English Premier League 2012/2013

Torres had to chances to score, a chance to assist (failed to pass the ball) and also a chance where he just failed to control the ball. He isn't a good player. Stick Ivanovic as a striker and you have someone more capable of scoring than Torres. Maybe it is a good thing we are bringing Ba after all... Just need Benitez to stop starting with Torres and we are good to go. Mata and Hazard are the core of the team. With a striker that can't score and everyone other than Moses and Oscar that play in the attack (usually, this game was different because they were sitting back and we had to score) it is fairly obvious that they will be so important.

Benitez did the wrong thing not starting them. Why not start them, get the goal you need and then take them off? Why do WE have to be the ones chasing the ball?

So yes, maybe I am repeating myself all of the time but I have the right to do so. Since the beginning I wasn't happy with Benitez and I am still not happy. When will I be happy? When I see him back on the Eurosport weekly reviews. And Torres keeps proving how shit he has become. For every goal that he scores he misses some amazing chances, both to score and assist...

I love Chelsea but the fact that we only had one striker this season and that one striker did nothing + we got rid of a manager for a worse one just shows how not good we've been. We better get ready for next season.

Torres had to chances to score, a chance to assist (failed to pass the ball) and also a chance where he just failed to control the ball. He isn't a good player. Stick Ivanovic as a striker and you have someone more capable of scoring than Torres. Maybe it is a good thing we are bringing Ba after all... Just need Benitez to stop starting with Torres and we are good to go. Mata and Hazard are the core of the team. With a striker that can't score and everyone other than Moses and Oscar that play in the attack (usually, this game was different because they were sitting back and we had to score) it is fairly obvious that they will be so important.

Benitez did the wrong thing not starting them. Why not start them, get the goal you need and then take them off? Why do WE have to be the ones chasing the ball?

So yes, maybe I am repeating myself all of the time but I have the right to do so. Since the beginning I wasn't happy with Benitez and I am still not happy. When will I be happy? When I see him back on the Eurosport weekly reviews. And Torres keeps proving how shit he has become. For every goal that he scores he misses some amazing chances, both to score and assist...

I love Chelsea but the fact that we only had one striker this season and that one striker did nothing + we got rid of a manager for a worse one just shows how not good we've been. We better get ready for next season.

Suppose the refereeing performance today levelled out the one from Goodison as we should have had a clear penalty and the Baines freekick should not have been given.

We didn't play too badly in the first half - we need players back from injury and new ones and fast though.

Nah, complaining Torres is shit > JUVENTUS ARE INNOCENT!!!!!!!

Suppose but it is a weird contrast that Fellaini, who effectively used a Stoke defender as a punching bag in his last outing, essentially fell over his own feet and got rewarded for it.

I'm bored of being involved in games described as "entertaining for the neutrals" where we still lose - against Norwich I'd happily take a scrappy 1-0 win with a goal from the game's only shot on target. Alas it does seem we don't have the defenders for that sort of thing.

Shawcross signs a new deal at Stoke.

Shame, I was kinda hoping United would get him back.

Tbf if the club believes Jones, Smalling and Vidic won't have long term injury problems we've plenty of centre backs to call on. Especially if Rio can play on for another 2-3 years and we've got Evans also.

I hate this.

Why is Evans an after thought?

He's been first choice for 2 seasons, and he's 25.

When Vidic is back it will be Rio dropping out to accommodate him not Evans.

He's obviously our best centre back.

Just because I've said we've got Evans also doesn't mean I'm saying he's fifth in the pecking order ffs.

The point is we don't need Shawcross if we're going to have 3-4 fit defenders who are more than capable of playing.

I'm not saying you were.

It just seems very odd to put by far our most consistent centre back in the category of 'oh and Rio and Evans are knocking around as well'.

But yeah, we don't need a centre-back. Just better luck with injuries in that department. We probably have more than most other teams in that area.

It was more I was trying to point out we've Jones, Smalling and Vidic coming back, which gives us five defenders who will all be still around 2-3 years from now (maybe excluding Rio).

I'm personally a bit skeptical about Vidic ever returning to the level he was at, because it's taken a long time for him to come back from a knee reconstruction which doesn't usually take this long, it's almost been a year and a half, but we'll still be fine with Jones, Smalling and Evans.

Yeah it's a worry.

I'm doubtful he'll be the same player again, but he'll still do a job, and even if he's lost a bit of pace (which was never his greatest attribute anyway) he still should be good enough to dominate anyone in the air.

Played alongside Smalling, Jones and Evans (who I didn't realise was as quick as he is until the game at Wigan, he's a rocket!) it should be fine.

If Rio was to leave in the summer and if Vidic can't return to his best after his injury Shawcross would have been a good signing, and free too. But priorities should be elsewhere I suppose. As long as we don't get another striker in the summer.

This is the only post i've read so have probably missed a lot out, but hasn't Shawcross signed a five and a half year deal at Stoke?

Hence why he used the subjunctive 'would have been'.

This is the only post i've read so have probably missed a lot out, but hasn't Shawcross signed a five and a half year deal at Stoke?