Rahman is a wingback not a fullback, bit of a liability defensively imo but pretty good going forward so maybe converting into an out and out winger could be a better option.

Ake is much better defensively than Baba but I would say a lot less influential going forward, which is why I think both would work well in the squad Baba for the games against lesser opposition likely to park the bus and Ake for the sterner tests.

Ake definitely deserves a shot though and would currently be my pick.

I absolutely agree with all this.

Baba Rahman might well be very good as a wing back in a 3-5-2, with a bit more cover behind him and a DM sitting in front of the back three.

I certainly think we look much better as a team when the full backs play on their preferred side, and they overlap and use the full width of the pitch.to stretch the opposition and put in some dangerous crosses. Rahman on the left (and Azpi on the right) is our current best option if this is how we will set up tactically for next season.

Best form of defence is attack and all that ...

If conte is coming to play 3-5-2, then Baba will be perfect on the left for us.

Keep baba and play him on left wing. He can cross a ball well and gets forward often.

The same thing i have been saying. If we stop viewing him as a left back but start seeing him as a winger most of us will stop rating him as average, we will be very impress with his attacking ability and if he later improves defensively while playing on the wing, that will just be a bonus for us. He can actually be the next Gareth Bale and not Ashley Cole!

Lets be honest, he's good breaking forward from the back and overlapping but he's never going to be a winger. 

 

Its a strange one with Baba because he looked genuinely world class against PSG then struggles against Villa 

Rahman is a wingback not a fullback, bit of a liability defensively imo but pretty good going forward so maybe converting into an out and out winger could be a better option.

 

The problem is that wing-backs still need to defend and I just don't see that he has the reading of the game to do that just yet. Maybe it's the pace of the league but he just seems to be a step-behind a lot of the time and he gives his wingers far too much space. Maybe he can improve but so far I've seen nothing that impressive to be honest.

 

I also think that we've got far better prospects in Ake and Kenedy down that left flank. But maybe he becomes the next Bale despite not having the blistering pace he has.

The problem is that wing-backs still need to defend and I just don't see that he has the reading of the game to do that just yet. Maybe it's the pace of the league but he just seems to be a step-behind a lot of the time and he gives his wingers far too much space. Maybe he can improve but so far I've seen nothing that impressive to be honest.

 

I also think that we've got far better prospects in Ake and Kenedy down that left flank. But maybe he becomes the next Bale despite not having the blistering pace he has.

 

No not this Kenedy left back nonsense again 

No not this Kenedy left back nonsense again 

 

I actually meant as left-winger and left-back but I think it's far too early to say Kenedy is one or the other. At the moment his versatility is a strength and he could possibly have a future at left-back, wing-back or winger.

 

Don't forget Ashley Cole started as a winger. He made the change earlier than Kenedy but Bale didn't find his natural position until his 20s. 

I think Kennedy’s main assets would tend to suggest he is going to be playing further up the park.

Maybe Baba will fit into Conte’s plans, who knows. It was a large sum of money to invest in a player to discard after a season that has seen so many first team players fall way short of what is required at Chelsea. His defending is very suspect but hopefully that can be worked on as he contributes good things when he gets forward.

I think Kennedy’s main assets would tend to suggest he is going to be playing further up the park.

Maybe Baba will fit into Conte’s plans, who knows. It was a large sum of money to invest in a player to discard after a season that has seen so many first team players fall way short of what is required at Chelsea. His defending is very suspect but hopefully that can be worked on as he contributes good things when he gets forward.

 

He was about £14 million so you could probably recoup most of that by selling him back to the Bundesliga. I know it's early days and maybe I'm being harsh but I just don't see much there at the moment. Watching players like Ake and DaSilva at youth level (and in the league now with Ake) and there's that little something special there but I just don't see it in him yet. 

The problem is that wing-backs still need to defend and I just don't see that he has the reading of the game to do that just yet. Maybe it's the pace of the league but he just seems to be a step-behind a lot of the time and he gives his wingers far too much space. Maybe he can improve but so far I've seen nothing that impressive to be honest.

 

I also think that we've got far better prospects in Ake and Kenedy down that left flank. But maybe he becomes the next Bale despite not having the blistering pace he has.

 

I agree a wingback still needs to be able to defend but id say at wingback its slightly less important than if he were at fullback, I have always thought that a wingbacks main function is to be a deep sitting winger whos main job is to provide width as well as doing their bit in defence, kinda like a defensive winger basically, but yes he still needs to improve his defending as its pretty poor for a 13-18m left back in my opinion, his positional sense is all over the place and without his athletic ability would be caught out even more than he already does.

Before we right Baba of as a LB, lets remember that when Cole first came on to the seen he want overly good defensively, and if I remember correctly it was only when he moved here that his defending really began to develop to become world class.
So there is still time and the ability Baba to develop this side of his game, and I would say he does have the potential to become a very good LB given his pace, tackling and crossing ability, but he will have to work hard on the defensive side of the game if he wants to ever get there.  

I agree a wingback still needs to be able to defend but id say at wingback its slightly less important than if he were at fullback, I have always thought that a wingbacks main function is to be a deep sitting winger whos main job is to provide width as well as doing their bit in defence, kinda like a defensive winger basically, but yes he still needs to improve his defending as its pretty poor for a 13-18m left back in my opinion, his positional sense is all over the place and without his athletic ability would be caught out even more than he already does.

Luckily for us and him those are things that can be taught. The athletic ability is something Ake for example can't match. Right now Ake is probably more dependable but has a lower ceiling. If Baba can learn how to defend properly watch out, he'll be a great asset

Luckily for us and him those are things that can be taught. The athletic ability is something Ake for example can't match. Right now Ake is probably more dependable but has a lower ceiling. If Baba can learn how to defend properly watch out, he'll be a great asset

 

If being the operative word, frank sinclair and glen johnson is all im saying.

Its a big if but I think Conte can whip him into shape. Why people are talking about selling him leaves me confused, he would have fit right in at Juve as a wingback IMO. More so than Willian who everyone seems to be penciling in to start when Conte comes

Its a big if but I think Conte can whip him into shape. Why people are talking about selling him leaves me confused, he would have fit right in at Juve as a wingback IMO. More so than Willian who everyone seems to be penciling in to start when Conte comes

 

That's if we play wing-backs. If we didn't have players like Ake and DaSilva up and coming then I doubt anyone would entertain the notion of selling him. Even someone like Ola Aina (who should be getting minutes) might make people think that.

That's if we play wing-backs. If we didn't have players like Ake and DaSilva up and coming then I doubt anyone would entertain the notion of selling him. Even someone like Ola Aina (who should be getting minutes) might make people think that.

Even with those players I would still want him around. It's pretty obvious to me we play much better attacking football with him at LB and I'm fine with trading off a little defensive solidarity for that, not to say it's because of him specifically but it is because we have a threat to go forward at fullback, especially since Baba will learn how to temper getting forward with staying home and he has the athletic ability to make up for most of his mistakes. DaSilva looks a threat too but if people are roasting Baba for his defensive liabilities, lord help Dasilva if he's asked to play any time soon.

 

Aina isn't likely to be here next season either. Someone mentioned using both Ake and Baba and that to me makes the most sense if we're playing some kind of 4-3-3. Baba gets the nod in most games, Ake used off the bench for his versatility and when a more defensive option is needed.

Personally I see him leaving in the summer.

There's too much work to be done to get him up to the standard we need and we'd be better investing ourselves in Ake, RLC and Kenedy who I think are better prospects for regular first team football.

Personally I see him leaving in the summer.

There's too much work to be done to get him up to the standard we need and we'd be better investing ourselves in Ake, RLC and Kenedy who I think are better prospects for regular first team football.

 

Put in some exceptional crosses today and has done in the past. Defensively I don't think he's up to much but it's something to work with at least.

Crossed okay but seems to lack awareness particularly defensively.

A costly waste of money at this stage. In my view we need experience added to this area in the summer. Rahman i think may well go into the loan wasteland.

Crossed okay but seems to lack awareness particularly defensively.

A costly waste of money at this stage. In my view we need experience added to this area in the summer. Rahman i think may well go into the loan wasteland.

Agreed but we've spent too much money on him, just going to have to give him the Torres treatment and keep playing him in the hopes he comes good. 

why not give jay dasilva a shot 'til end of the season? in summer bring back ake to fill that spot. 

Going on a season long loan to Burnley apparently. Complete waste of time this transfer.

Going on a season long loan to Burnley apparently. Complete waste of time this transfer.

Jaysus Christ. 22 million and sending him to Burnley. Inspired signing. Again

You have to laugh....otherwise