César Azpilicueta

[Spike 12,049]

It doesn't matter how offensively capable he is. The team has a dozen other players to score goals and create them. As long as he prevents the team from conceding and puts up clean sheets for the GK all is well.

[iseah100 5,612]

It doesn't matter how offensively capable he is. The team has a dozen other players to score goals and create them. As long as he prevents the team from conceding and puts up clean sheets for the GK all is well.

But when Hazard doesn't track back he gets slammed. But Azpi can do absolutely nothing offensively and get praised.

[RoyalBlues 4,050]

we haven't tried Azpi/Luis

I'm afraid Brana will lose his place, if we ever try that.

[Chelsea? 892]

I just wanna see him at RB again. Ivan has been superb but for some reason I wanna see Azpi and Luis as our fullbacks

[chelseafc9010 224]

But when Hazard doesn't track back he gets slammed. But Azpi can do absolutely nothing offensively and get praised.

Because..

1. Azpi is on the wrong side, so even if he did attack he would just slow down play

2. He does attack sometimes

3. He is kept back so that the defence can move to the right to allow Ivan to go up

4. He is kept back to cover for Eden

5. He is kept back because leaving JT on his own against a winger would be suicide

[ZOS 580]

I'm afraid Brana will lose his place, if we ever try that.

we haven't tried Terry/Brana too

[The Chels 2,502]

I'm afraid Brana will lose his place, if we ever try that.

Why be afraid of having a RB who doesn't let opposition wingers just ease their way into the box, a fullback that doesn't suffer from so many lapses of concentration and a fullback who has great positional play? Azpi at RB all day long. Would we have conceded the late goals against City and United if we had Azpi at RB instead? Much less likely imo.

[ZOS 580]

Why be afraid of having a RB who doesn't let opposition wingers just ease their way into the box, a fullback that doesn't suffer from so many lapses of concentration and a fullback who has great positional play? Azpi at RB all day long. Would we have conceded the late goals against City and United if we had Azpi at RB instead? Much less likely imo.

love Brana, but this is much true. Ivanovic has his moments of madness ... I blame him for the utd equalizer

[The Chels 2,502]

love Brana, but this is much true. Ivanovic has his moments of madness ... I blame him for the utd equalizer

City equaliser too where he fails to track Lampard but Schurrle gets all the blame for not tracking Milner. Well that's fair.... Let's not forget QPR's goal where he just let their player take a free shot from the edge of the box or even the 1v1s Arsenal had against us at Stamford Bridge. Thinking back to why we signed Salah (he scored against us because guess who lost track of him), Ivanovic very often loses track of his man because of poor concentration/positioning and very often it proves costly. Why would Jose accept that when we have a better RB in the squad? Probably because Ivanovic is taller

[Jase 43,479]

There's the article, and now here's the video..

[EMK 7]

Why do people think he's crap offensively? I remember he was decent under Rafa. Obviously he can't go forward so much on the left now too.

The shouts for him at CB are interesting. He isn't a monster in the air but his 1v1 defending is superb, goes in tight and aggressive. But perhaps it sounds better in theory than in actual practice. Although I can't help think that if he were a Bayern player that Pep might actually try this.

It is true that the primary job of a defender is to defend, we also can't ignore the other important aspect which is offense.

It true there are many fullbacks who lack attacking impetus but in his case it just a bit too much. It important for him to also put a shift in attack this will also free Hazard!

[TheOneChan95 225]

It is true that the primary job of a defender is to defend, we also can't ignore the other important aspect which is offense.

It true there are many fullbacks who lack attacking impetus but in his case it just a bit too much. It important for him to also put a shift in attack this will also free Hazard!

He's on the wrong side though. The job of a fullback on offense now would be to provide width and he isn't good enough with 2 feet to do that. Put him on the right and I'm sure he will go forward more. If we put prime cole at RB I doubt he would be as effective going forward too.

I agree we need to free up Hazard, which is why Luis was bought. But somehow I think he might lack a bit of physicality for the pl. He's been superb in European games though and I think we have a decent shot at the CL if everyone maintains full fitness.

[BlueLyon 9,359]

I would realy like see us try

Azpi-Terry-Cahill-Luis

Or

Azpi-Iva-Terry-Luis

Think this would be best choice after few games of playing together. But Mou is Mou and wont do it.

[RoyalBlues 4,050]

Why be afraid of having a RB who doesn't let opposition wingers just ease their way into the box, a fullback that doesn't suffer from so many lapses of concentration and a fullback who has great positional play? Azpi at RB all day long. Would we have conceded the late goals against City and United if we had Azpi at RB instead? Much less likely imo.

What I mean in that word 'afraid' is that 'I'm afraid to tell you that', not I'm really afraid of it, lol.

Actually I mean, if we ever to play Azpi as RB and Luis as LB once, I think we will stick with that for long, long time, as they will be really good.

[EMK 7]

He's on the wrong side though. The job of a fullback on offense now would be to provide width and he isn't good enough with 2 feet to do that. Put him on the right and I'm sure he will go forward more. If we put prime cole at RB I doubt he would be as effective going forward too.

I agree we need to free up Hazard, which is why Luis was bought. But somehow I think he might lack a bit of physicality for the pl. He's been superb in European games though and I think we have a decent shot at the CL if everyone maintains full fitness.

I disagree that he lacks phisicaity, full back is not a position that requires the most phisical player.The qualities that needed there is mostly pace and a bit of intelligence to counter those tricky players.I think he played very well against Man U.

I think he is that kind of player who needs to play a lot in order for him to start perfoming at his peek. The added advantage is that he might form a good understanding with Hazard that might be deadly, which i think Azpi is incapabable of forming going forward.I rate Azpi very high but am more in favour of a modern full back and Luis is what we just need. Plus he is no slouch in defense!

[xPetrCechx 13,546]

Cesar Azpilicueta - named by Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher as the best defender in the Premier League on Monday Night Football - picked his #One2Eleven on The Fantasy Football Club.

GOALKEEPER: PETR CECH

RIGHT-BACK: BRANISLAV IVANOVIC

LEFT-BACK: ASHLEY COLE

CENTRE-BACK: SERGIO RAMOS

CENTRE-BACK: JOHN TERRY

CENTRE-MIDFIELD: CESC FABREGAS

CENTRE-MIDFIELD: XAVI

CENTRE-MIDFIELD: NEMANJA MATIC

FORWARD: OSCAR

FORWARD: EDEN HAZARD

FORWARD: DIEGO COSTA

[BleedsBlue 1,549]

Brilliant performance! MOTM for me.

[Amblève. 4,995]

That run was Hazard-esque. Like Neville said, Azpilicueta ist the best defender in PL right now. Think he could even do a job for us at CB.