Virgil Van Dijk

[Unionjack 7,531]

Chelsea confident of winning transfer battle with Manchester City over Southampton's Virgil van Dijk

Dutch defender is Antonio Conte's No1 priority for the summer window as he prepares for Champions League return

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/chelsea-confident-winning-transfer-battle-10129696

[The Skipper 20,593]

On 29/03/2017 at 10:04 AM, Unionjack said:

My problem is I haven't watched him very much at all so I don't know his capabilities now.

I do know he is liked muchly by the people who do tho and to be BM player of the year must say something.

So if it comes around that he does end up as CB over Cahill I would understand it.

That's fair enough, but if you want a ball playing CB, Christensen's ball playing ability is better than Van Dijk's. 

[Unionjack 7,531]

2 minutes ago, The Skipper said:

That's fair enough, but if you want a ball playing CB, Christensen's ball playing ability is better than Van Dijk's. 

Plus getting Bertand AND van Dijk would be nigh on impossible eh!

[BlueLyon 9,359]

2 hours ago, The Skipper said:

That's fair enough, but if you want a ball playing CB, Christensen's ball playing ability is better than Van Dijk's. 

I will always prefer defending than passing when measuring Cbs, and Dijk is alot better right now. 

Christensen passing is great no doubt, but he leaves much to be desired in his defending against top sides. No doubt he might aswell struggle against PL strikers too. 

[killer1257 3,282]

18 minutes ago, BlueLyon said:

I will always prefer defending than passing when measuring Cbs, and Dijk is alot better right now. 

Christensen passing is great no doubt, but he leaves much to be desired in his defending against top sides. No doubt he might aswell struggle against PL strikers too. 

But I think Conte is a type of coach that gets the maximum out of the defensive type of players.Luiz came to Chelsea in a form that was underwhelming.Furthermore,Cahill was shit too,,but Conte managed to make both of them good again.Luiz became world class player for the first time of his life.

Conte will improve him a lot

[Fernando 6,375]

I think we need him if we are going to use Ake next season. 

Because we are losing too much height and that's one of the reason to have Cahill. 

Perfect upgrade to Cahill is this guy. 

[The Skipper 20,593]

41 minutes ago, Fernando said:

I think we need him if we are going to use Ake next season. 

Because we are losing too much height and that's one of the reason to have Cahill. 

Perfect upgrade to Cahill is this guy. 

We have Christensen who's about the same size as Luiz I think. He can fit in well. A backline of Ake, Luiz, Christensen isn't too bad at all.

[Kieran. 6,317]

39 minutes ago, The Skipper said:

We have Christensen who's about the same size as Luiz I think. He can fit in well. A backline of Ake, Luiz, Christensen isn't too bad at all.

Azpi on the bench?

[The Skipper 20,593]

10 minutes ago, Kieran. said:

Azpi on the bench?

No, not at all. It's healthy competition, not sure who I'd start to be honest. That backline is very nice though as they are all essentially ball playing CBs. I just stated it as an option.

[marflow 39]

55 minutes ago, The Skipper said:

We have Christensen who's about the same size as Luiz I think. He can fit in well. A backline of Ake, Luiz, Christensen isn't too bad at all.

I think there are way to many PL teams with big physical strikers, or other target men, that would bully that defence. Thats why we need someone like VVD to balance it out.

[The Skipper 20,593]

Just now, marflow said:

I think there are way to many PL teams with big physical strikers, or other target men, that would bully that defence. Thats why we need someone like VVD to balance it out.

Luiz and Ake were okay today with Kane, who's one of the most powerful strikers in the league? 

[marflow 39]

3 minutes ago, The Skipper said:

Luiz and Ake were okay today with Kane, who's one of the most powerful strikers in the league? 

Ake was standing next to Kane when he scored with his head (1-1). Luiz and Cahill struggled alot with Benteke, Zaha, Rashford etc in our latest games. 

[Magic Lamps 11,446]

27 minutes ago, marflow said:

Ake was standing next to Kane when he scored with his head (1-1). Luiz and Cahill struggled alot with Benteke, Zaha, Rashford etc in our latest games. 

A player like Zouma, Cahill or van Dijk might have stopped that header simply because they are so much bigger than Ake and the ball would might have hit them but other than that there was nothing he could do about it. These kind of finishes work 1 out of 10 times. Was an absolute fluke goal so it is harsh to judge Ake on that.

I am a fan of VVD but I am not sure we need him with Zouma, Christensen, Ake coming through and Cahill, Luiz and Azpi still in their best years. 

[Fernando 6,375]

5 minutes ago, Magic Lamps said:

A player like Zouma, Cahill or van Dijk might have stopped that header simply because they are so much bigger than Ake and the ball would might have hit them but other than that there was nothing he could do about it. These kind of finishes work 1 out of 10 times. Was an absolute fluke goal so it is harsh to judge Ake on that.

I am a fan of VVD but I am not sure we need him with Zouma, Christensen, Ake coming through and Cahill, Luiz and Azpi still in their best years. 

Zouma is not good, and Christensen and Ake are not sure thing. 

It's like saying back in the days let's not get Hazard because we had Kakuta....

Competition will be needed. 

[Magic Lamps 11,446]

Just now, Fernando said:

Zouma is not good, and Christensen and Ake are not sure thing. 

It's like saying back in the days let's not get Hazard because we had Kakuta....

Competition will be needed. 

Well I think all three young men are more than competent and a back three with world class defenders like Luiz and Azpi in it can afford one understudy. 

Also that is a difference. We bought Hazard because we had not had a winger with pace and dribbling ability since robben had left in 2007. Now we have a number of excellent defenders. 

[quickpassnmove 924]

2 hours ago, Fernando said:

Zouma is not good, and Christensen and Ake are not sure thing. 

It's like saying back in the days let's not get Hazard because we had Kakuta....

Competition will be needed. 

good reply.

[The Skipper 20,593]

9 hours ago, Fernando said:

Zouma is not good, and Christensen and Ake are not sure thing. 

It's like saying back in the days let's not get Hazard because we had Kakuta....

Competition will be needed. 

The Hazard/Kakuta comparison is off because these guys are a lot more proven than Gael. Someone like Christensen has a market value of at least £25m imo already. 

[lucio 5,371]

Christensen has excelled at a higher level than VD, good performances v Bayern, Juventus, City