http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2348024/Johan-Cruyff-claims-Lionel-Messi-sold-Barcelona-Neymar-arrival.html

Off to make dinner, see if I can catch the 2nd half of the Atleti game.

Time to take Atleti seriously?

Great example of their commitment there. Valladolid striker clear through on goal, rounds Courtois and suddenly finds himself with 3 Atleti players to beat.

Would love it if Atleti could make a serious title challenge.

The question is whether they'll suffer from the intensity at which they play, especially as I expect them to do well in the cups also.

It looked like it effected Dortmund last season.

Could be, but I still maintain that they've got better squad depth than is generally recognised. They might not have many big names, but they've got competent replacements all over the pitch.

You may be right. But when you're competing with the quality of Madrid and Barca competent replacements might not be enough.

But hopefully they'll be at least up there near the end of the season. Gets a bit laborious seeing Barca and Madrid always competing for the title.

You may be right. But when you're competing with the quality of Madrid and Barca competent replacements might not be enough.
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That's 4 games a season and on their recent showings they can stand their own ground against the big 2. The real deciding factor (in terms of putting a serious challenge in) is having enough to deal with any of the other 17 teams if they're forced to field a weakened side, and I think they're capable of that. La Real, Sevilla, Betis, Villarreal etc. can give Atleti a game, but they can give Madrid and Barça one too.

They'll be in trouble if they have a full-blown injury crisis, but if they're not too unlucky with injuries they should be in the reckoning.

Or maybe it's just wishful thinking on my part.

That was my point. It's not about facing Barca and Real (although in the last few years El Classico is invariably the difference) but about competing with them not just over a 38 game season but also having their squad tested when playing all the cup games as well.

That's why, for me, it will be very hard to keep up with the big two. I hope I'm wrong, and they can, but I've a feeling they'll start well and fall away around about the time the CL resumes in Feb.

I would love them to do it, but we're still involved in the title race just now ourselves.

Cowards linked to Al Qaeda take a mall hostage and kill dozens in my city I don't even...!

atletico have made a better start tham in their double winning season of 95/96

big madrid derby next weekend should be tasty

wummy

thats bad news

Mou on Mata : Mourinho said Mata would feature at Swindon in the Capital One Cup on Tuesday and challenged the Spaniard to prove him wrong.
"I hope he tells me on the pitch 'you are wrong, I'm the best and I have to play every game'," said Mourinho.
"I would love that. I'm waiting for a professional reaction. I want him to be fantastic. I hope he can.
"I gave Juan the chance to play from the beginning against Aston Villa, from the beginning against Everton, 30-35 minutes against Basel.
"The past is the past, what matters is now. You have to be judged for what you do now.
"I have my options, but the thing that I most love in football is when the players prove that I'm wrong."

is this guy for real ! mata has proven himself to be one of the best players in the premiership already .. and a v v important player for chelsea ! And yet Mou questions him !

It awful Peks! Put the whole City at standstill yesterday. I have never really seen the sense for such violence wherever it happens. Ugh sorry for being such a downer on a Sunday morning but the whole thing is just saddening. Hope a win today brings my spirits up.

I can't believe he's doing that to Mata in a world cup year! Oscar isn't a patch on Mata yet he plays ahead of him because he's Brazilian and Brazil have great number 10s! Mourinho logic.

Wummy

just read about the Nairobi attacks..its horrible


Mou is gonna get sacked by Roman before the season ends, I predict

Morning lads

I haven't been around all week, been busy times for me and it's tough to find the time for everything.

Mata is such a fantastic player, whether he is unfit, not ready to play, I really don't know, but you can't leave him out of your team, it just doesn't work.

Willian, Hazard, Mata, Oscar are superb options, but Oscar and Willian should be the one's competing for a wide position with Mata playing off the Striker and Hazard occupies the Left Wing slot.

hi LRF

btw last night in vallecas, for the first time in 5 years, Barca had LESS possession than the opposition !

51:49 in favour of Rayo !

Well, Rayo won the possession..

That's a great stat. We broke our own run yesterday.

27 games without a league clean sheet before yesterday. Woeful!

up the villllllaaaaaaaaaaaaa

best kit in english football imo

same as my old school football kit

What a Stat! Never thought that was possible. But clearly Barca won right?

Hi Wump. Horrifying news out of NBO. I hope all of your friends and loved ones are ok.

Thanks man! My people are all okay but it's still all just heartbreaking! The fallout from this could be terrible!