🇨🇴 Juan Cuadrado

[Pizy 18,941]

Hopefully he doesn't reign himself in and play conservatively for his first few months here. I want to see him dribbling opponents and expressing himself right away.

[Jase 43,479]

There's a lot of posts on this thread about his dribbling, so i decided to check Chances Created so far this season, and compare to our AM's (feel free to check more reliable sources)

Schurrle 0.4 created a game.

Hazard 2.6

Willian 1.0

Oscar 1.6

Cuadrado 2.1

- We all know CC stats can be a bit misleading, but it does give you an idea. For example, no one can argue Schurrle is a player who creates many chances for others.

They might be attacking midfielders but they are different kind of attacking midfielders, playing different roles within a system. So, that stat is definitely misleading.

[Stingray 9,441]

Regardless of all rationales and weighing of arguments, i deeply feel this guy will make our right flank work. In an exciting manner as well.

We were a bit sterile on that flank imo and Cuadrado does inject directness, taking on a man, going deep, making penetrating runs....

I'm sold :-)

[zolayes 14,489]

Regardless of all rationales and weighing of arguments, i deeply feel this guy will make our right flank work. In an exciting manner as well.

We were a bit sterile on that flank imo and Cuadrado does inject directness, taking on a man, going deep, making penetrating runs....

I'm sold :-)

we live in hope RW hasnt been sorted since we had Robben and Duff to interchange

[Supermonkey92 1,428]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02j5wws

Good listen

[Barbara 15,149]

I'll give him a chance alright, despite not believing him much, but you convinced me he isn't a lost cause as much as Willian is (scoring and assisting wise).

When I meant he's worse than Schurrle I didn't mean as a player, but a fitting player in the system. In theory Schurrle was exactly the kind of player we needed, but his inconsistency and lately his illness and the aftermath of that were a big downfall, but still I think we needed a player that was goal-directed. Hazard isn't much yet, Oscar has too many off days and Willian doesn't deserve a comment on his goal scoring ability. So someone fast, with simple and direct approach, seeking the goal and making runs behind the defense is exactly what we need with one dribble already in the team, a slow #10 in pace (Cesc) and a slow #10 in outcomes (Oscar).

If we keep slowing down our attack one way (dribbles) or the other (slowness, passiveness), it will only get worse. Of course, many times dribbles don't slow down the attack but they can't compare to a player running down the channels and presenting himself in a direct way to score a goal.

A good team is a mix of different things that brings some balance, I swear I don't get why you guys want a RW that is a dribbler, a #10 that is a dribbler and a striker that is a dribbler (reading Willian's, Cesc's, Oscar's and Costa's critics that's the main idea you get about dribbles, take ons, hold up and link up play). The lack of balance today is that Hazard has to produce creatively for all the AMs, as we can't count consistently on Oscar because we never know which version of him will show up and Willian's contribution on posts is actually higher than his contribution on goals and assists - literally. So instead of finding someone that would give us the same as Schurrle, except more consistently, we have a mix of Hazard and Willian. I'm not convinced it will work, but I'm less convinced he'll be a Willian. That's as much progress I can make about him unless he makes a Costa here - or a Fabregas - and scores and/or assists in an incredible rate right from the go. Until then, I still feel that while not being as bad as I initially thought, he isn't the answer to our problems and may make our side even less balanced, slowing down the play even more.

[Sheva. 5,373]

They might be attacking midfielders but they are different kind of attacking midfielders, playing different roles within a system. So, that stat is definitely misleading.

Yeah I know, but that was more to prove he's not just a player who dribbles all game. And I included our players to see how his numbers stack up, not as a straight comparison.

[robsblubot 3,595]

Willian had very different stats before joining chelsea and the Epl. Used to score too.

[Hybrid Angel 2,130]

Cuadrado's mother: "My son always liked football, since he was very small" #CFC (via @CaracaolDeportes)

Cuadrado's mother: "My son when he was small, was a forward, top scorer and then changed to another position" #CFC (via @CaracolDeportes)

Cuadrado's mother: "The first gift from my son was when he told me that he would fix my house" #CFC (via @CaracolDeportes) ...Signed a gem.

Cuadrado's mother: "God you had saved this award from Chelsea for his effort" #CFC (via @CaracolDeportes)

Juan Cuadrado was just FOUR when he hid under the bed as gunmen murdered his father. #CFC (Mirror)

Cuadrado's mother: "Perhaps the death of his dad made him grow up quicker.” #CFC (Mirror)

Cuadrado's mother on whether her son at that point would give up dream of playing: "No, he was persistent and even more. Never give up" #CFC

--

Holy shit, that third last tweet...

[LAM09 7,061]

Willian had very different stats before joining chelsea and the Epl. Used to score too.

In a much weaker league. Judge players on their EPL stats.

[robsblubot 3,595]

In a much weaker league. Judge players on their EPL stats.

That was precisely my point - cuadrado was a pacey player in a slow league.

[LAM09 7,061]

That was precisely my point - cuadrado was a pacey player in a slow league.

That might be the case, but I personally think defences are better in Italy (on the whole).

Willian's stats (whatever they were) shouldn't be taken into any consideration. The Ukraine league is a walk in the park for Shakhtar.

[iseah100 5,612]

He was a beast in the world cup.

[robsblubot 3,595]

He was a beast in the world cup.

So was Andre and so wasn't hazard...

I'm seeing this deal as a pretty expensive bet.

Unlike getting millions for the extremely limited Bertrand - good deal.

[RoyalBlues 4,050]

Anyone know how much he is getting paid p/w at Chelsea? At 2012 he get 550,000 in a season.

[Madmax 9,219]

Willian had very different stats before joining chelsea and the Epl. Used to score too.

He doesn't come close to being prolific Shakhtar/Anzhi days (league numbers) :

07/08 - 0 goals, 2 assists (20 appearances)

08/09 - 5 goals, 5 assists (29 appearances)

09/10 - 5 goals, 5 assists (22 appearances)

10/11 - 3 goals, 10 assists (28 appearances)

11/12 - 5 goals, 16 assists (27 appearances)

12/13 - 3 goals, 7 assists (21 appearances)

That's 21 goals and 45 assists from nearly 150 games. A goal every 7th game and an assist every third game isn't that impressive given he played in a two-team league.

[kellzfresh 7,229]

Hazard stats last season

http://www.whoscored.com/Regions/252/Tournaments/2/Seasons/3853/Stages/7794/PlayerStatistics/England-Premier-League-2013-2014

Cuadrado stats last season playing on the right

http://www.whoscored.com/Regions/108/Tournaments/5/Seasons/3978/Stages/8019/PlayerStatistics/Italy-Serie-A-2013-2014

Pretty similar imo. If hazard didn't take a few more penalties it would even be closer on goals.

[robsblubot 3,595]

He doesn't come close to being prolific Shakhtar/Anzhi days (league numbers) :

07/08 - 0 goals, 2 assists (20 appearances)

08/09 - 5 goals, 5 assists (29 appearances)

09/10 - 5 goals, 5 assists (22 appearances)

10/11 - 3 goals, 10 assists (28 appearances)

11/12 - 5 goals, 16 assists (27 appearances)

12/13 - 3 goals, 7 assists (21 appearances)

That's 21 goals and 45 assists from nearly 150 games. A goal every 7th game and an assist every third game isn't that impressive given he played in a two-team league.

Fair enough, though you are missing the big team factor.

Shakhtar is the big team over there so spaces are hard to come buy whereas fiorentina is hardly the top dog in Italy, so pacey player like cuadrado will do wonders in counters.. Just watch salah play a lot better for them.

Good luck finding any space behind the cbs when playing stoke at the bridge.

[Madmax 9,219]

Fair enough, though you are missing the big team factor.

Good point, but Willian has been outscored by more or less all his competitors in that Shakhtar side when afforded similar game time :

Alex Teixeira

09-10 : 0 goals (3 appearances)

10-11 : 5 goals (26 appearances)

11-12 : 7 goals (26 appearances)

12-13 : 10 goals (27 appearances)

Douglas Costa

09-10 : 5 goals (13 appearances)

10-11 : 5 goals (27 appearances)

11-12 : 6 goals (27 appearances)

12-13 : 5 goals (27 appearances)

Jadson

07-08 : 7 goals (27 appearances)

08-09 : 1 goal (26 appearances)

09-10 : 9 goals (26 appearances)

10-11 : 5 goals (24 appearances)

11-12 : 3 goals (11 appearances)

Ilsinho

11-12 : 1 goal (7 appearances)

12-13 : 6 goals (19 appearances)

Mkhytaryan

10-11 : 3 goals (17 appearances)

11-12 : 10 goals (26 appearances)

12-13 : 25 goals (29 appearances)

The guy's simply not a goalscorer and never has been. Although credit to him for the assist numbers he racked up in 10-11 and 11-12, nobody comes close to it in that side during that period.

[BlueLion. 21,491]

People are writing him off already and he probably hasn't even had a training session for Chelsea, let alone played a game.

He'll tear this league up. Watch.