Is Nathan Ake not considered a DM now? Maybe that's what Jose feels which makes me wonder what the point of him being at this club is.

Zouma deserves credit for his performance against Spurs and for trying his best last night but I think that there's a gulf in class between both performances because he was asked to do different things in each of them.

It's a fair point when you think a youngster can't get a game in his position when 2 of the defensive midfielders are out and the manager decides a CB in midfield is a better option.

Is Nathan Ake not considered a DM now? Maybe that's what Jose feels which makes me wonder what the point of him being at this club is.

 

 

Probably just feels Zouma has proven his worth in big ish games and trusts that more than the unknown entity of Ake who he has only seen in games against lower opposition.

 

Crunch time of the season gotta minimise risk.

Probably just feels Zouma has proven his worth in big ish games and trusts that more than the unknown entity of Ake who he has only seen in games against lower opposition.

 

Crunch time of the season gotta minimise risk.

 

Ake performed well in the season before Jose came back, in midfield. Jose then didn't use him. 

 

I think we all agree that Jose lies to the press when it suits him, and we laugh it off. I think it's time we started accepting that he lies to us as well when it comes to young players. He killed Chalobah's progress stone-dead, he's done the same with Kalas this season and I think Ake will go the same way. 

 

Fact is Zouma was poor last night and if West Ham had a finisher of worth in their team then Jose's choices would've come under greater scrutiny but we got lucky and had a keeper in great form once again.

I think a team less physical team than Westham and Ake would have been in. You can't go Westham away with an DM who is inexperienced as well as physically slight and not the tallest.

I think a team less physical team than Westham and Ake would have been in. You can't go Westham away with an DM who is inexperienced as well as physically slight and not the tallest.

 

Think we could have been playing a team of anaemic 10 year old girls and Jose wouldn't go with Ake. Zouma is the youth player of the day and that's probably because he spent the last two seasons playing more first-team senior minutes than Mikel did and cost £10 million.

I'm not 'nitpicking' just calling it as I see it.

I've said several times Zouma is a fantastic prospect and currently our second best CB, he's not a defensive midfielder though.

He's done well in a job asked of him but that should be the last of it as we require midfielders in midfield not centre backs.

That's no slight on Zouma but rather the way it has looked given the mdifeld was overrun last night.

Wasn't aimed at you Chelsbear specifically, more of a general observation. 

I don't think anybody could be hard on the boy, he's stepped up big time when Cahill's form dipped.

He was unlucky to lose his CB space but injuries and suspensions caused us to reshuffle the pack. To win a cup final and a tough away game 3 days later is a big testiment to Zouma and his effort levels.

Hopefully now Matic is back and Mikel is on the mend it will mean Zouma will be used in his best position and he will continue to impress us in that role.

Hard to think the kid's only 20 years old.

^ You mean backup to the backup

 

And in such circumstances you'd expect a defender to fill in if both DM's are injured.

 

And that's what he did, didn't he?

 

He started a cup final at wembley in a position he's never played and a tough away game 3 days later and we kept a clean sheet in both of them.

 

What are you judging him by? The fact that he didn't put in a performance a DM should've? As you've so well brought out he's a CB, and given the circumstances he DID fill in fine. 

 

I can't believe Zouma is taking the piss in this situation, to me it seems if he costs us a game he shouldn't have started and if he puts in a respectful performance he's not good enough. What's the basis?

^ I'm agreeing with you 

 

Just pointing out that he isn't backup to the dm, but someone filling in on the rare situation where both are injured so should be taken into perspective.

Edited March 5, 201511 yr by Stim

Zouuuuumaaa!

 

I don't even know what to say about that t-shirt. Is it for playing Sudoku when he's laying down?

Edited March 18, 201511 yr by Zeta Orionis

He's made it into the France squad!

 

France have some brilliant youngsters coming through; they have an outrageous spine and I wouldn't be surprised if they were contenders for the next World Cup. This could conceivably be their first XI in 2018:

 

----------------------------Lloris

??????---------Zouma-------Varane------Kurzawa/Digne/Sakho

-------------------------Kondogbia

-------------------Matuidi---------Pogba

-----------Griezmann-------------------Martial

--------------------------Benzema

 

Schneiderlin and Rabiot will be around too, and I'm sure plenty of others I don't know about/have forgotten.

He's made it into the France squad!

 

France have some brilliant youngsters coming through; they have an outrageous spine and I wouldn't be surprised if they were contenders for the next World Cup. This could conceivably be their first XI in 2018:

 

----------------------------Lloris

??????---------Zouma-------Varane------Kurzawa/Digne/Sakho

-------------------------Kondogbia

-------------------Matuidi---------Pogba

-----------Griezmann-------------------Martial

--------------------------Benzema

 

Schneiderlin and Rabiot will be around too, and I'm sure plenty of others I don't know about/have forgotten.

Benzema would be too old, maybe Lacazette

Benzema would be too old, maybe Lacazette

 

I thought so too, but as it turns out he only turned 27 in December; he's actually over a year younger than Giroud, which I found very surprising.

 

By summer 2018 he'll only be 31, so in theory at his peak, plus his game has never been particularly reliant on pace. He's more or less ideal for the kind of physical, direct 4-3-3 that the above France XI would entail. In addition, with all the young players in the team, I imagine they'll need all the experienced players (especially those with experience of winning trophies) they can get their hands on.

Aymeric Laporte is French as well, so a nice collection of young centrebacks there if you include Mangala also. 

Aymeric Laporte is French as well, so a nice collection of young centrebacks there if you include Mangala also.

Did Mangala get called up?

If not that's hilarious that a player we bought for almost a quarter of cost is proving more successful.

Did Mangala get called up?

 

Nope. Even old man Evra (whom I assumed had retired) and Sagna (who has seven starts in the league) managed to make the squad but Mangala didn't.

Nope. Even old man Evra (whom I assumed had retired) and Sagna (who has seven starts in the league) managed to make the squad but Mangala didn't.

Don't get much for £42m nowadays do you?

Don't get much for £42m nowadays do you?

 

Apparently he was the equal 39th most expensive player of all time, tied with Falcao (to Atletico - not so bad considering Monaco paid £51m for him two years later) and our own Diego Costa. I guess it must have been €42m rather than £42m.

Apparently he was the equal 39th most expensive player of all time, tied with Falcao (to Atletico - not so bad considering Monaco paid £51m for him two years later) and our own Diego Costa. I guess it must have been €42m rather than £42m.

Seen a few figures floating around about his fee but the last I saw said City gad paid more for him than first thought. This was around the same time it was revealed City had held Lampard's registration from the beginning.

Seems like an absolutely delightful guy. I hope he's here for a decade at least.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=171Jpka8Vxg

Made a great slide tackle when he came on and looked very sharp.

He's a more solid CB IMO than Cahill just now.

I'd put him beside Terry all day long.

I don't understand why he's not playing more. Normally I'd assume it's because he's young and Mourinho doesn't trust him but he played against City at home and played really well, as he has every time he's played. With Cahill looking nervous and dodgy I'm surprised Zouma isn't playing more. He just likes an unchanged defence I guess.

Seems like an absolutely delightful guy. I hope he's here for a decade at least.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=171Jpka8Vxg

 

I love the way he answered the question at 18.31

 

"After the game i was dead"