How will Timo Werner fit this season with Chelsea FC?

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 Interview with Mark Worrall

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.”

Interviewing Alex Goldberg – Lampard, The Academy & Hudson-Odoi!

Jerry Mancini spoke to Alex Goldberg, the host of The Byline podcast and co-host on Calcioland, at the end of April during lockdown.

Last summer, we saw Maurizio Sarri and Chelsea FC mutually agree to part ways and terminate Sarri’s contract. The Italian decided to sign with Juventus. In his one season with the club he was quite successful winning the Europa League and finishing fourth in the league. What were your thoughts on Sarri’s one season with Chelsea?

“It was an up and down season for Maurizio Sarri. He was somebody that was appointed to actually change Chelsea and have more of a long-term vision, taking a more defensive style club for all the years they had Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte and to try and make it his own.

“When they started facing some adversity, I think you saw one of the big flaws in Maurizio Sarri that he doesn’t have a Plan B – but he doesn’t choose to have a Plan B, [he] purposely chooses to have a really good Plan A. I think he had a little bit of a rude awakening and you can’t have no adaptability in the Premier League.

“I think he certainly was hit with some cold hard truths there in the middle of the season. Like he should have known, when you don’t do well at Cheslea [FC], you’re going to come under a lot of fire from within the club [and] from the media, but it’s a place that’s very unforgiving towards their managers. So, he realized that quickly, but one huge personality trait that he has and Antonio Conte has is they’re stubborn. They believe in their vision, that’s a good thing and a bad thing.

“Sarri kept the ship upright, got third place [in Premier League] and got the Europa League trophy. [It was] his first ever trophy and he really [left] on terms that most Chelsea managers don’t get to leave on, on good terms. It really doesn’t happen. You either get sacked or you walk away, but under a really toxic term or manner. It was more the perfect storm of why he left.”

Chelsea decided to replace Sarri with club legend Frank Lampard. The 41-year agreed to a three-year deal which will see him with the club until June 2022. Upon arriving, the club had been sanctioned a transfer ban and were unable to purchase players in the summer transfer window. What were your thoughts of Lampard being appointed the new manager of Chelsea? Did you think he was the right person to manage this squad given the circumstances the club was in?

“Chelsea have had a phenomenal academy for a long time. If there’s anything they’ve struggled with, it’s to have stability and have more of a clear direction [and] foundation. They really have won trophies based on being a big club and always having players that have championship pedigree.

“They [have] been such an interesting team with a lot of turmoil and toxicity from year to year and also a team that was always producing this great young talent but choosing to never use them for anything but a business model and just to profit off of those – send them on loan and their careers will probably get stagnated, but we’ll still be able to sell them. We’ll just keep doing this with all the talent we produce and we’re going to make a lot of money off of it.

“It’s about time we see if they could make it at our club [Chelsea] and if we have a transfer ban and we have a manager that also might be leaving us (Maurizio Sarri), well I think it’s time to hire a manager who knows the club, knows how important using these players can be and is willing to use these players.

“By the way, his assistant manager, Jody Morris, managed all these players at the academy level. It was the exact reasoning [why] Chelsea would need to use the youth and finally hire someone like Frank Lampard, who’s resume, managerial-wise was almost incomplete. One year at Derby [County] and you could debate if it was good, okay, or not good but he was the manager to use youth, to know the youth and to know what the club needs.

“The only last reason why I think the club went with it and why I was also really okay with it is how damn good Liverpool and Manchester City are. It also helped because if they felt that the league is wide open, I don’t think they would have done it. I don’t think they would have hired Frank Lampard, they would have hired a more experienced manager.”

If you could pick one, which player do you feel has made the most impact this season from the Chelsea Academy?

“Tammy Abraham or Mason Mount. Tammy Abraham has the stats on his side. [He has] thirteen goals, three assists and really proved that there is no number nine curse and that he could be the starting striker for Chelsea now and, more importantly, in the future – really until the last month or so of the season, where he was injured and just looked kind of overran and fatigued.

“On the flip, Mason Mount [had] six goals, four assists, and played more of an honest midfielder even though he wasn’t going to be the player of the season for Chelsea (I think that was Mateo Kovačić), Mason Mount was asked to do the most this season. [He] Played in the most Premier League games for Chelsea and played in, by far, the most positions. He played as an eight, ten, a left winger, right inside forward, left inside forward and sometimes a shadow striker.

“[He was] the defensive leader out there, not in terms of a centre-back or goalkeeper, but in terms of pressing which is a huge identity to Lampard. He was always the one leading everyone to closing down angles, how to press in a certain way, in a certain style and waving on players like N’Golo Kanté, Kovačić, Willian and Pedro. Those are all players who are known to have really good work rates.

“That’s vastly impressive and really beyond what a 20 and 21-year-old should be asked to do in the Premier League. Obviously, the background that Mason Mount had with Frank Lampard the season before at Derby helped. He really was asked to kind of be more of a senior player while having his first season in the Premier League. At the end of the day, I will say Tammy because goals win you games and he had thirteen goals, no penalties, scored in a variety of ways and scored some big ones.”

Callum Hudson-Odoi last season had a very good year with Chelsea. His season ended with an Achilles injury. This is a serious injury that could really change a player’s career. Now, this year he has returned to the club but hasn’t been nearly the same as he was last year and that’s due to the fact, he’s missed a lot of playing time. The forward has put in mixed performances as he’s shown to play at a high level as well at a level that shows his form is not there yet. Do you feel Callum has been treated unfairly this season and do you expect him to regain the form that he showed last season?

“Yes, I totally expect him to get back to what we thought he would be currently doing. I think people don’t know enough about the Achilles injury. It is such a tough injury, even when you’re back. Look at any sport, players don’t usually feel like themselves and have that out of their head mentally for a year after. the stats are there to prove it.

“I was definitely gutting for him and think yeah, at moments he came back and was actually phenomenal.

“He was also kind of thrown in the fire. He wasn’t thrown back into a team that had a bunch of senior players, like Eden Hazard, Diego Costa, Cesc Fabregas and you could kind of ease back in. Once he was fit and ready to go, he was somebody that Frank Lampard needed to play quite a lot.

“He did turn things around to a certain extent in terms of performances right before he pulled up with a hamstring injury.

“He’s just insanely talented, he is 19 [years old] and he is a confident kid. So yeah, you might snowball in your head a little bit with the flack you’re getting for not being [Kylian] Mbappé right away, but he is somebody that [was] thrown back out there and especially with this team whose got such a great spirit. He’s somebody that’s going to exude confidence and really will hit the ground running.

“I have no doubt about it. He’s so young still and now he has plenty of adversity. The sooner you experience adversity, the really more well prepared you’ll be for a bad game in the future and more likely it doesn’t not turn into a long slump.

“I think he’s in the right situation, on the right team to feel confident, feel backed and be able to go express himself. Still, he’s going to be a key player for Lampard. It’s a young squad, Willian and Pedro are most certainly leaving [and they have left now] and so really its there for the taking for him.”

A big thank you to Alex Goldberg for the interview. Make sure to check his podcast out ‘The Byline’ and his social media platforms. Feel free to check out The Chelsea Spot too for more interviews, including one with ex Chelsea legend Pat Nevin!

Interview by Jerry.

A Farewell To Willian

As one chapter begins, another one must come to an end. That is the case for this season’s number 10, Willian, as a move across the city to Arsenal has been confirmed. Willian has enjoyed a superb innings at the club, after signing in August of 2013 for a fee of £30m. In this piece, I will look at Willian’s best moments, my favourite memories and give an overview of his time in the famous royal blue shirt, as we bid farewell to our number 10.

The landing of Willian was a huge breath of fresh air for Chelsea, as the then 24-year-old had also attracted the eyes of Tottenham, and the North London club was desperate to land the Brazilian. Willian completed a medical at White Hart Lane before deciding he wanted the Chelsea move. The player has since claimed he always preferred the option of Chelsea, and that he would only have chosen Spurs had the Chelsea deal fallen through. This created the infamous “Willian Saw The Light” chant that echoed around Stamford Bridge on a weekly basis.

Willian made his Chelsea debut in the Champions League group stage against Basel, during Chelsea’s return to the competition after competing in the Europa League the season prior, and winning the whole thing. His first Chelsea goal came during a 3-1 victory over Norwich City, where the winger fired a stunning long-range strike past John Ruddy, which was nominated for the club’s goal of the season award. The Brazilian struggled to keep momentum following this game and took his time to acclimatise to the pressure and standards of the Premier League, but he eventually found his feet and cemented himself as a key Chelsea player. Willian earned himself a call up to Brazil’s World Cup squad for 2014, which was testament to his solid form for Chelsea.

As the 2014/15 season rolled around, Willian was now part of the devastating front 3 alongside Eden Hazard and Diego Costa, who decimated the league during this campaign and helped secure Chelsea’s 4th Premier League. Willian enjoyed a fantastic campaign and topped it off with two trophies, playing 36/38 League games for the Blues. He was also involved in the goal that won the Capital One Cup against Tottenham at Wembley, which was the perfect way to wrap up an exceptional season for Chelsea.

Over the course of his Chelsea career, Willian cemented himself as a serial winner, and his trophy cabinet is nothing short of impressive. The Brazilian won 2 Premier Leagues, 1 FA Cup, 1 League Cup, 1 Europa League, and also won the Chelsea Player of the Season and Players’ Player of the Season in the 2015/16 season. This range of accolades proves the quality and importance he had to the club.

Some Of My Favourite Willian Moments:

The opinion splitter himself has had some very memorable moments in a Chelsea shirt, some good, some bad, but memories us fans will have forever. Here are just a few of my favourite Willian moments:

THAT goal vs Manchester City (2016/17)

This game remains one of my favourite Chelsea games, as it outlined just how devastating we can be on the counter. After going 1-0 down after a Gary Cahill own goal, we turned it around in style and scored 3 tremendous counter-attacking goals, the second coming from Willian. As Costa picked the ball up on the halfway line, Willian had already flicked the burners on and destroyed Alexander Kolarov in a race to the ball and slotted it home to take the lead. A real showcase of the true speed he had.Brace vs Tottenham (2019/20)

The Brazilian helped the Blues pick up an all-important victory over Spurs this season, which set Frank Lampard up to be the first manager in history to do a league double over Jose Mourinho. Willian netted twice, once from the penalty spot, and one scorcher on his right foot following a short corner, which set the away end alight. This performance really highlighted his importance to the side.

Identical free-kicks against Dynamo Kiev (2015 and 2019)

This moment was one of the most exciting things we’ve seen Willian do at Chelsea. A moment of sheer beauty in our Europa League game against Dynamo Kiev in 2019. Willian put his freekick into the top left-hand corner, which was an absolute peach of a goal. This goal would have likely made the list on its own, but the fact it was absolutely identical to the one he scored past the same side in the Champions League in 2015 is what makes it so special. Us fans thought we’d gone back in time when this one hit the net, a real favourite of mine.

4 in a row (2015/16)

A particular run of events springs to mind when I think of Willian. Back in the 2015/16 season, the Brazilian netted four freekicks in four games, and each one was special. The best of the four came against Southampton, and what a freekick it was. Bent from 25 yards across the goal and in off the far post, this moment stands out to me as one of his best goals in blue.

Thankyou:

Whether you love him or hate him, we can all agree he helped out on numerous occasions and gave us many memorable moments. Willian has been a terrific player for Chelsea, and we are grateful for the time he spent with us. Thankyou Willian.

Podcast: Chelsea 2-0 Wolves Review, Havertz, Willian new contract & more!

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE!

In our twenty first episode of The Chelsea Spot podcast Orlando (Host – @0rland1nho), Danny (@danny_new_) & Paree (@ACParee) discuss the great 2-0 victory over Wolves to qualify Chelsea for the Champions League next season. The boys also discuss the developments in Kai Havertz to Chelsea, the breakthrough in Willian signing a new contract and a lot more!

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#TheChelseaSpot | #Chelsea | #CFC

Ranking Chelsea’s 20/21 squad from ‘Star Player’ to ‘Must Be Sold!’

Chelsea have already confirmed the signings of Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech and are expected to have a busy transfer window with the club looking to offload a number of squad players.

But where do the new signings rank amongst the squad? Who should be starting every week? Who needs to be sold?

Well, here’s my rankings from “Star player” down to “Must be sold”

Tier List made via tiermaker.com

As you can see, the list is quite ‘bottom heavy’ with a large number of players thrown into the must be sold category. The likes of Bakayoko, Batshuayi and Pedro feature as they look destined to be moved on by the club and I doubt many Chelsea fans would disagree. There are, however, some admittedly controversial picks in this tier.

Jorginho is a player who has drastically divided the fanbase ever since he signed for the club in 2018. Since the restart, Jorginho has been out-of-favour and Chelsea managed to win four out of the five league games in which the Italian midfielder didn’t start, scoring an impressive 12 goals in the process. Due to injuries to both N’Golo Kanté and Billy Gilmour, Lampard was forced to hand Jorginho his first start against Sheffield United and The Blues were thumped 3-0 with many describing the performance as the “worst of the season” and Jorginho faced the brunt of the criticism due to a lacklustre display. Despite beating Norwich 1-0, Chelsea put in another fairly disappointing display which lacked urgency, tempo and attacking quality. Yet again, Jorginho started this game and for me, he’s a big part of the problem.

I personally don’t dislike Antonio Rudiger as much as most Chelsea fans seem to. I think he does offer some leadership and certainly has a physical presence which most of his peers lack, however if I’m being completely honest (and harsh) he simply cannot defend.

Image Source: Chelsea-News.co
He’s a central defender… who can’t defend!

So, not only do I think Rudiger should be moved on but I also believe his calamitous partner Andreas Christensen has had more than enough chances at the club. These two are an actual comedy spectacle when they line up next to each other and while Andreas is still young and could improve, I just don’t think he’s suited to be a Premier League centre-half. Although he’s welcome to prove me wrong!

Finally from the bottom tier, Kepa has to be sold. I’ve never witnessed a goalkeeper at the top level struggle to stop shots so badly. The club are reportedly interested in Jan Oblak and Andre Onana, both of whom would massively improve our squad, so Arrizabalaga has to go.

Just as a caveat, Willian has been included in the ‘must be sold’ category solely based on his contract situation, otherwise I’d be happy for him to stick around for a year as a squad player.

The boys in the ‘loan’ list are fairly self explanatory. The teenage lads from the academy could do with a season on loan in the Championship or even League 1 to get acclimated with senior football. I’ve chucked Kenedy in there too just because I think he’s hugely underrated so I’d like the club to keep him on the books, but it looks likely that he’ll be leaving on a permanent basis.

Image Source: Sportskeeda

The squad players section was fairly easy for me. Not all 23 first-teamers can be ‘world class’ (unless you’re Manchester City) so we need a solid bench consisting of players who can come into the squad when needed and make an impact. Players who “offer something different” are key throughout a squad and the likes of Olivier Giroud, Ross Barkley and Marcos Alonso all tick that box. Giroud has proven his value since the restart and is still a goal threat, while Barkley has actually impressed at times throughout the season and by all accounts works extremely hard to improve himself. The reason I’d keep Alonso around is because he gives us the option to switch to a three-at-the-back system whereas Emerson, for me, just offers very little.

There’s absolutely no reason why both Billy Gilmour and Tammy Abraham cannot be starters next season. They both have the quality as they have proven already, but due the signing of Timo Werner and Lampard moving Kanté into a deeper role, I think that they may not be nailed on to start week-in week-out next year but both will certainly play a crucial role in the long-term.

The regular starters that I’ve selected are a perfect blend of youth and experience in my opinion. Azpilicueta has proven to still be a quality captain and player throughout the season and I believe that Frank Lampard is a big fan of the spaniard, Reece James is also battling for the same position though and deserves to be a starter so we may see ‘Dave’ continue to feature as a left-back. However, if we do sign Tagliafico, Telles, Chilwell or whoever it may be then that could knock one of Azpilicueta or James down a tier.

It’s pretty much impossible to fit all of Kovacic, Mount and Loftus-Cheek into one starting eleven but all three players offer different skill sets which are incredibly valuable to this Chelsea side. Mason Mount has been the club’s player of the season for me, his quality both on and off the ball is outstanding and to have contributed so much in his debut Premier League season is hugely impressive. He’s absolutely key to Frank’s system and therefore should and will start the majority of games next season wether we sign Havertz or not.

Image Source: 90min

I honestly believe that a fully fit Ruben Loftus-Cheek is one of the best players in the Premier League. He’s the definition of ‘complete midfielder’ and can offer both a goal threat and be a creative outlet. His physical strength combined with immense technical ability when in full flight makes him a defender’s nightmare and if he can get back to his best next season then he has to be a starter.

Fikayo Tomori and Callum Hudson-Odoi have both suffered injury problems as of late but are two of England’s brightest talents. Zouma and Tomori’s partnership in the first half of the season was far from perfect but was certainly the most encouraging central defensive set-up we’ve seen. Chelsea fans rightly love Hudson-Odoi and despite all of his off-the-pitch issues this season he has the quality to set the standard for young Premier League players next season.

Werner, Ziyech, Pulisic, Kantè. Is that the best “big four” since the Warriors lined up with Curry, Thompson, Draymond and KD?

Edit by @AAZChelsea

Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech are nailed on to be top, top players next season for Chelsea. They’re two of the most dynamic and exciting players in the Premier League and will improve Chelsea’s already strong attack ten-fold. Christian Pulisic’s form since the restart has all Blues fans convinced that he’s the real deal, adding goals to his game and beginning to remind fans of a certain Eden Hazard due to his immense dribbling ability. N’Golo Kanté’s inclusion as a star player needs no justification, despite injury issues this year he’s clearly a world class player who would start for any and every team in Europe.

So, that’s my personal ranking of next season’s Chelsea squad. Do you agree? Disagree? Let us know @TheChelseaSpot

*I (stupidly) forgot to include Ethan Ampadu in this tier list. Personally I’d like to see him as a squad player next season but he could benefit from another loan.

The Willian Saga

Willian has long been Chelsea’s ‘marmite player’. Years before Jorginho came in and challenged the Brazilian for his title of the most divisive player at the club, Willian was either loved or hated by most fans, with very few sitting on the fence. With a potential reunion between the man who ‘hates Tottenham’ and Jose Mourinho in North London this summer, I will try and give a breakdown on Willian’s time at Stamford Bridge, and whether or not we could see him stay past this summer.

Having reportedly turned down an offer of a two year contract extension, telling Esporte Interativo that he wanted ‘three more years’ at the club, Willian is free to find a new team come the season’s end. The interview, given after the Bayern Munich game in March, angered Chelsea fans worldwide. Club legends, such as John Terry and Frank Lampard, were only offered one year contract extensions after turning 30 – due to club policy – and now that the board has eased its stance for Willian, they had been rejected. In a column written for The Players Tribune, the Brazilian said, “If you ask my wife if she wants to leave London, she’ll say no”. This has led to him being linked with two of Chelsea’s biggest rivals, Arsenal and Spurs, so clearly Willian is a man in demand. After his most productive season in blue to date, why would so many fans be keen to see the back of him?

Well, despite numerous incredible displays, most notably against Barcelona; where he hit the post twice before scoring in a 1-1 UCL last 16 tie in 2018, tempting the Catalan giants to make a £50 million bid for the then 29 year old, which was promptly rejected. An excellent performance against Spurs earlier in the season will also be fondly remembered by many fans. In fact, Willian has long been the scourge of our London rivals, not only did he score both goals in our 2-0 away win over them in December, but he also backed out of a seemingly agreed switch to White Hart Lane in order to join Chelsea. However, Willian’s Chelsea career has been tarnished by an incredible inconsistency. The forward has posted an underwhelming 74 goal contributions in 230 league appearances, at a rate of one every 3 games. For context, his predecessor in the number 10 shirt, Eden Hazard, racked up a huge 146 goal contributions in 245 league games, at a rate nearly double that of Willian.

Willian’s 2 goal destruction of Spurs earlier this season earned him some good will from Chelsea fans, photo credit: irishtimes.com

Another aspect of the Brazilian’s character which has not endeared him to fans was his attitude towards Antonio Conte. Immediately after the 2018 FA Cup final victory over Manchester United, Willian uploaded an image to his social media accounts of the trophy presentation, edited so that the Italian manager’s face was covered by emojis. He insisted his daughter had done it without his knowledge. Such pettiness didn’t go down well with Chelsea supporters, with the popular Conte sacked a few weeks later only a year on from his incredible league success. 

However, despite all of the negativity surrounding previous antics, there is a reason that Chelsea offered Willian a two year contract. He has proved to be an extremely valuable player this season, regularly starting in the 3rd youngest squad in the league (with an average age of 25.3 years). Azpilicueta, Kanté and the Brazilian are the only players aged over 28 to start more than half of the league games played so far this season, building an experienced spine to Lampard’s youthful side. Despite his advancing years, the Brazilian has managed to start 25 of the available 33 league games, notching up an impressive 9 goals and 5 assists (including 3 penalties). Statistically this has been his most productive season in front of goal for the Blues already, beating his 13 goal contributions in the 2017/18 campaign. With Callum Hudson-Odoi and Christian Pulisic struggling for fitness for large parts of the season, Willian has stepped up and dragged Chelsea through some tough encounters. But does his form this season mean he deserves a three year contract extension?

Chelsea have been aggressive in the market, sealing deals for both Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner before the transfer window has opened. Both recruits are extraordinarily talented, and – unfortunately for Willian – are able to play on the wing. Although Werner is naturally a number 9 or a second striker, he has adapted his game to make darting runs in from the left flank, helping him to bag a phenomenal 36 goal contributions in 34 Bundesliga start this term. Ziyech, meanwhile, is a more natural winger, playing mainly on the right flank and cutting in to provide 6 goals and 13 assists from 21 league outings. With Christian Pulisic in extraordinary form and Hudson-Odoi a hugely talented youngster waiting for his chance, Willian would probably find himself to be a bit-part player at best next season. He is clearly a player with huge self-confidence, and doesn’t appear to be happy to sit on the bench. Could this push him towards the exit door?

Despite all of his talent, Willian hasn’t always produced on the pitch, with off-field antics not helping him endear himself to fans, photo credit: The Independent

It is worth noting that Willian has performed admirably this season, not just in terms of goal output. He tops the squad for key passes, creating an average of 1.9 chances every league game, as well as sitting third for dribbles, with 1.8 completed every game. He also draws more fouls than anyone in the squad (1.3 per game), and gives the ball away less than half as often as other key winger Pulisic. The fact that he has accumulated the fourth most playing minutes in the league for us this season demonstrates how highly rated he is by the manager, and should we lose him this summer it is clear that whoever starts on the wings next season has big boots to fill. 

Finally, when debating whether or not Willian should stay, it is vital to note his incredible work rate. Our 2015/16 Player (and Players’ Player) of the season, has managed the most tackles and interceptions of any of our attacking players to have started at least 5 league games, with an average of 1.9 in the league this season. This demonstrates his willingness to track back down the right flank and support whoever plays at right back. Whilst his inconsistent application – unless a new contract is up for grabs! – of his obvious talent frustrates all Chelsea fans, his effort and passion cannot be called into question.

Whenever Willian leaves it will naturally be to a mixed reception. Some will remember him at his electric best, others will remember him for constantly hitting the first man at corners, but there is no doubting how crucial he has been to Chelsea this season. With a three year contract unlikely to be offered – Willian would be pushing 35 by the time it runs out – and talents like Tino Anjorin pushing for first team minutes, it could be for the best that Willian leaves. He could probably be useful as an impact substitution, with his pace causing problems late on against weary defenders, but it is unlikely that he would be happy to fill such a role. Whatever your opinions on Willian, we can all be thankful that he signed a short-term extension in order to see out the rest of the season, when others would have looked after their own self-interests and left at the end of June. The Brazilian’s goals may still fire Chelsea to Champions League qualification, so for the rest of the season we should all get behind our number 10. After all, Spurs may have bought his flight, but…

Willian, he saw the light

He got the call from Abramovich

And off he went to Stamford Bridge

He hates Tottenham, he hates Tottenham

He hates Tottenham and he hates Tottenham!

Written by Daniel New 

Chelsea fight off late surge from Crystal Palace: 3 take-aways from the match

Chelsea Player Ratings Vs Crystal Palace: Mount Shines With 8 ...
Image Source: Getty Images

Chelsea held on for a 3-2 win against Crystal Palace as Olivier Giroud, Christian Pulisic and Tammy Abraham each scored for the Blues. The Eagles applied the pressure late in the game but it was not enough to help them come back to win. Wilfred Zaha and Christian Benteke each scored in their loss.

The win moved Chelsea a step further towards a top four finish in the Premier League as they try to solidify a spot into Champions League next season.

A close match between the two London clubs and a good three points for Chelsea’s but what else can we take away from the game?

Jorginho Finally Makes His Appearance On The Pitch

Chelsea looked set to win the match when Abraham scored at the 71st minute. His goal increased their lead to 3-1 and looked as if they were going to easily cruise to a victory. A minute later, Benteke scored a goal for Palace and the game had a turn of events. The Eagles started to apply pressure and Chelsea struggled to advance the ball out of their back end.

Frank Lampard elected to bring Jorginho off the bench in the 80th minute. It was the first time the midfielder had playing time since March 3rd against Liverpool in the FA Cup and he reminded many people why he’s vital to this club. The Italian was assertive, calm and composed as he shifted the tempo of the game into Chelsea’s favour.

Image source: 90Min

He showed good awareness and provided a tactical intelligence which limited Palace from having possession. The midfielder positioned himself into areas where his teammates were able to make outlet passes. The game seemed destined for a draw but Jorginho provided a different element which helped weather the storm.

Jorginho has a good read for the game and his efforts were well warranted. He could we have earned himself a starting berth In Chelsea’s tough trip to Sheffield this weekend, depending on the fitness of N’Golo Kanté.

Should Chelsea Consider Re-signing Willian?

Back in June, Willian signed a short-term contract that will see him play with Chelsea for the remainder of the season. The ongoing rumours about Willian’s future with Chelsea haven’t died down and continues to be a main topic in the transfer rumour mill. Should Chelsea consider keeping the Brazilian beyond this season?

Willian has been one of the most productive players since the Premier League restarted. The winger has contributed to seven goals in the last five matches (including FA Cup) and has been one of the most consistent players for Chelsea. In the win against Palace, Willian finished with two assists, five key passes, two shots on target and was fouled once.

In Chelsea’s first goal, he made a great run down the right side and beat Gary Cahill. He then delivered a pass to Giroud in the six yard box which the striker converted.

Later in the match, he set-up their second goal and showed great awareness. He made a clean pass towards Christian Pulisic who made his run towards the box and sent a polarizing shot towards the back of the goal. Throughout the match, Willian showed great character as he kept running and didn’t stop until the final whistle.

Willian has been a key element to Chelsea’s success and is one if the main reasons why Chelsea are currently sitting in third place. His recent performances show what he’s able to deliver on the pitch and the club should consider keeping him on their squad.

The winger has earned praise from Lampard and has been one of his most dependable players since the restart;

“Willian was extremely influential and he and Christian [Pulisic] are a big threat for us”

Frank Lampard after the victory over Palace

“The impact Willian is having in all the games at the moment, with his speed and how he travels with the ball, and his quality, we all see it every game. he has been brilliant for us.”

Christian Pulisic Shows No Signs Of Slowing Down

Pulisic had a slow start to the season and found himself in and out of the lineup. He was frustrated with the lack of playing time, yet he knew the transition to the Premier League wasn’t going to be easy. Pulsic’s name wasn’t on the scoresheet until October 26, 2019, when he scored a hat trick versus Burnley. It was an overwhelming start to the season but the American was starting to come around under Lampard.

In January, Pulisic had a set back as he picked up a serious injury that sidelined him for the long-term. In the midst of playing good football, it was a big a blow to Chelsea. The season came to an abrupt stop in March due to Covid-19 and this allowed time for Pulisic to recover and rejoin his teammates

Image Source: AS English

Since the restart of the campaign, he has taken his game to another level where he has been more clinical and fearless. He has finished his chances in the final third which was evident in the goal he scored off Willian’s pass. In the past five matches, he has scored three goals and has looked more tenacious with the ball.

He has been one of Lampard’s most reliable players and has shown no signs of easing up. He has been an integral part of their recent success and is showing why Chelsea acquired him last season.

“Christian is hugely important”

Frank Lampard

“He has great talent, we know that. At the start he came here in difficult conditions in terms of him not really having had a break, but he started to play really well and now he has moved his game to another level, not just in how he is going to by people but there is real-end product”

“You look at the top attacking players in the world and they score goals and make assists regularly that win games and at the moment he is doing that, so I am delighted with him.”

There’s our three takeaways from the victory over Palace, let us know what you thought of the match!

Written by Jerry Mancini.

The Simon Phillips Show #4 – Transfer Roundup & Aston Villa Preview!

Transfer Roundup & Aston Villa Preview!

In our fourth episode of the Simon Phillips show, Simon discusses the latest transfer news regarding the Football Club, including Werner’s finalised move to Chelsea, Havertz, Chilwell, Pedro and Willian.

In the second part, we talk about our upcoming game against Aston Villa and Loftus-Cheek’s fitness.

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Apple

Make sure to check us out on all our social media platforms, including our website, Twitter, Spotify, ITunes and Deezer, as well as Simon’s.
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