Filipe Luís

[Sheva. 5,373]

He can't play because Azpi does not deserve to be dropped.

Ivanovic obviously has something on Mourinho, because since he's been back, JT and Ivanovic are the only players who play every game and are never subbed or rested after bad performances.

[The Chels 2,502]

  On 15/03/2015 at 16:13, DYC. said:

I still have a faint hope of some turnaround though. I'm not a fan of Azpi on the left. But at the same time, Mou seems so adamant on sticking with him there...

Mourinho will probably sell him some more false promises at the end of the season but I don't think he'll be naive enough to believe them. I hope that a top team who actually appreciate his talents (preferably Atleti since he is the pefect Simeone player even though a lot of their fans now hate him) will buy him back after their recent Chinese investment. We'll be taking a pretty big financial hit though.

[WNDS 502]

  On 15/03/2015 at 16:14, Sheva. said:

He can't play because Azpi does not deserve to be dropped.

Ivanovic obviously has something on Mourinho, because since he's been back, JT and Ivanovic are the only players who play every game and are never subbed or rested after bad performances.

Based on 2015 performances, Luis sure as hell doesn't 'deserve' the bench; it's been very close between him and Azpi over the past few months, certainly close enough to justify rotating them more frequently than Mourinho is doing at the moment. Of course, it wouldn't be such a 'difficult' situation if Mourinho could actually bring himself to bench Ivanovic on occasion.

[iseah100 5,612]

Pretty sad our GK's are rotated more often than Azpi/Luis.

[The Skipper 20,593]

I was really looking forward to the Luis - Hazard combination this season. Such a shame.

[petre.ispirescu 4,928]

I think he'd make a better winger than Willian to be fair. Inverted also. What a shame that one of the most complete full-backs in European football can't even get a sniff at first team action.

[MrBlueGuy 1,552]

Meh one of those transfer that really in the long term benefited no one. We get a great player but soon he will lose his touch because of long time on the bench, Atletico lose one of the best LB in Spain at the time and now get another one but not quite as good, Luis will win titles but like Torres...etc in the past he contributes very minimal compared with for example last season.

[The Chels 2,502]

#FreeFilipe

What I predict will happen: Luis leaves in the summer, we replace him with a much less talented LB, one of Ivanovic/Azpi gets a long-term injury and we are forced to play the new (average) LB for much of the season. Inevitable.

[MrBlueGuy 1,552]

  On 15/03/2015 at 20:48, The Chels said:

#FreeFilipe

What I predict will happen: Luis leaves in the summer, we replace him with a much less talented LB, one of Ivanovic/Azpi gets a long-term injury or suspension, and we are forced to play the new (average) LB for much of the season. Inevitable.

Then next Jan go for a Matic type signing in Rodriguez or Aogo or Danilo

[The Chels 2,502]

  On 15/03/2015 at 20:51, MrBlueGuy said:

Then next Jan go for a Matic type signing in Rodriguez or Aogo or Danilo

What if it happens in February? Those players would be very expensive in the Jan market and would no doubt eventually be left to rot on the bench once Azpi/Iva were to return.

[Blue Colored Sky 1,807]

Why British journalists have to be so clueless and don't ask about tactics or style of play ? Why ANYBODY, literally ANYBODY didn't ask Jose yet if he thinks that our pressing game and transition needs improvement, why he doesn't play Filipe for example, all that things. In Spain they're sensation-seeking bastards too but they at least ask a genuine interesting questions about system of play and certain players fitting (or not) into that system.

[MrBlueGuy 1,552]

  On 15/03/2015 at 20:57, Blue Colored Sky said:

Why British journalists have to be so clueless and don't ask about tactics or style of play ? Why ANYBODY, literally ANYBODY didn't ask Jose yet if he thinks that our pressing game and transition needs improvement, why he doesn't play Filipe for example, all that things. In Spain they're sensation-seeking bastards too but they at least ask a genuine interesting questions about system of play and certain players fitting (or not) into that system.

When they asked those questions with Mata or Kevin he got mad so ever since they don't dare to do it anymore. Also the closest the questions come are like 'is your team going to play counter attacking today?'

[The Chels 2,502]

  On 15/03/2015 at 21:00, MrBlueGuy said:

When they asked those questions with Mata or Kevin he got mad so ever since they don't dare to do it anymore. Also the closest the questions come are like 'is your team going to play counter attacking today?'

Didn't Jose say he regularly spoke about tactics at press-conferences in Italy? Now if he's even asked about anything on the agenda (e.g. Mata/Oscar) he gets incredibly angry. His time at Real definitely changed him.

[Blue Colored Sky 1,807]

Mourinho shows a big middle finger to Filipe. I know that team > player but he has real solution at his disposal, not some declining Ashley Cole, who Roma want to offload at any given chance, but genuine world-class player.

He has 2 real athletes for both sides who are monsters at pressing yet the undisputed number one is a guy converted to RB from CB in his mid-20's, who is big and heavy and isn't natural athlete at all. Also is already 31 and looses gradually yards of pace, is complacent as fuck and wouldn't press if he has his life on the line. Go figure.

[CurlyHairLikeLuiz 1,625]

  On 12/03/2015 at 17:18, !Hazard! said:

As Ajax fan I remember when our hero Jari Litmanen was playing in Liverpool in his final years. When he didn't get playing time, even the Liverpool fans said that "if we are not going to play him, let at least some other club's fans enjoy seeing the lad play." Same can be said about Filipe. Absolutely top player and Mourinho might want to think of ways he could accommodate all our three star fullbacks on the field same time. Luis has some serious skill in the offensive end and could be a major asset. Nobody in our team par Fabregas crosses the ball better than him.

Fabregas needs a holiday. It did wonders with Hazard at Crimbo, and Luis can play at CM, his ball distribution and vision is excellent. Then after that he must move to LB.

[Jase 43,479]

  On 15/03/2015 at 16:14, Sheva. said:

He can't play because Azpi does not deserve to be dropped.

Ivanovic obviously has something on Mourinho, because since he's been back, JT and Ivanovic are the only players who play every game and are never subbed or rested after bad performances.

Agree but that doesn't mean that we have to play him at LB in every game. We all know how that doesn't help our attacks on the left at all and Hazard always has to deal with 2-3 players all by himself at once. If Mourinho wants defensive solidity in the away games and/or the bigger games, then go with Azpi. But against some of the lesser sides, who are going defend narrow and compact, play Luis so there's more width in our play to stretch the opposing team's defence. Otherwise, we'll just be playing right in front of them.

[Sheva. 5,373]

  On 16/03/2015 at 00:32, Jason said:

Agree but that doesn't mean that we have to play him at LB in every game. We all know how that doesn't help our attacks on the left at all and Hazard always has to deal with 2-3 players all by himself at once. If Mourinho wants defensive solidity in the away games and/or the bigger games, then go with Azpi. But against some of the lesser sides, who are going defend narrow and compact, play Luis so there's more width in our play to stretch the opposing team's defence. Otherwise, we'll just be playing right in front of them.

Tbf when Azpi is at LB, Ivanovic has the freedom to bomb forward and create said width. And he is actually decent at this now.

Anyway a defence of Ivan-Cahill-JT-Luis does not sound like much of an improvement to me. Ivanovic will still fuck up on the right, and Luis will be caught out of position many times to actually help the situation - like Azpi always does.

[Jase 43,479]

  On 16/03/2015 at 01:00, Sheva. said:

Tbf when Azpi is at LB, Ivanovic has the freedom to bomb forward and create said width. And he is actually decent at this now.

Anyway a defence of Ivan-Cahill-JT-Luis does not sound like much of an improvement to me. Ivanovic will still fuck up on the right, and Luis will be caught out of position many times to actually help the situation - like Azpi always does.

But on the other hand, we can go with the simple instruction of when the LB goes forward, the RB stays back and vice versa. Mourinho is just being stubborn and stubbornly loyal to certain players.