Zouma reborn!
We could all agree this season was a massive success considering all the issues that surrounded our beloved club at the end of the last season. With a transfer ban, the sale of our and at the same time the Premier league’s best player, not many spectacular names among the remaining squad, inexperienced and yet unproven in the top tier league football as a manager, Frank Lampard had a hell of a job to do in order to make something out of this season. With an accent on making a foundation for the future, Super Frank had an ungrateful task of fusing the ’captured ones’ with the introduced youngsters eager to prove themselves at the top level of ball kicking.
Not only has Frankie succeded in that attempt - he has exceeded all the expectations given that almost nobody, from prominent expert to unworkmanlike butt scratchers in front of TV, tipped Chelsea to even qualify for the Europa League, let alone the more prestigious European competition. But, despite all the goods, not everything went rosy and shiny throughout the season. Contrary to a recognizable fluidity in attacking aspect of game, the defence seemed pretty much shivery most of the time. With 54 goals conceded this season, there were obvious problems with keeping the ball out of our net, most notably defending set pieces and poor keeping from Kepa. And when I say poor, I mean dreadful and completely unreliable keeping from the world’s most expensive goalkeeper, which maybe added an extra burden on our already fragile defence, leading to creating an enchanted circle of unreliability between each other.
Despite all defensive issues, Chelsea did a fantastic job finishing fourth on the table and qualifying for Champions League football, which was uncertain until the very end of the current campaign, as well as reaching the final of the FA Cup, a great chance of winning some silverware in Frank’s first top-tier managerial season. What a success it would just be!
One thing that left overshadowed by above mentioned season highlights is the notable rise in the form of Kurt Zouma close the end of the season. The colossal Frenchman not only cemented his place at the heart of the defence but also stepped up with some crucial interventions that ensured we seize some indispensable points. Gaining confidence and consistency game by game, he became a rare trustworthy player among the team’s defenders and a real leader on the pitch. Maybe he's not so decorated and flawless on the ball, but his strength, bravery, devotion and towering height were just what Chelsea needed in the moments of defensive delirium during the games in the latter stages.
Let’s not forget that he’s only 25 and already full of top-level football experience (playing his best football in the 2014-15 season and helping Chelsea win the Premier League and the League Cup), so he might only lack continuity in playing week in, week out, given that Lamps rotated a lot searching for the best pair of centre-halves. So with his huge rise in form recently, as well as not much quality defenders in the transfer market nowadays, Chelsea should rely upon what they’ve already got and try to build the backline around the gigantic Frenchman.
Among players we already have in the roaster, we can also count on our ever-present captain Azpilicueta and young beast Reece James on the right flank, as well as Alonso on the opposite side in the 3-5-2 system of play (wouldn’t play Alonso in a back-four system), having Tony Rudiger who still has something to offer and a great talent Ethan Ampadu (would surely give him a chance ahead of Christensen next season), then Tomori still proving his worth, it may not be necessary buying a new centre-back. I’d rather go for a defensively strong left-back who fits in a back-four system that would provide the team with versatility in switching formations and unconditionally a top-class goalkeeper (Kepa obviously turned out to be a fraud of the century), as these are the most critical positions in the team right now.
So, with Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner already signed, with the Kai Havertz deal hanging in the air, Chelsea will have a fearsome team for the next season, capable of fighting for trophies if we pull off the deals for a left-back and a trusty keeper.
Therefore, we can conclude that our club is going in the right direction with the right philosophy and with Super Frank at the helm, the future looks really bright. KTBFFH!
Comments
Great stuff for the debut, welcome to the platform! One suggestion: maybe you'd consider changing your nickname to spell your name in English, so that everybody understood who they're dealing with? 🙂
Thank you mate, it means a lot to hear such a good critic for my first blog! I’ll take changing my nickname into serious consideration 🙃
nice one
completely reborn . Best Chelsea defenders. He dominates the aerial duels, physical challenges and perfect his passing abilities. But he got some area of improvements to be all around complete defender.