Chelsea had what can only be described as a massive fail in 2015/16 under the misguidance of Jose Mourinho. A season that started badly just got worse and worse. However, the one shining light amongst that carnage was the Brazilian international, Willian.
Where others failed game after game, Willian was a giant amongst men. No one on the outside knows what happened in the Chelsea dressing room, and how the wheels fell off the Premier League winners.
Nonetheless, Willian was able to put that aside and just play football. His work ethic did not go unnoticed, as the club’s supporters named the Brazilian winger Player of the Year.
Willian signed a new four-year contract prior to the season commencing. Just as things on the field of play improved dramatically, tragedy struck for Willian.
Must Read: Chelsea show similarities to 2010/11 with small squad in title defence
Sadly, his mother passed away in October 2016, aged just 57. Understandably, the rest of his season was always going to be tough. However, the boy from Brazil displayed the ability of many elite athletes to put tragedy and adversity to the back of their minds in competition. His first game back at Chelsea saw him feature as a substitute in the 4-0 victory over Manchester United.
Antonio Conte preferred Pedro as attacking midfielder alongside Eden Hazard for the remainder of the season. Yet Willian’s appearances from the bench still impacted the team. He scored twice when coming on as substitute. Despite a difficult season in personal terms and less time on the pitch, Willian returned the best goals to games ratio of his Chelsea career.
The arrival of Alvaro Morata has Antonio Conte varying his tactical formations by mixing up the attacking players. Chelsea are very light in terms of wing-backs, a tactical position Conte favours. Last season the Italian transformed Victor Moses from winger to wing-back.
If Conte could convert Willian in the similar way, it would give the manager more options. With Champions League football returning to Stamford Bridge in 2017/18, Willian can only expect more playing time in the coming campaign.
However, the flying Brazilian still needs to add one thing to his game. Put simply, it’s goals. Although he upped his goal total last season, he could still contribute more. The imminent departure or exclusion of Diego Costa will leave Conte having to replace those missing goals.
Next: Chelsea 2017/18 preview: Patience must be a family virtue for Andreas Christensen
Eden Hazard is currently sidelined for the foreseeable future, assuring Willian’s place in the starting XI for now. If things change when Hazard returns, and Willian spends time bench-warming as he did last season, he will no doubt behave like a consummate professional, as he has always done. Not only playing with a smile, but more importantly, giving his all for the team whenever it’s demanded.