₦airaland Forum

Antonio Rudiger:

"I’m proud of my whole career, but what’s happened in the last year, it’s amazing. As a group we have achieved a lot, and had a great time. There have also been some downs, which is normal, I think."

"Personally... I’m enjoying this moment. It’s one thing though when you feel good, when everything is well set up and the team is performing well. But I think I showed who I am when times were difficult, and this is what counts more to me."
"Because in good times everyone shines, everyone is good, so there’s no need to say anything. But the real character of a person is what you see when he is down, and this is what I proved, to myself."
"It’s not about proving to someone else, just proving to myself. I think a career’s all about chapters. When you’re young it’s a different chapter. But this chapter, yeah, it’s some of the best football I’m playing."

[via
@NickPurewal
]

Antonio Rudiger on Liverpool final:

“We tend to perform very well in big games on big occasions. Sunday is a massive, massive match against a great, great opponent."

"They are in big form, but it’s a final, it’s one game & you never know what’s going to happen, both teams can hurt each other. You have to match their high-intensity football. That’s why it’s maybe more open against them."
"Their attack is brutal, so you cannot just defend, defend; you must have answers. And sometimes the best defence really is to attack."

[via
@NickPurewal
]

Antonio Rudiger on Thomas Tuchel:

"I think Thomas’ secret is that he’s just honest. He’s just honest with how he goes about things. He demands a lot, but that’s normal. This is high, high quality football and we want to be successful."
"So if you want to be successful you have to be honest, you have to be straightforward in the way of working, and application to the cause."

"A coach is a general, he has his way and at the end of the day as players we have to do our best to follow. What he has achieved since he’s been here speaks for itself."

[via
@NickPurewal
]

raumdeuter:
Just check Ajaokuta and how its working seamlessly since 1976 that we contracted Russians

On Ajaokuta I won't blame Russians for the way the project turns out we should blame corruption and greed.

Fabrizio Ravanelli: "Lukaku is weak psychologically," said Ravanelli. "I think that the Premier League is not his league. Lukaku is under pressure. We have already seen this at Manchester United when Romelu was criticised. The same thing happens at Chelsea."

Havertz10 I take an exception to the lack of intellectuals excuse you throw in your argument Nigeria have more than enough intellectuals both in the public and private sector what's preventing the country from taking the great leap is hypocrisy and greed.
I often argue with superiors at my working place and I found out that they all understand the problems and solutions but somehow things still remain the same because some people more powerful than them wants things to remain the same for their benefits.

Tuchel benching Jorginho isn’t any slight on Jorginho, in actual fact my reading of the situation is that Jorginho is probably going to start the final and that Tuchel needs him ready.

(
@Matt_Law_DT
)

Jurgen Klopp on Thomas Tuchel:

"His way is really exceptional. He is an outstanding coach and outstanding manager."
@SkySports

Everything indicates Ousmane Dembele's agent has already signed an agreement with Chelsea.

{Sport via Sport Witness}

The Economist when Bush invaded Iraq vs when Putin invaded Ukraine. Spot the hypocrisy of western media

Romelu Lukaku’s touch map against Crystal Palace vs Kai Havertz touch map against Lille on Tuesday night.

Tuchel enjoyed what he saw but has made it clear Lukaku is still under consideration for the Cup Final against Liverpool.

Via
@SJohnsonSport

Havertz10 go you make sound points especially on the valuation of American companies they're speculative at best and fictitious, when the bubble burst as it usually does the corporations will ask for bailouts at the expense of the working and middle class savings. It is a system designed to keep people in debt prison and any attempt to renegotiate will be dealt with full force.
We need to reevaluate the economic systems in use especially in a developing country like Nigeria I see us trying to copy whatever the West is doing and we ended copying badly because the system is fraught with inconsistencies and irregularities, the western system adopted by majority was borne out of their own circumstances and peculiarities we should sit down and analyse our situation critically adopt the good aspects of it that suits us and come up with something superior.

Simeone is underrated and not giving his dues because he's not playing a beautiful style of football as if football is to be played one way only, football has always been about contrasting styles of play since time immemorial.

Gabriel Agbonlahor: "As much as we look at Harry Maguire, he should be looking at defenders like Thiago Silva and should still be learning from these top, top defenders."

Fabio Capello: "Lukaku fit perfectly into Conte’s counter-attacking style at Inter, because there were lots of spaces. However, Chelsea play this very different type of football with lots of short passes and Lukaku doesn’t have the same spaces to move in."
"He also finds that in England the defenders have a similar physicality to him and hold out more. Lukaku had this power and space to run at defenders and turn the game around. He didn’t consider the gap between Serie A and Premier League when he returned to Chelsea."

Jody Morris on Mount: "He’s outstanding. I think it’s a load of nonsense when I hear people talk bad about him. He can play in a number of positions. He’s one of those players where, even when he was younger, you can tell him something once and you’ve never had to tell him again"
"He’s a leader on the pitch in terms of following game plans and I’m sure Tuchel has noticed that himself, Frank definitely noticed it. He’s not a shouter but he knows the game."

{TalkSport}

Jamie Carragher: "If they go with Havertz and almost like a different system, like a false nine, then I don’t think we will see Lukaku at the club next season."

Tuchel’s Chelsea UCL KO Record :

Atletico 0-1 Chelsea
Chelsea 2-0 Atletico
Porto 0-2 Chelsea
Chelsea 0-1 Porto
Real Madrid 1-1 Chelsea
Chelsea 2-0 Real Madrid
Chelsea 1-0 Man City
Chelsea 2-0 Lille

11 goals scored, 2 conceded.
Via: CFCPys

No be by who shout pass, who know ball know ball.

Joe Cole: "I think Havertz’s best position is as a number 9 but that's not good for Lukaku."

Thomas Tuchel:

"You can clearly see we have a strong win and strong performance. It was a tough match and almost every question is about Romelu. The focus is huge. There were nine other players who did not play."
"We should never forget we consider this sport a team sport and the eleven guys who play do everything to commit fully to what we plan and to commit fully to their teammates and those on the bench have to do the same and this is how it works."
"Especially at Chelsea and especially for us and this is how we win football matches."

[via
@AdamNewson
]

Thomas Tuchel on Romelu Lukaku:

"It was about hard work against the ball, off the ball, have intensive teamwork. Romelu struggled in the last few games a little bit to deliver that. That's what I meant when I felt him a bit tired both mentally & physically."

[via
@AdamNewson
]

Thomas Tuchel on Kai Havertz:

"Kai really steps up. The effort is immense, the workrate is immense, the areas of the pitch he covers for us. He was very good was decisive, was never shy of defending."
"We had an aggressive high line today with Hakim and our offensive players. It was a formation to have intensity and a high workrate consistently throughout the whole match and they did very good."

[via
@AdamNewson
]

donjazet:
At this point, I think our owner is set to be a collateral damage in this new Russian war. He is going to be one of the Russian oligarchs that will be heavily targeted and sanctioned seeing as how he made his wealth is directly tied to Putin's influence. He is known as Putin's right hand man in Russia.

I personally think it's time he sells Chelsea. He loves the club soo much, we love him too for building what we love but it's not right that we continue to turn a blind eye to his corruption and role in upholding an autocratic and tyrannical government. If he loves Chelsea, let him sell the club to another person who would also equally love and invest in the club.

When has it become a crime to be associated with your leader and why should the West dictate to other countries how they should run their affairs? The atrocities committed by the West in the name of exporting democracy are worse than what Putin and his allies have done in recent history.
The West should climb down their high horse and toe the path of decency instead of this show of shame they are embarking upon.

Chelsea lead Barcelona in the race to sign to sign Raphinha this summer - and the Brazilian will be available for as little as €25M if Leeds United are relegated.

[via
@Glongari
]

Real Madrid and Chelsea are currently negotiating a loan deal for Eden Hazard.

[
@Ramon_AlvarezMM
via
@theMadridZone
]

Nordin Jbari: "I’m sorry, but when you go and get Lukaku, a world class star, you need to adapt a bit to him. I’m under the impression that we’re only asking Lukaku to adapt to Chelsea. I’m not saying he doesn’t have to. That’s what makes a great player but it’s not always easy."

Chris Sutton: "I was the club’s record signing. I cost them £10m in 1999 and it didn’t work out, so I was sold after a single season in blue. Yet if I had ever finished a game having had only seven touches of the ball, I’d feel embarrassed walking back into that training ground."
For a striker to come out of 90 minutes with that sorry statistic screams ‘I’m hiding’ and there’s no escaping that for Romelu Lukaku."

Chelsea’s buy-back option fee for Tino Livramento is £38m but only from 2023 onwards.

{The Athletic}

Havertz10:
Got a piece on russia, america and china, their agendas and goals

Who we as africans should back, are there any takers?

None

"What can I do? We have to deal with it. He was not involved, it's sometimes like this with strikers if they struggle with self-confidence. It's not what we want or what Romelu wants, but it's not the time to laugh or make jokes about him."

- Tuchel on Lukaku's '6 touches'

Then giving his thoughts on the Italian, he said: "I would say I don't have words, for the fact that I learn a lot watching his teams as a manager, the movement and many things.

"He showed it at Juventus, (Inter) Milan, Chelsea, and if the club rely on him 100 per cent they'll have success.

"My first season here was tough in terms of results. Every manager needs time, needs investment, needs many, many things to be there for a long time or have success, especially in this country.

"I have incredible respect for the fact that when I watch his teams I feel there is something new I can learn, and I can improve.

"He arrived (at Chelsea in 2016) and his impact was clear, many teams started to play five at the back. He won the league fantastically well. What happened after, in the second season, I'm not involved. But I think he made his stamp on this league and especially his players."

Guardiola added: "Arriving as a manager in the middle of the season and changing many things is not easy.

"In this country, play every three days, a lot of games, and all the managers need time, and unfortunately in football, we don't have time. I had time - the club gave me this time, and I'm grateful, but all the managers need time, to try to convince the players to follow what you feel."

Guardiola on Conte