Nibs

The Carling Cup Final and tonights win over Porto are great reminders of why he is known as the special one. I've never liked that tag to be honest but blimey he's earnt his wages lately. To come away with wins when we have been outplayed at times just shows the never say die spirit he has installed. I can't believe all this talk about him being shown the door and him not being here next season - it doesn't bare thinking about. He is a WINNER and there are very few of them about.

) I disagree and agree. I agree that Mikel was MOTM, I disagree with the substitution (even though we ended up winning) - I would have had Lamps off for Mikel. Trouble is Loz, as good as Maka is at what he does, he gives us virtually Zilch in a game when we're 1-0 down and need to win 2-1. He ain't getting any younger either and as bad as both Lamps & Ballack were in the first half, they are always capable of getting that all important goal - as Ballack proved today. So it had to be Maka really and I applaud JM just as I did in the Carling Cup Final. (Must admit, if it was my call at half time it would have been Ballack. Probably why I am not a coach on a ?3m a year salary )

Yeah, yeah Great finish, but come on, he was due one. First goal in 17 matches??? He was better than Lamps tonight but that is not saying much and I'm sorry, just because he scored the all important winner tonight, he still wouldn't get in my starting 11. Once agin brilliant by Mourinho. Right decision to take Maka off and although he only played 45 mins, Mikel was my MOTM. It was refreshing to see someone pass the ball well and actually look comfortable on the ball and realise how important it is not to keep giving it away. Another great decision by JM to take Diarra off when on a yellow and Paulo did well when he came on. Carvalho was superb again, and Essien and Robben were also very good, as was Drogs second half. Much. much better second half. I couldn't have stomached the scousers going through and us not.

Why blame Ballack for Lampard's performance? I'm not blaming Ballack - I've said they are both poor. Difference is, Lamps will more often than not come good and pop up with a goal or something. Ballack is just a waste of space full stop.

Always thought this could be tricky, especially with no JT. Porto look so much fresher and have so many more ideas than us. We have just given the bal away time & time again. It's a little like the Arsenal game but the worry is Robben is already on so we can't bring him on to change the game (and what a pityful dive that was ) I still think our main problem is middle of midfield. Whether we can get Essien to switch second half I don't know but we need something. Just as Lamps & Gerrard doesn't work for England, Lamps and Ballack does not work for us. It is woeful. Lamps had yet another 45 he will want to forget and I've forgotten Ballacks season up to now so it's easy to forget another 45 in his case. Get him off. We need some inspiration from somewhere. COME ON YOU BLUES!!!

This season has made me more of a Mourinho fan than ever. I've always liked him but at times in the past I've voiced my disapproval - the negative way we play at times, the way he favours workmanlike players over flair players and his lack of dignity in certain situations. But he has improved a lot on the last point and I think this season, at times, he has performed miracles. For us to be where we are, with the horrendous injuries suffered to key players, is pretty remarkable. Of course I want us to win every match and therefore every trophy going, but in a strange way, I'll be quite happy if we don't win the league or even any other trophies this season. The fact we already have one trophy in the cabinet is good enough for me and will make me look forward to next season all the more, when hopefully the likes of Robben & Joe are fully fit and the whole squad will have a real hunger to win the league again - and this time really in style. Of course if we do just happen to do the quadruple this season, that would be good too!!!

Sure that footage wasn't some years ago? Wasn't that one of Martin Keowns first ever matches and one of those boards hit him slap bang in the face. It would explain a lot.

Am I missing something here? Maka put us 1-0 up. Spurs went on to beat us 2-1.

They say it ain't over until the fat lady sings - well my next door neighbour is playing an Alison Moyet record at the moment

That Gooner desrves a pat on the back for a very balanced and well thought out view. Very refreshing.

I was in the Shed that day. Of course not hard to guess one of the chants that day................ Boy George, Boy George, do you take it up the.................!!!

Sure it was. ?3 to get into the Shed and an extra ?1 for the luxury of sitting on a slab of concrete!!

If it came down to a straight choice between Roman & Jose, for me it would be Bye-bye Roman, thanks for all you've done. Would be good to see Mourinho still achieve success on a "normal" budget.

GB, I do admire you sticking up for Robben but Serious case of blue tinted glasses there!! If ever Robben starts terrorising defences week in week out, can show that he can use his right foot as well as his left and score a fair number of goals with his head then I might come back and take you seriously. Until then.................................

Robben is a very frustrating player - just as many have been before him. We all know on his day he can be brilliant and he can be a match winner, but that day doesn't happen anything like as often as it should. I've already posted elsewhere my view that he did help turn the game for us on Sunday and if he hadn't come on I really don't think we had enough to win the match. He CAN be a match winner but if he wants to be one of the best, he has to produce a lot more regularly. At present he cannot possibly be compared to Ronaldo who has been brilliant for Utd ALL SEASON. GB, you accuse Just of Joe Cole bias, something I have been accused of in the past. Perhaps that's because we have seen Joe really make the effort to improve his all round game whereas Robben's game seems to have stood still - perhaps even gone backwards? I'm not turning this into another Robben v Cole thread as my ideal starting line up would have them BOTH starting every week. I really cannot face the prospect of the "death of football midfield" we've had to endure for much of this season.

I would hate to think just how slow he will be by then though

I hate that Eboue - he always seems to be looking for trouble and has one bad attitude. That said, Bridgey did make a heck of a meal of it

I'm not so sure now. Mourinho played Ballack at the beginning of the season as he probably felt that Ballack needed to come to terms with the premiership and settle in. By now he can see that he still hasn't settled in and perhaps isn't the player we hoped he'd be, but has had to play him of late due to injuries. Mourinho is no mug and he'll have seen that against that young Arsenal side, there were times when our midfield couldn't cope - we were totally outplayed. It wasn't until we brought Robben on that we put them on the back foot more. There is no doubt that with Cole & Robben both in the same line up along with a fit Lamps and Essien, we'll look a totally different side again.

Would agree with a lot of the comments posted. The feeling at the final whistle was one of relief, 'cos after the first 15/20 minutes i feared we were gonna be completely hammered. Hats off to Arsenal, they made some of our players look totally past their best (and perhaps some of them are?) We didn't look at the races and a couple of times it was embarrasing watching the shear ease they were going passed our players. On another day we could have easily been three down before half time. Thankfully we weren't, mainly due to Cech and Carvalho. I've been critical of Robben many times but boy was I glad to see him second half. If he hadn't come on at half time, I really don't think we would have gone on to win it. He made a huge impact and suddenly Arsenal had something to worry about other than Drogba and Diarra who were the only players who seemed to cause them any problems in the first half. Thought all of the midfield were poor first half. Great decision by JM to take Maka off it was between him and Ballack. Ballack might have made one or two decent passes, but he has no pace whatsoever and time and time again, Gooners were going passed him we ease and the only way he could get near them was to foul them. Lamps was little better, but you always feel Lamps could at least produce a goal (and nearly did). And Essien had one of his poorest games too and actually did better when he switched to centre back. For me, the players that deserve most credit are: Cech 9 - kept us in the game and his presence makes all the difference when we are up against it - totally commanding. Diarra 9 - hardly gave a ball away all afternoon. Composed on the ball and made some great forraging runs that at least took the pressure of us. He also knows when to hoof it out when need be!! Carvalho 8.5 - great display and made many important tackles - notably the one in the box in the first half of Alialidare (or whatever his name in). If he'd got that wrong it was 2-0 and game over. Robben 8.5 - changed the game and if he hadn't come on we wouldn't have won. Lets hope he can do this more often. Drogba 9 - quiet first half other than the goal but he really imposed himself as the game went on and WHAT a header. Love the bloke!!!

You have to laugh at that (now we know JT is relatively ok). JT our Man of Steel!!!

I'm still seething BJD as I expect 1,000's of others are. We took the train option as after the Liverpool final last time it took us over 4 hours to just get out of Wales after the game, so we thought this time "let the train take the straain". Me & Coombsie set off at 7.00am yesterday - got to Paddington just after 8.00am. Arrived in Cardiff at ............................................ One Minute before kick off. The rail companies are a complete F*****g joke. One poor bloke with his 6 year old son arrived at his seat just along from us about two minutes before half time. That bloke's day not to mention his young kid's must have been totally ruined. Both going and coming back the organisation was non existent. No one would tell you anything, getting on a train was just a complete lottery. We were lucky that we did actually get seats both there and back whilst many stood for the whole journey. The real problem was when we got near Newport and were told there was signal problems. The driver originally said we'd be in Cardiff at 12.45. So we were stuck for over two hours and I don't know how many trains were behind us. All the rail co and transport police were bothered about was reminding everyone that there was no alcohol allowed on the train. I tell you they were so lucky it was us & Arsenal and not us and West Ham or Millwall or Spurs as there would have been a riot. If that had been back in the 70's or 80's there would have been no train left and in a way I wish we had all wrecked the train. Cardiff? NEVER AGAIN. Journey home was better but only after queing for 2 hours without being told anything other than still signal problems and by the way no alcohol is allowed on the train.................. F*****g Glad we won though - to have gone through all that and lost doesn't even bare thinking about.

After Drogba, Diarra was my MOTM yesterday. He was brilliant. Can't quite believe how The S*n gave him a 5 in the paper today - they were obviously watching a different game to me. He offers us so much more at right back than Geremi and his composure on the ball for one so young is astounding. I'd keep playing him right back for now but he definitely looks like the long term replacement for Maka and I think he has more to his game too.

It's not really that tricky. A certain German...................?

Great line up GB - that's what I'd go for. I expect Ballack to start but personally I don't think we can afford any passengers Sunday and I hope he doesn't. I find myself wishing a couple of those Porto challenges on Ballack the other night late on, had been just that little bit harder.

I just hope it's the Arsenal that struggled against Blackburn and went 2-0 down against Spurs as opposed to the one that spanked the scousers twice and totally outplayed Spurs in the latter stages of the semi. Normally I am more concerned about us than the opposition but with key players missing, I'm just praying their youngsters aren't gonna make mugs of us.