Is our midfield good enough?

[GodZola 630]

godzola calm down and get you're facts right, most passes, most accurate passes, most passes forward as DM, most interceptions of the leage thats what we're talking about for a DEFENSIVE midfielder.... turn off you're troll modus and get real...

as you state by you're self, Essien WAS Probably the best defensive minded central midfielder on this planet, but he has lost it, as hard as it sounds... and Ess was one of MY favourites so don't come here and talk about pundits what so ever... Mikel was alongside Cech player of the year for this club get real... two damages of you're crucial ligaments aren't easy its a wonder he's playing... so don't expect him to be the same he was any time...

greetings...

[/quote)

Please enlighten me into which facts I have got wrong? The question is our midfield good enough & my opinion is not with Mikel playing as the DM as he doesn't distribute the ball quick enough to start attacks or counters amongst other things, & its no coincidence that we are not creating chances & again this is because our midfield are under performing - Essien included.

I then reply that Essien when fit is a better player wherever he plays on the pitch than Mikel & you all take umbrage? Just because I'm in the minority here it does not mean I am wrong, people will have different perceptions & that's what forums are about. Now stop using terms like troll modus & get real until you fully understand what posters are trying to get across. Your post is bizarre you are talking down to me in most of it & then say 'greetings'? If pundits are saying the same as me why can't I say as much? So don't tell me what I can & can't do, if you & the clones don't like it - tough!

lastly, my point is that we do not need a DM against teams that are going to defend, we need a playmaker - that is why I have stated Ancelotti should bring in MacEachran & if that's at the expense of Essien so be it - but I would rather he was pushed further up the pitch. Time will tell us more about his cruciate injury but havng the re-construction surgery myself, I am pretty well placed to know that Essien can get back to his best but needs games & time.

I've said Mikel can be used in certain games & is squad player but that's as far as my praise will go im afraid.

Edited February 18, 2011 by GodZola

[GodZola 630]

essien was never a dm, so how can he be rated as the best. he started as a defender at bastia but then moved to box to box midfielder position. at lyon too he wasnt a dm, edmilson and mohamadou diarra were the dms. he was still box to box.. at chelsea it was mikel that took over makalele while essien took over eidur's position, box to box. essien could be used in the dm position only in desparate situations. he isnt a good tackler. his first touch can be suspect sometimes. what essien has is an abundance of energy. you might not rate mikel and frankly that your opinion, as a defensive midfilder mikel is the better player. quite possibly as a midfielder overall essien might be better, but as a dm mikel takes the cake. you might not rate mikel but his past couple of manager do...does that mean the have no idea what they are doin? at the end of the day he is still young and is getting better

Correct in your assumption at Lyon, don't know about Bastion? But Essien was used as the DM in Makelele's absence & when he left but because he was so versatile he was also filling in at rigjt back. Eidur played upfront fella either as a striker or behind the front 2, Essien has never played there???

[Luke 60]

May I add, Ramires is looking to become a class act after a slow start to the season, I expect great things from him.

[GodZola 630]

May I add, Ramires is looking to become a class act after a slow start to the season, I expect great things from him.

Agreed, some players need time to adjust he is starting to find his feet & let's hope he keeps improving. The lads got pace, gets forward & puts his foot in, just needs to retain possession better & has been caught out a couple of times by the opposition getting the ball of him, but I'm sure he will learn from it.

Cue the avalanche of the clones!

[chrismada9 1,948]

...we are particularly missing Franks goals

Definitely! It's mainly Frank who makes those runs from midfield, and gets most of our goals from there. Unfortunately, he hasn't done that for ages!

[madalista 30]

Correct in your assumption at Lyon, don't know about Bastion? But Essien was used as the DM in Makelele's absence & when he left but because he was so versatile he was also filling in at rigjt back. Eidur played upfront fella either as a striker or behind the front 2, Essien has never played there???

whats the correction huh? esssien wasnt the dm at lyon diarra was go check on your facts. eidur in his later years at chelsea became a cm when mourinho decided to revert to 433. thats the position he played at barca too. essien is a utility player but dm isnt his position. he can be ok there but not great. its bastia not bastion

[oxfordblues 299]

i`ve thought for a long time our game is far to slow.we need to up the pace from the start,not when we go a goal down

[GodZola 630]

whats the correction huh? esssien wasnt the dm at lyon diarra was go check on your facts. eidur in his later years at chelsea became a cm when mourinho decided to revert to 433. thats the position he played at barca too. essien is a utility player but dm isnt his position. he can be ok there but not great. its bastia not bastion

Please read what I wrote again.

I'm not even going to bother commenting about Eidur, your obviously on a fishing trip!

[Styles 9,790]

Aother game today were Everton pressed and forced Chelsea to play in congested zones and tight gaps. Again some of our players simply couldn't cope in that environment. Slow passing and movement, wayward passes (Lampard in particular).

Lampard today was really poor. Supposed to be the most creative and attacking of the 3 midfielders but he is slow, cannot run with the ball, cannot play neat passes to the forwards. Just an awful all round display masked by a goal.

[Kostas 1,468]

Pardon my memory but has a midfield of Ramires and Mikel ever worked?

[Styles 9,790]

The standout game Mikel+ Ramires was Newcastle away, both played pretty well.

But they weren't the problem today. Lampard's inability to create, pass or even run with the ball were. His technique is just so rubbish sometimes, almost looks like a journey man footballer just lumping the ball in the general direction of the strikers.And he is supposed to be the creative one of the three midfielders. Jesus wept.

Why did Benayoun have to get injured?

[BlueLion. 21,491]

The standout game Mikel+ Ramires was Newcastle away, both played pretty well.

But they weren't the problem today. Lampard's inability to create, pass or even run with the ball were. His technique is just so rubbish sometimes, almost looks like a journey man footballer just lumping the ball in the general direction of the strikers.And he is supposed to be the creative one of the three midfielders. Jesus wept.

Why did Benayoun have to get injured?

There's so much irony to an otherwise very pertinent point.

This isn't aimed at you - but there were those who slagged him off before he even kicked a ball for us; and many of those people now believe he is the midfield messiah who can inspire us with an inch of creativity. Anyway, that particular rant is over...

Your point is spot on, a midfield of Lampard-Ramires/Essien-Benayoun would work brilliantly IMO.

[Styles 9,790]

There's so much irony to an otherwise very pertinent point.

This isn't aimed at you - but there were those who slagged him off before he even kicked a ball for us; and many of those people now believe he is the midfield messiah who can inspire us with an inch of creativity. Anyway, that particular rant is over...

Your point is spot on, a midfield of Lampard-Ramires/Essien-Benayoun would work brilliantly IMO.

Those are the people who don't watch anybody else other then Chelsea. Benayoun has always been a good little player who would undoubtedly have added something that we miss i.e. aplayer able to hold the ball in tight situations and pick a pass for the forwards. He is the one player in the squad built for that role behind a striker/in the hole.

[Term-X 7,891]

Those are the people who don't watch anybody else other then Chelsea. Benayoun has always been a good little player who would undoubtedly have added something that we miss i.e. aplayer able to hold the ball in tight situations and pick a pass for the forwards. He is the one player in the squad built for that role behind a striker/in the hole.

Of course he's a handy little player who can do a job. But he's 31 in a few months and the last thing we needed was a short-term solution. Even if by some miracle he managed to make an impact once he recovers, and becomes a first team player. You still have to take into consideration his age. When people criticize players they should look at the bigger picture. I'd rather the game time Benayoun is likely to receive be given to the Future of Chelsea.

Lmao at the simplistic, generic little explanations you give. 100's of players fill that demographic, being able to pick a pass to the forwards. Wow.. let's give this soon to be 31 year old McEachran & Kakuta's game time. The clubs hopes simply cannot fall on such a short-term player. Yossi has no future here, We signed Deco at 30 years old too, look how that turned out.

[Styles 9,790]

Of course he's a handy little player who can do a job. But he's 31 in a few months and the last thing we needed was a short-term solution. Even if by some miracle he managed to make an impact once he recovers, and becomes a first team player. You still have to take into consideration his age. When people criticize players they should look at the bigger picture. I'd rather the game time Benayoun is likely to receive be given to the Future of Chelsea.

Lmao at the simplistic, generic little explanations you give. 100's of players fill that demographic, being able to pick a pass to the forwards. Wow.. let's give this soon to be 31 year old McEachran & Kakuta's game time. The clubs hopes simply cannot fall on such a short-term player. Yossi has no future here, We signed Deco at 30 years old too, look how that turned out.

Which is perfect if you supposedly have a lot of quality young players you want to bring in sooner or later. Benayoun is good enough now to do a job but he's also old enough to not block a youngster from emerging.

And the simplistic, generic little explanations are right. How many of our players can work in tight spaces, run with the ball past opponents and create opportunites for the front men? How many of our players can do this?