Chelsea (A) build up thread

[Tony Towner]

For me it's a question of him being needed more in midfield (in a 2) than in defence. I'd be tempted to go with Coady---Saiss---Boly

 

[YoungWolf]

Donck’s a good progressive passing centre back. Him and Saiss are very similar tbh, both play the ball into midfield better than Boly, but both more likely to make an error.

agree with TT that he’s needed in midfield (just not in the way Nuno keeps using him, use him like we did against Arsenal/Villa!!)

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Donck had games at RCH last season where he looked a real Rolls-Royce and born to play there, others where he'd make a fairly slack error which would invariably be punished (Watford away probably being the most obvious example).

I think he can play there without a doubt but personnel amongst the centre halves isn't close to being our biggest concern at present. We're paying more than anything for Coady being short of his best, you'd back him to sort it out though.

Saiss has been largely good for 18 months now at the back. In the longer term I want us to sign someone else as I don't particularly see Kilman as up to the mark (we aren't going to be able to teach him how to run, and he isn't particularly strong in possession) and Saiss/Boly aren't in the prime of youth, that can wait though unless an ideal deal happens to fall into our lap.

 

[Premier Quality]

Don’t agree with that at all. He reads the game fine at CB and did very well last year.

No, he didn’t - he was okay, but didn’t do well at all because he was slow to react to danger and didn’t track runners well.

he can head it and his distribution was okay if that’s what you look for in a centre back. I like my defenders to be able to defend really effectively though.

I never get the clamour to put square pegs in round holes. He’s not great in the role he’s in at the moment, so let’s put him up front as a target man, or at centre back. Why don’t we just play defenders in defence, and forwards up front?

 

[PuntsWolf]

Donck works best as a RCB as he’s quick, strong, good enough in the air and has ability on the ball.

Obviously his engine is wasted there, but like any defensive player, the further you move them up the pitch the more their ability on the ball is exposed. Constantly having the ball in front of him is best use of his attributes so he need to either player RCB or DM.

Problem is, the way we play 3 at the back he’d be wasted there anyway. Just look at against Chorley. We’re playing amateurs but not once did Boly or Kilman carry the ball forward or offer and option. Simple things like this open up spaces for everyone else or force the team to close the ball carrier down opening up space as well. But we just don’t do this and that’s why any team who lets us have the ball will always have success as you can simply crowd out the attacking players easily without actually having to do anything.

 

[Tony Towner]

Nothing has changed really. Both Donck and Saiss can play in a 3 at the back, both are useful options to have squad wise. In an ideal world neither would start

 

[Johnny75]

No, he didn’t - he was okay, but didn’t do well at all because he was slow to react to danger and didn’t track runners well.

he can head it and his distribution was okay if that’s what you look for in a centre back. I like my defenders to be able to defend really effectively though.

I never get the clamour to put square pegs in round holes. He’s not great in the role he’s in at the moment, so let’s put him up front as a target man, or at centre back. Why don’t we just play defenders in defence, and forwards up front?

I guess we’ll have to agree to disagree. I agree with very little you’ve written there

 

[YoungWolf]

Nothing has changed really. Both Donck and Saiss can play in a 3 at the back, both are useful options to have squad wise. In an ideal world neither would start

Get the right CB and CM in the summer and they are both great squad options. CB needs to be able to play in a back 4 so we can switch between the systems better too

 

[Johnny75]

No, he didn’t - he was okay, but didn’t do well at all because he was slow to react to danger and didn’t track runners well.

he can head it and his distribution was okay if that’s what you look for in a centre back. I like my defenders to be able to defend really effectively though.

I never get the clamour to put square pegs in round holes. He’s not great in the role he’s in at the moment, so let’s put him up front as a target man, or at centre back. Why don’t we just play defenders in defence, and forwards up front?

Or a career midfielder in a back 3?

 

[Premier Quality]

Or a career midfielder in a back 3?

I’m not quite sure what you mean, but I prefer career players in their position - you might mean Saiss, and he has similar problems at centre back to Donk, in losing players, and the ball going over his head because his positionings not great.

both can do decent things there because they can tackle and head, and their distribution is good - but they make mistakes and give away goals because it’s not natural for them.

Id prefer to buy a really good centre back than play either midfielder out of position personally

 

[Johnny75]

I meant Coady.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Saiss last started a league game in midfield for us what, two years ago? Maybe even longer than that? Definitely won't have had a serious run there since we were in the Championship.

Evident that we regard him as a CH now, he also plays all his international football there (in a back four too).

 

[Premier Quality]

We definately consider him a centre back, and he’s a decent one. But he’s not an excellent one for the reasons described above and rather than consider another “square peg in round hole” replacement, I’d prefer we bought a real defender who can be excellent defensively as well as being able to join in play.

 

[sycophantia]

Coady a career midfielder? He's spent the last 4 seasons at CB (sweeper) and had a season mostly at RB...how old is he 27? Hardly a career midfielder

 

[Freddeno]

I actually miss Bennett for his effective defensive duties

 

[Tredman]

Same.

 

[Premier Quality]

Bennett was an excellent defender, but really limited us with his contribution to build up play, so we’ve gone with Saiss who isn’t as good at defending but is far better at joining up play and distributing the ball.

We weren’t in a position to buy defenders who were Bennett level of defending but also with the ability to start play, or have incisive passing into the midfield (we got pretty lucky with Willy Boly in that he was frozen out at Porto).

that’s the kind of player I’d like us to get now though (ideally with pace and able to defend one on one) even if it’s someone with only a season or two behind them that we can develop, because that’s the level of defender we need if we want to be a club that really pushes on.

maybe Marques could be that player in time, but he needs physical development and games first.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Fond memories of Benno (certainly someone who massively outperformed what I expected when we signed him, when it's typically been the opposite over the last 30 years...) but he's nearly 31, had hit his absolute limit with us and he himself had a rick in him more often than people remember. He was, sadly for him, appalling for Leicester on loan and ended up parked behind 62 year old Wes Morgan. He went to the Championship for a nominal (at best) fee for a reason. There's no way it was a mistake to move him on.

 

[Tony Towner]

If he were here I'd be starting him in a 4, although that says more about what I think of our other options than it does Bennett. Currently playing in the middle of a 3 at Swansea

 

[prawnking]

We weren’t in a position to buy defenders who were Bennett level of defending but also with the ability to start play, or have incisive passing into the midfield (we got pretty lucky with Willy Boly in that he was frozen out at Porto).

I think that's a slightly generous spin - we tried to upgrade him with Vallejo but he proved totally unsuitable, and since then it seems we've turned to internal solutions in the main and concentrated on other areas.

Tbf that hasn't served us badly till now, but I agree with everyone else that we need to look again in the summer