Chelsea FC summer homework: Defenders

Kurt Zouma: Mind over Matter – Siva Sankar

Kurt Zouma was the club’s best defender last season. His recovery tackles were a thing of beauty. He formed a solid partnership with a rapidly aging John Terry. This center-back pairing was by no means completely solid, but was the Blues’ best line-up nevertheless. He would have been a legitimate candidate for player of the season if not for his unfortunate season-ending ACL injury.

He had his fair share of shaky moments, but he could recover from nearly any error thanks to his great physical tools. Even though you’d expect the gargantuan Zouma to win almost everything aerially, at times he has trouble judging the flight of the ball.

He showed a youngster’s propensity to turn off when defending crosses at the far post by not marking his man or noticing the runner. Although physically he’s a beast, he has a lot to learn on the mental side of the game – anticipation, positioning, deciding whether or not to dive in, whether or not to step out.

For next season, Zouma should focus on recovering completely from his injury without any further complications. Due to the nature of his injury, he may not be able to rely on his physical tools as much.

Maybe this injury will help him better appreciate the mental side of the game and push him out of his comfort zone of relying so much on his formidable pace and strength. Keying in on his mental game will improve his ability to receive the ball under pressure, get it out of his feet and release it quickly with a pass out from the back.

As long as Terry is at the club, Zouma must learn all he can about the mental aspects of defending. If he can do that, Zouma has the potential to become one of the best in his position.

Next: Matt Miazga: Patience