https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y86nP1Rw6RA

Thought he started out very timmid, but he grew as the match went on. Looks like the plan all alpng was to give him 60 mins and that was that. Hope he gets to stay on for the full 90 for the last two

He looked fairly solid. There was one pass that was a bit hairy (which Zouma covered for), but in general he acquitted himself well. Showed a decent range of passing and a willingness to get stuck in. Certainly worth persisting with as a backup to Matic. 

 

Think he's better suited alongside Matic, but he could also back him up when we need him to. Personally I think Chalobah is much more suited to that position though and would love for him to take Mikel's position in the squad. Fact he can cover CB is a bonus.

A solid debut with 100% pass rate apparently. He would obviously have been nervous and I'm sure Jose told him to take it easy, meaning there were a lot of sideways and backward passes. However that was to be expected. I understand his natural role involves being further forward at times and he'll gradually discover his attacking sense as he gets games and grows in confidence.

 

What I was most impressed with about his game however, was off the ball. He tackled excellently (one early tackle was a great one, unfairly given as a foul) and really went all out to win the ball when it seemed to be impossible (when he sprinted up and tackled Coutinho from behind). He seems like he has a great sense for working out when the ball can be won, despite it not seeming like it.

 

Impressed with him overall and I look forward to him (hopefully) playing the last two games, possibly given slightly more freedom to venture forwards (he didn't make a touch in the opposition third) as this is what he can do well, as he showed against Sporting Lisbon.

Edited May 11, 201511 yr by RichardCFC

What a draw okay for yourselves today Mr Beard? I must admit I have no idea of the points gap between 5th and 4th. Regardless if you get CL football or not though I still think you'll be a force next season, certainly title challengers anyway. Even if Liverpool get CL football I don't think they'll mount a serious challenge or attract the sort of players they can afford and need.

 

Wonderful, that one point really killed off the fight for any realistic Champions League hope from Liverpool.

 

Despite the fact we have our next two games against Arsenal and relegation battlers Hull which will be quite tricky as they'll both want to give it their all against us; we're in a healthy position with 6 points and a +14 goal difference margin ahead of Liverpool, so with two games to go it's effectively over. It's a shame though, we could have finished 2nd or 3rd but it's our own fault we've been in such terrible form without Carrick and may now have to play some tricky teams in the Champions League Playoff; the likes of Lazio, Sporting, Galatasaray are all possible to face and the prospect of going all the way to Eastern Europe to face a Turkish opposition and their fans is not appealing, especially with the current team that looks like a bag of nerves.

 

 

1 top quality CB at least, a good right back,an imposing DM and a striker. Four positions they should sort out. Then they will be a real threat IMHO.

 

I think at the moment we're quite far from challenging you but that's ideally where we need to be next season, our squad is very injury prone and it's very difficult to build a spine out of players like Shaw, Carrick, Smalling etc. and we've lacked that stability of:

 

Matic

Azpilicueta Cahill Terry Ivanovic 

Courtois

 

That lineup practically wrote itself every week and that's where I really want us to be in a position to be in, to have a consistent back 4 in the 38 game process, De Gea has been playng with numerous defences and he's practically saved us due to the miscommunication and defensive errors and that's what we have to cut out next season if we want to be anywhere near you or even near Arsenal.

 

The target now for us is to have a really strong window and fill up the positions and build a spine, my biggest fear is we ignore the defensive issues and go all out for Bale to paper the cracks. We need to reshape our defence with consistency to be anywhere near you.

 

(Sorry for the long post in a Ruben-Loftus-Cheek thread but back on topic, I think he's going to be great for you and who knows he may be on the cards for Euro 2016 should he force his way in the Chelsea team, I feel England do need a revamp in the midfield post Gerrard/Lampard era and he could be an integral part of the England team should he carry on to work this hard.)

Edited May 11, 201511 yr by Juan Matas Beard

He's not a DM though. And I hope we don't convert him into one just because he has the physique for it.

 

This is a really important point, I hope Jose gave him the role he did as a way of easing him in and as you say not because he think's he can kill Ruben's natural game and turn him into Mikel Mk 2 (don't forget as a youngester Mikel was a very exciting attacking midfielder).

Yeah I'd be pretty miffed if he was used in a Mikel role after the promise he has shown in the younger ranks in an attacking midfield role.

Wish he had been given the full 90.  Was tackling everything yesterday and I would have loved to have seen him get some time next to Matic.  Thought he represented himself really well yesterday.  

Yeah I'd be pretty miffed if he was used in a Mikel role after the promise he has shown in the younger ranks in an attacking midfield role.

 

he played as a box to box not as an AM

he played as a box to box not as an AM

I don't mean a attaking midfielder like Oscar or the likes I meant more he likes to go forward rather than sitting like Mikel does.

This is a really important point, I hope Jose gave him the role he did as a way of easing him in and as you say not because he think's he can kill Ruben's natural game and turn him into Mikel Mk 2 (don't forget as a youngester Mikel was a very exciting attacking midfielder).

 

Agreed. Although I think with Mikel, we can see that he doesn't really have the mobility to be an attacking player (and doesn't quite have Riquelme like skills to compensate). Could be one of the reasons he was converted into a DM, and I don't really believe he would have done better as an AM. Loftus-Cheek for his size seems a lot more mobile and suited to being a box-to box midfielder. He could probably do a job as a DM, a bit like Essien, but he could be a beast going box-to box. 

Thought he had a very respectable game.

 

I met him outside Kishmish on the Fulham Road about an hour after the game and told him so, seems like a nice young lad. Hope we see more of him in these last 2 games.

I just hope the media don't put to much pressure in his shoulders like they have with others pinning all England's hopes on him.

He's playing style reminds me of Yaya Toure..big, strong and quick. Let's hope he's not an idiot like Toure.

He's playing style reminds me of Yaya Toure..big, strong and quick. Let's hope he's not an idiot like Toure.

 

Let's hope the club buys him a birthday cake when he turns 20 next year.

Ivanovic:

 

'We have a great generation of young players. They improve during training with us and they can be competitive in the team. They can make our squad bigger and in the future we can really think about them."

 

'It's not just Ruben. We have a minimum of five-six players who can be in our squad and it is great for the manager to give them a chance to play. They showed the can play in training and in the next couple of games they will get a chance. It's a great motivation for them. They're still young, they need to fight. This is the period, the next one or two years, where they need to prove they are really good.'

 

'A lot of the day was about him. He impressed everyone and I hope this in just the beginning of a big career. What I liked was that he kept everything simple, he put the base high up the pitch. He can do a lot more than he showed against Liverpool, but it's great. He just needs the chance.'

 

'It's the most difficult thing to find that balance. We are a team that want to win. But when we have to give young players the chance to play and grow as players with us. It's important for us next season to have a bigger squad.'

Edited May 12, 201511 yr by BelgradeCFC

Interesting article.

http://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/why-ruben-loftus-cheek-could-be-more-important-chelsea-you-think

Really hope he replaces mikel next year (just behind ramires)! Nice article

Really hope he replaces mikel next year (just behind ramires)! Nice article

 

As much as I do think Mikel's time is up and RLC is massively talented, I still think he slowly needs to be eased into games like Zouma was. If Matic gets injured, starting him as replacement against top teams would probably not be wise, but to come as a sub in the last 10 minutes or so of a game, that i'll be happy with

My worry is ramires and RLC are not defensive midfielders. So mikel is the only back up to matic?

My worry is ramires and RLC are not defensive midfielders. So mikel is the only back up to matic?

Zouma can play there but I personally think we should give Chalobah a go there.

Chalobah, RLC and Ramires are good backup for Fabregas and Matic, also great replacement for Mikel.

Chalobah, RLC and Ramires are good backup for Fabregas and Matic, also great replacement for Mikel.

 

Would love to give Chalobah a go as well, but I highly doubt he'll be part of our squad next season.

What a player!! Was the lone shining light for last night's dismal performance. Kept his cool everytime... hardly misplaced any of his passes even when we were 10 men. Bright future ahead.