Chelsea’s fullback issues have not really changed and there is no best option

Perhaps more than any other position, Chelsea fans are unsatisfied with the fullbacks. The issues have not changed and no one really stands out.

The game used to require midfielders to be the most two way players. A midfielder needed, without question, to be able to defend and attack at a moment’s notice. But as the 4-4-2 gave way to the 4-3-3, the two way nature of midfielders was split over three bodies allowing for more specialized midfielders to thrive. That two way skill set never went away though. It was simply pushed on to the fullbacks.

The modern fullback needs to be able to defend as well as they attack. Box to box midfielders in their truest form are a rarity nowadays as players like that are developed into fullbacks. And if a team has a fullback that cannot attack and defend, they are seemingly limited in what they can accomplish.

Chelsea has four first team fullbacks and fans will generally say at least two of them are not fit for current service. But the issues that plagued Chelsea last season and in 2015/2016 (and that they avoided altogether in between) have not gone away. And on the same note, none of the fullbacks really match the complete criteria of a modern fullback anyways.

2015/2016 and 2018/2019 showed how current tactics can leave old school fullbacks exposed. Part of Jose Mourinho’s desire that transfer window was to create a higher, more aggressive defensive line with more involved fullbacks. He did not get that. Instead he was asked to reuse the impressive defensive line from the season before but it had been growing increasingly clear that the current set up had shown cracks. Branislav Ivanovic could get forward and defend in equal measure, but that was the year his legs went. Cesar Azpilicueta was always defense first, (especially on his weak side) but Eden Hazard’s form evaporating put a great deal of burden on the Spaniard.

The Maurizio Sarri season was a similar lesson. Sarri wanted his fullbacks high in support of the attack, but that often left huge gaps behind them. Frank Lampard desires something similar and similar results have obviously occurred this season.

In general, fans seem to believe Emerson is the fullback most suite to task. On the stats, on paper, reflect that. Emerson has the highest defensive stats and is more involved on offense and in possession. But both Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso, despite having lower offensive stats, are more productive in the goals. They also are not all that far off statistically from Emerson.

And the eye test says different things as well. Alonso has less defensive actions than Emerson, but that is in part to his physical attributes. Alonso is slower, so he has to be less aggressive in his actions. He contains more, which would not reflect in the stats. Emerson is faster and uses that attribute to stay active. The stats also do not show how often Emerson is caught up field because of his high offensive involvement and how slow he is to get into a defensive position at times.

Azpilicueta is also seen as having no offense but it is perhaps more accurate to say that he picks his moments. The stats show that he offers himself off the ball more than either Alonso or Emerson and that he may be more considered in his movements. That often stops him from going full throttle offensively as his main focus is maintaining control.

Of course, the player missing in these comparisons is Reece James but his sample size is too small to compare justly. While his time at Wigan probably disguises somewhat his actual skill level, his cameo against Ajax showed that he is more polished than some may have initially thought. And given that Lampard also sees him as a midfield option, he may just be the two way fullback the Blues are looking for.

But James may just be the only true two way player Chelsea has for the position currently. Alonso and Azpilicueta are not quite suited for the modern style the position requires, but they are hardly as poor at is as some have suggested. Emerson’s stats speak well to be well rounded, but it is hard to ignore that Alonso and Azpilicueta have been more productive and the eye test does show Emerson is somewhat offense first, defense second instead of both in even measure.

Simply put, there is no such thing as a truly better pair of fullbacks for Chelsea right now. James is seemingly the most suited in the long term, but he may need a run of games to solidify himself in the same way Mason Mount and Tammy Abraham did earlier in the season after some rougher starts. Emerson is the standout, but not so much over either Alonso or Azpilicueta that he should be clearly blocking the Spaniards.

Perhaps the final answer is Chelsea does need to look towards the market for two way players, not unlike Pep Guardiola did. James could become that player but he needs a run of games to put things together. The other three can get things done, but none is suited to every situation they will face. There are options out there, it simply remains to be seen whether Chelsea would rather adjust around what they have or find a newer solution to an old problem.