Nathaniel Chalobah

[TorontoChelsea 4,064]

You can't judge a player by how well they did in the Championship. Barkley was unimpressive, while Zaha tore it apart. Now look at them.

You're wrong. You can judge a player based on the Championship, just like you can judge people based on their play in the Dutch league or the MLS. People have to stop bringing up Barkley as a comparison because it's awful. He played 17 games in the Championship and was fine when he played. He scored 4 goals in 13 games with Sheffield where he was very good. The reason he didn't play much at Leeds is because, according to their manager, "He’s best playing behind a frontman, but that was difficult for me at Leeds as I had Ross McCormack and that was his best position too. McCormack was the No 1 man at Leeds so it was hard to leave him out for a teenager on loan, but when I played one of them wide it didn’t suit either of their strengths." Barkely also played 9 games with Everton last year and 9 the year before so they knew what they had. Chalobah hasn't played a single game above the Championship and isn't not playing because Forest is stacked, he's not playing because he's been poor. And Zaha not playing is more an indictment of the talent difference between the Championship and Premier League than anything else. It's a massive jump that few players are able to make. Even the best players in the Championship have difficulty impacting the Premier League. Chalobah needs a good loan where he can get playing time and work on his game. He's gone backwards since last season.

[lucio 5,418]

He's a terrible defender and has a poor workrate/engine.

I'm not surprised he's getting booed every other game at Forest.

yep. sadly he is lazy and barely bothers putting a foot in. lets himself get bullied off the ball too. (zaha in playoff)

unlike ake who always worked hard when he played for us.

[The only place to be 11,313]

sadly he is lazy and barely bothers putting a foot in.

Bollocks. Watched the kid a lot and whilst he can look a little 'relaxed' at times, he's rarely caught out of position and is hardly a turnstile.

He's a terrible defender and has a poor workrate/engine.

Always found his reading of the game great and never had a problem with his workrate. But I can understand why you might think that, because when I was much younger I thought the same of players like Tony Adams. Because they weren't running around like headless chicken I thought they were lazy but you come to realise that their reading of the game means they don't really have to.

[didierforever 7,349]

Bollocks. Watched the kid a lot and whilst he can look a little 'relaxed' at times, he's rarely caught out of position and is hardly a turnstile.

Always found his reading of the game great and never had a problem with his workrate. But I can understand why you might think that, because when I was much younger I thought the same of players like Tony Adams. Because they weren't running around like headless chicken I thought they were lazy but you come to realise that their reading of the game means they don't really have to.

chalobah is a better back-up CDM than essien at this moment.

[lucio 5,418]

Bollocks. Watched the kid a lot and whilst he can look a little 'relaxed' at times, he's rarely caught out of position and is hardly a turnstile.

Always found his reading of the game great and never had a problem with his workrate. But I can understand why you might think that, because when I was much younger I thought the same of players like Tony Adams. Because they weren't running around like headless chicken I thought they were lazy but you come to realise that their reading of the game means they don't really have to.

i watched him too. sometimes when he went up the field and watford lost the ball. he just walked back as the other team was counter attacking.

it might not always be the case but there are certainly times when he can work harder and impose himself more.

[The only place to be 11,313]

i watched him too. sometimes when he went up the field and watford lost the ball. he just walked back as the other team was counter attacking.

it might not always be the case but there are certainly times when he can work harder and impose himself more.

He was used in a variety of roles at Watford. Most of the time he sat deeper but it wasn't uncommon for him to be pushed forward and you wouldn't expect him to sprint back. I'm not saying he's perfect and sometimes he can be a bit relaxed, but last year he was a young guy in his first full season of pro football. He made 40-odd appearances so fatigue was always going to be something of an issue.

This season has been a disaster and Forest are as much at fault as our club is because he's so wrong for their team it's not even funny. Their fans saw what he could do at Watford last year, but Forest just isn't a good fit for him. Hopefully he gains something from this and treats it as a learning experience.

EDIT - not in the team or on the bench for Forest which isn't too surprising.

[Reddish-Blue 2,344]

He was used in a variety of roles at Watford. Most of the time he sat deeper but it wasn't uncommon for him to be pushed forward and you wouldn't expect him to sprint back. I'm not saying he's perfect and sometimes he can be a bit relaxed, but last year he was a young guy in his first full season of pro football. He made 40-odd appearances so fatigue was always going to be something of an issue.

This season has been a disaster and Forest are as much at fault as our club is because he's so wrong for their team it's not even funny. Their fans saw what he could do at Watford last year, but Forest just isn't a good fit for him. Hopefully he gains something from this and treats it as a learning experience.

EDIT - not in the team or on the bench for Forest which isn't too surprising.

I'm just glad that Chalobah's loan spell at Forest expires in two weeks.

Hopefully we can find the right club for him during the 2nd half of the season...

[herpthederp 122]

You're wrong. You can judge a player based on the Championship, just like you can judge people based on their play in the Dutch league or the MLS. People have to stop bringing up Barkley as a comparison because it's awful. He played 17 games in the Championship and was fine when he played. He scored 4 goals in 13 games with Sheffield where he was very good. The reason he didn't play much at Leeds is because, according to their manager, "He’s best playing behind a frontman, but that was difficult for me at Leeds as I had Ross McCormack and that was his best position too. McCormack was the No 1 man at Leeds so it was hard to leave him out for a teenager on loan, but when I played one of them wide it didn’t suit either of their strengths." Barkely also played 9 games with Everton last year and 9 the year before so they knew what they had. Chalobah hasn't played a single game above the Championship and isn't not playing because Forest is stacked, he's not playing because he's been poor. And Zaha not playing is more an indictment of the talent difference between the Championship and Premier League than anything else. It's a massive jump that few players are able to make. Even the best players in the Championship have difficulty impacting the Premier League. Chalobah needs a good loan where he can get playing time and work on his game. He's gone backwards since last season.

McEachran looked an exciting prospect in the Champions League and then average in the Championship. The system these lads are playing in is very important when gauging their ability, and the style of play in the Championship is hardly conducive to that.

[zolayes 14,489]

Bollocks. Watched the kid a lot and whilst he can look a little 'relaxed' at times, he's rarely caught out of position and is hardly a turnstile.

Always found his reading of the game great and never had a problem with his workrate. But I can understand why you might think that, because when I was much younger I thought the same of players like Tony Adams. Because they weren't running around like headless chicken I thought they were lazy but you come to realise that their reading of the game means they don't really have to.

Glen Hoddle strolled thro games ,,,but on the ball was magnificent

[Gilvorak 3,734]

I don't mind a player having a languid ON BALL playing style, especially a defensive midfielder. That usually means he's excellent at creating space and has a great first touch, hell that's the only reason I thought he had a chance of making it here. It's his nonchalance on the other head that does my head in. He doesn't track back, win enough challenges/interceptions nor does he close down players. That's simply not good enough for someone who was only recently just a defender and is a supposed natural born leader. If someone like Willian can put a shift in defensively there's simply no excuse for a player his age and his position not to perform a similar task.

I mean who do you lot think is our manager again?

I also think he's quite weak physically. I think Oscar could honestly take him lol.

If I was Chalobah and I saw my competition was a broken down Essien, 36 year old Lampard & the inconsistent Mikel I would almost certainly raise my game.

[Yeboii 1,844]

I don't mind a player having a languid ON BALL playing style, especially a defensive midfielder. That usually means he's excellent at creating space and has a great first touch, hell that's the only reason I thought he had a chance of making it here. It's his nonchalance on the other head that does my head in. He doesn't track back, win enough challenges/interceptions nor does he close down players. That's simply not good enough for someone who was only recently just a defender and is a supposed natural born leader. If someone like Willian can put a shift in defensively there's simply no excuse for a player his age and his position not to perform a similar task.

I mean who do you lot think is our manager again?

I also think he's quite weak physically. I think Oscar could honestly take him lol.

If I was Chalobah and I saw my competition was a broken down Essien, 36 year old Lampard & the inconsistent Mikel I would almost certainly raise my game.

Yeah it's his chance to break into the first team. He might never get a better one.

[We Hate Scouse 10,286]

His loan deal has come to an end today. I imagine he'll end up at Boro now.

[petre.ispirescu 4,928]

His loan deal has come to an end today. I imagine he'll end up at Boro now.

Heard Essien's agent talking about a move to AC Milan.

“We have not yet opened any direct talks with AC Milan but this does not mean he cannot move to Italy. Clearly this is a great opportunity for my player.

Milan are still in the running in the Champions League and are a great club, despite the difficulties of the moment.

“[Essien] is fine and wants to play ahead of the World Cup, where he intends to do well with Ghana. We are fascinated by the Milan hypothesis and, from here to the end of the month, we want to explore all the requirements.”

Can see this happening to be honest now with the arrival of Matic. Maybe Nate will fill in that spot? Still, with Jose's friend in charge at Boro we might see some players going there in the next transfer windows

[We Hate Scouse 10,286]

Middlesbrough are hoping to conclude the signing of Nathaniel Chalobah before this weekend. Sky Sports understands that Boro are hoping to be able to include the Chelsea midfielder in their squad ahead of the game with Charlton Athletic at the Riverside.

As expected..

[pHaRaOn 2,131]

CHALOBAH LOANED TO MIDDLESBROUGH

Nathaniel Chalobah has today (Thursday) joined Middlesbrough on loan until the end of the season.

http://www.chelseafc.com/news-article/article/3624111/title/chalobah-loaned-to-middlesbrough

[CHOULO19 24,332]

Best of luck to him. Hope he does better there than he did at Forest.

[didierforever 7,349]

hope he does well. unfortunately u simply cant have a bad year if u want to make it at CFC.

[drog.ba 239]

Can't see him even making it here, might as well sell him