Callum Hudson-Odoi certainly has potential and a bright future at Chelsea, but the club need results in the here and now. Calls for him to be a regular in the starting XI are premature, and based more on undue animus towards Willian and Pedro than an honest look at Hudson-Odoi’s game.
Chelsea’s academy graduate Callum Hudson-Odoi has recently been getting more regular game time and, either due to pure skill or current form, many believe he is Chelsea’s best in his current position. While some may genuinely believe that, others adopt the position more because they so strongly dislike Chelsea’s other options beyond Eden Hazard.
Hudson-Odoi is a winger everyone loves to watch. He is forward-thinking, fast, provides much needed width in matches and has bite.
Chelsea certainly needs more legs on the wings, especially at left wing, as they have no reliable – let alone long-term – depth there. Hudson-Odoi could be the supporting left-winger Chelsea needs, but should he be starting at right-wing over those above him in the pecking order? This question leads to more opinions than answers.
A common one is yes, he should be starting at right-wing because those above him are underperforming. Though Callum Hudon-Odoi has only been involved in one goal in the Premier League this season (or ever), it is equally important to note he has not had many minutes until very recently. Piling up attacking returns in the Premier League is harder than it looks, with many more flops and fizzles than Thierry Henry’s or Didier Drogba’s.
But take away the comparison. When Hudson-Odoi has featured in the Premier League, he has sadly not shown enough to suggest he should be in the starting lineup for Premier League matches.
Will his numbers improve with his game time? Definitely. Should he be starting cup matches? Without a doubt. Hudson-Odoi should have been starting cup games and now should be starting in the Europa League, but he should still be working his way up with substitute appearances for the Premier League. Hudson-Odoi would best be deployed late in the game when defenders are getting tired, at least for now.
Most arguments in favor of Hudson-Odoi starting are more a reaction to Willian and Pedro than Hudson-Odoi himself. Willian and Pedro have not set the world alight in the Premier League for a while now, but neither has Hudson-Odoi.
Chelsea fans’ outcry for certain players to be in or out of the starting XI is no indication of anything other than the fans reacting very strongly to not-so-strong issues. Everything is based on gut, rather than actual evaluation. Eden Hazard went a troubling length of time this season without scoring a goal, yet no one called for him to be dropped due to “underperformance”.
Players lapse into unsatisfactory forms every now and then. Chelsea fans should know this better than most. But instead they give the sharpest over-reactions to these short-lived forms. This suggests the call for Hudson-Odoi to start is another instance for the same.
For those who think Hudson-Odoi is simply better than Willian and Pedro, would they stand by their perspective should Callum Hudson-Odoi fall into Eden Hazard’s form from the 2015/16 season? If yes, why not do that with the current starters? If not, what’s the difference? Comments are open below.