Until Mourinho came back I always used to say to my friends that what I loved most about the club is that it seemed that players never really left, they only left when they were getting way too old and couldn't get into the side. If you had of told me on July 1st 2013 that Mata, Luiz, Cole, Lampard and Schurrle would have left I would have laughed and called you an idiot.

 

He scored that crucial goal at the Etihad and the hattrick at Fulham but I'll remember him most fondly for scoring at home to City and in the thrashing against Arsenal. I went absolutely mental when he smashed that in to put us 2-0 up, it was a great day for the club to hammer the specialist in failure's team and I'll love him for contributing to that.

 

Also, in the post match interview for Chelsea tv after the 2-1 city game when he said: "That was what I came to this club for, moments like that" then went onto to praise the fans, that was one of my favourite interviews, showed he really cared. But when you're 24, games are what matters, and he'll get that, hope he has a fantastic career.

 

Danke, Andre.

Pretty disappointing.  Really liked Andre - and was so excited after his World Cup efforts.

 

For me - he is one of those players you are just never going to hate.  No matter how much bad luck he is having, he always busts a guy.  Really struck me as a Mourinho style player.

 

Hopefully we're getting Lukaku money for him.

My assumption is that Schürrle wants to leave and has pushed for the move. Much like was with mata. Schurrle is a good player and is certainly worth keeping, especially as an impact sub. But if he wants out and someone is offering a good amount then that's that really. I will miss him, but if cuadrado comes in and makes a big impact then his game time would be seriously limited, so it seems it would be the right move.

If both salah and Schurrle go and only cuadrado comes in I see this as a positive move towards our youth. If you think there are 5 first team midfield spots and 5 squad spots our midfield will now look like this.

Matic

Fabregas

Hazard

Oscar

Cuadrado

Willian

Ramires

Mikel

Ake

Loftus cheek

Edited January 29, 201511 yr by Jackbuchanan

Sad to see him go cause I liked him but his form was a worry and he hasn't looked like sorting it out. Good luck to him!

I would be disappointed if the sale/buy deal goes through. He's still one of our better goal scoring options, and we don't have a lot of options in that department. Yes, he hasn't played well this season, but given his record and the squad depth we have, definitely deserve another few chances for the remaining of the season. I haven't see Cuadrado enough to claim he's an ordinary player, but based on his career stats, he's not a world class player either, and he's a couple of years older. For the amount of money we are going to pay, doesn't make much sense.

I've struggled to understand this sale more than the Mata one.

 

Really? The bloke has played well about 4 times when he's started a game, Cuadrado is better than him at everything and he very much fits the Jose blueprint. I like Schurrle the player but he's just not that good and when you get offered 27-30mil Euros it makes sense to accept.

Really? The bloke has played well about 4 times when he's started a game, Cuadrado is better than him at everything and he very much fits the Jose blueprint. I like Schurrle the player but he's just not that good and when you get offered 27-30mil Euros it makes sense to accept.

It's more that Schurrle was Jose's signing, they seemed to have a good relationship, Schurrle is a match winner and offered us something that our other attacking players don't.

^ Was he Jose's signing though? Jose may have ok'd the deal but I think he was someone we'd been targeting for a while anyway.

It's more that Schurrle was Jose's signing, they seemed to have a good relationship, Schurrle is a match winner and offered us something that our other attacking players don't.

 

He isn't really a match winner though in the same way Kalou wasn't a match winner even though he could also grab important goals. That he offers something different isn't really a good enough reason to keep someone, and like I said in the Cuadrado thread, I'm hoping that our new man can offer whatever Schurrle does, while having the technical attributes to fit into our team better than Schurrle has ever been able to.

He isn't really a match winner though in the same way Kalou wasn't a match winner even though he could also grab important goals. That he offers something different isn't really a good enough reason to keep someone, and like I said in the Cuadrado thread, I'm hoping that our new man can offer whatever Schurrle does, while having the technical attributes to fit into our team better than Schurrle has ever been able to.

Setting up the winning goal in a World Cup final is a pretty match winning thing to do, no?

He's the sort of player willing to take on the burden of making something happen, if that means popping one from 25 yards he'll do it.

Making runs behind the defense, he'll do it. He doesn't shy away from the attacking responsibility of scoring goals, creating space and making chances, in my eyes, in an attacking sense, he is every bit a match winner. Whenever he plays you wouldn't bet against him popping up with a goal at some point. With the likes of Willian it's a pleasant surprise when they score.

Andre isn't the most graceful looking player but he is always looking to make an impact, that's what I liked and admired about him.

Schurrle has been largely hopeless for us, doesnt cut it, not strong enough for the premier league, too flaky.

Lovely bloke though and I wish him all the best, but I am very happy to see a replacement come in.

Bit far fetched to call schurrle a match winner imo. I don't think he has won many matches for us or even for leverkusen. he has the potential, but for me hazard, fabregas, and costa are match winners.

Schurrle is a good finisher, who scores the occasional important goal. But I wouldn't put him in the same category as those 3.

Setting up the winning goal in a World Cup final is a pretty match winning thing to do, no?

He's the sort of player willing to take on the burden of making something happen, if that means popping one from 25 yards he'll do it.

Making runs behind the defense, he'll do it. He doesn't shy away from the attacking responsibility of scoring goals, creating space and making chances, in my eyes, in an attacking sense, he is every bit a match winner. Whenever he plays you wouldn't bet against him popping up with a goal at some point. With the likes of Willian it's a pleasant surprise when they score.

Andre isn't the most graceful looking player but he is always looking to make an impact, that's what I liked and admired about him.

 

I get your point and he's definitely looked more of a match winner for Germany for whatever reasons. For me, a match winner is someone who can make something happen on his own against any defense, not someone who can get on the end of a good move. Making runs behind the defense etc is something I would expect from from our attacking players and I thinking the mediocrity from our other players with regards to movement is just making Schurrle stand out.

 

I've seen him taking pops at goal from 25 yards, but I've rarely seen one going in. I agree that he can make an impact of the bench. But he's not good enough to start for us because he doesn't have the technical attributes to fit into our style of play, and for me a player that isn't good enough to start from time to time, isn't good enough for the bench either. 

Sad, never had a fair run of games to get into form this season. Willian on the other hand gets about 10 games in a row to perfect his poor man's Dirk Kuyt impression. 

Ah nooo...! What a shame, I like him and want him to do well. Odd, I had the same hope for Marin. Rooting for the players out of the limelight perhaps.

Ah nooo...! What a shame, I like him and want him to do well. Odd, I had the same hope for Marin. Rooting for the players out of the limelight perhaps.

 

Did you like Kevin De Bruyne as well?

Did you like Kevin De Bruyne as well?

Funnily enough, not so much. Probably because he was hardly ever around.

Edited January 30, 201511 yr by Valerie

Funnily enough, not so much. Probably because he was hardly ever around.

 

Somehow I couldn't imagine you cheering on a Belgian!

or a ginger

or a ginger

 

LMAO

True, I'm not naturally drawn to gingers, but I'm not anti Belgian per se :-)

I cheer for Hazard and Courtois!

In light of his complete failure to make an impact in the first team, even against lower league opposition, Salah leaving seemed more or less inevitable. My concern with Schurrle leaving is that we are now somewhat light on options in the attacking midfield band. Assuming Cuadrado is to take the starting position on the right, does this mean that Willian is now first cover for all three positions behind the striker? This is in addition to the fact that we only have six first team players to cover four positions at the back.

 

I might be concerned over nothing - as far as domestic cup fixtures go we only have the League Cup Final to worry about, then again we have sixteen home fixtures and a maximum of seven Champions League fixtures left to navigate. So far we have been fine (in fact Salah and Schurrle not getting enough game time seems to be the main reason for their looming departures), but fatigue will become more of a factor as the season gets closer to its end, and as the fixtures begin to come more and more frequently, and with more and more at stake. It is possible we will be fine - we have very talented albeit untested youngsters (although that is entirely our own fault) who can come in for emergency cover, and players who can fit in fairly comfortably on the flanks despite it not being their preferred position (specifically Ramires and Rémy).

 

I hope everything will be alright, I am just never comfortable with the idea that losing one player to a long-term injury might mean that we are missing cover or a starter for two or more positions. That said, it might be that José has finally decided that our title-winning youngsters are finally ready for a bigger role than seat-fillers and is actually going to employ the likes of Christensen, Aké and Boga as genuine backup for the first XI rather than giving them the odd token five minutes. If that is true, I am clearly only feeling nauseous about this because I'm a hypocrite.

^ I don't think I've defended two contradictory points of view at the same time in such a hand-wringing manner since my last politics essay

Stop making me feel anxious about the rest of the season.

Edited January 30, 201511 yr by Valerie

Apparently his agent has said it will be done by tonight