Andreas Christensen

[NikkiCFC 7,587]

Why is no one agitating for Chris getting ballon d'or if Denmark win EURO? 😁

[Magic Lamps 11,451]

16 minutes ago, NikkiCFC said:

Why is no one agitating for Chris getting ballon d'or if Denmark win EURO? 😁

Emerson to win it after Italy win euros lol

[King Kante 1,300]

2 hours ago, Magic Lamps said:

Emerson to win it after Italy win euros lol

In all seriousness we could do with Emerson having a couple of barn stormers in the next two games to raise his chances of a transfer. 

[Vesper 27,325]

Christensen finally blossoming into the elite modern defender Chelsea’s academy staff believed he could be

https://theathletic.com/2685918/2021/07/03/christensen-finally-blossoming-into-the-elite-modern-defender-chelseas-academy-staff-believed-he-could-be/

Denmark’s emotional Euro 2020 campaign transformed in the space of a handful of wild seconds in the 79th minute against Russia in Copenhagen last month.

Thomas Delaney swung in an inviting cross from the left flank and Martin Braithwaite met it with a firm header, which was parried away by Matvei Safonov. Jens Stryger Larsen chased down the rebound and squared it for Simon Kjaer, whose close-range shot forced another save. A half-clearance sent the ball rolling out of the Russia penalty area, and there was barely any time to register incredulity at the ambition of the man sprinting forward to strike it.

Andreas Christensen has never scored for Chelsea, and only attempted three shots from outside the box since making his senior debut for the club in October 2014. Yet there wasn’t even a trace of doubt or hesitation in his mind as he unleashed his effort, hard and rising, towards the Russian goal. It flew into the net just beyond Safonov’s outstretched right arm, nowhere near the corner but unstoppable nonetheless. One of the moments of the tournament, and the goal that put Denmark on course for the knockout stage.

He wheeled away, screaming and beating his chest as Parken Stadium erupted, before being mobbed by ecstatic team-mates and coaches. Some gleefully pulled at their ears; far from making fun of Christensen’s appearance, it was a reference to their team-mate winning the Champions League — the cup with the big ears — with Chelsea a few weeks earlier.

The goal and the celebration both served to underline what an incredible summer Christensen is having, and what a remarkable position of strength he now holds in his career. His contract at Chelsea expires in the summer of 2022 and sources have told The Athletic that the club have initiated talks about an extension, but director Marina Granovskaia has little leverage in the discussions. Now 25, Christensen has blossomed into the elite modern defender that the academy staff at Cobham always believed he could be, and his ascent has been to the benefit of club and country.

At Stamford Bridge and beyond, his stock has never been higher.

---

“It didn’t start great,” Christensen admitted to The Athletic in May when asked about the coaching change in January that transformed Chelsea’s season. He had not been playing under Frank Lampard, and any optimism about what the arrival of Thomas Tuchel could mean for his fortunes was swiftly undermined by his omission from the German’s first match-day squad to face Wolves. The new boss did, however, pull him aside to explain his thinking, setting the tone for a more positive relationship.

“He came to me straight away and said that he’d just got there and it was hard to change something,” Christensen added. “He kind of had the team in mind that he was going to play just because of that. But he said, ‘After that, you just have to prove yourself’. I worked hard and he kept true to that word.”

Tuchel demonstrated his faith in Christensen by relying on him in big moments as Thiago Silva’s veteran body creaked in the final stretch of the season. He played a key role in clean sheets against Tottenham, Atletico Madrid, Manchester United, Liverpool and Real Madrid, displaying the kind of assurance under pressure that had been too often lacking from his game since Antonio Conte’s tenure. Those who know him have told The Athletic that Chelsea returning to a back three has been an important factor in his revival, but so too has been feeling the trust of the coach.

Then there was the Champions League final itself. Silva limping off the pitch in tears after 39 minutes might have derailed a team without such high-calibre depth, but Christensen adjusted to the intensity of the occasion and the tactical demands of the opponent seamlessly. His unshakeable composure was particularly valuable in the anxious final minutes, when lively substitute Gabriel Jesus led Manchester City’s desperate search for an equaliser.

Denmark coach Kasper Hjulmand had offered Christensen the chance to take a few days off and join up with the national squad a little later following his Champions League final exertions, but he turned it down. This is a tight group of players, bound by friendship as well as competition — highlighted by the team’s instinctive forming of a protective shield around the stricken Christian Eriksen in their Euro 2020 group opener against Finland — and he could not wait to be reunited with them.

What has transpired since has turned Denmark into the best story of the tournament, and Christensen has been one of their best players. Initially deployed alongside Kjaer at the heart of a back four, Hjulmand’s shift to a more Chelsea-like 3-4-2-1 formation in Eriksen’s absence has pushed him to the right of a three-man defence, with the freedom to push up into midfield depending on the circumstances of the game. It is a role that has helped him showcase all of his best qualities.

Midway through the first half against Russia, Denmark found themselves in trouble: Aleksey Miranchuk has broken from midfield with the ball and generated a very promising overload situation in attack, with options left and right. Christensen is in a reasonable defensive position, but has his work cut out to see off the danger:

He begins by veering towards Miranchuk, blocking off any passing angle to the left and forcing the Russia playmaker to offload the ball to his right, where Roman Zobnin is available:

As soon as Miranchuk passes the ball, Christensen darts back to his left. Zobnin’s quick attempted pass to the runner on the left is poor, but his window was narrowed by the Chelsea defender’s movement. He sticks out a leg and deflects it behind for a corner:

Russia’s low block challenged Denmark’s defenders to make more complex decisions with the ball at their feet, and Christensen was up to the task. Here he shapes to play a pass right to Daniel Wass, with two opponents closing him down…

…but instead he turns sharply, losing one of the Russia players pressing him and giving him space to dribble infield, where a potential pass forward to Thomas Delaney presents itself:

On this occasion, Christensen decides the middle of the pitch is too crowded, and another sharp shift of the hips opens up a pass out to Joakim Maehle, with space to advance down the left flank:

Later in the first half, as Russia attempt to press higher, Christensen spots a sea of space in the middle of the pitch and drifts into more of a Jorginho position, enabling him to receive a forward pass from Kasper Schmeichel on the half-turn:

He advances into the Russia half and picks the right moment to shift the ball to his left, where Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg also has space ahead of him and Maehle on the overlap:

Positional versatility has been a theme of Christensen’s career, and contributes to his calm quality on the ball. He began his football journey as a skilful forward in Brondby’s academy, before moving back into midfield and ultimately defence in his teenage years. It was no surprise, then, that Hjulmand picked him to push up and nullify Aaron Ramsey — as well as provide a foundation for Denmark’s own possession play — in a 4-0 win over Wales in the round of 16 last week.

In the early minutes, he frustrated Wales’ attempts to press high, picking sharp passes through their lines. Here he decides to slip the ball between two opponents to Braithwaite, in a pocket of space on the halfway line with Joe Allen trying to close him down:

Christensen’s pass is on target, Braithwaite shields it from Allen, and the ball runs through to Stryger Larsen with space to advance:

A few minutes later, not even a sprinting Daniel James can prevent Christensen from playing a first-time pass around him into the feet of Hojbjerg:

Christensen also pressed like a midfielder at times against Wales. Here he is tracking Joe Morrell infield in the opposition half:

Morrell is eventually forced to pass backwards, with Christensen only returning to his more defensive position once the ball has been unloaded:

In the second half, Christensen receives an awkward pass in the air, with three Wales players set to converge upon him:

By shaping to pass back to Jannik Vestergaard, he loses Ramsey, as well as opening up a forward pass into the feet of Mikkel Damsgaard:

Christensen combined his midfield duties with his more traditional defensive instincts against Wales. Here, a couple of minutes later, he is forced to scramble as Vestergaard overruns the ball and loses it in the opposition half, sparking a counter:

He reacts quickly, sprinting back 40 yards to track Ramsey. The Juventus midfielder is forced wide and ultimately clips in a hopeful low cross that Kjaer is well placed to clear:

Christensen’s ability to step up the pitch with and without the ball has given Denmark a new tactical dimension in this 3-4-2-1 system, as well as a possible route to the Euro 2020 final.

---

Even if Denmark’s adventure goes no further, Christensen will go into next season with his stock further enhanced. Chelsea have several big decisions to make about the defenders who helped Tuchel deliver the Champions League — Cesar Azpilicueta and Antonio Rudiger are also in the final year of their deals — but given his age and development, Christensen is arguably the most pressing.

All the indications are that Christensen is happy at Chelsea. “I’m in this for the long run and I always have been,” he said in April. “I feel like this is my second home. Denmark will always be my home, but Chelsea will always be my place.”

His performances for club and country in recent months have given him a great opportunity to finally cement himself as a regular starter at Stamford Bridge, and the ticking down of his contract presents a chance for him to ensure he is paid like one too. Christensen has matured into one of Europe’s most accomplished ball-playing centre-backs, and it’s now up to Chelsea to keep him around.

[Vesper 27,325]

Chelsea star surprisingly among fastest players in Euro 2020 ahead of Sterling, Mbappe

https://www.thechelseachronicle.com/international/Chelsea-star-surprisingly-among-fastest-players-in-euro-2020-ahead-of-sterling-mbappe/

Chelsea and Denmark centre-back Andreas Christensen is among the top 10 players in the Euro 2020 in terms of top speed records.

The 25-year-old has had a great tournament so far, having helped Denmark reach the semi-finals.

Christensen himself is arguably one of the outstanding players in the tournament.

He has made 30 ball recoveries in the five games he played — joint ninth-best in the competition, as well as six tackles and seven clearance attempts.

Defending aside, he has also been showcasing his ball-playing abilities, completing 90% of his passes so far.

Not to mention that he surprised a lot of people, including BBC pundit Ashley Williams, with his impressive display in midfield against Wales.

Christensen might surprise more people as he has recorded joint seventh-highest top speed in the tournament according to the UEFA’s official website.

Italy’s Leonardo Spinazzola and Hungary’s Loic Nego tied at the top with recorded top speeds of 33.8 km/h, but Christensen is certainly not far off at 33.3 km/h.

This puts Christensen above a number of notoriously quick players such as England’s Raheem Sterling (33.1 km/h) and Kyle Walker (32.8 km/h) and even France’s Kylian Mbappe (32.2 km/h).

Obviously, players rarely hit their natural top speed during the actual game — and Mbappe would likely still beat Christensen in a 100 m race.

But it is still interesting how Christensen, who is not known for his pace, is among the top 10 in the competition.

Jorginho is another standout Chelsea player in terms of statistics at the Euro.

The Italy international has covered 57.7 km of the pitch in five games, third-most in the whole tournament.

While it has a lot to do with his playing more games than many others, he still covers 11.54 km per game on average. For comparison, N’Golo Kante covered 46.2 km in four games or 11.55 km per game.

Well, even Cesar Azpilicueta recently said that Spain must limit Jorginho’s involvement in the upcoming semi-final match in order to reach the final.

Edited July 4, 2021 by Vesper

[Magic Lamps 11,451]

27 minutes ago, Vesper said:

Chelsea star surprisingly among fastest players in Euro 2020 ahead of Sterling, Mbappe

https://www.thechelseachronicle.com/international/Chelsea-star-surprisingly-among-fastest-players-in-euro-2020-ahead-of-sterling-mbappe/

Chelsea and Denmark centre-back Andreas Christensen is among the top 10 players in the Euro 2020 in terms of top speed records.

The 25-year-old has had a great tournament so far, having helped Denmark reach the semi-finals.

Christensen himself is arguably one of the outstanding players in the tournament.

He has made 30 ball recoveries in the five games he played — joint ninth-best in the competition, as well as six tackles and seven clearance attempts.

Defending aside, he has also been showcasing his ball-playing abilities, completing 90% of his passes so far.

Not to mention that he surprised a lot of people, including BBC pundit Ashley Williams, with his impressive display in midfield against Wales.

Christensen might surprise more people as he has recorded joint seventh-highest top speed in the tournament according to the UEFA’s official website.

Italy’s Leonardo Spinazzola and Hungary’s Loic Nego tied at the top with recorded top speeds of 33.8 km/h, but Christensen is certainly not far off at 33.3 km/h.

This puts Christensen above a number of notoriously quick players such as England’s Raheem Sterling (33.1 km/h) and Kyle Walker (32.8 km/h) and even France’s Kylian Mbappe (32.2 km/h).

Obviously, players rarely hit their natural top speed during the actual game — and Mbappe would likely still beat Christensen in a 100 m race.

But it is still interesting how Christensen, who is not known for his pace, is among the top 10 in the competition.

Jorginho is another standout Chelsea player in terms of statistics at the Euro.

The Italy international has covered 57.7 km of the pitch in five games, third-most in the whole tournament.

While it has a lot to do with his playing more games than many others, he still covers 11.54 km per game on average. For comparison, N’Golo Kante covered 46.2 km in four games or 11.55 km per game.

Well, even Cesar Azpilicueta recently said that Spain must limit Jorginho’s involvement in the upcoming semi-final match in order to reach the final.

As I have repeatedly said and the articule agrees, top speed, especially in game is not at all an indicator of how pacey a player actually is or how effectively he uses his pace in game. Highest in game top speeds are usually recorded when centrebacks sprint back from corners. So it makes sense that Christensen and Spinazzola top the charts. Attacking players make use of their explosiveness and pace on the first few metres to look so fast when in fact they barely hit 3rd gear in these short sprints. Moreover 33km/h is not very fast. Your just above average 18y.o. highschool boy probably reaches that top speed or higher late in a 100m race, a distance a footballer is not very likely to cover in game. Still, AC never has been a slow defender to be sure. But measuring top speed is pointless for the reasons above. What i would really care about is the acceleration (so xy m/s² usually expressed within some logarithmic term to account for natural deceleration) values or at least the distance or time they reached those top speeds over so i can calculate it myself.

 

[Fernando 6,376]

I think Andreas and someone like Marquinhos or Varane would form a great partnership for a 4 man defense. 

 

[OneMoSalah 8,615]

Hope he gets his new deal very soon. Having an exceptional Euros, interesting to see how Denmark do v England. I think there’s a surprise in it yet. 

[NikkiCFC 7,587]

He still didn't prove himself in 4 at the back... Denmark also plays with 3 CBs. 

[King Kante 1,300]

2 hours ago, NikkiCFC said:

He still didn't prove himself in 4 at the back... Denmark also plays with 3 CBs. 

Well it is lucky 3atb is here to stay with us then. 

[Tomo 21,681]

I'll judge him in a 4atb after he's played in it with Mendy behind him for a prolonged period.

[OneMoSalah 8,615]

20 hours ago, NikkiCFC said:

He still didn't prove himself in 4 at the back... Denmark also plays with 3 CBs. 

What is this fixation with he has only proven himself in a 3 at the back and not 4 at the back?

He has played in a back 4 with Denmark and Mochengladbach at times in the past and also at times with us under Sarri and Frank. He has also played as a holding midfielder for Denmark.

And its not like he didn’t impress in place of Rudiger when he got injured under Sarri either. Which Sarri also did mention several times in the press/pre match games.

Maybe not so much under Frank but even Thiago Silva had a few bad games as did Rudiger as did Zouma as did whoever else played CB because tactically we were all over the place at times. 

[Vesper 27,325]

2 hours ago, OneMoSalah said:

What is this fixation with he has only proven himself in a 3 at the back and not 4 at the back?

He has played in a back 4 with Denmark and Mochengladbach at times in the past and also at times with us under Sarri and Frank. He has also played as a holding midfielder for Denmark.

And its not like he didn’t impress in place of Rudiger when he got injured under Sarri either. Which Sarri also did mention several times in the press/pre match games.

Maybe not so much under Frank but even Thiago Silva had a few bad games as did Rudiger as did Zouma as did whoever else played CB because tactically we were all over the place at times. 

I showed it was bollocks before with a massive post

you can lead a horse to water, but...................................

NT AC starts recently in a back 4, and one where he came into a back 4

[NikkiCFC 7,587]

@OneMoSalah

Playing and proving are 2 completely different things.

Lets start from the beginning. Borussia conceded 50 goals in 34 Bundesliga games in his first season there and 49 in second.

After that he came to Chelsea. First season was with Conte so 3atb.

Second season with Sarri... He started just 6 PL games. 3 clean sheets in those. Huddersfield, Brighton and Watford. Plus he played regularly in EL but again opponents that are a joke mostly.

For example against Liverpool it was 0:0 that season first half, Rudiger got injured and Chris replaced him and we lost 2:0. Not saying he is a fault ofc.

Season after with Frank again just 3 PL clean sheets with him against Brighton, Burnley and Watford again. In CL also nothing, he played 4 games we conceded 10 goals.

Last season he begun in starting 11. Brighton 1:3 win, 0:2 loss against Liverpool (thanks to him and that red), and two 3:3 draws against West Brom and Southampton.

After that he was benched and best period under Lampard begun. After start of the season he only played in 1:1 draw with Villa. He was good in Sevilla tho.

And now with Tuchel again 3atb.

I am sure others also remember stat that we conceded only one goal under Lampard in season and half with Zouma-Rudiger pairing. When you put Chris with either it is a disaster.

So when exactly did he proved himself in 4atb? In rare game against PL relegated team or against Hungarian or Greek side in EL?

When we play against top teams with 4atb and Chris is part of that and we have great defense like now with Tuchel while keeping regularly clean sheets then you can say that he proved himself.

 

Edited July 8, 2021 by NikkiCFC

[Clockwork 1,764]

Absolute warrior on the pitch, he is mentally on a another level nowdays. 

[ulvhedin 473]

Not being able to stay fit/healthy is what will hold him from being world class. Everytime he is starting to put some great performances  he gets injured. I hope yestarday it was only fatigue and he won't miss start of the season.

[Clockwork 1,764]

Continuing his superb form. 

[Strike 6,964]

This 3 CB system suits AC and all our centrebacks - the spare CB kept coming out to harry attackers in possession.