https://mobile.twitter.com/ChelseaFC/status/1088062633021005826

So with Maurizio Sarri now confirming Higuain being a couple hours away from signing, how does everyone think he will do here? 

 

Im hopeful, but wary. 

Edited January 23, 20197 yr by Semper Fi

Huge thread on the rumors board, but I like the signing for several reasons.

1. The business behind it makes sense. We're not on the hook for anything other than 6 months. 58M for him in the summer would have been madness. Now, it's virtually risk free as a 6 month loan with options.

2. I've watched him play a lot the last couple of months. He's aggressive, he's direct, he's better than anything we have on the roster right now. He looks fit, not like the Sunday pub league player who is a little too round and a little too bald. (I always used the analogy Beer League Softball Player when describing him, but not all of you would get that :) )

3. #2 leads us to being able to put Hazard back at LW, so this signing improves 2 positions right away, CF and LW

4. He knows the system. There is no adjustment period here. He knows the system better than anyone on the team except Jorginho 

5. It's a good signal that the board is backing the manager

6. The bar has been set so low that it won't take much for him to be seen as a big improvement. Remember how well Giroud was loved nearly immediately

how will he do? I think he's going to be a moderate success. I'm hoping for about 10 goals across all competitions, and then we'll see where that leaves us in the summer.

I think it's the best we could have hoped for this window. 

One thing im grateful for this signing, I wont be punching my walls at the sight of Morata impersonating Bambi on ice. 

Edited January 23, 20197 yr by Semper Fi

If he’s as hungry for goals as he is for food he should do alright until the end of the season.

Big pressure on him to hit the ground running.

Penny for Giroud’s thoughts right now.

Gonzalo Higuain? More like Goalazo Higuain. 

Our lord and saviour has finally arrived.

10+ goals before the end of the season, remember this post.

He's going to be a huge success - lets have some faith! I'm excited to see him play.

He has failed the medical.

Nah I’m just kidding. Very happy with this one, I think he’s going to have a huge impact.

EDIT: Also I’m hoping he will have a huge success here, as Sarri was the only one who wanted him here while I imagine everybody else wanted to give Morata another shot. Higuain becoming a big success, I hope that will give the board the incentive to have more faith in Sarri transfer requests.

Edited January 23, 20197 yr by dansubrosa

Reading around online. There has been mixed opinions about him the past couple seasons, more so this season under AC Milan. The talk of how motivated he has been under current/previous manager/s. The more I read and hear about him and Sarri's relationship though, it's only positive. They both seem to have a lot of respect and admiration for each other, and most importantly trust. There is no guarantee he'll be a huge success, but we can hope.

If he has the motivation and drive to work under Sarri again, then I can't see any downside. The only issue is adaption to the league which may or may not take time. The thing we have now is a striker who is capable of punishing teams if given the chances. He is someone who can be clinical in and around the box given half a yard, this sends anxiety into opposition defenders, rather than no fear which is what oppo defences have experienced when playing against Morata and Giroud. 

36 minutes ago, Skinnedy said:

Huge thread on the rumors board, but I like the signing for several reasons.

1. The business behind it makes sense. We're not on the hook for anything other than 6 months. 58M for him in the summer would have been madness. Now, it's virtually risk free as a 6 month loan with options.

2. I've watched him play a lot the last couple of months. He's aggressive, he's direct, he's better than anything we have on the roster right now. He looks fit, not like the Sunday pub league player who is a little too round and a little too bald. (I always used the analogy Beer League Softball Player when describing him, but not all of you would get that :) )

3. #2 leads us to being able to put Hazard back at LW, so this signing improves 2 positions right away, CF and LW

4. He knows the system. There is no adjustment period here. He knows the system better than anyone on the team except Jorginho 

5. It's a good signal that the board is backing the manager

6. The bar has been set so low that it won't take much for him to be seen as a big improvement. Remember how well Giroud was loved nearly immediately

how will he do? I think he's going to be a moderate success. I'm hoping for about 10 goals across all competitions, and then we'll see where that leaves us in the summer.

I think it's the best we could have hoped for this window. 

Only if we don't purchase him.  As just a loan deal, I agree it is damn near perfect.

And beer league softball player  That's a perfect way to describe him.

As much as I think he's a fading force, I don't see anything too wrong with the particulars of this deal in light of the rather dire circumstances. Even if things don't work out it's not likely that we would have gotten a whole lot more from Morata, who by now looks as if he'd rather be anywhere but Chelsea. 

On the one hand, I think he's less predatory in front of goal than he used to be. A post on another forum sets forth the issues (in bold, with my commentary below):
 

Quote

I think a very effective way to determine a player's attack is to see how many times he hits the goal. When he was in Napoli, he was a beast. He had an average of 5.2 shots per game. His last season at Juventus had an average of 2.9 shots per game. Clearly there is a deterioration. All this without mentioning his painful performance in the world cup. 

...[H]is season 16/17 in juventus was excellent with 21% of goals per shot, surpassing his previous season in Napoli 15/16 with 19% of goals per shot. But his last season 17/18 at Juventus fell to an average of 17% goals per shot. That's low for any center forward.

However, that same post makes out that he's more supportive than Morata. Whereas Morata has done little to assist his teammates, Higuain has still been willing to track back and help his teammates score, sometimes by playing them in but more often by attracting the opposition and creating space for teammates. Morata on the other hand was quite good at getting himself into scoring positions, but he didn't really attract the opposition in the same way because the opposition (rightly) saw Hazard as being the primary attacking threat, while he fell over far too often to actually create space for anyone. Higuain is a bit stronger than Morata and is better with his weaker foot so that might change somewhat. 

Edited January 23, 20197 yr by DaRick
Edited citation

48 minutes ago, mwblue10 said:

Only if we don't? ?purchase him?.

We're only going to buy him if he starts pouring in goals and we're in the Champions League. 

Not an all bad scenario regarding his potential purchase. 

Welcome Gonzalo. Never been a huge fan of his but the connection between Sarri and him gives me hope. This deal is good for us in any case. 

I really hope he starts banging in the goals so Haz can move to wing

Just now, Skinnedy said:

We're only going to buy him if he starts pouring in goals and we're in the Champions League. 

Not an all bad scenario regarding his potential purchase. 

Well when you put it that way...

Just now, evissy said:

Welcome Gonzalo. Never been a huge fan of his but the connection between Sarri and him gives me hope. This deal is good for us in any case. 

I really hope he starts banging in the goals so Haz can move to wing

This is the key to it all IMO.  We just need Higuain to be better than what Morata and Giroud have given us as a no.9, that get's Hazard back on the LW and makes us much more dangerous.

Can only be a positive. 

I'm hopeful he'll do well. Haven't seen much of him recently, and I gather he's in decline, but if he can recapture his Napoli form he'll be a huge asset, and a player we really need to transform our goal-shy attack.

It's like they intentionally waited to push it through until after he couldn't play in the second leg vs Spurs...... would have been good even to just have on the bench.

 

Excited because a striker on the pitch is sorely what this team needs.  He'll have to be extraordinary levels of awful not to improve the team just by his presence, allowing Hazard to escape the false-9 role, and present a potential serious threat to opposing CB's.

SpursyJoe asked me to pass on a message seeing as he’s banned now; he’s no Callum Wilson. 

2 minutes ago, Munkworth said:

SpursyJoe asked me to pass on a message seeing as he’s banned now; he’s no Callum Wilson. 

He shot his shot and didn't hide it, i'll give him that

Would have you believe that Callum Wilson is on track to win the Ballon d'Or this year 

8 minutes ago, Munkworth said:

SpursyJoe asked me to pass on a message seeing as he’s banned now; he’s no Callum Wilson. 

He's banned???  NO!!!!!!

Who is going to remind me to go buy my Callum Wilson toilet paper now?

1 minute ago, yorkleyblue said:

He's banned???  NO!!!!!!

Who is going to remind me to go buy my Callum Wilson toilet paper now?

You mean you haven’t got a standing order set up like me? SpursyJoe you’ve failed big time!

From Milan, we are very very happy that you took this chubby guy, huge and incredible disappointment. if you were looking for a fighter you made a big mistake.

49 minutes ago, andrec21 said:

From Milan, we are very very happy that you took this chubby guy, huge and incredible disappointment. if you were looking for a fighter you made a big mistake.

Equally, thanks for taking the sack of sh*t Bakayoko from us. 

1 hour ago, andrec21 said:

From Milan, we are very very happy that you took this chubby guy, huge and incredible disappointment. if you were looking for a fighter you made a big mistake.

 

"The only person that really wanted me in Chelsea was Sarri. but here (AC Milan) everybody wanted me. That is for me the most beautiful feeling that a player can have, to feel you're really welcomed"

 

I bet he regrets that comment now.