The crowded bench of AVB

[Blue Armour 4,436]

Better too much than too little

[francozola 2,040]

What kind of message will that send to him... Be one of the best players in pre-season, sign a new long-term contract, get a new much lower number for new season, and still get loaned out... that won't make much sense.

I don't want him to go on loan! He deserves to start ahead of Lampard. But can you see AVB doing that? Instead of just getting a few minutes here and there, would be good for him to go to Bolton or something where he can play week-in-week-out and come back next season with a lot more development and he can finally get to play once the people at the club realize that Lamps is past it

[Beast 85]

Team: Cech; Bosingwa; Luiz; Terry; Cole; Mikel; Ramires; Modric; Mata; Torres; Sturridge

Bench: Hilario, Ivanovic, Rajkovic, Oriol, McEachran, Lukaku, Lampard, Drogba, Anelka

Still in 25-man squad: Ferriera, Bertrand, Van Aanholt, Kakuta

Sell: Kalou, Malouda, Alex, Benayoun in swap with Modric

Loan: Kakuta, Van Aanholt

[francozola 2,040]

Team: Cech; Bosingwa; Luiz; Terry; Cole; Mikel; Ramires; Modric; Mata; Torres; Sturridge Bench: Hilario, Ivanovic, Rajkovic, Oriol, McEachran, Lukaku, Lampard, Drogba, Anelka Still in 25-man squad: Ferriera, Bertrand, Van Aanholt, Kakuta Sell: Kalou, Malouda, Alex, Benayoun in swap with Modric Loan: Kakuta, Van Aanholt

mate Rajko is gone

[Beast 85]

mate Rajko is gone

What?

[francozola 2,040]

What?

Couldn't get his WP so apparently he's signed for Hamburg

[koukous89 6]

too bad

[EskWeston 696]

We have got excellent options now, which is only good for us. I think it is likely that 1 of Malouda, Kalou and Anelka will leave before the end of the month though. Our squad is starting to take a nice shape finally.

[BlueLion. 21,491]

'Recent' being the key word here..

The return of Sturridge should deduct Kalou from the first eleven (sense permitting).

Or, hopefully, deduct him from the first team squad, sense permitting!

Looking at our current line up...

1 Petr Cech

2 Branislav Ivanovic

3 Ashley Cole

4 David Luiz

5 Michael Essien

6 Oriol Romeu

7 Ramires

8 Frank Lampard

9 Fernando Torres

10 Yossi Benayoun

11 Didier Drogba

12 Mikel

15 Florent Malouda

17 Jose Bosingwa

18 Romelu Lukaku

19 Paulo Ferreira

20 Josh McEachran

21 Salomon Kalou

22 Ross Turnbull

23 Daniel Sturridge

26 John Terry

33 Alex

34 Ryan Bertrand

38 Patrick van Aanholt

39 Nicolas Anelka

40 Henrique Hilario

44 Gael Kakuta

00 Mata

I still find it hard to figure out who should get the boot. Kalou is the only player I'm 100% sure could go. Both Malouda and Anelka can be frustrating to watch at times, but then they pull some goals out of the bag as on Saturday and save our skins. Frank is looking worse for wear these days (another apology to justin_3d for my run ins with him on the subject) and Drogba hasn't done a great deal the last few games either. Obviously the latter wont, and shouldn't in my opinion, get kicked out. But are they happy to spend time on the bench? If not, how does that effect the team and the dynamic? Does that lead to falling outs and the manager being undermined?

In my mind the squad is too big, and we do need to lose a few bodies. But there are others who I'd much rather see recapture their form so we could have a good strong squad going forward.

I absolutely agree. Malouda and Anelka might be poor when off-form, but even when they are playing poorly they can be match winners, we saw it time and time again last season - they would score and win us games without playing well at all. Kalou can't even do that.

[nadavTKL 1,787]

Now if we get Modric that should put Lampard as a super sub. And one hell of a super sub we will have with Lampard, Drogba and Malouda!!!

I realy dont know how can you all be so blind, do you realy REALY think that Lampard will seat on the bench if Modric comes?

Im not asking if you think he should be on the bench or not, im asking if you think thats what going happen.

I see everyone writing that we are going to play Ramires instead of him... Its super obvious that we are going to play Lampard together with Modric, at least at the beginning of the season, until Lampard will play worse than now.

[Guest justin_3d]

I realy dont know how can you all be so blind, do you realy REALY think that Lampard will seat on the bench if Modric comes?

Im not asking if you think he should be on the bench or not, im asking if you think thats what going happen.

I see everyone writing that we are going to play Ramires instead of him... Its super obvious that we are going to play Lampard together with Modric, at least at the beginning of the season, until Lampard will play worse than now.

If that's the case then AVB is a freaking liar!

He said he will not play people out of form.

[nadavTKL 1,787]

If that's the case then AVB is a freaking liar!

He said he will not play people out of form.

I dont think its a lie, if Remires will show he is such an effective midfielder for us, than he will play instead of Lampard.

But he didnt show it yet. Yes, he contributes for us with great tackels here and there, and nice runs like one-two times in a game

that speed up our game, but I cant see AVB preffer this player over Lampard, out of form as he will be.

Ramires has to be more efficient and more dominant if he wants to be a starter over Lampard, becuase Lampard can still score

his goals, and he's still our leader on the pitch together with JT. Its not that easy for a manager to bench a player like Lampard.

Especially after what he gave us for all those years.

Its very easy to bench Ramires in this situation. As much as i like his dynamic and energetic game, like i said, its just not enough. He got to be more dominante

on the pitch, in the diffensive side or the attacking side. Or both, what will make him our new Essien like we said when he came. He isnt there right now...

[Guest justin_3d]

I dont think its a lie, if Remires will show he is such an effective midfielder for us, than he will play instead of Lampard.

But he didnt show it yet. Yes, he contributes for us with great tackels here and there, and nice runs like one-two times in a game,

that speed up our game a bit, but I cant see AVB preffer this player over Lampard, out of form as he will be.

Ramires has to be more efficient and more dominant if he wants to be a starter over Lampard, becuase Lampard can still score

his goals, and he's still our leader on the pitch together with JT. Its not that easy for a manager to bench a player like Lampard.

Especially after what he gave us for all those years.

Its very easy to bench Ramires in this situation. As much as i like his dynamic and energetic game, like i said, its just not enough. He got to be more dominante

on the pitch, in the diffensive side or the attacking side. Or both, what will make him our new Essien like we said when he came. He isnt there right now...

I did not meant with Ramires. He is good and deserves to play the 80 or 90 min.

Lampard don't!

[nadavTKL 1,787]

I did not meant with Ramires. He is good and deserves to play the 80 or 90 min.

Lampard don't!

i didnt understand this...

And can you explain why am i wrong? its kinda seem childish to say: "He's good, and the other one isnt". just saying.

[Guest justin_3d]

i didnt understand this...

And can you explain why am i wrong? its kinda seem childish to say: "He's good, and the other one isnt". just saying.

Because of this:

He said he will not play people out of form.

Out of form is just that! No matter how good you where in the past, if you are not in form you don't play!

That is what AVB said.

And so far he has proven he is a liar by playing Lampard and having Yossi who is in form.