Liverpool FC Forum

by **Ciggy** » Mon Aug 15, 2005 11:18 pm

Seen him on the podium in the final trying to hog the trophey and on the tour bus at the parade havent seen him since tho

by **zarababe** » Mon Aug 15, 2005 11:28 pm

Interesting take on Essien by someone who has seen him in action:

John Collins on Michael Essien

Former Monaco and Scotland star

"Michael Essien is a good player, but from what I've seen of him in French football and in the Champions League, I'm not convinced he's a great player.

He's certainly not a Zinedine Zidane or a Ronaldinho, the sort of player that is absolutely pivotal to a team.

But he became flavour of the month, being linked with a number of top European clubs - and Chelsea's interest only served to inflate his transfer fee.

But for me, it is a bit of a strange signing for him to go to Chelsea.

Not only because Essien has cost so much money, but also because he is not quite a holding player in the mould of Claude Makelele.

Neither is he as good as Frank Lampard in getting forward and scoring goals. Added to that, I couldn't see Jose Mourinho deploying him on the right of midfield now that Shaun Wright-Phillips has signed.

The plus points are that Essien is very quick, very strong and has very good technique.

He is also a very good team player, but I wouldn't say I've seen him play a lot of games where he has been exceptional for Lyon.

Essien would be taking a gamble in moving to Chelsea

He's never dominated a game in the way that a Zidane or Ronaldinho is capable of doing.

Since Essien arrived from the small provincial club Bastia, Lyon have gone on to win two French titles. But then again, they had won successive titles before he arrived.

Last season he was part of a superb midfield - Mahamadou Diarra and Juninho Pernambucano were outstanding midfielders for former Lyon coach Paul Le Guen.

Essien was just one part of that midfield jigsaw.

Interestingly, I don't think Lyon will struggle without him. They have already prepared for his departure in buying Bruno Pedretti from Marseille, who is an established French international.

Essien is taking a gamble in moving to Chelsea ahead of the World Cup.

Obviously he will be well paid, but it's likely he will also have to spend some time on the bench.

As a player you have to look at all the angles when you make a big move like this.

When I moved clubs I always wanted to know whether the manager saw me as a first-team player or a squad player. Not every player asks that question.

I would rather play for a smaller team and play regularly than go to a huge club and spend time on the bench.

I was lucky that most of my career I was a first-choice player.

But my last season at Fulham was the most frustrating in my career because I spent so much time on the bench.

You'd train all week and then not get to play 90 minutes on Saturday. I can never understand how players do that regularly. It drove me mad."

Be interesting to see how it will work out. May be more hype than talent perhaps

His sulky behaviour to not play for Lyon unless he got the move is a disgrace and totally unprofessional. I hope Houllier docked him the wages he was due for being on strike.. ar.sehole

by **H_K_LFC** » Tue Aug 16, 2005 12:50 am

btw where will he play for chelsea

by **A.B.** » Tue Aug 16, 2005 2:40 am

btw where will he play for chelsea

Probably something like this

. Makalele

Lampard Essien

Right now Guidjohnsen is playing as the third central midfielder.

by **66-1120597113** » Tue Aug 16, 2005 7:23 am

Dudeks No.1 Fan wrote:oh well we all know chelsea are gonna try and buy everything but im just waiting for the FA to step in and do something about it. Because when the compition is eliminated then sky and its money will turn to other things and then every club is up creak especially certain clubs who buget for getting to the semi of the champs league every season (manure by the way, agrogent )

I dont agree with that,there will never be as big as a 12 point margain for a while!Last seaon a lot of teams where in awe of Chelsea and practically beaten before they started because of this.
All teams ourselves included know they're game now and know how to play them.I think they'll loose more than once this year and draw a lot more too,last year they had 12 1 nil wins! Theres a very thin line between a 1 nil win and a 0-0 draw!It they loose Terry and Lampard at the same time,unlikely yes,but thet will look very ordinary!
I think they get more respect than they deserve,the Wigan game proved this!

by **IstanBuL-FenerBaHce** » Tue Aug 16, 2005 9:38 am

26 million pounds?..

shhiit

the question: he's really a quality player.But worth paying this amonut for?

by **Chelsea forever.** » Tue Aug 16, 2005 12:11 pm

H_K_LFC wrote:btw where will he play for chelsea

He will take Guddys place and play alongside Maka and Lamps.

At full strength our 1st team should be

...................Cech

Ferrera.....Gallas...TErry...Del Horno

...Lampard......Maka.....Essien

...Duff........Drogba/Crespo......Robben

by **Chelsea forever.** » Tue Aug 16, 2005 12:13 pm

He is widely described as the Next Ballack or Gerrard or Lampard or Keano. HE is compared with the greats and has been a rock in that Lyon MF for 2 seasons.

The EPL is a different scene, IMO he will adapt well and be a huge talent here. HE is big, strong, fast, has a cracker of a shot, very good box to box, very good at tackles and headers.

Super signing if he adapts well.

by **stmichael** » Tue Aug 16, 2005 12:16 pm

so the most tedious and drawn out transfer saga in the history of the universe finally comes to an end.

of course he'll have no problems getting a work permit as ghana are (wait for it) 70th in the FIFA world rankings. one place lower and judging by the farce with the mark gonzalez affair, this wouldn't have been allowed to happen surely?

what a load of :censored:

this rule is. :angry:

by **A.B.** » Tue Aug 16, 2005 1:30 pm

At full strength our 1st team should be

A full strength team on Saturday couldn't score against Wigan until the last 40 seconds of the game. :laugh:

by **drummerphil** » Tue Aug 16, 2005 2:10 pm

What we need is for uefa to step in and start capping spending say for example,no player can be sold for anymore than 10m,unless its chelsea who will have to pay double.....lol....

no seriously though, no team can spend more than 15m in a transfer window.It will bring transfers down and shaft Chelsea up the :censored:

and making their squad worth half of what they have paid.

by **LFC #1** » Tue Aug 16, 2005 2:49 pm

A.B. wrote:
At full strength our 1st team should be

A full strength team on Saturday couldn't score against Wigan until the last 40 seconds of the game.

Wigan were very good though AB, we would have struggled to win that game.

by **A.B.** » Tue Aug 16, 2005 4:20 pm

Wigan were very good though AB, we would have struggled to win that game

Chelsea: Duff,Robben,Wright-Phillips,Crespo,Lampard,Makalele,J.Cole,etc...

With those kind of players Chelsea should had cruised through that game.

by **RED BEERGOGGLES** » Tue Aug 16, 2005 5:03 pm

Chelsea forever. wrote:He is widely described as the Next Ballack or Gerrard or Lampard or Keano. HE is compared with the greats and has been a rock in that Lyon MF for 2 seasons.

The EPL is a different scene, IMO he will adapt well and be a huge talent here. HE is big, strong, fast, has a cracker of a shot, very good box to box, very good at tackles and headers.

Super signing if he adapts well.

Five points you may have missed my little cocky cockney garden gate .
1, Gerrard is an original and no player even comes close .
2, The french league is a cake walk .
3, Mourinho will be reduced to the peg vendor that we Kopite's
believe him to be when he next visits Anfield.
4, Wigan ?
5, Kenyon has more chance of growing a mullet than Chelsea
have of winning the Premiership this season

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