Chippy

I really don't think the FA would have done this (even against us) had any team other than Arsenal been involved. Wenger can do no wrong as the shove on Mourinho in the technical area proves and the media and the way they go on about them playing their football the right way makes it seem to the casual sports pages reader like every season Arsenal are somehow cheated out of winning the title. It would be a bit of Karma if this three match ban is just what Costa needs to have his hamstring hold out for the rest of the season and for Falcao to suddenly find his form of a few seasons back.

This little snippet from an Mark Worrall article on espn says it all for me, Against Arsenal, it could be argued that the Gunners set out to deliberately wind up Costa. If so, the plan backfired spectacularly. What exactly was Koscielny doing to attract the Chelsea man's attention? Was his theatrical response merited? The three former "elite" referees who make up up the FA panel seem to have overlooked the Arsenal defender's part in the incident.

I really liked De bruyne and was gutted to see him go, I said at the time when I defended Jose letting Mata go that I found it easier to understand as I knew exactly what Mata had to offer and Jose did give him chances to prove that he could do what he wanted of him but just didn't quite manage it. With Kevin I felt he didn't get the chances. Having said that I feel his attitude and things he is rumoured to have said about needing to be first choice etc made it more his decision and I doubt he would have ever got the leeway from Jose to improve with that sort of attitude. The fee we got was a profit and I can understand if he really did say the things he said that it was fully within Joses rights to let him go even though he looked to me like a player that would improve and be a top player at some stage. saying that though and likeing him as I did if it came to a choice between keeping him or Oscar, just like the Mata situation I'd have kept Oscar if it was my decision. I'd have kept Shuurle and never brought in Cuadrado as well but hindsight is a wondeful thing.

Not sure I'll be one of them, it'll be like a lynch mob after Costa dared to wind up those honest footballing purists from North London.

I thought Ivan looked sharper today, I also thought Fabregas and Pedro looked to be ready to help out more (as they should every game) and I think Sanchez lack of form shouldn't be used against Ivan as he returns to form. There might be better options down the line or in certain games but I don't think Ivans finished as a RB quite yet.

You're just going easy on me because my Cat's not well I might have missed your point, I'm not sure I agree with it though as I'm really pointing towards some posters who are usually pretty level headed but then get on the bandwagon saying things like "Mourinho will play his favourites no matter how bad they perform" or Ivan at RB, we're basically effed. I can understand it to an extent but if I came out with it, I'd be back on after the match hands high pointing out my over reaction. Horses for courses I know but it would be great to see an excited reaction to a good result of a magnitude akin to the excited reaction we get to a bad one.

I'm not asking anyone not to have opinions Val, all I'm saying is have an opinion after a good performance as well and maybe step back and wonder if all the snipes at the managers choices were actually valid. I do it myself, Fabregas would have been watching on the tele had I been picking the team and I'm happy to say he was superb today and the manager (surprise surprise) knew better than me. I'm not sniping at people with opposite opinions, just saying as does happen in some instances, it would be nice if people came out and congratulated the manager on getting things right even though it was against what they believed before kick off. Not a rule I'm trying to make, just my opinion (without any namecalling whatsoever).

I'd go with Zouma as well, good game from Cahill and Azpi with Ivan much improved on his early form (losing his place hopefully the wake up call he needed) Fabregas and Hazard also looking much more like the players we know they can be. I still feel Matic is not up to the standard we've come to expect from him but he like the rest looked much more up for it today. Costa is for me getting a bit too focussed on winding up which is ok to an extent but could have had the opposite effect today had the referee seen it differntly, I still feel he will be a big influence this season and have no complaints about his contribution at all.

Thinking about that performance I'm surprised we haven't had more posts in this thread, we have been badly out of form and today was a huge game and could be one that really marks the kickstart the CL game gave us. The Manager again got everything right against a team that always challenges and is packed with good players, looking at the games up to now we can see that this slump could be a good thing and I'd choose to have had it in the first five games rather than in November when it's much harder to correct it. The players who have been castigated in the press and by our own have shown once again that they still have it, this wasn't them in top form but it was them improving which is a frightening thing for the opposition. Zouma looks like he'll have a great career here and we've had the good performances by RLC and Baba midweek to show our strength in depth may not be as poor as the transfer window might suggest. I know nothing brings people onto the forum more than a good defeat but I'd love to see some positivity for todays improvements and I'd love to see some Mourinho doubters take a step back and see that players he has faith in can still cut it. I loved Fabregas's performance today, not least because it must irk the gooner faithful but because I've had my doubts about him more than I have Ivan but they both (and I mean even before the sending off) done well today. Can't wait to see this squad used a little bit more and can't wait to see what Jose can do after giving a quality squad like City have a head start, If it isn't to be than I'm still going to get my seasons entertainment out of watching us try.

Decent display and some improvement from the out of form players, thought Ivan looked better and Jose's selection again vindicated. The doubters in this thread with the predictions of the upcoming defeat and the pokes as usual at the managers selection really should learn that the man knows his stuff. Happy with that and thought Oscar was superb again, 68 minutes and a nice little rest to watch the end of the game, Terry looked happy enough with Zouma and Jose so I'd imagine he realises he'll be rotated a bit more this season but is still important to the team.

Football fans are so finicky nowadays and I'm not sure if it's a Chelsea thing because of all the managers coming and going or if it has always been the norm but the Internet has opened up the views of so many. Usually the fans you talk to are people you know and talk about the game a lot to and you work out opinions that are usually like-minded, now with the Internet you're never sure if you're talking to a fan or a wind up merchant anyway. What I'd say about people that want to bring in Klopp or Simeone or any other manager is I would hazard a guess that the fans of the teams they manage, after a couple of bad games would be clapping their hands in excitement at the mention of Jose being linked to take over at their clubs, I don't care how much opposition fans slag him off, I'm certain that any team that has a few dodgy results that is even thinking about a change of manager would be over the moon to imagine the next one could be Mourinho. I get behind any manger (bar one) at this club and I argued for most that were compared to Jose that they could do as good a job given time but even I was one happy chappy when he came back. I don't like everything about him but I don't have to, I just have to imagine what it would be like if he was managing someone else in the premiership and I get a little warm glow knowing that he's still here.

I think Jose has learned a bit about the fringe players as regards to who he can call on but will still be conservative in any changes. I would imagine we'll see the usual suspects but I feel much more confident that if it's not going to plan, Jose will use the bench earlier to change it. I might be wrong as I was in the CL match where I only predicted 6 of the starters but I won't be digging him out if he starts this one basically back to the norm, the fear for me is Ivanovic on the right with Fabregas deep and no Willian to cover...if Jose has worked on our problems over there in training then he should have a plan that will sure it up over there, maybe Ramires covering. Lets just hope if changes have to be made that we're still on level terms and the changes make the difference.

£10,00 7 fold accum. 1< Standard Benfica v Astana – Match Betting Benfica @ 1/4 Won 2< Standard Galatasaray v Atletico Madrid – Match Betting Atletico Madrid @ 5/6 Won 3< Standard Paris Saint-Germain v Malmo – Match Betting Paris Saint-Germain @ 1/7 Won 4< Standard Real Madrid v Shakhtar Donetsk – Match Betting Real Madrid @ 1/5 Won 5< Standard Wolfsburg v CSKA Moscow – Match Betting Wolfsburg @ 10/11 Won 6< Standard Chelsea v Maccabi Tel Aviv – Match Betting Chelsea @ 1/6 Won 7< Standard Dinamo Zagreb v Arsenal – Match Betting Arsenal @ 1/2 Lost Here's a lesson I thought I'd learned long ago...never count on the gooners.

I feel for RLC a bit to be honest, Fabregas has been a shadow of his early last season form and Matic has been struggling next to him (my gut feeling being he has to cover for him too much) the boy will have a lot of work to do. Oscar to carry us through this one I reckon.

Surprised me as I expected Jose to stick with most of the usual players in the hope of playing them into form/confidence, not good for my BPL but it will be an interesting watch. Looking forward to it and the 3-1 victory I'll pretend I'm confident of. Any returns half gos to the site as usual. Chelsea 3-1 @ 11/1 Stake : £7.00 Estimated Returns : £84.00

I was about to post in this thread but thought I'd have a read through first...I would have pretty much echoed this so Thought I'd quote it instead. Cheers Coco.

That sounds pretty harsh

I rate Oscar and believe he suffers inconsistency because of the workload Jose tasks him with, obviously his form fluctuates but I don't feel our other options for his role could do the job he does anywhere near as well. Fabregas can play number ten but he couldn't close down from the front and track back the way Oscar can, he might get a few more assists from the same role, he might even score as much but in my mind we would also leak a few more goals. Willian can play the role as well, he would close down and run all day, he would be unlikely to create much though and we would almost certainly lose any serious goal threat from that position. Hazard could play there, maybe score more goals and have more assists but defensively he would also fall short of what I would imagine Jose is asking of our number ten. Pedro could likely do it and from what I've seen might be an option but why would we move him from the right where he is looking like our best option? I think Oscar when he is not having a great game is still an influence, still disrupts the oppositions play and still offers more than Cesc does when he's having a below par game and much as I love to see an in form Fabregas, he's the player I find we accomodate when we need more in his position, I definately feel there are games where he should be on the bench even if that means Ramires or Mikel come into the starting eleven, If RLC can get game time and keep showing he's capable, he could realistically push for that spot especially against strong opposition. It is a squad game and I would like to see the squad used more without players worrying about being "dropped" it really is horses for courses and a bit of thetinkermans approach might be worth thinking about.

I'm sure the DVD will be out there somewhere

That's a statement Geezer would have got his teeth into , I've seen it and all his films I think Moi, he played Carling in Scum when I was a nipper and I've seen everything since, strangest being that Beowulf thing.

It was episode 2 last night, I think it's only a three episode mini series type thing, don't watch it sunday and I'll put it all on a DVD for you, just email or pm me your address, no probs.

On Telly Moi, it's on sunday nights at about nine on ITV 1 I think, if you can't get it and can wait till the series ends I can stick it on DVD and send it to you if you'd like.

I've been watching the trials of Jimmy Rose, I know Ray winstone is an aquired taste, always playing the same sort of character etc but he can hardly do any wrong for me, even Amanda Redman seems to be in a lot of decent stuff and they go well together. Other than that I watched the new Vacation that everyone is predicting will be crap...well it made me chuckle here and there although thats not a big pointer to its quality.

Read that again Moi...it says "excorcist" not exhibitionist

If he plays against us as well as he did for us, I hope we have a clause that stipulates he must play the full game . Seriously, he'll hopefulty find some form again now, I wish him well.