Chelsea FC vs. West Brom: 4 Things We Learnt

Branislav Ivanovic Must Be Replaced

Chelsea FC fans have been joking on Twitter that Branislav Ivanovic must have some sort of dirt on Jose Mourinho because no matter how bad he plays he is still named to the starting lineup. Many fans were hoping that new signing Abdul Rahman Baba would make his debut but Mourinho did not make that move just yet. Perhaps after taking a look at the tape from the match he will change his mind.

Ivanovic was victimized by two pacey players in Jefferson Montero and Aleksandar Kolarov in recent weeks but against West Brom he was taken to task by Chris Brunt and Callum McManaman, two players not renowned for their pace. He was taken for a ride on both West Brom goals as he did little challenge the cross from coming in from his side and West Brom capitalized on both. McManaman turned him inside out in the Chelsea box and should have scored the Baggies’ third but his shot flashed just wide.

Chelsea desperately need someone with pace out on the flanks but Ivanovic’s aerial presence is a real threat. Perhaps with John Terry’s suspension Mourinho will bring Ivanovic in at center back and bring in Baba off the bench. Whatever the case is, something needs to change in the Chelsea backline and the prime suspect is the Serbian fullback.

Next: Overcoming The Referee