Those hoping for Baba....don't hold your breath.

 

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/oct/13/jose-mourinho-zouma-ivanovic-chelsea-right-back

 

 

José Mourinho is considering using Kurt Zouma as a full-back in Chelsea’s vital Premier League game against Aston Villa on Saturday after Branislav Ivanovic was ruled out for up to a month with a hamstring injury sustained while on international duty with Serbia.

 

 

Ivanovic, who has endured a miserable campaign to date, damaged a hamstring in the 2-0 win in Albania last week and returned to Cobham over the weekend for scans and treatment. Those tests have suggested an absence of around three weeks at best, ruling him out of the visit of Villa when Chelsea will seek to revive their title defence after their worst start to a domestic campaign in 37 years.

The absence of the 31-year-old, who has featured consistently this season despite poor form and Chelsea having conceded 17 goals in eight games, would normally present an obvious route into the team for Baba Rahman, the Ghanaian left-backpurchased for around £17m from Augsburg over the summer, with César Azpilicueta reverting to full-back duties on the opposite flank. However, Mourinho has been unconvinced by Rahman’s adaptation to life in England and has limited his involvement to a Champions League appearance against Maccabi Tel Aviv and a Capital One Cup victory at Walsall.

“Baba Rahman arrived on the last day [of the transfer window] and he doesn’t know what it is to play in this kind of championship,” said Mourinho when asked about the Ghana international after the 3-1 home loss to Southamptonimmediately before the international break. “He had no pre-season with us. He needs time to learn and adapt.

“At the same time, every team except Maccabi Tel Aviv is a team of giants. If you don’t have a minimum of five tall players good in the air, you are dead on set pieces. When I play Azpilicueta on the right and Baba on the left, I have only three. So we have to think about all the details.”

Edited October 13, 201510 yr by gojo_ed

Ruben Loftus-Cheek, the England Under-21 international, will start against Aston Villa as Mourinho seeks to freshen up his side.

 

Loftus-Cheek will most likely operate alongside Ramires, while Costa returns from a three-match domestic suspension up front. [Guardian]

No natural width from the fullbacks against a team that will most likely to park the bus? It doesn't give me too much confidence. Let's hope we catch them their bad day, because if they play with the desperation and desire of a team fighting for staying up, I could see us in trouble.

No natural width from the fullbacks against a team that will most likely to park the bus? It doesn't give me too much confidence. Let's hope we catch them their bad day, because if they play with the desperation and desire of a team fighting for staying up, I could see us in trouble.

Why would they park the bus? They need 3 points just as we do. Sherwood may lose his job soon if they dont start playing well.

We wouldnt have an natural width anyway if Ivanovic was playing. I would attack the paceless CBs we are playing if I were them. Playing Gestede alone is exactly what we want them to do

I think the height argument is convenient excuse. Never stopped him playing ash Cole. Frankly Jose's being stubborn. I reckon right or wrong 7/10 of us would like to see baba given a go.

Now even if he does start he will likely play poorly because he knows Jose doesn't want him.

If Baba doesnt start against Villa then he will be out of the club by next summer.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek, the England Under-21 international, will start against Aston Villa as Mourinho seeks to freshen up his side.

 

Loftus-Cheek will most likely operate alongside Ramires, while Costa returns from a three-match domestic suspension up front. [Guardian]

 

I'd still rather see Matic play. He hasn't been good this season but i think we should be playing with a DM, Ramires isn't a DM at all.

If Baba doesnt start against Villa then he will be out of the club by next summer.

No he won't.

We should not be messing about putting Zouma at RB, he has to stay in the center and carry on learning to master the position, he's progressing well and we can't afford to mess him about.

 

We have a youngster in Aina who can come in and play RB for a game or two if needed, he played well against Fiorentina in pre-season, he's much quicker than Ivanovic and Zouma.

If Baba doesnt start against Villa then he will be out of the club by next summer.February

 

fixed that for you

If Jose plays Zouma at right back as most of us believe, he will mess up both Zouma and Baba. Fullback is a specialist position, and this is the area Jose always had problems with. We all remember Gallas played a year at left back before he left ( not saying his the ideal role model). Zouma is fast and agile for a central defender, but he may have problems with fast wingers, and I really don't see him with the attacking game as a fullback. For Baba, if another central defender is picked ahead of him, his confidence is just about rock bottom. It's almost impossible for him to have good games if the manager showed no faith at all in him. Look, we may win this weekend with Zouma as right back, but we won't get away with it against better teams, and Zouma/Baba's development will be halted

Honestly I don't understand Mou anymore, yes we trust him and yes he is teh best of teh best, but I used to get his selections, every manager has a wft moment every now and again and it's usually because what seems obvious enough to us is not the full story, but Mou is having a wtf moment every selection, what on earth could the boy be doing in training short of sitting on the grass making play dough men while every body else trains, in case we forgot he was bloody good last year, started all season and I would contend that the Bundesliga has some of the tastiest wingers in World football, Robben, Reus et al so how hard can it be to give him a run?

 

The height thing is absolute bollox, I remember we had a discussion a couple of months back that 90% of fullbacks are sub 6ft and how Ivan wasn't built to be one...he is exactly how a FB should look, right height and right build, he is half an inch taller than dave, our problem is crossed coming in not heading them away, that happens because Ivan backs off with his hands in his back pockets, Dave would not allow those crossed coming in and one strength I noticed beyond pace and attack prowess from baba is his excellent 1 on 1 abilities, he is very very good at dispossessing quick players.

 

I'm literally stumped, if anything one of Zumas weaknesses is not getting his block in quick enough, it's very easy for the DM's to protect the CB's if players are coming through the middle, it's our flank that is weak, we should have one Dm that just sits in front of the CB's not venturing forward and one CM that distributes and pushes on with the DM moving over if the fullback is caught in attack.

 

If I know this Jose knows this, that's why it's a case for scooby doo, just don't get it, either he is losing his touch and stubbornness is overtaking rational or there is something going on behind the scenes, both are bad for Chelsea, he used to put tactics first like when he said he would never play A CB as a DM in reference to the FSW playing Luiz but did the same thing when needed....I dunno although it's only football, life just isn't as sweet when Chelsea are in the sh*t.

Back to business in a couple of days.

 

Can't say I'm looking forward, but who knows anything can happen in the two week break and I really do hope for the better.

 

Hope we get our act together and get back on our winning ways.

Expect to see Zouma at right back.

Expect to see Zouma at right back.

 

Cannot think of someone LESS suited at right/left back! Seriously there must be someone he can play instead assuming JM won't play Baba.

 

I would play Zouma as DM to protect Terry. 

Already nervous.....and its only tuesday.... :(

 

I have been nervous since the final whistle against Soton...! Villa need a win. Given our form who would bet against it. 

 

However we have to hit form soon and someone will get a battering. 

 

Dare i suggest we could win this a minimum of 5-0? Possible 6 or 7?

No idea whats going to happen.

If the players have any balls or professionalism in them when the chips are down they will go out all guns blazing and stuff Villa.

Hope I'm hopelessly wrong but expecting us to lose ...

I think we'll score the first goal early. What happens after that depends on whether we can keep our tempo. Lose that and it'll be like Southampton.

 

Putting that aside, I believe we can win this.

Edited October 15, 201510 yr by Zinc

If Jose does play Zouma at right back, then maybe we should loan Baba out in January, he's 21 years old and game time is important at his age.

With all the talk we have heard from various players if we do not see a vast improvement and a win here then we can get used to the idea we are in a relegation scrap not a top 4 fight.

Cannot think of someone LESS suited at right/left back!

Ivanovic

Surprised to hear that Zouma's likely to be getting the nod at right back. Rahmann didn't look great defensively in the games he played but for the money we paid I assumed he was to be our first choice backup full back.

However, personally don't see any issue with the call. Zouma's played there before, and it means our four best defenders will be on the park. I've got a feeling it could work very well.

Excited for this one. The build up's been positive. Optimistic.

Ivanovic

V. Good

Baba probably won't play as he's still relatively untested.  He may be used as a sub in the second half, especially if VIlla have parked the buss and we're looking for some extra attack

 

Also, remember, Baba is only 21 and new to the league so I'd be willing to bet that Jose doesn't fully trust him yet.