Chelsea: The lull in the winter slog can benefit a busy Blues side

The winter slog does its damage to all teams. Chelsea now has a lull from it which will allow the club to regroup and reform over the next few weeks.

The period of games from the end of the November international break to the March international break is the winter slog. Matches are almost every three or four days as squads get run in to the ground by the end of it.

But for some clubs, there are respites in the middle. Chelsea has nearly a full week off before playing Burnley. There is a full week off after that before Newcastle. Then it is right back into the slog before the FA’s “winter break” arrives.

This will be a valuable two weeks for Chelsea to recover, reassesses, and reinforce. The Blues can come out of this stronger than before if they are smart about their decisions.

Recovery is the easiest one. Frank Lampard has had very little time to physically train his squad in recent weeks. Recovery sessions will have been done, but just as important are the regular sessions. That rhythm between the two keeps players more fit than just one or the other and the club has had little chance to slip back into the rhythm.

Reassessing is about the other side of the game. Tactically, Chelsea has gone a bit flat in recent weeks. What was once a highly effective attack has cooled off. Defense has remained an issue. Part of that is having less time to drill for specific opponents but tiredness could play its part as well.

Reinforcement is exactly what it sounds like. Chelsea is allowed to buy this window and the available targets that make the squad better at the moment should already be well known. The Blues are not so desperate for transfers that they need someone now at the expense of someone better in the summer, but some holes can be patched in the short term. Ideally those players would all be in during this calmer two week period.

The Blues are also lucky to have opponents such as Burnley and Newcastle for this time period. No offense to either, but Chelsea has little excuse not to do well against either with a full week of rest and time to plan. Of course, that was the same that could have been said for other clubs this season too.

If Frank Lampard and the staff can take a step back and look around at the season thus far, they can plan to make the second half of the year even better. There will rarely be a better suited time for it in any Chelsea season so it must be taken advantage of now.

With the right recovery, reassessments, and reinforcements, Chelsea can come out the winter slog stronger than they entered it. The Blues have had a fine season thus far. The right decisions can make it a good season. Even better ones during this period can make it a great season.