In another episode of The Chelsea Spot Podcast, Orlando (Host – @0rland1nho) and Dan(Admin – @DanBarkerCoach) discussed the lucky 1-0 victory against Barnsley in the FA Cup including Tammy Abraham and Mason Mount appreciation, why Pulisic and Ziyech have struggled so far, and then also look ahead to Monday’s game against Newcastle!
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Try as hard as you like but you can never get three players into two positions. Harder still is getting three into one. This is the situation Frank Lampard currently finds himself in, as he struggles to select his starting wingers. In Hakim Ziyech, Christian Pulisic and Callum Hudson-Odoi, Lampard has at his disposal arguably one of the most talented unit of natural wide men in Europe, but finding a way to keep them all happy has proven difficult. The main spanner in the works is Timo Werner’s inclusion on the left wing, meaning Pulisic and Hudson-Odoi are forced either to their weaker flank or to the bench. Finding a solution to his problems on the flanks could lead to Lampard getting his Chelsea side to click, but a number of issues must be solved before he can do this: deciding whether to deviate from the 4-3-3 he knows and trusts, getting the best out of the misfiring Werner and managing game time of all three wingers to avoid consistent injury issues.
Breaking down the game time of Chelsea’s four main flank options highlights a startling statistic: Callum Hudson-Odoi has started just 16% of the side’s league games this term. This seems like a very low proportion for such an incredibly talented player, not least when you consider his reported £120,000 per week contract and that the club rejected an offer of a loan with a £70 million option to buy from Bayern Munich for him last summer. So, the 20-year-old must find it strange that he can barely get on the pitch under Lampard despite the European Champions showing interest in acquiring his services. More startling still is the fact that Pulisic and Ziyech have started only 47% and 37% of league games so far, meaning Hudson-Odoi is not being kept out by two more experienced wide men. Mason Mount and even Ruben Loftus-Cheek have been preferred to Hudson-Odoi in a wide role at times this season, perhaps hinting at a lack of faith in him from Lampard. More confusing still were the manager’s comments made post-Fulham match about the winger, ‘Callum deserved to start today, to be fair. It’s not easy selections for me on that side of the pitch at the moment.’ Those comments infer a lack of meritocracy at the club. Incidentally when Hudson-Odoi did come on in the 75th minute of that game, he immediately sparked Chelsea into action and was integral in Mount’s winning goal just three minutes after his introduction.
As Chelsea have slumped into the doldrums of midtable following a chastening run of form in December and January – which has included just 2 wins from 8 in the league – very few players have stood out for the right reasons. One of the select few is Hudson-Odoi, who has made a huge impact when fighting lost causes against Arsenal and Manchester City, and in changing games such as the aforementioned Fulham match. The youngsters brilliant assist from his unfavoured right flank against Arsenal almost led Chelsea to an unlikely comeback, before a certain regista missed yet another penalty. His clever run in behind Zinchenko and composed sliding finish to score a consolation goal against City were testament to his footballing intelligence, pace and composure. Put simply, if Lampard wants to revitalise his side, putting his faith in Hudson-Odoi is a good place to start. Recent lacklustre performances from last season’s post-restart talisman, Pulisic, who has a solitary goal from 786 minutes of league action so far this campaign, should open up a slot on the left flank for the Englishmen to get a regular run of games. With fixtures against Luton, Burnley and Wolves coming up, now is as good a time as any for Lampard to throw him in.
Could it finally be time for Hudson-Odoi to take centre stage at Stamford Bridge and fulfil his huge potential? Photo credit: Metro
Whilst Ziyech, Pulisic and Hudson-Odoi have struggled for game time due to a lack of fitness or trust from the manager, Timo Werner has had no such worries. Starting 82% of Chelsea’s league fixtures to date, with the majority (63%) of these starts on the left flank, the German has the third most league minutes for the Blues behind Mount and Kanté. It is obvious that Lampard is desperate for his summer signing to succeed but he is not suited to a role on the left wing in a 4-3-3. A modern-day Premier League winger must be creative, a good crosser and able to maintain and progress possession, traits which Werner does not yet possess. This is highlighted by his lacklustre 0.8 key passes and 0.2 successful crosses, as well as his huge 3.2 combined poor touches and times dispossessed per game, illustrating his lack of creativity and his inability to keep the ball let alone do anything dangerous with it. He still has a very respectable 7.16 expected goals to his name after 16 starts (his actual tally of 4 goals shows a lack of confidence in front of goal), as he manages to pop up in threatening positions. When compared to Hudson-Odoi’s 1.2 key passes, 0.5 successful crosses (a figure which could still improve) and 0.9 combined poor touches and dispossessions per game, it is clear that Chelsea could do with a natural winger on the left side.
A vital aspect of Lampard turning his side’s form around is getting the best out of £54 million signing Werner. The German has caused selection headaches for Lampard, with his ability to play in an alien 4-3-3 formation under question. Not physical enough to hold the ball up as a lone number 9 and nowhere near progressive enough to play as an out-and-out left winger as discussed, Werner does not seem comfortable anywhere in the current system. It is now well documented that the German enjoyed his most successful period at Red Bull Leipzig as part of a two man centre forward partnership, often paired with the tall and combative Dane, Yussuf Poulsen. Fortunately for the Blues, in Olivier Giroud and Tammy Abraham they have two centre forwards who fit the Poulsen mould and if anything should strike up a better partnership with Werner as they are much more rounded players than his former teammate. Playing Werner as a second striker (whoever his partner is) would also free up room on the left flank for one of Pulisic or Hudson-Odoi.
Werner has shown flashes of brilliance but must rediscover his scoring touch to save Lampard’s job. Could a positional change pave the way? Photo credit: talkSPORT
Werner was always going to take time to adapt to a new country and league, but one factor not spoken about enough is the new playing style he has been forced to adapt to. His frightening pace – topping out at an impressive 35 km/hour in the Bundesliga, quicker even than Pulisic! – made him perfect for a counter-attacking side shy on possession and desperate to transition from defence to attack as quickly as possible in Leipzig. At Chelsea he has still been able to break away past high defensive lines (see his late miss vs Fulham) but has also been expected to be a part of more patient build up play, something which will take time to adapt to. Playing as a second striker, he will have less responsibility when it comes to progressing the ball and tracking back, two of his least favourite parts of the game, and more opportunity to sit on the shoulder of the last defender and run in behind defences when possible.
When chasing results recently, Lampard has shown that he is not scared to switch up his tactics. An exciting 4-2-2-2 formation has been experimented with, most notably when chasing the game against a ten-man Fulham. This system would involve two holding midfielders covering an awful lot of ground to avoid the Blues losing the midfield battle, but if a pivot of Mount and Kanté could do the work of three men (given their work rates I wouldn’t put it past them) then it would open up an exciting world of opportunities for Chelsea’s forwards. Two of Pulisic, Ziyech and Hudson-Odoi would start on the wings with a front two of Olivier Giroud, Tammy Abraham or perhaps even Kai Havertz, partnering Timo Werner. This set-up could of course prove to be too open and may require two lights-out holding players (Declan Rice return anybody?) to properly function, but given the current system seems to be flawed it might be worth a try for Lampard, with winnable fixtures against the aforementioned Burnley and Wolves, as well as strugglers Sheffield United and Newcastle in the coming weeks.
Lampard may have to lean on Hudson-Odoi in the coming weeks. Photo credit: The Sun
As the Blues limp on, glancing nervously in their rear-view mirrors at Arsenal gaining on them and staring longingly up the table at the likes of Leicester City and Everton, it is obvious that a lot needs to change to kickstart their season. There are a lot of flaws in the team: a huge drop off in pressing, a worrying difficulty to transition between attack and defence (costing the side dearly against counter-attacking sides), as well as a lack of any tangible game plan other than to cross and hope in the final third. One quick fix is to play two natural wingers and select them based on merit, and to reposition Werner to a more natural role as a second striker. Now is a time for Lampard to be bold, with his future very much in doubt. There has been a suggestion of certain players downing tools under the current regime, and so the manager is fortunate that in Hudson-Odoi he has a potential game changer whom he can trust. The odds are stacked against Chelsea’s greatest ever player, but this writer is sure he will come back fighting. The next month is crucial, and with a few tweaks and a bit of luck we could see Chelsea emulate both Manchester clubs in soaring up the table. There is always hope.
Chelsea manager Frank Lampard was interviewed by Arlo White as part of the series ‘Inside the Mind’ for NBCSN, and here are some of the best quotes from the chat. To have a listen to the full interview, simply watch the video below (only available in the United States).
A brilliant 12 minute chat…
Frank Lampard on bringing in Thiago Silva:
‘He will bring us the experience of playing in winning teams and what it takes to win and I hope that he can lead from the back in terms of how he holds himself and communicates with others around him and hopefully that will address some of our defensive problems.’
Frank Lampard on the signings of Timo Werner and Kai Havertz:
‘They’re two players I’m delighted to bring in. They were players that I had a lot of admiration for from the outside. They were two players that I said I wanted to bring to the club. I think it will give us a lot of speed and flexibility in higher areas of the pitch as well as a lot of quality. I get a really good feeling from them that they’re hungry for success.’
Frank Lampard on Chelsea’s New Number 10 Christian Pulisic:
‘He’s trained with us for the last couple of days so I suppose I’ll have to be a little bit careful going to Brighton. I’ll see how he is right up to that game as his recovery has been pretty quick and a lot of testament goes to him for that because he’s worked really hard to get fit. I had every feeling last year that Christian would be a huge player for this club. I genuinely felt it was time for him to adapt to the League so I tried to protect him [hence I didn’t play him as much earlier on]. When he got into the team I didn’t need to protect him.
I saw that progression in restart that showed those qualities [he has] – speed and balance and finishing, and there was a new belief in being a player that was going to make a difference for us. I am very excited that this season he’s going to improve even more. He’s come back looking really hungry. He will only improve with the players brought in around him that will hopefully be on the [same] wavelength with him – maybe with their movements Christian will get even more space.
I wanted him to have the number 10 shirt because I felt like he deserved it and he wanted it. We all know what a fit Christian Pulisic can do. I was very pleased to actually make the call to tell him about it and I could sense he was happy and I sense a feeling that this is another push up for him and I’ve got no worries for Christian.’
Once again, make sure to listen to the full interview to hear more from Frank Lampard!
In our twenty third episode of The Chelsea Spot podcast Orlando (Host – @0rland1nho), Ameya (@LampardsLegacy) & Paree (@ACParee) discuss the entertaining game against Liverpool which unfortunately ended in a loss due to a few individual mistakes, as well as looking ahead towards the final game of the Premier League season against Wolves, where one point will be enough to qualify for the Champions League for next season.
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In our twenty first episode of The Chelsea Spot podcast Orlando (Host – @0rland1nho), Danny (@danny_new_) & Paree (@ACParee) discuss the incredible 3-1 victory over Manchester United in the FA Cup Semi-Final, and also look forward to Wednesday’s game against Liverpool which could secure us a Champions League spot for next season.
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In our eleventh episode of The Chelsea Spot podcast, Orlando (Host – @0rland1nho), Danny (@danny_new_) and Ameya (@LampardsLegacy) discuss Chelsea’s quickfire comeback against Aston Villa and talk about Loftus-Cheek’s fitness and him getting the start, Mason Mount’s performance and Lampard’s in game management to bring on Pulisic at the exact right time.
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After being 1-0 down at Half-Time, Chelsea fought back in the second half with two quick goals to gain three points.
Chelsea’s first game since the halt in the season was against Aston Villa, and the other results in the Premier League gave us a huge chance to increase the gap. Arsenal and Sheffield United lost, while Manchester United and Spurs drew against each other, with Leicester City also only picking up one point.
Chelsea’s fixture list certainly is not the nicest, with the Blues still having to play the likes of Liverpool, Wolves and Sheffield, meaning that we had to take all three points today.
IMAGE SOURCE: CHELSEA FC
At 3.15pm the lineup was announced, and there certainly were mixed reactions all over social media. Fans were absolutely delighted to see Loftus-Cheek start in what was his first game in over a year, yet the sighting of Pulisic, Giroud, Gilmour and James certainly surprised many supporters.
We also had been hearing that Lampard was trying a new tactic with the 4-3-3 with N’Golo Kante as the holding midfielder, and today’s lineup certainly suggested he would be the deepest of all three, with Mateo Kovacic and Mason Mount either side of him.
The first half begun, with everyone in the stadium taking a knee down as part of the #BlackLivesMatter movement in the Premier League. As expected, Chelsea dominated the ball and at a point had 77% possession, but were still unable to put the ball in the back of the net after Aston Villa defended incredibly deep as a block.
Chances were being created, with Mount striking a ball brilliantly from the edge of the box with his left foot forcing a great save, as well as putting in an outstanding ball after a beautiful skill which on another day Loftus-Cheek would have scored. Crosses were being spammed into the box by Willian and Azpilicueta in the first half, but the forwards couldn’t get their toes on it or they ended up in Row Z.
Kante was enjoying himself in the new tactic, pinging the ball left right and centre, while Kovacic wasn’t able to get that involved in the game. Here’s where the statement ‘typical Chelsea’ comes in play.
Just before half-time, one set piece for Aston Villa, they cross it in, goal. Kepa made a solid save, but was left picking the ball up from the back of the net after there was not a single Chelsea player to react from the initial save, while Hause was left with a simple tap-in. The whole mood was destroyed and the Blues’ domination came to a waste, however even at half-time, there was always that hope that Chelsea could get back into the game, something which we rarely see.
Chelsea came out in the second half, with no changes, with some even questioning the in game management. Lampard gave another 10 minutes to Loftus-Cheek and Kovacic, yet both were unable to make any difference in the beginning of the second 45 minutes and were swiftly brought off for Pulisic and Barkley respectfully.
Loftus-Cheek was always going to have a rough game, and Lampard has said this game was more about his ‘physicality.’ Getting 55 minutes without any problems or injuries is definitely one of the huge positives from today. Kovacic wasn’t able to show enough quality which we know he has, and has always struggled playing in the box to box role next to Kante, which is something which perhaps could be looked into later.
The two substitutions changed the game. They brought a bit of flair, pace and movement, which completely threw off the structured Aston Villa team. 5 minutes later, Pulisic scored with his left foot on the half volley after a wonderful cross from Azpilicueta, and from then on the game really was in Chelsea’s hand.
Two minutes after our first goal, the ball fell nicely to Giroud who turned and shot with his weak foot, with it ending up in the back of the net via a deflection. From that moment on, Chelsea just had to make sure to defend their lead and always looked comfortable.
Chelsea were back to controlling the ball, and there were a few heart attacks on the way with Rudiger and Christensen having huge lapses of concentration, but Villa were never really a threat in front of goal otherwise. A few mistakes from Reece James almost cost us in the end, but the ball was cleared and the ref blew his final whistle.
Like everyone said before, it doesn’t matter how Chelsea were going to get the three points, it just mattered that we did. And Lampard’s squad delivered.
Kepa showed glimpses of the 72 million value, Azpilicueta got two assists while Alonso disappointed, Christensen looked solid in the first half but then followed Rudiger in having idiotic moments.
Kante’s new role certainly impressed many fans, with Mount being my own Man of the Match after some incredible pressing and work in the #8 role.
Willian also showed a few bright moments, Loftus-Cheek gained fitness, Giroud scored a goal and the American impressed once again from the bench. Lampard’s in game management is not to be missed either, who got the second half spot on.
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