Quaresma on Loan—How Excited Are You?

Scolari’s prayers for signing a dribbler have been answered. Thank God for that. I thought we won’t sign anyone in this window. Ricardo Quaresma signs for Chelsea on a loan until the end of this season.

I like Quaresma. He could just be the change that we need now. And Chelsea could just be the change Quaresma needs now. It’s a perfect marriage, isn’t it? Chelsea are hovering around champions league spot and they go and get Quaresma who himself is struggling to make an appearance at Inter. I also know that he has generally failed more than he succeeded.

He was adored at Porto but his stint at Barca and Inter are less than impressive. Jose bought him for Inter at about 12m. He played him for about 10 matches and then went back to Inter’s old formation because 4-3-3 did not work for Inter and he was not happy with Quaresma. This is what he had said on Quaresma:

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"He is a great talent, but the joy I have at seeing the way Ibra works for and with the team I do not yet have with Quaresma. He will have to learn, otherwise he won’t play, and I am sure he’ll change and become more tactically disciplined. He likes kicking the ball with the outside of his foot, but if you ask me about him in a few months’ time we’ll be talking about a different Quaresma."

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TSO would be the last one to help his champions league rival. That’s why it concerns me instead of comforting me. Is this like Fergie letting go Silvestre to join Arsenal? I know I’m taking it a bit too far. Or may be JM genuinely wanted to help Chelsea while he can give some first team football to his favourite man.

Quaresma can be good. At 25 years, he is at the right age to unleash his talent and realise his potential. Scolari has worked with Quaresma as you would expect him to do with anyone of Portuguese or Brazilian origin. May be it was Scolari who named him, who gave him a debut and was the priest in the church where he got married. There seems to be a strong connection between Quaresma and Scolari.

Quaresma is coming on a loan deal until the end of this season. I don’t think there is an option to buy at the end of the contract or such stuff. JM would want him back. If Inter win the Serie A, expect JM to make Inter play 4-3-3 with Quaresma and Mancini or even Messi! He wouldn’t try that this season because, he wants to win the title no matter what. So I think Quaresma would go back to Inter.

So that means less than 20 matches roughly. Quaresma must be fit and raring to go after making just over 10 appearances for Inter. Probably, he could be the fittest first team Chelsea player after probably Cech or Anelka.

I would bet my house on Scolari starting Quaresma at every single opportunity as long as he can stand on one foot. That’s because he ticks too many boxes, especially the ones like "nationality", "language", etc. At least, Quaresma would put an end to the 4-1-4-1. With an out and out winger like Quaresma, I would expect Scolari to play an orthodox 4-3-3 (may be we should have got Amantino Mancini too!).

The guy has got skill and he is a dribbler. As with any naturally skilled dribbler, his tactical discipline is a worry. As it is we are congesting the final third so much that it sometimes feels like we are playing with 15 men. I’m curious to know if Quaresma would be given a freer role to roam around with his dribbling skills. I’m curious to know what role would Scolari assign to him.

I know we’ve got a poor man’s Robinho. But this is Scolari’s last trump card.

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