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Was our best player at the World Cup.
Scrap that.
Was our only semi-decent player at the World Cup.
I know you didnt but the reason we get these counter threads on him is because Wales Bales has spent the last 5 years telling us that he is and that Ampadu is the second coming of Franz Beckenbaur.
Hes 23 in September and people are still talking about him like hes 17/18. If he truly was the next big thing in Europe for his position he would be playing Champions League by now.
He was set to join Newcastle on loan early in the window, he was kept around and then off to Venezia on deadline day. He was kept around this summer as cover and was sent out on deadline day with a clutch of other players. Chelsea's "Loan farm" system seemed to be better planned than it is now and players are suffering as a result. It's not just Ampadu, look at someone like Harvey Vale, around their first team in 21/22, sent to Hull on deadline day this summer, played 2 games and back to Chelsea in January
Ampadu isn't the worldbeater WB says he is, but he's also better than the likes of Spezia & Venezia
Or can look at Ian Maatsen and Levi Colwill who have excelled on loan in recent seasons and Colwill has now been called up to the England seniors.
Connor Gallagher, Mason Mount, Trevor Chalobah have all broken through at Chelsea after a period on loan.
Surely if Ampadu was the world beater that WB insists he is he would have had a concrete loan to somewhere better, or been given the opportunity at Chelsea.
"Chelsea's "Loan farm" system seemed to be better planned than it is now", i.e. they used to be better at it. Also those players didn't join their clubs on deadline day. Ampadu's been messed around a bit for whatever reason, he's been in this limbo where he's been considered a decent cover option if they can't get their targets, leading to him scrambling for a move when they inevitably do. His big mistake has been not looking to force a move from Chelsea and stupidly signing a longer deal with them
Yep, he should have flown the nest, but I wouldn't say his time in Italy has been wasted, as he has played regularly while being under constant pressure from opposing teams. Not many players have to defend for 90 minutes week after week in a game of attackers v defenders
Connor Gallagher joined West Brom on loan in mid September. Just feels like youre making excuses for him. Its a season long loan, so what if he joined on deadline day.
At some point, especially after 4 years on loan, you cant keep blaming the loan system or quality of teams loaned to. If youre going to the top youll shine wherever you go on loan.
Is going somewhere like Huddersfield or Lorient any better than Spezia or Venezia?
That was the covid season though which messes with timings, he'd played for Swansea on July 29th. Ampadu joined Sheffield United about a week before and I wasn't moaning about that being an issue for him. Everything was odd then.
Professionals bang on about the importance of pre season, joining that late is hardly ideal especially if you don't know the language.
A loan to a decent side is better than a loan to a bad side
I'm bookmarking this thread
He has played Champions League, he had a great game in the knockouts for Leipzig against spurs:
https://www.90min.com/posts/6561017-...lsea-next-year
Granted it may be his only appearance due to injuries
I think he hasn't been handled well by Chelsea, which can be said for a lot of their players. I still think he'll go on to have a career at the top level.
He's a very good player, but I don't think he does enough with the ball to play in midfield at the top level (champions league) and makes too many errors in defence to be a central defender at that level also. I think long term he will be a ball playing central defender at a mid table premier league side or other top european league. Which is still really good - wales need more players at that level.
Another Welsh player viewed through the rose tinted specs. No doubt he's a player, he's at Chelsea and played in Serie A, where he ends up could be anywhere between Fulham and Plymouth.
However, say he wasn't Welsh and he has the exact international record in N. Irelnad for example and we went to sign him....can you imagine this board