The Chelsea Thread

[Alcaraz]

Relating back to Chelsea, Victor Moses and Maicon would be two very good signings, I think Maicon is vulnerable to pace against him though, so for a defensive option for a Right Back you would use Ivanovic, but against inferior opposition Maicon would be very useful, definitely better defensively and probably attacking wise as well than Bosingwa.

I think if these two signings go through you should challenge for everything next year, although you still have not addressed one key area as of yet, probably the most important, a CM Playmaker (someone like Modric/Moutinho etc.) to link the play up.

Dont think Maicon is that vulnerable to pace. Remember this is a man who everyone was calling the best RB in the world just a couple of years ago. His reputation has taken a hit partly due to Inter's teething problems and partly due to his age.

Everyone goes on about the Bale game but Bale raped him mostly due to Maicon's poor poor positioning. Credit to Bale for exploiting it superbly but Maicon just had a really bad day at the office

Personally speaking if we manage his minutes properly then he can still put in great performances. Main thing for me is that he offers something different as compared to Ivanovic and he is cheap if reports are to be believed

 

[zzeezzy]

Chelsea may play around 60 games next season so if he does not get at least 20 appearances (injury free) then i will be surprised.



I do agree one of them will make our squad better but i said weeks ago that Lampard seemed to play that role sensationaly towards the end of the season so there is no reason why he couldn't do it next season.

Lampard done well when you were on the back-foot throughout games, against better opposition not sure he has the passing or tactical awareness to play a deep-lying playmaker type role.

 

[Alcaraz]

Moses should have done another season at Wigan, but I'm sure we can replace him. Personally, I think he's just thrown his career away because he's never going to start for Chelsea.

Lets be realistic, even if he did take one more season at Wigan it does not mean he will start for the bigger clubs in any case. At Chelsea he should make enough appearances as we are playing 50-60 games next season and even in a normal season we usually play around 50 games.

Maybe at this stage of his career he needs more games but your going too far by saying that he has thrown away his careeer by joining Chelsea

 

[Alcaraz]

Lampard done well when you were on the back-foot throughout games, against better opposition not sure he has the passing or tactical awareness to play a deep-lying playmaker type role.

Agree with this... Carl you are exagerrating too much. Yes Lampard did fairly well but I would not want him playing there as a starter

 

[zzeezzy]

Lets be realistic, even if he did take one more season at Wigan it does not mean he will start for the bigger clubs in any case. At Chelsea he should make enough appearances as we are playing 50-60 games next season and even in a normal season we usually play around 50 games.

Maybe at this stage of his career he needs more games but your going too far by saying that he has thrown away his careeer by joining Chelsea

I agree, also Moses should be treated equal to Marin, whoever performs best in training gets the opportunities to impress in the first team from a starting spot. Not quite sure how it is a bad move for his career, playing with better players and more experienced players, could improve his game.

 

[Alcaraz]

I agree, also Moses should be treated equal to Marin, whoever performs best in training gets the opportunities to impress in the first team from a starting spot. Not quite sure how it is a bad move for his career, playing with better players and more experienced players, could improve his game.

I think W4FC B3N was trying to draw parallels with the N'Zogbia situation. N'Zogbia would have been a starter at Villa if he had not played so **** every game he got a chance. No one can help you if you play so badly when the opportunity has been handed to you

Marin and Moses should not get into each others way though. Marin would primarily be used as a cover for Hazard on the left. Moses as cover for Ramires on the right. Enough money left over to spend big on Modric. Everyone is happy

 

[W4FC B3N]

Lets be realistic, even if he did take one more season at Wigan it does not mean he will start for the bigger clubs in any case. At Chelsea he should make enough appearances as we are playing 50-60 games next season and even in a normal season we usually play around 50 games.

Maybe at this stage of his career he needs more games but your going too far by saying that he has thrown away his careeer by joining Chelsea

One more season in the limelight would have better prepared him for a big move. It's his agent that's pushed him in to it, who is a ****. Don't get me wrong, I hope to god he does well, but with the class in numbers that you have out wide, I just can't see it.

 

[Alcaraz]

One more season in the limelight would have better prepared him for a big move. It's his agent that's pushed him in to it, who is a ****. Don't get me wrong, I hope to god he does well, but with the class in numbers that you have out wide, I just can't see it.

I partly agree with you here. He would obviously make lesser appearances at Chelsea than at Wigan. Although he would be a back-up to Ramires on the right and with his versatility, he should get games. But his window for making a good impression is short particularly with the young talent we have coming through and the competition for places, he will have to grab his chances and make good use of them

 

[CJACKO11]

Lampard done well when you were on the back-foot throughout games, against better opposition not sure he has the passing or tactical awareness to play a deep-lying playmaker type role.

Lampard's passing range has always been very good, really not sure where people think it is poor. He is a very intellegent man and knows the game very well, there is no reason why he couldn't play that role.

Agree with this... Carl you are exagerrating too much. Yes Lampard did fairly well but I would not want him playing there as a starter

I don't think i am exaggerating at all, if he can play that role in both legs vs Barca and in the Champions League final and be involved in most of the goals and also put in a great shift defensively then he can do it next season. You say i am exaggerating but i say you are underrating him and his performances.

 

[CJACKO11]

One more season in the limelight would have better prepared him for a big move. It's his agent that's pushed him in to it, who is a ****. Don't get me wrong, I hope to god he does well, but with the class in numbers that you have out wide, I just can't see it.

I just think one CL game for him will be more beneficial than 5 prem games with Wigan. That's how it works unfortunately.

 

[zzeezzy]

Lampard's passing range has always been very good, really not sure where people think it is poor. He is a very intellegent man and knows the game very well, there is no reason why he couldn't play that role.



I don't think i am exaggerating at all, if he can play that role in both legs vs Barca and in the Champions League final and be involved in most of the goals and also put in a great shift defensively then he can do it next season. You say i am exaggerating but i say you are underrating him and his performances.

Against Barca in both of them legs, it was just a matter of keeping in shape behind the ball, I think actually you struggled to keep hold of the ball when you finally did get it, so it came back to another Barca attack. No real link-up play between midfield and attack, so you can't judge it from them games.

 

[Alcaraz]

Lampard's passing range has always been very good, really not sure where people think it is poor. He is a very intellegent man and knows the game very well, there is no reason why he couldn't play that role.



I don't think i am exaggerating at all, if he can play that role in both legs vs Barca and in the Champions League final and be involved in most of the goals and also put in a great shift defensively then he can do it next season. You say i am exaggerating but i say you are underrating him and his performances.

But Modric is only >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Lampard

Whats the point in settling for a considerably weaker option when you can get a world-class player in. Not to mention players like Strootman, Banega who I also believe are better in that role than Super Frankie Lampard

 

[zzeezzy]

Lampard's best role is further up the field, but he can't play there as you have Hazard, Marin, Mata etc. Definitely only should be regarded as a rotational option now, need someone better than him for the link up play between midfield and attacking three.

 

[CJACKO11]

Against Barca in both of them legs, it was just a matter of keeping in shape behind the ball, I think actually you struggled to keep hold of the ball when you finally did get it, so it came back to another Barca attack. No real link-up play between midfield and attack, so you can't judge it from them games.

It did but a lot of the time it was defence hoofing it or when it did hit the frontline they lost the ball. Before the goal Drogba was absolutely woeful in the final! We only started keeping the ball when Torres came on and he started running at players.

But Modric is only >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Lampard

Whats the point in settling for a considerably weaker option when you can get a world-class player in. Not to mention players like Strootman, Banega who I also believe are better in that role than Super Frankie Lampard

I'm not debating the difference in quality in that role between them i really am not because i agree Modric would be an improvement and i have stated that many times before. My point is that Lampard can do that role and did do it very well last season (in my opinion and medals would also say so) and maybe with McEachran being his back-up which is a role made for him i believe then it could very well work.

 

[Alcaraz]

Lampard's best role is further up the field, but he can't play there as you have Hazard, Marin, Mata etc. Definitely only should be regarded as a rotational option now, need someone better than him for the link up play between midfield and attacking three.

Best role for Lampard is in a midfield three when he is given the freedom to make those late runs into the box. In a CAM position he is not that good as he looks slightly confused at being so high up on the pitch and does not really have the spatial awareness to play strikers in

In a double pivot, he is competent and could do a role decently well but I can think of a half a dozen players I would rather have starting there than him

 

[Alcaraz]

It did but a lot of the time it was defence hoofing it or when it did hit the frontline they lost the ball. Before the goal Drogba was absolutely woeful in the final! We only started keeping the ball when Torres came on and he started running at players.



I'm not debating the difference in quality in that role between them i really am not because i agree Modric would be an improvement and i have stated that many times before. My point is that Lampard can do that role and did do it very well last season (in my opinion and medals would also say so) and maybe with McEachran being his back-up which is a role made for him i believe then it could very well work.

Makes more sense to give McEachran on loan. Have Lampard play back-up to Modric. When Lamps is ready to retire/move then call McEachran back and have him playing/learning from Modric

In your plan, if Lamps gets injured do you really trust McEachran to be our starting regista for an extended period of time

 

[CJACKO11]

Lampard's best role is further up the field, but he can't play there as you have Hazard, Marin, Mata etc. Definitely only should be regarded as a rotational option now, need someone better than him for the link up play between midfield and attacking three.

No it isn't, we tried to play him there in a 4-diamond-2 at the tip and he is annonymous there. His best role is centre midfield as a box to box midfielder and although he is still very fit he cannot do that role as much anymore. He tried adapting his role as a deep lying playmaker when Di Matteo took over and the medals and his performances would say it was something that worked.

 

[zzeezzy]

No it isn't, we tried to play him there in a 4-diamond-2 at the tip and he is annonymous there. His best role is centre midfield as a box to box midfielder and although he is still very fit he cannot do that role as much anymore. He tried adapting his role as a deep lying playmaker when Di Matteo took over and the medals and his performances would say it was something that worked.

Ok let me rephrase that last statement, Lampard is more effective when he can make runs from a central midfield role into/near the box.

 

[CJACKO11]

Makes more sense to give McEachran on loan. Have Lampard play back-up to Modric. When Lamps is ready to retire/move then call McEachran back and have him playing/learning from Modric

In your plan, if Lamps gets injured do you really trust McEachran to be our starting regista for an extended period of time

That is the risk though, same with if Torres gets injured are you confident with just Lukaku and Sturridge as back-up because im not. I am not saying "don't sign Modric" i am saying if we don't sign Modric then we can deal with it.

 

[BlueHeart26]

Reports strongly suggesting Modric is off to Madrid. Not sure if there's any truth in them, but I'd say so.