Willian: An underappreciated cog in the Chelsea machine

Willian’s time at Chelsea is unlikely to be remembered for what it was, but the Blues are losing a vital cog in their machine.

Willian came to Chelsea at a time when the club was buying up every promising looking 10 and converting them into a winger. He entered a club that already had Eden Hazard, Victor Moses, Juan Mata, Andre Schurrle, and Oscar among others. Initially, it seemed as if he would lose out on the battle for minutes before Jose Mourinho saw what Willian brought to the table.

Mourinho used Willian as a sort of counter balance. As Eden Hazard worked his magic on the left and Branislav Ivanovic bombarded out of the back from the right, Willian was there to shuttle up and down in support. It allowed Hazard more time to get back if he had to, but more importantly more time to stay forward. From that point, Willian was a lock in the side for the remainder of his Chelsea career more or less.

Now the Blues are losing that. Many are happy to see him go but there is also some remembrance of what he did for the club. There is little recognition, however, of how much of a loss he may be. He was a vital cog in the Chelsea machine and the Blues will struggle without his like.

The main knock always used against Willian has been goals and assists. He never broke 10 goals or assists in any single competition season, though overall he did those numbers in all competitions in a few seasons. The reason for this is largely Hazard. Rightly or wrongly, Willian was viewed through the lens of Hazard and held to the same standard. For years, the cry of “a winger on the right to equal Hazard on the left” prevailed.

That was not Willian. Willian was a worker. What he lost in goals and assists, he made up for in making his teammates better. There is a reason why manager after manager put him ahead of everyone else. Only Antonio Conte, who already had an extra man behind the play compared to the other Chelsea managers, struggled to find a use for the Brazilian.

That situation caused one of Willian’s lower moments where, after winning the FA Cup, he covered up the manager with emoji’s in his picture. He claimed his daughter did it and it was all a bit school girl in its drama, but the relationship had clearly fractured by the end. That, however, remains the lowest point of his Chelsea career.

Beyond his playing ability, many also are not acknowledging the gap left when an experienced player like that leaves. Everyone is eager to talk about the holes left behind when Didier Drogba, Ashley Cole, Frank Lampard, Petr Cech, or John Terry left. Few are as eager to talk about the holes left behind when the likes of Cesc Fabregas and Gary Cahill were shown the door. Now the club is losing Willian (and Pedro) too and while that may lead to an improvement of play on the field, behind the scenes it leaves a gap that is not easily filled.

Willian was never the fanciest player that everyone tuned in for. He was just a cog in the machine that made the rest of it work better. That is not appreciated in the same way as the stars of the game are these days. Chelsea was not wrong to hold out for a contract that suited them better, nor was Willian wrong to hold out for the one he wanted (regardless of which club offered it). But that does not take away from what the Blues will be losing and what another club will be gaining.