I'd have him in with Diego as a second striker or out on a wing.  Far more production from him than we are getting from some of our big names in attacking positions.

 

Seems to have a real good build up game in terms of passing (thought he was excellent at this today in the first half) so I think if he was able to combine with Costa's fight and physical presence it could pose a lot of problems for defenses,

 

and I originally thought he wouldnt be able to hack it cause he seems so slight and kind of seems all over the place at times....but damned if he cant find the back of the net.

Took his goal well today and put in a really good shift. He's one of the few good things to come out of this season and I'm excited to see how he'll develop, but let's just be patient with him. He doesn't have to just be an out-and-out striker or a winger at this point in his career and I could see him being a Griezmann-type going forward.

 

Personally I'd like to see him get the nod in the PSG game but I don't think Guus will go with that.

Couple of questions.

Did we get him for free?

And does he count as a homegrown player because of his age?

Took his goal well today and put in a really good shift. He's one of the few good things to come out of this season and I'm excited to see how he'll develop, but let's just be patient with him. He doesn't have to just be an out-and-out striker or a winger at this point in his career and I could see him being a Griezmann-type going forward.

 

Personally I'd like to see him get the nod in the PSG game but I don't think Guus will go with that.

I did like him in the Norwich game more than today, and showed that he can play with Costa very well. I'd really like to see them play together more often.

Couple of questions.

Did we get him for free?

And does he count as a homegrown player because of his age?

He counts as an underage player so until he's past the 21 year old date he's essentially homegrown. I cant imagine he was free but Im not sure

He counts as an underage player so until he's past the 21 year old date he's essentially homegrown. I cant imagine he was free but Im not sure

I don't think he cost anything substantial, I don't think he will be classed as homegrown as he wasn't registered for us on his 18th birthday.

It'd very difficult to have non eu players as homegrown, they struggle to get work permits, and they are allowed to move countries for football reasons before they are 18.

Ruben who? Traore has made a much bigger impression on me. Love this kid! Every time I see him play, I have a smile on my face. His enthusiasm is infectious.

Ruben who? Traore has made a much bigger impression on me. Love this kid! Every time I see him play, I have a smile on my face. His enthusiasm is infectious.

 

Ruben is the other young lad who has spent his life at this club and hasn't had the chances in professional football that Bertrand has. He's the one who hasn't had 2500 minutes of Dutch league football to acclimatise to the professional game.

 

Come on mate. 'Ruben who' really? 

Ruben is the other young lad who has spent his life at this club and hasn't had the chances in professional football that Bertrand has. He's the one who hasn't had 2500 minutes of Dutch league football to acclimatise to the professional game.

 

Come on mate. 'Ruben who' really? 

There we have it, the key to success for young players is at least 2500 minutes of Eredivisie football.

There we have it, the key to success for young players is at least 2500 minutes of Eredivisie football.

 

Firstly, Traore isn't a success yet. He's a great young player with a lot of potential, but he's still got some way to go. But I'm sure you realise my point wasn't specifically about getting 2500 minutes or Eredivisie football, but more about the importance of actual minutes in professional football to acclimatise to the professional game. Just like we shouldn't proclaim Traore to be the finished article, nor should we write off Ruben or disrespect one of our own by saying things like 'Ruben who'.

 

It's not a competition. For the club to succeed we need players like these to succeed.

Firstly, Traore isn't a success yet. He's a great young player with a lot of potential, but he's still got some way to go. But I'm sure you realise my point wasn't specifically about getting 2500 minutes or Eredivisie football, but more about the importance of actual minutes in professional football to acclimatise to the professional game. Just like we shouldn't proclaim Traore to be the finished article, nor should we write off Ruben or disrespect one of our own by saying things like 'Ruben who'.

 

It's not a competition. For the club to succeed we need players like these to succeed.

The success or lack thereof two players have has thus far is due to first team minutes. There are many factors. Bamfordinho for example has probably played more minutes of first team football than any loanee not named Cuadrado and he is clearly not the best or most successful of the bunch.

 

The lad at United hadn't played a minute of professional football before he started and scored twice. Less than 2500 minutes of pro football is not an excuse for under performing and languishing on the bench or in the reserves

Edited March 7, 201610 yr by TheChelseaBlues

The success or lack thereof two players have has thus far is due to first team minutes. There are many factors. Bamfordinho for example has probably played more minutes of first team football than any loanee not named Cuadrado and he is clearly not the best or most successful of the bunch.

 

 

I honestly couldn't judge how suited to Premier League football Bamford is based on the 180 minutes and zero starts he's had thus far in his career. I'd love for him to get the opportunity but it simply doesn't look like he's going to get the chance which is a shame.

 

 

The lad at United hadn't played a minute of professional football before he started and scored twice. Less than 2500 minutes of pro football is not an excuse for under performing and languishing on the bench or in the reserves

 

Just to clear this up, but 2500 minutes isn't the magic number and I never said it was. What I'm saying is that having the chance to acclimatise to professional football is huge for a player. Some will come in like Rashford and make a mark right off the bat. Others, maybe like Loftus-Cheek or John Terry, might take a bit more time. Again, Rashford isn't a success yet. He's like Traore, he has the potential to be but let's give him a bit of time.

 

Just like his scoring in his first two games doesn't mean he's a sure thing, nor does his failure to score in his subsequent two make him a failure.

I honestly couldn't judge how suited to Premier League football Bamford is based on the 180 minutes and zero starts he's had thus far in his career. I'd love for him to get the opportunity but it simply doesn't look like he's going to get the chance which is a shame.

 

 

Just to clear this up, but 2500 minutes isn't the magic number and I never said it was. What I'm saying is that having the chance to acclimatise to professional football is huge for a player. Some will come in like Rashford and make a mark right off the bat. Others, maybe like Loftus-Cheek or John Terry, might take a bit more time. Again, Rashford isn't a success yet. He's like Traore, he has the potential to be but let's give him a bit of time.

 

Just like his scoring in his first two games doesn't mean he's a sure thing, nor does his failure to score in his subsequent two make him a failure.

 

Sure it doesn't make him a sure thing, but no one ever is. The idea is RLC has had excuse upon excuse for why he isn't playing more often or playing better, whichever you like. Whereas Rashford and Traore have had none or very limited minutes and pretty clearly make an impact on the games they play in. He needs more time, he isn't playing enough etc.. is just a way of saying he isn't good enough to be playing. He's not playing for a reason. I have said quite a few times RLC should and could be a great player. He may well be at some point down the road but right now he is massively disappointing. There's no other way to put it. He's had as much of a chance as any U-21 currently at Chelsea. As you said, he's been there all his life.

 

If you want to go on about how Traore is more accustomed to professional life I would counter with who should feel more comfortable and be more acclimated? Traore, who is completely foreign to England and English football, or Ruben who is the same age, been a professional just as long and also as you said, been at the club all his life.

 

Maybe I had my expectations too high but Traore and RLC were the two players I expected to break into the first team this season, Traore seemingly has already done it. I'll leave these Jose quotes from before the season had started, he's told us exactly what we'd see

 

"He has to learn that at 19, you have to run three times more than the others (the senior players), you have to play to your limits and not play like a superstar with the ball at your feet because this is not Under-18s." Mourinho went on to say that Loftus-Cheek "doesn’t press, doesn’t have intensity and he’s waiting for everybody else to recover the ball."

 

 

Mourinho stated, "Loftus-Cheek cannot waste his talent by not wanting to give everything he can. I always think if you don't have talent you can't blame yourself. But when you are a big talent you cannot waste your talent"

 

compared with what Guus has said about Traore

 

"You can see he has quality but young players have to try to control and dominate their nerves and you could see that at the beginning. But he showed with the goal that he has the capacity to do a lot.

"The strikers compete amongst themselves in a healthy way. If they show what they do in training then it will be rewarded.''

 

 

If I see Traore now compared to when I came in, he was always ambitious," Hiddink told reporters. "He's a very fresh guy and I like his attitude. He's not afraid to make errors and he's not influenced by external circumstances. He's fresh whether there are no spectators [in training at Cobham] or if there are 40,000 in the stadium.

 

Edited March 7, 201610 yr by TheChelseaBlues

If we are planning to play attacking football against PSG, then he must start. 

Sure it doesn't make him a sure thing, but no one ever is. The idea is RLC has had excuse upon excuse for why he isn't playing more often or playing better, whichever you like. Whereas Rashford and Traore have had none or very limited minutes and pretty clearly make an impact on the games they play in. 

 

Except for when they don't. Rashford hasn't scored in two matches now. You know what that means?

 

 

Nothing. He's young. He'll be inconsistent. 

 

He needs more time, he isn't playing enough etc.. is just a way of saying he isn't good enough to be playing. He's not playing for a reason. I have said quite a few times RLC should and could be a great player. He may well be at some point down the road but right now he is massively disappointing. There's no other way to put it. He's had as much of a chance as any U-21 currently at Chelsea. As you said, he's been there all his life.

 

 

 I agree. He's had as much chance as any other youth product - f**k all. That's what we do. 

 

If you want to go on about how Traore is more accustomed to professional life I would counter with who should feel more comfortable and be more acclimated? Traore, who is completely foreign to England and English football, or Ruben who is the same age, been a professional just as long and also as you said, been at the club all his life.

 

 

The player who has spent a whole season as a mainstay of a professional football club.

 

 

Maybe I had my expectations too high but Traore and RLC were the two players I expected to break into the first team this season, Traore seemingly has already done it. I'll leave these Jose quotes from before the season had started, he's told us exactly what we'd see

 

 

compared with what Guus has said about Traore

 

I have high expectations of him too but I'm not writing him off yet. I've watched the lad far too many times to think that the few minutes he's had on a Premier League pitch are wholly representative of his quality. I can absolutely understand why you and others feel the way you do and hopefully he proves to you guys what he can do. We all want youngsters to come through and this is all part of it.

Ruben is the other young lad who has spent his life at this club and hasn't had the chances in professional football that Bertrand has. He's the one who hasn't had 2500 minutes of Dutch league football to acclimatise to the professional game.

Come on mate. 'Ruben who' really?

I wasn't aware that Traore had so much first team experience. I knew he had been in the Netherlands but didn't think he got so much game time. Thanks for that info.

This raises the question of whether, much as people are annoyed and cynical about the constant loaning, we're actually doing the youth players a disservice by keeping them at Cobham.

Traore is a good player but I don't think he has the physique to thrive as a striker in the EPL or in the Champions League.

It will be interesting if Conte comes in next season and sticks to his preferred method of two strikers 

Traore is a good player but I don't think he has the physique to thrive as a striker in the EPL or in the Champions League.

 

Players like Messi, Aguero, Henry, Eto'o do/did?

Edited March 10, 201610 yr by Jon Stakes

Players like Messi, Aguero, Henry, Eto'o do/did?

I think he will do better on the wings as he won't be under pressure to score goals every now and then.

Traore is a good player but I don't think he has the physique to thrive as a striker in the EPL or in the Champions League.

 

That's a fairly common problem for young strikers (except those built like brick sh*thouses, e.g. Lukaku) - he'll grow into the role physically.

He's more of a technical striker than a target man anyway, he's a better 'footballer' (in terms of skill and technique) than Costa in my opinion, and it's no harm to have those two options there for us. I'd love to see Conte come in and utilise two strikers, because I think Traore's pace and skill would really compliment Costa's power.

His body type does not allow him to be a bull like lukaku or drogba however from what I can see he punches well above his weight and his smaller size should not be a problem I think hes a clever player and he times his runs very well for his experience. Speed kills.

 

He reminds me of a young eto'o

He's better as a RW cutting in. I don't know why we don't give him a shot in central midfield as his distance shooting is one of his best attributes and he's technically proficient too. I don't think playing him as a lone striker is ideal fot him as he is not a physically strong or imposing player for defenders to defend against.

I remember the same being said about Henry when he joined Arsenal.

Wenger made a master stroke and persisted with him as striker and the rest is history.

I'm not saying Traore is the new Henry but I see a lot of similarities in both styles, physique and attributes.

You don't need to be a power house to be a striker, the boy has skill and speed to burn...something we have lacked up top for a while. Our system isn't ideal but the next manager may change things up