Cesar Azpilicueta has struggled at times under Maurizio Sarri. Some Chelsea fans have started to turn against him. Is it too soon to do so?
Cesar Azpilicueta has been Chelsea’s iron man since Jose Mourinho returned to the club. Since then, Azpilicueta has played almost every match he has been available. Rarely has he been rotated, rested, dropped, or injured.
The Spaniard has done this at a number of back line positions. He unseated Ashley Cole at left back early on and took hold of his new center back spot under Antonio Conte. Even more interestingly is that Azpilicueta was bought at right back.
But after finally returning to his natural position, the Spaniard has struggled at times. A legion of Chelsea fans have started to ask questions. Is Azpilicueta a good fit for Sarrismo? Is he still a starter? Can Chelsea do better with a world class attacking right back?
Their concerns are not completely unfounded. Azpilicueta is not an attacking full back. The closest he can get is entering the midfield and being a recycle option off the ball. But Sarri asks him to overlap the winger and cross into the box. Azpilicueta can do these things, but they are not natural to him.
Furthermore, if Azpilicueta does do those things, he often leaves the defense exposed. He often presses too high and leaves a gap behind him not unlike the gap left behind by the wingbacks last season. Antonio Rudiger is smartly placed on that side to cover, but a lot of the chances have come down that side.
But Sarri is also playing with his own system. At Napoli, the side was very left side focused. The left side featured the attacking players that would push up. The right side had the more defensively inclined. But at Chelsea, Sarri has spread that duty all over the pitch. Both fullbacks have to attack and defend. The formation easily shifts to a 4-3-1-2 appearance at times which puts an even heavier focus onto the fullbacks.
So it is not as if Azpilicueta is a bad fit for Sarri, but he is not a perfect fit for the current version of Sarrismo. That is where the doubts come in about him.
Azpilicueta is still a guaranteed started at Chelsea. In fact, he may even become captain before too long. But it is understandable that given his shaky performances at times that some will look to the market to reinforce the spot. Azpilicueta is only 29 and the Blues must avoid the temptation.
Sure, a player like Dani Carvajal might make the Blues more dangerous on attack. But what would they lose on defense? What would they lose off the pitch? What about the pipeline? If there is one thing Chelsea’s academy is getting good at producing, it is right backs. Ola Aina, Reece James, and Dujon Sterling all have a chance in the future. A world class player now would end that chance.
What Azpilicueta probably needs more than anything right now is a rest. He has played so much over the years that it is sure to be weighing on him. The club does not want another Branislav Ivanovic situation where the player is run into the ground and off the cliff.
It might be advisable to sit Azpilicueta for a week or two if the fixtures allow it. Let him take a step back, recalibrate, and return fresh. Davide Zappacosta can survive against lower teams or Sarri can come up with something else. Then the Spaniard should be able to return fresh and ready to prove the legion wrong.
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