Apparently Inter are looking to offer Ivanovic a pre-contract for next season:

 

http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/chelsea-transfer-news-branislav-ivanovic-to-be-offered-lucrative-precontract-by-inter-milan-a3126821.html

Good luck to him if he goes. He deserves some sort of send off for all the good he'd done for the club.

Presumably if Ivanovic leaves it will mean another year for JT; surely we wouldn't let that much experience evaporate out of our defence in one go?

 

At the end of the season we'd be left with Zouma (21), Rahman (21), Cahill (30), Azpilicueta (26), and if he even counts, Djilobodji (28).

Thats still plenty of experience

It make sense for both side to move on, He will get 3-4 years of first team football, and we will have Azpi at right back permanentely and get another defender ( or recall loan player)

If possible, I wouldn't make any decisions about his his future until the end of the season. He was unbelievably terrible until the last 2 games which he's been far better in and if he can prove he deserves to stay then its probably worth giving him another year, especially if JT leaves in May. Point is theres a lot of ifs and buts between now and the end of the season and its too early to be definitely sending him to the chop.

I think he will go down as a legend, he hasn't been great this season, but who has? Willian, not many others. He's become somewhat of a scapegoat, which is what Mikel has been for nearly ten years.

I think he will go down as a legend, he hasn't been great this season, but who has? Willian, not many others. He's become somewhat of a scapegoat, which is what Mikel has been for nearly ten years.

for me when talk of modern day legends starts who will be and whatnot his name doesnt spring to mind and not because he's a defender either (John Terry?) but because his impact on the club and the team has not been as significant as the obvious ones imo lampard, terry, drogba, cech, carvalho,essien, makalele. What cements these names for me as future legends is the quality they displayed in their positions. I dont see that with Ivanovic.

If Essien is a legend (my favourite player while he was here), then Iva has every right to be called a legend.

Modern day legend ladder IMO:

Djiloboji

Torres

Terry/Lampard/Drogba

Cech/Cole/Zola

Carvalho/Makelele/Ivanovic/Essien/Ferreira?

Fantastic servant to the club but I don't consider him a legend. That's just me though. 

No not a legend, wouldn't say he's ever been the best player in the team which legends frequently are.

Legends should be few and far between.

Because we have had our most successful period with long serving players here there are a few who do fit in IMO like JT, Cech, Lamps and Drogba.

That is a rare occurrence though as you don't tend to have the majority of your club legends playing in the same era as each other.

Ivan was part of our greatest achievements but for me he doesn't fit in like the above examples. He has however been a outstanding player for us and we wont forget that.

He isn't legend, he definitely was important for us but few things still missing to become a legend.

Definitely a cult hero. That's what scoring a last gasp winner in a European final gets you.

Scored so many big goals for us, for example that goal vs Napoli I will never forget. Definitely a Chelsea great if not a legend.

"A legend (Latin, legenda, "things to be read") is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude." (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legend)

 

I think it's clear that if you call a person a legend you suggest this person is someone worth talking about over many generations to come, even with a touch of epic fiction. Something like 'They say Ivanovic turned to a werewolf at night'. Granted I am not a big writer.

 

Now let be honest, if you think Ivanovic is a 'legend' in the very sense of the word then you don't have a very good taste of what to talk about in 20, 30, 40 years!

I don't really look at players as legends. Once they move on, they are no longer part of our club unless they actually have involvement with Chelsea FC behind the scenes or in some other kind of role. Don't get me wrong, they have played their part here in the past to help us win things, but if you're talking legends then every player to have ever played for Chelsea could be classed as a legend because they've all equally had a part to play in our success because at the end of the day, it's a team game most importantly. 

The only legendary player of this generation is Lampard because he is the midfielder who averaged 20 goals per season for a decade. That sounds special. He is also the only Chelsea player to have made it into the top three in the world in 2006 I believe.

 

Terry, Cech, Drogba, Hazard etc are all very good players but let's not pretend they've achieved anything super exceptional for Chelsea. 

Terry, Cech, Drogba, Hazard etc are all very good players but let's not pretend they've achieved anything super exceptional for Chelsea.

Terry has lifted 4 EPL titles as captain, a CL, a EL and numerous domestic titles as well as being named the best defender in Europe 3 times which was a great achievement. Voted in the FIFApro World 11 five years on the trot.

He's played just shy of 500 times for Chelsea and been here since a youngster. He is also our most successful captain of all time.

If he isn't classed as a Chelsea legend then no one else should be.

Ridiculous to say otherwise IMO.

Edited December 2, 201510 yr by Chelsbear

The only legendary player of this generation is Lampard because he is the midfielder who averaged 20 goals per season for a decade. That sounds special. He is also the only Chelsea player to have made it into the top three in the world in 2006 I believe.

Terry, Cech, Drogba, Hazard etc are all very good players but let's not pretend they've achieved anything super exceptional for Chelsea.

Terry was also Player of the year (EPL) in 2006. He's had an illustrious career with us same as Lamps. They both deserve the legendary status, Drogba inclusive.

Terry was also Player of the year (EPL) in 2006. He's had an illustrious career with us same as Lamps. They both deserve the legendary status, Drogba inclusive.

He's had a more illustrious career than any other Chelsea player to date including Lampard.

The only legendary player of this generation is Lampard because he is the midfielder who averaged 20 goals per season for a decade. That sounds special. He is also the only Chelsea player to have made it into the top three in the world in 2006 I believe.

 

Terry, Cech, Drogba, Hazard etc are all very good players but let's not pretend they've achieved anything super exceptional for Chelsea. 

 

But they have. Terry, Cech and Drogba have been part of the most successful period in our history, it doesn't get much more exceptional than that.

"A legend (Latin, legenda, "things to be read") is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude." (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legend)

I think it's clear that if you call a person a legend you suggest this person is someone worth talking about over many generations to come, even with a touch of epic fiction. Something like 'They say Ivanovic turned to a werewolf at night'. Granted I am not a big writer.

Now let be honest, if you think Ivanovic is a 'legend' in the very sense of the word then you don't have a very good taste of what to talk about in 20, 30, 40 years!

He has scored many important goals, has always played with his heart on his sleeve and he once played a game with a pool of blood in his shoe, which in itself is a legendary thing. I'm sure that people will be talking about him on forums or in the pub in years to come, I can't believe that in 20 years time, people won't be talking about the goals that Ivanocic scored and compared to other players we label legends, it isn't a stretch to suggest that Ivanocic is one.

Terry, Cech, Drogba, Hazard etc are all very good players but let's not pretend they've achieved anything super exceptional for Chelsea.

Hazard aside, they have. Multiple Premier League trophies, FA Cups, League Cups, Champions league, that isn't exceptional? I think you may be setting the bar a bit too high.

Edited December 2, 201510 yr by Floyd25

Hazard aside, they have. Multiple Premier League trophies, FA Cups, League Cups, Champions league, that isn't exceptional? I think you may be setting the bar a bit too high.

 

Of course not, Mikel has won them too, is he a legend? A player is not the team and the team won the trophies.

 

And yes, I am setting it high, otherwise everyone is a legend in every top club ;) Ivanovic is not even close. People need to look up words before they use them maybe?

 

So yeah, like it or not, but Lamps is the only one.