Marco van Ginkel

[TrueChelseaBlue 105]

At his age and with the glimpses I've seen from him, Marco can become whatever Mourinho wants him to become.

More defensive, more offensive, a B2B, a CM because the boy is quite dynamic and has good vision and his passing isn't bad in the same way Ramires is for example - when you see the player just can't pick a pass and has a weak vision to make matters worse.

Marco's problem seems to be just him being young and therefore erratic and inconsistent. I remember his UCL match for us. He started very nervous, making Ramires-alike mistakes and then the nerves loosened and he starting picking better passes.

He is no Xabi Alonso and he certainly hasn't Pirlo vision, but the boy is 21, so we can't say for sure that's not his profile. He may never be as good as those guys but any assumption about his limitations, flaws and qualities seems a bit rushed and premature imo.

He seems like a boy who has a lot of potential imo. If he can be a partner to Matic or an alternative for Matic it depends on what Mourinho will mold him to be...

Very well said! Agree on most points.

[yuvala 2,167]

He's a very good passer. I don't think he's shown anything so far to suggest he isn't. I have been impressed with his passing range ever since I saw him in the Under-21 Championships in Israel.

He's not Marco Verratti (or Pirlo like you said), but his passing ability is more than good enough for the purpose. We aren't talking about a Ramires. His passing ability is similar to the Ballack's and Lampard's of this world. He also scores goals, is physically strong and has a great engine on him. Very few young CM's in the world can boast of these qualities. He is a box-to-box midfielder and very few players his age can be considered box-to-box. I prefer him to a Verratti type of deep-lying playmaker.

Oh yea yea, ofc he isn't a Ramires, didn't mean that..

I guess a Ballack seems right.

Anyways he's very young and can probably improve on whatever the manager would want him to.

[dee25 1,044]

Anyone know why he isn't playing with the u21s today?

[Barbara 15,149]

Anyone know why he isn't playing with the u21s today?

because he might be used Tuesday at some point?

Or maybe he's in the bench for us today... I'd say the latter is quite possible.

[CHOULO19 24,332]

because he might be used Tuesday at some point?

Or maybe he's in the bench for us today... I'd say the latter is quite possible.

Actually it was the former

He's traveled with the team to Madrid, and so has Ake.

[haranr 485]

So happy for him seriously.

[The only place to be 11,313]

Absolutely delighted for the lad that he's back. It shows incredible character to come back from that injury so quickly and to have already attained a good degree of match fitness means he's been working his bollocks off.

Could be a key player for us still this season.

[Jype 6,398]

Absolutely delighted for the lad that he's back. It shows incredible character to come back from that injury so quickly and to have already attained a good degree of match fitness means he's been working his bollocks off.

Could be a key player for us still this season.

Agreed. Should give him some minutes against Liverpool this weekend and considering the suspensions of both Lamps and Mikel, maybe even play him against Atleti next week if he does well.

Either way, if Jose doesn't want to risk anything by playing a guy who's been out for so long his recovery has still been remarkable and is definitely a good sign for next season. He's not going to the World Cup so he will begin his pre-season earlier than most of the team and will have lots of time to impress Mourinho. Hope he succeeds in that.

[Beepu 1,714]

I am super glad that he at least made the bench today. Too bad he is still not fit enough or got anywhere near the required minutes to play big games, he would've been useful with our suspensions in midfield. Still very happy that he came back from a nasty injury fairly briskly.

Hope he gets a chance next season.

[MrExcalibur100 7,124]

I won't mind seeing him start from the first minute against Liverpool. With Lamps and Mikel out and with Matic suspended, we need a fit CM for the Atletico game that can at least pass a football. I'm not too enthused by the pivot duo of Ramires-Luiz for Atletico Madrid. Last time they played together, they got completely overrun. van Ginkel might be a viable option to bring off the bench against Atletico Madrid to supplement the midfield.

[nyikolajevics 2,422]

I won't mind seeing him start from the first minute against Liverpool. With Lamps and Mikel out and with Matic suspended, we need a fit CM for the Atletico game that can at least pass a football. I'm not too enthused by the pivot duo of Ramires-Luiz for Atletico Madrid. Last time they played together, they got completely overrun. van Ginkel might be a viable option to bring off the bench against Atletico Madrid to supplement the midfield.

I don't think he will start. In my opinion Luiz and Ramires will be the CM's as Azpi, Iva, Cahill and Cole will play in the defence. Matic, Lampard and Mikel should start against Liverpool because we need a stable midfield if Mou rests some players.

Back to Cornelius: he should play in the last two matches in the PL. That moron Ramires is suspendes(what a suprise), the others should focus on the CL-final

[MrExcalibur100 7,124]

I don't think he will start. In my opinion Luiz and Ramires will be the CM's as Azpi, Iva, Cahill and Cole will play in the defence. Matic, Lampard and Mikel should start against Liverpool because we need a stable midfield if Mou rests some players.

Back to Cornelius: he should play in the last two matches in the PL. That moron Ramires is suspendes(what a suprise), the others should focus on the CL-final

I think you misunderstood my point. Of course he shouldn't start against Atletico, but I'm saying if things are going badly in the pivot (i.e Ramires misplacing passes like a madman) then perhaps Jose could be flexible and go to a 4-3-3 with a trio of Ramires, van Ginkel and Luiz. It's a possibility since Lamps is suspended.

As for the Liverpool match, Matic, Lamps and Mikel seems the most practical option, but I will like to see van Ginkel start ahead of Mikel, a player who will most likely be sold in the summer. The Pool game is a throw away after we fucked up vs Sunderland. Even if we beat them, our chances of winning the league are still almost non-existent. We might as well give van Ginkel a chance to show us what he can do and to show if he could be a realistic option to come off the bench vs Atletico. The kid is young but he has already played 200+ games already in his short career. Might as well give the future of our club a chance instead of going for tried and (not so)trusted Mikel.

[zolayes 14,489]

I don't think he will start. In my opinion Luiz and Ramires will be the CM's as Azpi, Iva, Cahill and Cole will play in the defence. Matic, Lampard and Mikel should start against Liverpool because we need a stable midfield if Mou rests some players.

Back to Cornelius: he should play in the last two matches in the PL. That moron Ramires is suspendes(what a suprise), the others should focus on the CL-final

ramires only other match could be the CL final

[OneMoSalah 8,613]

Marco playing in that box to box role next to Matic sounds appealing to me if hes fit enough to start again Liverpool. The two of them together would be good; two strong, powerful, athletic players with good technical ability surely couldn't be too bad an idea?

[kellzfresh 7,226]

I think we shouldn't buy any CM's again.

We should try out RLC, Baker and Vanginkel next season beside matic.

They can comfortably take lampard and mikel's spots in the team and finally give our youths inspiration that they can make it here.

[Reddish-Blue 2,218]

I think we shouldn't buy any CM's again.

We should try out RLC, Baker and Vanginkel next season beside matic.

They can comfortably take lampard and mikel's spots in the team and finally give our youths inspiration that they can make it here.

That sounds great on paper....but it won't happen.

We need another experienced player in midfield...particularly if both Mikel and Lampard leave at the end of the season

Baker needs a loan spell in England...maybe Middlesbrough could take him next season

[kellzfresh 7,226]

That sounds great on paper....but it won't happen.

We need another experienced player in midfield...particularly if both Mikel and Lampard leave at the end of the season

Baker needs a loan spell in England...maybe Middlesbrough could take him next season

But what if ramires, matic and sometimes luiz are enough to provide the needed experience in CM?

Compared to what ramires has played since january 2014 I'll comfortably say MVG > ramires.

Mourinho likes box to box players in the midfield beside DM's like matic so I don't think he'll buy this modric type player to play in front of the defence.

In madrid, even when he played attacking football, he used alonso and khedira. So far, we've got our alonso in matic(he moulding him to be that way imo) and he's looking for the physical box to box player that can pass and shoot. That's why I believe the rumors for vidal. And only vidal, pogba and martinez are players we can buy that will massively improve that box to box area.

So is it not better to just promote them from our academy if all these QUALITY improved players are not readily available? Bcos I don't want us to spend another 20mil on a Guarin level player, when some of our youth can get there(if given time)

[Barbara 15,149]

Agreed. Should give him some minutes against Liverpool this weekend and considering the suspensions of both Lamps and Mikel, maybe even play him against Atleti next week if he does well.

Either way, if Jose doesn't want to risk anything by playing a guy who's been out for so long his recovery has still been remarkable and is definitely a good sign for next season. He's not going to the World Cup so he will begin his pre-season earlier than most of the team and will have lots of time to impress Mourinho. Hope he succeeds in that.

I think he'll start alongside Matic against Liverpool if José plans (out of need) to use him at any capacity against Atletico