It’s so difficult in professional sports to come off a championship season, especially an unexpected one, and keep together everything that made that team great. Between contract uncertainties, aging players, injuries and loss of form Chelsea F.C. face all of these challenges as the domestic and international seasons wane. I want to explore the recent form because for the first time this season it’s starting to truly look like something special again. Whether that leads to anything other than a few moderately satisfying trophies like the Club World Cup or the League Cup remains to be seen, however at this point let’s assess where things are, who’s in form and why an inspired performance against a tough Lille opponent may have provided a blueprint for how this team could make this season as special as last year..
The offense has never really flowed the way it’s intended under Tuchel, even when last season, select offensive performances made great strides in growth with young talent such as Mason Mount and Kai Havertz shrugged off inexperience to provide important moments on the way to the Champions League trophy. Under Frank Lampard, Chelsea’s offense ran cohesively but provided very little in true opportunity for players to do what they could best. The wingers and midfielders relied solely on possession and individual skill rather than a system to prevent counter attacks from other teams. While a strong press against Chelsea’s possession approach remains the best way to beat them both under Lampard and Tuchel, Tuchel’s system does what the best coaches always do, what Belichick does, it focuses on what a player does best and fits those pieces together rather devotes tactics to a blind, egotistical devotion to a manager’s system. It’s why at this point Marcelo Bielsa has lost the confidence of his players, despite their critically acclaimed performances both in the Championship two years ago and last year in the Premier League. It’s why Jorginho became a possession god, Mateo Kovacic finally ran free as an engine of central attacking and even Kepa looks at times like the best (and most expensive) backup goalkeeper in the world. Defense wins championships in almost every sport.
While it makes for painfully boring Super Bowls (Pats/Rams, Broncos/Panthers, Seahawks/Broncos, etc.), there are few things more satisfying to me than sound, fundamental defensive cohesion which Tuchel brought with him, along with his quarterback Thiago Silva. So much of that cohesion relies on players doing exactly as much as they’re asked and no more, with versatility as a high value to earn playing time. It’s how Marcos Alonso can look like the best left back in the world at times because Antonio Rudiger covers him entirely on the defensive side of the field. Unfortunately, Tuchel fails to follow the coattails of the man who he often replaces, Jurgen Klopp, when it comes to inspiration on the offensive side of the field.
I genuinely believe that last summer, Chelsea should have punted on Romelu Lukaku and waited for Erling Haaland. Haaland is 21 and clearly plays the way Tuchel wants that number 9 to play where Chelsea’s failed to adequately find stability at the position since the departure of Didier Drogba. Even last year’s attempt in Timo Werner produced some nice moments, but mostly highlight reels of Timo missing easy finishes, being offside constantly and generally struggling with the physicality of the Premier League (though he’s dealt with that aspect better this season to be fair to him). Lukaku starred at Inter Milan over the past two seasons having burst onto the scene with Everton in the mid-2010s before a mostly impotent stay at Manchester United. I’m also not convinced Tuchel wanted Lukaku instead of a younger striker, like Haaland who he could mold into this system. Hell, these Chelsea players all resemble slightly better versions of the current Borussia Dortmund supporting cast that have helped Haaland look so awesome all of the time. I went back and watched all of Lukaku’s goals at Inter. Some of them obviously relied on his hold up play and honestly inferior center backs in Serie A not being able to handle his physicality, but also the free flowing, breakaway counter nature of the Antonio Conte approach and his natural chemistry with Lautaro Martinez. Chelsea’s management felt like they had to buy a true number 9 when they probably should have bided their time with Tammy Abraham and Oliver Giroud who both look awesome in Serie A this season and waited for Haaland or the next young striker who breaks out in any given season like Dusan Vlahovic. Right now, Lukaku clogs this offense and it’s not his fault. While Tuchel has tried to provide him the Lautaurolike striker partner this season, it’s clear he’s not committed to providing Lukaku with that support, instead opting to build the offense through methodical possession and consistent chance creation. This lack of approach to use offensive players in their best roles has defined Tuchel’s time at Chelsea as Lukaku looks genuinely miserable most of the time. There’s a long list of players put in the wrong positions on offense. Kai Havertz is fine as a number nine, but looks way better as a midfielder offensive engine or as a winger. Christian Pulisic barely plays on the left wing or attacking through the middle. Callum Hudson-Odoi hasn’t played on the right side as a winger in a long time. This Lille game was important offensively because for the first time in a long time, Chelsea didn’t just rely on sheer talent to get goals, they came naturally in the flow of the game with everyone looking comfortable in their role.
Hakim Ziyech, despite his struggles at Chelsea, finally seems to have found his role that he displayed so dazzlingly at Ajax. Against Lille and in the past few games, he provided the most offensive creativity with some wonderfully skilled and important goals. Pulisic played as an attacking number 10, a role I never really saw him in, especially with Mount around and performed well, linking, along with Havertz the midfield possession and counter attack. Havertz played on the left wing and centrally, where he’s taken to lately in fantastic form. Long projected as a dominantly skilled player, Kai is really starting to bring that dream to fruition with the open play and linkage support he’s been provided. In this game, Tuchel let these players cook to the highest potential of their skills and the offense looked truly as cohesive as the defense. They were still careful in defensive possession, with minor slip ups, but Tuchel trusted that strong back three to cover up the possession errors caused by the extra risk taken by Kovacic and N’Golo Kante getting forward on fast breaks. The same freedom he’s afforded all his wingers and center backs to do their jobs while also providing passing and offensive support (as evidenced by the deluge of defender goals this season) he gave to his forwards, trusting them to take advantage of opportunities rather than attempting to methodically break down a defense. It’s in stark contrast to the previous game at Crystal Palace where Ziyech’s late heroics saved an embarrassing draw. This is the key to making this season special again, to winning the Champions League again, to ensuring a top 4 finish (don’t think the Premier League is realistic at this point) and to give this team an offensive identity going forward for years given how young all these players are. Who knows though, may their best, young number 9 just needs to be recalled from Southampton in the summer.
Chelsea is a defender factory. Between academy prospects and smart spending, this team breeds center backs like Penn State does linebackers or the Pittsburgh Steelers with wide receivers. That’s why the team is flirting with the prospect of not signing Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen and Cesar Azpilicueta. While Azpilicueta is older and probably not built as a long term winger, he’s still strong in a back three. The other two provide essential starting and depth with an oft injured Thiago Silva and the still developing Trevoh Chalobah and Malang Sarr. This group is entirely magnificent so the loss of those three and really Rudiger and Christensen would be a bet I’m not sure they should be willing to make. Fikayo Tomori, one of the better center backs in all of Serie A couldn’t break into this group consistently. Chalobah shined with his early season form, providing promise but has struggled to stay healthy since. Tuchel seems to be preparing Sarr for the departure of this group, however he’s been inconsistent and isn’t nearly as steady as the potential departees. Ironically, Chelsea seems hellbent on addressing the aging midfield, despite having the depth of Mount, Billy Gilmour on loan at Norwich and Conor Gallagher who’s form surely will earn him first team minutes next year. There was even a brief Ruben Loftus-Cheekaissance before his inevitable injury troubles and poor form caught up to him. Despite the real need younger midfielders, I don’t think the backbone of Tuchel’s success combined with the world class performances of those three players AND importantly Rudiger’s age at almost 29, Christensen at 25 still with very much of their careers ahead of them is worth sacrificing money for Declan Rice or shit Ousmane Dembele.
These contract struggles highlight the importance in any sport of understanding why you win and why you lose. Chelsea won the Champions League last year against one of the all time great teams because of their defensive confidence and importantly Christensen stepping in for Silva through injury and just dominating in that game. Maybe now they’ve figured out how to pair scoring goals consistently with that defensive cohesion and if so, it makes Rudiger, Christensen and Azpilicueta all the more important to cover the defensive liabilities at wing back. Pay Rudiger. The man delivered and without the existence of Ruben Dias last year, would have been voted the best center back in the world. He’s still young and while an incredible athlete, he doesn’t rely on that for his play. He’s incredibly consistent and will age well despite Chelsea’s reluctance to pay older players. I’m sure Thiago Silva is in his ear about spending money on his body and like all athletes and teams, Chelsea need to realize how far science has come for aging athletes. This applies to Azpilicueta too, who looks labored when asked to play as a wing back, leading to the spells of Pulisic and Hudson-Odoi at that position with Reece James’ absence, however in a back three, he still holds up as well as anyone. It’s always a struggle with a club legend who’s aging on when to let go, something Bill Belichick seemed to have mastered until the Buccaneers won the Super Bowl last year, so I get it, I just don’t see that loss of leadership and skill as something they should allow. Windows for championships are small and with the growing offensive cohesion (and youth), this team could reel off some real success domestically and in Europe over the next 3-5 years. Christensen is still young, pay that man too. At times with Silva out he anchored that position as solid as any defender. He’s also clearly just absorbing everything from Silva at times taking on Silva’s point guard, quarterback role that Silva most prominently displayed against Palmeiras. He’s a worthy successor to anchor that central role and at 26 will be good for at least the next 5-7 years.
These are just my limited assessments of where this team is at this moment. Focus on what you have and invest in this window. The offense has plenty of talent already on the roster, the midfield is calling from inside the house and the defense can be the fulcrum of this team even when the offense struggles, which I’m sure it will again. This is a still and underrated team that isn’t spoken about as glowingly as Manchester City and Liverpool, but consistently performs best against the best English and European teams. If they played PSG in this Champions League, I think they would destroy them. Real Madrid, while much improved, still has an old midfield and I’m not sure Benzema would have any more success than he did last year in the UCL semi-final. Stick to what you got there, try to get better in weaker areas and most importantly don’t lose the window. Real Madrid didn’t and dominated Europe most of the past decade. There’s no reason this team can’t do the same.
Bo's Gamut 