Dejan Kulusevski

[AjaxDeSuperYids]

Whilst this is likely the death knell for Lo Celso it ends any notion of us needing another Maddison type although I get the impression Gallagher is still wanted.

That must mean Skipp and Hojbjerg are following Lo Celso out the door.

So longer term our options across the 3 positions appear to be Bissouma, Sarr, Maddison, Bentancur, Gallagher and Kulusevski.

I guess Kulu will rarely start for us next season if everyone remains fit and then be a great option off the bench to replace Maddison or one of the wingers.

 

[Raziel]

Whilst this is likely the death knell for Lo Celso it ends any notion of us needing another Maddison type although I get the impression Gallagher is still wanted.

That must mean Skipp and Hojbjerg are following Lo Celso out the door.

So longer term our options across the 3 positions appear to be Bissouma, Sarr, Maddison, Bentancur, Gallagher and Kulusevski.

I guess Kulu will rarely start for us next season if everyone remains fit and then be a great option off the bench to replace Maddison or one of the wingers.

Gallagher to me is a never going to happen, he wants to stay at Chelsea, he's getting game time, Chelsea isn't giving us any favors

I'd see him competing for a place with Skipp/PEH more than GLC & Maddison if it were to happen

 

[Gazza Dazzla]

Gallagher to me is a never going to happen, he wants to stay at Chelsea, he's getting game time, Chelsea isn't giving us any favors

I'd see him competing for a place with Skipp/PEH more than GLC & Maddison if it were to happen

I think Gallagher is better as an AM where he played for Palace, but he’s not a traditional AM in regards to skill, it’s more about aggressive pressing high up and getting in to the box, rather than the more cultured Maddison type.

I liked him at Palace and West Brom but he’s always looked average at Chelsea. As you say I think it looks very unlikely this will happen, but for the right price he’d be interesting.

 

[AjaxDeSuperYids]

Gallagher to me is a never going to happen, he wants to stay at Chelsea, he's getting game time, Chelsea isn't giving us any favors

I'd see him competing for a place with Skipp/PEH more than GLC & Maddison if it were to happen

Its the opposite. They keep playing him, give him the armband a lot, keep making contract offers.

Yet he keeps refusing to sign.

Also regardless of what anyone thinks of him, he is a primary Ange target like Johnson was.

 

[Bishop]

I think Gallagher is better as an AM where he played for Palace, but he’s not a traditional AM in regards to skill, it’s more about aggressive pressing high up and getting in to the box, rather than the more cultured Maddison type.

I liked him at Palace and West Brom but he’s always looked average at Chelsea. As you say I think it looks very unlikely this will happen, but for the right price he’d be interesting.

Aggression and pressing high up are nice bonus factors to have but ultimately an am is going to be rated based on the quality of their passing and influence of their creativity. That's what has worked for Maddison here, I don't think a meat and potatoes Gallagher would offer what we need in those tight games when we need to break down a settled defence.

I think we need someone with more guile and creativity than what we've seen Gallagher offer imo.

 

[Lilbaz]

Gallagher is captain of chelsea. He's not going to come and sit on the bench at spurs.

Not sure whywe are even talking about it?

 

[tommysvr]

Starting to really turn up in the big moments again. Really good today.

 

[Chrissivad]

Ange asked where Kulusevski's best position is

Answer - in the starting 11

He can play a few positions, and I don't see him sitting on the bench anytime soon.

 

[braineclipse]

Whilst this is likely the death knell for Lo Celso it ends any notion of us needing another Maddison type although I get the impression Gallagher is still wanted.

That must mean Skipp and Hojbjerg are following Lo Celso out the door.

So longer term our options across the 3 positions appear to be Bissouma, Sarr, Maddison, Bentancur, Gallagher and Kulusevski.

I guess Kulu will rarely start for us next season if everyone remains fit and then be a great option off the bench to replace Maddison or one of the wingers.

He's been immense recently.

He's our best wide attacking player (in this system) by some distance imo.

Starting to show that he can get his end product numbers back up to where they were previously too.

I think he'll continue to get a lot of starts next season.

 

[Robbo]

Kulu this season:

- Most touches in the opposition box
- Most chances created from open play
- Longest distance covered
- 5 goals
- 2 assists
- 1 pregnant partner

 

[Baleforce]

Kulu this season:

- Most touches in the opposition box
- Most chances created from open play
- Longest distance covered
- 5 goals
- 2 assists
- 1 pregnant partner

And they say he can’t finish in the box

 

[Sandman]

I was so pleased to see him actually go outside the defender for the goal.. Just do that a few more times a game to keep them guessing.

He played so well yesterday. I want him to be a Waddle for us. Not a Sinton..

Keep going lad..

 

[Bullet]

I liked that he absolutely blatted it at goal; the keeper had 0.00000000003 seconds to think "oh ship" and the ball was past his ear.

 

[Hotshot-Tottenham]

Gotta keep him fit. Would be nice to be able to get some rest into his legs at some point.

 

[metalgear]

Kulu this season:

- Most touches in the opposition box
- Most chances created from open play
- Longest distance covered
- 5 goals
- 2 assists
- 1 pregnant partner

He has really surprised me by.going centrally and having the freedom to roam. Much better than just tying him down to the right wing.

 

[Caitano]

Kulu this season:

- Most touches in the opposition box
- Most chances created from open play
- Longest distance covered
- 5 goals
- 2 assists
- 1 pregnant partner

And a partridge in a pear tree..

 

[Baleforce]

He has really surprised me by.going centrally and having the freedom to roam.

 

[Gazza]

And they say he can’t finish in the box

He should have played in the back

 

[parklane1]

He really is becoming one of our most important players.

 

[El Guepardo]

His highest goal return for us was 5 goals in 18 Premier League matches, he achieved this in his first half season after arriving in 2021/22.

This season he has scored 3 in 13, so it’s not far removed to think that he could score one or two more in the next five matches. He’s also hit the woodwork at least twice this season including with an effort in the match against Villa.

3 goals in 13 works out as an average of 0.231 goals per game to three Dp. If that’s extrapolated for the whole season then he is on course to score 8(.7) for the season. Which is an ok return for someone not deemed to be a high return wide player.

We do need more goals from the team but right now given our missing players it’s a lot harder to achieve that. We miss Maddison and Son is off form. But we can get back there.

Johnson could help to deliver goals to the team. He’s thought of by many as a goal scoring attacker except he only scored 8 last season for Nottingham Forest, the same 8 that Kulusevski could be on course to achieve for us this season.

We do need goals from the wide positions to support Son. Especially as it’s unlikely any of our central midfielders will find those numbers in the absence of Maddison. So how do we get there? It’s a question which Ange will have to answer and which answer will likely dictate how ‘successful’ we are this season.

Since then, 29th November, he has scored 2 goals in 4 matches. Nice to know that my confidence in him wssng misplaced.

He was always getting in good positions in the box and creating chances just we and he wasn’t so prolific.

His work rate coupled with his productivity levels if he can retain these will be huge for us. He is a key player now and I don’t know how we get him and Maddison in attacking central midfield together but it’s a good dilemna to have.