Ruben Loftus-Cheek mauled a man on live TV, Chelsea fans approve
![By joshjdss (Chelsea Vs Maccabi Tel-Aviv) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape%2Fcover%2Fsport%2F50f3fbddf0f1ff47239d1edd663eb0f5668a85f02be0045d4747d67735fd18c7.jpg "By joshjdss (Chelsea Vs Maccabi Tel-Aviv) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons")
Antonio Conte remembered Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s name for the FA Cup match against Peterborough. The Posh hope to forget what the young Chelsea man did to them.
When Conte designed his lineup with Ruben Loftus-Cheek in midfield, a mustache probably instantly sprouted just so he could twirl it. The young English wonderkid had not been seen in blue since October. With Chelsea’s roster fairly well set and a transfer window ripe for the shuffling of loanees, it was up to Loftus-Cheek to remind everyone why he was still around.
Loftus-Cheek used and discarded Peterborough simply to prove a point. Speed, acceleration, strength, power, technique, skill, and quickness… he laid it all out against the Posh, who are still struggling to make sense of what happened.
To protect the innocent I will not be naming Loftus-Cheek’s favorite Peterborough play-toy. After all, he has a family, and likely a mother that loves him dearly. His purpose on this day, however, was to exist as an easily discarded obstacle that Ruben Loftus-Cheek could discard in a manner that made people shriek “OMG DID YOU SEE HOW HE DISCARDED THAT OBSTACLE!”
Loftus-Cheek has all the physical tools to dominate the game, and showed a greater desire vs Peterborough. He's a 6'3" beast, just look #CFC pic.twitter.com/r1oeEfBOiO
— Dan (@DanielMcclue) January 10, 2017
Sprinting with the ball, Loftus-Cheek kept the charging defender at bay with his size and his speed. Needing to create space, he checked the ball behind the defender and tried to run onto it. The defender panicked and latched onto the 6’3” 20-year-old(!). RLC does not panic. In fact, the weight of the man leaning on him did not restrict his options in any way.
The poor Posh pulls at the young Blue, hoping that the referee’s whistle would end his stint as a rag doll. But no such whistle came. Loftus-Cheek executes a blindingly quick spin and delicate stab-touch to move the ball into the space he would soon spin toward.
Look closely at the defender after the spin move: that’s defeat.
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He did not give up a goal and he was not physically injured in any way. But like an ancient warrior coming home after a lost battle, he had seen some things and he does not want to talk about them. He just kind of trots, engaged with his teammates-in-shirt-color only. It was now their turn to stop the thing he had just witnessed.
That incident showed the promise of potential that makes Ruben Loftus-Cheek so damn frustrating. His potential raises the volume of the quiver behind rivals’ cynicism as they silently pray their words prove true. Loftus-Cheek has the potential to erase Chelsea fans’ memories of current starters and fast-forward their own lives in hopes of living in a world in which RLC has put it all together.
The size, talent and speed are all there. His last challenge is to lasso them with any sort of fluidity. Make no mistake, that is a massive undertaking for a kid who can not even legally drink in America yet. But. He. Is. So. Danged. Close!
It is a shame John Terry’s sending off forced Ruben Loftus-Cheek off as well. He looked primed to take a few more cracks at goal. Peterborough’s weary legs were thankful to see him trot off. Still, his all-around performance was one of those to reignite hopes of his potential.
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