Live Match Discussion 2015/16

[Lord Knows]

Absolutely no chance of Chambers dropping down a division. Alan suggested this too. They've already had to use him several times as Mertesacker has suffered from illness and Koscielny has been injured.

I dont think its helping his career development these sporadic appearances for Arsenal. He could do with a loan spell in January, somewhere like Southampton.

 

[Johnny75]

I dont think its helping his career development these sporadic appearances for Arsenal. He could do with a loan spell in January, somewhere like Southampton.

That made me laugh.

 

[Nando]

He wouldn't get in their team.

He should never have left.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

I see Mourinho spouted more bollocks again after the Stoke game. He is becoming self-parody. I am beginning to think he will be dispensed with fairly soon unless they sort themselves out. The players are under-performing so massively this season, and he has to take some of the blame.

 

[Langers]

I see Mourinho spouted more bollocks again after the Stoke game. He is becoming self-parody. I am beginning to think he will be dispensed with fairly soon unless they sort themselves out. The players are under-performing so massively this season, and he has to take some of the blame.

The way managers stick up for their players doesn't tend to bother me TBH because it's not like he'll have said the same in the dressing room. Similarly, I don't understand why some people feel the need to slag KJ off because he said something about the performance and/or the players that they disagreed with. What they say in front of the cameras and what they say in the privacy of the dressing room or on the training ground are completely different things.

However, with Mourinho, the awful treatment of Eva Caneiro and his behaviour on the touchline in some games doesn't do him any favours whatsoever. Sure, it diverts the attention away from the underperforming players but even that is starting to wane now.

 

[Sniffer]

I cant stand the bloke and when asked earlier if I thought that he would be sacked my reply was along the lines of I hope not as I'm enjoying seeing him suffer. The media attention he gets in this country is OTT and I wished that the likes of Monday night club on 5live were discussing the success stories at West Ham and Leicester this season rather than the self created crisis that he seems to cause each week at Chelsea.

 

[The Bear]

I think it'll be interesting if he does get sacked, to see if the players suddenly start playing like a title winning side again. Or whether it really is just a season too far for some of them.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

It's looking like Terry's last hurrah was last season, much as Gerrard had a brilliant year in the Suarez season and then looked totally done last season. Ivanovic is totally finished, most of the others aren't really past it though (they do have the likes of Ramires and Mikel who never had it and inexplicably still get loads of game time). The average age of the team isn't that high.

Their biggest issue is that other than Hazard they have very little in the way of creativity. Fabregas gets nullified too easily as he's never going to run away from you and too often he's too deep to make any meaningful contribution. Willian is just a workhorse and Jose has melded Oscar that way as well, Pedro hasn't settled down yet and Costa is worthless if he's got no service to work with.

 

[pavlosmacwolf]

Seems to me he has totally lost the plot.

His performance over the Caneiro incident was appalling. Once the video of the ref calling her on the pitch, twice, came out, he should simply have said he didn't see that and apologise. Since then he is rolling down hill like a snowball on Mont Blanc.

I'm sure Abramovic will have no hesitation in canning him if things don't improve, 30 million or not.

He's boring and taking up news space these days with childish rants, and not very special at all, although i do think he is right that Wenger got away with criticising the ref in basically the same way that he was fined for.

 

[Johnny75]

It's looking like Terry's last hurrah was last season, much as Gerrard had a brilliant year in the Suarez season and then looked totally done last season. Ivanovic is totally finished, most of the others aren't really past it though (they do have the likes of Ramires and Mikel who never had it and inexplicably still get loads of game time). The average age of the team isn't that high.

Their biggest issue is that other than Hazard they have very little in the way of creativity. Fabregas gets nullified too easily as he's never going to run away from you and too often he's too deep to make any meaningful contribution. Willian is just a workhorse and Jose has melded Oscar that way as well, Pedro hasn't settled down yet and Costa is worthless if he's got no service to work with.

Oddly enough I think Gaurdiola would be perfect for that team. They have the creativity in midfield and pace out wide, but more important trickery and goal threat in Hazard and Pedro as well as a natural centre forward. I also think Pep would get the best out of Terry and Cahill. I think Mourinho is finished, he's had his two successful seasons and he just hasn't got it for a 3rd season anymore.

 

[Nando]

Terry would be catastrophic in a Pep team. They push miles up the pitch.

 

[Johnny75]

Terry would be catastrophic in a Pep team. They push miles up the pitch.

I'm not so sure, plenty of Pep's teams play with cart horses at the back and they would have Cahill's pace to get him out of trouble.

 

[Nando]

Zouma is the future. They were obviously after Stones too. Terry's on his way out and I've never been Cahill's biggest fan. Good defender but not top class.

Don't think either are good enough on the ball for Pep either. He's currently using Alaba and Boateng who are lightening and good footballers. Pique was superb on the ball under him too. Puyol is obviously the main exception, but he was an absolute warrior like Terry but the cliff hit him very quickly.

 

[MARKakaJIM]

I think the big problem is how disciplined he wants everyone to be, it's no surprise they're struggling to create when your manager cares more about pretty much every other aspect of the game than being spontaneous or taking a risk.

I'm not so sure Guardiola would provide the freedom that some of them would relish to be honest. Could see the likes of Hazard struggling still, he likes to be centre of the show allowed to do what he wants, an attitude that I think will stop him ever being up with the very best.

Think they need someone who will pander to their egos to an extent, let them have a bit their way some times. Sure they all bought into the Mourinho mantra at first, they had a title to reclaim and he was the man to do it. I think they're all sick of his controlling ways by now though, there are some big characters there who aren't going to like be told exactly what to do all the time.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Think they need someone who will pander to their egos to an extent, let them have a bit their way some times.

Ancelotti, basically. Although as I've said before, he actually doesn't win domestic titles very often.

 

[Nando]

I think the big problem is how disciplined he wants everyone to be, it's no surprise they're struggling to create when your manager cares more about pretty much every other aspect of the game than being spontaneous or taking a risk.

I'm not so sure Guardiola would provide the freedom that some of them would relish to be honest. Could see the likes of Hazard struggling still, he likes to be centre of the show allowed to do what he wants, an attitude that I think will stop him ever being up with the very best.

Think they need someone who will pander to their egos to an extent, let them have a bit their way some times. Sure they all bought into the Mourinho mantra at first, they had a title to reclaim and he was the man to do it. I think they're all sick of his controlling ways by now though, there are some big characters there who aren't going to like be told exactly what to do all the time.

Hazard has said himself that he's happy to contribute 15-20 goals a season and that'll be enough for him. He's not got the mentality to turn into a Suarez let alone a Messi/Ronaldo level player.

 

[Alan]

He thinks he's better than he is and has done since he was at Lille.

 

[MARKakaJIM]

Hazard has said himself that he's happy to contribute 15-20 goals a season and that'll be enough for him. He's not got the mentality to turn into a Suarez let alone a Messi/Ronaldo level player.

I saw that interview but didn't take it in quite the same way.

I saw it more than he wasn't as fussed about being top goal scorer all the time and was just as happy to provide assists as stick it in the net himself. Therefore he'd be content with that level of goals personally as long as the team was doing it's fair share.

I'm not sure he really enjoys the pressure of being the player people look to in order to make something happen. Can't ever see him carrying a team in the way Suarez did with Liverpool or how Messi/Ronaldo can do something ridiculous to snatch something from a shit team performance.

I feel like Hazard needs a fair bit of smoke blowing up his arse, build a team that allows him to do what he wants but make sure there's someone else you're actually relying on to do the business. I think he's too maverick to be relied on constantly, his form tends to be pretty patchy, but he's always going to have the ego to think he can do what he likes.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

The Artur Boruc disease is spreading across Europe.

 

[Lycan]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/scotland/34653376

Signs of symptoms north of the border. Skip to 3:50.