Posted June 7, 201113 yr I usually just read so I'm taking quite a step starting a thread but I have been thinking.... While most attention is currently placed on our midfield and its creative issues followed by the striking option conundrum, there has been much less said about our defence. Now I know that all in all things are not too bad at all at the back, we still ship few goals and we have a reasonable selection of players. But despite this I am not sure what the likely near future of our defence is. As a Chelsea fan it is needless to say that I am a Terry fan but I believe that we should be making definite plans for phasing him out over the next season or two. I know this won’t be a popular opinion but I just think that his best days are now just behind him and that it is important that sentimentality doesn’t mean we keep playing him week in week out as captain till his body can take no more. I just kind of imagine him still struggling round the park at 43 years old on the basis he won’t give up and no one dares suggest he should. So who is going to form the next first choice partnership at the back that can hopefully form a quality pairing to last 4 or 5 seasons? I like Alex and I really like Ivan but I am not sure that they are up to being the “best centre back partnership in the worldâ€. I would like to see Luiz claim one of those spots and I am sure he can but it will take at least the coming season for him to be moulded into a fine and reliable centre back. Then I just wonder who can become his long term partner. Bruma looks very unlikely to fill that vacancy and as I said, I’m not sure that Alex or Ivan will. So that would mean buying someone. But ideally for me Ivan will make that step up to be a solid, calm and reliable CB this season. Fingers crossed. One other related thing is that I’ve read talk of Ivan or even Luiz playing at right back. In this case I really hope we get someone in. And it has to be someone who is a right back by trade and most importantly by choice. The shoving the spare centre back to right back thing just doesn’t work for me. They either lack pace against wingers or can’t cross the halfway line to attack or spend most of their time complaining about wanting to play in central defence. For me a great back four for us in two season’s time would be; Van der Weil Ivanovic Luiz van Aanholt As for between the sticks, I sometimes worry about our keeper cover but thankfully Cech was just about back to his best last year so I reckon he has a couple of more quality seasons in him at least. No point signing a great future keeper to warm the bench for two years. Might as well sort that out when Cech hangs up his gloves.
June 7, 201113 yr Not only will cech be at chelsea for at least 5 years as as we saw with van der sar, friedel, schwarzer are all playing into the late thirties. Also ashley will be at chels for a for a while if his doesnt injure his ankle too badly. Keep ivanovic at right back and when the time comes when terry retires, slot in alex or buy another CB or ideally have a youth team player slot in next to luiz.
June 7, 201113 yr Didn't know where else to put this...but Raijkovic played 64minutes against Australia tonight (before being replaced by Subotic) in a friendly. He was solid enough...big lad. They said during the broadcast that we have called him to come back to the club July 10, to determine whether he will have a future with the team.
June 7, 201113 yr JT should have at least 3-4 years at top level yet - take a look at phil jones in the u21's if you want a replacement agree we need proper right back - sorry branny, or may better option the the boss who has been disappointing - so have to ring in from abraod cos england can't seem to produce them - u21's had jack cork at right back this week! petr the great has at least 6years minimum...............and was our best player all season luis & alex, jt & ivan as good as any 4 in the world in my view leftback - excellent cover...........but maybe ship out yuri as minimal impact so far defence not a problem
June 8, 201113 yr Why dont you put it in rumours? It's not a rumour...he's already on the books of Chelsea. He could feature in defence this season...but I doubt it unless we sell one of Alex or Ivanovic (I assume Terry and Luiz are immune from sale)
June 8, 201113 yr It's not a rumour...he's already on the books of Chelsea. He could feature in defence this season...but I doubt it unless we sell one of Alex or Ivanovic (I assume Terry and Luiz are immune from sale) So are Ivanovic and to a lesser extent Alex.
June 8, 201113 yr yuri isnt a leftback His best performance for us has come when he has played as a leftback. Besides that's the position he plays most often for Russia, so its clear that he can play as a Leftback or Left midfield.
June 8, 201113 yr Didn't know where else to put this...but Raijkovic played 64minutes against Australia tonight (before being replaced by Subotic) in a friendly. He was solid enough...big lad. They said during the broadcast that we have called him to come back to the club July 10, to determine whether he will have a future with the team. I still think he, and not Bruma, is the future in defense if you are talking about our young players. Both still need more work obviously, would be nice if an EPL team took them on this upcoming season.
June 8, 201113 yr Defence with Cech is very good IMO. That is the part I'm not worried about. They do their job but the part that is supposed to create is the problem. Right side attack and midfield in general needs to be sorted out. You have to remember that the team looks only as good as its weakest link so if the defence has looked shaky it is because of all the players on the pitch, not just the backline.
June 8, 201113 yr Author Just to reiterate, I did acknowledge the defence is pretty much fine. And Cech is still as good a keeper as anyone out there. I was just pondering what shape the defence will take in the coming seasons. Terry does get a few more injures now than before and Ashley also has well documented ankle problems. I think that some of the problems else where in the team come from not making slow rolling changes but sticking with something until it breaks and then having to make drastic repairs. I feel that if you try to introduce a new younger player into each department of the 1st eleven each season it keeps things a bit fresher and perhaps this avoids having a good team for a few seasons and then having a fallow building/transitional period inbetween. But maybe we need a manager in place for more than 5 minutes for that to work. And thinking about it, I guess we have tried this but perhaps just not been successful with the players recruited. No one seems to be able to shift the old guard easily. Anyway. I think that I'm losing my point here if I ever had one. I'm just bored at work really. I'll shut up now.
June 8, 201113 yr I still think he, and not Bruma, is the future in defense if you are talking about our young players. Both still need more work obviously, would be nice if an EPL team took them on this upcoming season. He's several years older than Bruma too...there is a chance that they could both make it here... But I doubt it. I believe Rajkovic will come back to Chelsea, and he'll end up being sold, because there's 4 established CB's in front of him. By the time Bruma hits his age (22), if he's still at Chelsea (that's a big if), he may be in a position to take over from one of the current bunch.
June 8, 201113 yr His best performance for us has come when he has played as a leftback. Besides that's the position he plays most often for Russia, so its clear that he can play as a Leftback or Left midfield. To say his best performance has come at leftback is a little unfair as he hasn't had a run of games in his favoured position to show what he can really do. I don't want to get into the old Zhirkov is/isn't good enough argument as it has been done to death already, but I would say that Yuri can play left-back in a similar way to Essien can play DM; he'll do a reasonable job of it, but he's wasted in that position and would be better served playing in a more attacking role.
June 13, 201113 yr Luiz is still young and can be moulded into a great centre half in my opinion. I would stick with him and Terry for next season as the preferred partnership and hope Terry's experience can rub off on him. I live in Glasgow and am also a Rangers fan and as many will know Davie Weir, who is now 41!, played and captained the team with various different partners. The likes of Carlos Cuellar and Danny Wilson were great at CB alongside him and Bougherra is now in that position. My point is I think that particularly at CB experience is vital and so hopefully Terry can pass that onto others - particularly Luiz.
