Willian

[BlueLyon 9,359]

What is more interesting is that he was amazing in creating at Shakhtar, even in CL stages. Now he is no where near that level. Hope he will get back to his best.

[JDY 1,290]

http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11668/8893587/transfer-news-chelsea-complete-signing-of-willian-from-anzhi-makhachkala

Sky seem to think it was £25.5m

[The Chels 2,502]

http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11668/8893587/transfer-news-chelsea-complete-signing-of-willian-from-anzhi-makhachkala

Sky seem to think it was £25.5m

I do remember hearing the figure to be around £25m (when we began hijacking the Tottenham deal), which roughly equates to €30m. I think that the British press, which they are quite often accused of doing, may well have simply changed the € to a £. You'd think that they'd actually convert the figure first but they are known not to do so sometimes and then that figure spreads like wildfire across the media.

When a club buys someone for £30m+ the fans expect that player to be world class or at least with the potential of being so, which Willian hasn't really demonstrated from an offensive viewpoint. If the figure was indeed £25m I suspect fans would have considerably lower expectations for Willian even if the actual price difference isn't much.

[NishC300 1,865]

People need to get one thing straight and that's about every other player.

You can't keep bringing their price tag and demand them to perform according to that. Who decided to pay that money is Chelsea. Many players have release clauses that are overpriced to keep the players - who are important for their clubs. Also right now attacking football players seem in general overpriced... so it really bothers me when people accuse others of not playing their transfer fee. Their wage would make sense, as that's what the club is paying to them personally. But fees are paid to other clubs, that either imposed such a price or that we offered as much.

Whoever says he's not worth 30M, it's a valid point that I even agree with, but saying he's not playing like a 30M is stupid imo as who decided or at least agreed to pay as much was Chelsea, it wasn't Willian saying he was worth that much.

Then is it the club's fault to pay 30 M for him?

[Jase 43,479]

I do remember hearing the figure to be around £25m (when we began hijacking the Tottenham deal), which roughly equates to €30m. I think that the British press, which they are quite often accused of doing, may well have simply changed the € to a £. You'd think that they'd actually convert the figure first but they are known not to do so sometimes and then that figure spreads like wildfire across the media.

When a club buys someone for £30m+ the fans expect that player to be world class or at least with the potential of being so, which Willian hasn't really demonstrated from an offensive viewpoint. If the figure was indeed £25m I suspect fans would have considerably lower expectations for Willian even if the actual price difference isn't much.

I don't see how fans would have considerably lowered their expectations for Willian if we got him for £25m. A difference £5m is hardly massive and even then, £25m on its own is still a big price to pay for and Willian certainly should be doing more in the offensive third than what he has done so far, especially when we know of his qualities (price tag aside). If we had only got Willian for £5m, then you might have a strong case of fans having low expectations on him but £25m? Not a chance.

[zolayes 14,489]

his first season in PL ,, Personally I am pleased with him and think next year he will be even better

[Barbara 15,149]

his first season in PL ,, Personally I am pleased with him and think next year he will be even better

I don't follow Ukraine's football and much less Russia's (although I did watch some matches from the latter last season), but I think it's a big jump from either. Patience is a virtue that seems hard to find these days, Ron.

[BlueLion. 21,491]

If people want him to score more goals, that's fine. Let's let him play like Mata, and compromise our defensive rigidity and end up 6th and 3rd in the league for the next two seasons.

[The Chels 2,502]

I don't see how fans would have considerably lowered their expectations for Willian if we got him for £25m. A difference £5m is hardly massive and even then, £25m on its own is still a big price to pay for and Willian certainly should be doing more in the offensive third than what he has done so far, especially when we know of his qualities (price tag aside). If we had only got Willian for £5m, then you might have a strong case of fans having low expectations on him but £25m? Not a chance.

I said lower expectations, not low. But I do feel that the semantics of the price would reduce expectations. I've found that players bought for twenty-something million pounds, like Oscar, are much less constantly reminded of their price tag when they perform poorly in comparison to those who cost £30-something million. I understand the actual difference in price is very little, but I'm referring to the connotations of the prices and how costing only slightly more can increase expectations disproportionately. I agree though in that he ought to be doing more offensively because he is capable but hasn't really shown it much.

[Polo7 3,496]

Amazing how many fickle fans we have. Every player goes through patches where they aint playing as well as they can. Willian has looked slightly hesitant in the attacking third but he has been great most of the season. Oscar is another person who is constantly attacked for not performing even though he played through an injury.

Fans were very patient with Torres though, and to an extent with Hazard (when he has bad spells).

[Jase 43,479]

If people want him to score more goals, that's fine. Let's let him play like Mata, and compromise our defensive rigidity and end up 6th and 3rd in the league for the next two seasons.

Why does it have to be one thing or the other? Nobody is asking Willian to score goals and produce assists in every game but we only want to see more end product from him. He's already great defensively but average offensively. Is it even wrong to suggest we want that tad more consistency and/or Willian to have that balance defensively and offensively? Right now, one can argue that we are struggling offensively because Willian, as one of the 3 AMs behind the ST, is not contributing enough from his part.

I said lower expectations, not low. But I do feel that the semantics of the price would reduce expectations. I've found that players bought for twenty-something million pounds, like Oscar, are much less constantly reminded of their price tag when they perform poorly in comparison to those who cost £30-something million. I understand the actual difference in price is very little, but I'm referring to the connotations of the prices and how costing only slightly more can increase expectations disproportionately.

Lower or low, I don't think it would make any difference anyway but point taken.

[BlueLion. 21,491]

Why does it have to be one thing or the other? Nobody is asking Willian to score goals and produce assists in every game but we only want to see more end product from him. He's already great defensively but average offensively. Is it even wrong to suggest we want that tad more consistency and/or Willian to have that balance defensively and offensively? Right now, one can argue that we are struggling offensively because Willian, as one of the 3 AMs behind the ST, is not contributing enough from his part.

Lower or low, I don't think it would make any difference anyway but point taken.

It's his first season. People should be more realistic. If they want more attacking output then they can go and buy Bale and Messi on their FIFA careers.

[Jase 43,479]

It's his first season. People should be more realistic. If they want more attacking output then they can go and buy Bale and Messi on their FIFA careers.

Yes I know that but perhaps people may have taken this 'we must be realistic/patient' thing a tad too far. Like I said, nobody expects him to score and/or assist in every game but just produce that little bit more in the final third. Don't think that is excessive expectation by any means.

[zolayes 14,489]

I don't follow Ukraine's football and much less Russia's (although I did watch some matches from the latter last season), but I think it's a big jump from either. Patience is a virtue that seems hard to find these days, Ron.

english saying "you can never please all the people all the time"

TC saying "some people you can never please any of the time"

patience increases with age

[Barbara 15,149]

what people fail to realize is that defensive responsibilities take away from their offensive performance.

Haven't we been discussing Mata's bad form this season for months now? Do you think he simply forgot how play football in the time span of three months? No, he was bad or subpar offensively - and his stats say as much - because he was coping with what Mourinho asked him to do defensively (and in the end it was proved he couldn't cope at all, hence why we kept saying he didn't fit the system). Why is it so hard to understand that asking more defensively leads the player to get more tired, to divide his focus and efforts and just to change how he approaches the game?

so if Mata's creativity and offensive game suffered because of the other responsibilities he was asked, why can't Willian and even Oscar have the same fate (especially because they aren't anywhere near as creative as Mata)?

Mata's playing in the wing for ManU and still he's had more assists there in 3 or 4 matches than he's had here in 11 (or 15, don't even remember the number of times he's started for us this season). Is he still only a shadow of what he's used to be? Absolutely, he's been through a patch of bad form. I don't buy the playing in the wing destroys him BS. He's played in the wing for his whole career except the last two seasons, he knows how to play there too (although I agree he's way more effective in the middle, but he isn't supposed to be garbage in the wing). He's just lacking any resemblance of confidence, even happiness to play and he's been in bad form. It's a vicious circle where each of those things makes the other worse and he'll need a new season (basically a well done pre-season, without injury) to start over. He probably won't make it to Brazil in the abysmal form he is (compared to his good days). Spain has incredible depth on his position and many players are preferred over him by del Bosque. I think he could use the vacation and after a good pre-season he'll come a new player, more like the one he's used to be.

So ignoring a bit of Mata and talking about the problem in hand, Willian is coping with everything Mourinho's been asking him to do defensively and it's affecting his offensive game. He's through EPL football adaptation, has been trying to prove himself to Mourinho and Scolari. I think he's doing well (nothing exceptional, just well) under those many circumstances.

I think once we have a more reliable pivot next season with Matic already settled, and maybe just maybe, a better partner for him (here's hoping Marco really recovers well and continues from where he's stopped), Oscar and Wilian will be released of some of their defensive responsibilities, although in a Mourinho team one, at most two, players in the whole pitch are exempted from defensive responsibilities.

[sutro 1,026]

Haza's 100th chelsea game already!

[Vybz Kartel 1,613]

It's his first season. People should be more realistic. If they want more attacking output then they can go and buy Bale and Messi on their FIFA careers.

What we want is for him to step up and be a threat especially in games Hazard has 3 pple marking him, teams see him as the weak link in the attackin 3 and dont mind him havin the ball because they think he wont do much with it, they rather focus more energy on Eden. We just want him to contribute more not score 20 goals a season but just be enough of a threat to make the oposition think abt him too, Yes its his first season but his numbers could be better for a guy as talented as him, look at Oscar, Hazard, Mata, Moses they all had double figures in their first season in terms of goals so IMO i think its a weak excuse. Dont get me wrong his been doin well in all other parts of his game but he needs to really improve when it comes to attackin play because thts his main job at the end of the day otherwise we could just play a DM like Mikel if we just wanted his defensive contribution more than his attackin contribution.

[Vybz Kartel 1,613]

what people fail to realize is that defensive responsibilities take away from their offensive performance.

Haven't we been discussing Mata's bad form this season for months now? Do you think he simply forgot how play football in the time span of three months? No, he was bad or subpar offensively - and his stats say as much - because he was coping with what Mourinho asked him to do defensively (and in the end it was proved he couldn't cope at all, hence why we kept saying he didn't fit the system). Why is it so hard to understand that asking more defensively leads the player to get more tired, to divide his focus and efforts and just to change how he approaches the game?

so if Mata's creativity and offensive game suffered because of the other responsibilities he was asked, why can't Willian and even Oscar have the same fate (especially because they aren't anywhere near as creative as Mata)?

Mata's playing in the wing for ManU and still he's had more assists there in 3 or 4 matches than he's had here in 11 (or 15, don't even remember the number of times he's started for us this season). Is he still only a shadow of what he's used to be? Absolutely, he's been through a patch of bad form. I don't buy the playing in the wing destroys him BS. He's played in the wing for his whole career except the last two seasons, he knows how to play there too (although I agree he's way more effective in the middle, but he isn't supposed to be garbage in the wing). He's just lacking any resemblance of confidence, even happiness to play and he's been in bad form. It's a vicious circle where each of those things makes the other worse and he'll need a new season (basically a well done pre-season, without injury) to start over. He probably won't make it to Brazil in the abysmal form he is (compared to his good days). Spain has incredible depth on his position and many players are preferred over him by del Bosque. I think he could use the vacation and after a good pre-season he'll come a new player, more like the one he's used to be.

So ignoring a bit of Mata and talking about the problem in hand, Willian is coping with everything Mourinho's been asking him to do defensively and it's affecting his offensive game. He's through EPL football adaptation, has been trying to prove himself to Mourinho and Scolari. I think he's doing well (nothing exceptional, just well) under those many circumstances.

I think once we have a more reliable pivot next season with Matic already settled, and maybe just maybe, a better partner for him (here's hoping Marco really recovers well and continues from where he's stopped), Oscar and Wilian will be released of some of their defensive responsibilities, although in a Mourinho team one, at most two, players in the whole pitch are exempted from defensive responsibilities.

IN the short space of time Mata played he still created the most chances by any cfc player even with more defensive responsibilities pple were just wastin chances he created, I remember specifically against west brom when etoo missed that open goal from a pass from Mata soon after half time and we went on to draw the game after west brom got back into the game. We dont want 20 goals a season we just want him to be more of a threat than he is at the moment.