Branislav Ivanovic

[Blue_Fox_ 2,086]

tbf, i think Zouma played at rb a few times in his time at Saint Etienne, but, just for once would be nice to play with proper fullbacks. And i also think we need Zouma at CB right now.

[CHOULO19 24,332]

People say they are unsure about Rahman from a defensive perspective but how is he going to improve himself, prove to doubters that he is good if he's not given the opportunities?

Surely you don't give opportunities in crucial games! If we did not need Zouma at CB against Villa I would have been against starting Baba in such a must win game.

[xPetrCechx 13,563]

Absolutely agree on everything, but I am just not convinced by Baba defensively.

Iva is better?

no.

[Miguelito 459]

Surely you don't give opportunities in crucial games! If we did not need Zouma at CB against Villa I would have been against starting Baba in such a must win game.

But if Iva was fit, would you start him over baba?

[Special Juan 27,387]

Anyone in their fucking right mind wouldn't pick Brana to mark their nana if she was on the left wing.

[CHOULO19 24,332]

But if Iva was fit, would you start him over baba?

To be honest, if it were up to me, I'd start Zouma on the right and Iva centrally. But I know Jose would never do so.

Iva has his very obvious faults and he did start the season in terrible form and has been targeted by almost every team we've played against this season, but I think his 'bad' performances have been greatly exaggerated especially in the past few weeks and he's being used as a scapegoat for an entire team that is under-performing.

Honestly, since the Arsenal match Iva has not been any worse than how he's averagely performed at RB for the past couple of seasons.

[Stats 7,029]

Villa have conceded 8 goals in their last 3 away games. Just why the fuck would we curtail the way we can exploit their leaky defence by playing a CB at RB and playing Azpi at LB. No reason Baba can not start this game. We are the fucking champions, not fucking WBA. That is a team who I expect to see having CB at RB. Not us. Just what have we come to if we are seriously considering playing Zouma at RB and Azpi at LB. Just don't Mourinho please. So miss the days we actually had natural attacking FB.

[didierforever 7,349]

To be honest, if it were up to me, I'd start Zouma on the right and Iva centrally. But I know Jose would never do so.

Iva has his very obvious faults and he did start the season in terrible form and has been targeted by almost every team we've played against this season, but I think his 'bad' performances have been greatly exaggerated especially in the past few weeks and he's being used as a scapegoat for an entire team that is under-performing.

Honestly, since the Arsenal match Iva has not been any worse than how he's averagely performed at RB for the past couple of seasons.

really? porto and soton?

[CHOULO19 24,332]

really? porto and soton?

Just your average Ivanovic of the past two seasons, save the occasional goal. I'm not saying he was good, I've been saying he should not be a starting RB for a top team for years. I'm just saying that people are now scapegoating him for mistakes and flaws he always and made and had because the team is doing badly.

[didierforever 7,349]

Just your average Ivanovic of the past two seasons, save the occasional goal. I'm not saying he was good, I've been saying he should not be a starting RB for a top team for years. I'm just saying that people are now scapegoating him for mistakes and flaws he always and made and had because the team is doing badly.

i am sorry choulo but u have got it all wrong.

last season, iva was not the ideal RB. he did not stop crosses, but you can count the number of times when any winger in the world went past him on your fingers. and i am talking about the whole season.

the way brahimi man-handled iva was embarassing but what is even more surprising that no one on here was actually surprised by it. i remember u vouching for iva before the match, but you had it wrong then and you have it wrong now.

the way iva has performed this season is no where near to the normal iva. yes, he has his flaws but going past iva would probably have been one of the toughest jobs in the world for a winger.

[the wes 7,212]

Chelsea in all comps this season:

With Branislav Ivanovic (11 games, 1 clean sheet).

Without Branislav Ivanovic (3 games, 3 clean sheet).

[robsblubot 3,464]

Chelsea in all comps this season:

With Branislav Ivanovic (11 games, 1 clean sheet).

Without Branislav Ivanovic (3 games, 3 clean sheet).

First, correlation does not imply causation...

Second, esp when you are ignoring (literally) thousands of variables to make a one-to-one correlation.

Hope it was just for fun and not making a serious point.

What I saw in last game though was that we are just as open as the first games. A better opponent would have scored at least a pair.

[Fulham Broadway 16,704]

Anyway both goals came from the right yesterday so we need Brana back ASAP

[Bacika 188]

we can say Iva is not only reason why.we are shit this season...just horible each one of our.players...perhaps Willian is bit better than the rest, but what a joke we became..and Jose is to fault for this too. He is playing exactly the same every f... game..we have no game plan, no ideas, it seems like noone.knows what he should do on the pitch...

[zolayes 14,489]

we can say Iva is not only reason why.we are shit this season...just horible each one of our.players...perhaps Willian is bit better than the rest, but what a joke we became..and Jose is to fault for this too. He is playing exactly the same every f... game..we have no game plan, no ideas, it seems like noone.knows what he should do on the pitch...

A point I have been making for weeks ,, WE have no plan A ,, no pattern ,, we play just hoping something good will happen .

[CHOULO19 24,332]

I said it before his injury and I'll say it again: He was being scapegoated by everyone because it is much easier to pin all the blame on one player rather than think about all the factors and issues.

And that's not defend him or his performances. But he just has't been as bad as people have made him out to be (or at least not as worse than the past couple of seasons...)

[Last Sicarius 610]

Iva=Zouma on PO. We must buy some LO or give baba chance.

Btw. Iva will back on end of November. Remember remember we are shit in November ;/

[mccg 1,528]

.and Jose is to fault for this too. He is playing exactly the same every f... game..we have no game plan, no ideas, it seems like noone.knows what he should do on the pitch...Agree and alot of the teams we play have identified that this season ffs ,we as a club again when Champions should have kicked on and added 3 world class players to our starting 11 that would have strengthened us and added to the team and how we want to play,now we are struggling on too many points that are adding up to this mess of the start of season.