In our latest episode of The Chelsea Spot Podcast, Paree (Owner – @CFCParee) was joined by Raph (Guest – @raphhh___) & Peter (Guest – @23Pankovski) to discuss Chelsea’s disgraceful 4-0 loss to Arsenal in pre-season, just two weeks before the official season begins. The boys discussed playing with a 4atb formation, Kai Havertz’s performances up top, Tuchel’s massive hypocrisy in his post match press conference and the academy’s pre-season so far!
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Been a while, hasn’t it? After what feels like an eternity, Chelsea are back in competitive action, and boy are we back with a bang. Following the Champions League triumph in May (yes, it really was over two months ago when we finally lifted the biggest prize in club football again), the Blues take centre stage once again, and this time, we face the Europa League champions with a trophy that has eluded the Blues on the last three occasions on the line.
Chelsea were bulldozed 4-1 by Atletico Madrid in 2012, and one year later lost to Bayern Munich on penalties, as the German giants got their revenge after Chelsea beat them in their own backyard (yes, I just had to) one year prior to claim their first ever Champions League trophy. Fast forward to 2019, and the SW6 once again lost on penalties, this time to then Champions of Europe, Liverpool. However, as the famous saying goes, the thir… I mean, fourth times a charm, and surely this time, Chelsea can finally secure the Super Cup for the first time since 1998.
The Champions of Europe (I may rinse that over the coming season, and you can do nothing about it), take to Belfast for what is sure to be a real ding-dong battle with Villarreal, who under no circumstances may be underestimated. Just ask our Mancunian “friends”. But in all seriousness, Chelsea must win this game to give them the most momentum they can get going into the opening league game with Crystal Palace. The Blues have already been in good form throughout preseason, beating Peterborough, Bournemouth, Arsenal, and drawing with Tottenham. Victory in Belfast would be the icing on the cake, and will also be a good demonstration for Thomas Tuchel, to see how up for the season his players are.
Team news and updates:
As far as team news goes, everyone is available for the match. Tuchel gave an update regarding players who returned late following international duties, such as Mason Mount and Jorginho, with the gaffer saying that eight days in training is not the ideal amount of time for the players to then jump straight into a European final like this.
With that being said, I do expect Jorge and Mason will be in contention for a start, as the two were among the very best last season. To predict a line up for this game would just be far too difficult, as only Tuchel knows how his players have been during pre-season and training. But we’re going to do one anyway.
Thiago just misses out for me due to his lack of training and minutes during pre-season. As for J5 and Mason, the duo make my eleven due to their sheer importance to our side. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Pulisic, Kovacic or Ziyech start however, after the Moroccan netted five times during pre-season.
Players to watch:
Kai Havertz: King Kai. The man who secured us our second Champions League trophy will be sure to light Belfast up on Wednesday evening, with the German international impressing at the Euros as well as carrying his late season form into pre-season. Havertz will be looking to pick up where he left off in royal blue.
Gerard Moreno: Moreno will certainly have a point to prove after he struggled to pick up any real momentum during his time with Spain at the Euros. The centre forward had an impressive season in La Liga last year, netting 23 times and grabbing seven assists in 33 games. The 29-year-old will hope that last seasons numbers can be replicated this year, starting with the Super Cup.
The UEFA Champions League is the most coveted European cup competition. Chelsea FC are one of ten teams who have won this prestigious competition once in their existence, and are looking to double that tally when they face Manchester City on the 29th of May. Chelsea won their solo Champions League title back in 2012, when Didier Drogba slotted home the winning penalty in a 1-1 draw againt German superpowers Bayern Munich. But what has changed at the club since that fabled night in Munich?
Squad
Nine years is a relatively long time but seems to be a lifetime in football.
The penalty shootout victory over Bayern Munich wrote the etched the names of a special group of players in the history books, with Didier Drogba, Petr Cech, and a left-midfield Ryan Bertrand heralded for their roles in the Blues’ victory. Not a single player from that star studded remains at Chelsea – and you can see why, it has been 9 years since we’re back in the Champions League, and players that were in their prime in 2012, are now either retired or at smaller clubs (David Luiz at Arsenal comes to mind), playing in the twilight years of their careers.
Petr Cech, Jose Bosingwa, Ashley Cole, Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba, Ross Turnbull, Michael Essien, Paulo Ferreira, Florent Malouda and Fernando Torres have all hung up their boots on illustrious careers, while the likes of David Luiz, Juan Mata, Gary Cahill, John Obi Mikel, Ryan Bertrand, Salomon Kalou and Oriol Romeu continue to ply their trades at different clubs, scattered across the world.
2012 UCL winning team
After years of rebuilding, Chelsea seem to have a star studded squad reminiscent of Chelsea back in 2012 , with talisman Mason Mount emerging as the team’s driving force. Eduoard Mendy, Chelsea’s Senegalese goalkeeper, who signed from Rennes this season, is doing his best Petr Cech impression – keeping 8 clean sheets in the UCL, a backline consisting of a permutation of Cesar Azpilicueta, Thiago Silva, Andreas Christensen, Antonio Rudiger and Kurt Zouma playing their best football and ensuring that Mendy’s job is reduced. Jorginho has been revived under Thomas Tuchel and has been a revelation playing in a pivot with the likes of N’golo Kante, Billy Gilmour and Matteo Kovacic. The wingbacks’ Reece James and Ben Chilwell too have developed into instrumental players for the squad. A huge summer spree, netted the likes of Timo Werner, Kai Havertz and Hakim Ziyech who join the likes of Tammy Abraham, Christian Pulisic, Olivier Giroud and Callum Hudson Odoi to create a lethal and world class strike force. I’d go as far as saying that the talent the present squad possesses is on par with the 2012 squad.
2021 UCL winning team
Manager
Since 2012 Chelsea have gone from Roberto Di Matteo, who arrived mid season, won them them the Champions League, and was promptly sacked – to Thomas Tuchel , another manager who has arrived midway through the season, but doesn’t look sack-able in the least.
Di Matteo took charge of a squad that was still fighting for a Champions League spot in the Premier League, and for a place in the quarter finals of the FA Cup and the Champions League. Chelsea could still win two trophies, though Torres scoring a hat trick looked more likely at that time. What Boas lacked in man-management, Di Matteo had it in him plentiful. He got the ‘old guard’ of Chelsea performing as if they were in their prime. Lampard, Drogba, Terry were at the center of Chelsea victories with a good supporting cast of Ivanovic and Ramires. The team overturned the deficit against Napoli and waltzed into the UCL semifinals. What happened next, possibly changed their season. Playing against probably the best team of our time, a resilient Chelsea team managed to beat Barcelona over two legs and even avoided defeat at the Camp Nou despite being down to 10 men. Spurred by this confidence, Di Matteo’s team went on to beat Liverpool in the FA Cup finals. Towards the end of the season, Roberto di Matteo seemed to give up on his team’s chances in the Premier League, often playing second-string line ups even against teams like Arsenal and Liverpool. But, having gambled next season’s UCL qualification on winning the UCL tournament itself, paid off when they defeated Bayern Munich in Munich.
Roberto Di Matteo
Thomas Tuchel
When Tuchel took over, though, he never gave the impression that Chelsea were a team crying out for huge repairs. He looked at his squad, found little wrong with it and simply tweaked the system, switching to a 3-4-2-1 formation that gave them a better structure. Chelsea look impenetrable at the moment, with Édouard Mendy impressing in goal. They have kept 18 clean sheets in Tuchel’s first 24 games and look equipped to take on City in Istanbul on 29 May. Tuchel has already recorded one big win against Guardiola this season, outwitting his friend when Chelsea won their FA Cup semi-final against City last month.
The natural temptation is to hark back to previous mid-season managerial changes by Abramovich, who saw Avram Grant take Chelsea to the Champions League final in 2008 and Roberto Di Matteo win the tournament four years later. But this is different. Chelsea were on auto-pilot under Grant and they had plenty of luck under Di Matteo. There is no comparison to be made with this controlled run under Tuchel.
P.S Here’s a fun thread for you to enjoy comparing 2012 to 2021 in the footballing world, and explaining why this is Chelsea’s year
Last time we sacked a young manager mid season? 2012
Last time Liverpool lost back to back home league games? 2012
A special encounter between two of England’s biggest clubs awaits us this Saturday morning. A tie that never disappoints, and is indulged in a rich history, despite the infrequent bouts. This fixture at Elland Road marks just the third time in a decade that the two sides have met, with the previous two both going Chelsea’s way. Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta was part of the Chelsea side that dispatched of Leeds in the 2012 EFL Cup Quarter Finals, helping the Blues win 5-1 at Elland Road. Now, nine years on, he looks likely to captain the side in game week 28 of the Premier League season.
Chelsea certainly look to be the favourites heading into Saturday’s early kick off, with Thomas Tuchel’s men now unbeaten in 12 games, 11 under his reign. The German has got Chelsea looking unstoppable, and the Blues are now pressing even closer to Leicester and Manchester United in 2nd and 3rd. Top four is the ultimate goal for Chelsea this season, but to tip either of the aforementioned sides would be a tremendous achievement for the German manager, who took charge of Chelsea in January. Chelsea have also conceded just two goals under Thomas Tuchel, a stat which the Blues will want to keep alive following the game with Leeds. This shouldn’t be a problem if the London side can keep former Blue, Patrick Bamford at bay.
Leeds on the other hand are not in admirable form, losing four out of their last five games. The Whites sit in 11th place, three points off Arsenal in 10th. Marcelo Bielsa and his men have endured a rollercoaster of a season so far, hitting highs and lows throughout. In the reverse fixture in London, Patrick Bamford put the away side in front inside four minutes, but the pace was matched by Chelsea, who ran out eventual winners, thanks to goals from Olivier Giroud, Kurt Zouma and Christian Pulisic. Despite sitting mid-table, Leeds are currently on an unfathomable run of 18 Premier League games without a draw. Whether a point will suit Leeds or not is disputable, but Chelsea will hope to extend their unbeaten run with yet another victory.
Olivier Giroud pokes home the equaliser against Leeds in December (Image credit: Sports Illustrated)
Player updates and news:
Just two of the Blues are out of contention for the Leeds trip, those being Thiago Silva, who we saw back in the 18 man squad for the first time in over a month on Monday, and Tammy Abraham, who is still struggling with an ankle injury.
“Thiago had a little setback in training at the end of the training session the day before yesterday.” Thomas Tuchel clarified during the press conference (per The 5th Stand).
Thiago Silva’s absence has not affected Chelsea, however, as whoever Tuchel selects as a back three have been fantastic in recent weeks. The man who has replaced Silva in the middle of the three, Andreas Christensen, has completely turned his season around, and has been our star man on a number of occasions.
Abraham’s ankle problem stems from a game around six weeks ago, and his only saving grace may be the fact that since his injury, neither Olivier Giroud or Timo Werner have been able to set sail on the goal scoring tally, meaning Tammy’s place in the side may not be as doubtful as what once was possible.
In the past two previews, I left Havertz out of the XI. In Monday’s game against Everton, he started, and was the star of the show. The young German looked exactly like the player Chelsea signed, and playing at the top of the field looks to have benefitted the former Leverkusen star. Havertz won Chelsea a penalty, and also scored a stunning goal, taking the ball down on his chest and slotting it past Pickford, but the goal was unfortunately ruled out for a handball. The German also had the shot that was deflected in by Ben Godfrey to give Chelsea the lead.
I also had a little debate with myself about Werner or Pulisic, but decided on Werner solely on his pace, as I think the German could light up Elland Road. Pulisic is likely to make an appearance from the bench, however, as Tuchel has revealed the American is still a part of his plans.
Players to watch:
Kai Havertz: Kai set Stamford Bridge alight on Monday against Everton, and as I mentioned earlier, he had a goal stolen from him by a questionable handball decision. Havertz will still be hungry, however, and will be sure to challenge for a goal or two against the struggling Leeds side. Havertz looks a great deal more confident at the front of the lineup, as opposed to in the midfield, where ex Chelsea boss Frank Lampard often played him. Nonetheless, Kai will be sure to put on a show on Saturday.
Raphinha: The Brazilian has been a real star for Leeds this season, following his move from Rennes in the summer. Bielsa will hope Raphinha can show the quality he possesses, and the 25 year old will hope to capitalise on Azpilicueta’s ever-aging legs. If the Brazilian can get the game under his grasp, him and Bamford could create a real problem for Chelsea.
Following on from an impressive win against Liverpool, it was now time for Merseyside to travel to London as Chelsea faced the blue half of the city with Everton coming to the Bridge. Everton started the evening in 5th place, just a single point behind Chelsea, with tonight’s game presenting Tuchel’s side an opportunity to establish a 4 point lead over their closest challengers. A defeat however, would have seen the club fall out of the top 4 and even fall as far as 6th if West Ham were able to beat Leeds later on in the evening.
The last time these two clubs met saw our visitors run out 1-0 victors through a Gylfi Sigurdsson penalty in a game that kickstarted the decline in performance and results that ultimately cost Frank Lampard his job. Less than 3 months on, Tuchel lead his side into the game looking to extent his unbeaten record as Chelsea manager to 11 games and build on their charge for a top 4 position.
Everton themselves were heading into the game in a good run of form, unbeaten in their last 9 away matches and inform Pickford looking to achieve his 4th clean sheet in a row for the first time in his career.
LINE UPS
Source: Google
Chelsea lined up in their expected 3-4-2-1 formation with two noticeable inclusions on either side of the pitch as Kurt Zouma returned to the left side of a 3 man defence against his old club and Kai Havertz getting a start in the false 9 position, flanked by Werner on his right and Hudson-Odoi given an opportunity on his favoured left. The frequently seen midfield under Tuchel of Kovacic and Jorginho got the nod in the centre with James and Alonso tasked with providing the width from wing back.
Everton matched up with a 3 at the back system of their own with Doucore and Bernard dropping out from their victory at West Brom with Allan and Sigurdsson, the latter having scored a penalty against Chelsea earlier in the season, taking their place.
FIRST HALF
Chelsea started the game on the front foot as they’ve done for the majority of games under Tuchel, with tidy possession in the centre of the pitch, moving the Everton midfield from side to side in an attempt to carve an opening against an Everton side full of energy and discipline. Perhaps inspired by the success they experienced at Anfield, there was clear intent to get the ball forward and behind the Everton defence quickly with Kovacic in particular playing a number of progressive passes for the pacey front 3.
Despite the tidy possession in open play, the first chance of the game came from a well worked corner routine which saw Alonso break out of the box and play a one-two with the corner taker James who cut the ball back to Timo Werner who had cleverly disguised a run to the edge of the box. The German’s finish didn’t match the subtly of his run as his first time effort sailed over Pickford’s bar and into the stands.
In the 15th minute, A powerful Reece James run starting deep from within his own half resulted in a blocked shot which won another early Chelsea corner. Following a defensive clearance from the Everton defence, the ball landed on the right foot of Jorginho’s whose first time volley skidded just outside of a rooted Pickford’s left post.
Chelsea’s movement in attack caused consistent problems for the Everton defence with Hudson-Odoi and Werner regularly switching flanks ahead of Havertz whose movement and intelligent use of the ball consistently created space within the Everton half. Chelsea’s attack was also boosted by the speed in which they turned defence into attack, helped in no small part by Christensen’s consistent ability to bypass the Everton midfield with brave passing through the lines. Everton looked to combat this by having their defenders tightly mark the player in possession, forcing them to receive the ball with their back to goal, however the combined pace, touch and intelligent movement from the front 3 meant that the Blues were able to retain possession more often than not.
Everton’s first chance of the game also came from a set piece when a desperate lunge from Jorginho caught Richarlison on the edge of box and gifted Everton’s array of free kick specialists an opportunity for a free strike at the Chelsea goal. Fortunately, Digne’s effort cannoned off the Chelsea wall for an Everton corner. The following corner caused a slight scramble in the Chelsea box before the Blues were able to clear the ball before any damage was done.
Chelsea finally made the breakthrough in the 30th minute as a smart turn from Hudson-Odoi, midway into the opposition half, caught the Everton defence off guard and opened an inviting gap inside the left hand side of the Everton box for Alonso to exploit. The English winger played a perfectly weighted pass into Alonso’s path, whose precise cut back found Kai Havertz. The German’s first time effort took a hefty deflection off Ben Godfrey before wrong footing Pickford and settling into the near post for an own goal.
Source:hdmatches.net
A second almost quickly followed as Marcos Alonso was played in behind the Everton defence down the left channel. Despite not possessing the pace to break free of the oncoming defender, the Spaniard positioned himself infront of Holgate and unleashed a left footed effort which forced a smart save from Pickford down at his near post.
SECOND HALF
Neither side opted to make personnel changes at half time but there was a clear instruction from Ancelotti to press higher up the pitch with Allan actively looking to close down Jorginho whenever the Italian was about to receive possession. In reaction to Everton’s increased press, Chelsea looked to exploit the space in behind with more regularity as Havertz continued to drop deep, creating space for the speedy Werner and Hudson-Odoi to exploit.
The first chance of note came from a Chelsea freekick on the right hand side of the Everton box. Tidy interplay between James and Havertz drew a foul from Lucas Digne who picked up a yellow card for his troubles. From the resulting free kick, Alonso attempted to catch Pickford off guard with a left footed drive towards the top right corner which forced a one handed save and won Chelsea yet another corner.
Chelsea thought they had a second in the 53rd minute as tidy play between Havertz and Kovacic saw the Croatian switch play out to Hudson-Odoi with space to utilise on the left. Hudson-Odoi clipped a delicate lob over the Everton defence which Kai Havertz expertly brought down before lashing it past Pickford into the far post. Celebrations were short lived as the linesman flagged for handball, a decision which VAR agreed with despite replays suggesting that contact may have been higher than the point of the arm which Werner was flagged offside for against Liverpool.
Source: hdmatches.net
The 60th minute saw Ancelotti make the first personnel change of the game with Tom Davies coming on in place of the ineffective Iwobi. This change also saw a shift to Ancelotti’s infamous diamond formation which many Chelsea fans will recognise from the Italian’s time in charge of the blues. The change almost immediately paid off as Everton instantly created their first chance from open play in an attempt to grab an equaliser. The high Evertonian press catching the Chelsea midfield off guard as a turn over in possession within the Chelsea half saw Sigurdsson play Richarlison in behind Zouma on the right of the Chelsea defence. Fortunately for the Blues, the Brazillians first touch and balance let him down as his effort soared comfortably wide of Mendy’s post.
The Everton ressurgence was short lived as Chelsea doubled their lead minutes later. Kovacic, not for the first time in the evening, played a ball over the top of the Everton defence which Kai Havertz latched on to. The German perfectly timed his touch around the onrushing Pickford, drawing the contact and leaving the referee with no choice but to point to the spot. Pickford’s reaction told the whole story and following a very quick VAR check, Jorginho stepped up to the spot with a hop, skip and a cool right footed finish to Pickford’s right to make it 2-0.
Chelsea’s first switch followed with the ever present Mason Mount coming on in place of Hudson Odoi. The player of the year candidate took up a deeper, more central role than the departing Hudson-Odoi with Werner and Havertz moving towards a more conventional front 2. Mount instantly looked to get involved with a couple of trademark turns, seamlessly turning defence into attack, however his final pass let him down on both occasions and the attacks broke down.
Source: hdmatches.net
With the game becoming stretch, Tuchel introduced Kante at the 80th minute in place of the excellent Kovacic. Immediately Chelsea looked to utilise the space behind a desperate Everton defence as Azpilicueta played a smart first time pass over the top. Werner did brilliantly to muscle Godfrey off the ball and position himself infront of Pickford, just outside the 6 yard box, however his left footed effort lacked the power or accuracy to beat the English keeper.
Werner then had an excellent opportunity to make instant amends as a quick Chelsea counter attack saw Werner played in behind by his compatriot Havertz. The German striker, on the left hand side of the box this time, looked to finish in the far post but Pickford saved with his trailing leg before getting to his feet quickly to save Kante’s folow up effort from the edge of the box.
Chelsea comfortably saw out the final minutes of the game, keeping possession within the Everton’s half and bypassing the Merseyside club’s press with ease with the final chance of the game falling to Mason Mount who unleashed a dangerous shot from 25 yards out which forced yet another save from the excellent Pickford.
FINAL THOUGHTS
This was yet another statement result and performance from Tuchel’s side as they opened up a 4 point gap over Everton with a favourable run of fixtures ahead of them. It would be easy to look at today’s result and assume Everton didn’t show up but the truth is that Chelsea were excellent from start to finish and gave their inform opposition nothing to work with. This was another example of Chelsea navigating a potentially very difficult fixture with a composed, assured performance that made it look far easier than it actually was.
Like previous performances under Tuchel, the defence were excellent and sniffed out danger instantly before comfortably playing out from the back with composed, considered possession. However, unlike some of the criticisms from previous performances, Chelsea’s attack looked far more dangerous than it had in recent weeks, looking to get in behind at every opportunity and utilising the pace and creativity of a very versatile front 3.
Tuchel has expertly navigated a run of exceptionally tricky games, putting Chelsea in a prime position to solidify their position in the top 4, especially with a run of seemingly favourable league fixtures ahead.
PLAYER RATINGS
Mendy (7) – Despite not having a lot to do, he dealt with the crosses superbly and never looked at risk of conceding. His commanding presence clearly installs confidence throughout the defence, especially when defending set pieces.
James (7) – Defensively solid whilst offering a constant threat going forward. A couple of driving runs that resulted in either a powerful shot or his trade mark whipped crosses gave Digne an evening he’ll want to forget.
Azpi (7) – Dependable as ever, comfortably dealt with Richarlison on the right and should have had an assist when his wonderful ball in the second half played Werner through
AC (9) – Continued his incredible run of recent form. Composed as ever in possession and showed a lot of bravery in his passing through the lines. Crucial interception in the 81st minute to stop a dangerous looking Everton counter.
Zouma (7) – His aerial ability was a huge asset in defence against a very physical Everton side, could have had a goal himself following a free header from a corner.
Alonso (7) – Wasn’t involved for large portions of the game with the majority of the play heading down the right but he still showed the threat he possesses with a couple of dangerous freekicks and one-on-one that forced a great save from Pickford.
Kovacic (8) [Sub OFF: 80 min] – Had an excellent game in the heart of midfield, showing the desire to play in behind the Everton defence at every opportunity. Progressed the ball expertly through the middle.
Jorginho (7) – Continued his run of good form with composed possession in the centre. Clearly instructed to not press higher by Tuchel which restricts the potential flaws of the Italian. Cool penalty finish to top off a tidy performance.
Hudson Odoi (7) [Sub OFF: 66 min] – Lively throughout the game and always looking to drive at the Everton defence. Did expertly for the first goal and was unlucky to not have a second for the disallowed Havertz strike.
Havertz (9) MOTM – At the heart of everything good about this Chelsea performance, hopefully the catalyst of his Chelsea career as his talents were on clear show. Unlucky to not have a goal himself but played a key role in both goals. Everton couldn’t handle his intelligent movement, first touch and deceptive pace.
Werner (7) [Sub OFF: 90 min] – A game that summed up Werner’s career in a Chelsea shirt so far, worked tirelessly and consistently made dangerous runs but the finishing wasn’t at the required standard. Missed a couple of one-on-ones which a player of his quality should be putting away.
Mount (6) [Sub ON: 66 min] – Busy as ever but his final pass let him down at the key moments.
Kante (7) [Sub ON: 80 min] – Couple of impressive recoveries high up the field which resulted in dangerous counter attacks. Everton scored an Ivanovic-esque header in the 92nd minute to confirm that there is really nothing he can’t do.
Pulisic (N/A) [Sub ON: 90 min] – Not enough time on the pitch to make an impact however impressively fell over his feet more times than he touched the ball.
Given the current form of the team, it’s no secret that Chelsea are still well invested in the transfer market. It’s worth saying that the team’s transfer business over the past handful of seasons has been far from illustrious, featuring the sales of Mohammed Salah and Kevin De Bruyne and the purchases of the likes of Danny Drinkwater and Kepa Arrizabalaga with the former most recently in headlines for being sent off in a U23s match. Club legends Petr Cech and Frank Lampard seemed to make it a point this time last year to end this trend and get the club some real talent and energy to put on the pitch, and while they have, it just hasn’t quite worked out. Hakim Ziyech has already suffered a handful of injuries, Timo Werner started off red hot and has now frozen into an icicle whilst being played out of position, and Kai Havertz hasn’t really been afforded the opportunity to do much of anything having contracted COVID-19 and also seemingly playing in a new position every time he’s put on the pitch. Needless to say, the club still sorely lacks the star power that departed along with Eden Hazard in his dream Summer 2019 move to Real Madrid. Of course while Hazard hasn’t made much of a difference in Spain during his time there thus far, it’s his impact at Stamford Bridge that is truly missed, having carried the team for his last 3 years with us.
With rumors of Roman Abramovich being dissatisfied with the club’s run of results and a managerial shake-up circling Frank Lampard like sharks in black water it should come as no surprise that Lampard might be frantically looking for reinforcements behind the scenes. Even with the likes of Werner and Havertz struggling for form, they have continued to be played routinely with Lampard reluctant to turn to more familiar faces from last season’s mild success such as Olivier Giroud, Tammy Abraham and Callum Hudson-Odoi. The latter has been in blistering form lately and even Lampard himself admitted that his hand may be forced when it comes to the team sheet later on. Unfortunately, this might only be one piece of the puzzle that’s missing up top for Chelsea.
However, if the board are willing to continue backing Frank Lampard through this tough period we could see another forward don the Blue Shirt for Chelsea FC. Recently rumors have picked up about the club being interested in signing Borussia Dortmund starboy Erling Haaland who once stated he’d have loved to play with Frank Lampard. Haaland provides a similar profile to legendary strikers Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Eric Cantona – a player with excellent shooting technique, ability to read the game, smart movements, nifty and powerful dribbling as well as the ability to get up and head the football. With this transfer rumor though there are a few things that must be taken into consideration. Borussia Dortmund are not the same European powerhouse they were in 2013 when they took on Bayern Munich in the UCL final under Jurgen Klopp, and perhaps they could sell Haaland to fund replacements for aging veterans Axel Witsel and Mats Hummels. Additionally, if they sold Jadon Sancho the club could find themselves writhing in money in an instant. A problem that Chelsea will face however is the dealing with agent Mino Raiola, who represents Haaland. Raiola recently made disparaging remarks about Manchester United star and client Paul Pogba’s situation at the club, something that Marina Granovskaia and Roman Abramovich are sure not to tolerate, especially considering that the club have notoriously avoided dealing with the agent as it is.
The talent of Erling Haaland might become means for an exception, with the Norwegian recently becoming the fastest player to every score 25 goals in Europe’s top five leagues, scoring 25 in 25 games. The signing of Haaland could prove problematic, leaving the club with four strikers by trade as well as a huge hit to Abramovich’s wallet which would surely make Frank Lampard’s thin tightrope even thinner as sacking rumors continue to hang over the club legend. In addition, the board will continue to search for landing spots for the embattled Kepa Arrizabalaga as well as a path that would see West Ham star Declan Rice return to The Bridge with Mason Mount and other close Chelsea contacts. The next weeks will decide an important chapter moving towards the club’s future.
Frank Lampard enters his second season as manager of Chelsea and comes off an impressive year where he finished in a top four spot in the English Premier League. In doing so, Chelsea qualified for the Champions League for a second straight season and did this with the loss of their star player, Eden Hazard. The Belgian was sold to Real Madrid as he wanted to play under Zinedine Zidane. Additionally, a transfer ban last summer restricted Chelsea from purchasing players and strengthening their squad.
The youth academy finally became a focal point as young touted players such as Mason Mount and Tammy Abraham finally had their chance to showcase their skills. Mount and Abraham each flourished in their first season in the EPL as they scored seven and fifteen goals, respectively. They have continued that trend into their second season and have excelled.
With the transfer ban no longer an issue this season, the summer transfer market was boisterous for Chelsea. The Blues caught many by surprise with their marquee signings as they were able to sign elite players such as Timo Werner and Kai Havertz. To add to the mix, Abraham has started to emerge as an elite striker so Lampard has plenty of options at centre-forward.
So where does this leave Olivier Giroud? The Frenchman signed a one-year deal last season to extend his stay with the Blues but this decision has backfired. He has started in five of their twenty-one matches in all competitions this season and regularly appeared as a substitute. In recent times, he has grown frustrated and has fallen down the pecking order. The forward needs to play more if he is to secure his spot in the Euros for France come June.
Giroud has mentioned that he’s grown frustrated and that he will decide on his future come January 2021. Lampard wants the forward to stay, however, Chelsea will not get in the way if he decides to leave. Since arriving from Arsenal, Giroud has helped Chelsea win a FA Cup and the Europa League.
Near the midway point of the season, Mitchy Batshuayi was the backup to Abraham and Giroud was third in line.
Batshuayi’s performances declined back in February and this prompted Lampard to move Giroud behind Abraham. He too was struggling as scoring and his inability to finish started to become an issue. While this compounded midway through the season, this gave Giroud an opportunity to make his mark as the number one choice for his manager.
Although Abraham recovered from injuries before Project Restart, he faltered down the latter part of the season as he scored twice in their final 13 appearances (between the EPL and FA Cup).
Rumoured to be joining clubs such as Inter Milan, Lazio and Tottenham Hotspurs last January, this never materialized as the Frenchman stayed with Chelsea for the remainder of the season. Had he left, Lampard’s options would have been Abraham and Batshuayi and, with the latter no longer part of his plans, he couldn’t afford to lose Giroud without a sufficient replacement. In April, Giroud renewed his contract and decided to stay an additional season with the Blues.
While Giroud wasn’t a starter last season, he still showed determination when Lampard called upon him to enter as a substitute. The Frenchman proved himself and was inserted in the staring lineup when the season re-started. He provided stability up front and scored eight goals in thirteen EPL matches and one goal in the FA Cup Semi-Finals.
Fast forward to this season and Giroud found himself in a situation he didn’t want to be in. He was in a lesser role with Chelsea now that Havertz and Werner joined the club. Along with the emergence of Abraham, the Frenchman had every reason to leave the club. In recent times, that hasn’t been the case as Werner, Havertz and Abraham are struggling as they’ve been in poor form.
He wants to secure his spot in the upcoming Euros with France and also play regularly. That may be a possibility as the Frenchman is having another good season with the Blues. He has scored eight goals in fourteen games across all competitions and is on pace to surpass his numbers from last season.
Earlier this season, Giroud played a meaningful part in Chelsea’s 2-1 win over Stade Rennais F.C. in the Champions League as he scored the winner in the dying moments. A great moment for the Frenchman and the Blues which shows the kind of player they have, yet he will need a more significant role with the club if he is to stay.
“I think everybody feels from the outside what a great professional [Giroud] is and how highly regarded he is by his teammates and by myself,” said Lampard.
“And for him to get a goal, you’ve seen the reaction of his teammates, he’s so professional in how he trains and looks after himself that age isn’t even a factor.
“Even though he doesn’t play all the time,” he continued.
“I hope and I think he knows that I’m happy with him and how much I rely on him.”
His time with the Blues will always be remembered for scoring pivotal goals and helping them win two important trophies. Chelsea have gone in a new direction with young talented players that will become the future of this club. Yet, if Werner’s struggles persist and Lampard continues to be reluctant to use Havertz as a number nine, this will leave him with just Abraham.
Lampard wants Giroud to stay so what looked like a bad situation may have changed its course for the Frenchman to reconsider leaving. However, if he is to leave, let’s take a moment to be thankful and grateful for his time with Chelsea. He arrived to Chelsea leaving with trophies, scoring pivotal goals and becoming a Blue’s player to remember and love.
It has a been tumultuous summer transfer market for Chelsea who have been one of the most active teams to date. One player who had been mentioned regularly prior to joining the Blues was Timo Werner. The German came off a career year who had been consistently mentioned to join Liverpool. Chelsea, who hardly were mentioned caught many people by surprise.
When a player such as Werner is available to be signed, a club who has the necessary funds should do what is possible to obtain their signature and commitment. If they wait too long to make a decision, other teams will grasp at the opportunity to acquire some of the best talent available in the transfer market.
Over the past couple weeks prior to joining Chelsea, it was widely rumoured that Liverpool was in pole position to sign Werner. The Reds were reluctant to pay his full release clause of nearly €53 million euros and had yet to offer a contract to the forward. Inter Milan and Juventus were also interested, but Chelsea seem to be willing to pay the full release clause and offer a five-year deal worth 10 million per year in wages.
The late move by Chelsea caught many people by surprise and has shown that they are committed to signing one of the best up-and-coming players. Before signing Werner, in the past 12 months, Chelsea had only signed Mateo Kovaĉić and Hakim Ziyech. The transfer ban may have been a blessing in disguise as the club acquired a player who will help in many different ways. Chelsea’s willingness to put pen to paper for the forward has Werner convinced in the project they have setup and Lampard playing a major role in convincing the German in what they plan to do moving forward.
While Liverpool continued to stall in signing Werner, Chelsea was lurking in the dark and wasted no time, pouncing on the opportunity. With the forward now part of the club, Chelsea fans have much to be excited about. What can they expect from the Leipzig forward?
Frank Lampard will be getting a player who should nicely fit his style of play. The Chelsea manager prefers to play direct attacking football, but the Blues have really struggled to finish their chances this season. Chelsea averaged 16.6 shots per game while only scoring 1.7 goals per game. Tammy Abraham has contributed 15 goals, but is the only player on the squad to find the back of the goal more than ten times in the English Premier League. Willian who no longer is with the squad was second with six goals. The inability to find consistent scoring from other players has been a major issue for Lampard.
Werner has flourished under manager Julian Nagelsmann, who’s been able to develop the forward’s game this season. Currently playing in a 4-4-2 formation, Werner showed to be very consistent, which is a rare quality to find in young players. The forward has scored many goals this season with his great movement and ability to strike the ball with great power and accuracy. The striker scored 28 goals in the Bundesliga, who was second in the league behind Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski.
In the previous two Bundesliga campaigns, where he played as a wide forward, he averaged 3.6 shots per 90 minutes. In recent seasons he’s managed to get to the net and create opportunities for him and his teammates. This year, playing as a false nine, he’s averaged 3.6 shots per game and has improved his goal-scoring rate, averaging 0.71 goals per 90 minutes.
Last season, Bayern Munich decided not to make a move for the forward, which has worked out well for the young forward. Playing another season under Nagelsmann has helped Werner become a more complete player.
“Nagelsmann has said that I won’t be playing as an out-and-out striker for him as much, but more of a false 9,” Werner said.
“It has encouraged me to improve and develop myself, even when we come up against oppositions that sit deep. He’s helped me to make better use of space.”
Werner’s flexibility will provide Lampard positional versatility. He will allow the Chelsea manager the option to play different formations, including the 4-3-3. While Lampard has used various formations this season, the 4-3-3 is his preferred option. Werner will be a viable replacement for Pedro and Willian who are no longer with the club, and the forward has shown he can play on either wing, as a striker and as a false nine.
Lampard’s current options include Abraham as the striker, Christian Pulisic and Callum Hudson Odoi on either wing and Ziyech who could play as a right winger, a ten, or an eight. New addition, Kai Havertz could be used on the right wing or as an attacking midfielder, yet both players are capable of playing together up front. They have the ability to score and the experience of playing together for the German International squad.
Lampard has an abundance of players that offer positional versatility, which gives the manager many options to choose from. With so many competitions to be played, it never hurts to have more bodies in the line up as injuries do occur throughout the season.
The scoring should vastly improve the most for Chelsea. Werner’s great movement will create more space for Abraham to work with and should result in more scoring opportunities. Abraham’s physical strength up front and ability to play behind the defense should allow him room to separate him from the defense and have more chances to score.
While Werner is not the most physical player, he has shown he can score at a prolific rate. He has scored 78 goals in 127 Bundesliga appearances with Leipzig over the past four campaigns. Goal scoring will no longer be an area of concern for Lampard as with a player of this caliber at his disposal. A new chapter is about to begin in Werner’s life and one which he will most certainly embrace.
Chelsea finalized their second biggest signing in club history as they reached an agreement with Bayern Leverkusen. Kai Havertz was purchased for 70 million Euros from the German club and will join the Blues. He will have the chance to play alongside Timo Werner who plays with him for International side, Germany.
To be acknowledged and recognized in football takes hard work and dedication with the hopes of making dreams a reality. Throughout the past seasons, Havertz has shown the desire and devotion to work hard, improve his game and consistently perform at the highest level. He now joins a club who is showing the ambition to win multiple trophies as they have been one of the most active teams in the transfer market.
Havertz joins a relatively young squad who has players such as Mason Mount, Christian Pulisic, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Tammy Abraham. He becomes the next youngest player to be inserted into this squad and will immensely help manager, Frank Lampard, who has shown the commitment and willingness to play young players. Yet, what will Havertz offer his new club and what makes him so unique?
Havertz started playing at the age of four years old with Alemannia Mariadorf. In 2009, he then signed with Alemannia Aachen and spent one season in the club’s academy. Only spending one season with the second division club, he then signed with Bayer Leverkusen when he was 11 years old.
In the hopes of one day making the first team and playing in the Bundesliga, the midfielder spent seven years in the club’s academy. Additionally, Havertz played for the under 16 and 17 German National side. As the years passed by, the midfielder continued to develop his skills and mindset which developed him into an elite midfielder.
The commitment, hard work and ability to develop his game finally paid off for the German as on October 15, 2016, he found himself coming on to the pitch as a substitute for Charles Aranguiz. The wait was over for the midfielder who at the time was 17 years old and saw his dream become a reality. Since taking that step on to the pitch, the midfielder hasn’t looked back as he’s developed himself into one of the most talked about players in football.
While Werner, James Rodriquez and Donny van de Beek have incited talks that see them with new clubs this upcoming year, another player who was headlined and generated a lot of attention has been young sensational midfielder, Havertz. In his four seasons with the Leverkusen, the midfielder has made quite the name for himself with his exciting style of play and ability to read the game.
Havertz holds many qualities which have been crucial to his game and allowed him to become a complete midfielder. At a young age, he’s developed skills in his game which many other players have yet to establish.
Starting off as a number ten with Leverkusen, in the role of an attacking midfielder, he has developed into a more versatile player who has shown to succeed in any position in the forward. He can play right midfield, right forward and the false nine. He’s able to assert himself as forward playing deeper but safely.
When Havertz is in the box and near the goal, he’s a very creative player who has good movement. His dribbling skills allow him to get around defenders and he has shown the ability to be decisive and clinical. In addition to scoring timely winning goals, he’s assisted in the build up of many plays which have led to goals for his teammates.
Havertz is a technical player and has the ability to play off either of his feet when in possession of the ball as he’s cemented himself as a two-footed midfielder. He is a threat to the opposition defence with his quick one-touch passes within tight areas. He has good passing and decision making and carries the ball well when playing it to his teammates.
The most important trait which Havertz has developed in his game is the ability to play at a high consistent level and carry the responsibility that has been given to him and take the lead.
The season prior was a career year for Havertz as he scored 17 goals in 34 Bundesliga matches. This season he has followed with another strong campaign as he’s tallied 12 goals in 24 appearances. Additionally, no player has scored more than the 36 goals that Havertz has amassed in the Bundesliga before the age of 21. The midfielder has shown no signs of slowing down as he continues to become one of the best upcoming midfielders in today’s modern game of football.
“You look at his profile, his experience already and the regularity with which he performs at a high level, you can have great confidence that he is the real deal, “recruitment expert David Webb told The Independent.
“He has been consistent and established himself as one of the best young players in the world at Leverkusen, which is also a good sign because he’s had to shoulder a lot of responsibility there and take the lead.
“He’s obviously got a maturity about him, which comes across not just in his performances but in his character.”
Lampard now gets a player who he has coveted for quite a while and should help the Englishman in this upcoming season. From being a versatile player to a complete scorer, he could be slotted into the lineup in various way which will give Lampard plenty of options to consider. He prefers to use a 4-3-3, so, expect Werner and Havertz to play together as they have been able to develop chemistry with German squad. Both have shown the ability to score at a rapid pace and will make it difficult for the other team’s defense.
The midfielder has taken his game to the next level this year and caught the interest of several clubs in different leagues. A player who is as rare as Havertz had top teams such as Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, FC Barcelona and Liverpool in Leverkusen’s path for his services. It was an unlikely club that continues to catch teams by surprise as Chelsea once again dipped into the transfer market and signed him.
Havertz now has the chance to play for one of the biggest clubs in the English Premier League as his hard work and determination has paid off. At the age of 21, he is already being compared to Mesut Özil and Michael Ballack. He is an exciting young prospect who aims to make his mark with Chelsea.
Jerry Mancini spoke to Mark Worrall, author and publisher for Chelsea FC related books. He has written books such as Chelsea Here Chelsea There, ‘Blue Murder: ‘Chelsea Till I Die’ and Chelsea Football Fanzine.
How would you rate Frank Lampard’s first season with Chelsea? Additionally, why is Lampard struggling to coach defense?
“A very solid 7/10 for Super Frank. [A] victory in the FA Cup Final would have pushed it to 9/10. Achieving [a] top four [position in the English Premier League] in spite of having lost Eden Hazard and not being able to sign new players was commendable.
“Defence issues were there from day one. Frank permed every option available to him as far as centre-back pairings and 3 at the back was concerned without ever achieving consistency. Clearly there is the need for a quality centre-back to be added to the squad and a left-back. Goalkeeper has also been an issue which has led to a crisis of confidence on several occasions. I’d like to believe it’s a personnel issue rather than a coaching issue…. We will find out next season, if the squad is improved in this area.”
Willian left Chelsea after seven seasons to join Arsenal. Did you feel this was the right move by Chelsea and the player? Also, how do you view his time with the Blues?
“I love the bones of Willian. He hates Tottenham of course! Joking aside, every Chelsea manager he played for rated him and there were always offers coming in for him. I think he found it hard to be constantly in Eden Hazard’s shadow, but his contribution and work rate were top notch.
“The move to Arsenal, is proof that at 32 he’s not a spent force. Personally, I don’t like to see Blues players move to rival Premier League clubs, especially London clubs. Was it the right move for Chelsea? I think so. I’m not sure he would have got much in the way of game time next season the way the team looks to be shaping up with new players.”
Chelsea shocked many with the signing of Timo Werner. How do you see the German fitting into Lampard’s plans this upcoming season?
“If [he is] playing through the middle, [Timo] Werner will hopefully be the man to consistently convert the chances that Chelsea create down the flanks. There is flexibility though and he can play left-wing with Tammy [Abraham] as centre forward. Either way, he’s going to be one of the first names on Super Frank’s team-sheet and if he stays injury-free then a 50+ appearances season beckons.”
Which area should Chelsea focus on the most in this transfer market window?
“Goalkeeper needs to be addressed and one centre-back – I actually think left-back is less of an issue for now while Kai Havertz is a luxury signing. It looks like [Roman] Abramovich is motivated to spend, spend, spend and so it’s a question of finding the right players and getting the deals over the line.”
Chelsea have been very active in the transfer market. They have acquired Werner, Hakim Ziyech, and look close to signing Ben Chillwell and Kai Havertz. Which players do you believe will not benefit from all these players joining Chelsea?
“There’s quite a list, but avoiding the obvious ones who will be sold or loaned I do wonder how much game-time the likes of Callum Hudson-Odoi, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Tammy and perhaps also [Christian] Pulisic and [Mason] Mount will get over the course of the season.”
Do you think César Azpilicueta is the best captain in Chelsea’s history?
“Short answer, no. César Azpilicueta is a terrific ambassador for the Club and a loyal, dependable and versatile defender… but he is nowhere near John Terry in terms of providing do-or-die leadership on the pitch.”
What has been the downfall to Kepa’s career and do you see the Spaniard in goal next season for Chelsea?
“Kepa’s downfall started with his player-manager escapade at Wembley in the 2019 League Cup Final v Man City. He then allowed personal issues to cloud his game (girlfriend trouble). Having a shaky defence in front of him hasn’t given him confidence and that’s a two-way street. Being dropped for the latter stages of the 2019/20 campaign spoke volumes about how much the manager trusts him – he doesn’t
“Without the benefit of a decent pre-season to see if he can be trusted with a better defence in front of him (assuming new signings) I don’t see how Lampard can re-evaluate him and, on that basis, I can’t see him getting a game. That said, if Chelsea don’t sign another goalkeeper and something happens to Willy Caballero there may be no option other than to play him.”
Lastly, how do you see Chelsea finishing this season and do you think they will progress this upcoming year?
“Progress will largely depend on fixing the defensive problems that plagued Chelsea in 2019/20. Do that, and with exciting new attacking talent already on board and the promise of more to come then the Blues could give Liverpool and Man City a run for their money in the Premier League.
“Realistically, going one better and winning the FA Cup this time around looks like the best option of silverware with the League Cup as a back-up… or why not win both? The new season is all about finding the right formula team wise, do that and we should be seriously challenging for top honours including the Champions League within the next couple of years.”
Frank Lampard and Chelsea still want to improve on the attack for next season, despite the signings of Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner, and generational talent Kai Havertz is one player who is certainly on the list. Matt Law of The Telegraph reported that Chelsea will step up their interest in the upcoming weeks. Fabrizio Romano, the transfer guru, reported that Havertz would not have any problem in joining the Blues due to Lampard’s project, and that he is just waiting for Leverkusen to accept an official bid from Chelsea.
Kai Havertz agents told to Bayer Leverkusen he wants to leave the club if an “important bid” will arrive on next weeks.
Chelsea board have contacted Havertz agents and Kai “would like” Chelsea as next step because of the project – also Werner would push him to join. 🔵 #CFC
However, recent shambolic defending against West Ham, Crystal Palace and Sheffield United brought up the question again – do we actually need Havertz? The answer is a complicated one. For me, it’s no and yes. Simply, it will not be the end of the world if we do not bring in the German international, but with the way the club are looking forward, it would be a crime to miss out on him when the opportunity is very muchthere… but let’s get into some more details as to why have to secure the German international.
Some shambolic defending against West Ham United provided Chelsea fans with the question on whether we should be going for Havertz or not…
I think one of the main reasons fans are against the signing of Havertz is due to the squad depth we already have in midfield. Those supporters are certainly not wrong, with us having a large list, as I explained in huge detail in a previous article. ‘Kovacic, Kante, Jorginho, Mount, Loftus-Cheek, Ziyech, Barkley, Gilmour, Ampadu, Gallagher and Anjorin.’ But my question is – where has the ambition gone? Chelsea have been one of the biggest clubs in the world in the last decade, and we must continue to keep that status up, and that can only be done by improving in every single department possible. Unfortunately, the way football is, business must be done in the best way and although that may mean some good players have to leave on the way, we always need to be looking forward. This means that although it is harsh for players like Barkley who have performed much better as of recent times, he probably needs to move on as he is struggling to show the potential he has on a consistent level. This also is the same with Jorginho, who’s story at Stamford Bridge is remarkable as to how he changed the opinions of Chelsea fans in Stamford Bridge, but with our new tactic and the way Lampard is looking forward, he will definitely struggle to get many minutes next season and would only be seen as a leader in the dressing room.
We all know Frank likes to rotate and keep players hungry, but imagine if he can do that with brilliant players in comparison to the mediocrity we have in some places at the moment? The level of the team would certainly increase vastly, with there being a good chance that one of Mason Mount or Loftus-Cheek would be left on the bench if Kai did come in – two outstanding players who will be very important to Lampard’s plans for the future. But the way we want to move forward, like Liverpool and Manchester City, we need to have high quality in depth, across all positions. It will be instrumental as Chelsea will be in four competitions next season, and it’s even the reason Lampard still wants to get Benrahma if Willian does leave the club, despite having Hudson-Odoi, Pulisic, Werner and Ziyech all as options out wide. If you look at Manchester City’s bench, it’s just filled with players who would fit in almost every other team in the world, and that should be the sort of ambition and level we are aiming towards.
We’ve had a look at how he would fit our squad and what it would mean for other players, but let’s delve into his actual qualities. The word ‘generational’ for young players gets sprung around quite a lot on social media, but I truly do believe Havertz is one who can come under this complicated word. At just the age of 21 he is one of the best players in the world, would be arguably the best player in our team if he was to join Chelsea, and puts up stats which many midfielders in the world are struggling to keep up with.The man with some of the best movement football has seen, a brilliant eye for goal and on top of that elite technical ability, makes him one of the most exciting prospects in the world, and it’s clear to see why he is linked with the likes of Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.
Will Werner convince Havertz to join the best club in London? (IMAGE SOURCE: FOOTBALL.LONDON)
While writing this, I have just remembered that fellow The Chelsea Spot Writer Danny wrote a scouting report on Havertz about a month ago and all his qualities, so I won’t go into that but instead you can have a read here. On top of that article, all I’d like to say is that he’s there to finish off the chances which Ziyech will create, and there to also provide them for Werner. I saw a couple people saying that we have already signed two attackers so why do we need a third, but for example against a low block, Ziyech will be used as that creative option and we will need someone like Kai to finish off them chances, and against a high line a player like Havertz will be the one linking up with Werner who will be running in behind in all the space. All three could create some special chemistry between them, and as expected, world class players play so much better with great players surrounding them.
Another argument is that Chelsea should be signing a defender instead. Wrong. We CAN get both, as many journalists have reported. It is set in stone that Chelsea will be buying a left-back in the Summer, whether that is Chilwell, Tagliafico or Telles, due to the strong possibility of both Alonso and Emerson leaving the club. A centre-half is also looking possible, with the most recent name linked being Declan Rice, leaving the chances of Tomori going on loan or Zouma leaving high in the sky. Chelsea have a big budget this Summer after the transfer ban and the sale of Eden Hazard, and it’s clear that Roman Abramovich won’t be afraid to splash the cash if needed to bring back quality football at the Bridge, and to back the one and only Frank Lampard.
The Gaffa has made it clear that he wants to play attacking football at a high intensity, and next season it genuinely may be that attack is the best form of defence. We see teams like Liverpool and Manchester City score 4-5 goals a game sometimes against the worse opponents, and if Havertz joined next season we probably could start to see those numbers. Next year there’s still a good chance we will be conceding many goals, but we could try and outscore most teams and I do have some confidence that with a new Left-Back and the return of the Zouma-Tomori partnership, as well as a new Goalkeeper, we will be much much stronger in defence.
Is Zouma-Tomori our best partnership at the back? (IMAGE SOURCE: METRO)
One other thing is that there isn’t really an obvious choice for a Centre-Half available on the market. Nathan Ake still has his buyback clause of 40 million pounds which runs out this summer, but the Dutchman isn’t a huge improvement of what we already have, but I would not say no to him. Declan Rice would cost close to £60 million and there would definitely be some tension in the Cobham buildings as it was Chelsea’s decision to release him at the age of 15 for free. Then, players like Kouliably and Upamecano, are looking likely to join Manchester City and Arsenal respectively in the Summer, leaving us with not many standout options.
Here, is when it is important to have some patience and wait for the right player to pop up. We saw Liverpool wait for Van Dijk, and after good research and patience to find the perfect Centre-Back for their style of play, he is now comfortabley the best defender in the world and has improved the Scouse club’s defence drastically. Considering there isn’t an obvious option on the market, we may as well spend on the likes of Havertz when we can, and improve on the other areas when we can. After all, we certainly do not want to be repeating the mistakes of rushing transfers and buying the likes of Danny Drinkwater, Morata and Kepa, who had such big fees yet all three players haven’t really helped the club in the slightest.
Finally, Havertz fits the plan of the club. He fits the plan of wanting to play attacking football, being young, and is already at a very high level, making him perfect for any club in the world, and if Chelsea can snatch him up then we could be looking at one of the best deals in history. Signing the German would also attract many other players to our club, as like I said, the best want to play with the best.
This investment would show that Roman is more ready than ever to take the club back to the highest level and back to winning multiple trophies a season. As Alex Goldberg says, something very special is happening at Chelsea Football Club.
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