In the space of a week, Chelsea managed to pull two cup wins out of the bag and maintain their push for some silverware despite being unimpressive in both matches.
Beating Tottenham was an important thing to do. Doing it on penalties took a little luster out of the win, but it was still good all the same. The match against Sheffield Wednesday was slightly more satisfying in that it was both resounding and a good example to Maurizio Sarri of how he can achieve his goals while getting the youth more involved.
If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times: the best thing Sarri could do is play more of the youth players. The older members of the team – who apparently once again had an issue with their being admonished by the manager – have too many previous managers’ playing philosophies, styles and personal issues running through their heads to adapt.
Youth players have none of these and they, along with a few of the elder statesmen of the team, endeared themselves well on Sunday in a way the regular starters did not against Tottenham.
Chelsea had another altercation on the training ground this week. The twist in this one was that it was between Cesar Azpilicueta and Sarri. But this was not overall a negative incident for the Blues. It’s not the end of the world for a player to have a couple issues with the manager, particularly when things aren’t going well and even more so when the player is taking umbrage with the manager publicly shaming the team. The captain represents his teammates, and should stand up for them.
Players should show they’re disturbed by recent form. They should be upset. That this is the only time this has ever happened with Azpilicueta suggests he was boiling over.
But the fact that Willian was involved is worrying. More and more it is becoming apparent that Willian is one of the problems in the locker room. With multiple managers and countless incidents, the once easily-loved Brazilian has proven to be something of a locker room cancer.
Chelsea should cut ties with Willian as soon as they can. His role in holding back Callum Hudson-Odoi’s development offers a perfect opportunity to make the break. Between Hudson-Odoi and Christian Pulisic, Chelsea have good options for the beginning of next season should they lose both Willian and Eden Hazard.
Eden Hazard is Real Madrid’s top target, which doesn’t bode well for Chelsea. It’s a trial few teams ever pass. Manchester United didn’t with David Beckham or Cristiano Ronaldo, and Tottenham didn’t with Gareth Bale.
But none of those teams had a player in waiting like Hudson-Odoi. Having a player with the caliber to wear the No. 10 at Bayern Munich to replace Hazard immediately in the squad makes Chelsea somewhat blessed. To lose Hazard for £100-150 million pounds and then Willian for another £25 million would give Chelsea plenty of room with which to work in the summer.
They would already have their wing options fixed and sorted with players who would be easier for Sarri to mould. For all Hazard’s talent, he has been the best player in some of the most underperforming Chelsea sides of the past 10 years.
Chelsea would not be remiss to then let David Luiz go and add Kalidou Koulibaly to help with Sarri’s transfer of ideas with some of the money that they saved from Hazard and Willian. They simply can’t pay the sort of money Napoli are suggesting at the moment, but with things as bad as they are in Italy and the abuse Koulibaly is receiving it’s not crazy to suggest he may ask to leave in the summer.
Ethan Ampadu showed against Sheffield Wednesday he should be starting as a central defender as his range of passing is everything that Luiz’s is at this point. He barely set a foot wrong in the Jorginho role in midfield, but also has the added bite that a midfielder has to have above the age of 9. Ampadu alongside the now maturing Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger would be a fine way to handle things if Chelsea decided to put the Hazard money in their pocket to grow a little.
This Chelsea team looks like it is in a perfect position to simply add by subtraction. Sarri has a lot of strong principles and is a good coach but Chelsea have too many old holdovers and scar tissue that needs to be removed. If Chelsea simply lost Hazard, Willian and Luiz they might be a lot better off than they think with some additional cash in their pockets.
Chelsea should just let the youth and club grow without the cynical and self-centered brats in front of them. The young players do not need their supposed elders influencing them in the wrong direction with the wrong values.
Chelsea looked like a side on the upswing against Sheffield Wednesday and a team treading water against Tottenham. The changes they need might not be as extreme as everybody thinks they need to be. Simply playing Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Ethan Ampadu and Callum Hudson-Odoi and actually letting them be coached by the latest coach Chelsea have hired might be enough.