IMO, in our team, we have two. Two players who if they left tomorrow, or had to retire for whatever reasons, we could never find replacements as good as them anywhere in the world.

It's not Frank Lampard. It's not Carvalho or even Cech, (very close call for him though). It's not Maka, great player though he still is. I think we could lose any of those players and, though it would be a big blow, we could find players who are as good or better in their respective positions.

But John Terry and Didier Drogba. Irreplaceable.

I would disagree on Cech - for me he is definitely one of the irreplacables. I say on the simple grounds that I consider him to be the best keeper in the world and therefore meets your criteria of 'never find replacements as good as them anywhere in the world'

You won't like it but I think there are grounds to argue against Drogba however those grounds are very much dependant uponplaying style. In the way we play, and have played for the past few seasons I would agree entirely that he merits a place on the list. However if a diffferent manager were to decide to play a very different type of game from ours then it is quite possible that there would be other strikers out there just as suited or more suited than Drogba.

Based on his form over the past 18 months I would also say Carvalho is very close to qualifying for the list but maybe more so in terms of his partnership with JT than as a standalone player. (moans and groans aside the JT/Gallas partnership is always going to be the strongest available!)

I tend to agree with Just on this but would add that Essien may well have made the list, had he not lost his touch of late, probably due to niggling injuries.

I can think of few who can match his drive and power when he's firing on all cylinders.

For me, the indispensibles are Cech, JT, Lampard and Drogba.

cech has to be there also IMO.

It's interesting to note with all the people who dis our squad. We still probably have the best spine in the premiership if not the world.

Also can't see any argument for keeping Cech off the list. He has been the biggest diffference between ourselves and our domestic rivals since he joined.

I always thought Eddie Newton would have been irreplaceable - Just goes to show, eh?

kev

I tend to agree with Just on this but would add that Essien may well have made the listI can think of few who can match his drive and power when he's firing on all cylinders.

I thought Essien had one of his poorer games last night, so for me I would only add Petr to Just's list

Schevchenko is irreplaceable - there is no one else on the planet that can play like him and cost as much

I have reconsidered, and I think all of you that have called for Cech to be added to that list are correct. There was a dip in form for Big Pete, but when you consider the injury he sustained, it's entirely understandable he was always going to take time to get back to his best. I think he is back there now.

However, I would totally disagree with Loz's call on Drogba. He could play up top in ANY system/formation/style and still be the key man up front. If you are going to argue that he wouldn't be effective in a team that played short, passing football, I'd bet money that he'd be even more lethal.

That is a different point Just - I am not saying that Drogba couldn't play in different styles, just that in different styles there are other strikers who you could replace him with.

FOr example RVN, Crespo, Villaand Eto'o are all strikers who in certain styles of play can be every bit as effective as Drogba (granted Crespo is getting on a bit now)

You won't like it but I think there are grounds to argue against Drogba however those grounds are very much dependant uponplaying style. In the way we play, and have played for the past few seasons I would agree entirely that he merits a place on the list. However if a diffferent manager were to decide to play a very different type of game from ours then it is quite possible that there would be other strikers out there just as suited or more suited than Drogba.

Whilst I tend to agree with your other two points Loz, your Drog comments must go down as one of the worst points EVER on the CSR forums, unless of course you are on a wind up mate!

Drogba was crucial to Jose's era as well as our future. I'd go further, he'd walk into ANY side in the world at the moment and is indeed the best pound for pound striker on the planet. Any Chelsea manager would need his head tested if he left him out of our side for anything other injury,suspension or playing in the Afro nations

Read again Star - all I am saying is that playing a different type of game would mean that there are a small number of other strikers who could do as well as Drogba. It doesn't mean I don't think he could be the main man for any team.

It is like me saying that Carvalho isn't irreplacable because there is a punter called William Gallas out there - that doesn't mean I am saying that Carvalho couldn't comfortably walk into the Arsenal first team.

Surely the mark of a great team and great players, (such as Holland '74 and total football), is to be able to adapt to different tactical formations and playing styles during a match. Short-passing game, diamond, 4-4-2 with wingers, long-ball game, etc.

Drogba, being the most complete forward in the world, (Crespo aside, but as you rightly point out Loz he is getting on and his best years are behind him), is the man who could function most effectively in all those differing systems.

You could argue that a player like David Villa would be more effective than Drogs in a team that played fluid, short-passing football to feet like we did under Ruud. For a forward to flourish in that system it's obvious that they must have excellent touch, movement and vision, (ala' Vialli's choice, Chris Sutton ). Like Villa, Drogba has all those attributes, but he also has much more in terms of power, aerial ability, work-rate. And I believe, in a system such as that required to play a short passing game, with players closer to him, (as opposed to being the lone striker), sharing the attacking load, dragging defenders with them, playing quick passes in from close distance, he'd be devastating.