Seems a bit pre-mature?

A bit, agreed.


Last thing we want is to turn into cringeworthy Liverpool fans who make half a dozen banners every time a new player is signed.

Yeah, considering Drogba only got one after he left, I don't know why he's got one now.

Whether it'll be a permanent fixture or not I suppose we'll see. But either way, I don't care for it.

Neither

Diegod back in training today
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Meanwhile, Neil Asshat on NBC right now ahead of QPR v Villa saying he needs an operation at some point on his hamstring.

"Rumours that have not yet been confirmed by Chelsea," he says.


Haven't seen a single thing about it, anywhere

pay him his $3000 per article already ffs

Mourinho on Costa:

"Costa's virus is fine."

"It was hard, he had to go to the hospital and obviously it doesn't help him to recover from his injury. But he didn't play Sunday because of the injury, not because of the virus."

"Diego has the hamstring problem because he played two matches in three days when he was not with us."

"[Is he over the setback?] He still has (to play for) the national team in November!"

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— via the Daily Express

We regret selling Costa, Atlético president Cerezo says:
Atlético Madrid president Enrique Cerezo says the La Liga champions regret selling star striker Diego Costa to Chelsea over the summer after revealing the club only received half the £32m transfer fee paid by the Blues for the hitman, and claims if they had to make the decision again right now, the Spaniard would not be sold
http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/530932/Atletico-Madrid-Diego-Costa-16m-Chelsea

“He is one of the best strikers in the world.”

“His departure was hastened because we had a weak moment in which we couldn’t say no.”

“If it was to happen now, he wouldn’t go.”

“The economic issue hasn’t been good for us as we got 50 per cent of what was said. It was more about money for him.”

I am so glad they did, though.

Costa left out of the Spain squad

José Mourinho welcomes Costa Spain omission:
José Mourinho has thanked the Spanish federation for leaving the striker out of their next squad but insisted he did not ask for it
http://www.espnfc.us/chelsea/story/2133921/diego-costa-starts-for-chelsea-despite-absence-from-spain-squad

"I'm pleased, but I want to make it clear I did nothing to make it happen. He was protected in the Champions League match but, because the result was not good, I had to play him for 45 minutes."

"As a consequence of the work we're doing with him, we think he's ready to start tomorrow but obviously not to go with the national team. He'll have 15 days finally to rest and work properly, and that's fantastic news for us."

"Obviously, I give thanks for the decision made by the Spanish Football Federation, but I want to make it clear I did nothing to make it happen."

"He is fit to play, yes. Hopefully everything goes well, but yes he starts the game."

Great news

Diego Costa walked into ­Chelsea’s training complex for the first time, summoned Oscar and instructed him to round up the three toughest players.

Dutifully, Oscar wandered off and returned with John Terry, Branislav Ivanovic and Gary Cahill.

...

Slightly bemused, Terry, Cahill and Ivanovic looked on as Costa raised his fists towards them and growled: "I go into battle. You come with me."

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/heavyweight-diego-costa-win-chelsea-4593978

If this is true

Just a random thought, let alone stats or technical abilities, let's just talk about the spirit, mentality, body language etc. Don't you think that a player that fights for every ball, for every aerial duel, that is the first one to press and defend and the last one to give up, compared to Torres, just throwing a name, is going to put the opponent's defenders in awe and improve his teammates's confidence? I mean, nothing against Fernando, but I doubt that, just throwing two examples, he would've pulled off that movement in behind Arsenal's defense and slotted home, or attempted that overhead kick that almost got in against Liverpool, but again, not mainly because of the technical ability, but because he wouldn't even have gone for it, Cesc wouldn't have attempted that long pass, Hazard wouldn't have attempted that audacious lob through ball.

That's why I don't think he'll ever face a goal drought and even if that happens I won't be worried because he'll still keep terrorizing defenses and giving all his efforts

He isn't even that good technically, he just has a desire and strikers instinct.

All we've needed for a few years is just a player to put away those scrubby balls in the box, he does that.

Diego's goal against Getafe last season has been nominated for FIFA's Puskas Award.

Chelsea have no fears about striker Diego Costa's fitness ahead of demanding Christmas schedule, says Mourinho:
José Mourinho insists he has no fears for Diego Costa's fitness going into the gruelling Christmas period, and that hi 4 yellow cards will not affect his selection in the side
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2844030/Jose-Mourinho-denies-Chelsea-received-offers-goalkeeper-Petr-Cech.html

"I believe (this period has set him up for the rest of the season), but now we are going to have a period that is new for him. I believe the Christmas period for players doing it for the first time in their careers is more difficult."

"The English players, or those who have been here for many years, are more physically and mentally adapted and prepared to cope with the special incredible marathon of football we face."

"Costa had a little holiday, with a Chelsea physio, for two weeks so even then he was working many hours per day with our physio. After that he came back, he keeps going in the right direction. We feel he's free of his old injury."

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And on his bookings situation:
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"We spoke yesterday about it. But we go match after match. Diego has four yellow cards. Am I going to protect him? No way. He plays. When he's fit, he plays."

"When he gets the fifth yellow card... I am not thinking about Sunderland, Newcastle or Stoke. I am thinking just about the next match."

"We go match by match, but the way he trains and expresses himself in training, he has a free mind. He's free of fears at this moment. He's good at this moment."

Full match fitness

Diego Costa has been so clinical for Chelsea this season it has elevated them to another level:
The Premier League has seen many great strikers over the years but few have been as clinical as Diego Costa this season; Adam Bate looks at the numbers...
http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11668/9582094/premier-league-diego-costa-has-been-so-clinical-for-chelsea-this-season-it-has-elevated-them-to-another-level
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Chelsea boss José Mourinho hopes Diego Costa rediscovers goalscoring form:
José Mourinho has urged misfiring Diego Costa to rediscover his goalscoring mojo after drawing blanks on successive trips to the North East against Sunderland and Newcastle and only having scored 2 goals for the Blues since early October
http://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/414175/Chelsea-Jose-Mourinho-Diego-Costa-rediscovers-goalscoring-form

"For me, the problem is not the goals. They will come as a consequence of his condition."

"He has to improve his condition. He was injured and had many doubts because he went a long time without training."

"Obviously that must have an effect on a player in the way he runs, the way he moves and in his coordination."

"I don't think there is a problem but he has to recover."

Your thoughts Shed?

Well when the article said he'd only scored twice since early October (the Arsenal match) I was a bit surprised, but on looking into it further I discovered he's played 5 Prem games since then, in which he's scored 2. Hardly a huge slump. His numbers from his unbelievable early-season form were always going to drop off.