Chippy

Costa for me, a bit more service and he would have scored, also thought he had a couple of mazy little runs with the ball under more control than usual, looked well up for it. Willian was good as well as Azpi as usual, Begovic although not as comanding in the air as Curtois, is certainly a top class back up.

I certainly wouldn't take Mata over Oscar as Davey has said but I would take Mata over Fabregas or Pedro, I found it an odd signing (although it worked well for a long time) when we brought Cesc in, for me if Jose was going to accomadate a player that can't defend, I would have thought that Mata was more likely to chip in with goals, dragging defenders out of position and at least making the effort to defend as we saw he was trying to. I wouldn't take Lukaku over Costa, I think Costa is a better player, I would take Debruyne over Pedro but I still have hope Pedro can improve. I think we have a problem in midfield as the load is just too heavy for Matic with Fabregas playing deep and I much prefer Oscar in the number ten role especially how Jose wants that role played, leaving Cesc out is a massive call for Jose after the way he played last season and I suppose that could stand for Ivan as well, why this hasn't kept JT in the team is anyones guess. For me Jose needs to start over as if he has just arrived, the players that have been superb need to prove they can still do it and the players who have not had many chances need to be looked at, he is being let down by players he trusts and has never seemed the type to let that happen for this length of time. I wonder who decided on the Baba signing? surely if Jose had have wanted him he would have started a premiersip game by now, he looked a bit raw when we did see him but looked quick which is at least a different approach, playing Cesc on the right might even help Fabregas if he has to play. I don't want to be wondering who the next manager here will be, I'm sick of it to be honest and I wouldn't want to find us up against a Mourinho team twice a season in the EPL, can you imagine him in Brendons chair?, it doesn't bare thinking about. So lets get behind him and hope he says enough is enough and gos back to basics with the defense, brings JT in to steady the ship and get some leadership back in the team, no detriment to Zouma or Cahill but needs must. Sit Cesc and/or Ivan out for a few games and see how we fair.

I can't understand how our defending has become so schoolboyish, Mourinho has always built from the back but it seems he can't instill basic defending into a group of players who had it pretty much sussed just four or five months ago. I wouldn't blame Costa for anything tonight and thought he played well but with an iffy defense it sends nerves throughout the team and it's just never going to click. Surely JT has to come back in and if Baba is not getting better in training maybe Zouma wil have to shift over and give Ivan some bench time. I'd like to see Fabregas sit a couple out as well and Mikel Ramires or RLC given a go beside Matic to see if that brings him back to some form. worrying times and some ammo for the kneejerkers and oppo fans posing as blues. Get on the training field Jose and sort out the defending.

I wasn't sure who'd make way for Hazard, Risking them getting a third but at least it's our best shot at getting back level.

Ivan done well to get a foot in there, come on boys

Superb effort from Costa, We're still in this

Not long till we see Hazard on I wouldn't think, lets hope he's fired up.

Costas ball control has improved

Stop boasting

lovely control by Diego, looks comfortable tonight

A draw would be a decent result tonight but I hope we have a bit more ambition for two reasons...firstly a win would help get our confidence levels on the up and secondly our defending really hasn't been good enough this season to sit back and play for a 0-0, it could easily go wrong late on when we have no time to rectify it and that would leave us a trickier task to win the group and heap more pressure on Jose and the boys with the media attention it would bring. Porto are a good team and it will be a good test, if we come out on top there can't be too much wrong and hopefully a run of form could stem from it.

Ya Ya Bolacks springs to mind, its CL night and time to start getting excited about a run in that to take our minds off of the struggle we're going to have keeping hold of our title this season, surely all the manager slating can go on hold while we get this tough away game in europe out of the way? I don't know if the team half the people on here support are playing tonight or if they didn't make CL this year but do us a favour and at least wait and see if you get a bit more ammo after tonights game, we're happy to be in the CL and realise you might be a bit bored as your lot didn't make it.

Isn't it about time all this threads we're merged? stick them under the title " read this at the end of the season to see what a waste of bandwidth it was"

Strange thread, I wondered what he meant by it a few times but reading here every other post just seams to say "Carrots, Lettuce, Spinach, Beetroot, Tomato, and CELERY". I can now see what Mayosnoun means...Word Salad .

If we had just got beaten 4-1 at Tottenham I'd be as worried about our chances as I am after getting a point back from a game that we had never got any grip on against a team that played with no pressure that played with everyone expecting them to lose and gave it their best shot. City fans won't be writing off their chances that's for sure. Eight points with ninety three still to play for in a division where the "lesser" teams have closed the gap on the top six means nothing is impossible and as I said before, I'd rather be eight points behind in September than eight behind in March...eight behind in March would likely see us comfortably top four though so there's a calming thought if you take into acount we really can't get much worse than we've been and in all honesty are likely to improve. I hear people asking where I expect our improvement to come from judging by our performances to date and I really only have this to offer, we have a good squad that needs to be used better personel wise and tactically, we have the best man at the helm to do it and he has earned the right to a few bad managerial performances along the way. In my opinion Jose will turn it round and get us on a decent run, I won't say I expect it to be enough to hold on to our title but in this League I can see the other hopefuls all dropping points unexpectantly. So it's all still to play for and is looking like a difficult and interesting season where we're sure to learn a lot about the players and the Manager.

I though Oscar had a decent game and didn't deserve to be subbed, Azpi was his usual self and Rmires took his chance to stake a claim for a staring place wvery well. I think I'll give it to Ramires as he actually looked like he thought he could make a difference.

People were moaningh about Jose bringing him on and now suddenly he should be a nailed on starter...20 minutes of good in recent memory seems to be worth a lot but once players lose a bit of form, all the good things they done are soon forgotten. Lucky Managers get paid millions as its a thankless task otherwise. Rami done well today and is a good squad player, well worth a start in my opinion but if he doesn't have the same impact I'm sure there will be another player that definately should have started in his place.

It's hard to dig out the managers decisions for me, I thought the team he started was a good one and pretty much the one I'd have gone with, the only decisions on the edge were Remy or Falcao and if to trust Baba and give Ivan a rest but to be honest after seeing Baba last time out I'd have honestly stuck with Ivan. once the game got underway I thought the players expected an easier time of it and expected a Newcastle team in all sorts of trouble would have more respect for the Champions...wrong, they played as a lot of us expected their best game of the season and got us on the back foot. The changes Jose made again made me sit back and realise that it's a difficult job, firstly I was crying out for Willian as he usually busts a gut to get around the pitch and hassles people, something we could have done with, I expected the change to be Pedro and said to my missus that Matic or Fabregas should make way for Ramires or Mikel, I was wrong again as although I'd have kept Oscar on and probably taken Fabregas off, hindsight again proves that Cesc improved after the changes. I thought Oscar was as good as anyone in blue and couldn't understand him making way but to come back to 2-2 away from home against a team that is playing with no fear (no mmatter their previous form) took some doing. I'll give Jose that one as I really think the players let him down early on and he done well to get it turned round. I'd sooner be eight behind UTD at this stage than eight beind City and Tottenham have proved today that anyone can beat anyone in this league...it's still all to play for.

We need some urgency out there, I think Willian will be introduced maybe for Pedro and I d seriously think about Mikel to sure up the midfirel a bit for either of the two.

Oh right of course...it all makes perfect sense now

Exactly the team I expected, and the one I'd have picked although I'd have had to toss a coin between Remy and Falcao. Hoping for a big performance today with a chance to instil some belief in the players and fans alike after the City result. I'm fully expecting Newcastle to up their game against us as usual but feel if we score in the first half, we'll win this 0-3. £5 Scorecast Newcastle 0 Chelsea 3 Estimated returns £75.00 Any returns. half to the site as usual.

I thought I was being brave with my fiver on 1-0 Spurs...never expected that scoreline...happy for you Spud

For me it's not if I care that Eva isn't on the bench or if I feel she was or wasn't treated differently because she's a woman, it has no bearing on my support for the team or the club or even the manager who in my opinion in this instance was wrong. The shame for me is that Jose didn't find it in himself to recognise that after the ref called the medics on, they had to go on, the train of thought that says the ref beckoned them on twice so again blame can be laid at the medics could be countered with they thought the same as Jose and that Eden was fine so wanted to let him get up and play on but on the second signal had little choice. I'm sure that other ongoing things had led Jose to react and use this as the last straw but to me the other reasons if they existed should have been dealt with behind closed doors and not involve an over reaction to something in which both people involved were doing their job exactly the way they should. Too much already on this and although it likely isn't over, it's really old news and will have us as fans on different sides of the fence on rights and wrongs, at the end of the day I am sory it happened, was happy to be leading the way with a good female Doctor and didn't agree with the way the Manager acted, I still believe he's the best man for the Job and will be supporting him and the team as usual. Hope Eva gets another high profile well paid Job, doubt we'll be seing her on Celebrity shows like some have envisaged but if we do I might go against my better judgement and actually watch some of the crap.

Done that CB, thanks for letting us all know.

Close call with Kenedy, Ramires and Mikel all catching the eye, I really thought Mikel got better and better through the game and with a lot of changes I think the stability he instilled was a big part of the win so he gets my vote.