3 minutes ago, Nibs said:

 

Let it go Ploks!!

Why try and squeeze a square peg into a round hole. With JT and Ivan leaving after this season we will probably look to sign one other plus we will hopefully have Christensen and a fit again Zouma. 

I know JOM is a favourite of yours but he will not be needed. In that back three it helps to have pace (something Mikel has never really had) and I'm not sure he has ever been "strong in the air" either. 

Never! If Mikel leaves before his time (i.e. under any circumstances which aren't as our 38-year-old captain) you can count on me blaming every ill the club suffers on allowing his departure.

You may call it squeezing a square peg into a round hole, but I would call it being resourceful with the large amount of talent at our disposal. You can attribute basically all of our success over the past month (i.e. a period during which we've widely been described as playing the best football in the history of the club) to doing exactly that. Victor Moses at wing-back? Azpilicueta at centre-back? Are these not square pegs in round holes?

Pace is always an asset in any position, but I don't think it's entirely pivotal to a successful back three. Cahill isn't particularly fast, nor is Chiellini, nor was Matthias Sammer, Tony Adams (etc.)

 

41 minutes ago, PloKoon13 said:

Never! If Mikel leaves before his time (i.e. under any circumstances which aren't as our 38-year-old captain) you can count on me blaming every ill the club suffers on allowing his departure.

You may call it squeezing a square peg into a round hole, but I would call it being resourceful with the large amount of talent at our disposal. You can attribute basically all of our success over the past month (i.e. a period during which we've widely been described as playing the best football in the history of the club) to doing exactly that. Victor Moses at wing-back? Azpilicueta at centre-back? Are these not square pegs in round holes?

Pace is always an asset in any position, but I don't think it's entirely pivotal to a successful back three. Cahill isn't particularly fast, nor is Chiellini, nor was Matthias Sammer, Tony Adams (etc.)

 

 

Are those the straws through which I can drink the tears of Mikel's detractors when he leads us to Champions League glory (again)?

In all honesty Mikel is a good pro and been a good servant to the club but in reality his time is coming to an end especially in a system such as ours now. 

 

22 minutes ago, PloKoon13 said:

Are those the straws through which I can drink the tears of Mikel's detractors when he leads us to Champions League glory (again)?

No. These are different straws. I don't think the ones you refer to actually exist!!

1 hour ago, PloKoon13 said:

Are those the straws through which I can drink the tears of Mikel's detractors when he leads us to Champions League glory (again)?

Nah i think they're just for your lunchtime booze mate 

How fey do you have to be to drink a pint out of a straw?

8 hours ago, wallosh said:

Yet I don't think that explains why he has never ever even be seen on the bench this season. And that time Conte said he was injured, he played for Nigeria the following week and when interviewed he said he wasn't injured and he doesn't know where the news of his injury comes from and then he gave a solid performance for Nigeria that weekend.
Well he is willing to move on in January which is good for him but for this season I will rather like to have him on the bench than Oscar or Ivanovic.

Maybe Conte just doesn't rate him that highly.

I don't see the point in him being on the bench ahead of Oscar or Ivanovic either. Oscar is a forward option on the bench, someone to bring on to add something to the attack if we need it. Removing him for Mikel would give us less options going forward from the bench. Putting Mikel on the bench for Ivanovic wouldn't be wise either. Ivanovic can cover for one of the CB's if we want to freshen things up late in a game, he's also pretty versatile. Mikel isn't a CB so him taking Ivanovic's position would give us less defensive options from the bench.

2 hours ago, PloKoon13 said:

How fey do you have to be to drink a pint out of a straw?

stick six of them together and drink it from three feet away like a sniper. I like to get inventive

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p04hrp0l

 

Interesting interview.  

"Injured" again according to Conte. 

Didn't get a run out with the development squad during the week either like most of our fringe players. 

Wonder if we've seen the last of JOM in a Chelsea shirt? Doesn't seem like Conte wants him for his squad does it? 

I think he's probably played his last game for us.

Maybe Jose will take him.

Edited November 25, 20169 yr by Zeta Orionis

Only just a gut feeling more than anything else, but I think he's going to take a big pay check and go to China and team up with AVB in January!

Rumours today that he could be joining Jose at Utd.

 

Please, make it happen  

He was a good servant for the club over the past decade, never world class but did a good job in more games than he is given credit for. I am certain this season is his final with the club, maybe even a january sale is an option. Hated by many who just wanted major names in the midfield and players that can score 15-20 goals per season. Still to be in the club for so long with that many classy players changing in our midfield is impressive. 

Well... there go our title hopes then. He'd be a great option as Carrick's successor.

54 minutes ago, PloKoon13 said:

Well... there go our title hopes then. He'd be a great option as Carrick's successor.

 

The United fans don't seem to share your enthusiasm. 

1 hour ago, PloKoon13 said:

Well... there go our title hopes then. He'd be a great option as Carrick's successor.

We better win the title this season then else we won't be seeing it for a long time

24 minutes ago, Nibs said:

 

The United fans don't seem to share your enthusiasm. 

There's just no pleasing some people.

3 hours ago, Nibs said:

Rumours today that he could be joining Jose at Utd.

 

Please, make it happen  

You wont be saying that when he scores a hat trick against us to clinch Utd the title.....

22 minutes ago, dkw said:

You wont be saying that when he scores a hat trick against us to clinch Utd the title.....

You know the odds on that are greater than Elvis being found living on Mars.

5 minutes ago, Nibs said:

You know the odds on that are greater than Elvis being found living on Mars.

Imagine how good Pogba is going to become with Mikel's metronomic influence!

He was a good servant for the club over the past decade, never world class but did a good job in more games than he is given credit for. I am certain this season is his final with the club, maybe even a january sale is an option. Hated by many who just wanted major names in the midfield and players that can score 15-20 goals per season. Still to be in the club for so long with that many classy players changing in our midfield is impressive. 

Can I like this a hundred times?

10 hours ago, wallosh said:

Can I like this a hundred times?

Yes, but you have to un-like it 99 times.