César Azpilicueta

[MONEYBALL 20]

He must be a very strong character cos' with his poors and repeated performances, i can't understand why Sarri and Lamp still keep him their confidence. More than his defensive weakness, his inability to make a good cross is a big problem for our team.

[Jase 43,479]

Not gonna lie, his decline has been painful to watch. Has been at fault for at least 3 of the goals we've conceded this season. Gone from our best, most consistent defender to a liability at the back. 

[LAM09 6,751]

Not gonna lie, his decline has been painful to watch. Has been at fault for at least 3 of the goals we've conceded this season. Gone from our best, most consistent defender to a liability at the back. [emoji20]

His legs have gone and that's the most important thing for a FB. I can only see him having a future at CB here.

[communicate 2,703]

2 hours ago, Jason said:

Not gonna lie, his decline has been painful to watch. Has been at fault for at least 3 of the goals we've conceded this season. Gone from our best, most consistent defender to a liability at the back. 

Won't blame him for the corner. Aerial battle has never been his strength. 

[Jase 43,479]

1 hour ago, communicate said:

Won't blame him for the corner. Aerial battle has never been his strength. 

But the least he could have done is put a challenge in, put pressure on Ndidi on that corner. Instead he got a free header and it led to a goal. 

[Jase 43,479]

3 hours ago, LAM09 said:

4 hours ago, Jason said:

Not gonna lie, his decline has been painful to watch. Has been at fault for at least 3 of the goals we've conceded this season. Gone from our best, most consistent defender to a liability at the back. 

His legs have gone and that's the most important thing for a FB. I can only see him having a future at CB here.

He has never relied on his pace. Bigger problem is his tactical awareness and positioning. These days, he's charging up the field and leaving gaps behind as well as playing people onside!

[Vesper 28,832]

4 hours ago, Jason said:

Not gonna lie, his decline has been painful to watch. Has been at fault for at least 3 of the goals we've conceded this season. Gone from our best, most consistent defender to a liability at the back. 

Reece cannot get healthy soon enough.

[Vesper 28,832]

7 hours ago, the wes said:

Graeme Souness feels Cesar Azpilicueta responsible for horror Chelsea start

https://www.thestatesman.com/sports/graeme-souness-feels-cesar-azpilicueta-responsible-horror-chelsea-start-1502790010.html

Graeme noted how the Spanish player was to be blamed for the Wilfred Ndidi goal which snatched a win from Chelsea and gave them only a solitary point. He also highlighted how he was also to be blamed for two of the four goals that they conceded against United.

“Azpilicueta has been a brilliant defender for Chelsea but he doesn’t know Ndidi is there for the goal, he’s just watching the ball,” he said on Sky Sports post the match.

“He looks over his right shoulder and he stops that. He gave two goals away last week and gave this goal away today as well,” he said.

Former Chelsea defender Ashley Cole agreed and added how Azpilicueta could have possibly prevented Ndidi from netting that goal.

“Azpilicueta’s body shape is wrong, if he’d opened his body up a bit more he would’ve stopped him,” Cole said.

[Vesper 28,832]

2 hours ago, communicate said:

Won't blame him for the corner. Aerial battle has never been his strength. 

Ndidi (same height as I am) is less than 2 inches taller than Azpi, Azpi's body shape was all wrong, he ended up giving Ndidi a free header via ball watching then poor reaction.

Don't take my word for it, take the word of the best fullback we ever had, Ashley Cole

Quote

 

While former Blues left-back Ashley Cole blamed Azpilicueta’s body shape for allowing Ndidi to score. 

“Azpilicueta’s body shape is wrong,” Cole added. “If he’d opened his body up a bit more he would’ve stopped him.”

 

 

[Jase 43,479]

28 minutes ago, Vesper said:

Reece cannot get healthy soon enough.

For everyone's sake, better hope James come good!

It'll be funny to watch people's reaction though if James struggles.

[Superblue 6,370]

It's not just Azpilicueta, all of them seem to be like that. They should all be set to defend on the half turn to keep runners in their eye line and block them off or challenge them. 

I can understand Lampard wanting to defend zonal marking because we were so effective in his time at ripping apart teams that man marked by blocking off markers and leaving free headers.

Zonal marking can be extremely effective if done properly but it needs a lot of drilling and the players need to be prepared to take responsibility, not be caught ball watching and attack their spaces.

[LAM09 6,751]

He has never relied on his pace. Bigger problem is his tactical awareness and positioning. These days, he's charging up the field and leaving gaps behind as well as playing people onside!

During his best years, he wasn't asked to fly forward so different parts of his game weren't exposed (crossing being the biggest one).

 

It's been a different story since Conte left and we're seeing the obvious flaws he's had from day one. People can't expect him to be "tactically aware" on the overlap.

 

[Jase 43,479]

Just now, LAM09 said:

During his best years, he wasn't asked to fly forward so different parts of his game weren't exposed (crossing being the biggest one).

It's been a different story since Conte left and we're see the obvious flaws he's had from day one. People can't expect him to be "tactically aware" on the overlap.

I meant his tactical awareness from a defensive point of view. We knew from the start that attacking isn't his biggest strength. 

[LAM09 6,751]

I meant his tactical awareness from a defensive point of view. We knew from the start that attacking isn't his biggest strength. 

I'm aware of that. His lack of pace is exploited in such scenarios. 

 

Go chasing against Utd with him upfront failing to beat the first man and then, he's nowhere to be seen defensively. He can't excel at both parts of the game (maybe neither at this point).

 

As I previously said, CB or bust for him at this point.

[Vesper 28,832]

45 minutes ago, Jason said:

For everyone's sake, better hope James come good!

It'll be funny to watch people's reaction though if James struggles.

if he does, we are in even more trouble, plus we then have to go out and grab a WC RB in summer 2020

best options (some are HRD pulls, and many nost listed are now off the board like AWB)

 

Lukas Klostermann (RB Leipzig, tall (1.89m), strong, young (23yo) pacey, would be a good buy)

Noussair Mazraoui (Ajax 21yo potential superstar, nice size 1.83m)

Timothy Castagne (Atalanta, 23yo, 1.85m, strong, pacey Belgian)

Sergi Roberto (Barca and can play holding MF too, will be a really hard pull, we have failed multiple times in the past, plus he turns 29yo next season, so not really a long term option)    

Achraf Hakimi (Borussia Dortmund on loan from Real Madrid, very hard pull)    

Ricardo Pereira (Leicester, and they will probably lose Chilwell next summer, so will fight so hard to keep him)

Youcef Atal (OGC Nice, had a superb year to rocket up the charts, many EPL teams, like spuds will make a move, downside is his height, only 1.76m)     

Benjamin Henrichs (Monaco, 1.83m, still only 22yo)

Denzel Dumfries (PSV, big (1.89m), strong, pacey, 23yo)

Sime Vrsaljko (Atletico Madrid, only if he fully recovers, plus he turns 29yo next season, so not really a long term option)    

Nélson Semedo (Barca, and like Roberto, so hard a pull)

Elseid Hysaj (Napoli, so the poison dwarf will try and fuck us)

Nordi Mukiele (RB Leipzig, he makes it easier to pull Klostermann)

Zeki Celik (Lille, 22yo, had a great season)

Pol Lirola (Fiorentina, 22yo, 1.83m)

wild card: Ki-Jana Hoever (Liverpool, bleh, and only 17yo, but looks to have bags of potential)

 

[OneMoSalah 8,778]

3 hours ago, communicate said:

Won't blame him for the corner. Aerial battle has never been his strength. 

Have to agree. Plus it was zonal marking v someone on the move, so they automatically will always have the advantage so its not a mistake as such more a issue with setting up zonally to defend corners. 

2 hours ago, Jason said:

But the least he could have done is put a challenge in, put pressure on Ndidi on that corner. Instead he got a free header and it led to a goal. 

Perhaps but a free man with a run on anybody yet alone someone two or three inches smaller with not as great a leap, is always going to have the advantage. Zonal marking is terrible. Fair enough its so common these days practically all the big teams do it but you can get the mix right, some zonal markers and then man to man following the bigger threats. As Cole stated in the interview regarding the body shape, yeah, hes right to an extent but if it was man to man and he had a chance to run and attack the ball like Ndidi did he'd of been a lot lot closer.

Still think his performances have dipped a lot but you also have to consider that under Sarri and also with Frank so far, the teams really exposed and this has given United and Leicester huge chances to counter attack which has led to chances, corners, goals etc. Its maybe as many have alluded to, the shape and getting caught on the ball when we are further up field, not just individual errors (although Azpi hasn't been great for a lot of the goals this season when Frank has said about 4 mistakes v United I think he was wrong to just say that, the gaps between midfield and defence were the reason why these players got into these spaces to have these opportunities). His pace has never been outstanding and while I am excited to see Reece get a chance, I don't think Reece James will come in and fair a lot lot better as many predict as he will need time to get upto speed with the level and higher standard. Its going to take a lot of work to prevent being in positions where the teams very open and players can isolate Azpi or Emerson or Zouma or whoever. You give a player such as Martial or Rashford, who are so quick and good at dribbling all the space in the world or basically a free hit to run at players, they will beat them more often than not. If we stop conceding these counter attack scenarios we will eliminate half the issue. His concentration worries me more than his actual ability to defend, you can be the best defender in the world but if you switch off at the wrong moment... it doesn't matter how good you are. 

[the wes 7,212]

 

[Jase 43,479]

39 minutes ago, the wes said: