Right load of old ballacks

[Blue Sun Tzu]

Can anyone tell me what Ballack has contributed to our side since joining us? Yes there were the two goals against Man U last year and yes OPTA shows he covers more ground than anyone else. To me this guy has been an utter disgrace since joining us. On £120k a week no less. Game after game after game he just doesn't look bothered (he makes Drogba look like Lampard in terms of commitment to the cause). See his reaction to missing from one yard against Watford? Ah vell, zere is still der geld in der bank. He isn't even a shadow of the player who dominates midfield for Germany. He stymies Lampard's game. He never gets into the box. He hardly passes the ball more than five yards and then it tends to be the wrong pass to the wrong player. He hardly shoots (unless its freekick becuase he doesn't actually have to make any effort to get to the ball when it is dead). Yet despite this, he is seemingly undroppable. Has he ever been left out when fit? What is the story here?

A little bird explained this to me. When he arrived, it was part of the adidas deal that Kenyon had just signed (although Shevchenko is also an adidas poster boy he was Roman's signing). Being adidas' man, they insisted on a clause in his contract that guarantees his place in the first team. This sound a bit far fetched? Nothing is far-fetched when Kenyon is involved. The only thing that can disabuse me of this notion is if he is actually dropped.

As i have said in another post, the beginning of the end of our halcyon days was when he arrived at the club. Guus are you reading this?

[midlandblue]

Those comments are almost word for word spoken on Sky's Sunday morning's "What the papers say"

which paper do you work for?

[Blue Sun Tzu]

Those comments are almost word for word spoken on Sky's Sunday morning's "What the papers say"

which paper do you work for?

Don't have Sky. Certainly not a journalist. Am mortally offended that you could consider me to be one (would rather be accused of being a Tottenham fan!)

However, if this is what they said then I have to agree. Did they mention anything about the clause insisted upon by adidas?

[midlandblue]

Don't have Sky. Certainly not a journalist. Am mortally offended that you could consider me to be one (would rather be accused of being a Tottenham fan!)

However, if this is what they said then I have to agree. Did they mention anything about the clause insisted upon by adidas?

they did mention it........and dismissed it as hype.

[sexelk]

he is a disgrace of a footballer and anyone who thinks otherwise is a moron

[midlandblue]

bit harsh there mate, everyone is entitled to their opinion.

[sexelk]

bit harsh there mate, everyone is entitled to their opinion.

lol not when it comes to ballack

if you think he is anything other than a bad footballer then you are a fool

i could do what he does on the pitch, pick up the ball and pass it on 3 yards. anything more ambitious, doesn't matter if it doesn't come off cause it doesn't for him

[midlandblue]

well I guess that makes me a fool.....in your eyes.

[sexelk]

well I guess that makes me a fool.....in your eyes.

list the qualities that make him a good player then please.

he can't pass, he gets caught in possession, he doesn't score, he can't tackle. all things he needs to do as a midfielder

[midlandblue]

I've told you a million time to stop exagerating.

[Nibs]

lol not when it comes to ballack

if you think he is anything other than a bad footballer then you are a fool

i could do what he does on the pitch, pick up the ball and pass it on 3 yards. anything more ambitious, doesn't matter if it doesn't come off cause it doesn't for him

Ah, could you bend in a free kick from 25/30 yards?

Not that I'm sticking up for Ballack. The sooner we get rid of both him & Deco (and Malouda) and give games to players more deserving the better IMO.

[sexelk]

Ah, could you bend in a free kick from 25/30 yards?

i could smash it into the wall like he did against watford ;)

[Blue Sun Tzu]

Without wishing to provoke a personal slanging match (don't know why, just seems to be in the air this morning judging by the tone of some of the replies), I am not saying that Ballack isn't (wasn't?) a supremely talented footballer, just that he has never done it for us. Far from being the positive player that £120K a week ought to bring us, he is a negative influence. Looking as though he hasn't a care in the world (please, I won't hear anyone's excuse that it is just his unfortunate demeanour, he always looks up for it for Germany and Bayern beforehand) his attitude poisons the team.

For the purposes of this debate, would any of the Ballack apologists (are there any?) please extrapolate? What does he bring to our side?

Edited February 16, 2009 by Blue Sun Tzu

[midlandblue]

I'm not saying that Ballack has been less than average for us and I'm not saying he should have at least a tinge of guilt picking up his £121,000 per week.

I'm simply saying he is a good player.

[sexelk]

I'm not saying that Ballack has been less than average for us and I'm not saying he should have at least a tinge of guilt picking up his £121,000 per week.

I'm simply saying he is a good player.

he is a plainly average player who is now where near the standard required to win the league

good players score goals against opposition at the same level (not 1 and 2 leagues below)

good players don't miss from 2 yards

[Blue Sun Tzu]

I'm not saying that Ballack has been less than average for us and I'm not saying he should have at least a tinge of guilt picking up his £121,000 per week.

I'm simply saying he is a good player.

...just not for us. So how come three managers have not seen this? I blame OPTA. I wish managers would just look at the evidence before their eyes rather than relying on dubious stats. Ballack may cover more ground than anyone else. So what?

[betch2020]

For Bayern/Germany 4-5 Years ago he was Immense he was there midfield general assisting lots of goals scoring goals and didnt mind a tackle unfortunatley for us that is now well in the past just compare him to a fit essien no comparison but while we still continue to play him only kenyon/roman only know must be sopmething to do with contract! Lets hope guss sees the light when ess is fit even mikel !

[midlandblue]

Listen guys at the risk of repeating myself, I'm not saying that Ballack has been anything less than a dissapointment since joining us.

But he is a good player, he's captain of Germany for christs sake.

[Blue Sun Tzu]

So Midland, we are all in agreement. This sounds like a pastiche of the Monty Python sketch in Life of Brian - Judean People front anyone?

[Tea Bar Boy]

he is a plainly average player who is now where near the standard required to win the league

good players score goals against opposition at the same level (not 1 and 2 leagues below)

good players don't miss from 2 yards

So John Terry is a pile of sh*te after his miss agaisnt Hull last week then ?

Ballack is a class player and I think he cares a lot . Because of his size and running style it doesn't always come across what a hard worker on the pitch he is for us . I don't think he has always been on top form for us but think we are a better side when he is playing .

[blizeH]

Last season he managed to score 7 goals in 18 league appearances, and I'd say was pretty instrumental in helping us push for the title until the very last game.

This season he's been utterly anonymous, 0 goals in 17 appearances and generally seems to be offering very little either offensively, or defensively.

I don't know what's wrong with him, but I hope he can turn it around, and fast.

[sexelk]

So John Terry is a pile of sh*te after his miss agaisnt Hull last week then ?

Ballack is a class player and I think he cares a lot . Because of his size and running style it doesn't always come across what a hard worker on the pitch he is for us . I don't think he has always been on top form for us but think we are a better side when he is playing .

jt is a defender. it is inexcusible for ballack to miss that. jt also makes up for his miss by putting in good performances

and i have never once questioned his work ethic. his technical ability is where my problem lies

Edited February 16, 2009 by sexelk

[Blue Sun Tzu]

So John Terry is a pile of sh*te after his miss agaisnt Hull last week then ?

Ballack is a class player and I think he cares a lot . Because of his size and running style it doesn't always come across what a hard worker on the pitch he is for us . I don't think he has always been on top form for us but think we are a better side when he is playing .

Are you playing the Devil's advocate here (your posting is too outragous for you not to be)?

No-one is suggesting that he is sh*te becuase of his miss. It is not the miss so much as his reaction to the miss. What's more, I cannot think of a single moment this season (bar perhaps his fortunate top poke against the might of Southend and his freekick against the might of Ipswich) that we have been better for having him on the pitch. Blize H's post reiterates this (although I could be accused of being something of a hypocrite having just slagged off stats as a valid evaluation of a players worth).

[yorkleyblue]

I don't know if this is the case, and I am in no way standing up for Ballack as he has been for most of his Chelsea career, but it looks mostly that Bridge regulars seem to be a tad more positive about what Ballack brings to the team than those who form their opinion from watching the games on TV.

I might be wrong, but whenever I have watched Ballack at the bridge I have seen someone who MOSTLY plays Ok ,and nowhere nearly as bad as would be implied by the criticism of him on here. Whenever I have seen him on television, and particularly in highlights programs, the bloke has looked to be a hopelessly idle lazy fuc ker, wandering around, counting his money and mis-placing passes as though he was on a cash bonus from the other side

Just my opinion, for what little it's worth

kev

[ethicalstrategy]

I'm surprised by the strength of feeling too. I've seen him play regularly and I'd agree that he hasn't been particularly good this season. But then again, there are a lot of players who that could apply to. I don't for a moment agree that he doesn't try - that's palpable nonsense. Missing from 2 yards has nothing to do with anything. Anyone can and does miss absolute sitters.

A lot of our problems this season have come from a lack of organisation. I thought it was noticeable on Saturday that Ballack looked a lot happier when Mikel went off. All of a sudden he had a bit more space to work in and some players out wide to pass to.

To answer the original question, I'd say that title of the thread sums up my opinion it.