Left backs - Spoiled for choice

[Tomo 21,751]

When looking down the pecking order at the reserves, youth team and players out on loan in terms of future options at left back we seemed preety spoiled for choice.

At the moment Ashely Cole is un-disputed 1st choice in the left back position but when he slows down/hangs up with boots we dont half have some good options from below.

Zhirkov can play there which adds more strenth even though i think he will be moved on in the summer which is a shame because i rate him highly. HE has never really been given a proper chance to show what he can do, if he does stays they should play him at LM more often because for C.S.K.A he has scored some brilliant goals from that position.

But going down to the lads from the reserves and youth system we have got some fantastic options.

Patrick Van Aanholt - He is the furthest ahead of the young players at the moment with a bit of 1st team expierence with 3 1st team starts, he scored on his full debut against Newcastle, was comftable against Ipswich and was menancing overlapping against Zilina he looked like another version of A.Cole. I rate him very highly and with time, more appearances and even more confident he should start looking at challenging A.Cole for the position.

Aziz Deen Conteh - Another player with a big future and at only 16 has lots of time to develop, his stamina is un-real i saw a youth team game against Fullham in november and he was crossing 1 minute into the box and clearing off the line the next, he can also play at left midfield aswell which could easily see him becoming our answer to Gareth Bale, i would watch out for this one.

Ryan Bertrand - He has excelled at Nottingham Forest and Reading before that after a difficult spell at Norwich which saw him expierence relegation, he is brilliant going foward can be better at the back but that will come with age and more games, if he was a right back i would say he had a real shout but sadly with the 2 above coming on leaps and bound the odds may be stacked against him unfortunently. But he will without doubt make it into the premiership in some capacity.

Ben Gordon - Just completed a loan to Scunthorpe after a hugely succesfull loan at Kilmarnock where he helped them get up at the right end of the SPL table after years of relegation battles, if he helped turn Scunthorpe's season around he might attract mroe attention from Carlo and the fans, as with the vast options we have at LB his chances to imprese at Chelsea may be limited. but a good spell at Scunny and you never know.

So all in all our left back position's for the future look preety safe 1 way or another.

[LDN Blue 7,903]

It is true a left-back we have an abundance of choice. The likes of Van Aanholt and Bertrand give us some good options when it comes time to choose a successor for Ashley Cole, it was encouraging to hear Chelsea had recalled Bertrand - Most of us feared Chelsea were done with him, but they show they're willing to give him a chance.

Now we must do the same for the right-back position - Get 2 young guys competing for that position. So far we've only got Billy Clifford & perhaps Todd Kane.

[EskWeston 696]

Ideed, Van Aanholt and Bertrand are both top class and we would do well to keep hold of them both for the future. Aziz Deen Conteh is another top prospect at left back and looks good for sure and i hope he continues to develop in the same way.

[Badboy 1,526]

Patrick is the best all round left back in my opinion but Bertrand is probably a little bit better going forward.

[Duppy Conqueror 1,557]

agree on the strength at the position...i wonder if we could switch one of them to right back? often you see teams play a right footed player on the left..why not the other way round? might be worth trying out atleast..i know we got options at RB already but not anything like at LB.

as for Zhirkov..i can see how people think he may be on his way out sometime soon in the future but when he`s fit he`s always in the match day squad and well..have you noticed that during our recent slump Zhirkov has been out of the team injured..

now i`m not saying our slump is all because we have been without Yury,it`s a combination of things for sure but it`s just that in various places people have been trying to work out what`s been going wrong with the team lately and amongst it all i`ve not seen Zhirkov being out mentioned.

i think unless you known as one of the star players of a team, sometimes fans don`t realise that these players might be injured and just presume he`s in the managers doghouse and due to be sold.

[zolayes 14,489]

not just at fullback but further forward we have almost too many left footed players ...yuri (already mentioned but more a winger) ..floren . gael . and danny...

its the right side we are short of options

[LDN Blue 7,903]

not just at fullback but further forward we have almost too many left footed players ...yuri (already mentioned but more a winger) ..floren . gael . and danny...

its the right side we are short of options

Yeah exactly, that's why when people called for Adam Johnson on the right (which he does for City) I didn't like the idea. The cut back system is very predictable.

[Abd Chelseacrzyfan 45]

the left back is full at the moment with cole and aanholt and gordon and bertenened i think one of them gonna leave