With Chelsea FC chasing a goal and three points against Swansea City, it seemed likely that Jose Mourinho would bring on another striker to either replace Diego Costa or play alongside him. The question was whether he would bring on Loic Remy who was prolific last season or Radamel Falcao, the man who has struggled to find the back of the net with any consistency in recent years.
RELATED: Chelsea FC Predicted XI Against Manchester City
In the 84th minute, Falcao was brought on to replace one of the better players on the day in Willian and he took up the lead striker role. Diego Costa began to play a bit further out wide in a role that he occupied when he and Falcao shared the same pitch with Atletico Madrid several years ago.
Falcao threatened Swansea’s goal in the 87th but his shot was narrowly wide of the net. He seemed at home in Chelsea FC blue and was “up” for the match despite just playing about 10 minutes of it. He had yet to find the back of the net in preseason but his performance in penalty shootouts for both Colombia and Chelsea this summer show a striker who still has the confidence necessary to succeed. The player he is most often compared to in Fernando Torres was never sure of himself enough to score from the spot and it seemed more likely that he would miss every time he stepped up to take one.
More from Chelsea FC News
- Bournemouth vs Chelsea: 1 Blue Mauricio Pochettino should drop
- Bournemouth vs Chelsea: 3 Blues who must start
- Predicted Chelsea lineup vs Bournemouth: Palmer starts in 4-2-3-1
- Chelsea sporting directors finally reveal why they sign so many young players
- These 3 new signings may never get a game at Chelsea
As for how Falcao fits in to the team, he is not quite the target man that Diego Costa is but he is a lethal finisher when on form. With players like Eden Hazard and Willian providing him service then he should have no problem scoring when given the chance.
Falcao feels the same about his teamamtes and as he told the Evening Standard, he is “convinced” that he will slot in easily with the other Blues. He said, “I think this group of players have largely been together for a while now and they know the style in which they play best. I am convinced the way in which these players deliver the ball into the area is going to enable me to do my job, which is to score goals along with the other strikers at this club.
He continued and said, “the opposition area is the danger zone for forwards like me and the way this team gets the ball into the area suddenly and at the right time is really good for me.”
With Diego Costa’s iffy hamstring it is possible that we will be seeing more of Falcao than we anticipated, especially if he becomes the second striker ahead of Loic Remy. As of now, it appears that Remy is second on the depth chart if a deputy striker is needed to start but Falcao is the late game substitute when the Blues are chasing a goal. We will learn more about Mourinho’s striker rotation as we move through the season but for now Falcao is doing and saying all the right things, something he did not do last season with Manchester United.
Next: Chelsea FC Transfers: The Latest Full-Back Situation