This is my big issue with the signing. 

 

We allowed two attacking midfielders to leave the club to enable us to sign Cuadrado. 

 

To me, that means we can't afford for him to have a 6 month bedding in period, we need a quick adaptation to the team or else we're leaving ourselves short on options.

was about to launch into one about judging a player too early, but that is a fair point...at the moment he is fulfilling the same role as schurrle and salah, which is watching Willian start every match and have brief cameos...so not much point in signing him in January then

was about to launch into one about judging a player too early, but that is a fair point...at the moment he is fulfilling the same role as schurrle and salah, which is watching Willian start every match and have brief cameos...so not much point in signing him in January then

 

Firstly, thanks for bashing me for judging him too early!

 

Next season Cuadrado could very well be pushing for a first team place and really pushing Willian and Oscar which would fantastic to have that sort of competition. 

 

But right now I just feel like he's there to let Willian have a deserved rest from time to time rather than actually offering something to the team 

 

I completely accept that some players have a fairly extensive bedding in period but at this moment in time I'm not seeing what Cuadrado can do that Schurrle and perhaps even the useless Salah couldn't have done. 

was about to launch into one about judging a player too early, but that is a fair point...at the moment he is fulfilling the same role as schurrle and salah, which is watching Willian start every match and have brief cameos...so not much point in signing him in January then

 

From a business perspective it's possible that the money for Schurrle wouldn't have been there come the summer and Salah's situation is much improved now. Cuadrado has had a slow start but if he comes good he could be the difference.

^ Issue with that line of thinking is Salah could have stayed & taken up the Cuadrado mins; think he has played 3x what mins Salah played for us this season in the league already (make of that what you will), and banked the Schurrie fees for the summer. I agree with The Brit it looks like a pointless signing up till the point, and come summer when better quality wingers/AM become available in the summer we would be a bit handicapped.

We should trust in Jose on this one...there were a lot of concerns about Zouma in pre-season and look at things now...Jose did say we won't see best of Cuadrado till next season, which is why the guys above are right to question the timing of his signing at all...he also said the same about Salah last year...still, I hope he will come good and let's not write him off yet!

We should trust in Jose on this one...there were a lot of concerns about Zouma in pre-season and look at things now...Jose did say we won't see best of Cuadrado till next season, which is why the guys above are right to question the timing of his signing at all...he also said the same about Salah last year...still, I hope he will come good and let's not write him off yet!

The only thing I can think of is that we wanted him but because others did too we had to get it done in Jan or risk being out bid for him come the summer?

Maybe not though, it would seem strange to pay shy of £30 million for a player you did not look at in depth and over a period of time.

Bonus with Salah is if he keeps up his current form then maybe we will have a rejuvenated player come next season and if not we hopefully won’t make much of a loss on him.

^ Issue with that line of thinking is Salah could have stayed & taken up the Cuadrado mins; think he has played 3x what mins Salah played for us this season in the league already (make of that what you will), and banked the Schurrie fees for the summer. I agree with The Brit it looks like a pointless signing up till the point, and come summer when better quality wingers/AM become available in the summer we would be a bit handicapped.

 

Except in every minute Salah was given both this season and pre-season he showed absolutely nothing. He was utterly out of his depth against Bradford which is what sealed his fate.

 

Still way too early to be judging Cuadrado in my opinion.

Cuadrado is a very good player I've watched him handful of times, well during WC and sometimes for Fiorentina. He's explosive, has pace, trickery everything. He'll come good no doubt about it. Every player struggles to adapt quickly... and he's coming from an Italian League so it will obviously take time.

 

Once he'll adapt I'm sure he'll be a gun and him and hazard on wing will create havoc! Hopefully it will be sooner than later though.

Not every player is going to have an explosive start to their Chelsea career. Give Cuadrado a chance before writing him off at least!

Still early, but he has looked underwhelming so far. Seems he doesn't want to to take his man when he has the chance, which is very strange for a player who's biggest asset is supposed to be his v pace and direct running.

On Salah, he has a had a brilliant start, but he's still raw and erratic, which is to be expected given his age and overall experience playing to level football.

I do expect Salah to be a very good player the time he's 26/27 like Cuadrado.

Hazard, Cesc, Diego, Oscar, Thibaut what do they have all in common...they started well and never looked back. Salah didn't and he is out on loan. It is as simple as that.

Hazard, Cesc, Diego and Oscar also have considerably larger price tags in common. Salah did have a decent start but was never going to be a first team starter with his current level of ability.

He has pace, movement and moments of good technical ability and link-up play, but he's still doing far too many daft things, hogging the ball for too long, losing possession easily, hot and cold shooting.

It will take some time to iron out all that and for him to find a level of consistency in his overall play.

I do hope this good form continues and he develops into a top player rather than be sold for a few extra million than he was bought for.

Don't want to see yet another Debruyne /Schurrle scenario.

Edited March 3, 201511 yr by GhostOfDembaPast

he scored again....against juve !!

GOAL! Juventus 0-1 Fiorentina (Salah, 11 min)

What a goal from the man they’re already calling the Egyptian Messi! Well, everyone who’s not Jose Mourinho, that is, or a Chelsea supporter, who probably call him the Egyptian Gronkjaer. Fiorentina cleared the corner and suddenly they were on the break and Juventus were exposed, Salah streaking away down the right and then bursting past the last Juventus defender and on to his left foot. He scorched away on to his left foot, driving inside, held off a challenge and then cracked a left-footed shot high into the net! Wow.

"No exaggeration to suggest he was like a turbo charged Maradona there!"

Guardian reporter getting very excuted I must say.

Good to hear

Do we have a recall clause at all? With Oscar going off the boil, I wouldn't say no to a front 3 of: Willian/Hazard/Salah against smaller teams.

scored again

Scored again, the lad is on fire!

My word, he scores yet again.

2 now against Juve.

Pounces on slack defending and cooly slips it across the keeper from course range with players on his heels.

Double post.

Edited March 5, 201511 yr by GhostOfDembaPast

Do we have a recall clause at all? With Oscar going off the boil, I wouldn't say no to a front 3 of: Willian/Hazard/Salah against smaller teams.

He was utter dross everytime he pulled on a Chelsea shirt.

If anything this has got me questioning why we've paid £27m for Cuadrado.

^lol. He doesn't track back though.

Been playing off Gomez this game. Thriving in the freedom and confidence being shown in him, looks like.

Pogba out on the left hardly getting a kick. Micah Richards on a free in the summer, looks like he's back to full fitness playing right back. Cheap deputy for Iva maybe?

Edited March 5, 201511 yr by GhostOfDembaPast

^lol. He doesn't track back though.

 

Do we have a recall clause at all? With Oscar going off the boil, I wouldn't say no to a front 3 of: Willian/Hazard/Salah against smaller teams.

 

It's more than just tracking back. He is insanely quick and capable of getting in behind the defense if given space. That space is not something he gets here, especially against "smaller teams".

 

It is nice to see him playing with more confidence though. I always want young players to play well as long as it isn't against us.

This is in a league where gervinho is one of the best rates players remember .