easily our best attacking player last season.

playing well in pre season.

doesn't make sense to me. he's not a spectacular dribbler, nor is he lightening quick. I can understand that he may not be the type of player people fall in love with.

if he read this forum he'd surely feel hugely undervalued.

we won't improve by selling him and buying a raw 18 year old with a bit of pace and a propensity for tricks.

I must admit I didn't rate him when he joined, and he doesn't get my pulses racing. he's no robben or ronaldo. but really, there are value few players in his position who would be an improvement. neymar isn't coming, and if he was replaced by someone like de bruyne, after the initial wave of positivity that kids have when they get something new and shiny he'd be left in the corner, unused along with the etch-a-sketch.

he has a good understanding of how his teammates play, an awareness of space and crucially, he does score and make goals. selling him does not improve our squad. there's no harm in buying better competition, but demanding we get rid on the basis you're bored isn't how a good squad is built. did we learn nothing from real madrid's zidanes y pavons policy?

I absolutely agree- Malouda is an excellent forward and a key part of our attacking trio. When we initially started to flop last season, Malouda was one of the only players who kept up his decent early season form.

I'm not sure why people call him selfish either, he made more goalscoring chances than anyone else in the league last season, getting almost double the amount Nasri (2nd) created. He's also always one of the first names on the scoresheet.

Look at what happened to a player as gifted and hard-working as Yuri Zhirkov when he tried to oust Malouda from the first team - he failed miserably and left the club two years later with little more than a whimper.

A point made even more relevant by the fact we are about to spend the best part of £20m on another striker who plays in a central role (as far as I know anyway). Sturridge is clearly making a good claim for a place on the right hand side of the front three which would see Anelka as his back up. Drogba and Torres will want the central role with Lukakakakakakakakaku as a prospect who will want some playing time. But on the left we have limited options.

Im sick of him slowing down our play and even though he gets a few assists here and there he isnt offering regular service for Drogba/Torres. Lack of pace, mediocre in 1on1 situations, past his prime, often trying to shoot from difficult angles/positions. There are lots of reasons why people want to get rid of him and even though I respect what he did for Chelsea I would be really happy if we have a new left-winger to replace Malouda SOON.

I fully agree and I have wondered the same thing.

I just think he isn't a likeable/loveable character or player. He is good not great. When he has an off game he is being slaughtered. When he is good people say 'well it was about a time that malouda did something good'.

But it is not all about our misperception of the man. He is what he is. He's had some near-magical games for us and being near-anonymous in others. If you are magical or rubbish it is easier to comprehend. Malouda can be a star but never a super-star and so on. Drogs can be pain it the arse to watch with all the diving and fake-hurting but he more than often scores in finals and in big games. People love him no matter what.

Now Yuri's gone no way is Malouda off

Aslong as Malouda stops been so bleeding selfish with the ball then he'll be fine but its up to the coach to say something

The quick, easy answer is because people need a scapegoat. It seems that for whatever reason, many people haven't taken Malouda to heart and so he gets more than his fair share of blame when things aren't working out.

Its true he's been a scapegoat but so many times last season he could've passed in the box and didn't

I was gonna quote Hutch and say that he said exactly what I wanted to. But now there is a like button. Kudos Mod, that is quite useful. Did it also have bollocks button or is it all positive reinforcement?

Based on last season he had a few good games, but was crap for the better part of the season. On the other hand the same can be said of almost all of our players, so it wouldn't be fair to only blame Malouda.

He had a weak start here at Chelsea, but he did get a lot better and started last season quite well. I hope that this season can give us the Malouda we want. If so I'm all for keeping him. When he's good, he's good.

I've never really taken to Malouda, so maybe I'm being overly harsh, but imo he has always lacked consistency. He can be very very good at times and downright awful at others. I never know what to expect from him and it's very frustrating because we all know how good he's able to be. I don't think it's the right time to get rid of him, but I'd like to see us buy his replacement this summer and use them in a rotation for the next season or two until Florent hangs up his boots or moves to pastures new.

I accept he is currently a valuable player to have, but that may well be the reason many (not me) want him out - he's just that. If you see what other teams have in terms of talent on the wings, he is not among the best.

It is true he creates a decent amount of chances and scores a decenter amount of goals, but we could do better than him. At least that's my understanding of this sentiment.

My two cents are - if the conditions aren't there for us to bring a better, younger player, keep the man, but be prepared for an inevitable dip in form. Malouda had a couple of spells last season, where it was a wonder he kept getting the nod.

Most of our attacks usually break down with malouda, normaly spending to long on the ball. He doesn't get wide and deliver often enough and as has been pointed out hes not great ay beating playes, gets enough though and does get some success.

He actually seems more of a goal poacher then a winger to me and we have some of those already

Barak said it nicely:

He actually seems more of a goal poacher then a winger to me and we have some of those already

This is why the "goalscoring chances" statistic is largely misleading. It's a poster child for people who don't believe statistics have any meaning in argument. By itself, it is meaningless, only deriving meaning from when it is viewed in context. According to http://5addedminutes.wordpress.com/2011/06/28/is-creating-chances-the-way-to-the-top/, it includes chances created for oneself (ie. ANY shot) and wayward passes/crosses- both of which Malouda has in spades, to the detriment of others.

There's no doubting we created a lot of chances last season, but the quality of those chances weren't necessarily any good. We rely on a players's individual talent to finish or create those chances instead of having a system that allows for more creativity and space to create a better quality of chance. This has been the problem for many years, under every single coach since 2007.

Anyway, on Malouda, i'm not fussed whether he goes or stays. Like Kalou, he is a useful squad player capable of some good, however we need to let one of them go and i'd prefer that to be Malouda. Kalou offers a lot more to the team with his ability to run at players and pass in tight spaces. Sure, he's not consistent at that, but neither is Malouda a consistently good player.

It's not the numbers of chances we created last season that undid us, it's the quality. We rely far too much on the individual skill of our players

He was brilliant in Doubles season, but now, nah.

He always slow down the build up, he's no longer a winger, more like a goal poacher, just like what 'sydneychelsea' said.

We can't sell Malouda now, especially with Zhirkov leaving the squad.

Malouda has the skill inside himself, he can cross, he can shoot, he can pass.

But, he just can't gel with the team, I believe with AVB's will, Malouda will comes good.

He's had a mixed history. He wasn't very productive when he first got to Chelsea. Then he opened his mouth to a French newspaper, I think it was, and basically said Mourinho was using crude, stone-age tactics. That wasn't smart.

It took Guus Hiddink to really find Malouda's game. Under Guus he became a quick, dribbling, penetrating left wing.

But last season, whether it was due to his age or his being over-used, his pace really fell off and as a result, so did the rest of his game. Now, it looks like his loss of pace is permanent. The speedy guy Guus liberated doesn't seem to exist anymore.

I'm wondering if people are still expecting to see the quick Malouda. And when they don't get that, they unload on him?

1. Many, myself included, don't like him as a player

2. He's as inconsistent as the tides.

3. He's lost his pace.

4. He's old.

5. His contract expires soon.

6. He's selfish.

I think I've just about covered everything.

For some reason it won't let me edit so I'll add reasons 7 and 8:

His departure could clear the way for a younger, better player

For a player of his quality, his wages are inflated.

His goal scoring statistics could be misleading ... He slows our play and if someone thinks he leaves space for Acole to run down the line , then I would not need such a thing because Acole for all his runs can never cross a ball and so we would need a good left winger/forward who can cross and with good pace ..

Oh for some pace and flair and some entertainment for our money.

His goal scoring statistics could be misleading ... He slows our play and if someone thinks he leaves space for Acole to run down the line , then I would not need such a thing because Acole for all his runs can never cross a ball and so we would need a good left winger/forward who can cross and with good pace ..

How can a goal scoring statistic be misleading??? Please explain. That is pretty much the only statistic that really matters and tells a lot. You really must hate him then.

I understand the slowing bit but I think AVB can help in that. He is looking fast paced attacking play so there is no slowing down a'la Malouda. If he still does it he is replaced quickly. He is still relatively fast so I think we can use him.

The league awards the player with the highest misleading statistic at the end of the season.

I think Malouda`s biggest problem is he isnt a winger, or at least not a "proper" winger. Hes more a 2nd forward, he doesnt hug the line and hit the byline for a cross, but what he does do well is combine with Cole to allow him space to overlap by taking the full back inside. His other problem is his inconsistency, for me he plays well when the team plays well, struggles to influence when the team arent playing well. I would keep him for definite, but I wouldnt have him as a definite starter.

Because I don't like him.

He always shoots from ridiculous angles or ranges instead of passing, especially if Torres is up front instead of his mate Drogba; hHe's on the wrong side of 30; he never takes anyone on, instead he just cuts inside and passes sideways/backwards or shoots; his inclusion in the squad takes up space that a better player could have. etc...

I think Malouda`s biggest problem is he isnt a winger, or at least not a "proper" winger. Hes more a 2nd forward, he doesnt hug the line and hit the byline for a cross, but what he does do well is combine with Cole to allow him space to overlap by taking the full back inside. His other problem is his inconsistency, for me he plays well when the team plays well, struggles to influence when the team arent playing well. I would keep him for definite, but I wouldnt have him as a definite starter.

I've noticed the same thing. That is a sign of a guy who is not a leader. Everyone doesn't have to be but you can see Florent really don't mind being in Drogs' shade. Remember when Guus came he instantly lit on like a christmas-tree when the spirits were raised in the squad. That is nothing to do with fitness or form, that is all in his head.