29 minutes ago, Bonzodog29 said:

I dont know, Drogs improved massively around the same age... Morata clearly wont get over his mental block but Michy could still have something

Drogba didn't start playing professionally until after he turned 21, so his late development can probably be largely contributed to that. He was an anomaly rather than the norm in that sense. 

29 minutes ago, Bonzodog29 said:

I dont know, Drogs improved massively around the same age... Morata clearly wont get over his mental block but Michy could still have something

Drogba didn't start playing professionally until after he turned 21, so his late development can probably be largely contributed to that. He was an anomaly rather than the norm in that sense. 

We don't have a single striker on the books that any defense would be concerned about playing against.  

2 hours ago, ForeverCarefree said:

Drogba didn't start playing professionally until after he turned 21, so his late development can probably be largely contributed to that. He was an anomaly rather than the norm in that sense. 

Doesnt detract from the point though does it? not disagreeing with you but Michy could also improve... Drogs had the touch of a murderer when he first played for us, Michy COULD develop as well in a better team with a run of games... Not saying he will just at 26 it isnt cut and dried.

3 hours ago, Bonzodog29 said:

Doesnt detract from the point though does it? not disagreeing with you but Michy could also improve... Drogs had the touch of a murderer when he first played for us, Michy COULD develop as well in a better team with a run of games... Not saying he will just at 26 it isnt cut and dried.

Lukaku's first touch hasn't improved.  So it's not a given with experience.

24 minutes ago, Boston Blue said:

Lukaku's first touch hasn't improved.  So it's not a given with experience.

I hate the "give him time" thing everytime a young players technical ability is rightly put under scrutiny. Take Lukaku as an example, up untill he was about 24 that was a constant defense about his crap touch, almost as if they thought he could have suddenly developed good close control at any given time.

There's many things a footballer can improve on but natural talent isn't one of them, if you can't control a ball properly at 18 you won't at 26.

Edited June 26, 20197 yr by Argo

16 minutes ago, Argo said:

I hate the "give him time" thing everytime a young players technical ability is rightly put under scrutiny. Take Lukaku as an example, up untill he was about 24 that was a constant defense about his crap touch, almost as if they thought he could have suddenly developed good close control at any given time.

There's many things a footballer can improve on but natural talent isn't one of them, if you can't control a ball properly at 18 you won't at 26.

A coach I once knew said during an open tryout:  "Do you want to know the difference between a good player and a great player?  The good player's first touch lands there (pointing to a spot on the grass about 5 feet away).  A great player's first touch lands here (pointing at his feet)."

A coach my son once had said this of a player whose first touch was poor:  "every second touch is a tackle".  

Edited June 26, 20197 yr by Boston Blue

33 minutes ago, Argo said:

I hate the "give him time" thing everytime a young players technical ability is rightly put under scrutiny. Take Lukaku as an example, up untill he was about 24 that was a constant defense about his crap touch, almost as if they thought he could have suddenly developed good close control at any given time.

There's many things a footballer can improve on but natural talent isn't one of them, if you can't control a ball properly at 18 you won't at 26.

You can start seeing who has a touch and who doesn’t even at under 15 level you can improve your touch to a degree but it’s either something you have or you don’t, hazard probably had a better touch than lakaku has now when he was 6 years old.  

On 26/06/2019 at 21:44, WalterWhiteCFC said:

You can start seeing who has a touch and who doesn’t even at under 15 level you can improve your touch to a degree but it’s either something you have or you don’t, hazard probably had a better touch than lakaku has now when he was 6 years old.  

Agree with that though with strikers a great touch is not always a pre-requisite if they have a M/F than can find them, Especially if they have a turn of pace. Always nice though to a have a striker with good ball control.

Looks like he’s got number 19; the number I always use to play in because nobody was bothered about that one 

Now I want him to smash this season even more than before!

I thought he was actually okay bar the one clear chance that was saved. Often not helped by Michy's selfishness and lack of vision either.

13 hours ago, Spiller86 said:

I thought he was actually okay bar the one clear chance that was saved. Often not helped by Michy's selfishness and lack of vision either.

I'd rather have a striker being selfish. Michy was our best player yesterday.

5 hours ago, RIP Mourinho said:

I'd rather have a striker being selfish. Michy was our best player yesterday.

I thought he was classic Michy. Tunnel vision for goal and not much else. 

To play in a front two you have to pass the ball to your partner when they are in a better position than you. There were at least two really good moments where Michy didn't even look let alone consider passing. 

28 minutes ago, Spiller86 said:

I thought he was classic Michy. Tunnel vision for goal and not much else. 

To play in a front two you have to pass the ball to your partner when they are in a better position than you. There were at least two really good moments where Michy didn't even look let alone consider passing. 

Chances are we don't play with a front 2 next season, spent £60m on Pulisic and have CHO coming back. Bats showed good link up play, work rates and touches.

[Father Abraham]

Tammy Abraham,

Scores lots of goals,

Scores lots of goals does Tammy Abraham

 

This is the lowest hanging fruit. All that's left is for him to make it so. 

Edited July 17, 20197 yr by TheChelseaBlues

The more I think about it, the more it seems like Tammy is going to get a  run this season and represents our best chance of exceeding expectations. Good judges are not sure he’s good enough. But at 21 he can still  improve. And his record  is  pretty strong. And the managers know him well. He’s not Radford or a still unproven cho but he is well proven at championship level. Pity he hasn’t had a season in Europe. 

I thought he played very well today, his hold up play and ability to stretch the game with pace is massively beneficial to us. He’s a natural goal scorer as well, he took is goal fantastically well, it would have been easy to snatch at the chance having just missed a sitter a few minutes earlier.

 

He should have scored two but that’s the sort of attitude you want from your striker is that if they miss a sitter they get back in to the position to score again, we’ve had enough strikers who miss chances and then let the head drop and go in to hiding ala Torres & Morata. Tammy has the right mental attitude to lead the line for chelsea. 

 

I’d go out on a limb and say he’ll be our starting no. 9 by Christmas at the latest, much more athletic than Giroud and a far better touch than Bats. 

I'm not as convinced EB. His work without the ball wasn't nearly good enough. I didn't think he supported the press that well and he was often easily bypassed by Barcas defenders passing into midfield. He also missed a sitter and didn't do much on the ball. Giroud still a better option in my view, although he might be level with Bats as a second striker. 

35 minutes ago, Spiller86 said:

I'm not as convinced EB. His work without the ball wasn't nearly good enough. I didn't think he supported the press that well and he was often easily bypassed by Barcas defenders passing into midfield. He also missed a sitter and didn't do much on the ball. Giroud still a better option in my view, although he might be level with Bats as a second striker. 

Problem is the other 2 will score more goals than Giroud given the same opportunity. We need to somehow replace Hazard’s goals & having a 9 who just holds up the ball wont cut it.

And just a reminder he was Arsenal’s 4th choice forward, and somehow he is reckoned to be our 1st choice.

6 hours ago, ducavis said:

Problem is the other 2 will score more goals than Giroud given the same opportunity. We need to somehow replace Hazard’s goals & having a 9 who just holds up the ball wont cut it.

And just a reminder he was Arsenal’s 4th choice forward, and somehow he is reckoned to be our 1st choice.

That's a fair point ducavis. My view is that it a striker's contribution these days has to extend beyond finishing. Abraham and Michy are both pretty ordinary on the ball and don't link up as well with other players. From what I've observed they also aren't great without the ball at leading the press which is key for a striker these days. 

Giroud isn't perfect and his finishing isn't always great but he does the other things well. In a season where I don't think we're going to create mountains of chances for a striker, doing the other stuff is important. 

Tammy may grow into that and take over at some stage but he's not there yet for me.

I didn't realized that TA was already the #9

 

28 minutes ago, robdog said:

I didn't realized that TA was already the #9

 

Break the curse Tammy, break the curse.

He needs maybe a bit more weight in order to be dominant.

7 hours ago, robdog said:

I didn't realized that TA was already the #9

 

Now we know he's not a shrinking violet.

7 hours ago, robdog said:

I didn't realized that TA was already the #9

 

Now we know he's not a shrinking violet.