Filipe Luís

[Tomo 21,681]

Excellent goal line clearance vs Ecuador yesterday

Looks like he's taking his role as Cole's successor very seriously indeed

[Jase 43,479]

Good to see him getting game time with Brazil. At least gets his fitness level up to speed a little bit. Kinda doubt he'll play in any of the upcoming three games. First game likely to be against Bolton.

[Madmax 9,219]

Good to see him getting game time with Brazil. At least gets his fitness level up to speed a little bit. Kinda doubt he'll play in any of the upcoming three games. First game likely to be against Bolton.

I actually expect him to start against Schalke. Swansea probably comes too soon for the Brazilians seeing as they're just about getting back to England today. With 3 games in a week we'll see some rotation in that back line.

[Jase 43,479]

I actually expect him to start against Schalke. Swansea probably comes to soon for the Brazilians seeing as they'd be just about getting back to England today. With 3 games in a week we'll see some rotation in that back line.

Maybe but I'm not sure if Mourinho would be willing to rotate the back 4 in an important UCL game. The last thing he (and we all) wants is us to lose another opening game in the competition and make life difficult for ourselves. Not saying Luis is crap of course but he just might want to keep the harmony going.

[Daniel1980 1,425]

Azpi was on the bench for Spain, so he's fresh unlike Luis. It makes Luis's playing against Swansea even more unlikely. But the Schalke game is a real possibility.

[BlueLyon 9,359]

Maybe but I'm not sure if Mourinho would be willing to rotate the back 4 in an important UCL game. The last thing he (and we all) wants is us to lose another opening game in the competition and make life difficult for ourselves. Not saying Luis is crap of course but he just might want to keep the harmony going.

If we lose vs Schalke because we would replace Azpi with Luis, then I think we have bigger issues...

[Jase 43,479]

If we lose vs Schalke because we would replace Azpi with Luis, then I think we have bigger issues...

Like I said, it's a matter of not disrupting the harmony of the back 4 in an important game, even though Luis is not crappy defender.

[Madmax 9,219]

though Luis is not crappy defender.

Well that's an understatement. Yeah, he's not shit. And playing him against Schalke won't lose us the game, harmony or not.

[MrBlueGuy 1,552]

Inevitable that he will become our regular LB soon.

[Jase 43,479]

Well that's an understatement. Yeah, he's not shit. And playing him against Schalke won't lose us the game, harmony or not.

There is that with the harmony but then you also gotta ask, how fit is Luis right now given he has hardly played this season. And IIRC, last season Azpi only got his first start when we played Swindon in the League Cup. The situation is rather similar right now even if they do not exactly play in the same position.

[Madmax 9,219]

There is that with the harmony but then you also gotta ask, how fit is Luis right now given he has hardly played this season. And IIRC, last season Azpi only got his first start when we played Swindon in the League Cup. The situation is rather similar right now even if they do not exactly play in the same position.

Well he's started 2 games in 4 days for Brazil and he'll very likely be rested at the weekend so I don't think match fitness should be an issue.

I don't think their situations are similar. Azpi was brought in because he'd (presumably) impressed Mourinho with his work ethic while Ash wasn't at his best whereas Luis is the specialist who you have to assume will displace Dave once he settles and proves himself worthy of breaking up last season's settled line. By that train of thought, Azpi is your current first choice LB, so why would he be made to play thrice in 7 days when there is a bona fide, quality specialist on the bench, especially with City coming up just after? This is the perfect opportunity to bed him in.

[Tomo 21,681]

The 5 senior defenders will be playing most of our games with Zouma playing a supporting role, hopefully we can get to a point in the season were the 5 get to know each other's game so well it doesn't matter which 4 get selected on the day.

[Styles 9,790]

Inevitable that he will become our regular LB soon.

If he doesn't - and he isn't given an opportunity to prove himself i.e. a consecutive run of games - then it ranks up there as one of our worst buys in recent years. Who spend 16m on 29 year-olds to provide backup? We could have kept on of Cole, Bertrand, PVA or promoted one of our own (yeah right!).

[Tomo 21,681]

If he doesn't - and he isn't given an opportunity to prove himself i.e. a consecutive run of games - then it ranks up there as one of our worst buys in recent years. Who spend 16m on 29 year-olds to provide backup? We could have kept on of Cole, Bertrand, PVA or promoted one of our own (yeah right!).

Tbf I would rather spend £50m on a back up than have Patrick 'Bosingwas little brother' Van Aanholt anywhere near the set up.

[The Chels 2,502]

Jose speaking before the Burnley game:

Probably the team to play the first two or three matches is more about the team that is ready than what I have in my mind as can be my first choice.

I can't see there being many changes to the starting 11 apart from Luis and maybe Willian coming in.

[Styles 9,790]

Tbf I would rather spend £50m on a back up than have Patrick 'Bosingwas little brother' Van Aanholt anywhere near the set up.

Haha, PVA is rather weak defensively to say the least.

I still think Luis will get his chance and make the position his own though. If he doesn't, however, questions need to be asked.

[Jase 43,479]

Well he's started 2 games in 4 days for Brazil and he'll very likely be rested at the weekend so I don't think match fitness should be an issue.

How is it not an issue when he has practically hardly played at all this season? Even 2 games in 4 days isn't really going to get his match fitness to 100% or close to it. (and you should know better since you play FM. )

I don't think their situations are similar. Azpi was brought in because he'd (presumably) impressed Mourinho with his work ethic while Ash wasn't at his best whereas Luis is the specialist who you have to assume will displace Dave once he settles and proves himself worthy of breaking up last season's settled line. By that train of thought, Azpi is your current first choice LB, so why would he be made to play thrice in 7 days when there is a bona fide, quality specialist on the bench, especially with City coming up just after? This is the perfect opportunity to bed him in.

Yeah but I believe last season, most of us wanted to Azpi to play at RB instead of Ivanovic but that didn't happen. That was what I was alluding to in the previous post. And playing Azpi thrice in 9 days isn't going to change much when it happened most of the time last season. We had a specialist LB then but he couldn't get back in. Yes, Cole was a fading force but could still do a good job from time to time and yet Mourinho hardly used him at all.

Not saying Luis definitely won't be starting against Schalke but just think that there is more of a chance of it happening against Bolton.

[Barbara 15,149]

Yeah but I believe last season, most of us wanted to Azpi to play at RB instead of Ivanovic but that didn't happen. That was what I was alluding to in the previous post. And playing Azpi thrice in 9 days isn't going to change much when it happened most of the time last season. We had a specialist LB then but he couldn't get back in. Yes, Cole was a fading force but could still do a good job from time to time and yet Mourinho hardly used him at all.

Still not comparable imo... also I'd be very surprised if Luís got the same treatment as Cole... VERY surprised. He isn't fit yet for EPL and that's been clear from PS and Mourinho must have an even better idea based on trainings. I don't think Cole could be used from time to time, while he was still useful offensively he was a liability defensively losing most of the runs on his flank. He exposed the team, especially against fast wingers and FBs.

Luís doesn't expose us and we're talking about a player that could have been the very best LB last season or at least a top 3. Chelsea didn't have then FB that would make even the top 5 in the continent, probably a bit worse, but now we have Ivanovic playing as the best FB in the world. I haven't been watching much football, but based on what I've watched last season from other FBs and having watched all our games, I can't think of anyone that could be better than him. A beast attacking and completely unrelenting defending. He's been immense.

Azpili on the other hand hasn't been as good as last season, offers literally nothing in our attack (although if memory serves he did took part in one of our goals, but maybe that was during pre-season)... but between a Cesar who hasn't been brilliant and a Luís who hasn't learned how to cope yet, I think Azpili is by far the safer bet, especially in a defense that seems sort of shaky at the moment.