[Albion] Marc Cucurella *Signed For Chelsea 05/08/2022*

[Seagull27]

New players take time to settle in and get consistency, especially with a step up in level. We were very lucky that we didn't need that with Cucu, but it's rare.

You only need to look at criticism of Estupinan and Undav on here to see the same, and Mitoma hasn't got the game time he might have liked at this point.

Problem is at that level, there is less patience for you to find your feet.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

Seems he's getting a bit of a pounding at Chelsea at present. Some questioning his quality, being subbed and dropped for champions league game?. Apart from the loads of dosh he's earning is the grass greener?

For the obscene amount of money he is raking in, l doubt he could care less what colour the grass is.

 

[Bodian]

New players take time to settle in and get consistency, especially with a step up in level. We were very lucky that we didn't need that with Cucu, but it's rare.

You only need to look at criticism of Estupinan and Undav on here to see the same, and Mitoma hasn't got the game time he might have liked at this point.

Problem is at that level, there is less patience for you to find your feet.

Step up in level??

 

[Seagull27]

Step up in level??

View attachment 151618

Good point [emoji23]

 

[Sarisbury Seagull]

It's September 7th.

He's a quality player, he will be fine.

 

[Mancgull]

I appreciate that he'll be on loads of money, and that may cushion the blow of not playing regularly, but I doubt whether sitting on the bench would have been his vision when he signed for £62m.
He won't play every match anyway due to Chelsea playing in Europe and the Premier League but I expect he will have viewed himself as being a regular starter, as would have Yves at Spurs.
I wonder how much of this is down to their ability or the showcasing of their talent that an expansive style at Brighton backed by Potter's faith in them elevated them to?
In Yves's case I really hope that he breaks through to be a Spurs regular. In Cucu's case maybe less so due to his handing in of a transfer request.

 

[Berty23]

As I have put on another thread, it might actually be better for us if they do spend time on the bench. It might make players more likely to stay with us! Just because Ben White has gone in and done well from the start, it doesn’t mean that everyone will. Granted players will probably still back themselves but seeing players like Biss and Cuc benched might make them think they are better off staying where they are loved and appreciated. Maybe I am dreaming but maybe it might make them think.

 

[Swansman]

Early days but I get the impression they've bought him without having no real plan how to use him. Chilwell is good but I think Cucurella could be useful on their stale midfield or as a roaming LCB.

 

[GT49er]

As I have put on another thread, it might actually be better for us if they do spend time on the bench. It might make players more likely to stay with us! Just because Ben White has gone in and done well from the start, it doesn’t mean that everyone will. Granted players will probably still back themselves but seeing players like Biss and Cuc benched might make them think they are better off staying where they are loved and appreciated. Maybe I am dreaming but maybe it might make them think.

Arsenal fans were quite vocal wondering why they'd bought Ben White when they alredy had Saliba. Now that Saliba has returned from his loan, they've got thheir wish and White has been shunted out to RB to accommodate Saliba in the centre alongshde Gabriel..

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

If Chilwell and Cucurella are both fit and in form Chilwell will play. He's the better player. Cucu at the moment is competing for a place in the back 3, probably with Fofana or might get rotated in sometimes.

We could have a pop, but there are players we've signed who are now in the same position. Estupinan the most recent example, who could have stayed a big fish in a (relatively) small pond, but left for more money and is now finding out how tough it will be to establish himself.

Big clubs and the pundit class, have no understanding of how our success has been formed. They take a look at Brighton being high up in the league and latch on to the highly superficial narrative, "they must be up there because they've chanced on a star player, we'll buy them". Then they get disappointed when the star player turns out not to be as good as they hoped. What they don't reason is that we're up there because of our stable internal structures and an ability to extract more than the sum of our parts on the field. They don't understand that, how could they? They're primed in the the thinking that if you're not winning enough games it's because you need more galacticos.

 

[Swansman]

Arsenal fans were quite vocal wondering why they'd bought Ben White when they alredy had Saliba. Now that Saliba has returned from his loan, they've got thheir wish and White has been shunted out to RB to accommodate Saliba in the centre alongshde Gabriel..

He's done well as RB though. He also doesn't strike me as someone who gives a shit where he plays. I thought he would eventually turn into a defensive midfielder but could see him staying in the RB role permanently.

 

[Justice]

As I have put on another thread, it might actually be better for us if they do spend time on the bench. It might make players more likely to stay with us! Just because Ben White has gone in and done well from the start, it doesn’t mean that everyone will. Granted players will probably still back themselves but seeing players like Biss and Cuc benched might make them think they are better off staying where they are loved and appreciated. Maybe I am dreaming but maybe it might make them think.

If we also paid £100k a week you may have a point.

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

As I have put on another thread, it might actually be better for us if they do spend time on the bench. It might make players more likely to stay with us! Just because Ben White has gone in and done well from the start, it doesn’t mean that everyone will. Granted players will probably still back themselves but seeing players like Biss and Cuc benched might make them think they are better off staying where they are loved and appreciated. Maybe I am dreaming but maybe it might make them think.

A few big money player sales who don't impress might (but very well might not) help suppress the value of future bids which would mean they're much less likely to be accepted.

It sounds counter-intuitive, after all, if player A flunks somewhere, why would that mean player B is more likely to flunk somewhere else? But nobody wants to look stupid in the transfer market, it's an illogical place where millions of pounds are spent on questionable assumptions. Whether a narrative that Brighton players don't go on to perform for the big 6 is good for us or not, i'm not sure

 

[Swansman]

If we also paid £100k a week you may have a point.

Indeed. Might be crying on the bench but he'll be laughing at the bank and in whatever castle he will buy for himself.

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

He's done well as RB though. He also doesn't strike me as someone who gives a shit where he plays. I thought he would eventually turn into a defensive midfielder but could see him staying in the RB role permanently.

I don't agree. It will be clear to him his chance of appearing for England in the world cup and beyond are far greater served by featuring as a centre back than a right back, (where we have one or two others)

He's done ok there, but while he was here he looked far more a centre back than a full back, and what I've seen of Arsenal I still don't think they're getting the best out of him.

 

[dazzer6666]

If Chilwell and Cucurella are both fit and in form Chilwell will play. He's the better player. Cucu at the moment is competing for a place in the back 3, probably with Fofana or might get rotated in sometimes.

We could have a pop, but there are players we've signed who are now in the same position. Estupinan the most recent example, who could have stayed a big fish in a (relatively) small pond, but left for more money and is now finding out how tough it will be to establish himself.

Big clubs and the pundit class, have no understanding of how our success has been formed. They take a look at Brighton being high up in the league and latch on to the highly superficial narrative, "they must be up there because they've chanced on a star player, we'll buy them". Then they get disappointed when the star player turns out not to be as good as they hoped. What they don't reason is that we're up there because of our stable internal structures and an ability to extract more than the sum of our parts on the field. They don't understand that, how could they? They're primed in the the thinking that if you're not winning enough games it's because you need more galacticos.

Spot on. There’s a knock-on effect for the player as well as not getting minutes - for players like Trossard for example, whilst he could probably have got a move to a ‘big’ club, there’s every chance his world cup prospects would have been impacted through lack of game time (or at least not shining in a team of superstars). Do wonder if the experience of Cucurella and Biss (so far at least) will actually help us retain players for longer in the long term. Biss hasn’t played much at all and Cucu is stuck in what is a bit of a shitshow all round at Chelsea at the moment.

 

[Javeaseagull]

If Chilwell and Cucurella are both fit and in form Chilwell will play. He's the better player. Cucu at the moment is competing for a place in the back 3, probably with Fofana or might get rotated in sometimes.

Wasn't he bought to replace Alonso? Chilwell had a lot of time out through injury and the competition Cucu brings seems to have boosted him to another level, maybe.

 

[Swansman]

I don't agree. It will be clear to him his chance of appearing for England in the world cup and beyond are far greater served by featuring as a centre back than a right back, (where we have one or two others)

He's done ok there, but while he was here he looked far more a centre back than a full back, and what I've seen of Arsenal I still don't think they're getting the best out of him.

Get the impression he is a super professional and if Arteta tells him to play goalie he'll do it with that benwhitean emotionless facial expression we all know and love. Dont think Arsenal could care less about what Southgate wants or doesnt want.

 

[rippleman]

I would just throw in that Biss and Cucu might have been stars for us partly because of the way they were coached and managed.

There are many players who are happy to be benchwarmers and bank the £100K+ a week. The Tariq's are few and far between.

Biss and Cucu have made their beds; they jumped aboard the gravy train and I'm not particularly fussed whether their gravy train runs on time or gets cancelled due to over-running engineering works.

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

Get the impression he is a super professional and if Arteta tells him to play goalie he'll do it with that benwhitean emotionless facial expression we all know and love. Dont think Arsenal could care less about what Southgate wants or doesnt want.

Hmm, but Ben White clearly cares what Gareth Southgate thinks. But agree he's highly professional