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Here’s a thread of me rambling about the state of Chelsea FC in 2021. It’s quiet long, so likes & RT’s are very much appreciated.
Will break it down in 2 parts, Recruitment and Coaching.
Will break it down in 2 parts, Recruitment and Coaching.
RECRUITEMENT:
Excuse me for being harsh, but it was dreadful last window. Obviously, it is very early on in the careers of guys like Havertz & Werner, however, I can't help but think that Marina Granovskaia's strategy was not the optimal way to spend £220 million.
Excuse me for being harsh, but it was dreadful last window. Obviously, it is very early on in the careers of guys like Havertz & Werner, however, I can't help but think that Marina Granovskaia's strategy was not the optimal way to spend £220 million.
In general, CFC's attack last season was arguably their main strength, with Pulisic, Tammy & CHO being a top 4 level front 3 already, imo, with huge room for improvement. I really don't feel like their was a need for a £165 million investment to fix something that was not broken
That is especially the case when big weaknesses exist in many other positions. Ziyech was quiet sensible, since a volume creator was a lacking profile in their squad, however the 2 young germans, while very talented, are 2 odd fits, in a pretty much set system.
Havertz is clearly not a #8 in a 4-3-3, and lacks the physical aspects to thrive in the PL in the short-term. Werner has really only succeeded in a very different system, playing as a SS/LF off a natural CF. CFC already have 2 of them, but that would be a waste, ...
considering the existing talent on the wing. As well as that, reports have indicated that Lampard is under pressure from the higher-ups to use both of their expensive attacking investments, despite the poor fit.
Thiago Silva is still Thiago Silva, but presents a short term fix to a poor defence. Chilwell, while being a top 5 PL LB, is very much an overpay at 50 million, considering guys like Tierney & Reguilon went for half that.
Mendy showed great early sings, but remains an unproven option, in CFC's weakest position. The £0 investment in midfield is a big concern, as Kante has heavily declined in the past 2 years, while Jorginho & Kovacic, are clearly not reliable enough options at this point.
COACHING:
Lampard showed last season that he is a quality young coach, however, amid the summer's questionable recruitment, he has come under heavy scrutiny after a run of poor results. All sings point towards his sacking in the near future.
Lampard showed last season that he is a quality young coach, however, amid the summer's questionable recruitment, he has come under heavy scrutiny after a run of poor results. All sings point towards his sacking in the near future.
Other than the underperformance of attackers, I have noticed some serious structural problems. In 19/20, Lampard looked like a top coach in terms of BTL interplay and positional play in the final 3rd, however, I've been perplexed by some of the things I've seen recently.
A lot of the times in the build-up, I see forwards, midfielders and FB's operating in the exact same spaces, with players not knowing when to provide width or depth. This has also led to some poor coverage in transition, when the ball is lost (see: my JdP thread). Example vs AFC:
A different reoccurring issue during Lampard's tenure is the pressing scheme in display. Jorginho last year against Bayern received plenty of criticism for being seen in positions like below, unnecessarily high up the pitch to press, in their 1st leg against Bayern.
However, this season, Kante has been the main guy at #6, and has been caught in similar positions all over the season, showing that the problem is structural, and not individual. My good mate @pressingtrigger explains this: https://twitter.com/pressingtrigger/status/1345784274058768385?s=20
To finally conclude, while CFC's summer transfer window was very questionable, at least in the short term, Lampard has not covered himself in glory recently. It is certainly a tricky situation, and the decisions made will have implications in both the near & long-term future.
