N'golo Kante - We are not worthy!

[Scott Harris]

I think he has a had a pretty poor season. He's still got the odd good performance in him, but they are becoming less and less frequent now, it feels like the injuries have finally caught up with him.

[Dubair]

10 minutes ago, Scott Harris said:

I think he has a had a pretty poor season. He's still got the odd good performance in him, but they are becoming less and less frequent now, it feels like the injuries have finally caught up with him.

Yeah I’d have to agree on this season, I’m still hesitant to write him off though because I was off that view in 19/20 and then he came back excellently last season. 

[axman2526]

Just not himself is he? I think he is playing with a injury and we would be best served to let him rest and come back fresh.

You don't sub a fit Kante at half time, you just don't.

[nonotnowjim]

Ngolo, as much as we love him, has been bang average for a while. When was his last great game? the UCL final?

The issue is that when he is not chasing, closing and intercepting , for which he really needs to be 100% fit, he offers nothing. He is a bit of a liability moving forward, regularly playing bad/wrong passes and breaking down our moves. 

Don't know where to go with him tbh. Kova deserves to start over him in a 2 man mid. 

[Guest Sindre]

There is a decision to be made on Kante this summer. He's ageing, declining and his contract is running out in 2023.

Do we renew him or do we try to sell him to PSG while we can still get a substansial amount of money for him? 

 

[ducavis]

2 hours ago, Sindre said:

There is a decision to be made on Kante this summer. He's ageing, declining and his contract is running out in 2023.

Do we renew him or do we try to sell him to PSG while we can still get a substansial amount of money for him? 

 

I would sell. He is our 2nd highest earner, likely on the decline, and fingers crossed Connor Gallagher will provide the energy in the middle of the park. I would use the funds to reinvest in a DM, and start slowly transitioning back to a back 4, and a mid-3.

[abramovich]

Lets' be honest, Ngolo's been largely poor for the last two seasons at least. There were occasions, like last season's CL campaign when he was magnificent in big games but it's been obvious for quite some time now that he's not the player he used to be and injuries and wear and tear have finally caught with him. He's got a step slower, regularly loses fifty-fifty duels he used to dominate for fun and offers nothing going forward. All the things that made him such an invaluable player are gone now. Plus, he's 31, one of our top earners and has two years left on his contract.

If I had a real hope Ngolo could regain his past form I'd never entertain an idea of selling him but we have to face facts. The real question is, who's his replacement. Gallagher is an obvious choice and I'm sure we'll look into getting someone in the summer.

Edited April 7, 2022 by abramovich

[jack_super_class]

Him pressing so high up the pitch doesn't suit him, Kante should be behind the ball in the centre winning the ball.

His position didn't help him to have a good game.

[Bob stark]

16 hours ago, jack_super_class said:

Him pressing so high up the pitch doesn't suit him, Kante should be behind the ball in the centre winning the ball.

His position didn't help him to have a good game.

He had to. It was clear mount was being tasked to mark casemiro hence there was a big gap on the right.

[Term_X]

Absolute disaster class, cost us the game today.

[Andy2461]

Had a nightmare tonight 

[turnyitb]

Shouldn’t play him when he’s fasting though it doesn’t seem to affect Rudi as much 

Edited April 12, 2022 by turnyitb

[ElTerrible]

2 minutes ago, Term_X said:

Absolute disaster class, cost us the game today.

Yeah, so unprofessional. Madrid were DEAD. An old-ass beaten team and he revived them all by himself, giving the ball away cheaply and not tracking back.

Not a chance in hell Madrid create anything from open play after 80 minutes on dead legs, if the defense is set-up behind the ball. Madrid are an old weak team that somehow stole two knockout rounds. Knowing what a moron Pep becomes in the later stages of the Champions League, they´ll probably get by another round.

Also bad decision to take off Werner. 3-0 with him in the tie, 1-5 without him. Add last year and you know...

People need to recognize that it´s Werner - Havertz - Mount that make this team click. You take one out and replace them with Origi or Donovan it all falls apart.

 

[Vagabond]

I'm fine with players making mistakes like Mendy did in the first leg or Kante for their first goal, but him not going after that ball for the second is unbelievable. I was speechless for 5 minutes. An inexcusable lack of effort. Horrible.

[Gol15]

It's not the first time he gave away the ball while playing as the deep DM, Lampard tried to have him in that role in a 4-3-3 in a similar fashion and it was a disaster.

2 lost balls that resulted in 2 conceded goals shows how brutal it can be but part from those stupid balls Kante wasn't playing bad, our tactic did work for the majority of the game.

[nonotnowjim]

1 minute ago, Vagabond said:

I'm fine with players making mistakes like Mendy did in the first leg or Kante for their first goal, but him not going after that ball for the second is unbelievable. I was speechless for 5 minutes. An inexcusable lack of effort. Horrible.

Agree - I called it when I was watching, saying out loud "if they score here, Kante will be crucified"

Appalling play

[Munkunku]

Come on, you can’t be mad at this guy. He definitely has credit in the bank with the amount of times he’s saved our arses! 

[ElTerrible]

Just now, Vagabond said:

I'm fine with players making mistakes like Mendy did in the first leg or Kante for their first goal, but him not going after that ball for the second is unbelievable. I was speechless for 5 minutes. An inexcusable lack of effort. Horrible.

Didn´t exactly put any pressure on Modric either, when he gave the ball away for their first goal. He reacts faster he can at least make Modric rush the pass. Also not sure WTF Alonso was doing for the goal. He went away from Rodrygo like there was some phantom runner behind. Thiago imho could also have stretched out his leg, just to make the finish more difficult, even if he doesn´t touch the ball.

In a funny way Chelsea showed their inexperience in this tie. Never in a hundred years should they have lost this tie.

 

[Guest Sindre]

Sad part is that he was great for about 90% of the game. In the end that doesn't matter all that much when you make three big blunders and two of them send you out of the Champions League and that hurts.

Still can't believe we were knocked out tonight. We smashed them and had them completely on the ropes. 0-3 at the Bernabeu and then boom, individual mistakes.

[timetowaste]

Yeah his mistake cost us but he was still really good most of the game. 

[Fatty_Speeding]

Should have received a second yellow for that failed tackle on Kroos, though fortunately the German stayed on his feet.

Think that's what Rudiger was blasting him for afterwards.

[ElTerrible]

8 minutes ago, Fatty_Speeding said:

Should have received a second yellow for that failed tackle on Kroos, though fortunately the German stayed on his feet.

Think that's what Rudiger was blasting him for afterwards.

It´s probably that Rudiger had never seen Toni Kroos press anybody successfully. In the wild you have a better chance to see the Yeti bang Santa Claus.

It´s not even the giving the ball away. You also have to play the scoreline. At 0-0 that is acceptable, up 3-0 against a dead team, it´s a bad decision. Send the ball long and hard toward the sideline and Havertz is in foot race in the other direction that either ends with a throw-in, a pass back to the goalie or even better things.

[axman2526]

He is human after all then eh?

[dansubrosa]

39 minutes ago, turnyitb said:

Shouldn’t play him when he’s fasting though it doesn’t seem to affect Rudi as much 

I don’t think fasting really counts for Rudiger, he only eats bricks and glass the lunatic

[Scott Harris]

49 minutes ago, turnyitb said:

Shouldn’t play him when he’s fasting though it doesn’t seem to affect Rudi as much 

I don't know, he was in the form of his life last season when he was fasting.