I really wonder who really signed Zhirkov, has it been Guus or Carlo ?

Would be shocking if it was Carlo´s signing.

Its really frustrating for me to see how Carlo manages him. Our midfield has been sh*t for the last matches, no one´s been playing good (especially Deco, Joe,Ballack and Malouda) and he still doesnt get a fair chance. Just think about it, we sign someone for 20m € and then he doesnt even play when others dont perform. What makes it even worse is that he has been quite good when he got a chance, especially against West Ham, he has clearly been our best midfielder in that game.

Has he been signed as a left-back backup only? But that cant really be the case because you dont sign left-back back-ups for such an amount of money.

Matic is a similiar case btw. Hes already 21 and only playing for the reserves, whats the f**king point of it?

Agree... I dont see why Zhirkov doesn´t get a fair chance to prove him self. He´s been very crreative on the pitch and has good pace. He should be in the start 11. I cant be worse than now. Hope he´ll get his chance against fullham:)

Don't be surprised if Carlo isn't up to it. We had our chance after the Arsenal game, but four league games later, against teams we should be beating, we may well be looking back in May cursing our December.

Those games are gone. Harder ones are still to come.

Malouda finished last term on fire, under a manager who knew how to use him and clearly believed in him. It's almost unforgiveable that Carlo has undone all that good work.

We continually see players under the present regime do well and then miss out in the following fixtures, Zhirkov being the most recent example.

We are crying out for width at the moment.

Okay, I agree with the original point stated, but some of the doom and glooming around here is getting crazy.

Carlo is not a dumb man, and I am sure he knows Zhirkov can play more than leftback. Unless he has a personal problem with him or something, I don't see why he isn't getting games. Considering he came on in the West Ham game and had two moments of brilliance when we had become stagnant. I personally want to see more of him, and now that Malouda had his little episode I am sure now he is going to get more playing time.

Carlo is already showing he can learn and adapt, and he showed that with his team selections. One win in seven is pish, admittedly, but now the ACoN is going to force his hand to change the team. Up until this point, we were but a few weeks removed from a team that was steamrolling opponents. He wouldve been mad to scrap the whole thing and go back to the drawing board over a few bad results

I believe Zhirkov got a lot of folks upset when he stated that coming to the Bridge was not his decision. If he had the choice he would have signed for Barcelona. Apparently he thought he would be playing second fiddle to Ashley Cole if he signed for us. That is now water under the bridge (excuse the pun). Initially his knee injury was a problem and Ancelotti was hesitant about playing him as there was a question of having surgery on the knee. Since then he has come along satisfactorily and I won't be surprised if Carlo starts him against Fulham.

Initially his knee injury was a problem and Ancelotti was hesitant about playing him as there was a question of having surgery on the knee.

The knee didn't seem to be much of a concern to Hiddink as Zhirkov featured for Russia in the World Cup qualifiers, but when he returned to England, he wasn't fit to play. Either Zhirkov played the international matches despite being injured or Ancelotti just doesn't rate him. I doubt he was playing through injury because I reckon Ancelotti would be furious if Russia did that. I think there just isn't a place in Ancelotti's plans for Zhirkov when Ashley Cole is fit to play.

I have a feeling Ancelotti isn't very fond of Zhirkov as a player or at least doesn't see him in a system he prefers. Carlo doesn't seem to use wingers and Zhirkov's best position is advanced right midfield where he can make his runs at the opposing defences.

I think playing him with Ashley on the right would make it a great attacking combo, something special and God knows we could use a boost in our attack. I'm not saying Yury will come and change everything for the better in one game but if Malouda was afforded one and a half atrocious seasons before he finally came good surely Zhirkov deserves more than just a 10-15 minutes at the end of every third match.

Abe

Are you mixing up your lefts and rights?

In my opinion. if Carlo starts Zhirkov it will be on the left of the diamond as Ashley has the left back slot tied up. There is also the possibility that Ancelotti would try Zhirkov at the tip of the diamond. I certainly will be very disappointed if he does not play against Fulham.

Abe

Are you mixing up your lefts and rights?

Happens to me all the time. I obviously meant left midfield.

I believe Zhirkov got a lot of folks upset when he stated that coming to the Bridge was not his decision. If he had the choice he would have signed for Barcelona. Apparently he thought he would be playing second fiddle to Ashley Cole if he signed for us. That is now water under the bridge (excuse the pun). Initially his knee injury was a problem and Ancelotti was hesitant about playing him as there was a question of having surgery on the knee. Since then he has come along satisfactorily and I won't be surprised if Carlo starts him against Fulham.

I think you're getting your facts mixed up.

He was giving an interview while still with CSKA and was asked about his team of preference and Zhirkov singled out Barca as the team he admires the most(nothing wrong with that). From the moment he was offered the contract with us Yury never mentioned anything other than how he relished the opportunity to play for Chelsea.

Another thing that may work against Zhirkov in the eyes of Ancelotti is that he's still only learning English and being a very shy person himself, doesn't yet feel like a full member of the team, so to speak. I could really tell by his body language on the pitch that he's still feeling his way in and not sure if the teammates know how to use his strengths. There were several occasions during one particular game when he was making runs and the others ignored his movement which demonstrated that not everyone is on the same page yet but the only way to fix it is to give him playing time.

Sounds like Van Aanholt knows more about Zhirkov's natural position than Ancelotti.

http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/coventry-...92746-25500489/

“My loan finished after the Forest game and they want me back,†said the player, who believes he has improved during his time on loan with the Sky Blues.

“That’s their decision and I will hopefully go back and do well for them now and get an opportunity to play in the first team.

“It is a good opportunity for me but I want to keep playing first team football and playing well and if I don’t play then I might look to get back out on loan.

“I have got Ashley Cole in front of me and they have tried to play Yuri Zhirkov there but I don’t think he is a defender.

"He is a midfielder so I am hoping it is just Ashley and then me, so hopefully I can get on the bench at the very least and then get some minutes and impress the manager.

Random musing also: what about Berntrand? The guy that kept Kieron Gibbs (who has played at the top level now for Arsenal many times) out of the Norwhich side for a season?

Cole > Zhirkov > Bertrand > Van Aanholt ??

If that is the case, I genuinely hope Yuri is used in midfield more often, as he seems better suited, and when our players return from their loans we'll be very well equipped at left back anyway.

Random musing also: what about Berntrand? The guy that kept Kieron Gibbs (who has played at the top level now for Arsenal many times) out of the Norwhich side for a season?

Cole > Zhirkov > Bertrand > Van Aanholt ??

If that is the case, I genuinely hope Yuri is used in midfield more often, as he seems better suited, and when our players return from their loans we'll be very well equipped at left back anyway.

If anyone believes Ancelotti signed Zhirkov, they will also believe his main transfer targets on arriving to London were Dean Sturridge and Ross Turnbull, and he'd been follwing all three closely and wanted to take them to AC Milan the previous year!

Jose walked because he wasn't 100% in charge of first team affairs, looks like nothing has changed!!

If we don't sign anyone in this transfer window, it will not be because the Chelsea manager doesn't want to!!

If anyone believes Ancelotti signed Zhirkov, they will also believe his main transfer targets on arriving to London were Dean Sturridge

I'm not surprised he's got a reputation for signing old players then. :o

I thought it was clear that Hiddink advised the signing of Zhirkov, especially with his experience with the Russian team.

Arsenal had a russian. We wanted one too. And thus Zhirkov arrived.

Shame Arsenal were the one's who got Arsh though. He would probably have worked at the tip of our diamond.

To be fair Ancelotti didn't have much say in Milan's transfer policy either. That's one of the reasons Roman was after him for quite some time: Carlo, unlike Jose, is a company man and is content to stick with just coaching part of running the club.

Edited January 1, 201016 yr by abramovich

Avram Grant was the manager who first disclosed the club was looking to sign Zhirkov. He was recommended to the club by Gus Hiddink. I believe the astute Ancelotti recognises Yuri as an excellent left midfielder and we will see more of him throughout the season. In my opinion, we have got a player who the rest of the Premiership clubs will come to recognise as a world class talent!

Def. think Zhirkov wasn't Carlo's signing and that he perhaps doesn't fit in the diamond being a natural left sided player. But I also think that the diamond is just what Carlo thought would get the best out of what we had/have. I still think that in the long run we'll be looking to find players on that right hand side who can match up to the strength we have on the left with Ash, Zhirkov and Florent, and look to play with a bit more width. So I really think he still has a big future ahead of him at the blues.