André Schürrle

[Kieran. 6,317]

Shut up Leif you whiny, unfunny twat

[RoyalBlues 4,050]

Unless there's something I am missing, not giving Salah a chance next game would absolutely not make any sense. None of Salah's performances was even near as bad as Schurrle's in his past four appearances.

I blame his name, if his name is Saladinho, I'm sure he would play more.

[Madmax 9,219]

Games like yesterday showed the true value of genuinely useful squad players. On one hand you have Mikel who comes in and does a job 7-8 times out of 10 against all kinds of oppositions in all kinds of conditions, and on the other you have Schurrle who needs the external variables to be favourable to make any sort of impact. We required a big performance from him keeping in mind the demands placed upon a smallish squad in a busy period but he proved very inadequate. Maybe he needs a run of games but the harsh reality is that he won't get them if he fails so miserably in the ones provided - that's the nature of football at the pointy end. I don't want to be harsh on the guy because he's given us some good moments and bought into the team ethos but I'm feeling a bit silly for jumping on the bandwagon post the World Cup.

[Shakez 755]

I feel hopeless about our RW at the moment.

Schurrle completely out of form, Willian completely useless, Salah feels like isn't even part of this team anymore, he doesn't even figure in the bench for matches in a row.

Seriously, I'm the last one to join any transfer bandwagon, I think we have a great squad, but I'm starting to concede we really need to sign a better winger. Schurrle only fits a certain kind of game, so even when he's in form (and hopefully he will) he can't play teams sitting deep - or as Mou said, with a low block (although I suppose there are a few differences between those, but fact remains he can't play either situation).

So if the guy that could be useful if he gets in form can only fit certain kind of matches and the other is absolutely and hopelessly useless attacking we just have one side of our attack that is moot. We have to find better options.

Willian completely useless, i don't agree. You might be a bit too biased, the team played 10 times better with Willian than with Schürrle in the team. He had a couple of good through balls (one that led to the misfortuned Cesc slip) + he played much deeper than Cesc this game to help the team in central midfield.Just check the second half a bit closer. Must be embarrassing for Schürrle to be subbed at half-time for the X time.

I agree that Reus would be a dream, but i doubt it is going to happen in january. Still we probably need an extra winger coming in in january, because clearly Schürrle and Salah can't be relied upon for the second half of the season. Willian might probably not be the answer long term, but we most probably have to make due with him for the remainder of the season as our main RW.

[Special Juan 27,429]

Andre is the type of player that would consistently get his game week in and week out at Arsenal, because his level right now would fit perfectly, but right now he isn't even at Willian's level. That second half we looked like a team, Willian gave us a directness and a level that seamlessly both helped in the counter attack style and work rate efficiencies that Jose wants.

I bet Jose had a serious word with Andre yesterday because that was really piss poor again, this is becoming far too common with this lad and his future looks bleak.

[LAB 1,030]

Shut up Leif you whiny, unfunny twat

[CHOULO19 24,332]

Sometimes, you read the players threads on here and you just have to wonder: How the fuck are we top of the league if the majority of our players are so incredibly shit?!

[Leif 6,006]

Shut up Leif you whiny, unfunny twat

Fav Player: Willian. some jokes write emselves

[BlueLion. 21,491]

Games like yesterday showed the true value of genuinely useful squad players. On one hand you have Mikel who comes in and does a job 7-8 times out of 10 against all kinds of oppositions in all kinds of conditions, and on the other you have Schurrle who needs the external variables to be favourable to make any sort of impact. We required a big performance from him keeping in mind the demands placed upon a smallish squad in a busy period but he proved very inadequate. Maybe he needs a run of games but the harsh reality is that he won't get them if he fails so miserably in the ones provided - that's the nature of football at the pointy end. I don't want to be harsh on the guy because he's given us some good moments and bought into the team ethos but I'm feeling a bit silly for jumping on the bandwagon post the World Cup.

I don't think you should feel "silly" for getting your hopes up regarding Schurrle, J. He was genuinely awesome at the World Cup, and there were signs in the second half of last season and in the first half-dozen games of this campaign that he'd emerge from his background as a squad rotational player and make the RW slot his own.

If anything he's probably made up José's mind - if we indeed end up bringing in another wide player, it'll be Schurrle who'll be out the door first, arguably even before Salah.

[The Mak 4,459]

I think we have to remind ourselves of the circumstances and time period when Schurrle was signed.

His signing coincided time-wise with Mourinho's return late in the 12/13 season, before the transfer window opened. So he was basically 99% signed by the time Mourinho was confirmed and all that needed to be done was for José to give the green light, which he did of course. Now we ask, why did he give the green light? Well maybe a few reasons:

1. It was already 99% done, the obvious one.
2. Perhaps José didn't want to kick up a fuss as soon as he walked in the door.
3. José probably didn't want to think of the alternative: not signing someone else and resorting to bring back Moses.
4. José perhaos thought he could mould him into his 'type of player', ala Joe Cole and, more recently, Willian (who was lazy before he came here remember).

So the main thing to take away is that Schurrle isn't a Mourinho signing really; he's more a circumstantial signing and probably the last made by the board since they would never give Di Matteo or Benitez such power.

I personally like Schurrle, but like I mentioned in the match thread, he needs a very specific set of circumstances to perform well; a high-line, which not many will play against Chelsea - it's why he's mainly used as a substitute by us and Germany, and why he starts against teams like Arsenal.

I think he'll be replaced in the summer. The good thing is that I think he'll keep his value, because he is still perfect for many, many teams - just not the very top teams.

[Tomo 21,733]

The summer would have been the perfect time to sell him if we wanted too.

On the back of the World Cup hype we could have got upwards of 30 mil for him.

[Special Juan 27,429]

The summer would have been the perfect time to sell him if we wanted too.

On the back of the World Cup hype we could have got upwards of 30 mil for him.

But we also couldn't see how very poor his all round game has become since then. He even looked shite against Strawberry in the cup.

[Barbara 15,149]

I think this thread go from the two extremes too easily.

Imo, those are 'facts' about André

1) he isn't as bad as he's been playing, he's out of form

2) he isn't as bad and useless as most of you are making him out to be

3) he isn't as good as some thought he was just after the WC

4) he's very good at certain things, meaning he's suited for only certain kinds of matches

5) he offers us options as he offers something completely different from our other AMs

6) having a player like him in the squad is very useful and important

7) he relies on confidence and playing time more than average player, exactly because of his style

Which leads me to believe we shouldn't sell him at all. He has an amazing vision of the pitch that leads him to be one of the smartest players in the league to position himself. That came sort of moot for us last season because we didn't have players to see him moving, but now we do. He can also score goals - which is always good - but he relies on confidence, he needs a stretch of games to regain confidence and get his finishing boots on. I think the illness and the WC hangover really affected his season and I don't think we'll see the best of him this season, but I believe he'll improve some.

He's useful, he's a good squad member and he has his head at the right place, he's aware of everything that went through with him and above all, he seems to have Mourinho's trust and Mourinho seems to see something special on him.

Someone - don't remember who - said that he wasn't much of a Mourinho signing because he was announced just a few days after Mourinho. Mourinho agreed verbally to come to Chelsea early as January-February (WHS would be able to confirm when). Both him and Lampard admitted he influenced on Lamp's renewal and that came in April or May. Mourinho wasn't coming here as the prodigal son, he had no reason to act 'humble' and low profile at the beginning. If he didn't want André here, he would have said no. Maybe he wasn't completely convinced, but seeing how he's handled André since the beginning, I think he's very much convinced of his utility and importance in the squad.

I don't believe Schurrle will ever have a captive place in our starting XI, and I guess he doesn't seem to have a problem with that. But I think he can (and hopefully will, if everything works out) become our 12th player. The one that starts a bunch of matches for us during the season and the first sub to come in for us in every match around mark 60. That's a good position to be in a club like Chelsea for a player of his caliber.

[Tomo 21,733]

But we also couldn't see how very poor his all round game has become since then. He even looked shite against Strawberry in the cup.

Yeah for sure but he would have never been worth what we could have got for him after the WC.

I think Jose might have had that thought at the time which makes me think there was actually something in those Atletico rumours.

[lucio 5,418]

But we also couldn't see how very poor his all round game has become since then. He even looked shite against Strawberry in the cup.

Has his all round game ever been good. Even last season I never saw him give a complete performance ( maybe arsenal at home) but even when he scored good goals , he always did mediocre passes and walked into defenders.

To echo what others said. Maybe try him in the middle supporting costa , making runs and shooting. Like Raul garcia did at atletico last season , and he also has a poor all round game

[CHOULO19 24,332]

I think we have to remind ourselves of the circumstances and time period when Schurrle was signed.

His signing coincided time-wise with Mourinho's return late in the 12/13 season, before the transfer window opened. So he was basically 99% signed by the time Mourinho was confirmed and all that needed to be done was for José to give the green light, which he did of course. Now we ask, why did he give the green light? Well maybe a few reasons:

1. It was already 99% done, the obvious one.
2. Perhaps José didn't want to kick up a fuss as soon as he walked in the door.
3. José probably didn't want to think of the alternative: not signing someone else and resorting to bring back Moses.
4. José perhaos thought he could mould him into his 'type of player', ala Joe Cole and, more recently, Willian (who was lazy before he came here remember).

So the main thing to take away is that Schurrle isn't a Mourinho signing really; he's more a circumstantial signing and probably the last made by the board since they would never give Di Matteo or Benitez such power.

I personally like Schurrle, but like I mentioned in the match thread, he needs a very specific set of circumstances to perform well; a high-line, which not many will play against Chelsea - it's why he's mainly used as a substitute by us and Germany, and why he starts against teams like Arsenal.

I think he'll be replaced in the summer. The good thing is that I think he'll keep his value, because he is still perfect for many, many teams - just not the very top teams.

That is incorrect. Jose said in a couple of interviews last year that he himself picked Schurrle and communicated to Chelsea to sign him before his return was officially announced. You're forgetting that decision to bring Jose back was agreed long before it was actually announced.

[The Mak 4,459]

That is incorrect. Jose said in a couple of interviews last year that he himself picked Schurrle and communicated to Chelsea to sign him before his return was officially announced. You're forgetting that decision to bring Jose back was agreed long before it was actually announced.

I don't know if it came across right, but I know that part. The José stuff started in early 2013. However, we had been trying to sign Schurrle since the summer of 2012. That's why I do not think he is fully a José player; he gave the green light but he did not actively seek him like he did with Willian - and we can clearly see the difference between the two. That's my point.

[CHOULO19 24,332]

I don't know if it came across right, but I know that part. The José stuff started in early 2013. However, we had been trying to sign Schurrle since the summer of 2012. That's why I do not think he is fully a José player; he gave the green light but he did not actively seek him like he did with Willian - and we can clearly see the difference between the two. That's my point.

Yes, I remember, we've been linked with him since summer 2012. In fact, I was watching the other day an old interview with him December 2012, he was having the Christmas break in UAE and had an interview with Abu Dahbi Sport channel and he actually confirmed that he was having talks with us.

But my point is that Jose explicitly said that he wanted Schurrle, not that he merely approved it. Obviously that's easy to say after we had signed him.