Alex Sandro

[The Skipper 20,593]

3 hours ago, Mana said:

Terry for Chelsea dropped.
Per Mertesacker for Arsenal dropped.
Rooney for United dropped.

Captains can get dropped. They are not immune, same with Cahill here.

From what I've seen in pre season, it doesn't look like he'll be dropped soon. He's played some of the most minutes so far if I'm not incorrect. I haven't seen anything to suggest Conte won't start him. 

[manpe 10,855]

9 hours ago, The Skipper said:

From what I've seen in pre season, it doesn't look like he'll be dropped soon. He's played some of the most minutes so far if I'm not incorrect. I haven't seen anything to suggest Conte won't start him. 

It is doubtful that Christensen and Rüdiger are upgrades on GC at this moment, so I wouldn't be surprised if he at least started the season as a regular. If things will go well he will keep playing, if not he will get dropped. Last season we didn't have the option, this time we do. He is not the type of essential captain/leader that needs to be playing despite form.

[Pizy 17,860]

13 hours ago, Mana said:

Terry for Chelsea dropped.
Per Mertesacker for Arsenal dropped.
Rooney for United dropped.

Captains can get dropped. They are not immune, same with Cahill here.

All of those players are old and way past their best. Cahill is in his prime and was a mainstay in the side last season.

I'm with Special Juan here. Cahill will not be dropped unless he is just woeful for several games in a row. Should've given it to Luiz.

[Sideshow Luiz 2,310]

I thin Luiz would be a great Captain.  In fact, I selected him in the "next chelsea captain" thread a while back.  Back in his first stint here.  But, I you can't jump the queue.  Cahill was vice last season, and wore the armband every match when Terry wasn't playing.  I love Luiz, but you can't rock the boat with that stuff.  Giving it to Luiz this season is like stripping it from Cahill.  

[The Skipper 20,593]

7 minutes ago, Sideshow Luiz said:

I thin Luiz would be a great Captain.  In fact, I selected him in the "next chelsea captain" thread a while back.  Back in his first stint here.  But, I you can't jump the queue.  Cahill was vice last season, and wore the armband every match when Terry wasn't playing.  I love Luiz, but you can't rock the boat with that stuff.  Giving it to Luiz this season is like stripping it from Cahill.  

So we have to leave the armband for Cahill because sympathy? Just leave him as a VC, he's clearly not the leader on the pitch. Luiz is definitely our captain in my mind. Even Azpi shows more leadership. We need to be ruthless. 

[Sideshow Luiz 2,310]

2 minutes ago, The Skipper said:

So we have to leave the armband for Cahill because sympathy? Just leave him as a VC, he's clearly not the leader on the pitch. Luiz is definitely our captain in my mind. Even Azpi shows more leadership. We need to be ruthless. 

Not sympathy, really.  Also, I think there's more to it than just on the pitch.  If Cahill was VC last season, and he doesn't appear to be that vocal on the pitch, then he must be a very respected figure in the dressing room.

I just think, in this particular situation, since Cahill has been captain (all of last season) and is a likely starter, that giving it to someone else is the same as stripping it from him.  I just don't like the idea of taking it away from somebody.  

[Jype 6,398]

1 minute ago, The Skipper said:

So we have to leave the armband for Cahill because sympathy? Just leave him as a VC, he's clearly not the leader on the pitch. Luiz is definitely our captain in my mind. Even Azpi shows more leadership. We need to be ruthless. 

I think the club captain role is given to Cahill based on seniority and him being English.

I agree that on the pitch Luiz and Azpilicueta show better leadership through example but I sort of see where the club are going with naming Cahill the new captain. There's also approval for this from JT himself who said the following: 
 

 “Gary has been brilliant as captain for Chelsea but the manager will decide.

However, it’s not just on the field that he has led the field brilliantly, but inside the dressing room as well. No one really gets to see that. He has been a man-mountain at times. 

The way in which he was speaking at half-time during some of the games, like in the FA Cup Final against Arsenal, where he was leading the group, showed what a big character he is. If he gets the armband, he will fit it well."

It's kind of like Carrick being United's captain now, he doesn't always play but when he does he wears the armband. I see no reason why Cahill being club captain would mean he always has to play, and when he's benched the likes of Luiz or Cesar will be captain. I think it's only a good thing to have many leader personalities in the team, it's one of the reasons the club was so successful in the past decade with the likes of Terry, Lamps, Drogba and Cech all being 'captain material' but sadly only one can carry the title of captain.

[Pizy 17,860]

1 minute ago, Mana said:

Cahill is 31, same age as Rooney. So definitely NOT the age or how OLD the player is.

Prime? Cahill's at his prime? If this is his prime...*shivers* To be honest, he's not that better than Terry. I even prefer Terry to Cahill IF Terry had pace.

Rooney has been awful and nowhere near the player he was 5 years ago. Cahill is better now than he ever has been (not that he's ever been great). Trust me, I'd love for Conte to be ice cold and drop him from the start of the season but it's not happening. 

I think getting a world class LWB on his side of the pitch as well as Bakayoko coming into the side will help mask many of Cahill's weaknesses but neither are looking likely to happen any time soon unfortunately.

[Rekin 835]

1 minute ago, Mana said:

Really? I see almost no difference to the Cahill two years ago. He has improved, but ever so slightly.

You're right, Cahill won't be dropped immediately until we lose games and start to fall behind. But if we are doing so well, why change in the first place? That's why while I also want Cahill dropped, Conte is giving a chance and I say give him that chance. Like he did with Ivanovic last season. Conte will axe him if he's not good enough.

I agree, right now there is little reason to change the back three. All of them have weaknesses, but they have shown that they can be relied upon. 
Having said that, Conte have shown that he can make changes quite fast. We started last season with Ivanovic and Terry, and they are no longer at the club. Rudiger is just starting to train with the club, Christensen is 21 and is learning Conte's methods. Neither of them have to slot in straight away, but if they show promise in training and during the games they get, I feel confident that they will play. 

Furthermore, it needs to be said again that Christensen is 21. That is really young for a defender. There is no urgency to make him our starting CB just yet. Let him learn from the veterans this season, get maybe 10-15 starts and he will be better for it. It is too optimistic to think he can just be thrown in and start performing on the highest level straight away. 

[Arlen Correa 147]

Well, since this is the off topic page, only me or someone else thinks this window is wrong?

1 - Diego Costa is a cnut but we should tolerate hin one more season because of his CL experience and we already know what to expect from him.

2 - a passing/controling midfielder is important in the CL or you will not have time to breath in some games against top sides.

3 - full backs or wing backs should not be a issue now. 

4 - number one priority should be another top top winger. A game changer.

5 - Conte wants top full backs because is the only way to play back three in the CL and dont get obliterated like Bayern against Barca in 2015...we need to find the right formation to play back 4 in the CL.

[quickpassnmove 924]

1 minute ago, Hazardinho Gaucho said:

Well, since this is the off topic page, only me or someone else thinks this window is wrong?

1 - Diego Costa is a cnut but we should tolerate hin one more season because of his CL experience and we already know what to expect from him.

2 - a passing/controling midfielder is important in the CL or you will not have time to breath in some games against top sides.

3 - full backs or wing backs should not be a issue now. 

4 - number one priority should be another top top winger. A game changer.

5 - Conte wants top full backs because is the only way to play back three in the CL and dont get obliterated like Bayern against Barca in 2015...we need to find the right formation to play back 4 in the CL.

1. No

2. Yes

3. Wrong

4. may be needed, yes, but probably NOT the top priority

5. Wrong

 

Forget about the CL for the moment and consider simply challenging for the PL title again with better wingback options/depth, more depth in CM and possibly one more scoring forward (because Hazard and Willian are not great shooters from open play).

We need a top WB for competition and rest at LWB. I feel Alonso can put in good crosses for Morata (but I doubt Moses will), yet Alonso has  severe lack of pace and can't take on defender very well head-on.  NEED SOMEONE WHO CAN BREAK THE OPPOSITION FROM THOSE AREAS.

[CHOULO19 24,332]

On 7/21/2017 at 10:34 PM, Georgy said:

Juventus linked to  Gimenez for 40m to replace Bonucci how exactly do they have the money to get him.

From the money they got for Bonnuci? 

[Georgy 439]

1 minute ago, CHOULO19 said:

From the money they got for Bonnuci? 

They bought Bernardeschi and Costa as well.

[CHOULO19 24,332]

1 minute ago, Georgy said:

They bought Bernardeschi and Costa as well.

True but they can afford to spend. With their new stadium, dominating the league and always doing well in the CL, they're not short on revenue.

Regarding Sandro, my view has been from the start that it has to do most with the player himself. Just like Bonucci, if the player genuinely wants to leave, Juve won't force him to stay. 

[YorkshireBlue 2,823]

9 minutes ago, CHOULO19 said:

True but they can afford to spend. With their new stadium, dominating the league and always doing well in the CL, they're not short on revenue.

Regarding Sandro, my view has been from the start that it has to do most with the player himself. Just like Bonucci, if the player genuinely wants to leave, Juve won't force him to stay. 

This needs squashing fast I feel, either tell juve your off mate or tell them u ain't.... agree? 

[CHOULO19 24,332]

1 minute ago, BluesMadLad said:

This needs squashing fast I feel, either tell juve your off mate or tell them u ain't.... agree? 

I would but I don't think Juve even know I exist...

 

EDIT: Oh, you meant Sandro, not me! Never mind...

[zekinjo 449]

It's time to finally upgrade our defense.

[RoyalBlues 4,050]

Where do you guys still get that hopes from? Didn't we have bid 70m and they rejected it? It seems impossible for us to bid any higher than that.