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Kakuta signs, squad rumblings

Posted by: WXWAX on December 21, 2010 in Debates 20 Comments 2,290 views

After a drawn-out negotiation that threatened to see him leave the club, Gael Kakuta has signed a new 4-year deal with Chelsea.

He’s only 19, so this is a good sign for the future. He’s shown some energy and creativity around the sides of the box in his handful of appearances this season. One hopes that as he matures he’ll become a dangerous attacking midfielder.

Another rumor’s floating around which, if true, worries me a bit.

The rumor is that Chelsea are pursuing Luka Modric, Tottenham’s playmaker. Love his skill, that’s not the problem.

But his size is. He’s only 5’8″. Same for Gael Kakuta. Recent new addition Ramires is said to be 5’11″ but as we’ve seen he has a slight build and is easily shoved off the ball.

So the concern is that Chelsea are adding players who are small. It’s been a Chelsea trademark since the Mourinho days to be big and strong. No-one pushed them around. But these new players are getting smaller. I’m not sure that’s a good thing in the EPL.

Sure, Barca are fairly small, but La Liga is a clean, technical league. They don’t get the roughhouse treatment of a typical English league match. One wonders how long they’d survive if they had to endure an EPL season?

So it’s something to keep an eye on for the future.

One other note: Florent Malouda has opened his mouth wide and stuck his foot in it. He says the recent slump is down to the defence conceding more goals.

Two problems with that. One, Malouda himself is not an eager tackler and isn’t the best at covering back. And two, Chelsea have only scored 4 goals in their last 7 matches. None from Malouda. So, not exactly a spot-on observation.

This reminds me of the last time Malouda delivered a pearl of wisdom. Shortly after transferring to Mourinho’s Chelsea, he complained to a French newspaper that he was surprised at how crude Mourinho’s tactics were.

He survived that one and grew as a player and he’ll survive this one too. But I sure do wish he’d keep his opinions to himself!

We’ll have a preview of the Arsenal match later this week. See you then!

WXWAX

20 comments - Please Click Here To Add Your Comment

princeakad
December 21, 2010 at 9:39 pm

thanks again WXWAX for keeping this blog alive…about kakuta…its okay he signed and i hope he gets to materialize into a fearsome midfielder…dont worry about the heights of our player…i am sure it wont hurt us,…if the news about modric is true then i say lets go for it… malouda is right about our defense been shaky but he also failed to point out that the attack is also dead and buried…lol

KTBFFH
Tremayne
December 22, 2010 at 1:35 am

It would seem that I just made a good post and it is not showing up? When I try to post it again it says I have posted it already. Help please. Hmm, maybe I can post it here.

Kakuta… I have seen glimpses of Zidane, the failed 360 against Aston Villa this October when we drew 0-0. Malouda has a very valid point but I also agree that he hasn’t stated how his goals and the teams goals have dried up as well. Lampard will wet them again but for how long?

Anywho, as promised my Chelsea formation.

4-1-2-1-2 (left to right)

Cech
A Cole – Pepe – Terry – Bosingwa
Mikel
Essien – Lampard
Pastore/Hazard (I don’t care how much it takes to buy them!!!)
Lukaku – Drogba

This team is pretty much self explanatory. Bosingwa and A Cole, attacking and defending with pace on the wings. Pepe and Terry, sounds like Carvalho and Terry right? Even better! Pepe has pace, which is something we lack when playing against pacey strikers like Torres. Mikel will play a deep lying playmaker role, just like Pirlo did when Carlo owned everyone with A.C. Milan, with this same formation a few years ago. Mikel has attacking flair just like the Nigerian boss said and Carlo isn’t taking advantage of this. This formation will bring it back. Lampard plays the same attacking role he currently has and with his experience, the youth will benefit greatly. I think I said this before but Fergie’s youth training is the best in the world in my opinion. Play the youth with the experience and have the experience tutor the youth. Sort of like FM. Essien will have more of a defensive role like he used to and should, playing more of a defensive minded btb compared to Lampard’s more attacking minded btb. BTB btw stands for box-to-box. Pastore or Hazard, a must, they possess insane creativity, pace, flair and are exactly what we need right now. They will be our and Carlo’s Kaká. Lukaku pairing with his idol Drogba, enough said… Actually no, not enough said, oh my gosh. If anyone doesn’t understand why I am freaking over Lukaku, let alone him pairing with Drogba, please read up, watch and experience Didier Drogba in a purple shirt please. It is like having 2 Drogba’s on the same field, in fact no, IT IS! We will need back up, but just like Fergie does, play youth with experience and scout more youth and let the old youth become the experience and continue the cycle. Tell me what you guys think. Hazard or Pastore will probably cost around 25 – 40m euros. Palermo will be unlikely to sell but a high bid will be too much to turn down. Getting Hazard from Lille will be hard as well but they wouldn’t require such a high bid. Tell me what you think of this youthful one:

4-1-2-1-2 (left to right)
Aerola/Akinfeev/Lloris/Mandana/Delac
Coentrao – Luiz – Jones – Castro
McEachran (train him to this position as he has impressed greatly here)
Help – Help
Pastore/Hazard
Lukaku – Aguero

I have my doubts pairing a flair striker with a physical striker but we will see.
denverblue
December 22, 2010 at 5:53 am

[quote comment="87131"]thanks again WXWAX for keeping this blog alive…about kakuta…its okay he signed and i hope he gets to materialize into a fearsome midfielder…dont worry about the heights of our player…i am sure it wont hurt us,…if the news about modric is true then i say lets go for it… malouda is right about our defense been shaky but he also failed to point out that the attack is also dead and buried…lol

KTBFFH[/quote]

i dont agree with you bro…. i say go for kranjcar instead he is much cheaper (just under rated) and malouda is wrong the damn forwards and mids need to start frigging scoring.. its not like chelsea have been leaking goals left right and center.. its like once a teams score once on us we are fcuked…. one damn goal.

yo Trem

I would go for pastore for sure. but the price is a killer
please dont for get Ivanovic he is our future, and we dont need much tinkering in the heart of defense
keeper:
Ochoa

defencders:
Gary Cahill (english will give true grit!!)
D. Santon (versatile )
Coentrao – I like him he as free flowing as bale! (if we cash in on cole i think we should in the summer)

Mid:
Honda!! the guy is a killer very young
Nico Kranjcar (i know i have been backing him because of his price, his skills passing close control we need all of that.
Pastore.

Striker:
L. Barrios – very powerful and great finisher.
Lloriente – just as good as torres can operate as a lone striker
Suarez
Benzema – if madrid wants to let him go .. .why not get him

note this team will not have Alex, yossi who will come back into the team once they are well.
——————–Cech —————
Bos—— Ivano——- Terry—- Cole
————-Mikel —-Essien ————-
kranjcar—— lampard—- Malouda
—————Drogba————-

Squad: Ochoa, Honda, Josh, Danny, Cahill, Barrios, Santon, Llorente/Benzema, PVA Bruma, Yuri, kakuta, Yossi, Alex, Turnbull

the key is to find players that are not cup tie!
this will increase squad depth and help in the transition
all the players I have suggested are very young as well
AKINTOLA MUBARAK
December 22, 2010 at 6:51 am

Carlo needs his kaka/rui costa…he manages without it last season but finding it hard dis season…i agree dat krancjar fit d bill cos he wont cost…we should get him 4 less than 10million…although…hes used to playing on d left dis days n will not be eligible 4 d champs…pastore’s price will kill us…hence we have hazard and i say hes too young and perhaps inexperience but wasnt kaka too young and inexperience when he joined carlo at milan…hazard has had two good seasons in d french league…if carlo can give him d same confidence and believe he gave kaka…den hazard is it…but if he treats him like he did yoann gorcuff…den he may not be it…lets go for hazard now…we can get him for 15 million, play him in d champs, blood him into d team gradually and by next season…he will be on fire
JESSE DARKO
December 22, 2010 at 9:36 am

Pastore (we rili need). Ben Arfa/ Edin harzad- This two have some crazy way of breaching defences. Luca Modric- tottenhams midfield master is exactly what we need, tonghs of creativity along side Pastore with Essien behind them.
JESSE DARKO
December 22, 2010 at 9:37 am

Pastore (we rili need him). Ben Arfa/ Edin harzad- This two have some crazy way of breaching defences. Luca Modric- tottenhams midfield master is exactly what we need, tonghs of creativity along side Pastore with Essien behind them.
Tremayne
December 22, 2010 at 12:06 pm

I agree the key is not to get cup tied players and youth as well but this isn’t just UCL only you know, we are currently doing pretty well in UCL, just a couple of injuries have messed up our form. The EPL requires these players due to having 20+ games more to go. We only have 7 UCL matches.
denverblue
December 22, 2010 at 3:22 pm

[quote comment="87155"]Pastore (we rili need). Ben Arfa/ Edin harzad- This two have some crazy way of breaching defences.

Luca Modric- tottenhams midfield master is exactly what we need, tonghs of creativity along side Pastore with Essien behind them.[/quote]

I would take Ben Arfa!!! i have always liked him and felt he would be good iinthe epl and chelsea before he come to england.

Tremayne
bro can you recall back to the days of GUUS (now im not trying to confuse anyone or say we should get guus). i recall chelsea playing very aggressively in the CL against Pool (remember those epic games!!) remember that Juve games, remember we out played barca Home and away ( if it not had been for that ref, who fcked us, we would have made it to the final). We played strongly inthe EPL as well.
Im saying we dont look that was in the CL these days…. check it out… we have to step up our game!!

I wont back a move from Modric ..nope
Xerxesk
December 22, 2010 at 7:57 pm

Denver you are spot on about kranjcar, barrios and coentrao. But forget about Ochoa, he failed at a trial for Fulham, he isn’t good enough. Why dont we go for Begovic and trade Turnbull in the deal?
denverblue
December 22, 2010 at 10:43 pm

[quote comment="87174"]Denver you are spot on about kranjcar, barrios and coentrao. But forget about Ochoa, he failed at a trial for Fulham, he isn’t good enough. Why dont we go for Begovic and trade Turnbull in the deal?[/quote]

Thanks for the feedback bro….. I think we should get rid of Hilario and keep Turnbull, he is english ( remember the FA new rules) also he can improve (remember he trains with chech so he can start looking like chech in goal). I would recommend the Atl. madrid sub keeper too. rememeber we need a keeper that is willing to sit and wait! Ochoa, by virtue of being on chelsea bench can help him in Mexico Team.

if we gonna get a CB I would prefer G. Cahill (english thus the FA rules)

wouldn’t you back a move for Honda bro….!!!
Both Honda and Kranjcar would add, attacking flair, game changer, free kick Specialist, Depth and i know Nico is a penalty taker and man how we need those!!
xerxesk
December 22, 2010 at 11:40 pm

Denver: Although I really like Honda, he is off form recently and that is too risky, he has scored 6 goals in 40 games. I think we should rather go for Gourcoff. He is fantastic. Playmaker, scorer and can be better then Nasri if he is not already.
As for GK, I think Hilario is the best 3rd goalkeeper in the league, but he is getting old. I would still prefer Begovic over Ochoa, but Ochoa wouldnt be too bad for 2nd keeper.

Gary Cahill is really good for the FA rule, but what about David Luiz? This guy would kill it at Chelsea.

But what about strikers? As both of mentioned Barrios is great. I would also like Dzeko though. He is a perfect candidate to replace DD.
denverblue
December 22, 2010 at 11:52 pm

[quote comment="87179"]Denver: Although I really like Honda, he is off form recently and that is too risky, he has scored 6 goals in 40 games. I think we should rather go for Gourcoff. He is fantastic. Playmaker, scorer and can be better then Nasri if he is not already.
As for GK, I think Hilario is the best 3rd goalkeeper in the league, but he is getting old. I would still prefer Begovic over Ochoa, but Ochoa wouldnt be too bad for 2nd keeper.

Gary Cahill is really good for the FA rule, but what about David Luiz? This guy would kill it at Chelsea.

But what about strikers? As both of mentioned Barrios is great. I would also like Dzeko though. He is a perfect candidate to replace DD.[/quote]

the money wont permit us to buy such an expensive striker bro.
and iinterms of goals to start ratio barrios is good
of course i wouldnt mind benzema or Llorente
i think begovic is good too.
luiz is good but again the money bro
denverblue
December 23, 2010 at 1:30 am

guys
is Torres cup tied? if he aint why not…..
Xerxesk
December 23, 2010 at 3:32 am

No way. We might as well buy Dzeko. Torres is way to inconsistent, and injury prone. With the FA rules we should sign Andy carrol Denver.
shawn
December 23, 2010 at 5:52 am

[quote comment="87184"]guys
is Torres cup tied? if he aint why not…..[/quote]
Torres is cup tied in the europa league so he can play for another club in any uefa competition,but we can go for kaka if madrid is ready to loan and suarez of ajax
JoseHoliday
December 23, 2010 at 7:19 am

It seems to me that Torres will finish / waste his time at Liverpool.
wxwax
December 23, 2010 at 7:37 pm

I think we discovered this summer that Torres is too expensive for Chelsea.

And he sure is injury-prone.

Kaka would add a creator that Chelsea are lacking and that Ancelotti’s been hankering for. But listening to Mourinho (“It’s like adding a new player”) it seems that he’s eagerly anticipating Kaka’s January return, so I would guess that he’s not leaving Iberia.
denverblue
December 23, 2010 at 10:34 pm

[quote comment="87193"][quote comment="87184"]guys
is Torres cup tied? if he aint why not…..[/quote]
Torres is cup tied in the europa league so he can play for another club in any uefa competition,but we can go for kaka if madrid is ready to loan and suarez of ajax[/quote]
great points.. i have been a fan of kaka on loan (with option to buy.. at the right price ) – his age is a factor for me im sorry..

[quote comment="87211"]I think we discovered this summer that Torres is too expensive for Chelsea.

And he sure is injury-prone.

Kaka would add a creator that Chelsea are lacking and that Ancelotti’s been hankering for. But listening to Mourinho (“It’s like adding a new player”) it seems that he’s eagerly anticipating Kaka’s January return, so I would guess that he’s not leaving Iberia.[/quote]

bro i think chelsea can keep him in a better condition .. i never heard of torres being a glass man while at Atl. madrid….. it seems pool is not allowing him to get 100%. and whith his track record .. come on!

by the way i read that the torres deal was on… but he changed his mind at the last minute… villa also said.. he was gonna leave pool for chelsea and pool has one last chance to keep him… which they are failing.. the guy wants to win the EPL… his best chance is to go to chelsea which i think he will do once we knock onthe door again… we would be like… come on guy we gave you a year to prove to yourself pool sucks ass….lol.

and bro come on if torres is too expensive.. have you heard the price tag on Dzeko…lol. no damn way chelsea will do that.

next point i dont think we should steal Andy from castle (he is probably their best player) … better we take ben arfa from them
Tremayne
December 23, 2010 at 11:20 pm

Dzeko costs 38m, atleast that is what Wolfsburg told Manchester City. Torres currently costs 15m, his faltering form decreases his price every week. You guys may disagree, Liverpool will ask for something high due to him being their best player next to Gerrard, who by the way if not for Benitez would be playing next to Lampard and Essien right now. Something like 60m+ they would ask for but in reality he currently costs 15 – 20m. His form doesn’t help him much. Besides, it would be better to buy an on form, non cup tied and proven striker. Lukaku won’t leave in January but due to him loving us, Drogba and stating he will only leave in summer, he is the only one we should be looking at. Again guys, he is Drogba v2, his form is amazing and again he is Drogba v2.

Striker – Lukaku 15m

In midfield, we really need a creative player with high amounts of flair, pace and vision. A proven one as well. The problem is, we will need to go to a 4-4-2 or 4-1-2-1-2 formation if we buy another one to accomodate Lampard and co. Pastore costs way to much. Hazard is destined for Arsenal. Ben Arfa most likely will want to be faithful to Newcastle and not pull a Lampard or Cole. Pardew would love the cash but would a sack be looming over him after he sees the results? Modric the same. Anyone ever heard of Kakuta, Matic or McEchran? Young, but so were Beckham, Scholes, Keane and Giggs when they started to own.

Midfielder – Put faith in the youth I mentioned, they have shown promise and all you need is a little faith just like Wenger or Ferguson.

Our defence is aging faster than Hilary Clinton’s you-know-what! Cahill and Jones are both Enlgish and the cash it would supply Bolton and Blackburn is too hard to turn down. Luiz and Coentrao are looking froggy to go nowadays.

Defence – Let Carlo kill his head on that. Or call up Jose LOL!

Cech is 28 and Turnbull and Hilario aren’t near the skill of Almunia. Akinfeev is costly and I doubt he will want to leave. We need someone who is keen on holding bench. An old player is looking froggy right about now. Go in the Portuguese, Russian or Italian leagues and look for a 32+ year old who would be keen on holding bench.
WXWAX
December 24, 2010 at 7:21 pm

I haven’t really watched Christopher Samba, Blackburn’s disgruntled captain, play defence.

But if he’s as unhappy as he sounds, then he might be a nice acquisition in January. Blackburn always play solid D, he’s young enough and he has the right size body — big.

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Kakuta signs, squad rumblings

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