Deadline Day!

[Rowan_Osborn 58]

Not even close to EPL.

But a very respected magazine ranked the top 10 strongest leagues and the top 5 were: EPL, La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A and Brazileirao.

I really dont remember de source...

I suppose we will just have to wait and see how he does, he is only 18, maybe he can progress into a good player.

[xPetrCechx 13,570]

ANY LINK TO SKYSPORTS?

[Sheva. 5,373]

I honeslty think we will be fighting for 4th place. Atletico just showed what being clinical can just do to us, that's not enough. We have to rely on luck that the other team just can't finish for shit.

The team is so bad it's not even funny, midfield and defence is just a joke. Our attack is interesting and we can do damage but we cannot defend it. I would much rather be a team that rarely concedes, rather than a team that scores a lot of goals but also concedes goals every game.

You always make very harsh assessments imo. Just last saturday we hardly broke a sweat to see of a good Newcastle side, and today we got smashed, it happens.

The main problem from this performance was how we were so vulnerable on the counter, but it can be fixed for sure with different combinations (players we already have!) in the double pivot - and also Ramires not playing, because no matter how much people like him he sure loves giving the ball away.

[Blue-in-me-Veins 4,067]

yossi on loan to west ham.

Hadnt seen that, got.rid of some deadweight not bad.

[Superblue 6,372]

I honeslty think we will be fighting for 4th place. Atletico just showed what being clinical can just do to us, that's not enough. We have to rely on luck that the other team just can't finish for shit.

The team is so bad it's not even funny, midfield and defence is just a joke. Our attack is interesting and we can do damage but we cannot defend it. I would much rather be a team that rarely concedes, rather than a team that scores a lot of goals but also concedes goals every game.

My worries aren't so much with our defence, the problem is they are so easily exposed. Any great defence will struggle if one ball can completely take out your midfield and your left against two or three attackers running at you. The pivot is obviously the biggest issue. I actually think Mikel alongside somebody mobile, disciplined and defensively aware would work. Mikel is left too exposed alongside Lampard and needs somebody dynamic alongside him.

With a more defensively sound pivot, it will:

1. Negate a lot of easy counter attacks for the opposition.
   
2. Give protection to our defence.
   
3. Allow our attacking four players in front of the pivot do exactly that...attack.
   
4. We would no longer have to have a balance in the front four, i.e. a defensive winger like Ramires.
   

I don't see these problems however being too badly exposed domestically this season. We can dominate and outscore most teams. I don't envisage a problem getting top four.

The problems will be in Europe this season where more teams are clinical. I can see us struggling this year in europe.

[gr123 167]

I honeslty think we will be fighting for 4th place. Atletico just showed what being clinical can just do to us, that's not enough. We have to rely on luck that the other team just can't finish for shit.

The team is so bad it's not even funny, midfield and defence is just a joke. Our attack is interesting and we can do damage but we cannot defend it. I would much rather be a team that rarely concedes, rather than a team that scores a lot of goals but also concedes goals every game.

Haven't 2 of our 3 Premiership games been 2-0..?

Christ, one loss (granted we took a battering) and now we should be prepared for a relegation scrap!

[Blue Traveler 256]

Essien to Real Madrid!

[Rowan_Osborn 58]

I honeslty think we will be fighting for 4th place. Atletico just showed what being clinical can just do to us, that's not enough. We have to rely on luck that the other team just can't finish for shit.

The team is so bad it's not even funny, midfield and defence is just a joke. Our attack is interesting and we can do damage but we cannot defend it. I would much rather be a team that rarely concedes, rather than a team that scores a lot of goals but also concedes goals every game.

Midfield pivot is an issue, but i think our defence is good enough. Its almost impossible to defend against a fast break and Atletico constantly outnumbered us on the break. As the defence had to move quickly due to the pace of the attacks, space was created and if you give a striker of Falcao's quality space he will score. This is what happened today.

[Rowan_Osborn 58]

Essien to Real Madrid!

It might do him good, if he plays well and gets game time, which he should as Diarra has gone, he can come back to us rejuvenated.

[BlueLyon 9,359]

The point of transition means that sometimes you play good and then sometimes bad. We have 5 new players in squad and we are playing new system. In past years, we had strong team, great defence and counters, playing on long balls and Drogba. Things changed, but people like Iva or Lamps are still playing old way. Im realy sure in few years we will gel togehter, pick right formation and startin 11. Similar to how long City needed to become stable, yet their weakest part is still defence. This season will show where we are still weak and in few seasons we will have strong team.

Its new project we are making, with very fancy football, but my personal opinion is that previous style was much better for our club. We had great defence and players who can score on counters, now any team can beat us because of the fancy football we play. You cant become barca, thats in genes and specialy not in England. To play this style of attacking football, you need top striker, 10! fast players and great powerful midfield. At least one Cb, CM and Striker will solve that. Then we can go fancy football. With whole new system of playing, there wont be just new players to adapt, but also old. Dont expect anything big this season. We dreamed, but Atletico woken us finaly. We have Mata who is very tired, Hazard who might be unconsistent first season, Torres who cant do anything on his own, selfish Danny, old Lampard, Defence slow and clumsy as fuck, unxperienced Moses and Azpi and Oscar, no CM backup. That is worst reality. But Im still excited about how we will play, United has some big problems too, but Rvp will saving them, City will probably win, we will be third if lucky. In CL, maybe first in group, and keep playing until we meet RM, Barca, City, Bayern that will sure put us out. In world club cup, we will hopefuly win, Fa will go to spurs who will have more motivation and carling to whoever. Based on current state. Our young players should burst of motivation, however Mata and Hazard were average tonight. We have many problems that will be forgotten only if we win next game. Torres who was in form, did nothing tonight. Service up or down, his movement was wrong, positioning,... I guaranty now, he wont be goal scorer for us like we want. Sad, but sooner we deal with that, better. He lost his killer instinct, speed,...Im wondering what if we bought fantastic players on paper, but not what we realy needed? Playin good old Mou or Carlo style would suit us much more, we were truly Fearless back then and everyone feared us realy. We had best defence for years, now everyone can beat us, if they play bit faster. What happend tonight is no excuse. Mata, Hazard etc all played and there was no motivation.

But anyway, Up Blues!

[Blue Traveler 256]

It might do him good, if he plays well and gets game time, which he should as Diarra has gone, he can come back to us rejuvenated.

really hope so. in the last 2 season his performance was woeful but our defensive fragilities make me worry if in some point of the season we might need his contributions.

[Kojo 4,676]

You always make very harsh assessments imo. Just last saturday we hardly broke a sweat to see of a good Newcastle side, and today we got smashed, it happens.

The main problem from this performance was how we were so vulnerable on the counter, but it can be fixed for sure with different combinations (players we already have!) in the double pivot - and also Ramires not playing, because no matter how much people like him he sure loves giving the ball away.

I'm harsh i know that, but i've been thinking about this for a while now. But also thinking it's just early days the team will get itself together. But this seems like a real lack of quality, and can never be mended unless we actually get replacements. Ivanovic certainly needs some time off and a few weeks on the bench to get him sorted out. I would even start Terry over Cahill and get Luiz to stay back more.

Our team is just attack attack attack, i get so worried when the other team is on the counter attack, they always look so dangerous, we are too easy to score against and that will be our problem this season.

[Rowan_Osborn 58]

really hope so. in the last 2 season his performance was woeful but our defensive fragilities make me worry if in some point of the season we might need his contributions.

I agree we could need him, but we've got to look at the positives now. Maybe in January if we are clearly short we will go in for someone like Witsel or M'Villa. I also like Wanyama from Celtic, who i reckon could develop into a player like Essien.

[Rowan_Osborn 58]

Our team is just attack attack attack, i get so worried when the other team is on the counter attack, they always look so dangerous, we are too easy to score against and that will be our problem this season.

I noticed this too, was very worried when Reading found it easy to attack us. Both Wigan and Newcastle had good chances to score too. I don't want us to turn into a new Arsenal and not being able to defend, especially as it was a strength of ours last year. Hopefully when we are properly settled these errors will be ironed out.

[The Skipper 20,609]

Clearly past a couple of people's bed times. It's funny how the majority wanted Essien out but now he's suddenly good enough.

It's also funny how our good work this summer has now been labeled by some as shit. Unbelievable.