Thought it was a good cameo given the circumstances. This was right into the fire and not the typical toss em on when the points are secure. I thought he looked fairly confident but just kept things simple which is most likely not only the smart thing right now, but what every player/coach also advised.

Yeah I thought he did fine. Statt both him and Kennedy and Baba against Everton. Try liggting a fire under these guys and give some of the hungry kids a shot

Edited August 30, 201510 yr by Xfaxtor

Both Kenedey and RLC looked hungry. They played positively and always looked to attack.

Overrated English player...

 

He was bigger than everyone else in the u20s and now he's not.  He's not good enough to be a n 10 and his worktrate is terrible to be a cm, unless he was Pirlo.

Overrated English player...

He was bigger than everyone else in the u20s and now he's not. He's not good enough to be a n 10 and his worktrate is terrible to be a cm, unless he was Pirlo.

I guess size does matter

Overrated English player...

He was bigger than everyone else in the u20s and now he's not. He's not good enough to be a n 10 and his worktrate is terrible to be a cm, unless he was Pirlo.

^^^ word salad

His work rate looks excellent.

Overrated English player...

He was bigger than everyone else in the u20s and now he's not. He's not good enough to be a n 10 and his worktrate is terrible to be a cm, unless he was Pirlo.

Are you serious? The fact that he's English is relevant how? ‘He was bigger than everyone else in the u20s and now he's not’, and? How does this effect his ability? Your third point, well he isn't supposed to be a number 10 and your fourth point, well Jose clearly believes that he can be a good cm. We haven't seen enough of him in the first team to fully judge him yet, but yea lets just sell him and buy another overpriced foreigner, as if the team isn't foreign enough already.

Isn't he about 6 ft 4 and still bulking up? 

I don't know why everybody wastes their time debating this kid. He is a youth player. Which translates to NEVER HAS A CHANCE AT CHELSEA. The youth policy at this club is sickening.

We can't develop our own and our definition of "a chance" is 10 min in a game here and there. You would think a team like Chelsea, and the quality it has spent money on, could afford to play a young player along with the rest of the high priced players and not be exposed. Especially the ones we claim are potential first team regulars.

Playmaker ...Your'e flogging a dead horse there mate

At the moment we need to play any and all of our fresh players. Start with RLC.

RLC playing tonight for England U21s (in centre mid alongside Ward-Prowse)... has done one or two good things but his runs forward often leaves him out of position (leaving big gaps in behind) - seems better suited to 4-3-3.

 

Chalobah on the bench.

Edited September 3, 201510 yr by the special one

If players didn't run forwards though nothing would ever happen.  Isn't it a case of when one player goes forward the others adjust their positions to cover - it's a team game afterall.  I'm forever telling the kids that I coach that they have to learn to be smart enough to see 2 things on the football pitch; 1) where they need to be to hurt the oposition, and 2) where they need to be to stop the oppo from hurting us - both of these are in relation to teammates changing positions.  Once they have those two aspects to their game they then need to decide when one is more important than the other.

 

I didn't see the game though so am commenting on the statement rather than how RLC actually played.

Good point Barn.

Nothing wrong with moving out of position but only if it is for the benefit of the team.

I imagine at under 21 level RLC gets a lot more freedom than he has done in his senior appearances for us.

I'm hoping the more minutes he gets the more confident he will be to express himself, so far I feel like we haven't seen the real Loftus-Cheek.

I think the issue of whether a player should run forwards with the ball depends entirely on the manager's tactics, their own ability and who they are partnered with in midfield.

For example, for Matic to run up the field and leave Fabregas responsible for defending a counter attack would be reckless. Not that he isn't capable of good attacking football, it's just too risky in most circumstances.

So if a midfield 2 of Fabregas and RLC were playing together, and RLC were to storm forward when presumably his primary responsibility is to cover for Fabregas, then yes that would be being a liability. If he's playing with Mikel, not so much.

i only caught about 20 mins of the game, but from what i saw he did pretty well. at one point he gained possession from a usa player near the touchline and bombed forward into the box, diagonal to the goal and he went for shot but it was blocked. the thing with RLC he is incredibly exciting when he gets the ball from the oppo and makes 30/40 yard run towards goal. he also made a couple of nice through balls last night too, but i think the main issue is he's playing with kids and he's more physically mature than they are, so i think it would be better off for him to play amongst the senior players, both at club level and international. 

I don't think it helped that RLC was partnered with Ward-Prowse (who in relation to 4-2-3-1 isn't a pivot centre mid imo), when RLC was caught out of position Ward-Prowse provided no cover whatsoever..

 

Southgate - “I liked a lot of our work with the ball. We caused our own problems really, conceding possession in bad areas and that can improve."

Edited September 4, 201510 yr by the special one

yes often i noticed our players making the wrong decisions and passing to wrong people. like i said i only caught the last 20+ mins. 

It would be great to get someone like Lampard in to develop RLC because that is the sort of player he should aspire to replicate.

 

Even watching Yaya Toure and assessing his runs and choice of when to drive forward with the ball would be hugely advantageous for him-He should be in the starting 11 for the League Cup hopefully with Mikel in order to give him that confidence which he truly needs to become a regular in the League and that will only come with experience 

A few people did make the point KDB would have been the perfect replacement for Lamps in the role he gave us.

At the time I didn't see it as he seemed to like playing further up the park and I'm not sure he'd have settled to be a central midfielder at the time?

Interesting to see where he fits in with City.

We all hope RLC is that player but he really needs to make sure he takes the opportunity when he does get game time otherwise I don't see Jose sticking with him.

A few people did make the point KDB would have been the perfect replacement for Lamps in the role he gave us.

At the time I didn't see it as he seemed to like playing further up the park and I'm not sure he'd have settled to be a central midfielder at the time?

Interesting to see where he fits in with City.

We all hope RLC is that player but he really needs to make sure he takes the opportunity when he does get game time otherwise I don't see Jose sticking with him.

 

A part of me was very happy when we didnt get Pogba firstly because I was afraid of losing Oscar as I believe that is the only way we would land Pogba but secondly due to RLC.

 

But the only way RLC will fulfil his potential is through playing time and experience, we have got a difficult season ahead and I would much rather throw RLC and Kenedy in at the deep end and utilise the season to develop them than play the same team and still fail to retain the title.

From what i've seen so far i'd agree with Eligius in so far he doesn't look a great pivot centre mid in the making (if say compared to Verratti or Motta) nor does he have the craft/guile to play at #10. That's not to say I don't think he'll make it, I just don't think he'll be a good fit in Jose's 4-2-3-1.

Edited September 4, 201510 yr by the special one

But the only way RLC will fulfil his potential is through playing time and experience, we have got a difficult season ahead and I would much rather throw RLC and Kenedy in at the deep end and utilise the season to develop them than play the same team and still fail to retain the title.

 

And if it costs us a Champions League place? (and subsequently, Pogba and Stones potentially?)

Edited September 4, 201510 yr by the special one

And if costs us a Champions League place? (and subsequently, Pogba and Stones?)

Then we see if all those people who have said we need to play more of our youth and are happy to see a few trophyless years stand by their statements. Me, I think a certain part of our support will lose their sh*t if we that happens.

If we forfeit a Champions League place (i.e. we're at best the fifth-best team in the country - in this scenario one of the four teams ahead of us is likely to be Liverpool) after a season in which we were the runaway best team in the league I don't really blame them.