Thiago Silva | Chelsea Player

WeePat

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The issue is Christensen isn't a complement for Silva the way Zouma is - it's really remarkable how perfectly Silva and Zouma's strengths and weaknesses cover for each other (e.g. Silva lacks a bit of pace & height while Zouma is among the fastest CBs in Europe and is literally the best in aerial duels; Zouma doesn't play the ball particularly well and he can get caught up the pitch at times while Silva is the best passing CB in Europe and reads the game better than anyone).
Fully agree, I've always said picking Zouma as Silva's permanent partner was a no brainer. It's a damn near flawless partnership on paper and it's working out that way in practice. But I don't think I can be convinced Christensen couldn't also look like an improved version of himself, confident and solid, next to Silva though.
 
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Synco

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Immense isnt even the word for his performance today. Lost count at how many times he or zouma got the ball away under pressure. What a player he is.
Opta numbers are:

ZOUMA
tackles: 1
aerial duels won: 2
clearances: 6
interceptions: 2
blocks: 1

THIAGO SILVA
tackles: 1
aerial duels won: 7*
clearances: 7
interceptions: 3
blocks: 3

(aerial duels don't include offensive headers)
(whoscored doesn't feature recoveries)

* edit: one was added later
 
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Pow

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Opta numbers are:

ZOUMA
tackles: 1
aerial duels won: 2
clearances: 6
interceptions: 2
blocks: 1

THIAGO SILVA
tackles: 1
aerial duels won: 6
clearances: 7
interceptions: 3
blocks: 3

(aerial duels don't include offensive headers)
Ta
just seen they didnt have a shot on target all game despite the fact for the best part of an hour we couldnt string a pass past the halfway line. Great from them 2.
 

Lay

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If sarcasm, it’s great. If serious, lay off the drugs.

Christensen is an abysmal footballer. He is absolutely horrendous and has zero physicality. Zouma is a monster and a physical specimen. If you genuinely believe Christensen would perform as well as Zouma you must be Danish, or a relative of Christensen.
Not that I disagree, but didn’t Christensen have a really good turn of form a few years back before the Barcelona game where he made a massive error?
 

TheMagicFoolBus

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Not that I disagree, but didn’t Christensen have a really good turn of form a few years back before the Barcelona game where he made a massive error?
Yes - in the 17/18 season, Christensen played really well and displaced David Luiz at the heart of our back 3 (leading to all the Brazilian players throwing their toys out of the pram and rebelling against Conte). Then after the Barca game and that catastrophic error his form fell off a cliff - believe that was to gift Barca an equalizer in the first leg at Stamford Bridge where we were 1-0 up and had hit the post about 3 times. I'm positive Conte tore him a new one after the game.
 

RooneyLegend

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I know you don't rate him mate, we've had this discussion before. I think he's a good footballer who, just as Zouma did, suffered from playing in front of Kepa and in a back 4 that lacked Thiago Silva's guidance and leadership. I don't think I'm not saying anything controversial here.
Nah, Christensen is as mediocre as they come.
 

WeePat

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It must said there was at least one
Nah, Christensen is as mediocre as they come.
People keep telling me that but I simply do not agree. He has been slandered into oblivion and it's incredibly unfair. He's a talented guy who could flourish in the right environment.
 

Dancfc

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Fully agree, I've always said picking Zouma as Silva's permanent partner was a no brainer. It's a damn near flawless partnership on paper and it's working out that way in practice. But I don't think I can be convinced Christensen couldn't also look like an improved version of himself, confident and solid, next to Silva though.
He's played with Silva once and was arguably better than him that game while his one game with Mendy resulted in a comfortable clean sheet vs last years Europa winners.

Given the potential he displayed as a youngster combined with the fact CB's tend to peak late (look at Stones, he's two years older than AC and only now are we're starting to see him consistently deliver) i wouldn't be against seeing him getting a shot under the new structure, obviously from the starting point of a squad player.
 

TwoSheds

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I know you don't rate him mate, we've had this discussion before. I think he's a good footballer who, just as Zouma did, suffered from playing in front of Kepa and in a back 4 that lacked Thiago Silva's guidance and leadership. I don't think I'm saying anything controversial here.
Zouma was still a decent defender though and Thiago takes him up a few levels. I'm sure Christensen would look better next to Thiago as well but shite warmed up is still shite.
 

WeePat

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He's played with Silva once and was arguably better than him that game while his one game with Mendy resulted in a comfortable clean sheet vs last years Europa winners.

Given the potential he displayed as a youngster combined with the fact CB's tend to peak late (look at Stones, he's two years older than AC and only now are we're starting to see him consistently deliver) i wouldn't be against seeing him getting a shot under the new structure, obviously from the starting point of a squad player.
Yeah he has the potential to be a good asset. I don't even necessarily think he can't be better or outperform Zouma if given the chance, though unless Zouma randomly falls off a cliff, Christensen's chances to play with Silva and Mendy will be limited which is fair enough.

I'm not advocating for him to be parachuted into the first team. I just can't understand people slandering him every time his name is mentioned as if he's some kind of lottery winner.
 

RooneyLegend

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It must said there was at least one


People keep telling me that but I simply do not agree. He has been slandered into oblivion and it's incredibly unfair. He's a talented guy who could flourish in the right environment.
What qualities do you think he has outside of being good on the ball?
 

RooneyLegend

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He's played with Silva once and was arguably better than him that game while his one game with Mendy resulted in a comfortable clean sheet vs last years Europa winners.

Given the potential he displayed as a youngster combined with the fact CB's tend to peak late (look at Stones, he's two years older than AC and only now are we're starting to see him consistently deliver) i wouldn't be against seeing him getting a shot under the new structure, obviously from the starting point of a squad player.
Tomori is where it's at, give up the Christensen ghost.
 

WeePat

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What qualities do you think he has outside of being good on the ball?
He's reasonably quick and reads the game well. His biggest drawback is his physicality but that's also the easiest thing to improve.
 

Pow

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Hes not even that good on the ball. Its a myth.
Ps christensen not silva
 

TheReligion

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Shades of a Laurent Blanc signing this. Not necessarily a bad thing as United win the league second season with Blanc.
 

duffer

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His wife here pretty much confirming that Silva was pissed off with Amartey for the disrespect after the cup final. She's a fun follow on social media, Thiago has already had to apologize to Werner earlier this season because his wife posted something saying he was shit.

For those that didn't see it, Silva was captain for the Cup final and before kick off did the usual swapping of the club flags. One of the Leicester players posted a vid of Amartey picking up that flag and chucking it on the floor during their celebrations. Brazilians can be a proud bunch and Silva was said to not be happy with the needless disrespect of "his" flag.
 

TheReligion

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His wife here pretty much confirming that Silva was pissed off with Amartey for the disrespect after the cup final. She's a fun follow on social media, Thiago has already had to apologize to Werner earlier this season because his wife posted something saying he was shit.

For those that didn't see it, Silva was captain for the Cup final and before kick off did the usual swapping of the club flags. One of the Leicester players posted a vid of Amartey picking up that flag and chucking it on the floor during their celebrations. Brazilians can be a proud bunch and Silva was said to not be happy with the needless disrespect of "his" flag.
Needs to grow up. He's meant to be the senior pro at the club.
 

amolbhatia50k

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His wife here pretty much confirming that Silva was pissed off with Amartey for the disrespect after the cup final. She's a fun follow on social media, Thiago has already had to apologize to Werner earlier this season because his wife posted something saying he was shit.

For those that didn't see it, Silva was captain for the Cup final and before kick off did the usual swapping of the club flags. One of the Leicester players posted a vid of Amartey picking up that flag and chucking it on the floor during their celebrations. Brazilians can be a proud bunch and Silva was said to not be happy with the needless disrespect of "his" flag.
Silva sounds like a 5 year old in that story. What a moron although seemingly less so than his wife.
 

Jimmy Skitz

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Amartey is a unit, not the person I would pick a fight with over a silly club pennant
 

thepolice123

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Have you seen the Amartey video? It was pretty cnutish of him. I would be pissed too if he did that to us.
 

weetee

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Didn't Michael Jordan imgagine stuff occasionally other players would have done pre important games only so he could get the best out of himself? Thought he admitted that in that docu.
Silva played like an ace yesterday so if that's what he needs I'm down with it.
 

TheMagicFoolBus

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Didn't Michael Jordan imgagine stuff occasionally other players would have done pre important games only so he could get the best out of himself? Thought he admitted that in that docu.
Silva played like an ace yesterday so if that's what he needs I'm down with it.
Yeah there are stories where he more or less admits to inventing slights that never occurred.

Re: the handbags, thought this was a fun thread on twitter:

 

elmo

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Didn't Michael Jordan imgagine stuff occasionally other players would have done pre important games only so he could get the best out of himself? Thought he admitted that in that docu.
Silva played like an ace yesterday so if that's what he needs I'm down with it.
He did it in most games because he basically kept winning and had to find more ways to motivate himself.