Clarke, Seriki or Gilchrist

[Dave]

Very simple. (Mainly to prove uneducated chelsea fans on twitter they know nothing). Who starts if available for the rest of the season in your opinion

 

[Stanthemanfan]

Not even a valid argument
Seriki looks to me to like he could potentially be the next Kyle walker if he can improve his defending
And I'm sorry, gilchrist will never play for chelsea

 

[Dave]

Not even a valid argument
Seriki looks to me to like he could potentially be the next Kyle walker if he can improve his defending

Depends what you class as improve his defending. Walker wasn't great defensively. He was unbelievable at his recovery. Thats what made him unplayable. Seriki has already shown signs of this. His duels etc are better than Gilchrists already this season

 

[Stanthemanfan]

Depends what you class as improve his defending. Walker wasn't great defensively. He was unbelievable at his recovery. Thats what made him unplayable. Seriki has already shown signs of this. His duels etc are better than Gilchrists already this season

I mean more as in his positioning in defence and knowing where his man is, not ball watching etc
He, s already 1 of my fav players, can't wait to see how far he can go, hopefully with us

 

[Sheffsteel]

It depends?

Gilchriest seems to be the better defensively. Been quite good and solid this season apart from his last 2 matches when he looked dodgy.

Sereki is easily the best going forward, more of a speed beast with a higher ceiling. Altho Sereki is a fantastic weapon to bring on as sub as he’s been game changer a few times this season.

Clarke can do a bit of both, can’t defend as good as Gilchriest and can’t attack as well as Sereki. He’s played 3 matches for us, he’s been poor, really good then poor again.

Clarke has been given a chance, it’s too early to judge but if he doesn’t get his act together I’d go back to starting matches with Gilchriest with Sereki coming on for him on 70 minutes.

So Sereki has the bigger future, think he could be another Kyle Walker and potential England player but regards starting matches unless Clarke improves I’d vote for Gilchriest to start with Sereki being given the last 20 minutes to terrorise defences.

 

[3Cheers4Ramirez]

Gilchrist over Clarke still, for me

Seriki over Gilchrist but it's irrelevant because he's never fit

Gilchrist won't play for Chelsea and will struggle to make it at PL level, but he'll have a good career

 

[DronnieBlade]

Gilchrist the best defender.

Seriki the best offensive RB / RWB.

Clarkey a bit of both.

Seriki would be better alongside a 3 at the back. As would Burrows.

UTB

Edit - 2 minutes too late

 

[robbiez666]

Seriki is really not that good.

 

[nopigfansintown]

Horses for courses

 

[Millhousesblade1889]

Seriki is a poor defender. He’s very good going forward.

If he can work on his fitness and defending he’ll become a very good player.

If we were playing lower end teams I’d say Seriki as well be attacking more than defending. If we’re playing anyone in the top 6 I’d say Clarke. I’m not sure Gilchrist is a right back.

 

[Proper Blade]

Gilchrist is very poor. Everyone says he's a great defender but he's not even that - he's often caught miles out of position or getting absolutely skinned. He has been carried most of the season - if he was in a struggling team with more defending to do then he would have been sent back already.

 

[bertieblade]

Gilchrist is very poor. Everyone says he's a great defender but he's not even that - he's often caught miles out of position or getting absolutely skinned. He has been carried most of the season - if he was in a struggling team with more defending to do then he would have been sent back already.

Must admit that Anel does look a better player with Clark alongside him

 

[BladeInIreland]

Yet to see seriki be poor defensively, he just gets branded as such because he's great offensively. His block against the pigs springs to mind, he did another one very similar but i can't remember who against. Both showed excellent reading of the game.

 

[Jimmy Fleck]

Seriki is a poor defender. He’s very good going forward.

If he can work on his fitness and defending he’ll become a very good player.

If we were playing lower end teams I’d say Seriki as well be attacking more than defending. If we’re playing anyone in the top 6 I’d say Clarke. I’m not sure Gilchrist is a right back.

Seriki is not a poor defender

 

[NotFallowfieldBlade]

Absoloute waffle that seriki is a poor defender

He reminds me of Djed Spence

 

[Younger Dryas Blade]

Vas puts them all to shame.

 

[Millhousesblade1889]

Seriki is not a poor defender

He got absolutely torn apart at West Brom away against a very good left winger. 1 of only 2 games he’s started this season.

All the other games he’s played has either been bit parts or in matches were attacking. I’d say his best overall game this season was against Wednesday & Sunderland but he played 45 minutes

He is a championship right back defensively and there’s nothing wrong with that, but when we play the better teams of this division and if we go up I’m not sure he’s good enough defensively.

Hope I’m wrong.

 

[Nick Jansky]

I think there is a good chance we will be seeing Johnjo Kenny in that position next season.

 

[1889]

Seriki has clearly put a huge amount of work in this summer. He is physically much stronger for it, his all round game has improved and he’s better equipped to make the right back position his own.
In my opinion, he is far better than Gilchrist or Clarke, neither of whom I would take on a permanent basis.

Serikis, Achilles heel, is his fitness, which is worrying, but since he’s only 21, it’s maybe something he will hopefully grow out of ?

 

[S64 Blade]

Seriki. As others have said his only real weakness is just the fact he seems to be injury prone.

 

[Shadota]

In a vacuum, assuming no injuries, etc., then it is Seriki all the way for a few reasons:

• He's the best offensive option of the 3. With the current tactic of playing with inverted wingers, this is crucial to not become predictable. No offensive fullback makes it easy to anticipate the winger's run inside onto the dominant foot - a fullback overlapping gives defenders doubt over where the ball is going to go
• Potential to far exceed either of the other 2 as a RB
• He's our player. Not a loanee

He got absolutely torn apart at West Brom away against a very good left winger. 1 of only 2 games he’s started this season.

All the other games he’s played has either been bit parts or in matches were attacking. I’d say his best overall game this season was against Wednesday & Sunderland but he played 45 minutes

His introduction vs Sunderland completely nullified their best player in that game (Watson), who is also a very good left winger.

Not disputing his performance vs West Brom, but Gilchrist got torn to shreds in that first half vs Watson, so it's not exactly damning against Seriki that he also struggled against one.

 

[Millhousesblade1889]

In a vacuum, assuming no injuries, etc., then it is Seriki all the way for a few reasons:

• He's the best offensive option of the 3. With the current tactic of playing with inverted wingers, this is crucial to not become predictable. No offensive fullback makes it easy to anticipate the winger's run inside onto the dominant foot - a fullback overlapping gives defenders doubt over where the ball is going to go
• Potential to far exceed either of the other 2 as a RB
• He's our player. Not a loanee

His introduction vs Sunderland completely nullified their best player in that game (Watson), who is also a very good left winger.

Not disputing his performance vs West Brom, but Gilchrist got torn to shreds in that first half vs Watson, so it's not exactly damning against Seriki that he also struggled against one.

The Sunderland game he turned it on its head and got Watson worried about his defensive duties rather than his attacking.

Do I think he’s ready to step up a league though? And do I think he’s ready to be a big player against the better teams, I’m not sure.

I really like Seriki I love watching him getting forward, but I wish he could do that without wondering if he’s going to pull a muscle and the jury for me is still out defensively.

 

[Matlock Blade]

Seriki, Gilchrist, Clarke. In that order. Anybody else seen a rumour that Gilchrist won't play for us again?

 

[Kozzy_is_my_Dad]

Where is Seriki by the way?

 

[Nick Jansky]

Where is Seriki by the way?

Shirecliffe, mostly. Recovering from injury.

 

[ThatJa]

Seriki, Gilchrist, Clarke. In that order. Anybody else seen a rumour that Gilchrist won't play for us again?

I was told we tried to send him back to Chelsea in Jan and Chelsea were willing but only if they could find a replacement loanee club on the same terms, something they wasn't able to do and therefore he remains on loan with us.

The fact we can only have 5 loanees in a matchday squad and hes the one specifically to miss out each time, I believe those rumours are probably true now.

 

[Boxer Blade]

To be fair to Gilchrist he's not a full back, he reminds me of a player helping out in a position he can cover to see a game out to help the side.

 

[GymClassHero]

I'm also of the opinion that Seriki being poor defensively is a myth, purely because he's so good offensively. Seems to be quite a common theme with full backs who are good going forward - 'they are poor defensively'.

Used to hear it a lot with Kyle Walker from other PL teams that he was suspect defensively or that 'his pace gets him out of jail'.

Just a common daft, and lazy assumption from people that usually don't know what they're talking about IMO.

 

[bladesmanluke]

Femi Seriki is an absolute monster so not a fair question. Real shame he can't seem to keep fit

 

[robbiez666]

I'm not sure where people get this great defender Seriki image from? His positioning, tracking, concentration etc is poor. Sure, he can put a block or tackle in but defending is much more than that. I don't think the other two are good in this area either.