He creates 2.5 chances per game. And he doesn't take set-pieces. And that's in the worst form of his career. That's the highest in the team btw, 7th in the entire league. Willian is right behind him with 2.4 chances per game, but Willian is the set-piece taker.
Everyone out of position has recovered by the time he passes the ball. The pass after all those touches is basic and short as well. You can't break down any defence at that speed. It's a real problem.
Remember when he just joined and won all those penalties? This will sound tinfoil hat esque but I really think they're deliberately more lenient to Hazard offenders because he'd force too many cards/sending offs. He's too good to stop legally. Opposition fans would go crazy if they saw their players get carded so often. They brand him a diver even where there's obvious contact and claim he goes down too easy. They're genuine fouls though.
It doesn't work. I really don't get it. Chelsea's the last team to play without a striker. When there is a striker present in a big game, he's often very isolated. A non-striker has no idea how to play in such conditions. (Bournemouth is not a big game, I know.)
He's so slow. A fullback. Only at Chelsea. I don't even blame him. He tries. But he should've been let go or replaced as a starter a long time ago. He played his part in last season's title but it's not like it would not have been won without him.
But how good is RLC? If he was sent to Spurs, would he play? Southampton, Crystal Palace, WBA? I'd be scared for him if he went out on loan to those teams. He could succeed, definitely, but pro football tends to very daunting for the youngsters.
Haha Mancienne. What happened to him? I vaguely remember him playing for Hamburg. I remember when Van Aanholt was the new Marcelo. It got so bad that I couldn't visit his thread anymore. Now he's barely good enough for Sunderland. And that little Englishman... Don't remember his name. The new Steven Gerrard. Connors or something.
I've kept quiet on RLC but I can't do it anymore. He gets too much love for the very, very little he's shown in his career. Is he talented? Sure. But a big talent? No evidence to support that. I do agree with the argument that he at least deserves a chance but some are making it start to sound like Verratti is on the bench. I still think he needs to go. Send him to a club for two years, let him prove himself and assess the situation after.
True, he went hard for the most part. But I do fault him for not moving towards goal like a high speed train when he has the opportunity. He slows down too much.
I always find it so embarrassing when a manager brings on a player to play two or three minutes. But seconds? It should be banned from the sport. The player coming is supposed happy and hounoured as well.
I'm so sad. Might as well sign 9 Peter Crouch's, 1 set-piece specialist (Charlie Adam, he's English!!!) and try to score set-pieces every week. Someone kill this season already.