Three big questions: Chelsea’s N’Golo Kante and the pursuit of more time

2. Will Frank Lampard deploy him as a holding midfielder more often?

With a near fully fit squad after the restart, Lampard made a telling decision to play Kante as the deepest midfielder flanked by two much more attacking midfielders in Mason Mount and Ross Barkley. The dual eight system needed someone defensively solid behind them to work and Kante is the only midfielder currently at Chelsea truly capable of the role. As soon as Kante was injured, Lampard had to readjust to find a new direction.

But the mere fact that Lampard opted for this with his squad all available for the first time implies it is the way he wants to go forward. Chelsea’s transfer activity only further reiterates this. After Maurizio Sarri made up that Kante was not technical enough to play the deepest role, many bought into that notion hook, line, and sinker.

Two things made the role possible and work well even. The first is that Kante is technical enough. He will not spray 1000 passes sideways and backwards like Jorginho, but he holds his own. The other is that as Kante ages his playing style will have to adjust in step. He cannot always be the full throttle terminator in the middle of the pitch. As his legs slow, he will need to rely on his reading of the game on and off the ball. In short, he needs to further emulate Claude Makelele.

Makelele started as a winger and a much more attacking midfielder, but as age caught up with him he was brought deeper on the pitch. His reading of the game allowed him to redefine the role with his very own name. Kante has often been compared to his compatriot French midfielder and a similar development seems to be in play with Lampard as manager.

That being said, Kante does excel in pressing which is more of a role for a player further up the pitch. What Lampard opts to do next season will be interesting to see.