Ruben Loftus-Cheek

[killer1257 3,282]

Just loan him out and see if he gets better after one season.

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[Unionjack 7,531]

I was hoping he had sharpened his ice skates but the lad looks totally broken. I was watching him and he was looking round as if to way WTF is going on? Looked like hed been hitting the balloons! Why did he come back out in 2nd half? Just so FL didn't upset him? Maybe he needs upsetting? Or at least getting some home truthes. Like you need to pull yer bloody sox up lad!.

[Atomiswave 6,072]

Loan him out, he aint getting better like this. Was supremely frustrating last night.....imo he is done at top level, he aint 19 anymore, now is the chance to prove yourself.

[Special Juan 27,439]

He needs to be out of FL thinking for the foreseeable future or until we at least play Carabao Cup again.

[NikkiCFC 8,049]

2 hours ago, Atomiswave said:

Loan him out, he aint getting better like this. Was supremely frustrating last night.....imo he is done at top level, he aint 19 anymore, now is the chance to prove yourself.

No point in loan imo. One of RLC or Barkley was always extra now with Kai. If we get good offer for one of them just sell. We can probably get 35m.

[OneMoSalah 8,783]

Would sell him and keep Barkley (never thought Id say that). That's how bad he was the other night. I know its one game but even last season and looking at this squad, he just doesnt fit. Is he a 10? No. He played in a 3 with Sarri and looked good but had Kante and Jorginho doing the other side for him. 

[!Hazard! 3,394]

I'd keep him at least until January just to see where his level really is. Hard to judge it based on Brighton game which was essentially our second pre-season game, nearly everyone was rusty.

That being said, he looked absolutely hopeless (even his touch was gone) so he better roll up his sleeves or else his Chelsea career is as good as over

[Unionjack 7,531]

40 minutes ago, !Hazard! said:

I'd keep him at least until January just to see where his level really is. Hard to judge it based on Brighton game which was essentially our second pre-season game, nearly everyone was rusty.

That being said, he looked absolutely hopeless (even his touch was gone) so he better roll up his sleeves or else his Chelsea career is as good as over

But when do we play him and where? If FL doesnt trust CHO to give him many minutes - who hasnt been total shite last couple times hes played - why would he give RLC time who HAS played shite? Put him in small cup games? 10 mins here n there IF/WHEN we are comfortably winning? Hard one.

[!Hazard! 3,394]

4 hours ago, Unionjack said:

But when do we play him and where? If FL doesnt trust CHO to give him many minutes - who hasnt been total shite last couple times hes played - why would he give RLC time who HAS played shite? Put him in small cup games? 10 mins here n there IF/WHEN we are comfortably winning? Hard one.

Have you had a look at the schedule? It's pretty insane and having a big squad is absolutely necessary this season. I'm expecting a lot of injuries and rotation so RLC will get his chances

[Unionjack 7,531]

1 minute ago, !Hazard! said:

Have you had a look at the schedule? It's pretty insane and having a big squad is absolutely necessary this season. I'm expecting a lot of injuries and rotation so RLC will get his chances

Lets all hope he is a lot better then.

[communicate 2,703]

On 9/15/2020 at 0:30 PM, Puliiszola said:

With Puli and Ziyech back, we will definitely revert to a 4-3-3. And formation and system will get the best out of him. I still have faith that RLC will come good.

Definitely wont judge him off a game where he was played as a 2nd striker whose main purpose was to win aerial balls and knock them down for werner. 

I don't think it has anything to do with system with ruben, he need to go somewhere and to play consistently and hopefully he can go back tk be ruben 

[Jase 43,479]

Was just thinking a bit and it seems like managers struggle to make the most out of Loftus-Cheek or have problems fitting him in.

Conte saw and used him as a striker. Sarri used him as a midfielder in a midfield three. Lampard talked about him being an option as No.10. And IIRC, Hodgson used him as a wide player when he was on loan at Crystal Palace. 

[killer1257 3,282]

Was just thinking a bit and it seems like managers struggle to make the most out of Loftus-Cheek or have problems fitting him in.
Conte saw and used him as a striker. Sarri used him as a midfielder in a midfield three. Lampard talked about him being an option as No.10. And IIRC, Hodgson used him as a wide player when he was on loan at Crystal Palace. 

Most coaches just do not play classical 4-3-3. Only coach I know that loves this formation is Sarri and he only knows 4-3-3.

I have watched an analysis of yesterday's match and according to the analysis, Ruben played more of a target man, which is funny because if Lampard wanted a target man next to Werner like Nagelsmann does, Lampard just could have brought Giroud or Tammy instead.

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[OneMoSalah 8,783]

7 hours ago, Jason said:

Was just thinking a bit and it seems like managers struggle to make the most out of Loftus-Cheek or have problems fitting him in.

Conte saw and used him as a striker. Sarri used him as a midfielder in a midfield three. Lampard talked about him being an option as No.10. And IIRC, Hodgson used him as a wide player when he was on loan at Crystal Palace. 

Yet people were adamant he would be an effective player for us and after Sarri didnt start him for 6 months the pitchforks were out despite many including myself saying something like this also regarding the position. Its no surprise he didnt pick him straight away, it probably took him the 6 months to get to grips with what Sarri wanted from his midfield on and off the ball and Ruben was probably very lucky he played 433 because he wouldnt have got a look in anywhere else IMO. If he played 4231 as a 10 hed of struggled based on what weve seen under Lamps. Although I felt he would have suited this role but he just looks like Ozil does for Arsenal most weeks IMO just swans about doing nothing majority of the time and without the ball he doesn’t make any effort. Okay obviously he does try but he looks very nonchalant. Even As a winger in a team such as ours his workrate will be exposed even more and even then why shoehorn him in or change the system to accommodate him? We have much better players. He has a big big season ahead of him to prove his worth. I think he will be alongside Ross 2 of the guys in the squad who will be very vulnerable.

[BigMabz 61]

A little worried about Ruben. I am fearing as the time goes by that he may end up becoming one of those who just didnt quite get there. Is he more a big fish in a small pond guy (a mid to lower table team)?, or can he make that jump to the top level and produce consistently. Im not sure, the jury is still out. Getting worried about his development at this point. 

[DDA 9,691]

On 9/16/2020 at 8:54 AM, Jason said:

Was just thinking a bit

Dangerous times. 

[Vesper 29,014]

Loftus-Cheek faces an uphill struggle but do not write him off

https://theathletic.com/2070414/2020/09/17/ruben-loftus-cheek-chelsea-criticism-neville-carragher/

The criticism was strong and it was damning.

Football players are used to negative comments from supporters, even after a positive performance, but when it comes from high-profile ex-professionals, it particularly stings.

In the aftermath of Chelsea’s 3-1 victory over Brighton, Ruben Loftus-Cheek found himself the subject of damning comments from pundits Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football show.

“I thought he was really disappointing,” Neville said. “I don’t think Loftus-Cheek can complain. He’s been given games. I don’t think he’s ever grasped his chance yet. There’s going to come a point when they’re going to cash in and get £25 million for him.”

Carragher joined in the condemnation of the England international. He added: “If you get your chance, you have to grab it. He’s had his chances now.”

For two-highly respected voices in the game, it was surprising they failed to mention — or appeared ignorant — to the rather significant fact that Loftus-Cheek was out for over a year with a serious achilles injury, sustained in a charity match against New England Revolution in May 2019. Indeed, he has played just 288 minutes of first-team football in the last 16 months because of it.

 

https://theathletic.com/podcast/139-straight-outta-cobham/?episode=44

No one, not even Loftus-Cheek himself, will argue that he performed well at Brighton. When he was replaced by Ross Barkley in the 61st minute, you could see the disappointment on his face because of how little he’d been able to produce. The failure to find Timo Werner during a two-v-one break in the first half summed it up. Manager Frank Lampard and the backroom staff greeted him with conciliatory pats and handshakes as he took a place on the bench.

Statistics don’t always tell the full story, yet on this occasion, they did. Despite playing in the No 10 role, the 24-year-old didn’t have any shots or blocked shots. He completed just 11 of 17 passes attempted and had 27 touches of the ball overall — the only players with lower numbers in the team for these two categories were late substitutes Callum Hudson-Odoi and Cesar Azpilicueta. On top of that, he made no tackles, clearances or interceptions.

So Chelsea have cause for concern, right? After all, it is now seven months since he made his comeback in a development squad friendly against Brentford B and apart from a nice assist for Tammy Abraham at Crystal Palace in July, the dynamic play he can provide hasn’t really been seen.

However, lack of fortune, which almost seems like the story of Loftus-Cheek’s career, has played a part in a lack of match sharpness and should be taken into account.

Sources have assured The Athletic the attacking midfielder has been training well for a long period. But that doesn’t mean a player is 100 per cent for the games themselves.

He was really looking on track earlier in the year. Indeed, this reporter saw him looking strong and ready for competitive action during an under-23s match against Everton in March.

Yet, just over a week later, football was halted due to COVID-19. It stopped the momentum. All players in the country suffered from having to spend three months working out at home but it was a particular setback for Loftus-Cheek, who had already missed out on so much.

He managed nine first-team appearances, two of which were starts, when the 2019-20 campaign resumed. Understandably, with a top-four finish at stake, Chelsea couldn’t really afford to pick him much more than that and get vital minutes into his legs. There was another reason for his absence from the line-up. It is understood his running statistics in comparison with other Chelsea players were flagged up and it was highlighted he needed to do more in training and in games.

With a short turnaround and an international break to fit in before 2020-21 began, pre-season was heavily disrupted, too. Normally, teams have at least half a dozen warm-up games before a ball is kicked in anger — Chelsea had just one. Loftus-Cheek played 72 minutes but as a club source insists: “It was not enough”.

Even the opportunity of an in-house game wasn’t possible. Chelsea had a number of the squad — up to 10 — self-isolating in the build-up because of a COVID-19 scare and quarantine rules after travelling abroad on holiday. This meant many of Loftus-Cheek’s team-mates at the Amex Stadium were not at their best physically either, which didn’t help. While Chelsea won the contest, it was not a vintage display and the scoreline flattered them.

The views of Neville and Carragher have not been well-received inside the camp. As one insider adds: “It was so harsh to jump on Loftus-Cheek after he’s been out of the game so long.”

How will Loftus-Cheek react to the negative scrutiny? It will definitely be one to watch. Sources describe him as an individual who does take criticism to heart and can take it quite personally on occasion, so it is a good thing he has Lampard as coach, someone who was on the receiving end of plenty of condemnation throughout his playing career and in the two years he’s been a manager (including during his first season at Derby).

What does the future hold for Loftus-Cheek? Well, the club showed their faith in him by agreeing a five-year contract in July 2019, just a couple of months after sustaining the achilles problem.

Once Hakim Ziyech and Christian Pulisic are fully fit, there is going to be a lot of competition for places in the attacking areas of the pitch. But it is believed he is very much part of Lampard’s plans for the campaign ahead, especially with his ability to play in so many positions. The worry, though, is can he get the regular run of games he needs to build up a rhythm, the kind seen during Maurizio Sarri’s one year in charge, when he played 42 times for club and country.

To get that, though, Loftus-Cheek needs to produce a lot more than he did at Brighton. Lampard has his own pressures to face, with expectations far greater following a spending spree in the market of over £200 million.

Loftus-Cheek is one of the most likeable players in the game. He is humble and has not let fame go to his head. But as Neville and Carragher demonstrated, people are now looking for his vast potential to be fully realised. It would help if a bit of luck finally went his way.

 

[Jase 43,479]

4 minutes ago, Vesper said:

Loftus-Cheek faces an uphill struggle but do not write him off

https://theathletic.com/2070414/2020/09/17/ruben-loftus-cheek-chelsea-criticism-neville-carragher/

The criticism was strong and it was damning.

Football players are used to negative comments from supporters, even after a positive performance, but when it comes from high-profile ex-professionals, it particularly stings.

In the aftermath of Chelsea’s 3-1 victory over Brighton, Ruben Loftus-Cheek found himself the subject of damning comments from pundits Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football show.

“I thought he was really disappointing,” Neville said. “I don’t think Loftus-Cheek can complain. He’s been given games. I don’t think he’s ever grasped his chance yet. There’s going to come a point when they’re going to cash in and get £25 million for him.”

Carragher joined in the condemnation of the England international. He added: “If you get your chance, you have to grab it. He’s had his chances now.”

For two-highly respected voices in the game, it was surprising they failed to mention — or appeared ignorant — to the rather significant fact that Loftus-Cheek was out for over a year with a serious achilles injury, sustained in a charity match against New England Revolution in May 2019. Indeed, he has played just 288 minutes of first-team football in the last 16 months because of it.

 

https://theathletic.com/podcast/139-straight-outta-cobham/?episode=44

No one, not even Loftus-Cheek himself, will argue that he performed well at Brighton. When he was replaced by Ross Barkley in the 61st minute, you could see the disappointment on his face because of how little he’d been able to produce. The failure to find Timo Werner during a two-v-one break in the first half summed it up. Manager Frank Lampard and the backroom staff greeted him with conciliatory pats and handshakes as he took a place on the bench.

Statistics don’t always tell the full story, yet on this occasion, they did. Despite playing in the No 10 role, the 24-year-old didn’t have any shots or blocked shots. He completed just 11 of 17 passes attempted and had 27 touches of the ball overall — the only players with lower numbers in the team for these two categories were late substitutes Callum Hudson-Odoi and Cesar Azpilicueta. On top of that, he made no tackles, clearances or interceptions.

So Chelsea have cause for concern, right? After all, it is now seven months since he made his comeback in a development squad friendly against Brentford B and apart from a nice assist for Tammy Abraham at Crystal Palace in July, the dynamic play he can provide hasn’t really been seen.

However, lack of fortune, which almost seems like the story of Loftus-Cheek’s career, has played a part in a lack of match sharpness and should be taken into account.

Sources have assured The Athletic the attacking midfielder has been training well for a long period. But that doesn’t mean a player is 100 per cent for the games themselves.

He was really looking on track earlier in the year. Indeed, this reporter saw him looking strong and ready for competitive action during an under-23s match against Everton in March.

Yet, just over a week later, football was halted due to COVID-19. It stopped the momentum. All players in the country suffered from having to spend three months working out at home but it was a particular setback for Loftus-Cheek, who had already missed out on so much.

He managed nine first-team appearances, two of which were starts, when the 2019-20 campaign resumed. Understandably, with a top-four finish at stake, Chelsea couldn’t really afford to pick him much more than that and get vital minutes into his legs. There was another reason for his absence from the line-up. It is understood his running statistics in comparison with other Chelsea players were flagged up and it was highlighted he needed to do more in training and in games.

With a short turnaround and an international break to fit in before 2020-21 began, pre-season was heavily disrupted, too. Normally, teams have at least half a dozen warm-up games before a ball is kicked in anger — Chelsea had just one. Loftus-Cheek played 72 minutes but as a club source insists: “It was not enough”.

Even the opportunity of an in-house game wasn’t possible. Chelsea had a number of the squad — up to 10 — self-isolating in the build-up because of a COVID-19 scare and quarantine rules after travelling abroad on holiday. This meant many of Loftus-Cheek’s team-mates at the Amex Stadium were not at their best physically either, which didn’t help. While Chelsea won the contest, it was not a vintage display and the scoreline flattered them.

The views of Neville and Carragher have not been well-received inside the camp. As one insider adds: “It was so harsh to jump on Loftus-Cheek after he’s been out of the game so long.”

How will Loftus-Cheek react to the negative scrutiny? It will definitely be one to watch. Sources describe him as an individual who does take criticism to heart and can take it quite personally on occasion, so it is a good thing he has Lampard as coach, someone who was on the receiving end of plenty of condemnation throughout his playing career and in the two years he’s been a manager (including during his first season at Derby).

What does the future hold for Loftus-Cheek? Well, the club showed their faith in him by agreeing a five-year contract in July 2019, just a couple of months after sustaining the achilles problem.

Once Hakim Ziyech and Christian Pulisic are fully fit, there is going to be a lot of competition for places in the attacking areas of the pitch. But it is believed he is very much part of Lampard’s plans for the campaign ahead, especially with his ability to play in so many positions. The worry, though, is can he get the regular run of games he needs to build up a rhythm, the kind seen during Maurizio Sarri’s one year in charge, when he played 42 times for club and country.

To get that, though, Loftus-Cheek needs to produce a lot more than he did at Brighton. Lampard has his own pressures to face, with expectations far greater following a spending spree in the market of over £200 million.

Loftus-Cheek is one of the most likeable players in the game. He is humble and has not let fame go to his head. But as Neville and Carragher demonstrated, people are now looking for his vast potential to be fully realised. It would help if a bit of luck finally went his way.

 

Not writing him off just yet because of obvious reasons but at the same time, think it's fair to ask how long should we wait for him to rediscover his form and/or fulfill his potential? He is already 24 years old, not 18 or 19 anymore and TBH, apart from the run he had under Sarri, he's never really shown any consistency in his career so far. He's only showed flashes of brilliance here and there and that is not good enough. It's fair that he should be given a bit more time but again at the same time, he also needs to do more to justify that. Okay, he didn't play in his best position on Monday but he was so bad at doing what's supposed to be the basics - e.g. passing the ball, making the right choices, tracking back. And then there's also the question whether Loftus-Cheek is basically a system player, someone who only fits into 4-3-3 and nothing else. If that is the case, then that is a potential issue as well.