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[Sparked_26]

Why was Ake only given 1 game last season and how do you feel about that?

The club stopped him going out on loan as well so that he qualifies as 'home grown'.

I think signing Pogba makes a lot of sense. But only if it means shifting Mikel and Ramires who are nowhere men really. Not really good enough to be more than squad men and currently in their prime.

Chalobah, Van Ginkel, and Ake should be enough to compete for back-up to two obvious first teamers.

I think Fabregas will be cemented in that team too and occasionally alternating with Oscar and most likely Hazard will start. Then you have Schurrle/Willian/Salah battling for one spot. Mourinho having a soft spot for Willian because he signed him.

One of them has to go I think. Mourinho only went with 5 last year and chucked out Mata and De Bruyne. 6 is a headache. Unless the 6th is going to be teenage Lewis Baker or something.

Sometimes I think Schurrle gets overlooked purely because Oscar/Hazard/Willian all have big reputations. I actually prefer him to all of them. Vintage Mourinho would too. I think he did a bit of people-pleasing last year. I doubt that happens next season.

[El Fenomeno]

You should care about Arsenal getting Sanchez too. The dude is talented.

Im surprised you don't mention Chelsea though. Costa, Cesc, done deals. Potentially Filipe Luis and Pogba. Thats some reinforcement in trouble areas for sure.

Arsenal could sign Iniesta and I still wouldn't be arsed. I still see them as a non-threat 'til they can put together a sustained challenge.

I think it will be between us and Chelsea this year. But I think we have better players in nearly every position and Pellegrini has a double under his belt now.

Mourinho won't have a clue what to do with Fabregas, I'm not sure Costa will consistently get 30 a season and I still think Pogba is a bit raw to be marshaling a prem midfield.

[Beercules]

I nearly drank myself to death in Saturday.

Back at again #WhatDoesntKillYou

[rorymac]

I nearly drank myself to death in Saturday.

Back at again #WhatDoesntKillYou

Wrong thread my friend, but boozing is always welcome in The Football Thread

[Sparked_26]

Arsenal could sign Iniesta and I still wouldn't be arsed. I still see them as a non-threat 'til they can put together a sustained challenge.

I think it will be between us and Chelsea this year. But I think we have better players in nearly every position and Pellegrini has a double under his belt now.

Mourinho won't have a clue what to do with Fabregas, I'm not sure Costa will consistently get 30 a season and I still think Pogba is a bit raw to be marshaling a prem midfield.

I think Fabregas is more orthodox than is given credit for. Barcelona really didn't know what to do with him. They played him wide, deeper, as a forward.

Fabregas has 4-3-3 written all over him. Unless he get injured I think he'll be one of the first names on the scoresheet.

Initially I was against the signing. But I can only see him being a success. I think he's as close to a sure thing as we could get. I haven't been this confident about a Chelsea signing for years. It is just a shame he's such a knob!

As a replacement for a prime Lampard which is the role I expect Fabregas to take - I can't think of anyone else who might be able to have a decent crack at it. Fabregas's stats are brilliant.

I think Matic will be the guy controlling our midfield even with Pogba in it if he comes. Matic from what I've seen at this moment in time is a better player at that role. Pogba might evolve into something different.

Better than any signing would be the limited involvement of Torres, Mikel, and Ramires. Luiz going was also great for us.

[Beercules]

Wrong thread my friend, but boozing is always welcome in The Football Thread

I realized when I posted I was like wait what.


Rory you would've been so proud on Saturday pretty sure I was in a coma on Sunday.


Not joking.

[Derranged]

****** Bostongay.

[El Fenomeno]

I think Fabregas is more orthodox than is given credit for. Barcelona really didn't know what to do with him. They played him wide, deeper, as a forward.

Fabregas has 4-3-3 written all over him. Unless he get injured I think he'll be one of the first names on the scoresheet.

Initially I was against the signing. But I can only see him being a success. I think he's as close to a sure thing as we could get. I haven't been this confident about a Chelsea signing for years. It is just a shame he's such a knob!

As a replacement for a prime Lampard which is the role I expect Fabregas to take - I can't think of anyone else who might be able to have a decent crack at it. Fabregas's stats are brilliant.

I think Matic will be the guy controlling our midfield even with Pogba in it if he comes. Matic from what I've seen at this moment in time is a better player at that role. Pogba might evolve into something different.

Better than any signing would be the limited involvement of Torres, Mikel, and Ramires. Luiz going was also great for us.

I can see where the Lampard comparison would come from. But Fabregas seems to have lost the art of making runs from deep these days, he's content to float around playing 10 yard passes all day. I don't think you'll see the ball breaking to him in the box like it would've a few years back, put it that way. He wants to hover around midway into an opponents half and thread balls through for runners.

But to be fair your midfield now is probably the strongest it's been since Mourinho was last there. I still don't think you have the firepower to blow park the bus sides away though.

[ShoulderRoll]

Re-building Phase, Every Country goes through it. E.g. Italy right now.

Between 1966 and 1998 when Wenger showed up....that's 32 years of rebuilding?

[jas]

I realized when I posted I was like wait what.


Rory you would've been so proud on Saturday pretty sure I was in a coma on Sunday.


Not joking.

What did you drink / eat to recover?