Chelsea need a squad overhaul, not another managerial switch
By Travis Tyler
Chelsea have delayed a squad overall for nearly two years now. Bargain binning has led them to look for new management. A different change is needed.
Like a broken record, Chelsea failed to strengthen after winning the title. The following season saw a drop off in results. Naturally, the manager is blamed.
But there is one major difference between this season and 2015/2016. As the summer of 2016 loomed, Chelsea needed a new manager and a squad overhaul.
The squad overhaul did not really happen. Antonio Conte and Chelsea won the title in a trot with a similar roster as the one that finished tenth the previous season.
Chelsea failed to strengthen afterwards. If anything, the Blues weakened. Players left and lateral yet unfamiliar players were brought in. The squad became younger but not better. Conte was given players he did not ask for. If he did ask for a player, he was given his second or third choice in almost every instance.
Now with another summer approaching, Conte is on shaky ground. But even if Chelsea fail to make Champions League, Conte is simply a better manager than the reported replacements. What Chelsea needs is not a new manager but a new squad.
The players who remain from 2015/2016 should be the first on the chopping block. All of Thibaut Courtois, Gary Cahill, Cesar Azpilicueta, Cesc Fabregas, Eden Hazard, Pedro and Willian should be reviewed at the very least. As it stands, only Azpilicueta and Willian look to be in the “keep” column.
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Chelsea should not fight to hard to keep Hazard or Courtois. The only fight Chelsea should put up over the two is on their transfer fees being as high as possible. Courtois has become an increasingly frequent letdown. Hazard looks mentally gone already. His performances in recent big games was grossly lacking and the club can not afford their “best” player to do that for as long as he has.
Cahill, Fabregas and Pedro should only stay as bit part players. Their time as starters or even first rotation options is over. They should only play when their younger counterparts cannot for whatever reason.
After that Chelsea needs to give Conte the transfer reins. Without a technical director, the only person with his finger on the pulse of the squad and in touch with what it needs is Conte. If he picks a reasonable target, get the target. If he wants someone gone within reason, let them leave. Conte is the only one with a plan right now.
If that means someone like David Luiz needs to leave, then let him leave. Even let him pick which members of the loan army get brought back in from the cold, who needs more loans and who will simply never make it.
Chelsea need to trust Conte. A hard reset of a manager with the same exact squad is not going to magically yield new results. It certainly will not change the club’s fortunes long term. Even if Luis Enrique, Thomas Tuchel or Maurizio Sarri pull off a miracle in their first season, they will find the same issues that Conte is facing now. The only way to overcome those issues is to stick with someone through them rather than resetting.
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Conte is the man with the plan. Until Chelsea find a technical director, he is the only person with a plan at the club. If they were to let him go, regardless of where Chelsea finish the season, the club will be damaged more than healed.