🇪🇸 3. Marc Cucurella

[Fulham Broadway 17,319]

52 minutes ago, Magic Lamps said:

Yesterday showed his limitations in attack. He's great energy and defensive prowess but he had two open shots and failed miserably. Prime Chilwell puts one of them away.

Alonso smashed a few of those in the back of the onion bag

[OneMoSalah 8,886]

Only been a few games but already very impressed with him. Chilwell’s got a lot of work to do to get back in the team for me (although he’s maybe not fully fit yet)

Edited August 28, 2022 by OneMoSalah

[Vesper 30,195]

asshat article of the month

'He doesn't look great': Agbonlahor claims one of Chelsea's new signings is in danger of getting dropped already

https://www.thechelseachronicle.com/pundit-view/he-doesnt-look-great-agbonlahor-claims-one-of-chelseas-new-signings-is-in-danger-of-getting-dropped-already/

TalkSPORT pundit Gabby Agbonlahor has criticised new Chelsea signing Marc Cucurella by saying he’s not made a great start to his career at Stamford Bridge.

Cucurella, 24, is one of several new faces to arrive in the Blues squad this summer.

With Ben Chilwell being eased back in from a long-term injury, Cucurella has been thrown in at the deep end by his manager Thomas Tuchel.

The 24-year-old defender has started four of the five Premier League games for Chelsea.

It can’t have been easy for the left-back to adapt to his new home when the team are out of sorts, but overall he’s made a fairly positive impression on the Blues fanbase.

Agbonlahor criticised Cucurella

Agbonlahor hasn’t been impressed by the way Cucurella has slotted into the Chelsea line-up so far, though.

He adds that he could be dropped from the XI when teammate Chilwell is fully fit to start a run of games.

“I just think some of them have been wild,” Agbonlahor told talkSPORT when discussing Chelsea’s summer signings.

“£60million [for Cucurella], and Ben Chilwell is a better player.

“Bring in maybe another left-back but a £60million one who’s probably going to be second choice when Chilwell gets going. I just think that money could have been used somewhere else. He doesn’t look great at the moment for Chelsea.”

[Pizy 18,927]

Even yesterday when the whole team struggled I loved what I saw out of him. Aggression, passion, getting stuck in to players like ache Adams who are much bigger than he is.

[Vesper 30,195]

£62m for this mediocre player

wtf

disasterclass buy

 

[MoroccanBlue 5,383]

8 minutes ago, Vesper said:

£62m for this mediocre player

wtf

disasterclass buy

 

Way, way too harsh. 

Bloke has been asked to play out of position at LCB, where the LWB is no where near helping him defensively and there is a gaping hole in midfield. Cucurella, as our other CBs, have been fucked over and exploited. 

Cucurella isn't 2014 Cesar Azpilicueta. You can't expect him to take an attacker out of the game on his own. 

Edited October 30, 2022 by MoroccanBlue

[Vesper 30,195]

3 minutes ago, MoroccanBlue said:

Way, way too harsh. 

Bloke has been asked to play out of position at LCB, where the LWB is no where near helping him defensively and there is a gaping hole in midfield. Cucurella, as our other CBs, have been fucked over and exploited. 

Cucurella isn't 2014 Cesar Azpilicueta. You can't expect him to take an attacker out of the game on his own. 

not too harsh

the price was MADNESS

[MoroccanBlue 5,383]

11 minutes ago, Vesper said:

not too harsh

the price was MADNESS

Not for me. Still think he's a quality player and once Potter smartens up and plays uncomplicated football and a recognizable formation, we will see the best out of him and our other signings.  

[Vesper 30,195]

51 minutes ago, MoroccanBlue said:

Not for me. Still think he's a quality player and once Potter smartens up and plays uncomplicated football and a recognizable formation, we will see the best out of him and our other signings.  

he is worth half what we paid

[robsblubot 3,595]

He seems the polar opposite from Alonso as a footballer. Unfortunately for us, Cucurella's weakness is precisely Alonso's one saving grace: technique (esp skill on the ball). 

Cucurella has aggression, pace, work rate, but lacks technique (esp on the ball skills) which is essential at this level. I cannot think of a single reason, other than rotation, where he would play ahead of Chilwell.

I do hope he improves and at least becomes serviceable, but things do not look good at the moment.

[Superblue 6,372]

He's definitely been in poor form recently, but I read that he was hospitalised with a bad bout of tonsilitis a few weeks back and lost a few kilos in weight.

It's easy to dismiss things like this hitting an athlete so hard, and he has been rushed back almost through necessity to play game after game because we're thread bare in senior defensive options and even in the left back/wing back role the other option is still having his minutes managed due to a serious injury.

He's clearly not right as he's being caught out for pace and power in situations that he wasn't last season at Brighton or even earlier this season.

We've probably overpaid for him, realistically like we have with a number of players in the summer and recent years, but I don't think by any means he's a busted flush and I think in time he'll prove to be a good addition to the squad. 

[Reddish-Blue 2,509]

14 hours ago, MoroccanBlue said:

Not for me. Still think he's a quality player and once Potter smartens up and plays uncomplicated football and a recognizable formation, we will see the best out of him and our other signings.  

He's got some qualities but there should have been a massive question mark on the fee we were paying (when City pulled out at the 35 million mark). 

I was sort of surprised that we never looked at alternative options for the LB/LWB spot when the Cucurella fee was so high, he'll never be a 55 million dollar player.  I felt even United overspent on Martinez but he's getting the job done and he has helped Ten Hag build out a solid base moving forward. 

[Special Juan 28,141]

Needs to be played in his right position first and foremost- I mean you only have to look at CP and RS as wing backs- it simply does not work and Cucu needs to be that left side option.

[OhForAGreavsie 6,076]

19 hours ago, robsblubot said:

He seems the polar opposite from Alonso as a footballer. Unfortunately for us, Cucurella's weakness is precisely Alonso's one saving grace: technique (esp skill on the ball). 

Cucurella has aggression, pace, work rate, but lacks technique (esp on the ball skills) which is essential at this level. I cannot think of a single reason, other than rotation, where he would play ahead of Chilwell.

I do hope he improves and at least becomes serviceable, but things do not look good at the moment.

If the transfers we're all dreaming about come to fruition, then it looks like our current left backs will have done my work for me so no one will need convincing that Jasko Gvardiol should become our starting LB/LWB.

[MoroccanBlue 5,383]

23 minutes ago, OhForAGreavsie said:

If the transfers we're all dreaming about come to fruition, then it looks like our current left backs will have done my work for me so no one will need convincing that Jasko Gvardiol should become our starting LB/LWB.

Has he even played there?

[OneMoSalah 8,886]

39 minutes ago, OhForAGreavsie said:

If the transfers we're all dreaming about come to fruition, then it looks like our current left backs will have done my work for me so no one will need convincing that Jasko Gvardiol should become our starting LB/LWB.

Hes mainly a left sided CB though, no?

I mean I don’t care how good he is, or could be, there is absolutely no point signing a player who predominantly lines up as a CB to try and shoehorn him out as a left back or wing back if its not his 100% natural position.

Would just be typically a Chelsea move though - sign a hugely talented left sided CB and use him as a wingback for the sake of it. Just like using Sterling as a wing back. Or Pulisic. Or Loftus-Cheek.

We will continue to be a team which uses a system with wingbacks under GP by looks of it but surprise surprise, the players he’s playing there aren't actually wingbacks. ie Pulisic and Sterling. So if we did sign a top CB prospect yeah he will probably become a wingback for us at one point.

[OhForAGreavsie 6,076]

1 hour ago, MoroccanBlue said:

Has he even played there?

Don't care. He has the attributes.

[OhForAGreavsie 6,076]

57 minutes ago, OneMoSalah said:

Hes mainly a left sided CB though, no?

I mean I don’t care how good he is, or could be, there is absolutely no point signing a player who predominantly lines up as a CB to try and shoehorn him out as a left back or wing back if its not his 100% natural position.

Would just be typically a Chelsea move though - sign a hugely talented left sided CB and use him as a wingback for the sake of it. Just like using Sterling as a wing back. Or Pulisic. Or Loftus-Cheek.

We will continue to be a team which uses a system with wingbacks under GP by looks of it but surprise surprise, the players he’s playing there aren't actually wingbacks. ie Pulisic and Sterling. So if we did sign a top CB prospect yeah he will probably become a wingback for us at one point.

Can't really blame Chelsea yet. 🙂

For all I know I'm the only person on the planet who wants this, but I am utterly convinced he would be a huge success on the left. Has everything for the role.

[MoroccanBlue 5,383]

33 minutes ago, OhForAGreavsie said:

Don't care. He has the attributes.

So if Potter plays him at LWB and he looks terrible there, will you blame the player or Potter?

[OhForAGreavsie 6,076]

18 minutes ago, MoroccanBlue said:

So if Potter plays him at LWB and he looks terrible there, will you blame the player or Potter?

I'll remind people that using the player at LWB was something I was strongly in favour of and then I will call it as I see it.

I will sometimes say that I don't believe XYZ player is good enough but I never 'blame' them. They don't sign themselves and they don't pick themselves. Others make those decisions and others are responsible.

Long way between here and there mind.

Edited October 31, 2022 by OhForAGreavsie