Posted August 29, 201113 yr Do you think he'll ever get back to where he was a couple of years ago, when he was bossing the midfield? Or does it look like it's just downhill from here what with all the injuries? He's a quality player when he's fit, but he's had some many long term injuries now plus he's no doubt on a very high wage, that I'm beginning to think we might be better off selling him next season, assuming he stays fit enough to find another club. We could probably get at least £10m for him, regardless of injury history simply because he's still a good player. I just worry if we keep him it's going to be an Owen Hargreaves situation and he'll continually get injured over and over again, because he's obviously got a weakness in his knees now from all the past ones. Thoughts? Edited August 29, 201113 yr by Mod Added title as per rule "* Give posts generic titles i.e. Do not just start a topic titled 'Mikel’, title it accordingly like 'Mikel to sign for Inter?’
August 29, 201113 yr Lets see how he does when he comes back from injury first. Still think he has a massive part to play in the closing months of our season.Have you any idea when he actually is due back from injury?
August 29, 201113 yr Unfortunately even the Essien of last season was nowhere as good as the Essien at his peak. With yet another injury I really cant see him coming back to where he once was. Just remember how well he played in our CL fights against Barca (well you better dont, otherwise ovrebro comes to mind)...
August 29, 201113 yr Unfortunately even the Essien of last season was nowhere as good as the Essien at his peak. With yet another injury I really cant see him coming back to where he once was. Just remember how well he played in our CL fights against Barca (well you better dont, otherwise ovrebro comes to mind)... Totally agree
August 29, 201113 yr I'm worried about the ACN, he may come back to fitness then Ghana decide yes we do need him.
August 29, 201113 yr I'm worried about the ACN, he may come back to fitness then Ghana decide yes we do need him. Didnt he retire from playing for Ghana? Or was that just temporary? Edited August 29, 201113 yr by german-blue
August 29, 201113 yr Didnt he retired from playing for Ghana? Or was that just temporary? He did, but came out of retirement sometime last season.
August 29, 201113 yr He did, but came out of retirement sometime last season. I think he made himself available a mere few weeks before his latest injury. He may still be a useful player for us, but he definiately has to change his game to achive that. No more running up and down, he has to convert to a pure dm role. Some weeks ago there was a video on CTV online (Blues News i think) which showed that Maka made a visit to Cobham and had a good time with the boys. I wonder if AVB tried to convince him to come back as a coach. I really hope he did, each and every one of our midfielders (bar Lamps maybe) could learn a sh*tload from Maka. Especially Essien if he accepts my advise to reinvent himself as a player.
August 29, 201113 yr Wishing The Bison a speedy recovery and will live in hope that he returns to his rampaging best. It is a sickening injury to have and the timing sucked. Surely Michael would have been hoping for a return to form this year, after his previous long absence and poor season last year, but with this new lay off and his history of poor form following the previous long injury , we must surely expect the same this time: i.e, once he gets back to the fitness it will take a long long time to see if he ever regains top form again (by which time he will have been out of the team OR in poor form for a very long period) Edited August 29, 201113 yr by nonotnowjim
August 30, 201113 yr Saddly, no I can't see him ever being the player he once was. Which is why, as terrible as this makes me sound, I was secretly hoping that the Inter Milan bid that was rumoured at the start of the season was in fact genuine; and that we'd act on it. I know we're all very personally attached to our players, and the thought of some players leavings us is something that we don't like to talk about. However, one of the largest complainst we've always had is we rely to much on the same players, again and again. We knew that Essien had dodgy knees, but we knew he was a great player. I think, as bad as knee injuries are (I've hear that these surgeries only ever get the knee back to about 90% efficiency, and diminish with each subsequent operation) we will fail to see the true Bison ever again at Chelsea Scott
August 30, 201113 yr Saddly, no I can't see him ever being the player he once was. Which is why, as terrible as this makes me sound, I was secretly hoping that the Inter Milan bid that was rumoured at the start of the season was in fact genuine; and that we'd act on it. I know we're all very personally attached to our players, and the thought of some players leavings us is something that we don't like to talk about. However, one of the largest complainst we've always had is we rely to much on the same players, again and again. We knew that Essien had dodgy knees, but we knew he was a great player. I think, as bad as knee injuries are (I've hear that these surgeries only ever get the knee back to about 90% efficiency, and diminish with each subsequent operation) we will fail to see the true Bison ever again at Chelsea Scott It depends on the nature of the injury and the surgery- and with modern keyhole and laser techniques, the level of recovery is drastically improved. One of the biggest problems is the presence of scar tissue after an operation. When we talk about a world-class, professional we're talking about the top 1% of physiologies in the world. To get an advantage over others in this group we're talking about further 1%, 2% differences within that already elite group. Scar tissue lacks the biochemical complexity and flexibility of the original tissue in the knee. To you or I, after a knee operation, that level of difference would likely have zero impact on our day-to-day lives. To a professional athlete, whose effectiveness is measured in milliseconds (winning a 60/40 challenge, keeping a ball in play, reaching a pass), such a change can be quite drastic.
August 30, 201113 yr Long odds. It takes a full year to come back from major knee surgery (ligament damage.) We saw that last season with Essien. He was slow and relatively weak. This is his 3rd major knee injury. He's basically done for this season. Next season will be like last season: rough. The season after that, 2013-14, is when Essien could be expected to reach his normal form. But by then he'll be 30 years old. It's asking a lot of him. I hate to say it, but I don't think we'll ever again see the Michael Essien who awed us as The Bison.
August 30, 201113 yr Essien has no chance of ever playing at his best again. I should have thought even a blind man could see that. Just have to recognise the reality and get one with it. As others have said a great shame because he was a fantastic player and the epitome of our power game. He, Ballack and Lampard were a great combo.
August 30, 201113 yr It depends on the nature of the injury and the surgery- and with modern keyhole and laser techniques, the level of recovery is drastically improved. One of the biggest problems is the presence of scar tissue after an operation. When we talk about a world-class, professional we're talking about the top 1% of physiologies in the world. To get an advantage over others in this group we're talking about further 1%, 2% differences within that already elite group. Scar tissue lacks the biochemical complexity and flexibility of the original tissue in the knee. To you or I, after a knee operation, that level of difference would likely have zero impact on our day-to-day lives. To a professional athlete, whose effectiveness is measured in milliseconds (winning a 60/40 challenge, keeping a ball in play, reaching a pass), such a change can be quite drastic. Great insight, thanks. I'm guessing you studied this at Uni? I've read you talk quite factually about matters such as this and sports training in the past...and beer!
August 30, 201113 yr I've always been interested in health, even as a little kid. I'm a psychology student actually, but I'm weighing up whether to go into clinical practice or athletic performance (and possibly coaching ) after completing my masters. So because of the latter I spend lots of time reading about and talking to professionals about athletic performance etc. The beer- well, it's my other major at University
August 30, 201113 yr Essien definitely deserves another chance to see if he's still got it, but I fear it may be over.
August 30, 201113 yr Very much doubt he will be the same, no one ever is from a major knee injury but you can normaly get away with a very small dip, he has had 3 major knee tears now i think.
August 30, 201113 yr at his peak he's the complete fotballer, he can do it all, just not sure he will ever regain that level again
August 30, 201113 yr i hope to god he recovers to his full, though if he doesn't we should look for an appropriate replacement. Romeu not being appropriate.
August 31, 201113 yr He could be one of the best defensive midfielder ever without injuries, he is still great, but not with full potential.
August 31, 201113 yr He can still be quality for us, if not world class. I think that we should look to protect what is left of his knees and play him in a role that doesn't require as much running. He'll need to reinvent himself as a Makélélé type.
August 31, 201113 yr I'm worried about the ACN, he may come back to fitness then Ghana decide yes we do need him. It's because of those morons that he's in this position. To be honest it seems improbable to me that Essien will ever get back to his best. Even after the first bad knee injury he looked very, very ordinary last year. Tearing your Anterior Cruciate Ligament twice is generally something which takes out all the power from your knees which, in physical terms, is key to Essien's game. I know this because I follow American Football where similar injuries happen more regularly and two of them regularly end up ruining people's careers.
