With his injuries and consistently having to take time out to recover it will affect his long term match fitness so he might end up as an impact player yet not full 90.

 

5 hours ago, Ernie_blue said:

They are not thick though are they. It was the substitution being booed, his a young player in form having a good game, I can understand the booing because fans enjoy seeing players like RLC and CHO aswell as Hazard.  Much better than watching Kovacic, Willian and Higuain.

My opinion is booing a substitution when your team is winning is a thick thing to do. 

Let alone all the reasons why that substitution was inevitable. It's a thick thing to do. If you boo in that moment, I will think you are a stupid person. 

There have been negative feelings toward Sarri's substitutions for weeks.  It's not a surprise, although I agree it's not productive.

 

I thought he was really poor in this game (although TBF, he's not the only one, and I'm not looking to single him out or slate him above others), but I don't think that's his fault. I think the problem with Ruben is that he looks like a physical beast, but he's not that player at all. 

He is class on the ball. Absolute class. That's his game. Elegant, stylish, great touch. He can explode past players in little bursts, but he isn't a 90 mins grafter who can (or should) chase opposition attackers around the pitch. 

He's a strolling ballplayer. Nothing wrong with that either, if you have the talent he has (and when he's had the chance this season to show how talented he is in attacking positions, he's taken it. No-one can doubt that any more IMO). If we want to use him deep, play him in the Jorginho role. It would be a waste of his talent, but not as much as asking him to bomb up and down the pitch for 90 mins, tracking midfield runs, then making his own. It's like having a Ferrari and using it as a tractor. 

Personally, I want to see him as a No.10. Leave him up the pitch. He can make a difference; score goals, make goals, use his outstanding skill level to terrorise defences. We should be asking opposition players if they can live with him, not forcing him to deal with them. I think Conte had him right, and he's an attacking player, not a traditional mid (although Conte didn't have a position for him in that kind of role either, but that's more about Conte's systems than him IMO). 

I don't want to see him chasing around the pitch forlornly, looking knackered, and getting outmuscled by midgets. He has it in him to be the English Zidane, but it seems like he's expected to be the English Viera, because it's England and he's English and that's what's "expected". "You gotta work hard, smash into tackles, run all day, be like Henderson and Milner, good English pros". I love a good hard-working pro as much as anyone, but that's never going to be RLC. He has other, much rarer, gifts. 

TBH if he's going to be given the role he had in this game, we may as well play Barkley. He's nowhere near RLC in terms of talent, but he can run for 90 mins. 

On 13/04/2019 at 19:44, enigma said:

 

This is what RLC actually said: 

"he told me I need to improve on my positioning and develop my defensive awareness if I wanted to play in midfield for him. And I said, "are you f**king joking? You pick Jorginho every week and he can't even spell defend!!!"

He is suppose to be the creative one in the midfield three, but he's not very creative. 

He was rubbish today. 

2 hours ago, axman2526 said:

He was rubbish today. 

He was good in the first half, Burnley players that were just trying to boot him off the ball were being knocked down left and right. Look at his strength in the build up to our first. 

He seems to tire in second halves though, I’d assume it’s hard to stay match fit when you’re out injured every time you get close to it. 

Love watching him play everything that happens that’s positive attacking wise comes from either Eden or Ruben now.

Needs to get himself in the box more. 

He's falling into the trap of loitering on the edge of the 18 yard box rather than making himself an option in the area. 

Number of times the ball is going wide on both flanks and there's no one but the centre forward in the area. If you're playing in the attacking role in the midfield you should be getting into scoring positions not taking up positions where you're making up the numbers. 

Waiting for him to "kick-on" but not sure it will ever happen. He seems to have a comfort zone and always plays within it. Still better than the other options we have but not sure he is ever going to fulfill the potential we all hoped he would.

 

1 hour ago, Munkworth said:

He was good in the first half, Burnley players that were just trying to boot him off the ball were being knocked down left and right. Look at his strength in the build up to our first. 

He seems to tire in second halves though, I’d assume it’s hard to stay match fit when you’re out injured every time you get close to it. 

Yeah agree with this. Think he would have come off if we had the subs. First 90 minutes this season in the league?

A Coutinho in that position is huge upgrade on Barkley and Loftus Cheek.

Looked as about effective as Barkley and kovacic last night. Zero intensity in his game. 

Not a good game from him, hopefully he picks it against United.

21 minutes ago, jack_super_class said:

A Coutinho in that position is huge upgrade on Barkley and Loftus Cheek.

Worth spending £100m on is the question? 

If Hazard goes there's obviously going to be some money there but we desperately need a centre forward too. 

3 minutes ago, ForeverCarefree said:

Worth spending £100m on is the question? 

If Hazard goes there's obviously going to be some money there but we desperately need a centre forward too. 

Maybe not £100M correct but i think we should be interested. We do need a centre forward but we have enough deadwood we can get rid of to raise funds too.

I wouldn't want us to sign Coutinho. He doesn't do much when I watch him play, he scores a screamer now and again, but that's about it.

Edited April 23, 20197 yr by Scott Harris

5 hours ago, Nibs said:

Waiting for him to "kick-on" but not sure it will ever happen. He seems to have a comfort zone and always plays within it. Still better than the other options we have but not sure he is ever going to fulfill the potential we all hoped he would.

 

He's literally only broke into the first 11 this season and has struggled with a few injuries, not to mention he's playing in a slightly dysfunctional team

Despite that he's still managed 8 goals so far. Unfair to make predictions about him not fulfilling his potential so soon

6 minutes ago, Sparkz said:

He's literally only broke into the first 11 this season and has struggled with a few injuries, not to mention he's playing in a slightly dysfunctional team

Despite that he's still managed 8 goals so far. Unfair to make predictions about him not fulfilling his potential so soon

But it's not that soon. He's 23 now and has been with Chelsea for years. Unfortunately time waits for no-one and if you don't fully grasp your opportunity when it presents itself - you miss out.

To be honest, RLC might be lucky in that we aren't the Chelsea of a few seasons back. There is no way he would have got a look in with players like Lamps, Essien, Joey Cole, Ballack etc ahead of him. He WILL be given time but at some point he has to stamp himself on games rather than always be on the periphery of games as I feel he is right now.

 

52 minutes ago, Nibs said:

But it's not that soon. He's 23 now and has been with Chelsea for years. Unfortunately time waits for no-one and if you don't fully grasp your opportunity when it presents itself - you miss out.

To be honest, RLC might be lucky in that we aren't the Chelsea of a few seasons back. There is no way he would have got a look in with players like Lamps, Essien, Joey Cole, Ballack etc ahead of him. He WILL be given time but at some point he has to stamp himself on games rather than always be on the periphery of games as I feel he is right now.

 

I don't know if it is computer games or just getting older yet think the quality of genuine football talents is on the decline (Jadon Sancho excepted) perhaps due to computer games. 

2 hours ago, Strider6003 said:

I don't know if it is computer games or just getting older yet think the quality of genuine football talents is on the decline (Jadon Sancho excepted) perhaps due to computer games. 

Well we used to be one of the best 3 teams in England. Now its 6.

Whilst there used to be only 2 good Spanish teams. 1 good German team and no good Italian teams and no good french teams. 

Essentially we used to be in the top 6 teams in Europe. Now we are in the best 12/13 teams in Europe. The talent is just spread out. And we are near the bottom of that list of teams. 

Interview with RLC:

https://hypebeast.com/2019/4/ruben-loftus-cheek-chelsea-england-interview

7 hours ago, Strider6003 said:

I don't know if it is computer games or just getting older yet think the quality of genuine football talents is on the decline (Jadon Sancho excepted) perhaps due to computer games. 

Had this discussion with a mate of mine a while ago. I dont know whether it is just me looking back with rose tinted glasses, but there doesnt seem to be as many genius or magical moments and players in football these days. They still happen obviously, but I feel like kids have some of their natural instincts coached out of them, so there are less off the cuff moments.

12 hours ago, big blue said:

Had this discussion with a mate of mine a while ago. I dont know whether it is just me looking back with rose tinted glasses, but there doesnt seem to be as many genius or magical moments and players in football these days. They still happen obviously, but I feel like kids have some of their natural instincts coached out of them, so there are less off the cuff moments.

I'd agree with this. I remember an interview with i think Phil Neville where he said someone in his kids team got slaughtered by the coach for attempting a Cruyff turn or something similar.