AZ, we’re Chelsea fans, how could anything be Mourinho’s fault!? Perish the thought……….!

On a serious note, I honestly think the way that Chelsea handled the situations with Cole and Lampard left a lot to be desired. Compare that with the likes of Scholes and Giggs and United. Not the best in my book…..

Rodger you just echo my feelings entirely. He’s earned the right to go wherever he likes but hey, we’re football fans so we reserve the right to be irrational!

I do think he should have gone to Melbourne for several reasons in that it would be a great life experience for him and gives something back to football in a wider sense. For City’s investment also it would have been the shrewd move I reckon. But he’s a father who’s kid lives in the UK so who am I to say what he should and shouldn’t do but I’ll still want to stamp my feet a little.

The Chelsea Singapore club put up a picture from the City website (I think) which had a light blue Lampard 18 shirt, just didn’t look right at all!!!!!

EPL, it’s an interesting one.

Lampard was available on a free so no transfer fee was avoided but what I/we don’t know is who’s paying Lampard’s wages during his time at City. Clubs as far as I’m aware are free to loan their players on any terms they wish so it’s conceivable that his wages (which I understand are considerable) could be kept on NYRB’s books and City keep in the FFP good books.

Like you say, same building, different floor……….

Fadida, I think the Matic situation throws up the worst of the dysfunction at Chelsea, utterly ridiculous but I guess that’s what happens when you have a succession of short term manager appointments with zero continuity. Ho hum!

With regard to Drogba, I think it’s very much about the dressing room. Lampard and Cole (who was a favoured son before the fall out) were two of his trusted lieutenants. Terry is still there obviously and then there’s Cech.

Now if Courtois is going to take Cech’s place – we don’t know yet – then there’s potentially another loyalist gone. He’s had issues with Hazard and has previous with Fabregas. I guess Mourinho wants eyes and ears in the dressing room and on the training pitch.

It’s a good point about the Europa League giving a CL place in future. The UEFA Cup used to be hugely prestigious and it’s a shame that the CL obsession has dulled it’s glimmer.

Having said that, many European teams and nations still take it very seriously, the fact that Spanish clubs win it so regularly tells you that, but you’re spot on, it’ll really incentivise teams especially if they make it into the later rounds.

Eden, I can understand why many people don’t like Mourinho but his track record as a manager is pretty good in terms of his success. Yes he has shortcomings and gets things wrong but I think generally most people would agree he has been highly successful.

I’m not sure exactly what about Wenger was ‘disproven’ last year. Their title challenge crumbled, they took 4th place by default as you guys ran out of steam and United and Spurs were dire. They then needed extra time to beat Hull City and needed penalties to knock out Wigan in the semi. Doesn’t sound much like progress to me mate.

On a brighter note, you reckon you guys can go a step further this year? My only concern with you guys is that whilst the three players you mention are all important players, they effectively mean you are only standing still whereas the top four have all strengthened (granted Liverpool have lost Suarez and remains to be seen how that works out) their squads and United I simply cannot believe will be as poor. Spurs I honestly dunno.

I think personally it would be wonderful if an Everton or a Spurs could crack the top 4 again but like you say, maybe the Europa League would be a real target for you guys. English clubs have not tended to take it very seriously generally but suspect Martinez might be very different. Think you guys should have a good shout!?

Magila, I think you’re going down a bit of a blind alley by now getting into personal issues and his character. He’s a fine coach and that’s what we’re discussing here.

There have certainly been times when he has been negative. I thought for instance Chelsea paid the price in the semi against Atletico for being far too negative in Madrid. We didn’t get an away goal and then had to play more attacking than he would have liked in London and got hit by a very good counter attacking team.

Other instances such as the Inter Barca semi, I honestly don’t know what people wanted him to do. He’s up against one of the best club teams of all time who are thrashing all comers yet people expect him to show up and play them at their own game?

Yes he defended deep and he won, that’s called a tactical victory and it’s part of football, winning against a team that is in many ways superior to yours.

You ask Chelsea fans (Mourinho was not in charge) regarding the year they won the CL and the Inter fans from the year I just mentioned, they wouldn’t give a hoot of the type of football being played.

To say that everything else that is not ‘Barcelona’ is ‘anti football’ is showing zero appreciation of anything in football other than attacking, the game is about so much more than that.

Chelsea were overly negative last year I agree on many occasions but I still contend and am confident (having watched countless games of Mourinho’s teams) that they will play far more positively now he has a squad he feels is his and is balanced.

All fair points Woodo. It’s also tough to argue with a Hammers fan given the amount of players that have been produced there!

It’s probably a little naive on my part (thought I’d get that in before someone else says it!) but what I would hope is that Chelsea through Abramovich clearly short cut in a big way to the success they had (winning Premierships and the CL as opposed to FA Cup wins and the odd CL appearance).

Therefore, the infrastructure that many big clubs have (Chelsea are only a big club now in terms of recent history and turnover, hopefully the fan base will now follow) was simply not there.

FFP it would appear is forcing Chelsea to be more pragmatic (I don’t think Abramovich would have countenanced selling Mata to United 5 years ago for instance) and hopefully to develop some of their youth products as a result, it’s a necessity given they only get 40 odd thousand every week.

Ryan Bertrand is another that sticks out to me, I’ve always thought that whilst not another Ashley Cole that he is a sound left sided player, certainly not in any quantums inferior to say Azpuelicueta for instance.

Adam, I think I’ve read that about a thousand times about a certain F.Torres too!

Woodo, I’d love to stick up for Chelsea’s youth policy here but it’s tough to do so given the failures of their academy. I do however think there are many mitigating factors at work though regarding some of those players.

Sturridge got decent playing time the last two seasons at Chelsea and there was just a parting of the ways, I don’t think anyone at Chelsea didn’t think he was a good player, it just didn’t really happen. He’s also a more mature player now and had earlier problems at City also (before the big money came in).

Van Ginkel you cannot seriously include as he’s been injured almost from the moment he arrived at Chelsea, if he doesn’t get playing time this season then sure lets include him. He’s highly rated within the club from what I can tell.

Josh McEachran I really don’t understand BUT when he was loaned out to the likes of Swansea who played possession football, he didn’t get much playing time either, is he good enough?

I think with De Bruyne, he wasn’t treated badly by Chelsea, he was loaned out and there were simply too many players in his position, they got a good bid and he moved on. He wasn’t sitting rotting in the reserves season after season or having his career ruined.

I would dearly love to see Chelsea bringing players through and there is something wrong when a player like McEachran doesn’t develop properly. I think buying players in at a certain age and then selling them on is a slightly different issue. Many big clubs are doing that now, not just Chelsea although I know we’ll always be a target!

Fadida, tend to agree with you there.

If Drogba gets much playing time then I think Chelsea have big problems this season. I think there’s more to come from Schurrle also but I’d have moved on Torres and kept Lukaku.

Maybe they simply couldn’t move on Torres, his wages are astronomical and the flip side the merchandising he brings in is still huge believe it or not.

Magila, I’m sorry but I beg to differ. To say that Mourinho’s teams are always ultra defensive and play ‘anti football’ is a factually incorrect statement.

Yes, there have been several instances and in big games too when he has gone for that approach but to say it is like that all the time can only mean you have not watched a large percentage of games in which he has managed.

It’s an easy sound bit to throw out there granted.

Daniel, I’m still a bit 50/50 on Costa, you think he’ll work out a good signing? He’s big and strong and can mix it so should suit the Premiership but his past record (prior to last season) concerns me a little……..

Magila, I think you’ll see Chelsea far more attacking (if not quite expansive!) this season. Mourinho’s teams have generally scored plenty of goals but balanced with pragmatism.

Last year he clearly didn’t like the balance of the squad or trust it yet in the biggest of games, this year it is ‘his’ team and you’ll see Chelsea playing better football I’m sure.

Tom, likewise I’d have liked to have seen him given a shot. There’s clearly more to the story but it doesn’t feel to me like he was ever given a proper shot at being a Chelsea player. Mourinho obviously thinks there is legitimate reason but I just hope it isn’t a big mistake and we see Real or ManU etc picking him up for huge money in a few years time.

DSF, I’d be surprised if Everton don’t go on to sell him at a profit from here in a few years time as he reaches his peak.

Darwin, please don’t take only the first part of that paragraph. The second part pointed to Eden Hazard also being disappointed yet Chelsea continuing to covet him.

I’m merely saying that Chelsea would point to that as an argument, not that they are necessarily correct. I would put huge weight towards his Premiership performances (which I think have been good) rather than the World Cup.

Thanks for the insight Rellum.

Rellum, on the subject of Serie A, how serious do you think is the malaise affecting both of the Milan clubs and on a wider issue, what do you think it takes to get attendances back up in the league also?

Would be great to see Serie A back and firing again. With Bayern strong, PSG on the up and the perennial strength from Spain and also England, would make for a hell of a Champions League if Serie A could get back on form. Like you say, is all a cycle.

Rellum, it’s a fair point. I think for instance Mourinho has going to have a tough job keeping everyone happy at Chelsea this season, especially in the attacking midfield slots.

Magila, I think unfortunately the big squads are here to stay leaving it in the hands of the few. FFP will only exacerbate that as the smaller clubs will find it way harder to make any ground on the big guys.

I think the writing was on the wall probably as early as the early ’90s. AC Milan for instance had (I might be out by the odd name) 6 foreign players when they knew they could only play 3 at a time. I think at one point they had Savicevic, Boban, Papin, Rijkaard, Van Basten and Gullit. Lazio I recall had to leave out one of Doll, Riedle, Winter or Gascoigne.

Just the way of modern football unfortunately, makes it so much harder for smaller teams to mount a challenge. The bigger teams are happy to sign players just to keep them on the bench in the knowledge that it keeps them out of their rivals’ hands.

There was a lot of talk that my own club Chelsea very strategic about loaning out Lukaku last season in the knowledge he could hurt the teams around them.

Nick cheers for the read and again you make some very salient points.

I think the phrase ‘sleeping giant’ is as wantonly used in the UK as ‘world class’ is everywhere regarding any decent player. Nevertheless as you say, guys like Leeds and Forest (who I have a HUGE soft spot for due to Brian Clough) are genuine institutions.

There’s a depth to the football in the country reflected by how many English teams have won the European Cup (5 by my counting unless I’ve forgotten 1 and that’s quite amazing when you think that list doesn’t include Arsenal).

I think there’s a huge amount of romance (a very odd word to use when talking about something English!) with regard to the EPL and I like a huge amount of others fall for that every time.

What I’m not able to possibly relate to with the other leagues is the level of tribalism. You can take a game like West Ham versus Millwall which means zero globally yet you’d struggle to find a more venomous fixture anywhere in the World.

I know those fixtures exist all over the world, Roma v Lazio, River Plate v Boca etc but I guess I’m just not as conscious of it.

Jayden, I think the Spanish clubs now take the Copa Del Rey pretty seriously again? At least the fact that the big boys have been winning it again regularly would suggest so and isn’t it played over 2 legs until the final which would mean you’d have a pretty close call against England on the number of overall games if you made it to the latter stages.

I think us Brits make a huge deal over the amount of games being played, sure it’s a factor but they have the squads to cope with it. Everyone else just seems to get on with it although I’m sure tiredness was a factor for the Spanish team at the WC, they looked out on their feet.

Cheers Ian, and as all of you say, that point about those players at their peak, it is usually Spain for sure.

I’m trying to think back when a really top top player chose the Premiership over an option in Spain – although I’m sure there’s been a few.

I recall many years ago, ManU thinking they had Ronaldinho in the bag whilst he was still at PSG only for him to go to Barca.

AZ,as Magnificent says that’s a very pertinent point on the squad sizes.

I otten think to myself, how on earth do mid table Premiership sides end up paying what they do in transfer fees and wages and still often get made to look mediocre against European opposition (not saying it happens EVERY time)?

I guess the answer is as you say they are paying for huge squads to cope with the amount of football without necessarily having a great first eleven, Spurs last season being a case in point replacing a match winner in Bale with a multitude of lesser players – granted not easy to find another Bale!

Would be interesting to compare injury stats between Spain and England, I’d presume they were similar as I don’t think the Premiership is quite as physical as everyone makes out compared to the rest but might be worth a look.