Our best back four

[LDN Blue 7,903]

I'm sorry, but isn't that the whole point of this forum and all forums in general: to provoke meaningful discussions? If we were all of the same opinion this forum would be pointless.

You, too, take your brilliant & simple logic and get out of here! :protest:

[Henrique 9,133]

Do you sit on here simply to disagree, argue and annoy the fuck out of people!?? Practically 90% of your posts on here are provoking the topic! Chill out and behave!

Peace. is a forum legend. Respect, little boy!!!!

[Henrique 9,133]

And the Legend saying Luiz is a Defensive Midfielder comes up again.

Why do you think he cant play as a DM?

[zolayes 14,489]

Why do you think he cant play as a DM?

I think Luiz would make an excellent midfielder not only a DM ...but I also think he will develop into one of the worlds best CB.

[CHOULO19 24,332]

I dont think Cole has been that bad, he just set his standards so high in the double season (where he was the best LB in the world by a country mile) which is why he looks bad in comparision if that makes sense.

He has declined in the last couple of years but he is still one of the best lb's in the league, it's just in 09/10 he was so good, well you know where im coming from

True but his mistakes this season (most of them defensive) have come not from a dip in form but fatigue imo. Sometimes he looks too tired to make tackle (the image of Glen Johnson walking past him and scoring springs to mind )

Ashley is naturally not the player he was two years ago in terms of skill but I believe he can perform much better if he is rested properly.

[Henrique 9,133]

I think Luiz would make an excellent midfielder not only a DM ...but I also think he will develop into one of the worlds best CB.

The problem is he needs confidence, because of his risky style, while he keep making mistakes it will undermine his confidence and it will be a disaster for his career at Chelsea.

Playing in another position he might feel more confortably, because the mistakes are not as lethal.

[Tomo 21,751]

The problem is he needs confidence, because of his risky style, while he keep making mistakes it will undermine his confidence and it will be a disaster for his career at Chelsea.

Playing in another position he might feel more confortably, because the mistakes are not as lethal.

I doubt confidence is an issue for Luiz.

Who else could get scapegoated by the English media, "experts", every non Chelsea fan and even some Chelsea fans yet still (as we can visually see in videos) turn up to Cobham with a smile on his face and personality to match. His character cannot be in question.

[zolayes 14,489]

The problem is he needs confidence, because of his risky style, while he keep making mistakes it will undermine his confidence and it will be a disaster for his career at Chelsea.

Playing in another position he might feel more confortably, because the mistakes are not as lethal.

he has confidence to learn from his mistakes. But I must admit his energy is only matched by Ramires and I think his ball control is better tthan Ram

[ja1 1,166]

Coke has been average for around 18 months now. Was poor attacking last season but at least he could still defend. Now apparently he's not so good at either. When I say dropped I do not mean he should have been dropped for two months, I mean he should have been dropped for a match. Espiecally after Bertrand impressed Carling Cup. Surely it would be better for Cole, Bertrand and the team short and long term if we rotated them and gave them some competition. I just hate how Cole is seen as an untouchable on the pitch and is therefore seen as an untouchable by fans. He has been poor this season.

[zolayes 14,489]

Coke has been average for around 18 months now. Was poor attacking last season but at least he could still defend. Now apparently he's not so good at either. When I say dropped I do not mean he should have been dropped for two months, I mean he should have been dropped for a match. Espiecally after Bertrand impressed Carling Cup. Surely it would be better for Cole, Bertrand and the team short and long term if we rotated them and gave them some competition. I just hate how Cole is seen as an untouchable on the pitch and is therefore seen as an untouchable by fans. He has been poor this season.

i guess you must know more than the managers who pick him

[Blue-in-me-Veins 4,067]

I've Aleta thought that Cole needs a breather, like 3 games straight. Cole and Malouda tore up the left side during our historic double. But look at Malouda now, he's not the same, and I feel that sooner or later it.............well............you know. So let's give Cole a break, everybody loves playing time but he needs to see his minuets reduced!! I don't want his legs to be run into the ground and stop producing at 33-34.

Oh and best back four

Ivan-cahilll-JT-Cole/a.perreira?? (hopefully!)

[DDA 9,975]

Peace. is a forum legend. Respect, little boy!!!!

Little Boy?? lmao Ok, if you say so! I'm not here to start any bullshit with you guys but little boy! Back the fuck up Henriqueer

[DDA 9,975]

I'm sorry, but isn't that the whole point of this forum and all forums in general: to provoke meaningful discussions? If we were all of the same opinion this forum would be pointless.

Yes but there are ways of going about it CHOULO. I've restrained myself from being a total prick towards Peace a fair few times because i respect the fact he has been a long serving member of this forum. So when he trots along with a plastic internet swagger i'll fuckin reply the same way!

[Henrique 9,133]

Little Boy?? lmao Ok, if you say so! I'm not here to start any bullshit with you guys but little boy! Back the fuck up Henriqueer

are you on drugs ? perhaps we should change your nickname to drugstar, lmao

actually you are acting like a freaky girl.

[DDA 9,975]

are you on drugs ? perhaps we should change your nickname to drugstar, lmao

actually you are acting like a freaky girl.

I supose the fact i am blazing a huge seductive spliff right now phases you? It wouldn't surprise me, and you call me a little boy loool

[LDN Blue 7,903]

:protest:

[Hysteria 159]

Why some people are putting Cahill over Luiz when he doesn't play yet?

[Peace. 4,352]

Why do you think he cant play as a DM?

Well, first of all, it isn't that he can't play at this position at all, but he wouldn't be as good as some people think he would be. Of course, he could play there once or twice if all our Holding Midfielders are out.

The main reason for which some people want Luiz to play as a Midfielder, it is because he does make his well-known runs forward. But the truth is, if he is played as a Midfielder, he won't be able to make these runs. If he is capable of making such runs, this is because he is a defender, and when you are a defender, you never have an opponent to chase you down. Indeed, the other team's players are already busy with your fellows playing in midfield and in attack. Thereby, Luiz is able to reach the opponent's box without facing any resistance, and he has a clear way. So, if he was playing as a defensive midfielder, he couldn't do that, because he would permanently have a player on his back to press him.

Furthermore, I don't know if you have noticed, he always starts to run from his own 30 yards, he thus reaches the opposition with a fair amount of speed... If he was playing in midfield, he obviously wouldn't be able to make that.

And what is very interesting with him playing in defense, is that he can help out the midfield to break the opposition's defense by outnumbering their midfield/defense. Considering the actual context, i.e. our midfield's inability to create things, this help from our very own SideShow Bob is welcomed. Once again, he wouldn't have this effect if he was playing in midfield.

Finally, a Defensive Midfielder has to sit back to help out with the defensive duties. Makelele was doing this, Busquest does this, as Romeu and Mikel. I am not really sure he has the discipline to do this. You could argue if he hasn't the discipline to be a DM, he neither can be a CB. But, when he leaves out his position, there's Ivanovic who slides to the axis, and Mikel/Romeu staying near Terry.

Well, I hope to have been understandable, lol.

[ja1 1,166]

So I have to let what AVB does dictate my opinion? AVB also plays Bosingwa, does that mean he is not having a poor season, has not made mistakes and needs to have competition? Although he has that with Ivanovic.

And are you saying it is better for players not playing well at the age of 31 to have NO rests and NO competition. I do not mind no rests if the player is young and a good athlete. I do nod mind no competition if the player is in great form. Cole has neither at the moment. Well he is a good athlete but this heavily ties in with his age

[SeB 1,281]

I just don't want Luiz and Cahill playing alongside each other because they both base their defensive play on the anticipation, I think their covering ability is poor.

Otherwise I think the best back four possible would be Ivanovic, Luiz, Terry and Cole.

Ivanovic is balanced and has dramaticaly improved when he goes forward. I put Luiz ahead of Cahill because Luiz has been playing pretty well for the last weeks, mainly because he takes less risks in his interventions, he does not challenge too high on the pitch like he used to do in the past. He has also a far better distribution than Cahill, I really wonder if Luiz has the best long play in the team after Terry...

I do agree with people who thinks Cole needs a rest, especially because I'm a huge Bertrand fan (and when we see that not that much Chelsea loanees performs well on loan eventually, even if the contexts are always different). But if Villas Boas did not make a move so far, it's because Cole provides such a high guaranty in many domains. Of course he's not the greatest crosser out of there, he sometimes forgets himself more than before defensively... but he keeps being a fantastic athlete, his passing accuracy is one of the best in Europe and he brings real quality because he's experienced and accurate ; not many passing choices are really like giving the ball away. Plus, he's really part of the team's play, in the build up and offensively, it's a bit like Ramires, sometimes his importance is underlined when he's not playing. The team unconsciously relies on Cole in my opinion.

We noticed that Bertrand does too, but a left back providing a run forward allows more space to wingers to cut inside. These runs have to be made like if they are going to get the ball whereas they won't always reveive it. And Cole can do that during all 90mn week after weeks, look at the Wolves game, the run and the accuracy of the pass to Lampard is quite exceptional after 90mn.

Left back is a position where the players looks older the quickest, of course Cole shows signs of lowerings but what he can provides stays far above the large majority of other left backs.

Because it's also the subject here, I would like to evoke Bosingwa. I'm not a fan of the mentality, but I keep thinking the stick he's being given is sometimes harsh. Since his injury (and even before I think) he has strugled to play a whole game on the same intensity, because he has a high depense of energy, and because he's not an as good athlete as many other players in the team. Plus he's become even more irregular than in the past, on a run of games and in a whole game.

But we should not forget that he keeps being very exposed due to the presence of Sturridge in front of him, Sturridge is not Valencia or the past Kuyt, he has not the same volume of play and the willing to really help to defend in transition phasis. Like after his come back from injury, Bosingwa lacks support in defense because he often faces 2 players.

With Ramires in front of him like the second part of last season, we often saw that defensively he was more solid and longer in the game

Some fresh blood would be pleasant there, but Bosingwa keeps providing a kind of security that a youngster won't especially. As often it's the half empty or full glass debate. Anyway I don't think that Bosingwa is absolute shit and by far the worst player this season