Since Hazard has been out most of time since Jose has gone not sure how he has started to perform.

Did you read it in the sun or something?

I would not expect us to spend big money in the window but I think we do need to back the manager if he wants a certain type of player. We have to give him as much of a chance to achieve his objectives as possible. As long as we buy players of a certain level its highly unlikely the next manager would not want to use them, It be very different if we went out and just bought some random but Guss is a very good manager and if he wants someone then I think we should at least look at it. I don't see him as a the type of person who would leave the next manager with a bunch of newly bought duds.

The squad should stay the same until the end of the season, we are champions, but lets write this one off. We have very little chance of getting into the CL so we have the opportunity to save resources for a new permanent manager.

United look like they will throw resources at LVG, who will be sacked at or before the end of the season. Lets not do that.

JT, understandably very happy:

It’s now four games unbeaten for the Blues, and Terry was understandably delighted.

‘It was the Chelsea of last year,’ said the captain. ‘The football was first class, we kept the ball and they were tough conditions; windy, rainy and with a lot of zip on the surface.'

If anyone is still saying that the football hasn't changed (E.g. R'mond!), they need to radically reassess their commitment to the club.

R'mond, you have posted some good comments over the last year, and I'd rate them on the whole as B+, creeping into the A- range on occasion. Some of your recent posts though have been disappointing, very disappointing, and you can do much better R'mond, much, much better lad.

Maybe you need to stay away from the trouble makers on the thread, I don't know.

And some respect for the brave lads who called for change. Dixon, if you're ever near the vicinity of the Dog and Duck, there's a pint waiting for you. Hear, hear old boy!

The irony.

It is good to get a win, we need to keep this little momentum going.

Yes, we played better. But I didn't see any radical changes in the style of football we played or in terms of the way we lined up. We've had a few decent games before this season against better opposition than a weakened Palace.
Some people have short memories. But just to remind you, from this stage onwards last season (with 18 games to go) we picked up 41 points, losing only one game.
That was with Mourinho, and playing the dull, boring football you hate so much. Let's see if we can emulate or surpass that total over the remainder of this season. I somehow doubt it, but would love to be proved wrong.

Oh dear, Rafa sacked by Madrid.

That's the same Rafa that bagged a Europa league trophy and top four as an interim manager with Chelsea ?

Whether you liked him or not, he didn't do such a bad job in the short time he was there did he?

Yes, I agree. If Guus has a particular player in mind we should give him our backing. Otherwise, as codeblue and others have said, stick with what we've got.
We're not going to make the top four, Guus is right to be optimistic and try to raise spirits, but it would take a miracle. Besides, despite out lowly position, we have as good a squad as any of the top clubs in the PL with the possible exception of Man City.
I don't see any of our top targets moving in the January window anyway, and the last thing we need is a couple of panic buys that we can't shift on when they disappoint.

Oh dear, poor old Rafa. They should never of given him the job, nowhere near good enough to manage Real.
Poor old Tit Top and/or Dixie, they will be devasted

If true I don't think anyone can say its a surprise.

Did a ok job at Chelsea but one that I would have expected from 80% (prob more) of the current managers in the premiership with the players he had available. The problem is when it comes to jobs like Utd,City,Real,Chelsea,Barca etc doing a OK job is never good enough (and nor should it), Managers at those clubs should always (and rightly so) be held to a higher standard then their position in the league and winning a "cup".

Would do a great job for a team wanting to break into the top part of a league and win a trophy here and there but not for one who has realistic higher ambitions.

If anything you're probably being a tad generous to him, I'm not sure I'd call steering a team that was 4 points off the top to finishing 14 points behind an ok job. A bit on the poor side really. We were just fortunate that other than the Manchester clubs everyone else weren't up to much in the league that season.

I thought he'd found his level at a club like Napoli, but it sounded like even they weren't that sorry to see him move on.

Maybe but today's football world where "success" is now top 4 and a minor trophy (now i am being generous to the Europa Cup) I think we have to lower standards and say it was a ok job. IMO if it was a choice of being 3 or 4 points of the title (not bothered if we was 2nd,3rd or 4th) or the Europa cup I will take the points choice every single time. I fully expected him to finish top 4 that season with out a problem. We was not playing well but even then at that point of the season it was not a major problem. Never expected him to for a second to finish 1st the team was not good enough and even if it was he is not at a level to win a premiership title, Nor did I really expect him to mount a credible title challenge (again the team was not good enough) but it was more then possible to finish single numbers behind the team that came first that was the least possible outcome for a top manager.

Its what I expected from Jose during his first season back, Never going to win the title and nor was we really at a level where we "could" have won even if other teams results went our way every so often (I think if we got Rooney even in the Jan window that would have changed). That was always only going to happen the season after (and then I thought it would go to the last couple of weeks of the season).

I think Napoli is about his level (although don't blame him for taking the Real job anyone has to take it). They have a certain level of expectation but not ones that are so high that a experienced manager would find that difficult to mainline more often then not (every manager has a off season here and there)

QUOTE=RichmondBlue;80950027]I would excuse Guus on this occasion. In the 2nd half, we looked full of confidence and were playing better than we have done all season. He may have thought it was best to leave things alone and let them enjoy themselves.[/quote]

I thought it was an extremely flattering result for us against an injury hit Palace.
It was a bit like the second half of last season when any luck going went for us and against the opposition.
Mikel should have been sent off.
They had a stonewall penalty not given.
Our first goal was down to a Palace player slipping.
Our second goal was a flukey shot
Our third was poor goalkeeping.
Once again, we actually created very few clear cut chances, though the movement and passing between our front four was much better.
Our midfield and defence was sliced wide open numerous times and but for a poor final ball and finishing, we could easily have conceded as many as we scored.
But, in our position, a win is a win and that's all that matters at the mo!

Getting the sack at that Madhouse is hardly a black mark against a managers reputation.

I still stand by opinion that, with that team and with those players, he was the right man for the Chelsea job at that time. Yes, he might have failed, but i felt he should have been given some time to see if he could carry on the progress that was being made.

I thought it was an extremely flattering result for us against an injury hit Palace.
It was a bit like the second half of last season when any luck going went for us and against the opposition.
Mikel should have been sent off.
They had a stonewall penalty not given.
Our first goal was down to a Palace player slipping.
Our second goal was a flukey shot
Our third was poor goalkeeping.
Once again, we actually created very few clear cut chances, though the movement and passing between our front four was much better.
Our midfield and defence was sliced wide open numerous times and but for a poor final ball and finishing, we could easily have conceded as many as we scored.
But, in our position, a win is a win and that's all that matters at the mo![/quote]

You make a few fair points. Up until we scored you could argue that Palace had been the better (or most dangerous anyway) team. But after we went in front, I can't fremember us having too many problems ?
Our goals were probably the result of some dodgy defending, but that's generally the case unless it's an unstoppable screamer from outside the box. I certainly think our defence will face stronger tests, and I'm not convinced about Mikel and Fabregas in the pivot despite fine performances from both players.

A very reliable source [The Daily Star] is saying Real Madrid are going to put in a 100 million pound bid for Hazard.
We'd do well to get our money back on him with the way he's played since April of 2015.

That's why you look at the bigger picture when buying and selling players and not just look at "form"

I don't think anyone could have predicted Hazard would lose his form so badly for this long.

It happens, We seen it before and we will see it again.

Wont make that much of a difference to the price if we sell him.

There are only maybe three clubs that would buy him (more two as I don't think Barca would) and with the recent contract he signed that will ensure his value remains high. I don't think it will be near the 100m (although if that was the offer I would carry him there myself) but with the parties involved the price will still be very good no matter what his current form is

Our entire team (with the exception of Willian) has been off-form this season. But on several occasions Hazard has still looked our most dangerous player even when playing well below par. Even the very best players usually go through a lean spell sometime in their career, and Hazard's game (dribbling, running at defenders) means there is nowhere for him to "hide" in games.

I very much doubt the figure quoted, but we do know that Zidane is a great admirer of Hazard..he's mentioned it as recently as November. The rumour I've heard is that RM might be considering some kind of exchange deal involving Bale. It's not entirely impossible I suppose, Bale hasn't had the happiest time of his life in Madrid. But would he join a team who are very unlikely to be playing CL football next season ?
Still, it gives us some interesting nonsense to speculate about.

I don't know about Bale, Would he come back so quickly to England? Would it not be admitting he has "failed" coming back so soon? He has always struck me as someone who wont give up that easy. Its not been the best of times for him but it not been anywhere near how bad the media would make us think

I get the impression he will give it more time before the comes back to England.

I agree. Unless he is told outright by Zidane that he is not in his plans he will stay. Not sure he would come to us anyway to be honest. Might not want to upset those at Three Point Lane. Also any player we go for will be looking for assurances as to who the new manager will be.

That's why any transfer activity will be at a minimum in January.
Need to wait to see what the new manager wants.

Hazard leaving at the end of the season? It's rumoured in highly respected sources such as the Daily Star () that he might be on his way to Real for £100 million.

If a player is set on leaving, it's best to let him go, as keeping him could be detrimental to the club. I'd want him to stay and think he's our best player, but is £100 million enough if he did leave?

I'd say £150 million is a more realistic figure. He's young still, and yet to peak, has a great attitude, is usually fit for every game, makes himself available, is a great team player, assists as well as scores and fits in straight away.

When Man Utd sold Ronaldo for £80 million, imo they were ripped off, and apparently Real quickly recouped the money spent on shirt sales alone.

Neymar's release clause is said to be £140 million, and I rate Hazard as better. If Neymar came to the PL, who's to say he wouldn't be another Di Maria, and not be able to adapt to a more physical, faster league? Hazard on the other hand adapted from day one and made an instant impact, with fantastic assists and goals.