Arjen Robben

[loz]

Screw breaking the bank for Kaka – break the bank to bring Robben back. A winger who runs at players at pace, can deliver a top quality cross and turns defenders inside out. We haven’t seen one of those at Chelsea since…well since Arjen Robben was sold!

I don’t care if he is injury prone, 15 games a season from Robben is worth more to the team that an entire season of Malouda or SWP!!

[ethicalstrategy]

Amen!

I might add on tonight's form we could do worse than bring Boulahrouz back too.

[sweet waffle]

He was indeed class tonight. I just hope he can stay fit for the remainder of the tournament as I really fancy the Dutch could win it.

[loz]

I have said that before about Boula ethical. Certainly not what I would want as a week in week out regular but a good back up player and better than Ben Haim.

I think people have excessive expectations about back up players - I remember people criticising Hilario for not being good enough even though he is our 3rd choice keeper

[Sheva]

I know the keeper could of done better, but his goal was outstanding, it came out of no where. The commentator said " Oh! he's got it in! " He ripped them apart when he came on.

[ethicalstrategy]

He was easily the best dutch defender tonight. Sadly the worst players on the pitch were all current Chelsea players, mentioning no names (ahem, cough, Anelka, Malouda, cough)

It was a terrific game though and in the second half the French were pretty good. I think Holland got the luck again as they did against Italy. It wouldn't surprise me if they play either team again in the tournament if they lost.

[loz]

I don't think it was luck - I think it was down to quality finishing. Holland had it, Italy didn't. OK Toni's goal should have been allowed to stand but other than that he was wasteful far too often.

[BackInBlue]

If playing beautiful attacking football brings luck then I, for one, am all for it. Van Basten looked like a genius with the substitutions he made.

[ethicalstrategy]

I'm not decrying Holland's performance at all. They have played well in both matches and have taken their chances (trust me, after watching Chelsea all last season I know how important that is!). I just feel that they have had the run of the ball a bit and had it gone to the other team then both results could have been different.

[jack h]

I didnt see much of the second half but when i turned over at one point they were shoing a replay of a goal Robben set up next time i turned over he scored, would love to have him back but we all know it wouldnt happen

[MURDOCH_(8)]

I would LOVE Robben back at Chelsea, I have been saying it for months and it just gets met by indifference from my friends. I was watching the game tonight and could not help thinking that Holland needed someone who ran at defenders to be better on the counter attack as they had no one who was taking players on, a la Ribery and was dieing for Robben to come off the bench (Partly because he is in my dream team ) and when he did I could not stop smiling, it was great watching him play again. Everytime he got the ball I was on the edge of my seat, as I always was with Robben. No one at Chelsea does that to me anymore and I would welcome him back with open arms. Robben is my second favourite player in world football, he blew me away when he came off the bench against Blackburn in his first season with us and his form for four months after that was nothing short or sensational and I would rather have Robben back in the treatment room with the possibilty of seeing such fantastic football again than have Malouda or SWP or even Joe Cole at the end of the season fit and knowing they would bore me to tears.

[g3.7]

big game bottler.

the contrast between his 30 mins or so and malouda's 90 (or even 180 if you include the previous game) was depressing.

[The Brit]

tonight showed what we missed badly last season...when robben is fit he is deadly, when malouda is fit no-one gives a sh*t, nor does he for that matter...financially we did well out of the deal and i don't think he will ever play a whole season cos of his knack of getting twinges, but his ability can never be questioned

[JT26CFC]

Malouda defending kuyt and then kuyt scoring was just embarassing. The way he tried to stand in front of kuytt and not even jump for the ball was something I'd expect from a 10 year old rather than a "professional." Letting Robben go was a 50/50 from the different perspectives. For one, he's injured far too much, but on the other hand he is terrific with the ball at his feet.

[bjd]

Sorry i dont want Robben back. He's got no heart when the going gets tough.

Yes he gives more in the 10 games a season he players than Malouda, no doubt about that. But he got found out - defenders just need to give him a reducer and thats him finished for the game (see Cup Final 07 as perfect evidence)

We had three/four spellbinding months from Robben and that was it. The rest was just frustration. It ended up as the rarest of things , a good deal for Chelsea.

But ive an idea , lets bin Malouda, forget about bring baldy back and buy a winger who beats people and stays fit.

[bjd]

I'm not decrying Holland's performance at all. They have played well in both matches and have taken their chances (trust me, after watching Chelsea all last season I know how important that is!). I just feel that they have had the run of the ball a bit and had it gone to the other team then both results could have been different.

I agree, they are favorites now but i wouldnt bet on them. They have as much chance as all falling out and imploding and losing against someone 4-0 as they do of winning it. I saw both games and they were both fantastic performances but not once did and French or Italian player put their foot in or hassle them or deny them time. Someone like Essien up against their (admittedly very talented) midfield would be very interesting.

[ethicalstrategy]

But ive an idea , lets buy a winger who beats people and stays fit.

And that would be??

[bjd]

erm Ronaldo ? dunno, thats a tough question!

[ethicalstrategy]

Easy question - difficult answer

[loz]

This is the crux of the matter as far as I am concerned. There is a real shortage of quality wingers around just now a fact borne out by the people championing the likes of Quaresma and Ribery who really are fairly average wingers.

Robben is one of a very small number of really top quality wingers in the game just now and this is why I would always be prepared to take the gamble on his fitness.

[coco]

Wait till August, he'll back on the list by then.

[spoiler:3t39yyko]The injury list.

[Ruh Buh Juh]

With Robben, it's not a case of whether he's injured or not. When he's fit he's unbelievable, but after he broke his foot against Blackburn a few years back (Mokoena *shakes fist*) he was never the same player. Shame really. When he is fit and playing at his best, he would be a real asset to Chels, but the fact he'd only play about 10 games a year is a bit annoying to be honest.

But, it'd be a good idea to buy a young winger who beats players and is always fit.

Anyone thought about Joaquin?

Or Schweinsteiger?

hmm...

[Guest]

We all know his a quality player when fit, but his gone now and he wanted to leave, I don't beleive bringing him back now is in Chelsea's interests.

He'd probably cost as much as Kaka and to be honest, i'd much rather see someone like Kaka in the side.

[dkw]

nope, wouldnt be happy if we bought him back. id prefer a player we can get at least 70% of games out of than one who gives us tantalising glimpses 1 game in 10. hes injury prone, in fact hes massively injury prone. if he was any more injury prone hed be held together with gaffer tape. he only managed about 10 games for madrid last season, and got injured even before this tournament started. plus like bjd said, he has no heart for the battle. hes brilliant in a dominant game, but rarely wins a game on his own when his team is taking a battering.

[blizeH]

He's a fantastic player and I agree that we desperately missed him last season; but he was often injured and his heart lied away from Chelsea, so it's not worth worrying about him too much now.

Also agree that I'd much rather have Robben fit for half the games of the season than I would Malouda, SWP and even Joe Cole for the entire duration, his ability to run at players is absolutely incredible.

I'm not going to claim I have any idea of a player who can do similar things and not get injured all the time, but I'm sure there's a few out there, let's just hope someone finds them and brings them to Chelsea