we may have dodged a bullet there, may have been better for us but pleased we didn't fork out that money for him, think we bid £30m which would have been about right judging on this season
Cucurella at Chelsea
- Thread starter SilentWitness
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He is a very good player, especially during transition and offensive phase. The price tag means nothing in the past transfer window as we all saw how crazy the transfer fees became. It’s more about how the team set up to play because of the existing players. He has to adapt and evolve his game.
To be honest last year was his first season in PL. It was too early for him to make a move to a club like Chelsea. I don't think he was a standout player as well. So 63m is a bit too much. He would come good but they could have done better. People praise about Chelsea business model but I find them very confusing.
They could have just kept Guehi, Tomori, Lamptey, Livramento and they are far better options that who they have now. Colwill is another one which they will sell.
They could have just kept Guehi, Tomori, Lamptey, Livramento and they are far better options that who they have now. Colwill is another one which they will sell.
It's easy to say Chelsea "should've kept" those players but what if they didn't want to stay and fight for a spot? Lamptey and Livra both refused contract extensions because they didn't want to stay in the hope that Reece James got injured.
I'd certainly have tried harder to keep Guehi and Tomori though, not even taking into account the unforceeable reason we lost both Christensen & Rudiger, which made the decisions to let them both go look a million times more stupid.
Both Colwill and Lamptey can't get a sniff of a start at Brighton by the way.
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Never seen him look anything but average for Chelsea.
This is why/how the PL diminishes its massive financial advantages.
Yep, easy to say in hindsight that player x y z should have been kept but so much happens behind the scenes - especially talented youngsters needing game time. They would prefer a move or loan away versus sitting on the bench. It’s not good for their development. That and the fact that if you’re a top 6 club hoping to compete you can only blood in so many youngsters at once (freak events like the Co92 and Barca’s recent generation aside).
Yes Abu Dhabi dodged a bullet, otherwise the UAE economy could have fallen apart if the state overpaid here.
I think he would've been a decent back up at £30m for Walker/Cancelo. Would've actually been quite valuable now that Walkers injured.
I think there's a long way to go for him to be a starter though, and you would probably have been on the market for another full back soon to replace Walker as a starter.
Is he actually being played at centre back? Struggling to understand that if so.
Why? He played there a lot for Brighton and we have multiple injuries in that position.
He’s played there 15 times in his career so not that much really.
He’s 24 (25 next year) so not sure he’s got that much development left. Wonder if it’s wise chopping and changing where he plays?
Runs the risk of him never really being that proficient in either role.
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Thanks for that. I wasn't sure what came after 24.
No problems. I like to cater for our Chelsea fans as I know they tend to struggle with basic comprehension and arithmetic.
Caf inclusivity champion!
Wasting money on average players isn't only in the PL.
Barcelona have been great at it. Real also had Hazard, Kaka, Cassano etc Been better recently though.
It's true US owners at Utd, Arsenal and now Chelsea very good at it.
Panic buying sometimes under fan pressure.
Abramovich tried to get value, Kante etc. Also got Lukaku and other big money flops too.
Cucu is probably the Chelsea AWB unfortunately. He'd be a decent squad option, like Emerson. The fee was crazy!
Not overly worried about Cucurella yet.
He's not been good but there are mitigating circumstances too. Early October he was badly ill and spent a week in the hospital and he's been barely fit ever since but has had to continue playing anyway because of multiple injuries at the back. If everyone else was fit Cucurella would probably have been granted more time to recover and then be eased back into the lineup but now that option has been out of the table and he's had to start almost every game which has surely affected his performances and fitness levels negatively.
Excuses won't hold forever and he definitely needs to improve but I think it's a bit harsh to judge him on the basis of around 10 games when he's been half fit for most of them.
He's not been good but there are mitigating circumstances too. Early October he was badly ill and spent a week in the hospital and he's been barely fit ever since but has had to continue playing anyway because of multiple injuries at the back. If everyone else was fit Cucurella would probably have been granted more time to recover and then be eased back into the lineup but now that option has been out of the table and he's had to start almost every game which has surely affected his performances and fitness levels negatively.
Excuses won't hold forever and he definitely needs to improve but I think it's a bit harsh to judge him on the basis of around 10 games when he's been half fit for most of them.
Yep, he looks shit.
That’s so true!
His hair all over the place makes him look high intensity, high energy. Without the hair he’d look like a headless chicken.He doesn't strike me as a centre back. Didn't even know he played there for Brighton
If it was CB in a back 4 I'd agree but fullbacks playing outside CB in a back three is not uncommon, quite the opposite actually.
Walker and Azpi started playing there at a lot later an age and I think Shaw would actually be quite good there if Southgate decides to develop some outside box thinking.
Of course. It’s much easier in a 3 CB system and I do think Shaw could do it for England.
I guess it depends on what Potter settles on for his system in the end?
you can be such a dick sometimesI thought he was a wingback, was totally confused to see him line up at CB against us.
Ole did it quite a lot in the couple of months before the covid lockdown. He was indeed good there with Williams as wing back.
A player I really enjoyed watching at Brighton but think of as an absolute thundercnut now. Wish him the absolute worst.
He’ll be fine. You’re all insane.
Ajax played against him when he was at Getafe. That team was horrible, but this guy was the worst of the bunch. Totally non existent sportsmanship, such a poser/whiner. Remember him being a winger in those matches, so surprised to hear that he is being played at CB at Chelsea
Kaka and Hazard were not average players.
He's been shockingly poor for them
He's worse than shit.
He can't defend.....it's that simple
I guess that's just the way the cookie crumbles.
He’s meedi
He's absolutely fecking terrible. Never saw it with him at Brighton either, tbh.
i wonder if when Potter was at Brighton he couldn't believe how they managed to sell him for £60m only to end up with the £60m dud himself.
One Chelsea supporter on Twitter had the audacity to qualify the transfer by telling everyone he was a top 5 player in the EPL. Definitely up there with De Bruyne no doubt.
His defending at the corner was hilarious
That was one of the bizarrest moments I’ve seen of his defending on the corner. It literally goes past him and he doesn’t even flinch.
They are analysing it on BeIN at half time and it’s so weird.
They are analysing it on BeIN at half time and it’s so weird.
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He's literally just stood there hugging Xhaka from the second the corner is taken until it's in the net, and only lets him go so he can run off and celebrate the goal.