If it was that easy everyone would do it
If they could run around as much yes
Mustafi won the WC must be a WC defender.
Absolutely no chance I'd swap Fred for Kante. He looks finito.
It's not, but truth to be told Peak Kante absolutely got disproportionate amount of credit for his exploits while his midfield partners contributions were completely ignored , now he has declined but also doesn't have the suitable midfield pairing and it shows.
There's a reason why Eder is spoken about in the same breath as Van Basten, Muller etc.
That 2004 Greek squad was riddled with world class talent in fairness
Well running and breaking up play had him as the best CM in the league two seasons in a row and top 3 at the world cup. So maybe running and breaking up play isn't as insignificant as you think, even though everyone knows he's more than that.
Can watch how he actually plays in his correct position and if they win...
I bet they Chelsea fans are moaning he'll never fulfill his potential without Pogba in the teamAverage player without Pogba
That works both ways!Average player without Pogba
He’s managed to dip even further, that’s probably why.
His world class period was pretty short so it’s hard to tell if he was a world class player or just a player who had a purple patch of world class form. Between 2015 and 2017 he was fantastic. Obviously he has the 2018 WC in the bank too but I don’t think he was as great as people made out in that tournament. He’s definitely past his peak now at only 29 which is weird because he was a late bloomer too.
https://www.givemesport.com/1569284...-a-better-player-than-a-prime-claude-makelele
What is the ‘he’s more than that’
An in form Kante offers more than just breaking up the play and winning the ball. He's quick and carries the ball forward very well which helps a lot on transitions, his passing is better than most realise and his work rate and engine are second to none. In form he's the best DM in Europe.
Thanks for answering for el jefe, I disagree he carries the ball forward very well, his passing 5 yards may be ok, then you go back to work rate and engine
Exactly, yet you get fans clambering over getting ‘someone like Kante’ so we don’t need two dms like Fred and McTom.
Who deserved more credit? Drinkwater? Matic? Will.I.An?
Yeah, Kanté can only be effective in a very particular system and not many managers are going to build their side around a limited presser and tackler who offers little in the way of goals and assists. He’s always been a weird player but Ranieri’s Leicester and Conte’s Chelsea both suited him perfectly.
OK so your discussing a DM and slating the DM for being good at the main thing you want a DM to be good at? (ie tackling and winning possession.)
The decline imo started with Sarri didn't it? At least that was when I started to think, that he had been on a very lengthy form dip. Still think he could be great in a double pivot paired with Jorginho or Kovacic but maybe he just really declined over the last couple of season, that shit happens and his game required an ungodly amount of energy and stamina.
Maybe if you would have read my post properly it would have been easier to understand my point, Kante while being very good in those title winning seasons obviously better than his midfield partners still needed their stable midfield presence to show his best, hype surrounding him was way over the top during those seasons and now that he doesn't have midfield combination which brings out his best all kind of excuses are being made for him .
I’d have to agree with this. At his peak he was very impressive. Been for me a gradual decline ever so slightly, nothing drastic. He’s still a very good player and I like what he brings to those teams. Do have to wonder how he would be seen by United fans if he was actually playing in our midfield.
He starting having his first serious injury problems under Sarri that carried over into Lampard's first season. His physical metrics still look good; he covers plenty of ground and his recovery numbers are still excellent. The issue is that he just doesn't fit into a 3 man midfield. His biggest strength by far is his ability to press high up the pitch and still recover. From an attacking perspective, his best attribute is his ability to carry the ball forward at pace. Using his as a 6 thus nullifies the main things that made him a world class player while also making Chelsea's buildup very predictable. This season we've almost exclusively progressed via wide triangles between a fullback, the 8 on that side, and the winger. In the City match, for instance, Pep just had his wingers sit between our fullbacks and CBs so we were forced to go centrally, where Kante was so poor on the ball that City didn't even bother to press him - instead they just doubled up on pressing Silva.
30 really isn't that old man. A normal human being reaches his prime between 28-32 so Kante's body is still up for it. He's almost 30 not 50
I’m not slating him at all, just saying I didn’t think he was world class, he just had a two season flash where he run around like a demon winning the ball back while he had another dm with him, I’m saying There’s more to being a DM than just that especially if people are calling him one of the best ever premiership midfielders.
When you're biggest asset is your engine 30 "can be" old. Sure, there are exceptions. Someone like Vardy doesn't seem like he's ever going to slow down. But your midfield is the engine of your team. Rotation is key and Chelsea have some depth in that department. I would just make sure then when rotating, Kante and Jorginho are available for the big matches...
