Branislav Ivanovic

[xPetrCechx 13,570]

I think I would lose my mind if I saw him doing his trademark backing-off-with-hands-behind-the-back routine as a CB. He shouldn't be playing in any position at all at this moment end of.

lol... I hate it!

[mccg 1,528]

Surley with months left on his contract he could be used as a hybrid Cb/rb ? Ffs i dont want him at rb again 4sure

[CHOULO19 24,332]

It's obviously an excuse to play Ivanovic. Cole didn't even get this much love 2 seasons ago despite making way less mistakes than Ivanovic!

It really isn't an excuse. That is genuinely how he thinks. In fact he's made similar justifications of selection for other players in the past. I even pointed out that that is why he didn't start Luis and Azpi together last season but people didn't take it seriously....maybe because it sounds incredibly silly for a top manager to think and do..

[the wes 7,212]

Sound like Mourinho will be playing Ivan against villa ffs

http://www.london24.com/sport/football/clubs/chelsea/mourinho_reveals_why_he_won_t_throw_new_boy_into_chelsea_defence_against_aston_villa_1_4258556

[Jase 43,479]

It really isn't an excuse. That is genuinely how he thinks. In fact he's made similar justifications of selection for other players in the past. I even pointed out that that is why he didn't start Luis and Azpi together last season but people didn't take it seriously....maybe because it sounds incredibly silly for a top manager to think and do..

I don't really disagree with you because Mourinho has always played with 3 tall defenders in the back 4 wherever he goes throughout his career. That approach is not necessarily wrong. It's just that at this point, he's practically coming up with excuses (and some really silly ones) to play Ivanovic, even after making like millions of mistakes and this is a manager who is renowned for not tolerating defensive errors and yet, he's been turning a blind eye on Ivanovic. If Mourinho is concerned so much about height, we might as well try playing Zouma at LB and have Azpi at RB. The LB is not Zouma's natural position but he can't possibly do any worse than Ivanovic at RB.

[the wes 7,212]

he's been turning a blind eye on Ivanovic

mourinho must have Stevie wonder eyes on him ffs even the dogs on the streets know Ivan playing shit

[Tomo 21,751]

Come on, Tomo. That first season, at least half of it, Bosingwa was quite the relevation. I remember him getting praise from every corner. His speed and stamina were something else, he was covering the entire right flank. I'm not saying he was Cafu but he was good. Then he got injured. Then he turned to crap.

He was better going forward I'll give him that, but honestly, I always felt he was a defensive liabilty from day one, his first away day at Wigan Palacios tore him a new one, and against United Evra bullied him to set up te first goal, and in The Bridge vs Arsenal he was culpable for the equalize (RVP was offside but it was his dreadful positioning that gave the linesman doubt).

That's off the top off my head, I do vaguely remember other times we conceded and my reaction was Bosingwa should be doing better, I remember arguing till I was blue in the face to my mates who wanted him straight back in ahead of Ivan when he returned from injury, in fact at Christmas in his first season I wanted him dropped for Paulo.

In my opinion he was overrated because of his speed, I felt the same about Kyle Walker, I kept saying he was crap even when he was hyped up as England's new sensation.

[ulvhedin 525]

HAHA of course Boularouz, we even gave him the number 9 shirt . Remember Del Horno getting himself sent off against Barcelona?! That's probably when Jose knew to go for Ashley Cole

Didn't Boularouz shut down Ronaldinho in one game vs Barcelona?

[rantdeville 195]

'If you don’t have a minimum of five tall players good in the air, you are dead on set-pieces. When I play Azpilicueta and Baba, I have only three.’ -Jose

This is the most deluded, appalling, ignorant thing I've ever seen.

First off, that math isn't even right. Playing Azpi and Baba vs Azpi and Iva is a difference of ONE player, Jose. Genuinely concerning for me.

Secondly, if it were THAT big of a deal to have 5 big players in the defensive area then put damn Mikel in next to Matic for a few games till we get our shit sorted. I suppose with Costa, that gives us 5 big guys. Plus the added benefit of not welcoming every cross in from our right side with Azpi there.

Lastly, it's not frickin working, Jose. Stop doing it. Stop making excuses. Swallow your pride. So you gave him the vice-captaincy before the season, who cares? Bench the damn vice-captain. Putting on the shirt, making 150k a week...it's an insult to everyone. Sit his ass.

[didierforever 7,349]

'If you don’t have a minimum of five tall players good in the air, you are dead on set-pieces. When I play Azpilicueta and Baba, I have only three.’ -Jose

This is the most deluded, appalling, ignorant thing I've ever seen.

First off, that math isn't even right. Playing Azpi and Baba vs Azpi and Iva is a difference of ONE player, Jose. Genuinely concerning for me.

Secondly, if it were THAT big of a deal to have 5 big players in the defensive area then put damn Mikel in next to Matic for a few games till we get our shit sorted. I suppose with Costa, that gives us 5 big guys. Plus the added benefit of not welcoming every cross in from our right side with Azpi there.

Lastly, it's not frickin working, Jose. Stop doing it. Stop making excuses. Swallow your pride. So you gave him the vice-captaincy before the season, who cares? Bench the damn vice-captain. Putting on the shirt, making 150k a week...it's an insult to everyone. Sit his ass.

cant even believe that a sane person would give this logic.

hell, even wenger/brendan would not have given this logic.

utter bullshit. needs to be kicked out of the club

[manpe 10,861]

even wenger/brendan would not have given this logic.

Hardly a point to make against Mourinho to be fair

[Magic Lamps 11,692]

'If you don’t have a minimum of five tall players good in the air, you are dead on set-pieces. When I play Azpilicueta and Baba, I have only three.’ -Jose

This is the most deluded, appalling, ignorant thing I've ever seen.

First off, that math isn't even right. Playing Azpi and Baba vs Azpi and Iva is a difference of ONE player, Jose. Genuinely concerning for me.

Secondly, if it were THAT big of a deal to have 5 big players in the defensive area then put damn Mikel in next to Matic for a few games till we get our shit sorted. I suppose with Costa, that gives us 5 big guys. Plus the added benefit of not welcoming every cross in from our right side with Azpi there.

Lastly, it's not frickin working, Jose. Stop doing it. Stop making excuses. Swallow your pride. So you gave him the vice-captaincy before the season, who cares? Bench the damn vice-captain. Putting on the shirt, making 150k a week...it's an insult to everyone. Sit his ass.

btw we started with only 3 "tall" outfield players vs southamtpon anyway (6'1 is about the average height where i live anyway so hardly tall) and were not even in danger conceding from a set piece. Mourinho's logic is so flawed, i don't get why we have to take this carp, Mourinho is so full of shit. If height is the only issue, a club with our budget really should be able to acquire one of the hundreds of fullbacks who are taller and better than Ivanvoic. Why pay 30m for Baba when he is that tiny in the first place?

[ZOS 580]

I don't get how Brana is getting all this sympathy for being a 'scapegoat' .. its easy to forget his abysmal performances through out this year because everybody else is getting worse on the pitch right now but I still believe our RB is our biggest problem

[lionsden 4,689]

When you think about it. Mourinho really is a rich man's Roy Hodgson. inclination for Big, tall, powerful, athletic players, banks of four, lion-heart, passion, awful football and all that. He should consider taking over as England manager when he leaves Chelsea (which I hope will be at the end of the season) He would fit right in.

[hamad138 190]

Mourinho will get sacked because Ivanovic. Adama traore will target Ivanovic