Three big questions: Chelsea’s Thiago Silva and the old man role

3. Is experience alone enough to fix Chelsea’s defensive issues?

Chelsea’s biggest issue last season was defense. Lampard was able to get the attack clicking but as soon as possession was lost, it felt like a coin flip whether it would result in a goal or not.

There are a few reasons to this. The first is the way Lampard team’s press. It is highly aggressive, which leaves a lot of space if the players do not press well enough to force the opponent into a bad decision or their teammate is unprepared for the second ball.

All that space forces the defense into a bad spot. They can come out and try to win the ball back or they can hold the line. This is where communication becomes important because more often than not half the defense would hold while the other half tried to press and it became a cluster.

The final issue is the keeper. Having a good keeper at the back that can stop those good chances can change a team entirely. Kepa Arrizabalaga has not been that keeper. In fact, he has been the opposite, letting in chances that a keeper truly shouldn’t. The defense in front of him may be all over the place, but he does them no favors when he fails to do the basics right.

So, what has the club done to address these issues? They have gotten attackers that are all good at creating plays, which should force the opponent back more. They are also (in general) players that are unafraid to press to get the ball back quickly. In theory, the press should be improved.

Silva is one of the answers to the defensive line being disjointed. Being central and experienced, he can ideally command the players when to stay and when to go. The main question is whether or not Silva alone is enough to exert that kind of control.

Then the keeper situation is still an issue. Overall, expected stats say Chelsea had the third best defense last year even with it being helter skelter. Arrizabalaga, however, was near the worst keeper in the league in every category. Even if Silva can improve the defense, there is only so much more it can improve with a keeper who is bottom of the pile. Time will tell which issue is the one to really worry about.

What questions do you think need to be asked of Silva? Let us know in the comments and on Twitter!