Baba Rahman

[Clockwork 1,794]

Emenalo signing  

Not quality, but we definitely have not done any favor for him either.

i am going with Kenedy as my starting LB next season.

[LDN Blue 7,903]

He's meant to have bags and bags of potential, but it's yet to come through. In his defence, he's got an incompetent Ivanovic occupying the role for the man ahead of himself! It's nonsense if you think about it. 

With Aké coming back, having shone at Watford, you wonder what's the deal here. We've been blessed with some of the finest left-backs; Wise, Cole, Bertrand, Luis, Le Saux and so on. Some we've utilised, others we haven't, some we're yet to. If Baba does run out of patience then Ake's ready to step up, if not we look to Aina or Dasilva one day. The latter having been talked so prominently by Ian Wright. 

[Blue Gino 377]

I don't get the whole "physique" thing. Azpi is no bruiser. It's his intelligence that needs work. When grandpa Guus is in charge and the younger players aren't sure where they stand anymore, confidence can only go down the tubes at this point. 

[Tomo 21,733]

Hes been dreadful this season, absolutely awful, but given the he circumstances of this season I'd be happy to be patient for one more season, but I equally won't complain if we cut our loses. He was good against Dynamo and PSG, but beyond that he's been hopeless.

Any other season he would have got the critics he deserves, but the sheer desperation for Ivan to be dropped has ended up with people praising even diabolical performances from him.

[Captain Ahmed 528]

Patience is a virtue.

[Pizy 18,368]

Only real excuse I can think of is that it's hard for him to be consistent when he's in and out of the team. Just like Felipe Luis last season. He just looks completely out of his depth in the PL defensively. Ripped to shreds today and that was against a relegation level side with nobodies in their attack.

Pretty clear we need a new LB and let's hope Conte is allowed to sign one. My bet is the club will force him to stick with what we have, though.

If we're going to play with 4 at the back then Azpj must play on the right, Ivanovic never playing anything other than at CB (a squad one) and we need a modern, class LB who is good both attacking and defending. Baba can do the attacking bit well enough but is a total liability defending. 

[Captain Ahmed 528]

6 minutes ago, Pizy said:

Pretty clear we need a new LB and let's hope Conte is allowed to sign one. My bet is the club will force him to stick with what we have, though.

 

A long time ago, we had Ryan Bertrand (LB).Why the direction of the 1905 sold this promising player...

[lucio 5,418]

7 hours ago, Captain Ahmed said:

A long time ago, we had Ryan Bertrand (LB).Why the direction of the 1905 sold this promising player...

I think ake will turn out better than bertrand, if we don't screw it up. he should he in the team next season

[the wes 7,212]

I have a feeling baba going to be loaned out if we do loan him out I think we should loan him to a PL team so he can adapt to life in the PL 

[the wes 7,212]

28 minutes ago, lucio said:

I think ake will turn out better than bertrand, if we don't screw it up. he should he in the team next season

I agree mate I just hope conte gives him a chance next season 

[Captain Ahmed 528]

Baba Rahman's Chelsea chance under Antonio Conte

Quote

Left-back is a prime case in point. Ashley Cole had excelled in the position at Chelsea for seven seasons, but the return of Jose Mourinho to manage the Blues for a second time in June 2013 spelt the beginning of the end of Cole's career at Stamford Bridge.Mourinho, who had originally signed Cole from Arsenal in August 2006, phased the defender out of the team during the course of the 2013-14 season, favouring right-footed right-back Cesar Azpilicueta. The Spaniard, a £7 million signing from Marseille in August 2012, arrived during the short managerial reign of Roberto Di Matteo. He soon found himself jockeying for the right-back position with Branislav Ivanovic -- a duel that continued during the brief tenure of interim boss Rafael Benitez, who replaced Di Matteo when the Italian was sacked in November 2012.Cole was released in the summer of 2014, and the signing of specialist left-back Filipe Luis from Atletico Madrid for £15.8 million, coupled Ryan Bertrand leaving on loan, suggested Mourinho had made his mind up about the position.

However, Azpilicueta's form, the immovable presence of Ivanovic at right-back and Chelsea's searing start to what was to be an emphatic title-winning campaign saw the Portuguese stick to his makeshift template.Given the Blues' dominance in the top flight, the permanent sale of Bertrand for £10 million to Southampton in February 2015 -- while frustrating to those keen on seeing youth progress -- was largely ignored up until July that year. Chelsea then sold Luis back to Atletico for an undisclosed fee and subsequently spent £21.7 million on Augsburg left-back Baba Rahman.With Bertrand excelling at Southampton, the acquisition for such an astronomical sum of 21-year old Baba, widely reported to have been driven by Chelsea technical director Michael Emenalo, heaped unwarranted pressure on the Ghana international.Chelsea's title defence speedily unravelling and Mourinho losing his job amid tales of dressing room angst would hardly have been the best environment for Baba to walk into. Yet sympathy was in short supply as critics rounded on the youngster following a couple of jittery early performances.

Despite this, Baba's pace, ability to read the game and get forward to make telling crosses shone through in Champions League games against Dynamo Kiev and Paris Saint-Germain. However his confidence was then given a massive knock by interim manager Guus Hiddink. The Dutchman hauled the defender off at half-time in a 2-1 win at Southampton on Feb. 27, following a mistake which allowed Saints' striker Shane Long to score.Hiddink publicly lambasting and dropping Baba was risible, but the youngster appears to have had the last laugh. The long term injury sustained by Kurt Zouma and subsequent problems encountered by both Terry and Ivanovic forced the Dutchman's hand. Shorn of realistic options at left-back as Chelsea's campaign came to a drawn out end, Baba found himself back in the side and grew in stature and composure with every game.Conte will have been impressed with Baba's standout performances in the Blues' final two games of the season, away at Liverpool where he provided the assist for Eden Hazard's goal, and at home to champions Leicester City when he shackled outstanding PFA Player of the Year Riyad Mahrez.It's been a character-forming Premier League baptism for him, but a solid preseason under Conte could see him establish himself as Chelsea's first-choice left-back.

Another problem solved for the Italian that doesn't require much effort or expense will give Blues fans yet more reasons to be cheerful, though they are unlikely to doff their caps to Emenalo for his wisdom in signing the player just yet.

ESPN

 

[milka 3,346]

Lazio are interested in signing Chelsea left-back Baba Rahman and the London club are even prepared to take a €10m+ loss on him. [CdS]

[mccg 1,528]

Interesting if Conte can improve him defencely as he is quite average,but I do like him very much going forward reminds me of Babayaro

[The Chels 2,502]

It's time to accept it, folks. Another season of Ivanovic at RB, Azpi at LB. Wahey!

[Blue-in-me-Veins 4,067]

@The Chels

Quote

It's Time to accept it folks. Another season of Ivanovic at RB, Azpi at LB. Wahey! 

Reaction:

 

[nyikolajevics 2,576]

" Ghana international Baba Rahman is set to join Schalke 04 on loan from Chelsea, AfricaFootballShop.com can exclusively reveal. "

 

AfricaFootballShop must have very good connections with Chelsea and Schalke. If you google "Baba Rahman Schalke" you find nothing but some articles from 2013.

[Chelsea4 1,521]

Schalke has signed Baba Rahman on loan. (Sky)

[The Chels 2,502]

27 minutes ago, nyikolajevics said:

" Ghana international Baba Rahman is set to join Schalke 04 on loan from Chelsea, AfricaFootballShop.com can exclusively reveal. "

 

AfricaFootballShop must have very good connections with Chelsea and Schalke. If you google "Baba Rahman Schalke" you find nothing but some articles from 2013.

Apparently they do. Sky Germany also now reporting it. 

@Blue-in-me-Veins I don't see anything in your post? Edit: I see it now  

Edited July 30, 2016 by The Chels