f**king hell, gutted, terrible news, hope he doesn't rush it be patient and rest maybe until May

I can't believe I grinned when I first saw the news that he's injured.

Oh, dear me....

Edited October 9, 201510 yr by Zinc

Is it bad that a also smiled when i saw the news he was injured.

Didn't take long to stoop to embarrassing levels.

It's a shame for the player and I wish injury to no player, even the most twattish... but it will be interesting to see how long he's out for and how we are without him. I've no doubt we'll stop shipping goals from the right but I'd rather it not be because he's injured. Maybe a rest will do him good, bring him back to the form of 2/3years ago.

Why Mourinho does always Ivanovic? Here is a beginning of explanation:

 

"At the same time, every team, except Maccabi Tel Aviv, is a team of giants. And if you don't have a minimum of five tall players good in the air, you are dead in set pieces. When I play Azpilicueta on the right and Baba Rahman on the left and I don't play Ivanovic, I have only three, not even four. So we have to think about all the details. And I think about all the details."

 

Playing Hazard, Pedro, Willian, Azpi, Fabregas, Baba does not help apparently !!

Edited October 9, 201510 yr by Catilina

But perhaps crosses wouldn't come in as much if opponents didn't constantly beat our right hand side to fling one in. But freekicks, corners etc... maybe. Mourinho knows better than me but I really wish he would see how we played without him. It must be obvious to him where the majority of our goals are shipped from and where most opponents get their shots off.

If there was some way we could sneak Ivanovic in only for set pieces.. all he has to do is pull someone down by the jersey and the ref wouldn't even notice him. 

Why Mourinho does always Ivanovic? Here is a beginning of explanation:

 

"At the same time, every team, except Maccabi Tel Aviv, is a team of giants. And if you don't have a minimum of five tall players good in the air, you are dead in set pieces. When I play Azpilicueta on the right and Baba Rahman on the left and I don't play Ivanovic, I have only three, not even four. So we have to think about all the details. And I think about all the details."

 

Playing Hazard, Pedro, Willian, Azpi, Fabregas, Baba does not help apparently !!

 

If he played RLC we would have another tall player as am sure hes taller than Ivanovic

Edited October 9, 201510 yr by Brutos

Pulled his hamstring. Blessing in disguise?

The universe at work?  Hoping he gets better soon and the improvement is remarkable. Sometimes a step back can result in more than one forward.

The universe at work?  

 

No doubt from your wife's school of thought!

 

Pretty much echo the previous comments of wishing him as quick a return as possible, but it will be interesting to see how we go in his absence.

Saw somewhere saying that it was likely to rule him out for 10 days. 

 

Speedy recovery and he might make the Villa game yet. 

I actually would like to see him dropped when he's got to give him a kick up the arse. Not just for a Champions League game either.

That's unfortunate news, hopefully he won't be out for too long. No better opportunity than this for Rahman to stake his claim for a starting spot (assuming Ivanovic isn't back for the Villa game).

 

*insert joke about how his mobility probably wouldn't be affected much*

 

 

 

I watched the Portugal-Denmark game last night, but saw the score updates and wondered how/if Ivanovic (and Matic) had performed last night considering how bafflingly poor Serbia have been during this qualifying campaign. Those last-minute goals have certainly thrown Denmark a lifeline.

The tall players for set pieces excuse doesn't add up in my opinion. Jt/cahill/zouma whichever two of them play add two tall players. Then you have matic and costa both good in the air and big. That's 4 big players who can compete in the air. What team in the prem nowadays would have more than 4 players big enough to be a major threat at set pieces? It's a poor excuse to keep playing him. Hopefully this injury will give baba a chance at left back.

Costa isn't especially good in the air, although I suppose there is a difference between defensive headers/positioning and attacking headers/positioning.

 

There was a really good article about the various facets of aerial ability by Michael Cox a few years ago; I particularly liked that he used Drogba as the ideal exemplar of all areas of heading the ball.

 

http://www.zonalmarking.net/2012/02/02/heading-good-in-the-air/

If he played RLC we would have another tall player as am sure hes taller than Ivanovic

We could get Crouch in on loan and try him at right-back.

steve clarke could still do a job well a better one than ivanovic anyway.

Costa isn't especially good in the air, although I suppose there is a difference between defensive headers/positioning and attacking headers/positioning.

 

There was a really good article about the various facets of aerial ability by Michael Cox a few years ago; I particularly liked that he used Drogba as the ideal exemplar of all areas of heading the ball.

 

http://www.zonalmarking.net/2012/02/02/heading-good-in-the-air/

 

Nice find!

OT but when I read the article Andre Ayew immediately came to mind. Good at jumping and good heading technique, type E. In my opinion probably the best header of the ball as an attacking threat possibly in the world (can't think of anyone else as good in the air as him), but just 5 ft 9. Meanwhile I think he's scored 3 headers already in the Premier League and a significant majority of his career goals are headers. Like the below goal (which reminds me of vintage Drogba).

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClLt-R1qI00

 

Brings into discussion whether height really counts that much when determining whether you have a team that is good in the air... Also once again the stat where Rahman won 68% of headers in the Bundesliga (where on average players are taller), while Ivanovic won just 55%.

At least when it comes to scoring, Tim Cahill was and probably still is the best.  He must have a metal plate on his forehead.

Why Mourinho does always Ivanovic? Here is a beginning of explanation:

 

"At the same time, every team, except Maccabi Tel Aviv, is a team of giants. And if you don't have a minimum of five tall players good in the air, you are dead in set pieces. When I play Azpilicueta on the right and Baba Rahman on the left and I don't play Ivanovic, I have only three, not even four. So we have to think about all the details. And I think about all the details."

 

 

Sometimes the devil is not in the detail.

The height thing for set pieces in a massive cop out. Barca were/are a small team yet still hardly ever conceded from set pieces

The height thing for set pieces in a massive cop out. Barca were/are a small team yet still hardly ever conceded from set pieces

 

Because they hardly allow set pieces? Which is because they hardly give away the ball? ;)

 

Comparing our team to that of Barca is a dream long gone, mate.

Ivanovic was not in the line up for Serbia today. Not good enough for them. Captain for Chelsea. Says it all.

Ivanovic was not in the line up for Serbia today. Not good enough for them. Captain for Chelsea. Says it all.

 

He was injured in the last match....