🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Ruben Loftus-Cheek

[King Kante 1,643]

12 minutes ago, Vesper said:

Opponents and Chelsea team-mates not holding back as Loftus-Cheek nears return

https://theathletic.com/1648480/2020/03/03/ruben-loftus-cheek-chelsea-return-injury/?source=weeklyemail

Not for the first time in recent weeks, Ruben Loftus-Cheek was on the receiving end of a bruising tackle and he walked away with a great deal of satisfaction.

The Chelsea midfielder played his first full 90 minutes since suffering a serious achilles tendon injury last May, featuring in the development squad’s fixture against Everton on Monday night.

One might think Loftus-Cheek would want a nice gentle introduction back into the game he loves after having to spend so long on the sidelines. But this is a young man who wants to put his body on the line, to test what kind of condition it’s in and whether he’s ready for the physicality of the Premier League.

Long after the crowd had left non-League Aldershot Town’s EBB Stadium, the 24-year-old emerged from the dressing room to have another look at the pitch he had just played on.

The England international has appeared at much bigger venues on much bigger occasions but you got the impression this was as satisfying an experience as many of those.

For all the smooth control, nice turns and passes during the contest, the parts of the game he enjoyed most were when he won a 50-50 challenge with Everton’s Ryan Astley, earned a penalty after being tripped by Beni Baningime and climbed up off the turf following a terrible foul just before the end by Matthew Foulds.

Talking to The Athletic afterwards, Loftus-Cheek highlighted how these incidents provided the best indication yet that he is getting in shape to play at the highest level again.

It is not the only time he has been getting some rough treatment. It is understood he has been kicked in some painful places during training with the senior squad — no-one has been ordered to go easy on him. The same can be said for the friendly played behind closed doors against Brentford B a month ago, when he was given an hour as part of his comeback.

Loftus-Cheek knows he still has to work on his match fitness. There were times he drifted out of the contest against Everton’s under-23s as the demands of playing a full game after such a long absence understandably took its toll.

Yet it is a measure of the England international’s ability and likeable personality that his return to first-team training last month was greeted so warmly by team-mates.

Normally, the threat of increased competition might not be welcomed but everyone connected to the senior squad is aware of the midfielder’s importance for the final matches of the season.

Head coach Frank Lampard has already put him on the bench for a couple of first-team games at the end of February against Tottenham and Bournemouth, albeit without using him yet.

It is expected he will continue to be named as a substitute for a while yet, which means there could be more games for the development squad in the near future. On March 16, they play at Blackburn and just over a fortnight later Wolves are the visitors to Stamford Bridge.

A decision will obviously be taken closer to the time by Lampard depending on how much match action Loftus-Cheek has had with the first team but it’s very much a case of so far so good when it comes to his progress.

It is to Lampard’s credit that he is resisting the temptation to rush Loftus-Cheek back too quickly. Chelsea are in desperate need of his goal threat to boost their attack.

Lampard said as much during an interview with the Daily Mail recently. “With the ability that he has got, he is one of the most exciting English midfield players. From the conversations we’ve had, he wants it all,” said Lampard.

“I remember watching Ruben score a hat-trick in the Europa League against BATE Borisov in October 2018. A couple were my kind of goals — six-yard box, bang. Nothing to shout about but I liked it. Ruben’s never been a rack-up-numbers man but I’ll definitely speak to him. Can he get 15, 20 goals in a season? He’s got that in him.”

Lampard’s confident assessment isn’t far fetched. Last season, Loftus-Cheek was the club’s fourth highest goal-scorer with 10 — despite starting  in 17 of his 41 appearances.

One of Chelsea’s main weaknesses under Lampard has been the dearth of goals from midfield — Jorginho (six of his seven are from penalties), Mason Mount, N’Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic and Ross Barkley have scored only 19 between them in all competitions.

Loftus-Cheek will undoubtedly improve those statistics, however there is an acceptance that the most important thing is to be patient and ease him back slowly in order to avoid any other injuries.

There have been a few setbacks to the recovery process over the last 10 months, including having to pull out of a development squad game against Arsenal in February due to picking up a minor problem. But those Chelsea fans who made the trip to Aldershot’s ground to watch him in action against Everton couldn’t have made their delight at seeing him on the pitch again any clearer.

When Loftus-Cheek first wandered out for the warm-up, the majority of the crowd had yet to appear, so he was barely noticed. By the time he started some shooting drills with under-23s assistant coach Jon Harley though, people had filled the main stand and were there to roar with approval as he drilled the ball into the top corner.

An indication of what mood he was in came when he beat one of the Chelsea youngsters in a sprinting drill toward the tunnel and ran off with a big smile on his face.

As the two teams were read out over the speaker system before kick-off, there was a loud cheer when Loftus-Cheek’s name was heard, followed by chants of “Ruben, Ruben”.

For the first six minutes, those same people were silenced as the ball and the game passed the man they so admire by. Loftus-Cheek simply couldn’t get a touch of the ball.

Playing just off the striker Thierno Ballo, Loftus-Cheek gradually began to impose himself on the action. Not every move he tried came off but there were times his class showed as he spun away from a close marker and threaded a ball to someone else in blue.

Where the long lay-off has clearly taken a toll is in the pace department. A few times, he would beat a man with a bit of skill, like when Baningime was nutmegged in the second half, only for another Everton player to get back and tackle him. No-one should be too alarmed — his speed will return the more minutes he gets.

The intelligence after the break to drop deeper to get the ball, as Chelsea’s opponents sat further and further back, meant the home side grew more dangerous because Loftus-Cheek ensured they kept possession in the final third.

He could have scored too but his header from an Ian Maatsen corner in the 71st minute flashed wide of the near post. Encouragingly it was Loftus-Cheek’s quick reactions to a loose ball in the area which led to the penalty, and only goal of the game, scored by Luke McCormick.

There was a quiet hush soon afterwards when he collapsed to the ground in agony following a bad lunge by Foulds. As the physios raced out to treat him, everyone feared the worst but perhaps Loftus-Cheek’s luck is changing as there was no damage and he stayed on until the final whistle.

Obviously there are much tougher tests to come but Loftus-Cheek left the venue clearly believing he has taken another significant step closer to getting back to where he belongs.

After reading this, I have no expectations of him starting a match until the end of the month of early April. 

[killer1257 3,282]

Opponents and Chelsea team-mates not holding back as Loftus-Cheek nears return
https://theathletic.com/1648480/2020/03/03/ruben-loftus-cheek-chelsea-return-injury/?source=weeklyemail

Not for the first time in recent weeks, Ruben Loftus-Cheek was on the receiving end of a bruising tackle and he walked away with a great deal of satisfaction.

The Chelsea midfielder played his first full 90 minutes since suffering a serious achilles tendon injury last May, featuring in the development squad’s fixture against Everton on Monday night.

One might think Loftus-Cheek would want a nice gentle introduction back into the game he loves after having to spend so long on the sidelines. But this is a young man who wants to put his body on the line, to test what kind of condition it’s in and whether he’s ready for the physicality of the Premier League.

Long after the crowd had left non-League Aldershot Town’s EBB Stadium, the 24-year-old emerged from the dressing room to have another look at the pitch he had just played on.

The England international has appeared at much bigger venues on much bigger occasions but you got the impression this was as satisfying an experience as many of those.

For all the smooth control, nice turns and passes during the contest, the parts of the game he enjoyed most were when he won a 50-50 challenge with Everton’s Ryan Astley, earned a penalty after being tripped by Beni Baningime and climbed up off the turf following a terrible foul just before the end by Matthew Foulds.

[/url]

Talking to The Athletic afterwards, Loftus-Cheek highlighted how these incidents provided the best indication yet that he is getting in shape to play at the highest level again.

It is not the only time he has been getting some rough treatment. It is understood he has been kicked in some painful places during training with the senior squad — no-one has been ordered to go easy on him. The same can be said for the friendly played behind closed doors against Brentford B a month ago, when he was given an hour as part of his comeback.

Loftus-Cheek knows he still has to work on his match fitness. There were times he drifted out of the contest against Everton’s under-23s as the demands of playing a full game after such a long absence understandably took its toll.

Yet it is a measure of the England international’s ability and likeable personality that his return to first-team training last month was greeted so warmly by team-mates.

Normally, the threat of increased competition might not be welcomed but everyone connected to the senior squad is aware of the midfielder’s importance for the final matches of the season.

Head coach Frank Lampard has already put him on the bench for a couple of first-team games at the end of February against Tottenham and Bournemouth, albeit without using him yet.

It is expected he will continue to be named as a substitute for a while yet, which means there could be more games for the development squad in the near future. On March 16, they play at Blackburn and just over a fortnight later Wolves are the visitors to Stamford Bridge.

A decision will obviously be taken closer to the time by Lampard depending on how much match action Loftus-Cheek has had with the first team but it’s very much a case of so far so good when it comes to his progress.

It is to Lampard’s credit that he is resisting the temptation to rush Loftus-Cheek back too quickly. Chelsea are in desperate need of his goal threat to boost their attack.

Lampard said as much during an interview with the Daily Mail

 recently. “With the ability that he has got, he is one of the most exciting English midfield players. From the conversations we’ve had, he wants it all,” said Lampard.

“I remember watching Ruben score a hat-trick in the Europa League against BATE Borisov in October 2018. A couple were my kind of goals — six-yard box, bang. Nothing to shout about but I liked it. Ruben’s never been a rack-up-numbers man but I’ll definitely speak to him. Can he get 15, 20 goals in a season? He’s got that in him.”

Lampard’s confident assessment isn’t far fetched. Last season, Loftus-Cheek was the club’s fourth highest goal-scorer with 10 — despite starting  in 17 of his 41 appearances.

One of Chelsea’s main weaknesses under Lampard has been the dearth of goals from midfield — Jorginho (six of his seven are from penalties), Mason Mount, N’Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic and Ross Barkley have scored only 19 between them in all competitions.

Loftus-Cheek will undoubtedly improve those statistics, however there is an acceptance that the most important thing is to be patient and ease him back slowly in order to avoid any other injuries.

There have been a few setbacks to the recovery process over the last 10 months, including having to pull out of a development squad game against Arsenal in February due to picking up a minor problem. But those Chelsea fans who made the trip to Aldershot’s ground to watch him in action against Everton couldn’t have made their delight at seeing him on the pitch again any clearer.

When Loftus-Cheek first wandered out for the warm-up, the majority of the crowd had yet to appear, so he was barely noticed. By the time he started some shooting drills with under-23s assistant coach Jon Harley though, people had filled the main stand and were there to roar with approval as he drilled the ball into the top corner.

An indication of what mood he was in came when he beat one of the Chelsea youngsters in a sprinting drill toward the tunnel and ran off with a big smile on his face.

As the two teams were read out over the speaker system before kick-off, there was a loud cheer when Loftus-Cheek’s name was heard, followed by chants of “Ruben, Ruben”.

For the first six minutes, those same people were silenced as the ball and the game passed the man they so admire by. Loftus-Cheek simply couldn’t get a touch of the ball.

Playing just off the striker Thierno Ballo, Loftus-Cheek gradually began to impose himself on the action. Not every move he tried came off but there were times his class showed as he spun away from a close marker and threaded a ball to someone else in blue.

Where the long lay-off has clearly taken a toll is in the pace department. A few times, he would beat a man with a bit of skill, like when Baningime was nutmegged in the second half, only for another Everton player to get back and tackle him. No-one should be too alarmed — his speed will return the more minutes he gets.

The intelligence after the break to drop deeper to get the ball, as Chelsea’s opponents sat further and further back, meant the home side grew more dangerous because Loftus-Cheek ensured they kept possession in the final third.

He could have scored too but his header from an Ian Maatsen corner in the 71st minute flashed wide of the near post. Encouragingly it was Loftus-Cheek’s quick reactions to a loose ball in the area which led to the penalty, and only goal of the game, scored by Luke McCormick.

There was a quiet hush soon afterwards when he collapsed to the ground in agony following a bad lunge by Foulds. As the physios raced out to treat him, everyone feared the worst but perhaps Loftus-Cheek’s luck is changing as there was no damage and he stayed on until the final whistle.

Obviously there are much tougher tests to come but Loftus-Cheek left the venue clearly believing he has taken another significant step closer to getting back to where he belongs.

Yeah, he was fouled couple of times and one tackle was bad. I would actually do not want him to play that much more minutes for the U23 where he gets fouled in meaningless matches.

Gesendet von meinem SM-G920F mit Tapatalk

[Jase 43,479]

 

[Chelsea_firstlove 178]

.

Edited March 14, 2021 by Chelsea_firstlove

[Vesper 30,175]

37 minutes ago, Chelsea_firstlove said:

I haven't followed football for a long time. Is he ready now?

yes

[Chelsea_firstlove 178]

.

Edited March 14, 2021 by Chelsea_firstlove

[Miguelito 459]

Anybody have the full article? https://theathletic.com/1877509/

 

[Vesper 30,175]

42 minutes ago, Miguelito said:

Anybody have the full article? https://theathletic.com/1877509/

 

Relentless rehab in lockdown has Loftus-Cheek primed to make big Chelsea impact

https://theathletic.com/1877509/

Over the weekend, training footage released by Chelsea included a clip of Ruben Loftus-Cheek accidentally kneeing a ball into his own face during a game of football tennis before falling to the ground in mock pain, to the amusement of himself and the team-mates around him.

It was a funny sight but also a refreshing one: when was the last time that arguably the unluckiest footballer of his generation had a moment of misfortune that he could laugh about?

To say it has been a long and arduous road back for Loftus-Cheek since that fateful day at Gillette Stadium in May 2019 — when the achilles tendon in his left leg snapped with such force that he thought a New England Revolution player had smashed into him from behind — is an understatement. Thirteen months and several setbacks later, his tortuous wait is finally nearing an end.

Loftus-Cheek has been heavily involved in Chelsea’s preparations for the Premier League restart, leading many at the club to believe he is in serious contention to feature against Aston Villa and Manchester City. He played the full 90 minutes of the inter-squad match arranged by Frank Lampard at Stamford Bridge, scoring once, then 45 minutes or more in both friendlies against Reading and QPR, where he found the net twice in a 7-1 win.

Starting on the left wing against QPR on Sunday, Loftus-Cheek impressed onlookers with the ease of his movement, linking well with team-mates and carrying a constant threat in the final third. There were no visible signs, either in his performance or the way he carried himself, of any lingering lack of trust in the body that has let him down so many times.

That is testament to the diligence and relentless dedication Loftus-Cheek has shown towards maintaining his physical conditioning during the COVID-19 shutdown. He was poised to make his first-team return for Chelsea as soon as February, if not quite ready to play big Premier League minutes, and only a late Antonio Rudiger own goal made Lampard think better of bringing him on as a late substitute against Tottenham at Stamford Bridge.

Global circumstances forced a further delay, but Loftus-Cheek chose to stay patient and think positive. He threw himself into the tailored home fitness programme that Chelsea gave him, working hard on the exercise bike and with the skipping rope in his garden. But he has also been pushing himself with gruelling drills designed by Jamie Lawrence, the former Bradford City and Jamaica winger who now works as a fitness coach.

“We’ve done a lot of explosive leg work on the glutes and quads,” Lawrence tells The Athletic. “I have him doing different types of explosive squats: sit on a bench for two seconds and jump up, or do one-leg squats, or Bulgarian squats (one foot behind on a bench, one foot on the floor) with a jump. Everything is explosive. Everything is game relevant. It’s game relevant because it improves power in the legs, which is big for challenging for headers, taking off, pushing people off the ball, getting from box to box.

“He was fit when everything shut down in March. Ruben has the best mentality of any young player I’ve trained. He is so strong mentally. He found it hard with the injury but I know he was so close to coming back. I said to him: ‘This could do you a favour, this could get you even better and fitter during this period’.”

Since the first-team squad were recalled to Cobham for phase-one training last month, sources have told The Athletic that Loftus-Cheek has played a full part in every session and every drill. Going through the same abbreviated pre-season camp as everyone else has helped him feel like a part of the team again, and should enable Lampard to consider him on more of an equal footing when he picks his midfield in the early weeks of the Premier League restart.

There should still be a note of caution. Midfield was already the most crowded area of Lampard’s squad before Billy Gilmour’s spectacular breakthrough prior to the shutdown further swelled the ranks. N’Golo Kante is also fit again. Unlike the men he will be competing against, Loftus-Cheek does not have the recent muscle memory of regular Premier League minutes.

He does, however, have an influential fan. Sources have told The Athletic that Lampard was in frequent contact with Loftus-Cheek while Derby County manager last season, encouraging the 24-year-old as he battled to win a place in Maurizio Sarri’s team — a battle he had won convincingly when injury struck two weeks before he was due to start the Europa League final.

“It would mean a lot to him and me to get him some time on the field now,” Lampard said of Loftus-Cheek prior to the shutdown. “It’s a lonely place, it’s a long time. He was in a very good run of form last year. He was playing really well and getting confidence but he hasn’t kicked a ball for me.

“With the ability he has got, he’s one of the most exciting midfielders in the Premier League, so we all want him back, and him more than anyone.”

Last season Loftus-Cheek became the first Chelsea midfielder since Oscar to reach double figures for goals across all competitions, with six in the Premier League and four in Europe. Lampard, the greatest goalscoring midfielder of his generation, has been desperately searching for that kind of final-third impact to support his attack ever since he took charge at Stamford Bridge.

Loftus-Cheek’s 5.68 touches in the opposition box per 90 minutes in the Premier League last season were bettered only by Olivier Giroud, Eden Hazard and Pedro among Chelsea’s squad, underlining his attacking intent. By way of context, Mason Mount leads Chelsea’s midfielders with 4.03 touches in the opposition box per 90 minutes in this season’s Premier League.

His rare ability to carry the ball upfield through opposition pressure also gave Chelsea a valuable way of turning defence into attack: he attempted (6.5) and completed (3.75) more dribbles per 90 minutes in the Premier League than anyone in the squad except for Hazard.

“Everyone needs someone who can pick up the ball and drive,” Lawrence adds. “You don’t get midfielders like that anymore. Kante cleans up, Mateo Kovacic is a good player but nobody is like Ruben in terms of what he brings — there isn’t anyone really like that in the league.”

England manager Gareth Southgate is every bit as enthralled by Loftus-Cheek’s unique blend of talents. Having featured him heavily in a thrilling 2018 World Cup campaign on the strengths of his performances on loan at Crystal Palace, he called the midfielder during the shutdown to stress that he remains firmly in his thoughts for the rescheduled Euro 2020, which will now take place next summer.

Lampard is giving nothing away about his own team selection in what remains of the Premier League season but will be without Pedro, who is unwilling to play again this season after signing a contract with Roma. William has also yet to sign an extension to his contract — which expires in less than two weeks — but is expected to play. Chelsea’s hopes of qualifying for next season’s Champions League remain too uncertain to allow Loftus-Cheek to feel his way back in matches that matter.

Wherever he is deployed on the pitch, Loftus-Cheek will need to hit the ground running and earn any minutes on the pitch. But after everything he has overcome in the past 13 months, this is the type of challenge for which he has been hoping.

[killer1257 3,282]

Relentless rehab in lockdown has Loftus-Cheek primed to make big Chelsea impact

https://theathletic.com/1877509/

Over the weekend, training footage released by Chelsea included a clip of Ruben Loftus-Cheek accidentally kneeing a ball into his own face during a game of football tennis before falling to the ground in mock pain, to the amusement of himself and the team-mates around him.

It was a funny sight but also a refreshing one: when was the last time that arguably the unluckiest footballer of his generation had a moment of misfortune that he could laugh about?

[/url]

To say it has been a long and arduous road back for Loftus-Cheek since that fateful day at Gillette Stadium in May 2019 — when the achilles tendon in his left leg snapped with such force that he thought a New England Revolution player had smashed into him from behind — is an understatement. Thirteen months and several setbacks later

, his tortuous wait is finally nearing an end.

Loftus-Cheek has been heavily involved in Chelsea’s preparations for the Premier League restart, leading many at the club to believe he is in serious contention to feature against Aston Villa and Manchester City. He played the full 90 minutes of the inter-squad match arranged by Frank Lampard at Stamford Bridge, scoring once, then 45 minutes or more in both friendlies against Reading and QPR, where he found the net twice in a 7-1 win.

Starting on the left wing against QPR on Sunday, Loftus-Cheek impressed onlookers with the ease of his movement, linking well with team-mates and carrying a constant threat in the final third. There were no visible signs, either in his performance or the way he carried himself, of any lingering lack of trust in the body that has let him down so many times.

That is testament to the diligence and relentless dedication Loftus-Cheek has shown towards maintaining his physical conditioning during the COVID-19 shutdown. He was poised to make his first-team return for Chelsea as soon as February, if not quite ready to play big Premier League minutes, and only a late Antonio Rudiger own goal made Lampard think better of bringing him on as a late substitute against Tottenham at Stamford Bridge.

Global circumstances forced a further delay, but Loftus-Cheek chose to stay patient and think positive. He threw himself into the tailored home fitness programme that Chelsea gave him, working hard on the exercise bike and with the skipping rope in his garden. But he has also been pushing himself with gruelling drills designed by Jamie Lawrence, the former Bradford City and Jamaica winger who now works as a fitness coach.

“We’ve done a lot of explosive leg work on the glutes and quads,” Lawrence tells The Athletic. “I have him doing different types of explosive squats: sit on a bench for two seconds and jump up, or do one-leg squats, or Bulgarian squats (one foot behind on a bench, one foot on the floor) with a jump. Everything is explosive. Everything is game relevant. It’s game relevant because it improves power in the legs, which is big for challenging for headers, taking off, pushing people off the ball, getting from box to box.

“He was fit when everything shut down in March. Ruben has the best mentality of any young player I’ve trained. He is so strong mentally. He found it hard with the injury but I know he was so close to coming back. I said to him: ‘This could do you a favour, this could get you even better and fitter during this period’.”

Since the first-team squad were recalled to Cobham for phase-one training last month, sources have told The Athletic that Loftus-Cheek has played a full part in every session and every drill. Going through the same abbreviated pre-season camp as everyone else has helped him feel like a part of the team again, and should enable Lampard to consider him on more of an equal footing when he picks his midfield in the early weeks of the Premier League restart.

There should still be a note of caution. Midfield was already the most crowded area of Lampard’s squad before Billy Gilmour’s spectacular breakthrough prior to the shutdown further swelled the ranks. N’Golo Kante is also fit again. Unlike the men he will be competing against, Loftus-Cheek does not have the recent muscle memory of regular Premier League minutes.

He does, however, have an influential fan. Sources have told The Athletic that Lampard was in frequent contact with Loftus-Cheek while Derby County manager last season, encouraging the 24-year-old as he battled to win a place in Maurizio Sarri’s team — a battle he had won convincingly when injury struck two weeks before he was due to start the Europa League final.

“It would mean a lot to him and me to get him some time on the field now,” Lampard said of Loftus-Cheek prior to the shutdown. “It’s a lonely place, it’s a long time. He was in a very good run of form last year. He was playing really well and getting confidence but he hasn’t kicked a ball for me.

“With the ability he has got, he’s one of the most exciting midfielders in the Premier League, so we all want him back, and him more than anyone.”

Last season Loftus-Cheek became the first Chelsea midfielder since Oscar to reach double figures for goals across all competitions, with six in the Premier League and four in Europe. Lampard, the greatest goalscoring midfielder of his generation, has been desperately searching for that kind of final-third impact to support his attack ever since he took charge at Stamford Bridge.

Loftus-Cheek’s 5.68 touches in the opposition box per 90 minutes in the Premier League last season were bettered only by Olivier Giroud, Eden Hazard and Pedro among Chelsea’s squad, underlining his attacking intent. By way of context, Mason Mount leads Chelsea’s midfielders with 4.03 touches in the opposition box per 90 minutes in this season’s Premier League.

His rare ability to carry the ball upfield through opposition pressure also gave Chelsea a valuable way of turning defence into attack: he attempted (6.5) and completed (3.75) more dribbles per 90 minutes in the Premier League than anyone in the squad except for Hazard.

“Everyone needs someone who can pick up the ball and drive,” Lawrence adds. “You don’t get midfielders like that anymore. Kante cleans up, Mateo Kovacic is a good player but nobody is like Ruben in terms of what he brings — there isn’t anyone really like that in the league.”

England manager Gareth Southgate is every bit as enthralled by Loftus-Cheek’s unique blend of talents. Having featured him heavily in a thrilling 2018 World Cup campaign on the strengths of his performances on loan at Crystal Palace, he called the midfielder during the shutdown to stress that he remains firmly in his thoughts for the rescheduled Euro 2020, which will now take place next summer.

Lampard is giving nothing away about his own team selection in what remains of the Premier League season but will be without Pedro, who is unwilling to play again this season after signing a contract with Roma. William has also yet to sign an extension to his contract — which expires in less than two weeks — but is expected to play. Chelsea’s hopes of qualifying for next season’s Champions League remain too uncertain to allow Loftus-Cheek to feel his way back in matches that matter.

Wherever he is deployed on the pitch, Loftus-Cheek will need to hit the ground running and earn any minutes on the pitch. But after everything he has overcome in the past 13 months, this is the type of challenge for which he has been hoping.

RLC said in an interview that he also did some sprint Training when Corona started

[Jase 43,479]

 

[Special Juan 28,141]

Needs to be eased in not thrown in, slow and steady.

[killer1257 3,282]

I think it was good to give him some minutes because he will not get many minutes in the next couple of matches.

Gesendet von meinem VOG-L29 mit Tapatalk

[Jase 43,479]

Think some folks were talking about this in the transfers thread...

 

[King Kante 1,643]

26 minutes ago, Jason said:

Think some folks were talking about this in the transfers thread...

 

I do not want to beat up too much on the guy as he has been out for so long, but the comment is correct. Further, to his lack of defensive skills is his work rate off the ball. I honestly struggle to remember a player who is lazier than RLC off the ball as he just walks/lightly jogs about when he doesn't have the ball (I say this from watching him since he broke in.) 

For me, I think RLC is very good on the ball but will never be much more than a squad player as his all round game is not there and he is very injury prone. 

[Vesper 30,175]

On 21/06/2020 at 10:22 PM, King Kante said:

I do not want to beat up too much on the guy as he has been out for so long, but the comment is correct. Further, to his lack of defensive skills is his work rate off the ball. I honestly struggle to remember a player who is lazier than RLC off the ball as he just walks/lightly jogs about when he doesn't have the ball (I say this from watching him since he broke in.) 

For me, I think RLC is very good on the ball but will never be much more than a squad player as his all round game is not there and he is very injury prone. 

just one of an insane amount of players who collectively add up to make us by far the most complicated big team in Europe to suss out fully.

the only 'no true questions other than growing into the job (for some) players are Reece, Kovacic, Gilmour, Mount, and Pulisic (as long as he stays healthy) plus Giroud (if you accept him for what he is, simply a great backup option) Hopefully Ziyech and Werner can be added here too. Azpi to a point (but soon he is no longer starting material at all, but is great as a backup option for a couple more years hopefully)

It kills me to not put Rudiger in here as well, but he has not exactly covered himself in glory as of late.

 

every other player has major issues of one kind or another

it is crazy, especially when you add in the on-loan dregs

36 in total (not counting the soon or already gone Morata, Pasalic, Willian, and Pedro, who would have taken it to an even (and bonkers) 40) plus not counting any of the youngsters who are good enough to keep (some out on loan as well)

THAT is the literal definition of complicated and unsettled

 

[OhForAGreavsie 6,073]

On 21/06/2020 at 9:22 PM, King Kante said:

(I say this from watching him since he broke in.)

And I've been saying it since he played youth football. Believe it or not, the coaches have improved him somewhat in this regard. In the 18s he often literally stood and watched. I don't think this problem is physical, it's in his head.

People often claimed that Daniel Sturridge would learn to overcome his selfishness on the ball. I knew that having been around professional football for more than a decade by then, his coaches must have tried to cure it throughout that time. Since he hadn't shaken it off before coming to Chelsea, it was easy to predict that he never would.

We may have to face the fact that Rubes is not going to be able to solve his issue either. Seven years ago I predicted that RLC had no chance of a Chelsea career unless he got over this habit of drifting through games. I'm sure that, come what may, he'll be retained for 2020/21 but it's going to be a turning point. The penny has to drop, or it will be game over for RLC and Chelsea 

[killer1257 3,282]

And I've been saying it since he played youth football. Believe it or not, the coaches have improved him somewhat in this regard. In the 18s he often literally stood and watched. I don't think this problem is physical, it's in his head.

By the way, Ruben was our second best player last season. He scored 10 goals and made 5 assists in only 2000 minutes, while guys like Pogba made 8 goals and 11 assists in 4000 minutes without counting penalties. Only his injury fucked him. You may disagree with what I say, but he would have been a starter after last season. Even people in Germany rate him.

Also, his back problem started when he was 19 years old and Ruben said that it took him years to find solutions. That is why his hamstring and back cramp during the matches all the time. His solution is doing Yoga and stop lifting weights for upper body. He only does body weight exercises for upper body.

You may dislike Ruben, but when even people in Germany start knowing about RLC and rating him after last seasons performances, I would overthink my opinion of him.

Only injuries can stop RLC and Boga

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[OhForAGreavsie 6,073]

27 minutes ago, killer1257 said:

By the way, Ruben was our second best player last season. He scored 10 goals and made 5 assist

I saw the games. I know the stats, I don't agree with the assessment.

27 minutes ago, killer1257 said:

Only his injury fucked him. You may disagree with what I say, but he would have been a starter after last season. Even people in Germany rate him.

Well, let's hope that the remainder of this season acts like a tune-up for him so he can hit the ground running when the next season starts. It's easy to rate players on their talents and other attributes. Ruben has it all, but the proof is in establishing, and maintaining a high level of contribution for the team. If that happens, we'll all be happy.

[King Kante 1,643]

7 hours ago, OhForAGreavsie said:

I saw the games. I know the stats, I don't agree with the assessment.

Well, let's hope that the remainder of this season acts like a tune-up for him so he can hit the ground running when the next season starts. It's easy to rate players on their talents and other attributes. Ruben has it all, but the proof is in establishing, and maintaining a high level of contribution for the team. If that happens, we'll all be happy.

Very good post. There is no questioning RLC's qualities on the ball, however off the ball he is very very poor. I, like you, would like nothing better than to see RLC fulfill his potential (I also saw him in youth games on CTV so was really looking forward to him in the first team, then started to witness his work rate - seems you spotted this earlier than I did.)

However, people that say he was our second best player last season have short memories. He only really broke into the side in Feb/March and did do well, however he was still lacking work rate. The injury was obviously a killer as his finish had given a good platform to build off but he clearly wasn't our 2nd best player, expect for maybe between April-May. 

[killer1257 3,282]

Very good post. There is no questioning RLC's qualities on the ball, however off the ball he is very very poor. I, like you, would like nothing better than to see RLC fulfill his potential (I also saw him in youth games on CTV so was really looking forward to him in the first team, then started to witness his work rate - seems you spotted this earlier than I did.)
However, people that say he was our second best player last season have short memories. He only really broke into the side in Feb/March and did do well, however he was still lacking work rate. The injury was obviously a killer as his finish had given a good platform to build off but he clearly wasn't our 2nd best player, expect for maybe between April-May. 

RLC was a complete game changer for Sarri Ball and it was way more direct.

Also, Hazards off the ball qualities are garbage too. I rarely see people hating on him because of that. If RLC does more off the ball movement and stops scoring 10 goals and 5 assists in 2000 minutes, he will be just a tall version of Mason Mount. Now, people want more Mounts and when Mount is not showing something offensive, people will say that he should do more for the offensive part of his game. People can't have it all. Yaya at Man City was not doing that much defending either and I am sure City could have cared less. You will not see 190 cm tall, 90 kg footballer with crazy technique and making those Yaya Toure/RLC bulldozer runs. Mount said in an interview that he knew he will never be tall and strong like other players. That is why he focused on pressing and a little bit of passing (in my opinion average). RLC knows that he will never be a marathon runner and that is why he focused more on his other areas. Lukaku knows he is not made for being a marathon runner, that is why he has a sprinter style of play. Football is a team's sport and not a individual sport. We have 11 players and want to have different style of players available for our first eleven. I would be suicidal if we had 11 Mounts or 11 Willians playing for us. Just running and running, but nothing else.

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