Branislav Ivanovic Provides Versatility To Chelsea FC’s Defense
Chelsea FC defender Branislav Ivanovic is a hard working player who is capable of playing all across the defensive backline. He is deployed at centerback for the Serbian national team but plays right back for Chelsea where he has started the majority of the club’s matches there for years. He has excelled at that right back position defensively though his crossing often leaves something to be desired.
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If the rumors are to be believed then Ivanovic will no longer be first choice with Cezar Azpilicueta taking back his natural position and Filipe Luis playing left back. This means that Branislav Ivanovic would be the first backup for both the centerback and rightback positions, giving Jose Mourinho an enviable and versatile option off the bench.
"‘We are working hard, we are still not ready to produce our best performances, we have to improve but we are going in the right direction at the moment. It’s important for the manager to have players who can play in different positions, it enables him to mix it up when he needs to. I’ve always said I’m comfortable playing in both positions, I’m happy to do that but it’s up to the manager where he wants to play me.’‘We are getting better, we are training very well. The intensity of the sessions and the matches is getting higher every time. The opponents we are coming up against are also getting tougher and we’ve adapted to each challenge quickly.” – Branislav IvanovicSource: ChelseaFC.com"
Ideally there will be a rotation between the two fullback spots with Cesar Azpilicueta getting the majority of the minutes. He was Chelsea’s best player last season and has shown that he is great at playing either fullback position. Having both Ivanovic and Azpilicueta at the same position may give Jose Mourinho some selection headaches but it is an enviable position given Chelsea’s often busy fixture schedule.
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