César Azpilicueta

[Amblève. 4,995]

2 hours ago, the wes said:

Azpi has been excellent so far has a cb the only thing I'm worry about is azpi getting caught out in the air with a tall striker 

Cesar has shown great positioning and timing on headers, though. Will it happen? Probably, yes. But even the tallest CB lose a crucial header from time to time and so far I don't think Cesar has given us any reason for concern in that regard.

[King11Didier 916]

The commitment I'd like to see from every player. Whenever the manager puts him, he will give his everything, every manager loves this kind of players and I'm sure Conte loves him.
I think he surely is one of the candidates for the armband and he definitely deserves that.

[DYC. 7,542]

Always said he was capable of playing CB. He's been Chelsea's best defender for years. He doesn't just react, like the great majority of fullbacks, but he truly anticipates, reading plays and predicting the moves of his opponents. And with his level of (positive) aggression and commitment, he's an absolute pain to deal with for any player. His pace is a great asset as well. He's the only player in that back three who fills me with confidence.

Don't understand why doesn't have the band but maybe one day. Hopefully soon.

[Dazzy_Vance 454]

13 hours ago, lucashm said:

I would, Moses has been great, put i would like him a little bit further forward or off the bench,remember that he has dave babysitting him al the time on the right, and Azpi, as good as he has been as a CB, is even better as a RB, and not playing him there is silly IMO, just watch the Leicester cup game 

Moses defensively has been pretty much flawless. Did you see how many times he cleared the ball out of United's penalty area? His positioning and defending has been brilliant and he will rarely be beaten for pace. He's also allowed to push forward as a wing back and it's Dave and Cahill's job to cover the areas that Alonso and Moses leave. MOTD did a good analysis of it and they agree that at the moment it is working well.

10 hours ago, Azpinator said:

That would be the job of either Luiz, Cahill, JT or Alonso.

Yep. Alonso can plonk himself in the box to defend set pieces.

[Tomo 21,685]

On 10/24/2016 at 1:51 PM, lucashm said:

I would, Moses has been great, put i would like him a little bit further forward or off the bench,remember that he has dave babysitting him al the time on the right, and Azpi, as good as he has been as a CB, is even better as a RB, and not playing him there is silly IMO, just watch the Leicester cup game 

Moses at RWB >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Moses as a winger

[JDY 1,290]

Attackers must hate playing against him. He's so damn aggressive when pressing trying to tackle/intercept, I love it.

Dare I say even better at CB than he was on the flanks

[DYC. 7,542]

11 minutes ago, JDY said:

Attackers must hate playing against him. He's so damn aggressive when pressing trying to tackle/intercept, I love it.

Dare I say even better at CB than he was on the flanks

Yes.

[petre.ispirescu 4,928]

Total waste of a very good defender playing him at left back. Solid at right back, but too defensive minded. Not suited to play as a wing back. But this new role is tailor made for him. I've never seen Azpilicueta playing so comfortable on the pitch like I've seen in these four matches since switching to the new formation.

 

[Special Juan 27,111]

He was only played at LB because of a manager with an incompetent outlook and selecting his old chums.

[DYC. 7,542]

3 minutes ago, Special Juan said:

He was only played at LB because of a manager with an incompetent outlook and selecting his old chums.

I have to credit Mourinho. Chelsea had a problem at LB in 13/14 and Mourinho fixed it by playing Azpilicueta there. The problem with Azpi at LB was that it should've been a short-term fix.

[Barbara 15,149]

Found his call in life.

While very good and consistent as a FB, he still had some limitations, especially playing in the opposite side of his natural position. I've never thought he was that good, even in the RB position, supporting the attack. He can link up decently with Hazard, but he was never a master in the attacking aspect (average cross, average link up, average movement). As a CB in a two-men system, I would be a little bit concerned. While the defensive aspect of his game has always been his best feature, he's somewhat small, but a three-man defense works perfectly for him. Among all positions I've seen him playing for us so far, a primary defender in this 3-4-3 has been by far the one that he shone the most in my opinion, despite the short time he's been playing like this. He's shown enough not only in those latest matches, but in the years he's been here, that consistency and solidness are his middle and last names. he's the right man for the job and kudos for Conte once again favoring yet another player with this formation. I think we are about to see the best Cesar Azpilicueta that has played for us yet.

[Dazzy_Vance 454]

Will we see a back three of Azpi, Christensen and Zouma next season?

[Fernando 6,387]

19 minutes ago, Dazzy_Vance said:

Will we see a back three of Azpi, Christensen and Zouma next season?

Maybe unless we get some other top CB, which no doubt we will be getting something in the next two transfer windows. 

[Polo7 3,496]

30 minutes ago, Dazzy_Vance said:

Will we see a back three of Azpi, Christensen and Zouma next season?

Cant see a leader between the 3 of them. Not yet anyway. I think Luiz will still be starting along with 2 or the 3 you mentioned.

[Blue-in-me-Veins 4,067]

2 hours ago, Special Juan said:

He was only played at LB because of a manager with an incompetent outlook and selecting his old chums.

And he's doing the same with Ibrahimovich rn 

[kellzfresh 7,226]

www.squawka.com/news/hail-cesar-why-azpilicueta-has-been-so-key-to-contes-3-4-3-formation/814848

Hail Cesar: How Azpilicueta has become the unlikely organiser of Conte’s new-look Chelsea side

By Greg Johnson

Posted on November 1, 2016

image: http://www.squawka.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/AzpilicuetaPraise1.jpg

It’s been almost two years since Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher hailed Cesar Azpilicueta as the best defender in the Premier League. A lot has changed since then.

Chelsea have won a Premier League title, collapsed into disarray, seen Jose Mourinho depart to be replaced by Guus Hiddink and now Antonio Conte to begin the long, hard climb back up into the top four. Last season, as the Blues imploded under the stress, pressure and antagonism of their former manager’s demise, in his second stint at Stamford Bridge, even the Spaniard came to suffer ill-effects from the fall-out of the Portuguese’s failings. Only Willian seemed to be spared from the impact of Mourinho’s departure.

 

image: http://www.squawka.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/4873403-e1477302802808.jpg

Cesar Azpilicueta, or “Dave” to his fans, is a firm fan favourite for Chelsea and a popular figure in the dressing room.

Hiddink’s arrival helped to steady the squad, and Azpilicueta’s form, but a fresh start for the club under Conte was always going to become an opportunity for the defender to re-build his own momentum, alongside the likes of Eden Hazard and Diego Costa, and so far he too has been one of the stars of the Italian’s remodeled side.

Even before Chelsea shifted to play in the 3-4-3 shape that has now seen them win four Premier League games out of four in a row, scoring 11 goals and conceding none, the right-footed Spaniard looked back to his best playing wide on the left in the role that saw him win plaudits as Mourinho’s go-to player to help guard the penalty area.

He has since taken up a new set of duties and a new position however, lining up as the third centre-back in Conte’s back three. The Spaniard has in effect now been deployed in every possible defensive position for the Blues.

image: http://www.squawka.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Cesar-passing.jpg

No Premier League defender has made more passes than Azpilicueta this season. More than just a spoiler, he is helping Chelsea to play out from the back.

While Gary Cahill and David Luiz have also taken to their manager’s adjustments at the back, it is Azpilicueta who has been key to making the arrangement work. His positional sense and tactical awareness have made him an unlikely organiser and provider of balance to the rearguard defence of Chelsea’s impressive-looking 3-4-3.

The only disappointment for the Blues of late in this shape came in the EFL Cup, playing away to West Ham as a heavily-rotated side lost out to the Hammers on what was also an eventful night off the field at the London Stadium.

In that match, Ola Aina came in for Victor Moses as Azpilicueta was moved out wide to play as a wing-back in support of a back three featuring John Terry at its heart. Luiz was shifted to the right. The Brazilian looked nervous and vulnerable at times – in part due to the concern over having the cover the older, more sluggish Englishman moved to the centre.

image: http://www.squawka.com/news/wp-content/uploads/cache/2016/09/4763020-e1472735594442/3887198853.jpg

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It was a stark contrast to the Spaniard’s poised, composed outings in that position, and his influence and importance has not gone unnoticed by the players who have come to depend upon him, when playing as Conte’s right-sided centre-back.

“I have not played there before,” Moses recently told Chelsea’s official website. “I have just got to listen to what the manager asks me to do in that position, and the way he wants me to do it. It’s very important to understand your teammates.

image: http://www.squawka.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/4868473.jpg

Moses and Azpilicueta celebrate with N’Golo Kante after the former’s goal against Leicester – all three have become key players for Conte.

“I have got Azpilicueta there, the spare right-back, who is behind me, and he communicates with me and really helps me out to make sure I am in the right position.”

The Nigerian’s comments followed an interview given by Azpilicueta to Sky Sports about the new system Conte has got Chelsea playing this season.

“Victor has played most of the time as a winger but he has to defend in this role now and he needs help. I have talked with him and explained a lot of the defensive side because he has to adapt to that now.

“He’s offensive-minded, we have seen that when he gets in those positions, but he’s working hard and it’s great to have him in the side.” Who better to help guide a winger through their conversion to wing-back than a defender once rated as the Premier League’s best for their tactical understanding of their role and duties in keeping their side secure.

image: http://www.squawka.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/4751082.jpg

Azpilicueta was named as Chelsea fans’ “unsung hero of the season” in Squawka’s fan season preview for the club – “he never lets us down.”

Such is Azpilicueta’s quiet ability to take the initiative and assist in guiding his back line through games, in a three or a four, the true range of his responsibilities are hard to explain through sheer numbers alone. His positioning, especially at centre-back, often means that he doesn’t need to touch the ball or make a challenge to shut down space and deter attackers, yet when he is needed to get involved in individual battles, he is also adept at winning possession and swatting threats away directly.

No player made more successful tackles over the weekend in which Chelsea went away to beat Southampton 2-0. Since the Blues switched to a 3-4-3, he has reigned over his team mates with the highest average of defensive actions per game with nine. Only Hazard has won a higher percentage of outfield duels than Azpilicueta, with the Belgian’s total embellished by his prolific rate of dribbles. The Spaniard meanwhile has won 71% of his tackles to keep order at the back.

He is once again a defender worthy of the billing he received from Carragher and Neville two years ago on Monday Night Football, and a converted centre-back who makes his manager’s schemes work. While Conte’s system is being credited with redeeming the previously calamitous Cahill, and the rather reckless, roaming Luiz, Azpilicueta is the player doing the most to serve the system.

It won’t be too long until the pundits are hailing Cesar once more.

 

 

Read more at http://www.squawka.com/news/hail-cesar-why-azpilicueta-has-been-so-key-to-contes-3-4-3-formation/814848#UYWyJ9XPtVE477pj.99

Our Philip Lahm 

[Gilvorak 3,734]

Next Puyol? Both started out as fullbacks

[DYC. 7,542]

56 minutes ago, Gilvorak said:

Next Puyol? Both started out as fullbacks

That would be awesome. Both Spanish. Both 1.78 m. Both have first names starting with a C. Just need to take out his barber.