Nathan Ake would not be eligible to play tomorrow no matter which team he was on. He should be watching from the home bench and enjoying a rare day off. Instead, it’s just another game passing him by.
Antonio Conte has given even the most persnickety Chelsea fans little to quibble about this season. His unremitting refusal to play Michy Batshuayi despite Diego Costa’s woeful form, attitude and conduct is one spot of contention. The recent Pedro-as-wingback experiment is another head-scratcher. But recalling Nathan Ake from a successful loan to Bournemouth only to neglect him for the entire second half is the most mind-boggling of them all.
After 733 Premier League minutes in the first half of the season with Bournemouth, Nathan Ake has yet to appear in the league for Chelsea. He played two full FA Cup ties, against Brentford and Wolves.
Ake’s recall initially appeared to be a patch for this season and a jump-start on next season. Chelsea’s back-line was sufficient but not secure, and definitely not stellar. Gary Cahill and Cesar Azpilicueta exceeded expectations, but that did not make them long-term solutions. David Luiz needed time off to recover fully and regain his mobility after this knee injury.
More from The Pride of London
- Bournemouth 0-0 Chelsea player ratings: Abysmal, reckless, wasteful
- Bournemouth 0-0 Chelsea: 3 Blues talking points
- 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
The idea seemed to be that Ake would cover for Luiz while the Brazilian healed. Upon Luiz’s return, he would then challenge Gary Cahill for his spot on the left. This plan would bring Ake into the back-line a few months ahead of schedule, while shoring up Chelsea’s patch-work defence. With Zouma approaching full match readiness, Chelsea looked set to transition smoothly into next season’s back-line.
Instead, Nathan Ake has been lucky to make the match squad. He was not even a substitute for Wednesday’s clash against Manchester City. John Terry was on the bench, presumably to provide stability and leadership if necessary. But Cahill, Azpilicueta and Cesc Fabregas have each made compelling cases to be Chelsea’s next captain.
City would not threaten Chelsea through a crisis of leadership. They would do so through pace and mobility, with Leroy Sane and Sergio Aguero slicing through Chelsea’s defensive third. That is the textbook situation calling for a player like Nathan Ake. And yet he was not among the 18.
Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe was understandably displeased that Chelsea activated an unusual recall clause in Ake’s contract. He may have been able to console himself by thinking that the move was in Ake’s best interest. Howe is top developmental coach. He would recognize – begrudgingly – the honour and upside of Chelsea summoning Ake for the second half.
Instead, Howe – like everyone else – is wondering who benefitted from Ake’s recall. Surely not Bournemouth, who are trying to claw their way into a top-half finish. Not Chelsea, who are getting nothing more than a warm body in training out of Ake. And certainly not Ake himself, who lost experience, match readiness, confidence and the opportunity to prove his wares, if not to Chelsea then to any interested buyers.
Conte may genuinely believe Batshuayi is not up for the (deep breath) physicality of the Premier League. And who knows what kind of devil’s deal Conte made with Diego Costa. For all we know, Costa made a William Gallas-style threat to extort his way into the side. As for Pedro, perhaps Conte thinks he has another winger-to-wingback extreme makeover up his sleeve.
Next: Liverpool duo praise Chelsea and Antonio Conte following City win
Nathan Ake’s recall is scarcely defensible. The Costa and Pedro situations are tactical. Ake’s plight affects his development. Chelsea were poised to bring perspective and vision to their youth and development policy under Antonio Conte after years of throwing darts at the barn. The next few seasons will reveal whether their handling of Nathan Ake will go down as a well-concealed turning point or just another heedless foul-up.