Cech'sLeftPeg

I don't know why there was that much hostility towards TA in the first place, they're a pretty reputable company, no different from having Etihad or Fly Emirates which are well-established Premier League sponsors. But if they're offering more money I certainly will not moan!

Rather than talk about who's gonna be the next Bond I would like to see more support for the incredible job Daniel Craig is doing in humanising Bond after Pierce Brosnan's four-film montage of indestructibility.

Just seen that Talkchelsea article. Could be bollocks, but they have been pretty reputable in the past. Interesting about Turkish airlines though, is that why Gourlay "left", because the deal fell through? That article says £30mil but isn't that what TA were offering?

Remy has made four starts and about 9 sub appearances and has four goals. Not a bad mins-to-goals ratio.

Watford look like they've been on a bit of a decent run (I can't say I've paid the Championship too much attention this season, sadly!) and I recall them being excellent when they did Fulham 5-0. It'll be a tight one, but I think the Spurs result/performance will give José reason to play a stronger team than he might originally have planned to field this afternoon.

Zouma has played regularly next to Terry and has looked comfortable. JT is a true leader and will always talk an inexperienced defender through the game and give him advice throughout. Can you imagine Ivanovic, a guy who has barely played at centre-back since 2008, being able to do that? If Zouma plays he needs an experienced centre-back by his side - but after Cahill's horror-show the only one qualified to do so is Terry. One can argue "it's only Watford" but they're not exactly goal-shy; they'll attack us for sure.

I'd agree, he might occupy the number ten position on the starting line-up whenever Sky do their thing pre-match, but the reality is he does have a free role behind the striker - but unusually it is more of a defensive role than an attacking one. Whichever way you choose to define it, he's a top midfielder and shouldn't be judged on the goals and assists he provides because ultimately Oscar's contribution to the team is the lung-bursting run he makes to get back and make a tackle after having supported attack after attack. His engine is incredible, but because we were spoiled by having some incredible attacking midfielders, not least Lampard, Ballack, Essien et al., anyone who plays as an advanced midfielder for Chelsea has to score 15+ goals a season, just like Frank did.

Oscar is not an archetypal number ten. He is the least glamorous of our attacking players based on the role he does for the team, which is not to score or assist goals; his role is to be a combative little terrier in the middle of the park who effectively acts as a screen in front of our two pivot midfielders. He pops up with the odd goal and assist because he often plays a lot deeper than the number 10s mentioned above. The way he interchanges with Hazard, Willian and Fabregas is excellent and his versatility makes him a very useful player for us. José could "let him off the leash" and allow him to play his natural game, but for our present 4-2-3-1 system to work it requires more of a box-to-box player in the number ten role; something Mata simply couldn't fulfil. I think Oscar is a terrific player whose contribution to the team shouldn't be measured by assists and goals.

If we'd have got a result yesterday we'd have seen a few of the senior players rested, I reckon, but we now have to bounce back. This game is going to go either of two ways - a nervous 1-0/2-1, or end up a comfortable 3-0. Personally I can only see the former occurring, because we're Chelsea and doing things the hard way is our thing. Either way we need to play a strong team. Watford are no pushovers, they've won four of the last five (including a 4-2 win at Cardiff last time out), and those wins were all against teams that played in the Premier League in the last two seasons (Reading, Fulham, Wigan and Cardiff); their only lose to Wolves who are in decent nick themselves.

What a disaster of a performance yesterday was. Yet in fairness, with all the hammerings we've dealt to Spurs in recent years, we've been due a bit of a beating on their patch. 5-3 I think flatters us, certainly makes it look like we turned up, which, apart from Hazard and to some extent also Diego, we simply didn't do. Frustrating, but it's just one game - let's regroup, batter Watford and move on. Though Watford won't roll over for us, we have six days afterwards for a bit of a rest, so we should field a strong team and take them very seriously indeed. Nothing like an FA Cup victory to improve morale. We had a tough festive programme, so to still technically be on top isn't bad at all. Let's see how City do in January and we'll take it from there.