I guess that's what we mean when we talk about the technical differences...the slow passing game vs the pressure defence English game.

It's kinda funny because when English sides play their game against a different league side with the slightest bit of technique they are in trouble, coz their players are gonna run themselves ragged.

I guess this is why you see the top clubs all having foreign managers in a desperate bid for Euro glory.

Of course Man U is an exception.

SAF isn't English

But what I meant is Mourinho makes everybody believe that he is playing Milan's system to accomdate Sheva when it's not true. Ballack is their most creative mid, they don't have a Pirlo or a Seedorf or a Kaka, to make that system work to it's full potential. They play with 1 holding mid in front of the defence, then 3 box to box mids. Non of them are a creative mind like Pirlo.

It has nothing to do with the pace of the premier league in general, because we know that Sheva struggles in it, did you see him against Man U? When the pace picked up he looked utterly lost.

Serie A is not all made up of teams with a slow passing game either, but Milan are that surt of team, just look at what we did to Liverpool and Man U when we played them. Liverpool was outplayed for the entire game except for 6 minutes, same for Man U in both legs.

Imo it's asking a lot of Sheva to adapt to the EPL now, he seems to have lost a lot of pace from his legs, and can't keep up, I personally think that if he wanted to succeed in England then a team like Arsenal would have suited him much better.

I never said system han

No I'm not being a smart @ss, but they are playing the same formation .. Actually with the dimond mdfield; when S7 is on the field ..

When he's off they play a little bit wider w/ Robben .. In anycase, they dont have our players, but Mourinho is trying to fit S7 in a formation which he could feel comfortable in, i.e. Milan formation of past seasons.

Yeah I understand, but I was refereeing to what Mourinho says, he says that Chelsea play the same way Milan play so there is no reason for Sheva to say that he has to adapt to a new system.

When it is clearly not true. Playing the same formation doesn't make it the same system.

Chelsea play better when they use the wings ie. no Sheva and Robben or Joe Cole in the wide areas

IMO Chelsea should aways play with this line up:

Cech
Ferreira Terry Carvalho A.Cole
Lampard Essien Ballack
J.Cole Drogba Robben

A pure 4-3-3, like the one they've been using the last 2 years. They don't need Sheva, it was just a waste of money.

greedness make's you do some stupid things... roman and mou should be aware of that already.

Where is Makalele ?

Warming the bench? No really, he and Essien could alternate every 2-3 matches. That's the luxury of having a rich bench.

IMO they both got to be on starting 11. Makalele maybe 33 but he is still in one of the best.

who will bench gattuso or pirlo?

I would definately use that one, they enev play better with that formation rather then trying to imitate our diamond without having the necessary players for it.

And I would also go for Essien, he's been amazing this season, so has Lampard. Ballack has been mediocre in most matches.

And having wingers like Robben and Joe Cole on the bench and having SWP and not EVEN calling him up for matches surely must be a sin

I would drop Joe Cole and put Makalele in. Mourinho will never play important games without him.

OK. So, now with this "new Arab" Liverpool... I guess we can forget Gerrard (if someday we even think...)

Even Benitez is already talking about "more money for transfers".

I have long wanted Gerrard at Milan. He is energetic, still looks hungry unlike some of Milan's midfielder's who really have won it all, and has a genuine touch of genius about him.

The chances of him leaving are low, but not impossible. Will he really be a one club man? I doubt it. Why? Becuase he'll never win the league with Liverpool in his forseeable career, especially with Chelsea around and other more consistent, powerful opposition like Man U. He's won the European Cup with Liverpool(sorry everyone) and so is probably up for a fresh challenge.

At the end of the day, if he is Liverpool, then he couldn't really playfor another English team now. he'd never do Man U and Chelski is too full. He'd go aboad. Barca have long been after Lampard so perhaps Gerrard comes close for them, but he is morely likely to go Real I think. Otherwise, if we make a big, serious bid, though Liverpool would want to keep him because he's the only thing that really keeps them ticking over, if he decided that with a solid offer from a Continental giant on the table, now might be the time to say, 'I want to go'.

However, if he took one look at Milan right now, I doubt he'd jack it all in for a team struggling for even a CL spot this year, and without a star striker. 1 year ago, yes. Now, a near miracle.

Now with the Dubai guys, which put Liverpool as the world's richest club (owner... etc), I think it's pretty impossible to see this happening.

It's like saying that Terry will leave Chelsea.

Dont think that is possible, its more like Maldini leaving Milan. These guys, Maldini, Gerrard and Terry are the souls and trademarks of the giant clubs, they will never leave their team...

Cant you guys see why Sheva is in Chelsea???

Lets see, name me one GIANT Russian Millionaire who has his own kick-*** football club.. Abra, i think...

Ok name me ONE world class player that is Russian. Sheva!(Ukraine, pretty close)

Dont you see that Shevas transfer was just a nationalist move, and now the Slavs are together...

You know times are bad when we are discussing Gerrard coming to Milan.

There is no way he is going to leave Liverpool. Its just like talking about Ronaldinho or anyone other franchise player.

You could find a rationalization for why he'd leave and it leaves you with dissappointment because their not coming to Milan.

Even if we could I'd rather invest in the future.

We invest in Gerrard now it will take a year or two for him to adapt and then he's 30. We invest in Gago and in a year or two he'll be in his early 20's.

? So now Ukrainians and Russians are good friends? Well thats new to me me...

Ukrainians and Russians don't like each other. Especially in football.

Abramovich is Sheva's friend. They met once in Moscow I think and since then they've been very good friends. It's got nothing to do with nationalism.

hahahah Ukrainians and Russians are bad friends??? How come? They have the same language, have both been under the Soviet Russia, both are Slavs, both are Protestants and you think they are bad friends?

LOL....man you really don't know what you're talking about I guess.....
1. They don't have the same language
2. Russia tyrannized the Ukraine during the cold war, so nothing with "both have been under soviet russia"
3. Both are slavs...well that's racist nonense for me
4. Ever heard about politics? The Ukraines president Viktor Juschtschenko isn't a friend of Russias president Putin ( remember the conflict about gas delivery last winter...)

and so on and so on

No, aparently, they don't like them in football anymore

dude

1. If you know basic russian, you will understand ukrainian too, believe me
4. Umm, how does politics relate to football?

Just because languages are similar to each other it doesn't mean that the countries are the same or as you are making it sound 'Russia and Ukrain are the same country and shouldn't even have different names'

Spanish is very similar to Italian and most people who speak either one of them would tell you that they understand most of the other as well.

Same goas for Maltese and Italian very similar but not the same

S7 - Abramovic's relations .. Just pulling ur legs

The two languages are similar. So what?

Politics often relates to footbal. Ukraine and Russia besides their political problems always had big football rivalry that goes a way back. I can tell you many stories. People from Ukraine always want russian teams to fail. Believe me

@han2503

No, its not about that. It is about the understandings between the CIS countries, I live in it, and I understand it

Just wanted to point out that despite both languages being similar it doesn't really have to do with anything.

Anyway, I'm not some expert on Russia and the Ukraine or anything so I'm not going to take part in this conversatin.

Just talk to mishale about this one