3 hours ago, wizardous said:

Diego in his prime was a beast. Give him the ball inside the penalty area and it's a certain goal.

By the way what is this 24 thing? How did you get to that number? I don't really get it 😁

I think there were better players than Diego in Europe who performed in the CL. Oops 22 not 24, and I have my list. A 1st 11 & 11 subs.

GK: Oblak & Ederson

RB: Pavard & Cancelo

LB: Theo Hernandez & Robertson

CB: Van Dijk, Diaz, Alaba, Gimenez,

Mid: Kimmich, Frenkie De Jong, Goretzka,                        De Bruyne, Muller

FW: Lewandowski, Salah, Halaand, Mbappe, Neymar, Messi, Ronaldo

51 minutes ago, Ernie_blue said:

Oh come on, Kovacic is a good player but not close to WC. 

Why not close though based on my other posts? Any examples of who  IS close? Also @dkw does have a point 🙂

12 minutes ago, ducavis said:

I think there were better players than Diego in Europe who performed in the CL. Oops 22 not 24, and I have my list. A 1st 11 & 11 subs.

GK: Oblak & Ederson

RB: Pavard & Cancelo

LB: Theo Hernandez & Robertson

CB: Van Dijk, Diaz, Alaba, Gimenez,

Mid: Kimmich, Frenkie De Jong, Goretzka,                        De Bruyne, Muller

FW: Lewandowski, Salah, Halaand, Mbappe, Neymar, Messi, Ronaldo

I think of some of the players not on that list and they are a level above Kovacic aswell. Thats why i think he is only a good player atm.

22 minutes ago, dkw said:

Means toilet doesn't it....

Valid 

@Gol15Banned?

Why?

How the f**k will I know how many times Jorginho has wiped his arse now?

 

 

31 minutes ago, M.M.B said:

I don't know what boxes need to be ticked to be WC, or what WC even means.

Also valid but I’m pretty sure if one were to try and draw up a list of objective criteria, Kova would screen as pretty close 

4 minutes ago, Dean said:

Why not close though based on my other posts? Any examples of who  IS close? Also @dkw does have a point 🙂

I see world class as the real elite. I would say players like Mane, Silva, Laporte, Kane, Allison, Gundogan, Sterling, Dias, Rodri are close to world class, Kovacic isnt on there level. 

8 minutes ago, Nibs said:

@Gol15Banned?

Why?

How the f**k will I know how many times Jorginho has wiped his arse now?

With out the charts and graphs how will know anything about anything? We’re dooooooooooomed!

8 minutes ago, Munkworth said:

With out the charts and graphs how will know anything about anything? We’re dooooooooooomed!

That means at least 5 pages off the match threads without the back and forth over Jorginho 

28 minutes ago, Ernie_blue said:

I see world class as the real elite. I would say players like Mane, Silva, Laporte, Kane, Allison, Gundogan, Sterling, Dias, Rodri are close to world class, Kovacic isnt on there level. 

Well I'm going to throw in Ben Gahzi, definitely WC...  

1 hour ago, Richard P said:

That means at least 5 pages off the match threads without the back and forth over Jorginho 

More room for sock chat! @Valerie will be pleased 

Poor old @Gol15, he’s a misunderstood soul!

3 hours ago, M.M.B said:

I don't know what boxes need to be ticked to be WC, or what WC even means.

I would say really world class means great consistency as a player, every manager would want you, and you walk into the first choice XI of all the top teams. Can produce moments of genius most other players can't. DeBruyne, Xavi, Iniesta, Viera, Gascoigne.

Good player Kovacic. Has completely won me over after a hugely underwhelming first season under Sarri. Is in the starting XI on merit and I'm glad we have him. But not world class for me.

Sorry Dean.

1 minute ago, just said:

I would say really world class means great consistency as a player, every manager would want you, and you walk into the first choice XI of all the top teams. Can produce moments of genius most other players can't. DeBruyne, Xavi, Iniesta, Viera, Gascoigne.

Good player Kovacic. Has completely won me over after a hugely underwhelming first season under Sarri. Is in the starting XI on merit and I'm glad we have him. But not world class for me.

Sorry Dean.

Have to agree for now, with that being said were we to win the prem next season with Kova putting in performances like those of late then I think he has a shout.

1 hour ago, just said:

I would say really world class means great consistency as a player, every manager would want you, and you walk into the first choice XI of all the top teams. Can produce moments of genius most other players can't. DeBruyne, Xavi, Iniesta, Viera, Gascoigne.

Good player Kovacic. Has completely won me over after a hugely underwhelming first season under Sarri. Is in the starting XI on merit and I'm glad we have him. But not world class for me.

Sorry Dean.

I didn’t say he was world class Just. My initial point was that saying he is “not even close” (Bob Stark) doesn’t do him justice. 

6 hours ago, Ernie_blue said:

I see world class as the real elite. I would say players like Mane, Silva, Laporte, Kane, Allison, Gundogan, Sterling, Dias, Rodri are close to world class, Kovacic isnt on there level. 

Lol if Rodri was playing for us he'd be every bit a whipping boy as Jorginho is.

As for Laporte, he's been benched for John Stones.

29 minutes ago, Argo said:

Lol if Rodri was playing for us he'd be every bit a whipping boy as Jorginho is.

As for Laporte, he's been benched for John Stones.

Stones is playing his best football since he has been at City, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him back in the England team plus he rotates with Laporte. 

12 hours ago, Dean said:

I guess one can define as one likes, but how can he be “not even close”? Who IS close if Kovacic isn’t? He plays for one of the best five teams in one of the best leagues in the world. He plays for a decent international side that were WC finalists last time round. This isn’t the diadora league we’re talking about . And I would apply this reasoning to most of our players, most are knocking on the door of being WC, including Jorginho. I would say that with a better shot Kovacic would be world class. That’s pretty close. The things he does well - ball retention, close control - he does as well as anyone. He’s a decent tackler, much better at the “final ball” than most think. Which players would you consider close to WC?

In our team right now?

No one. Pulisic last year performance at times was close, if he can continue on that he can be but so far he hasn't

If your definition of every one play in Chelsea are close to wc, then your bar of wc player is very low. I am quite surprised that anyone who have watched cesc play for us and can say that Jorginho is close to cesc. 

You can't say oh if he is a better shooter he is wc. If Alonso is quick, he is the best fb in the world. It does not work like that. 

3 hours ago, Argo said:

Lol if Rodri was playing for us he'd be every bit a whipping boy as Jorginho is.

As for Laporte, he's been benched for John Stones.

Nope Rodri is actually better passer than Jorginho and as Pep found out last season far worse defensively that fernadinho. 

8 hours ago, just said:

I would say really world class means great consistency as a player, every manager would want you, and you walk into the first choice XI of all the top teams. Can produce moments of genius most other players can't. DeBruyne, Xavi, Iniesta, Viera, Gascoigne.

Good player Kovacic. Has completely won me over after a hugely underwhelming first season under Sarri. Is in the starting XI on merit and I'm glad we have him. But not world class for me.

Sorry Dean.

For me it is about how do you impact the game, it doesn't matter if it is offense or defense or both. Some player is quite easy to tell some it is quite difficult (intangible, difficult to judge from tv). 

I don't think you have think twice if we can swap kova for prime cesc/prime kante. 

 

 

 

2 hours ago, Bob stark said:

In our team right now?

No one. Pulisic last year performance at times was close, if he can continue on that he can be but so far he hasn't

If your definition of every one play in Chelsea are close to wc, then your bar of wc player is very low. I am quite surprised that anyone who have watched cesc play for us and can say that Jorginho is close to cesc. 

You can't say oh if he is a better shooter he is wc. If Alonso is quick, he is the best fb in the world. It does not work like that. 

It seems we are just not going to agree over the meaning of the word “close”. That seems to be the issue here rather than my bar for what constitutes world class being too low. 

9 hours ago, just said:

I would say really world class means great consistency as a player, every manager would want you, and you walk into the first choice XI of all the top teams. Can produce moments of genius most other players can't. DeBruyne, Xavi, Iniesta, Viera, Gascoigne.

Good player Kovacic. Has completely won me over after a hugely underwhelming first season under Sarri. Is in the starting XI on merit and I'm glad we have him. But not world class for me.

Sorry Dean.

 I agree with the part in bold. I remember certain people on here used to argue that Luiz was world-class, as he was capable of world-class performances. It's the ability to maintain that standard consistently, to be able to reach that level of performance on a regular basis, as your standard. It's the difference between De Bruyne and Sigurdsson, Hazard and Mahrez.

I also agree that Kovačić isn't world-class, not by a long shot. I don't think anyone in our squad is close, other than Kanté.

12 hours ago, Ernie_blue said:

I see world class as the real elite. I would say players like Mane, Silva, Laporte, Kane, Allison, Gundogan, Sterling, Dias, Rodri are close to world class, Kovacic isnt on there level. 

It’s subjective of course but I’d argue Kovacic gives Gundogan and Rodri a good run for their money and that if he were in the City squad he’d get a decent amount of playing time. 

10 hours ago, Munkworth said:

More room for sock chat! @Valerie will be pleased 

Poor old @Gol15, he’s a misunderstood soul!

I turn my back for 5 minutes and then Gol15 has been banned! Shame, once I learned to ignore the back and forth on Jorginho there were occasions he could make me laugh. 

Black socks for the referee tonight in Gol's memory.  

15 minutes ago, Dean said:

It seems we are just not going to agree over the meaning of the word “close”. That seems to be the issue here rather than my bar for what constitutes world class being too low. 

I think you are talking more of a top 6/cl quality player. 

Since these days most epl team has tons of money you can give argument for so many player even outside top 6.

18 minutes ago, PloKoon13 said:

 I agree with the part in bold. I remember certain people on here used to argue that Luiz was world-class, as he was capable of world-class performances. It's the ability to maintain that standard consistently, to be able to reach that level of performance on a regular basis, as your standard. It's the difference between De Bruyne and Sigurdsson, Hazard and Mahrez.

I also agree that Kovačić isn't world-class, not by a long shot. I don't think anyone in our squad is close, other than Kanté.

I don't think you can put hazard and sigurdson in the same level. Hazard lazy level is cl player, hazard normal level is wc, motivated hazard is balondor level. 

I can give you good argument that Mahrez is wc but in city team he is just another robot.