🇬🇭 Baba Rahman

[Styles 9,790]

This guy has the tools he just needs to be coached.

[lucio 5,418]

natural fullbacks are compulsory bar injuries. no more azpi cutting back please.

[Gilvorak 3,734]

He's so good going forward. Can pass first time and is equally adept with either foot. He and Hazard have good chemistry together.

[Stats 7,142]

Azpi has done well in his offensive displays under Hiddink but there are games where I would like to see Baba given extended run in the team. He may not be the best defender but for games we are looking to win, I always feel it is a vital addition to have two natural attacking full backs or at least one. For instance against United, I would have Azpi and Baba as fullbacks. Whoever United put on the right wing will have so much difficulties tracking Baba's runs and his link ups with Hazard and we should look to exploit it rather than have Azpi and Brana. Mata is not good at tracking back. Lingard is decent, nothing more and he too will not be able to handle Baba's attacking runs and I also think Babab can handle him defensively. Martial is going to cause any of our fullbacks problem, regardless who is at RB, but he went past Ivanovic way too many times at OT and would like to see Azpi and Baba. Baba can only improve his defensive displays with more game time.

That is more hope though because I have no doubt Azpi and Ivanovic will be fullbacks against Watford and United and prob every other PL game.

Bellerin for instance was an awful defender when he first got his run in with Arsenal at RB but as he has been trusted to play more you can see how much his defensive displays has improved even though it is not top notch. I believe the same can happen with Baba. After all he made the most successful tackles IIRC in the Bundesliga last season and he is only 21. I hope whoever the new manager is realises his potential and uses it. Today looked like a kid who was eager to prove himself and accomplished his mission.

 

[CHOULO19 24,332]

Thought he was very good going forward most of the times (though, tbf, Don's RB might as well have stayed home yesterday), but was a bit all over the place at other times. 

No idea why he never actually crosses in the air, though, but always goes for the low cross to the near post. Needs more diversity in that area. 

[mccg 1,528]

Reminds me of Babayaro in many ways

[Amblève. 4,995]

On 31.1.2016 at 7:17 PM, Amblève. said:

Can we please use him in a meaningful game now? Even when you factor in his defensive deficits his offense not only makes up for it but will make talks about the defensive side of his game completely redundant if he's given consistent playing time to grow.

Aaaaaaaand straight back to the bench again lmao

This is just so frustrating.

[Special Juan 28,141]

18 hours ago, Amblève. said:

Aaaaaaaand straight back to the bench again lmao

This is just so frustrating.

Bad performances don't matter, decent and contributing mean very little.

It's sort of where we are at as a club and not just with performing/under-performing players.

[LAM09 7,054]

Is he ever going to get a chance to nail down a place?

[Special Juan 28,141]

11 minutes ago, LAM09 said:

Is he ever going to get a chance to nail down a place?

Yes, if Azpilicueta gets a serious injury, even then I expect us to put Cahil/Zouma there.

[Gilvorak 3,734]

Pretty depressing how he's been treated by both Mourinho and Hiddink

[LAM09 7,054]

1 hour ago, Special Juan said:

Yes, if Azpilicueta gets a serious injury, even then I expect us to put Cahil/Zouma there.

Why is Iva untouchable?

It's beyond a joke now.

[It's too big 625]

At his age he needs a consistent run of games. He is just rotting on the bench at the moment and it's not good to see. The frustrating thing about it all is Azpilicueta need not be at LB. Why Ivanovic cannot make way for a few games to allow Azpilicueta to RB and Baba at LB i do not know. We struggle in games because Ivanovic can barely cross a ball, or at least he can but it takes him about 10 attempts to get a good one in the box, and Azpilicueta bombs forward, remembers he's right footed, cuts back onto his right foot and passes it sideways. We have absolutely zero width or natural overlapping from the full backs so our chances of pulling teams wider to make space for our creative players or just getting a good few crosses into the box are hindered. 

[nyikolajevics 2,700]

33 minutes ago, Gilvorak said:

Pretty depressing how he's been treated by both Mourinho and Hiddink

 

I don't get it. Abdul played like 10 matches for Chelsea: 2-3 of them was pretty good, 5-6 was average, 2-3 was bad. He is a 21 years old guy, he is absolutely promising, he has the talent... We won't reach top 4 nor bottom 3, why not play him then? Ivanovic is 32, we should start building the next Chelsea right now. Baba, Ruben, Kenedy and Traoré should get a fair amount of time. Iva, Matic, Pedro, Hazard have been deer crap anyway, they don't really deserve to start every week.

[illmatic 901]

And this guy has been on the bench all the season so far, while we have problems on the fullbacks??? And even Kennedy plays as fullback instead of him??.

Kill me please. I don't say nothing more.

[Special Juan 28,141]

Natural full back, instead we like square pegs in round holes.

Brilliant performance.

[MefiX19 1,092]

WHat a fucking beast! And also my prediction for him to put a cross for Costa almost cam true!

[Styles 9,790]

Worst thing is he will go straight back to the bench when Terry is back.

Baba would be flying now if the the fired one hadn't spent the first half of the season keeping him as a permanent sub.

[LAM09 7,054]

His position should be nailed down. Probably played better than Azpi tonight.

[Jase 43,479]

Refreshing to have a left back in the left back position. But unfortunately, as Styles pointed out, he would probably drop to the bench once Terry returns.