Chelsea winter evaluation: Wingers past and future
By Travis Tyler
Callum Hudson-Odoi, England
Hudson-Odoi had a bigger uphill fight than it appeared as he returned from injury. Many held a grudge that he submitted a transfer request when there was literally no interest in the management in playing him (it did take a board order after all). Then there was the length of time it took him to extend his contract.
His first few appearances post injury were promising but once those turned into starts, the boo boys turned against him. Hudson-Odoi struggled with the pace of games and was heavily criticized. Many declared him a flop already.
Recent weeks have shown a different side of that as Hudson-Odoi has regained fitness. He is playing much closer to what he was previously and the plaudits are coming his way again.
Perhaps most noticeably is that he has done much of that on the right, making room for Pulisic on the left (the reverse was expected eventually over the summer). With two young, promising wingers, Chelsea can only get better.
Performance so far: Getting better the more he plays, he is trending upwards.
Will he return next season: Chelsea would be crazy to block off his path. He clearly has the talent and just needs the playing time.
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Willian, Brazil
It was expected that Willian would be phased out this season. Perhaps that was part of the plan, but the injuries to Hudson-Odoi and Pulisic timed out in such a way that Willian has continuously seen the field.
Willian has been fantastic at the same time too. It has not been his best season, but it is pretty close. The goals are still sparse but Willian was never a goal scorer; it was everything else he did. Lampard’s system and how it uses wingers seems tailor made for a player like Willian.
His contract is running out and Barcelona seems perpetually interested. Chelsea may have to give him a longer than normal contract to keep a hold of him, but that may be worth it to have a veteran in the squad who will age gracefully.
But if not, Chelsea can afford to find players in the market. Willian is great, but not so great that the Blues need to bend over backwards to accommodate him.
Performance so far: Willian has turned back the clock this season. On and off the ball, he has been in his best form in years.
Will he return next season: It seems unlikely, but Chelsea may need to spread their resources out more than the wing spots. That will give Willian ample opportunity to stay as the veteran winger of the squad.
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How would you evaluate the wingers so far? Who do you think will return? Let us know in the comments and on Twitter!