I think he's about at the same level defensively as last year. He just isn't adding goals and hasn't been for a while.

There's a reason a guy like Dani Alves has been named to the FifPro World XI four times and ESM team of the year three times -- and it has less to do with defensive ability and more with attacking ability. Same with Ivan being voted on last year. Once defenders start adding goals, they get attention and their built-up reputations keep them high in voting honors.

Seriously hinders our attacking play having a CB at RB who can't cross and a RB playing at LB who can't go forward because he's on his weak foot so has to just keep passing inside. Look at the balls Kolorov put in today, we lack this.

That problem starts with having no wide players who care to use the pitch

I think he has done enough to be dropped to the bench next week. His form is awful. 

No, he is a very decent full back - in fact the best in the PL last year according to his peers, but he has had a poor start and isn't sharp, and isn't getting enough cover when one on one.

Having said that, every player plateaus at some point and maybe Ivan has started to decline a tad - let's see what happens next month or so

Wouldn't count him out just yet

 

Well those people voted Giggs player of the year once when he clearly wasn't and also don't actually watch Chelsea as much as us fans do.

 

I watched all of our games last season and i could see time and time again that teams were creating chances mainly from Ivanovic's side. Look, the guy has moments where he steps up and scores a crucial goal or 2 and i love him for it, but there is no doubt that he has become a bit of a weakness of ours because of where he plays. The opposition can see this, this is why they attack his side more than they do Azpilicueta's side. They know Azpilicueta is probably the best one on one defender in the league and can see that Ivanovic often struggles with wingers, so the choice to attack Ivanovic is an easy choice for them. They can also see that when we go forward Ivanovic looks awkward and 9 times out of 10 won't do any damage to them, that is why we often see us have so much space on our right hand side and so little space on the left. If the opposition gave Azpilicueta the space Ivanovic has i bet Azpilicueta would have a far better impact going forward than he currently does. We all seen what Azpilicueta can do when he does get a chance to get forward, Costa's goal against Liverpool last season shows it.

 

I think our right hand side has needed addressing for a while now. Teams are giving us space on the right more than they are the left because they can see that on the right we just aren't very threatning on the goal. The left hand side has Azpilicueta and Hazard going forward, the right hand side has Ivanovic and Willian. Put Azpilicueta in Ivanovic's position and play Rahman on the left and we may have more balance in defence and more balance going forward. A quality right winger like Pedro would have been really nice too, it would have made us so much more dangerous.

 

In my opinion, Ivanovic playing at RB isn't just effecting us in defense, it's affecting many other areas of our game.

Edited August 16, 201510 yr by Scott Harris

Drop him sure, but then who plays? Are we now depending on Aina to tighten our defense and spark our attack?

Drop him sure, but then who plays? Are we now depending on Aina to tighten our defense and spark our attack?

 

Well, we just signed Rahman, so i think we should be looking to play Rahman at LB and Azpilicueta at RB.

He's on the last year of his contract anyway. You'd think he'd be playing out of his skin for a new contract -- should take some tips from Adebayor. You'd think he was expecting a handout? 

Can't see Baba being thrown straight in so I think Brana will keep playing but he will have to play better than he has been! If not why not try Zouma at right back has similar qualities to Brana but a lot more pace.

Logically he should be dropped, but we don't have a player ready to replace him right now. I don't think Jose risk Baba after only a few days within the team.

Logically he should be dropped, but we don't have a player ready to replace him right now. I don't think Jose risk Baba after only a few days within the team.

This.

Logically he should be dropped, but we don't have a player ready to replace him right now. I don't think Jose risk Baba after only a few days within the team.

Yes but Zouma can play right-back can't he? Have West Brom got any pacy wingers they will target Ivanovic with? Because that seems to be an obvious tactic of the opposition these days.

I don't know how many times I have said it now....he can't play as an RB, he is a liability defensively out there, he leaves the opposition acres of space to play in, he is drawn to the middle too many times, and while he is racing up the other end and it goes tits up he saunters back like a Sunday stroll...he is a CB at best...and its been like this since Jose' plonked him out there rather than having him fight for a spot...last week and today just highlighted his short comings. 

Ivanovic has not played well this season, but people are now pretending as if he hasn't been a great full back in the past, give the man a break, people are acting as if he is the only player playing badly. He's vice captain for a reason, a natural leader and a great player, Mourinho is to blame for constantly playing him out of position, not Ivanovic, but let's forget the contributions he's made to the club.

Edited August 17, 201510 yr by Floyd25

He was great last year but so far this season he has been by a long margin the worst player in the starting line-up.

 

If only we'd held on to Luis who looked very good when he played, now we need to hope that Rahman is as good.

Jose said it was individual mistake for goals 2 and 3 and it was Branna both times. He will drop him is Baba is seen ready to cover or Zouma takes his place.

He's just been made Vice Captain and it's well known he is one of the managers favourites. Can't see him getting dropped in a hurry.

No one is irreplaceable with Jose as yesterday's subbing of JT shows

ive loved ivanovic for years, but yesterday he was horrendous. didnt get to see too much of the swansea game but what ive heard is that he was given the runaround then as well, so maybe it's time for him to have a few games out and see what happens.

West Brom are likely to play one of Chris Brunt, Craig Gardner or James McClean on the left next weekend, theoretically they will provide Ivanovic with fewer pace problems than the likes of Montero and Sterling.

West Brom are likely to play one of Chris Brunt, Craig Gardner or James McClean on the left next weekend, theoretically they will provide Ivanovic with fewer pace problems than the likes of Montero and Sterling.

 

It's not just pace, what about all the times yesterday when he was allowing crosses to come in because he doesn't get close enough to the crosser, and when it does get crossed he turns sideways all the time, I thought the idea was to try and block the cross in the first place, it's literally like he is allowing the cross so that they don't try sprinting round him.

It's not just pace, what about all the times yesterday when he was allowing crosses to come in because he doesn't get close enough to the crosser, and when it does get crossed he turns sideways all the time, I thought the idea was to try and block the cross in the first place, it's literally like he is allowing the cross so that they don't try sprinting round him.

Yep.

He also seems more interested in getting his arms behind his back than actually stopping the cross coming in...he's done that for AGES.

Has anyone considered that maybe Azpilicueta is a better LB than RB?

I know it's counter intuitive considering his right footed. But it's quite possible that his well suited to defending narrow on the left side of defence against opposition right midfielders/wingers.

I'm not saying for a moment he can't play RB. Just that it's possible the role his is now may suit him better.

Has anyone considered that maybe Azpilicueta is a better LB than RB?

I know it's counter intuitive considering his right footed. But it's quite possible that his well suited to defending narrow on the left side of defence against opposition right midfielders/wingers.

I'm not saying for a moment he can't play RB. Just that it's possible the role his is now may suit him better.

 

Well before he was moved to LB by Jose he had been playing excellently at right back in the previous season, I think he's just naturally a very skilled defender on either side. I'd just prefer to see him be able to attack down the right, because from what i remember he is quite capable of putting good balls into the box

He's just been made Vice Captain and it's well known he is one of the managers favourites. Can't see him getting dropped in a hurry.

And that would be hypocritical. Last season Courtois was dropped if he made individual mistakes. He should go back to basics and concentrate on defending rather than trying to be a winger and an ordinary one at that.