Obvious before today but even more so in light of SWP's injury.

Surprised Sinclair wasn't on the bench today. Is he injured?

Correction.

We need a winger who can cross the ball. Only Malouda seems to be able to do that at the moment.

Totally agree. Thing is we have one in Bridgey if needed...

Thought Joe Cole was absolutely shocking today.

Thought Joe Cole was absolutely shocking today.

Mate what game was you watching today?

I think you're confusing Cole and Malouda. Easy mistake to make I suppose.

Thought Joe Cole was absolutely shocking today.

Mate what game was you watching today?

I think you're confusing Cole and Malouda. Easy mistake to make I suppose.

All J.Cole did today was complicate things, Malouda wasnt good either but nobody was exept for Maka that gets my vote.

Malouda had a good pass to Anelka that should have scored there.

You must have a bit of short term memory loss there. Off the top of my head:-

Cole's run and great ball across the face of the six yard box? You Know. Directly before Pizarro scored from the corner?

Right after half-time Cole robbing the defender right by the corner flag when the defender was waiting for the ball to go out and getting the ball in?

Cole doing three players tight on the touch line and turning defence into attack 2nd half ?

If you noticed, Belletti got forward less today than he has all season. That was because Kapo and Quedrue offered plenty of threat themselves going forward and he rightly stayed deeper to defend that. That meant Cole was often very isolated on the right flank. And he did bloody well in the 2nd half.

Not saying Cole was MoTM or anything, (you are right about Maka), but he was far from shocking and so much better than Malouda it wasn't even a contest. And it should have been Malouda not Cole taken off.

only quaresma can fixed problem

The problem with getting new wingers is just the same problem as there was a year ago - there are a massive shortage of good ones around just now. The very fact that someone like Quaresma is consistently mentioned as an option (just as Joaquin used to be) shows how little quality is out there. Both of these players are massively inconsistent and if we signed either I am pretty sure it would be no time before people were talking about how frustrating they are.

This is the very reason I thought we were insane to sell Robben - in a time when good wingers are so hard to come by we had one of the very best but we let him go because of a combination of injuries and possibly a minor attitude problem. Obviously the injury thing was always going to be an issue but I would have liked to see us take a gamble on that. The attitude thing was, as far as I could tell not a major one and part of me wonders whether it could have been handled better and dealt with.

Totally agree Loz. Was the first player since Zola that really got us fans off their seats. Was so exciting to watch. His corners were the nuts too.

Though not a winger as such, would love to see Alves here on the right wing. Like the look of Valencia's Silva also. Roma's Mancini might be more attainable. Jury out on Quaresma. Villa's Agbonlahour look's okay also.

Think we also need a creative player in midfield - a Van der Vaart/Iniesta/Modric/Diego/Arteta type player (take your personal pick as to which).

We have needed a decent right winger for years.

I wished we had gone in for Arteta last year, before he signed a new contract.

Thought Joe Cole was absolutely shocking today.

Nowhere near as shocking as that statement.

Fair enough Nibs. You are entitled to your opinion and me mine. Would make the footie fans forums a boring place if everyone agreed on everything.

Joey was trying to do too much. After SWP left he was our only creative player and he tried to carry the whole team. JC is not that kind of player.

Fair enough Nibs. You are entitled to your opinion and me mine. Would make the footie fans forums a boring place if everyone agreed on everything.

Of course everyone's entitled to an opinion, but it's better if they are prepared to qualify it with reasons and examples rather than simply make a bald statement.

Don't get me wrong. I really like Joe Cole. A couple of times today he showed what he is capable of but for large parts of the game, he completely lost all tactical discipline and reverted back to the tricks and flicks and showboating that angered Jose so much. Probably has been given too much freedom and is doing what he wants. It is this lack of discipline which I think needs to be worked on.

Entirely my own opinion of course.

Thought Joe Cole was absolutely shocking today.

Mate what game was you watching today?

I think you're confusing Cole and Malouda. Easy mistake to make I suppose.

Nah Just, I think you've got your Blue Coloured Glasses on. We all love Joe but he has reverted to the 'trickster' of old. JM would've subbed him real early on based on this largely dodgy and self indulgent performance.

You're right about Malouda being crap though. I'd rather see Wayne Bridge playing left wing than him (on current form).

No, I'm sorry chaps but I don't know how anyone can accuse him of "tactical indiscipline" yesterday. Your interpretation of it must be entirely different to mine.

I don't know when he did all these "tricks, flicks and showboating" because he played a very restricted role yesterday. He never strayed out of position. We were under pressure for periods of the game and he unfailingly tracked back to help out Belletti whenever Quedrue and Kapo ventured forward. Plus he got in a fair number of tackles and blocks. He did run down a few blind alleys going forwards but, as I pointed out previously, Belletti didn't get upfield half as much as usual and Cole often had to try produce something with little or no support on that flank. OK, he didn't manufacture a stream of chances, (it was a very tight game), but he still created one or two, and that was one or two more than Malouda managed from the other side. And he became more influential as the game went on.

I re-iterate, Cole wasn't brilliant. Or even very good. But he worked hard throughout and was one of our better performers on the day. To say he was shocking is a million miles from the truth.

Just reviews Joe Cole's performance...

(picture also re-usable for Just's appreciation of Chelsea great, JFH!)

No, I'm sorry chaps but I don't know how anyone can accuse him of "tactical indiscipline" yesterday. Your interpretation of it must be entirely different to mine.

I don't know when he did all these "tricks, flicks and showboating" because he played a very restricted role yesterday. He never strayed out of position. We were under pressure for periods of the game and he unfailingly tracked back to help out Belletti whenever Quedrue and Kapo ventured forward. Plus he got in a fair number of tackles and blocks. He did run down a few blind alleys going forwards but, as I pointed out previously, Belletti didn't get upfield half as much as usual and Cole often had to try produce something with little or no support on that flank. OK, he didn't manufacture a stream of chances, (it was a very tight game), but he still created one or two, and that was one or two more than Malouda managed from the other side. And he became more influential as the game went on.

I re-iterate, Cole wasn't brilliant. Or even very good. But he worked hard throughout and was one of our better performers on the day. To say he was shocking is a million miles from the truth.

I think it has been established fairly conclusively that of our 4 wide players this season Kalou has been the most effective, followed by SWP with Joey trailing in just ahead of Malouda. That's not based on my subjective view but on the facts.

I've only seen the football first hightlights of yesterday's game so I can't really comment on how well Joe did, but as a general rule my impression is that he mixes occasional moments of brilliance with losing the ball trying to do too much. His work rate for the team is always high and although he can be a bit rash with some tackles he always tracks back.

On the subject of us needing a new winger: I would say yes we do. Mainly because I don't think we have any at the moment (maybe Kalou). Cole and Malouda are really wide midfielders and SWP is pretty hopeless as a winger. I too wish we hadn't sold Robben but as he has been permanently injured at Madrid it wouldn't have made any difference anyway.

No, I'm sorry chaps but I don't know how anyone can accuse him of "tactical indiscipline" yesterday. Your interpretation of it must be entirely different to mine.

I don't know when he did all these "tricks, flicks and showboating" because he played a very restricted role yesterday. He never strayed out of position. We were under pressure for periods of the game and he unfailingly tracked back to help out Belletti whenever Quedrue and Kapo ventured forward. Plus he got in a fair number of tackles and blocks. He did run down a few blind alleys going forwards but, as I pointed out previously, Belletti didn't get upfield half as much as usual and Cole often had to try produce something with little or no support on that flank. OK, he didn't manufacture a stream of chances, (it was a very tight game), but he still created one or two, and that was one or two more than Malouda managed from the other side. And he became more influential as the game went on.

I re-iterate, Cole wasn't brilliant. Or even very good. But he worked hard throughout and was one of our better performers on the day. To say he was shocking is a million miles from the truth.

Well put Just but you might as well give up mate. Some folk have formed their view of Joe and it won't matter what he does, for them he will always be a show-boater and little else.

I think it has been established fairly conclusively that of our 4 wide players this season Kalou has been the most effective,

I think you may be on your own with that conclusive opinion or at least in a very small minority!!!

Well he does have the most goals out of our wingers...

Well he does have the most goals out of our wingers...

Yeah, when he's been playing as a striker in the absence of all our other strikers.