Ruben Loftus-Cheek

[didierforever]

In a desperate game that was our biggest home defeat for 6 years. I really wouldn't read too much into this.

Why not? On the contrary it showed character. Unlike the likes of Oscar, who cant put in a 5/10 performance unless his teammates put in a 9/10 performance, RLC can hold his own among the very best in the league. It showed RLC was more than just ready to take the next step and get a bigger role only for Gus to stupidly bench him for the remaining games. It also showed the difference in mentality among the "proven" over-paid players and players like RLC who were willing to sweat it out. So for me, that game showed a lot of positives relating to RLC. And thats the reason I am even more baffled by hiddink's mind-baffling decision to sideline him.

[bjd]

He wasn't even that good against City mate. He did ok. Holding his own against the best in the league is spin of the highest order!

I want him to breakthrough as much as anyone and agree that he was underused in the last half of the season but let's not go over the top. He needs a run of 8-10 games and in a deeper role too, but I'm pretty sure he ain't gonna get it.

[didierforever]

Each to his own then. I personally thought that was a brilliant performance in every aspect.

[ducavis]

Won't play him in a deeper role unless you go 4-3-3, he will be awfully exposed. He doesn't fit in a 4-2-3-1 for me.

[PedroMendez]

 He needs a run of 8-10 games and in a deeper role too, but I'm pretty sure he ain't gonna get it.

That's why I would go into next season with only younger players as our back ups.

Lets say we go into next season with a midfield of Nainggolan, Fabregas and Matic, as starters then we should only have youth players as back up,

for instance; MvG, Baker and RLC would provide like for like cover.

Meaning when injury hits or in games were you need to rotate, (League cup, FA cup etc) these players are given a chance. It is no good having players like Mikel and Ramires needing minutes if you are trying to allow youth to progress and develop into the side.

Edited May 30, 2016 by PedroMendez

[didierforever]

Player of the tournament in Toulon Tournament.

Oh well!!

[Dorset]

Player of the tournament who got fcuk all game time under Hiddink..still drives me nuts

 

A few cold hard FSW facts - five Chelsea youngsters are in the current England Under-21 group - Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Nathaniel Chalobah, Lewis Baker, John Swift and Kasey Palmer. Add to these Jake Clarke-Salter, Dominic Solanke and Tammy Abraham, who are in the England Under-19 squad (a level down, but with the exception of RLC probably just as advanced [or not] in terms of gaining first team status) and you have eight good reasons why Conte should be looking seriously at giving youth a chance at the earliest opportunity. Not to do so would run the risk of losing a fair number, perhaps en bloc, to rival clubs only too keen to take advantage by supplementing their first team squads in the [almost] certain knowledge they could easily have at least one Marcus Rashford Mark11 on their hands for very little financial outlay. 

 

Okay, you can see those fans who are clamouring for us to make major signings being quick to pick individual holes in this evolution - Swift will never be good enough, Solanke can **** off because he’s too greedy, Chalobah isn’t as talented as his younger brother, blah, blah, but this English eight are starting to achieve at international level even before being given a genuine chance at their parent club, and there are those who would also go the extra loan-minded and unbiased mile by lifting my little-Englander selection barrier to press the priority claims of Nathan Ake, Andreas Christensen and Charly Musonda, which would take the likely lad list up to eleven. But sadly of late there has been a slow shift of opinion away from championing the cause of radical youth development, the pervasive attitude being that (despite massive investment in the Academy) Roman has never really wanted it to happen enough and the call now is for buying our way out of mid-table trouble as best we can, settling for security and adopting a ‘we know our place’ attitude in the process.

 

Personally, I would much rather Conte show us and all these potential big spenders exactly how to get a silk purse out of a sow’s ear, if that is what we are going to perceive our present group of overpaid, lazy good-for-nothing first team squad players to be akin to. Forget who’s fault it was performance-wise last season, never mind where we end up table-wise this, let’s just demonstrate that the emergence of youth at first team level at Chelsea is a viable proposition. Imagine the stark contrast with United under Jose, where his new regime looks likely to adopt a virtual care in the community approach - Zlatan helped into the Falcao zimmer-support role? Rooney retirement-homed to where the younger more angelic Mata will no doubt fear to tread? Carrick dangled the carrot of an extra year in the anticipated absence of a Giggs unifying presence, disable[y] supported by Schweinsteiger when fresh legs are needed? - the average age of a team with that lot in it would rocket at a stroke that many of them would likely suffer after a season-long track back chasing trophies on four fronts. 

 

Getting in under the radar is an optimistic phrase that’s been used on here to describe how Conte’s first season might go, emerging from anonymity and benefiting from it to break back into the big time. With no great expectations in the short term and plenty of long term objectives, what better time will there ever be to bring about radical change? We have so many young players knocking on the door of international football, let alone the barn of a one fronting our own domestic league, if we don’t listen up pretty soon these kids will stop knocking and go away in their droves…. and who can blame them in such circumstances?   

. 

Edited May 30, 2016 by Dorset

[Spiller86]

Good achievement for him. That said, the best young players are already playing full internationals. He is a long way off that.

Watched the final and the pitch didn't really suit any kind of proper football. That said he was still guilty of his usual drifting in and out of the game. He (and Chalobah for that matter) were regularly walking when off the ball, happy to sit behind a man rather than move either side to offer a pass.

I don't demand running aimlessly but watching Ward-Prowse's movement off the ball in comparison it was disappointing to see those two offer so little. I thought Baker was by far the best of our starting trio.

Edited May 30, 2016 by Spiller86

[Scott Harris]

A 6.8 rating on whoscored is hardly pulling up trees though ?

 

Is this how we judge if a player is playing well now, by looking at their stats on the internet ? 

 

Surely the only way to tell if a player is playing well is to actually watch them.

[ForeverCarefree]

Congrats to RLC and the rest of the England Chelsea boys on a successful tournament.

Going to be interesting to see how much faith Conte/Chelsea put in RLC next season.

Midfield recruitment in particular will be curious this summer.

[Blue Tony]

If you watch RLC it's obvious that he's a great player with a boatload of talent, but he can be lazy at times, especially when the opposition has the ball. 

 

If he doesn't address this in some way he will not live up to his potential.

[Barn]

well done RLC great achievement.

[PedroMendez]

I am not a fan of this "Lazy" tag given to RLC.

And I wouldn't describe him as such from when I have watched him.

You will often see him busting a gut going both forwards and backwards and he does seem to want put a shift in where he can but I do see where it comes from.

For me he currently seems to be lacking a bit of tactical awareness and understanding of his role (I would imagine the fact that his role has keeps shifting hasn't helped this). And to me it often looks like he is lost, not knowing where he needs to be on the pitch, who he should track or press, whether he should press high or drop deep and it is this indecision that for me causes him to look stagnant and "lazy", and for me it doesn't come down to the fact that he isn't wanting to put in a shift which would actually be lazy.

I would also use his U21s matches for England as an example of this as from the games I have watched he is both offensively and defensively more active and I think this is down to him having more confidence in what his role is, whether this is purely because he is more comfortable and confident at this level or whether his role has been better defined or whether he has been given more free reign in the role, I can't say but I can say in the vast majority of England U21 games I have watch (with the game against Switzerland being the exception) he has looked anything but lazy.

[didierforever]

I am not a fan of this "Lazy" tag given to RLC.

And I wouldn't describe him as such from when I have watched him.

You will often see him busting a gut going both forwards and backwards and he does seem to want put a shift in where he can but I do see where it comes from.

For me he currently seems to be lacking a bit of tactical awareness and understanding of his role (I would imagine the fact that his role has keeps shifting hasn't helped this). And to me it often looks like he is lost, not knowing where he needs to be on the pitch, who he should track or press, whether he should press high or drop deep and it is this indecision that for me causes him to look stagnant and "lazy", and for me it doesn't come down to the fact that he isn't wanting to put in a shift which would actually be lazy.

I would also use his U21s matches for England as an example of this as from the games I have watched he is both offensively and defensively more active and I think this is down to him having more confidence in what his role is, whether this is purely because he is more comfortable and confident at this level or whether his role has been better defined or whether he has been given more free reign in the role, I can't say but I can say in the vast majority of England U21 games I have watch (with the game against Switzerland being the exception) he has looked anything but lazy.

Perfectly put.

 

Its almost criminal that we give our youth a game every 2 months and that too in different positions and roles. RLC played a game as a DM last season, as a B2B in league cup (i think) and as a no.10 towards the end of the season. Its even more baffling that we actually play a 4-3-3 at youth level and a completely different style of play from our senior team's 4-2-3-1. I mean lets look at barcelona and their youth set up. The philosophy and stability runs through all the ranks in that club. While even hoping that to happen is a pipe dream, hopefully we can atleast move in the general direction of it?

 

First of all, I think we need to move to a 4-3-3. Matic, cesc along with a proper B2B and with Nat, Baker, RLC as backups (seems MVG is on his way out to PSV). Secondly we need stability and actual trust (both things Roman has shown to be incapable of). We need to lessen our objectives for a season or 2 and simply look a couple of years ahead with players like RLC, baker, Ake, Musonda, Andreas, Zouma. Yes, in that time frame mistakes will be made by these 20 year olds. But I am willing to give them that chance and oppurtunities. Hope we actually go forward with some youth integration. Players like Mikel, Oscar, Pedro, Remy, Falcao, Pato, Ivanovic, GC have to us as far as they possibly can. Now its time to try a new method.

[PedroMendez]

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

 

Looks very complete in a youtube compilation, if he can develop the tactical and mental side of his game he can become a great player hopefully we see a bit more of him next season.

The thing I liked most was that most of these clips started with a strong defensive contribution which then transitioned very quickly into an attacking contribution. High hopes.

Edited June 4, 2016 by PedroMendez

[enigma]

i still think colkett and palmer should be included in our squad soon, they're both as talented as loftus-cheek from what i have seen. colkett is a little more defensive too and i think he could be introduced into that deeper role next to fabregas. 

Edited June 4, 2016 by enigma

[TheChelseaBlues]

i still think colkett and palmer should be included in our squad soon, they're both as talented as loftus-cheek from what i have seen. colkett is a little more defensive too and i think he could be introduced into that deeper role next to fabregas.

Two of those three should start when we play Oxford United or whichever League 2 side in the Carling Cup. Colkett especially has the makings of a #4 for Conte

[Ukraine Bolt]

Two of those three should start when we play Oxford United or whichever League 2 side in the Carling Cup. Colkett especially has the makings of a #4 for Conte

 

A number 4 is a RB?

[TheChelseaBlues]

A number 4 is a RB?

Pirlo

[IliyaKrostin]

He has to prove himself in the next season, his last achievement is a big bonus for him. Conte might look for youth to play and what Conte did with Pogba, possible for RLC too. I do believe that football managers can change players and make them give more than they can. I want RLC to success and I believe that he can make it here, but a lot depends on him and on Conte. If RLC won't do his best on the pitch he can forget about playing for our club, but Conte can't leave him on the bench, he has to play him. 

 

What I'm dreaming about is:

 

---------------------- Courtois ---------------------------

 

Azpilicueta --- Zouma -- Rudiger --- Baba Rahman

 

-------- Loftus-Cheek --- Naingolann -- Fabregas

 

------- Willian --------- Diego Costa -------- Hazard 

[Orpington_Blue]

He has to prove himself in the next season, his last achievement is a big bonus for him. Conte might look for youth to play and what Conte did with Pogba, possible for RLC too. I do believe that football managers can change players and make them give more than they can. I want RLC to success and I believe that he can make it here, but a lot depends on him and on Conte. If RLC won't do his best on the pitch he can forget about playing for our club, but Conte can't leave him on the bench, he has to play him. 

 

What I'm dreaming about is:

 

---------------------- Courtois ---------------------------

 

Azpilicueta --- Zouma -- Rudiger --- Baba Rahman

 

-------- Loftus-Cheek --- Naingolann -- Fabregas

 

------- Willian --------- Diego Costa -------- Hazard 

 

Team will condede so many goals with that midfield 3. There is no defensive angle to those players.

 

And a front 3 involving both Willian will always struggle to score many goals. His output is minimal.

[IliyaKrostin]

Team will condede so many goals with that midfield 3. There is no defensive angle to those players.

 

And a front 3 involving both Willian will always struggle to score many goals. His output is minimal.

 

It depends on the Conte's tactic. He made Pogba doing defence and attack in the same counter-attack very well. If he can get it from RLC as well, then we will have a strong midfield with Kante or Naingolann doing the defensive duty.

[IliyaKrostin]

If I remember right, then Conte was the man that brought Pogba to Juventus and saw the potential. Got a feeling he will make RLC top class as well.

[summer is coming]

"Antonio Conte is considering abandoning his plans to sign another central midfield player this summer because of his belief in the potential of Ruben Loftus-Cheek.

Chelsea’s proposed move for Radja Nainggolan, the Belgium midfielder, has collapsed as a result of Roma’s valuation and the club were still planning to sign another combative midfield player after completing the transfer of N’Golo Kante at the weekend, but Loftus-Cheek could provide an alternative."-Times

The article tails off reporting that Conte is targeting a new centre half, with Kalidou Koulibaly and Kostas Manolas his top targets.

[Ukraine Bolt]

Does this mean Ruben might actually play as a CM for once? praise the lords above.