That can't be right, he made about 4 tackles in the opening ten mins alone if I recall correctly. 

 

Oh well, regardless he was sh*t. 

 

 

Again. 

I only remember the block at the very end, which he was fortunate to get

http://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/2015/9/30/9422061/branislav-ivanovic-tackles-exposed-and-i-dont-mean-no-clothes

Oh well, regardless he was sh*t. 

 

 

Again. 

It's funny cause I actually think he's been getting better in the past few games, relative to how he started the season that is, but he is still the main culprit to us conceding goals.

 

Seems like no matter how hard he tries he always costs us in the end. Can't be doing his confidence any good, best to just drop him. 

http://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/2015/9/30/9422061/branislav-ivanovic-tackles-exposed-and-i-dont-mean-no-clothes

Some good points, but when they mention the suggested 'dribbled past' stat, they are putting their finger on just how bad Ivan has been defensively this season. Yes, he isn't getting the midfield cover he needs to prevent him getting so exposed, but players are getting past him as if he's a traffic cone. And this is getting worse with every game. How José is leaving things as they are there, while chopping and changing almost everywhere else (bar Fabregas), I really do not understand. I know he rates him highly as a player, but he is such a weak link at the moment the team has lost all solidity, shape and confidence.

I know it's not fair to blame him for everyone else's poor form, but there's such an obvious flaw in the team that it is just crying out to be fixed. It makes little sense to drop Terry when he has not been the problem, and I would have thought that would have become clear in his absence.

The most shocking thing is that only three players have started 10 games this season... Ivanovic, Cesc and Azpi. The last one is understandable, but Cesc and Ivanovic?

I think Jose thinks that he knows better than everyone else and has been determined to prove everyone wrong about Ivanovic. After all, you don't make a player your vice-captain and then decide he's too rubbish to pick.

 

The sight of Ivanovic as captain last night, while turning in a completely woeful, soul-destroying performance, is symptomatic of how badly Jose has messed this up.

 

Real problem now for Jose is to admit he's got this wrong and everyone else is right.

 

Opposition teams are targeting Ivanovic every game. It's so obvious it's incredible Jose has done nothing about it.

 

We're not that good that we can afford to keep giving teams two-goal starts.

Is it just me or is borderline soul destroying watching Ivanovic play right now. Almost heartbreaking.

The guy has been unbelievable all these years and has scored countless important goals and given his all.

Jose really is leaving him out to dry at the moment. I want Ivanovic to be remembered for his time at Chelsea in a positive way but if he continues to play, he is going to become a target for the boo boys.

I thought Baba done okay. He wasn't spectacular but he did win a few challenges and was promising going forward. He looked nervous and just needs time to settle. It must be brutal watching Ivanovic knowing that the boss would rather play him at right and our right back at left back, ahead of you.

It's funny cause I actually think he's been getting better in the past few games, relative to how he started the season that is, but he is still the main culprit to us conceding goals.

 

Seems like no matter how hard he tries he always costs us in the end. Can't be doing his confidence any good, best to just drop him. 

 

Agree with that, I think Ivan has gradually improved although not to the standard where he should be starting and not at a rate fast eneough to feel that playing him into form is the way to get him back to his best.

 

You could see by the chance he had to score that even his normally reliable heading has deserted him and obviously his confidence has taken a beating.

 

He got in a good block last night when he was close to the CB position and maybe with his pace seemingly gone and Jose making him vice captain he could be played there, the only thing with that is even though he was very good there, in this form I'm not sure he would be any better than Cahill or Zouma and would still expect JT to be the better option.

I think Jose thinks that he knows better than everyone else and has been determined to prove everyone wrong about Ivanovic. After all, you don't make a player your vice-captain and then decide he's too rubbish to pick.

Captaincy/vice-captaincy isn't a guaranteed starting spot though. Arteta is the overall captain at Arsenal and yet isn't in the first team for example and Lampard towards the end was often on the bench.

Captaincy/vice-captaincy isn't a guaranteed starting spot though. Arteta is the overall captain at Arsenal and yet isn't in the first team for example and Lampard towards the end was often on the bench.

it is with mourinho. 

 

110%. it is massive to mourinho. 

I think it's an ego thing too. Jose saying Ivanovic is his vice captain and must start. And Fabregas starting because Mourinho bought him and feels like he owes him one for his efforts in winning the league. Preposterous I know. But is it impossible?

Maybe Jose feels that there are no better options in this squad, laughable to lots of us perhaps, but in his mind a fact.

 

We don't really know who is running the transfers, some people assume its the manager 100% , I doubt it, i'd assume its the board 100% after

consultation with the manager, I do feel that the club were trying to comply with FFP 100% and went up that road a few seasons ago, then when 

it got dropped overnight, the club unlike City or PSG was not fast enough to change strategy mid stream, this could of been unintentional or intentional,

the board so wants the academy to succeed after the huge investment perhaps the need to integrate prospects is part of the issue, there's a huge 500 mill stadium investment 

potentially, maybe there's a financial need to do an Arsenal and cap player spending until done, unfortunately as the board operate in secret we shall never know, so speculation

breeds rumor, assumption and when things go really bad RESENTMENT and the sheepish calling for someones' head as a sacrifice to appease the footballing 'gods'

 

Either way this squad is not the 2 world class players for every position that was available in 2004-2010, or City's who have again by major investment reached that squad quality level.

CFC squad hasn't been for the last few seasons, and with a manager whose career philosophy is built around a tight defence with a protective midfield, hes always going to not want to lose first

and select the team on that basis, he probably feels that Ivan is just part of a bigger deficiency that he doesn't have the personnel to address, Ivan's an experienced head and the vice captain.

Ivan and JT were always gonna age, past 30 most players begin to trend downwards, quality replacements (like Zouma) should already be on board and prem ready (what other clubs buy 

20 mill pound players and don't use them for that reason, very few). The manager is the 'public' face of the club and picks the team but if his hands are tied by decisions above him

then it aint fair to kick him to the curb, the next manager will likely encounter the same issues and the same squad to work with.

 

In saying all of that though, Ivan has been woeful and needs a break on the bench!  The younger players show no real mettle like previous stalwarts, prob just the modern game and changes

in attitude by 20 year old millionaires living in  fantasy world bubbles.

 

 

 

http://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/2015/9/30/9422061/branislav-ivanovic-tackles-exposed-and-i-dont-mean-no-clothes

Edited September 30, 201510 yr by General

I think it's an ego thing too. Jose saying Ivanovic is his vice captain and must start. And Fabregas starting because Mourinho bought him and feels like he owes him one for his efforts in winning the league. Preposterous I know. But is it impossible?

Why doesn't he select his captain, then?

This is so irony, the 1 player who he thinks is on his side, actually the very one who letting him down the most.. 

 

Ya know on 2nd thought maybe 3rd, his poor form is beyond belief, I know he lost his pace but what about the other things that made him as a usually reliable defender or player for that matter? did he lose that too?

 

He's what? 31? 32?  still far from a close chapter right? Only last season he's getting praised by pundits.. Can he be better utilized at the center?

 

When I watch he plays, it's baffling, losing pace is 1 thing but  playing like hardly he cares raise some question than simply he's lost it due to age.. new contract retaliation? dumped by girlfriend/boyfriend? lost his mojo (real term)? on backstabbing jose campaign?  Well, if it's the last 1 then that I would call deep cover, very deep... 

Edited September 30, 201510 yr by bola

Why doesn't he select his captain, then?

JT was captain before Mourinho came back. But it's just a suggestion not necessarily correct.

This is so irony

 

 

I'm sorry, I've got nothing to say, but when after all these years I finally see a chance to use that emoticon, I'm taking it!

 

Sorry about the interruption. Carry on!

JT was captain before Mourinho came back. But it's just a suggestion not necessarily correct.

 

Then again, Jose was the one who originally made Terry the captain when he first came to Chelsea.

and every manager has the right to change captain as/when they see fit. and last i checked JT was still club captain with no hint of him being stripped of it

He has never been a very good defender. At most he has been adequate defensively and made up for it with goals.

How many full backs are there in world football of his build?

The simple fact of the matter is that had he been a good defender he wouldn't have spent the vast majority of his career playing right back.

I disagree, he's been played at right back, because we have had better options in the middle, but he's been good enough to keep natural full backs out of the team. For a defender who's spent most of his Chelsea career playing out position, he's done very well up until this point. I think you're forgetting that during his prime, he put in some very solid performances for us at the back.

Then again, Jose was the one who originally made Terry the captain when he first came to Chelsea.

I'm sure he was captained under Ranieri too.

I'm sure he was captained under Ranieri too.

 

Yeah, he played as the captain later on during Ranieri's reign when Desailly wasn't available.

Edited September 30, 201510 yr by Maksimov

He has the pace of a slug

A snail could beat him in a race

Just sadly found out Iva goes by "2 goals Ivanovic" these days. Jose stubbornly exposing him is undoing his legacy at the club. It isn't Iva fault, you can't refuse your manager when called upon...

As bad as Ivanovic has been this year (and he has been truly bad)....it's not entirely his fault.

 

The whole team has a defensive role to play...and when every line of your team is underperforming, and not doing their duties, there will ultimately be instances where the team is vulnerable and individuals exposed.

 

Our midfield has been, by and large, woeful...which is the most important, because it's supposed to be key in building attacks, and protecting the defense. None of the team is working like it should, and it's making Ivanovic look even worse, because he's getting no protection.

 

Of course, he's at fault for bombing forward, and being too slow to get back, and most frustrating for me, turning his head (all the freaking time), when an opponent hits the ball, whether for a shot or a cross, giving himself slim to no chance of actually getting an effective block.

 

He's been the worst player in an abysmal team, so he's rightly copping a lot of flack, but taking him out of the team doesn't instantly fix the team, there are too many other issues which need to be ironed out.

 

I would however be inclined to see Rahman play more, with Cesar swapping sides, if only because there's no way it'll be worse than with Ivan, and getting some games into a young lad holds potentially big upside.

 

I also find Ivan's promotion to vice captain a little disconcerting (at least with hindsight)...it's meant that with JT being benched, Jose is almost forced to pick Ivan as his designated back up....though in fairness, Jose would, in all likelihood, pick him regardless.