is very similar to Hazard in this video; Ronaldinho seemed to favor pace back then, he became a more axial, more "playmaking" later, maybe that's how Hazard will evolve himself... Wenger once said that Hazard will end up in the center of the pitch later in his career.