MOTM vs Newcastle (H) (PL)

[PloKoon13]

Excellent performance, total domination. Take your pick.

[Droogba]

Spoilt for choice. Costa early goal back on form; Willi fast and passes; Fab was fab; Traore nice show; Pedro has picked up where he started...

Edited February 13, 2016 by Droogba

[DidierDrogbalala]

all the Spaniards for me ! 

[robdog]

I have to go w/ Diego - from the opening Kickoff one could tell he was up for it & he does look imitating w/ his mask on - I don't want him chasing after me

[IliyaKrostin]

Matic for me. I saw a big improvement of his game, he was good in the middle and controlled the game well.

[Chelsbear]

Cesc

Top class passing all game and some superb assists

[wallosh]

Fabregas for me.

[ForeverCarefree]

Diego, Diego, Diego!

[Scott Harris]

Willian, Pedro, Costa, Fabregas and Azpilicueta can share one this time.

[Floyd25]

Azpi, just to be different and because I watch full backs closely, having played there many times. He didn't put a foot wrong, him and Baba defended well high up the pitch, Azpi was superb all game, great assist from a quick overlap, I also rate Baba, give this man more game time, let him get used to the league and he could be a very solid full back.

Edited February 13, 2016 by Floyd25

[PloKoon13]

Not a single bad performance today which is very encouraging before the PSG game. My vote really has to go to one of the attacking players who made Newcastle look like rank amateurs - Pedro, Costa, Willian, Fabregas (and Azpilicueta) were all superb. Credit also to Traoré who really impressed me when he came on; I was absolutely delighted to see him score as well.

 

Cahill didn't look particularly troubled after an extended period on the bench, Ivanovic slotted in at centre back quite naturally and Matic looked much improved.

 

I think Costa was probably our best player overall, but as he came off quite early I will give it to Pedro, who quite possibly played his best game so far in a blue shirt.

[offside]

Sort of misleading to give it to one single player. They played really well as one unit.

[gussy122]

Thoughts on Hazard performance? Still seems overly tentative and not as confident with the ball as he has been in previous seasons. 

[cricklewood blues]

pedro,hiting a bit of form at the right time

[offside]

Thoughts on Hazard performance? Still seems overly tentative and not as confident with the ball as he has been in previous seasons.

That's a good way to describe it. When he had that opportunity toward the end of the game, he seemed hesitant, made some extraneous touches, rather than just going for it.

[Michael440]

Diego Costa

[shedpensioner]

Diego

[Ballack & Blu]

Cesc, Ozil just been playing at being a creative MF, on his game Cesc is better than Pirlo....

[PloKoon13]

on his game Cesc is better than Pirlo....

 

*spits out tea in shock*

[The Brit]

Tough one but Cesc was sublime

[Ballack & Blu]

*spits out tea in shock*

Tell me why he is not, he has probably scored more, can pass as well, runs more,tackles as well,  oh and has won more....

[luckywerthers]

you really can take your pick after todays performance and how many times have we been able to say that this season?

for me fabregas, he took a lot of stick earlier in the season and now he is showing what he is about

[PloKoon13]

Tell me why he is not, he has probably scored more, can pass as well, runs more,tackles as well,  oh and has won more....

 

Well he certainly hasn't won as much; the only trophy Fabregas can hold over Pirlo is the European Championships, and Pirlo can riposte quite comfortably with his two European Cups and the four league trophies with which he trumps Fabregas.

 

I really can't speak for their statistics, but that isn't why Pirlo was the better player, it's something more qualitative than that (and in all honesty to compare their tackling ability is to miss the point entirely - it would be like deciding who is the better defensive midfielder out of Makélélé and Mikel by asking who is the better goalscorer).

 

Pirlo is an artist, a legend, an icon, he drove Italy to a World Cup (Man of the Match three times including the final); even the very position in which he plays has been putatively named after him! Pirlo was at the very heart of several world-class sides in which he played, and he did it for over a decade. Fabregas has only ever played in one (arguably two depending on how you regard the level of international football) and he was shunted around various positions before being deemed surplus to requirements.

 

I rate Fabregas very highly; he is an incredibly important player for us and is capable of brilliant things with the ball, but for me he will never be a player worthy of the level of Pirlo, whom I deem to be a once-in-a-generation marvel. You may well see it differently, and it is absolutely your right to do so, but my personal perspective is that I regard Pirlo as part of the pantheon of the greatest footballers I have ever seen; I regard Fabregas as simply a very, very good one.

[dkw]

Thoughts on Hazard performance? Still seems overly tentative and not as confident with the ball as he has been in previous seasons.

He wasn't showing for the ball anywhere near as much as 8 months ago, he was demanding the ball constantly last season yet seems to be hiding from it at times lately.

[Ballack & Blu]

I'll beg to differ, but we'll roll along as normal.