4 minutes ago, Slojo said:

It's not that he's not strong enough, it's that he's used to going down rather than staying on his feet, that doesn't mean he can't adapt. 

I mean the guy is like 6'2/6'3, he's definitely strong enough for the league, it's not a situation with Pedro two seasons ago, and Pedro adapted fine in the end. 

I can't promise he will be a great player but I think we definitely have to be more patient with him, however, we could do with a good backup. I don't think Giroud is the answer but who knows. 

I'd be happy with Morata as back up.

I'm surprised Christensen wasn't out longer due to back pain...y'know from carrying the entire defense this season.

Edited February 9, 20188 yr by TomCFC85

When did this back problem even happen?  Was it a training injury after the Norwich match?  Seems like it came out of nowhere right after then.

9 minutes ago, mwblue10 said:

When did this back problem even happen? 

When he began to feel the weight of expectation of scoring goals after those misses against Arsenal.

4 minutes ago, ForeverCarefree said:

When he began to feel the weight of expectation of scoring goals after those misses against Arsenal.

I've heard it suggested that he's suffering from depression and the whole "back issue" is a distraction. 

To be honest, now I can understand why he used to be the second choice at Real Madrid and Juventus.

Twice he's been asked about Morata and both times he can't give an ETA which is strange for an injury. There is the possibility that he is feeling too much pressure and can't hack it, which is not unbelievable as he is quite a soft sensitive lad. But surely if that's the case he would still be training but benched or left out, to not be training at all has got to mean he is injured?

A little of column A and B I guess.

Make the whole Batshuayi situation bizarre. He’s been out for what now; 18days with no expected return date. Sorry but if we can get our money back next summer, I would get rid of him.

Does seem strange. Reckon it’s nothing to do with a back injury and something mental. Didn’t his close friend die? I’m all for being compassionate and caring but the team really does need Morata at the minute and we’ve been struggling without him. 

I don’t like to use the phrase “pull yourself together” but there is an element that he does need to do it.  Think it’s not the first time it’s happened either. 

Because the manager refuses to say he is injured and just calls it a 'situation'.

So it's guesswork then. A 'situation' implies to me a long standing, serious back problem rather than an injury, which may have contributed to his drop in form in December. That would be my guess anyway.

4 hours ago, TomCFC85 said:

I'm surprised Christensen wasn't out longer due to back pain...y'know from carrying the entire defense this season.

Dave would disagree.

Back on topic, as a recent sufferers of back problems I can say the best thing I did was crack on with my quite physical job and now I’m fine. Unless he’s broken something the worst thing for a bad back is rest so he needs to man up and get on with it. 

According to that Squawka comparison matrix thing, Morata has converted 10 of his 59 chances in the PL this season, which is a better conversion rate than Harry Kane's 22 from 146.

Kane has had 38 more attempts on goal in his 2,132 minutes playing time than Morata and Hazard have had in their combined 3,037 ...

Food for thought ... maybe it's the tactics and we just aren't attacking enough and creating enough to offset the inevitable misses ?

 

You never hear anyone complaining about Harry Kane's conversion rate ...

We just don't create that many chances truth be told. 

Hard to when you have five defenders and Kante / Bakayoko in midfield.

 

Just not good enough attacking wise this season. 

Wasn't the reason for his prolonged absence due to being given extra time off as a result of his close friend dying in a car accident? But now it's back to the back injury? I'm not doubting Morata's back pain/issues but compared to other injury announcements we've had this season, this one seems to be purposely vague and fishy judging by Conte's responses. If he really is out for the rest of the season, prepare yourselves for more false 9 bullsh*t as I doubt Giroud can handle starting every game for the following 5 months.

but to say he could be out for a week, a month or the season when we've let Michy go on loan? what is happening at Chelsea? do people not talk to each other?

basically we're back to having just one striker in Giroud for the foreseeable - for a club with Chelsea's resources that's just incompetence  

31 minutes ago, carrickblue said:

but to say he could be out for a week, a month or the season when we've let Michy go on loan? what is happening at Chelsea? do people not talk to each other?

basically we're back to having just one striker in Giroud for the foreseeable - for a club with Chelsea's resources that's just incompetence  

Everything at Chelsea is so baffling, really getting pissed off with it.

https://twitter.com/sjstandardsport/status/962108337310654464

Footballers really are as thick as they come.

That's Courtois, Eden and now Morata who are talking about Real Madrid yet I don't think any of them realise that Madrid are yet to launch a bid for any of them.

Awful timing as well.

Edited February 10, 20188 yr by JMaher94

https://twitter.com/sjstandardsport/status/962108337310654464
Footballers really are as thick as they come.
That's Courtois, Eden and now Morata who are talking about Real Madrid yet I don't think any of them realise that Madrid are yet to launch a bid for any of them.
Awful timing as well.

Morata has already responded to that. He was talking about Madrid being his home, not the club. Kevin Keegan used to always gush about England when interviewed by the BBC during the time he played for Hamburg. I think it's something like playing to the home gallery or something like that. Although the media will give it a dramatic headline of course.

He can f**k off back to Madrid for all i care. Many strikers out there that can match his effort of late. 

He's like a little boy that can't get offer his ex and comes running back every time they flutter and eye lid. Needs to realise the grass is greener on the other side or be happy on Madrid's bench.

On 09/02/2018 at 07:10, dansubrosa said:

Alexis Sanchez, Auba, Mikhitarian, VVD, Laporte, Lucas Moura.

All of these players were available in January and I’d say that’s a high level group of footballers.

We couldnt get Sanchez, 

I didnt want any of the others. Maybe be nice to have VVD or Laporte but we werent going to pay out that much money for a defender with the squad we have at the moment. 

1 hour ago, EmeraldBlue said:

Morata has already responded to that. He was talking about Madrid being his home, not the club. Kevin Keegan used to always gush about England when interviewed by the BBC during the time he played for Hamburg. I think it's something like playing to the home gallery or something like that. Although the media will give it a dramatic headline of course.

Should be responding on the pitch and keeping away from the media until he's fit again.

#AWOLALVARO

He just posted this on Instagram so must be back training today.

I heard his training session was in a dance class, he is preparing for the new season of Strictly

Frankly I think some of the abuse of him recently is absurd. He had a great start to the year, he has missed a few chances recently and is still struggling to adapt to the league. 

On top of that he lost a good friend at a young age while away from home. Might be better if we got behind him a bit rather than questioning the blokes mentality.