We miss Ricardo!

[the wes 7,212]

I think we are missing Ricardo more than what we realise!

JT's not got pace. It was exposed rather badly yesterday. Alex has not got it, too. So therefore, JT cannot play Ricardo's role of a mobile centre half effectively.

The partnership is not the watertight one of Ricky and JT. We need a mobile CB, one who can run fast, to partner JT! We have leaked in far too many crucial goals without him. I think we should either play Ivanovic with JT or promote Maciennene! Alex is not a great option, really.

Don`t get me wrong, he's a fantastic defender. His headers, tackles at times are brilliant! But his partnership with JT just does not seem right.

His lapse against Carlton Cole yesterday in stoppage time, gave us all a heart attack!! And he just doesn`t not seem to get his headers right, does he? Against Cluj he had a good chance. Yesterday he had a superb chance to head into an empty net.

Deco recently said Ricardo's close to a return. Can we expect him against

Everton? Or should he be eased back into the squad.

I agree with this

http://www.Chelsea.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=511945

[Laylabelle 9,328]

Defo agree.Aside from getting booked a lot lol he just performs and performs and can be there to head the ball into the goal as well..

Mena be a weekish till he comes back and hopfully wont be rushed and volia.Normal servie hopfully resumed..ish

[Akemisu 0]

Don't rush the guy. Let him come on as a sub a couple of times then give him back the no1 spot.

Ricardo is a legend.

[True_Blue 469]

They are both rock solid defenders,but both lack pace and speed which Riccy has and 90% of CB don't have.We still must not push him in if he gets injured again we will lose him for a few months.

He became really injury prone.

And i can't wait for Essien to come back,he really became a player that i can't imagine a Chelsea formation without.

Essien,Lamps,JT and Riccy with Drogba and Cech on form,and we are cruising.

[Aesthetic Relic 301]

Alex has a good bit of pace about him. There was a point during the West Ham match when he and Bellamy were runing for the ball and Alex matched him yard for yard. He may look big and awkward, but he's certainly not slow.

Too much emphasis is being put on the loss of Riccy and Essien. I said this in the other thread, the problem is in attack. If we dont create chances we wont score goals.

In the league we've hit 15 goals in 9 games to date at home. 9 of those goals came againt Portsmouth(4) and Sunderland(5), which leaves 6 goals spread out over 7 games. Pompey and Sunderland aside, we're not even averaging a goal a game. Thats shit by anyones standards.

Thats where the problem lies.

Edited December 15, 2008 by Tri-Blue

[Kez 2,727]

You don't realise how important players are till you lose them for a long time

Carvalho and Essien!

2 of our most important players. They should not be rushed back but they are needed asap the team just isnt the same without them.

[diskoviolente 425]

Kez, your ava is always reminding me how badly we miss Essien....

[EskWeston 696]

Our defensive stats are not bad at all really, it is clear that our problems lie further up the pitch, if anything we miss Essien, and some more quality from our wingers.

[Kez 2,727]

Kez, your ava is always reminding me how badly we miss Essien....

Exactly he can turn games around with his powerful runs!

[.Cee 50]

Don't rush the guy. Let him come on as a sub a couple of times then give him back the no1 spot.

Ricardo is a legend.

I agree. I hope we're not rushing him back from his injury and maybe that's why our players always get injured again and again..

[Para6iT 2]

You don't realise how important players are till you lose them for a long time

Carvalho and Essien!

2 of our most important players. They should not be rushed back but they are needed asap the team just isnt the same without them.

Yea totally agree with you. It's different when they both are absent. Every player need each others to maintain, that's partnership. But the most impressive Chelsea season in my opinion is at 2005/06 ..we are like an awaken lion which has been slept for a years.

[BlueLion. 21,491]

Essien is the key to everything in our squad. Going forward and defending, he's just got that extra power that means when we are lacking cover at the back, or we need more presence when going forward, he's there to provide it. Ricardo is brilliant at the back and his leadership and organisation is certainly missed. When they're back, we'll stop drawing matches and win them.