N'golo Kante - We are not worthy!

[axman2526]

16 hours ago, just said:

Has joined the Chelsea Gods tonight. Osgood, Bonettii, Harris, Cooke, Dixon, Nevin, Wise, Lampard, Drogba, Terry, Kante.

Nigel De Jong has said tonight the "Makelele" position has to re-named the "Kante" position.

I said earlier in the season that I believed De Bruyne was currently the best midfielder in the world. Since I posted that I have been proven conclusively wrong. It is Ngolo Kante, and by some distance.

You and me both @just. When he is like this no one in the world can touch him. 

[Deino]

Any History XI or World XI that doesn't feature Kante is ludicrous.

The man that does the job of 3 people

[paraphil]

15 hours ago, Sheva said:

I said to myself before the game. If Kante turns up we have a chance. He didn’t just turn up. He took over.

Incredible player. He may not grab the headlines as he doesn’t play further forward but he’s one of the greatest players we’ve ever had. 
 

Give that man the ballon dor.
 

 

Never mind the Ballon D'or,  given him his own statue at SB

 

It wont take up much space

[Scott Harris]

2 hours ago, seveN said:

Do you guys think he has a chance of winning the ballon d'or if France wins the euros?

Yes, if he plays a crucial role in their win, then he will definitely be up.

[dansubrosa]

I’m genuinely wondering, is Kante the greatest player we’ve ever had?

Super Frank was unbelievable, Terry legend, Drogba big game winner, but Kante wow, there is no one like him. Absolutely crazy how he makes it look like there is 3 of him on the pitch.

He’s not that close to Terry or Super Frank in terms of legendary status but he’s possibly the greatest player. 

[seveN]

And the fact that he's been doing this for years... always at the top of his game.

[PloKoon13]

The mere thought is insane, but I think last night confirms it.

Kanté is better than Makélélé.

[Deino]

2 hours ago, dansubrosa said:

I’m genuinely wondering, is Kante the greatest player we’ve ever had?

Super Frank was unbelievable, Terry legend, Drogba big game winner, but Kante wow, there is no one like him. Absolutely crazy how he makes it look like there is 3 of him on the pitch.

He’s not that close to Terry or Super Frank in terms of legendary status but he’s possibly the greatest player. 

It's a quantity vs quality debate.

Terry, Lamps and Drogba had big personalities and won loads of trophies collectively as a Chelsea unit. They never won anything of a significant level when separated.

Arguably Kante eclipsed all of them in terms of how he impacts the team. He wins a meaningful trophy with every team he's in despite blooming very late at age 25yrs old. 

Kante is surely in the same conversation as Maradona, Zidane, Pirlo, Cruyff etc.

Edited May 30, 2021 by Deino

[axman2526]

1 hour ago, PloKoon13 said:

The mere thought is insane, but I think last night confirms it.

Kanté is better than Makélélé.

Different players, not a fair comparison. Maka and Jorginho is better, as would be Kante to Essien, Keane and Viera.

Edited May 30, 2021 by axman2526

[Riccardo]

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/30/sports/soccer/ngolo-kante-chelsea.html

[coco]

2 hours ago, PloKoon13 said:

The mere thought is insane, but I think last night confirms it.

Kanté is better than Makélélé.

Yeah but which Kante ?

[loz]

Kante and Essien. Christ that's like being invited for a threesome and finding the other two are a young Brigitte Bardot and a young Grace Kelly.  

Kante,  Essien,  Maka, Jorginho  all in their prime.  You'd take any of the following combinations happily.

 

Kante and Essien

Kante and Maka

Essien and Maka

 

[Drogba1]

5 hours ago, dansubrosa said:

I’m genuinely wondering, is Kante the greatest player we’ve ever had?

Super Frank was unbelievable, Terry legend, Drogba big game winner, but Kante wow, there is no one like him. Absolutely crazy how he makes it look like there is 3 of him on the pitch.

He’s not that close to Terry or Super Frank in terms of legendary status but he’s possibly the greatest player. 

On top of all he's done for us, he was also arguably the main reason for the Leicester City miracle, they were mid table for years after he left. It's a hard one cause Lampard's numbers are unmatched by any midfielder but I think Kante is our greatest ever player, I hope he becomes the first Chelsea player to win the Ballon D'or 

[Scott Harris]

I genuinely believe he is on for the Ballon d'Or. If he wins the Euros with France, I don't see how anybody finishes ahead of him. Even if he doesn't win it, there is still a great chance. 

At this stage, it is him or Lewandowski. It's a tight one, because Lewandowski should have won it last year and he just broke Gerd Muller's 49 year old record, so a lot of people will go for him for those reasons. Either way, I am certain he gets into the top 3.

It would be pretty great to have a Ballon d'Or winner playing for us.

Edited May 31, 2021 by Scott Harris

[PhilH930]

What a player he is.  So humble as well.  Deserves all the credit he gets, and more.  Chelsea legend, and really a footballing legend.  No surprise teams he has played in have won at the highest level they compete in.

I mistakenly underestimated him earlier in the season or last season when Kova was POTY; wondered was he past his best.  Reality was the amount of minutes he played had caught up a little, and niggling injuries came about.  

Simply amazing player and person.  Love the guy.

[just]

Breaking down the brilliance of Chelsea's immovable object N’Golo Kante

Kante's incredible performance in the Champions League final begs the question: is he the greatest-ever in his position?

ByMike McGrath30 May 2021 • 1:54pm

Kante's celebrations were typically understated, but his performance was pivotal to nullifying Man City  CREDIT: Getty Images/BT Sport

While his persona is at the other end of the scale to hell-raising, there is a touch of Dennis Rodman about N’Golo Kante, whose skillset is incomparable in his own sport. 

Rodman would study the trajectory, bounce and spin of the basketball to become one of the NBA’s best rebounders. Kante’s ability to read where a football will travel is at such a level that his performance at Estádio do Dragão has sparked the debate of whether he is the greatest ever in his position. 

While playing for the Chicago Bulls, Rodman took impromptu trips to Las Vegas to let off steam. Kante’s celebrations after winning the Champions League are likely to be more understated. This is a player who ditched the footballers’ handbook and overlooked a  supercar for a Mini.  

Kante’s has been a Rolls-Royce player for Chelsea and there is no player who can recover the ball like him but also get forward. In the 54th match of his season, he was in Manchester City’s penalty area in the final minute of the final. Seconds later he was intercepting play at the other end. It is like having two players on the pitch.

Kante, in the 89th minute, finds himself second furthest forward for Chelsea in the penalty box CREDIT: BT Sport

With the clock ticking down, Kante intercepts again to deny City in the closing moments CREDIT: BT Sport

He will receive the biggest portion of Chelsea's £10m bonus pot for being crowned European champions, as it is split depending on appearances in the competition and he has the most. His work, however, is priceless to how his team functions. 

 

ADVERTISING

“They say 70 per cent of the world is covered by water, the rest by N’Golo Kante,” has now been made into a T-shirt and his performance against City explains why. That innate ability to sense where to position himself led to 10 recoveries to win back possession. 

His tackle to deny Kevin De Bruyne in full flow was timed to perfection, as was stealing the ball off Riyad Mahrez’s toes as the City winger moved into a position to shoot. 

Kante swipes the ball from De Bruyne, who was charging towards Chelsea's penalty box CREDIT: Pool via REUTERS

Kante’s importance was shown by the winning goal. Pep Guardiola had decided to keep Rodri and Fernandinho on the bench and either of them would have been in a position to block the pass to Kai Havertz. Incidentally, Kante was sprinting behind Havertz in support as the winner went in.  

There is more to Kante’s game than destruction. He is more than a “Makelele”, as Joe Cole pointed out on BT Sport, describing his performance as “men against boys”. While Claude Makelele could sit and read the game, Kante supports his forwards with lung-bursting energy. Rio Ferdinand, sat next to Cole, described him as the most valuable player in the Premier League.  

Kante also drove Chelsea forward against City and his pass completion, at 86 per cent, was among the best among Thomas Tuchel’s players. Tuchel refused to get drawn on individual players after the final whistle but it was clear who the man-of-match was. 

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At 30, Kante appears to be at the peak of his game. He had spells out of the team last season through injury, a hamstring problem being the main source of his frustrations. But when he returned after Tuchel’s appointment, Chelsea never lost a Premier League match when he was in the starting line-up. 

He has two years left on a contract and would walk into any other team at the moment. He moved from Leicester City after winning the title but does not seem the type to agitate for a transfer. 

His team-mates certainly appreciated him, with Kurt Zouma hoisting him in the air at the final whistle. During the celebrations he can almost appear to be a reluctant hero, happy to step out of the limelight after shining on the pitch. 

As he walked past the European Cup he put both palms lightly on Big Ears. He had just had a huge part in making sure Cesar Azpilicueta could grab it with both hands and lift it to the sky. 

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Edited May 31, 2021 by just

[erskblue]

 

Twitter

[Backbiter]

4 hours ago, erskblue said:

 

Twitter

What an image. "World's greatest midfielder" left on his arse by world's greatest midfielder.

Edited May 31, 2021 by Backbiter

[Ballack & Blu]

You got to love his total humility, what a player and a man
 

 

[Deino]

51 minutes ago, Ballack & Blu said:

You got to love his total humility, what a player and a man
 

 

Gotta love him. No "I" only "We".

GOAT

[Gol15]

I'm seriously thinking to cheer for France in the Euros now, win that and Kante should get the golden ball with diamond stitching... In his role nobody like him ever. 

[Nick05]

He enjoys in his own sweet way. Really nobody like him on and off the pitch.

[royce987]

 

[PhilH930]

On 30/05/2021 at 11:12, paraphil said:

Never mind the Ballon D'or,  given him his own statue at SB

 

It wont take up much space

But it will be found all over the premises

[2211]

I want England to win Euro 2020, but If England get knocked out I’m rooting for France to win it.

Then he has to get the Ballon D’or.

He deserves it regardless imo but I’d be surprised if he won it without France lifting the trophy.