Ruben Loftus-Cheek

[Vesper 28,802]

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 28,802]

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 27,428]

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.

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[Jase 43,479]

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

 

[King Kante 1,476]

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 28,802]

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 5,892]

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 5,892]

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 1,476]

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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[King Kante 1,476]

23 minutes ago, killer1257 said:

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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Honestly, I do not know where you have seen evidence of RLC being similar to Yaya Toure. Yes, he can shield the ball well but he doesn't bulldoze his way through like he did. Maybe he has done it once or twice but there is no consistency to it to say it is a fundamental part of his game. Further, Yaya was very good at incepting the ball, which RLC isn't and he did move off the ball. 

Honestly, what me and Grevesie are saying has also been said by every manager that has had him fit and available. Close to zero work rate off the ball and wants it played to feet. Conparing this to Hazard is also wrong on two counts as a) Eden did make runs to draw defenders and b ) Eden's ability to dribble against packed defences is at a much higher level. 

I am really not trying to be condescending here but next time you watch Chelsea with RLC in the team, please try and following him as best you can when he is without the ball as it is very clear what I and Grevesie are talking about. 

Further, to avoid any confusion, I have absolutely no desire to do RLC down for no reason and would be ecstatic if he was able to adapt his off the ball work so that he could become similar to Yaya (who is in my top 3 favourite non-Chelsea PL players.) However, this belief that he does this is not reality (and I say this as someone that thought the same when I saw him in youth football, only to be disappointed when I actually watched him play live.) 

 

[Tomo 21,733]

1 hour ago, killer1257 said:

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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Where's all this stuff that Mount's just a workhorse coming from? An admittedly poor winter period has seemingly distorted reality and made people think that's his level.

Things like his goal at Norwich, run against Spurs (before Alonso's goal), and piece of play yesterday to set up what should have been the easiest goal of the season have all been excellent pieces of individual brilliance by him.

I was as happy as anyone with the progress made by RLC at the back end of last season (Sarri doesn't get the credit he deserves for the work he did with him) but unfortunately for him he's got a mountain to climb now as a player that suits Frank's system down to the ground is playing in his position (and personally  I think Mounts form before the second international break and Spurs away and beyond is better than anything I've seen from Ruben with the exception of those last two months I mentioned, comfortably so aswell).