Ballack 'agrees Chelsea contract'?

HangTime said:
Basically what I'm driving at is that a 4 year contract for a player in the early 20s isn't necessary a whole lot better than a 4 year contract for a player in their late 20s.
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Yes there is when the person turns 30 soon and is on £135,000 a week and will be on that wage for nearly another 3 years.

But at the end of the day, Ballack will not be first choice in two seasons time or even before that so Chelsea will have a 30+ year old sitting on the bench earning £130,000 a week.
 
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I think Ballack is a great player and will be good until he is in his mid-30s but I also think the signing is mainly to enhance Chelseas image.

He is Germany and Bayern Munichs best player, Real Madrid wanted to sign him too. Chelsea have tried and failed to lure a lot of players in the last couple of years but with big names like Ballack deciding to move there, other players will want to move in the future as well.

The money is irrelevant to Abromovich obviously but it is not all cost for them as he is a very marketable player as well.
 
Another one who has signed for the money (see S W phillips) but will he end up on the bench or does moaning Mourinho just buy english players to sit on the bench(SW phillips/S parker/G Johnson)???
 
There's no way Ballack and Lampard will be able to play together. They are too alike. Its seems a pretty pointless signing to me.

To play them together would mean playing 4-5-1 and i doubt Shevchenko and Tevez will be too pleased at that.
 
I have been a Chelsea fan for around 36 years now and although i glory in our player list the wage bill scares the crap out of me.
Yes all is great at the moment whilst Fat Wad finances us but what the future holds after that is scarey.
Those that hate us now can glory in our downfall when he gets fed up with us.
For fans like me i will just sit back and watch hoping that we don't go completely bankrupt.
I have waited long enouth for CFC to be at the top so i will enjoy it as much as i can while i can.
I am also hoping for some serious competition next year as running away with it like this year is not how i like it.
Hopefully the Mancs, Gooners and Scousers can give us a run for our money.

Anyways roll on the world cup so i can forget all this league BS.
 
fozzybear said:
There's no way Ballack and Lampard will be able to play together. They are too alike. Its seems a pretty pointless signing to me.

To play them together would mean playing 4-5-1 and i doubt Shevchenko and Tevez will be too pleased at that.
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JM seems to disagree (again)
José Mourinho has confirmed his intention to make the most of Michael Ballack and Frank Lampard as a combined force in the Chelsea midfield next season.
Speaking alongside the new arrival he described as the first of only a few this summer, the Chelsea manager said:
“How will this signing affect Lampard and the team? It will affect them a lot because Lampard wants top players to play with him and the team wants top players to improve the very good team we have.
“So as a coach I look forward to working with them and my intention is to play both Lampard and Ballack together and try to extract the best they can give to the team. We are champions and to improve champions, we need champions.”
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:)
 
Playing a diamond midfield like that would leave Chelsea completely open on the wings. With wingbacks they'd manage it, but why would they throw away four excellent players in Robben, Duff, SWP and Joe Cole just to accomodate Ballack?

Maybe they'll play Lampard (or Ballack) behind Shevva, but up front rather than wandering up from midfield?

EDIT: On further thinking, I'll concede that the diamond might actually work, but I'd expect Cole to get the nod over Essien in it, as he's more versatile, and well, better.
 
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That diamond wouldnt be too bad but didnt they get battered the other
week when they didnt play any wingers?

Ive never seen any team play with a diamond formation and make it actually
work, anyone remember Hoddle's England team that played the diamond :o
 
If anyone can fit Ballack and Lampard into the same team, it is Mourninho. He is very specific about the individuals he looks for, and he wouldn't have bought Ballack if he didn't think he could make it work.

Seems pretty straightforward to me, a new world class striker on his own up front, Lampard and Ballack in behind, Makelele or Essien holding and two of SWP/Robben/Duff/Cole on the wings.
 
G|mp said:
That diamond wouldnt be too bad but didnt they get battered the other
week when they didnt play any wingers?

Ive never seen any team play with a diamond formation and make it actually
work, anyone remember Hoddle's England team that played the diamond :o
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no but i remember hoddle and diamond lights :p
 
G|mp said:
Ive never seen any team play with a diamond formation and make it actually
work, anyone remember Hoddle's England team that played the diamond :o
Click to expand...

I've seen a similar formation work once very well for England, against Italy back in 2000 in Peter Taylor's one and only game in charge. We had Heskey up front on his own, but players like Barmby, Dyer and Beckham behind him, and every time Heskey moved wide, a different midfield man would take up the front spot. I remember Italy having a terrible time trying to figure out who should pick up who. They were very lucky to get the 1-0 win that day, we battered them.
 
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