Demba Ba

[AndersonBLUE 819]

It doesn't help that even when Torres does get the ball he can't even pass, or when he tries to run at his man he always fucks that up too.

Ba has looked more dangerous, and I don't think it is all the midfield. Brentford were playing with all men behind the ball and sitting deep when we in possession, so a lone striker would have found it difficult to get clear cut chances.

[BlueLion. 21,491]

I love you @Thor and @xPeterCechx <3 , alteast you diagnosed the problem . The problem is our midfield.

Which is ironic when you've got the most creative midfield in the league. The issue is, like it or not, Oscar, Mata, Hazard and Lampard are exceptionally selfish players.

[The only place to be 11,313]

Which is ironic when you've got the most creative midfield in the league. The issue is, like it or not, Oscar, Mata, Hazard and Lampard are exceptionally selfish players.

No. No they're not. Not even close.

Okay, maybe Lamps with the shooting.

[TrippingStep 336]

It's not like Torres was world class when he was playing with Liverpool against teams that were sitting deep.

And I disagree that all strikers would look like shit. Perhaps the Torres, Lukaku type because they were relying on their pace and space in front of them but Van Persie, Cavani would look good even in this chelsea team.

[Styles 9,790]

Which is ironic when you've got the most creative midfield in the league. The issue is, like it or not, Oscar, Mata, Hazard and Lampard are exceptionally selfish players.

Hazard is far from selfish. He doesn't have any issue with setting up teammates.

Lampard's selfishness goes without saying, it's just embarrassing at times and has been for years. I have seen Mata ignore better placed teammates and go for glory himself, always surprised when that happens.

I haven't seen it with Oscar if I'm honest.

[Jase 43,479]

Nothing new here. We simply can't manage to get our strikers the ball, and everyone, and I mean everyone would look poor playing striker at Chelsea. Fans can beg and hope for Falcao, Van Persie, Villa, etc. Doesn't matter who it is, they would not perform at this club at the striker position.

For all the love and support this board loves to give our midfield, they are in fact the problem. They love to hold the ball and pass it around, instead of moving it quickly and catching out the defense. They get all the praise and none of the blame in loses because they look like they are doing all the work. Move the fricking thing, and get the ball to our forwards. There is a reason Man United are so successful going forward this season. They don't have near the midfield we do, but at least they play the correct way. If we continue to play with it outside the box, no forward will ever succeed here, and I mean none.

I feel sorry for Ba and Torres.

Disagree. If anything, the strikers are more to be blamed especially Torres than the midfield. If the striker ahead of the midfield hardly even offers some movement to make himself available for a pass, how do you expect them to play the ball quickly to him? Take the case of Torres for example. He is so static that more often than not, you'll always see him just standing and moving about between the 2 CBs. How do you expect the likes of Oscar, Mata, Hazard etc to play a ball into this path when he doesn't move around to create some space for himself and the ball to be played in? Torres moans about the team not creating chances for him yet he is so static in his movement that there is no chance for it to happen! Get your point about passing the ball quicker but it's not always just about the midfield. The likes of Oscar, Mata, Hazard etc are capable of playing a quick direct pass but if the striker in front doesn't offer the right movement, then of course you'll see them hogging on the ball. This problem is further compounded by the fact that Torres can't even hold up the play effectively. Admittedly he may not be the strongest but even when we pass the ball to his feet, he loses so easily once a challenge comes in. He then falls over and start to moan and sulking on the pitch!

The same can't be said about Ba. Although he may not neccesarily be a top quality striker but at least he is doing the basic things that strikers should do which Torres isn't doing. He's always on the move upfront be it making himself available for a pass or creating space for others and not just being static! The one problem with him right now is that we are not exactly using him effectively enough. When he plays, we just seem too keen to lump the ball up to him rather than mixing things up as Ba is decent when the ball is played on the ground too. And even when we do lump the ball up to him, we don't have anyone close to him to pick up any knock downs to continue the attack as everyone is like so far back to support him quickly.

[Spike 12,049]

Not many players score 30+ goals meandering around the channels.

[The Skipper 20,593]

So after one or two silent games Demba has sort of been written off pretty much. Ridiculous - at least wait till he has a decent number of appearances at CFC.

Are we all forgetting his first games with us? The contrast between him and Torres?

[The only place to be 11,313]

Nothing new here. We simply can't manage to get our strikers the ball, and everyone, and I mean everyone would look poor playing striker at Chelsea. Fans can beg and hope for Falcao, Van Persie, Villa, etc. Doesn't matter who it is, they would not perform at this club at the striker position.

For all the love and support this board loves to give our midfield, they are in fact the problem. They love to hold the ball and pass it around, instead of moving it quickly and catching out the defense. They get all the praise and none of the blame in loses because they look like they are doing all the work. Move the fricking thing, and get the ball to our forwards. There is a reason Man United are so successful going forward this season. They don't have near the midfield we do, but at least they play the correct way. If we continue to play with it outside the box, no forward will ever succeed here, and I mean none.

I feel sorry for Ba and Torres.

This is utter, unadulterated bollocks. Sorry, but it bears no relation to reality.

Our midfielders do move the ball on but there are two problems - Torres and the opposition. Teams who come to the Bridge sit deeper. They look to defend first and that wouldn't be a problem if we had someone like Drogba up front who can occupy multiple defenders or simply use his strength to overpower them. Instead we have our biggest problem - Fernando.

He simply doesn't do the things a striker should. He doesn't run the channels properly, he doesn't stay on the last man and when the ball is passed to him he struggles to hold it up. Even when the ball is played beyond defences, he lacks the pace to get onto balls although there is less of an opportunity nowadays because as I said earlier defences play deeper.

Now I'll put some of the blame on the middle two of Lampard and Ramires because they simply don't do enough with possession in my opinion, but you referred to the ones immune from criticism and by that I assume you mean Hazard, Mata, Oscar and Moses. These guys (Mata and Hazard in particular) create more chances than almost anyone else in the league yet every time a ball is fizzed across the six-yard box, Torres is nowhere to be seen. It happens in literally every game. It's been more successful with Ba in the team but he's simply not been given enough game time.

The problem you have is that you say our midfield holds onto the ball, but you don't seem to understand why - who the fuck should they pass it to? Who's the guy running the channels? Who's the guy they can trust to hold it up? When that guy isn't available then should they simply lump it to the opposition and let them attack us?

The thing you're bemoaning isn't the cause of our problems - it's a symptom.

[Ankit 3,176]

[Kinol 337]

Well, something we can do is to start playing Ba more regualy and make him get into the game and a goalscoring form insted of letting him play everyother game and come in as a sub for you-know-who!!!

[xPetrCechx 13,563]

Well, something we can do is to start playing Ba more regualy and make him get into the game and a goalscoring form insted of letting him play everyother game and come in as a sub for you-know-who!!!

THIS?

[Backstreet09 499]

THIS?

No , wait I've seen her before somewhere Uhmm who is she ^__^ ?

[CHOULO19 24,332]

Well, something we can do is to start playing Ba more regualy and make him get into the game and a goalscoring form insted of letting him play everyother game and come in as a sub for you-know-who!!!

Jonjo Shelvey?

[DONI. 1,291]

That celebration

[NiclasCFC 2,582]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWCkTgEAW_Q

[Rambo 1,729]

"Great team performance. We deserve what we got. To all the fans, we'll keep fighting 'til the end Al hamdulilah" via twitter @dembabafoot

Gotta love this guy for his character on and off the pitch, he is class personified.

[manpe 10,861]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWCkTgEAW_Q

Lmao, gotta love how Neil never actually asks questions.

"That was a nice goal" - great question.

"Short corner, Oscar's cross, David Luiz back to you" - Give this man a Pulitzer!