16 hours ago, just said:

You kept Luiz off your list.

I am therefore prepared to take your opinion seriously.

 

just, you've often said people wouldn't rate luiz half as highly if he didn't have wacky hair and a wacky personality. I think there may be some validity to your point, and even if there isn't, it's well made and highly amusing.

 

So, I've got an idea. Pretend he isn't David Luiz. Push all your prejudice to one side for a minute and just watch him. I don't know, pretend he's called Bob English. Pretend he's got a short back and sides. Pretend he says, "Cor blimey guv'nor" (actually he probably does says "Cor blimey guv'nor" so ignore that). Pretend we'd just bought Bob and you were curious to see how he'd play. I think you'll find Bobby E is doing quite well.

I'd like to make a complaint, is this where I come?

Not been good this season. But watching andreas over the last 2 games, is he really that better? Seems very error prone.

He is picking up bad habits playing along side Stones for England.Some of the defending was very Keystone Cops lol.

2 hours ago, didierforever said:

Not been good this season. But watching andreas over the last 2 games, is he really that better? Seems very error prone.

 

Christensen will likely improve.

Cahill will likely not.

Agreed with SydneyChelsea

The big question is can we really start both Zouma and Christensen? Both potentially the future at our back no doubt about that. Still with no experienced leader at the back things won't go too well. Our goalkeeper has zero command and is quite frankly never focused on the game. JT won't last beyond this season i feel, maybe keep him for another year as a squad player? He has again been very good no doubt about it, but age is a factor in football. I also felt Tomas Kalas was very good when he was given the chance, however in only four games. He was a standard starter on all of his loans apart from Koln. The key problem is that we are loaded with talent but the club doesn't take chances. I bet if we played some of our talented youngsters last season, we would finish higher than 10th i bet my bollocks on it.

Azpilicueta - Zouma - Christensen - Alonso? With cover from JT, Luiz and perhaps even Kalas.   

3 hours ago, TrueBlueBIH said:

Agreed with SydneyChelsea

The big question is can we really start both Zouma and Christensen? Both potentially the future at our back no doubt about that. Still with no experienced leader at the back things won't go too well. Our goalkeeper has zero command and is quite frankly never focused on the game. JT won't last beyond this season i feel, maybe keep him for another year as a squad player? He has again been very good no doubt about it, but age is a factor in football. I also felt Tomas Kalas was very good when he was given the chance, however in only four games. He was a standard starter on all of his loans apart from Koln. The key problem is that we are loaded with talent but the club doesn't take chances. I bet if we played some of our talented youngsters last season, we would finish higher than 10th i bet my bollocks on it.

Azpilicueta - Zouma - Christensen - Alonso? With cover from JT, Luiz and perhaps even Kalas.   

If the Thiago Silva and Bonucci links are anything to go by, it looks like Antonio is making an top class experienced defender with at least 2/3 years left in them a huge priority (someone in a similar stage to JT when Jose returned). Usually i wouldn't advocate splashing out huge money on 29-32 year old's, but given how it's important we recover quickly, it might be quite a shrewd bit of business and those two are the best in the business.

If 3-5-2 is the way Antonio is planning long term than Silva/Bonucci, Luiz, Zouma and Andreas won't be bad options with maybe JT filling in as an emergency 5th, if we can get Koulibaly amongst those names somewhere then even better.

On ?10?/?12?/?2016 at 22:18, Argo said:

If the Thiago Silva and Bonucci links are anything to go by, it looks like Antonio is making an top class experienced defender with at least 2/3 years left in them a huge priority (someone in a similar stage to JT when Jose returned). Usually i wouldn't advocate splashing out huge money on 29-32 year old's, but given how it's important we recover quickly, it might be quite a shrewd bit of business and those two are the best in the business.

If 3-5-2 is the way Antonio is planning long term than Silva/Bonucci, Luiz, Zouma and Andreas won't be bad options with maybe JT filling in as an emergency 5th, if we can get Koulibaly amongst those names somewhere then even better.

Forget about Bonucci coming to the club - he's Mr Juventus and will sign the new contract offered to him.  Also, the Board will not spend 60 million pounds to buy him or anyone for that matter.

I foresee Cahill and Ivanovic being handed new contract extensions in January next year.

1 minute ago, lchk said:

Forget about Bonucci coming to the club - he's Mr Juventus and will sign the new contract offered to him.  Also, the Board will not spend 60 million pounds to buy him or anyone for that matter.

I foresee Cahill and Ivanovic being handed new contract extensions in January next year.

So was the 58 mil they offered De Laurentis to make Koulibaly the worlds most expensive defender the ceiling ?

Just now, Argo said:

So was the 58 mil they offered De Laurentis to make Koulibaly the worlds most expensive defender the ceiling ?

Was that in print and signed by the Board somewhere that they made such a bid?  Also, what transpired of it? 

Let the Board prove that they will spend 60 million pounds on a single player first before you toot their horn about some FAILED bid with an unsubstantiated figure.

5 minutes ago, lchk said:

Was that in print and signed by the Board somewhere that they made such a bid?  Also, what transpired of it? 

Let the Board prove that they will spend 60 million pounds on a single player first before you toot their horn about some FAILED bid with an unsubstantiated figure.

Take it up with  De Laurentis, its his words not mine.

Unless ofcourse you are suggesting if The Napoli owner rejected the bid we would have panicked and pulled straight out?

1 minute ago, Argo said:

Take it up with  De Laurentis, its his words not mine.

Unless ofcourse you are suggesting if The Napoli owner rejected the bid we would have panicked and pulled straight out?

Why should I?  There's nothing for me to suggest and there is no need for you to try and put words into my mouth.

However, I can state a FACT which is Koulibaly didn't join Chelsea. 

Dwell on that.

 

Gary Cahill. What an effort. For the Win!!!

 

This game (vs ManUtd) is ours for sure.

Very good performance from him today. One mistake where he let the ball under his foot out wide but other than that quality. He had a good bit of positional covering to do throughout and was Bob on. The follow up challenge on Lingaard in the 1st half did enough to help Courtois with the save. And took his goal well.

Conte has handled his poor form really well. I thought it would be best to take him out of the firing line, but thats why i dont get paid to manage football teams. 

I wonder what those who were throwing personal abuse at him feel now? 

Captained us to 3 straight wins, and also 3 clean sheets. Keep it up gc. 

the thing is even when he was playing poorly, when did he ever give less than everything? I always thought that type of player should be beyond the kind of attacks gary and branislav have been on the end of.

he's been very good- playing very wide on the left as the position demands, high up and potentially very exposed- these are all things that don't suit him naturally so I think he deserves special credit for his performances so far.

Its an odd one because long term I don't think any of the back 3 should really be starting there (unless azpilicueta buys some springs and as many videos of fabio cannavaro as he can afford). so far, though each of them have their flaws, between them they're managing to cover their deficiencies. that is a sign of good management and receptive players.

I still dont trust him but I have seen a vast improvement in the last 3 games what i have seen and also from Luiz is no nonsense defending not taking risk which is what i want from him

He did well, rarely troubled despite the big name attackers United put against him. I think having 3 central defenders really help him and the team, a mobile guy like Azpi to stop the fast wide men, he has one more mate to aim at when passing from the back. Got give Conte some credits to keep backing him and not calling him individual mistake.

Just now, icecoolguy22 said:

He did well, rarely troubled despite the big name attackers United put against him. I think having 3 central defenders really help him and the team, a mobile guy like Azpi to stop the fast wide men, he has one more mate to aim at when passing from the back. Got give Conte some credits to keep backing him and not calling him individual mistake.

not only that, but to name him Captain - Don Antonio inspires our players & GC is an example of that

I was happy for him with that goal & performance. He needs that confidence and support, after a poor short period he returns to himself, I hope he will continue in that way.

14 hours ago, robdog said:

not only that, but to name him Captain - Don Antonio inspires our players & GC is an example of that

Well Ibrahimovic is pleased for him as well it seems.

1 hour ago, Zeta Orionis said:

Well Ibrahimovic is pleased for him as well it seems.

Ibra's actually thinking, "Why can't I do that?"

GC was horrendous at the start of the season, but I hope this also puts it in perspective of how much of it might be because of Ivanovic.

Taking out Iva has made GC 10-folds safer. I mean when the full back on your side gets beaten every second attempt, you will be consistently find yourself out of position and exposed. And i feel thats exactly whats happened here.

Interesting how he turned to be a hero after the United game and he has be slated by our own fans for weeks. As i said he was never brought to the club to be a starter, he is a good player but not World Class material. I like him, he is a fighter he does his job most of the time and i really think he grew fond of Chelsea as a club. I'd start Zouma and JT ahead of him, since Zouma is younger faster and has loads of potential, JT because of his experience and commanding skills, Luiz only because he has a bit more to his overall game but they should have equal chances of starting. Glad he turned a corner of bad spells and hopefully he continues his rediscovered form.

Edited October 25, 20169 yr by TrueBlueBIH

On 10/25/2016 at 07:30, didierforever said:

GC was horrendous at the start of the season, but I hope this also puts it in perspective of how much of it might be because of Ivanovic.

Taking out Iva has made GC 10-folds safer. I mean when the full back on your side gets beaten every second attempt, you will be consistently find yourself out of position and exposed. And i feel thats exactly whats happened here.

Well i have never rated Cahill, and even if it was because of Iva, getting caught when you are the last man twice in three matches is totally unacceptable, you don't do that at ametuer level (yes i know Fer fouled him, but he dallied too long and got himself in that situation). He was signed as a squad player that somehow wormed his way to being untouchable under Jose.

However having said that he is working well in the back three with David and Azpi, so as much as i'm not a fan, i won't be moaning about his inclusion while we are picking up wins and clean sheets.