David Luiz has somehow found his way into the starting XI time and time again. Maurizio Sarri must break Chelsea’s (and his own) habit of starting Luiz.
David Luiz is a good player at the right times. He is good with the ball and usually positions himself well. But there are other times where he is an absolute liability in the back line. Once he goes from the former to the latter, he should cease being a starter.
But both stints of Luiz’s Chelsea career have been characterized by fits in and out of the squad. He will be a starter and look like the best defender since John Terry one week and he will cost two goals because of his adventures up field the next week. Antonio Conte got the best out of Luiz with three at the back but with that movement over Luiz should be used more sparingly.
So far, that has not been the case. Maurizio Sarri trusts Luiz to be in his back four. And while that may be acceptable in the short term, in the long term it will only hurt Chelsea. Luiz is a good player, but his moment as a Chelsea starter should be in the past.
Luiz had the opportunity to be with Sarri from the start. He used that time to earn his way into the new manager’s good graces. First impressions are easily made and hard to reverse which is why Sarri still trusts him. To partner Luiz, Sarri has often chosen Antonio Rudiger (who also had the benefit of an earlier impression than fellow defenders).
But the Community Shield showed exactly why Rudiger and Luiz cannot be the long term center back pairing. Manchester City picked the two apart. Even though they could pass well, neither was confident that the other would shield them when they went in for a tackle. The backline was a mess that day almost entirely because of Rudiger and Luiz.
Compare that with how dominate Ethan Ampadu and Andreas Christensen were in the next friendly against Lyon. One of those two needs to partner with Rudiger, not Luiz.
Furthermore, starting Luiz has the chance of alienating Christensen. He returned to Chelsea to be a starter, not to ride the bench. And though his form tailed off at the end of last year, there is simply no reason why he should not be the starter alongside Rudiger.
Luiz can remain at Chelsea for the last year of his contract but then the club must move on. Sarri must not persist in playing Luiz who will be gone soon at the expense of Christensen. The worst case scenario is that the Blues see Christensen depart due to lack of playing time while Luiz ages and hits “the cliff”.
It is understandable why Luiz is starting in the first few weeks as Sarri looks to establish himself. But that habit must be broken soon. Luiz is a fine player, but he is not a fine player to start for Chelsea on the big days. The sooner Sarri recognizes that, the sooner the defense will be sorted for years to come.