Chelsea is emerging and there’s much more on the way from the Blues

Chelsea is still looking for a complete effort in the Premier League after humbling a poor Sheffield United team, but the positive signs are there.

After conceding an early goal by virtue of a poor defensive effort versus a lower seeded club, Chelsea rebounded to thrash Sheffield United by a score of 4-1. The demolition was a positive sign the Blues, who in recent years have had trouble putting away poorer teams, especially Chris Wilder’s men. Yet, if this team has title aspirations, it needs to totally destroy bottom table teams and ultimately beat the best.

Even during the unbeaten streak, the Blues continue to display some negative tendencies. Once they are smoothed out though, the improvements will lead the team to titles. Some of the issues that still plague Frank Lampard’s still developing and coalescing team are the following.

More from Chelsea FC News

• Bournemouth vs Chelsea: 1 Blue Mauricio Pochettino should drop
• Bournemouth vs Chelsea: 3 Blues who must start
• Predicted Chelsea lineup vs Bournemouth: Palmer starts in 4-2-3-1
• Chelsea sporting directors finally reveal why they sign so many young players
• These 3 new signings may never get a game at Chelsea

The team’s forwards still overpass when a shot makes better sense. Tammy Abraham, Timo Werner—who was just a couple of feet from lodging a hat-trick—and Hakim Ziyech passed up shots for passes when they should have taken a crack at goal. The center forward(s) and wingers have to be lethal finishers when they are within range. If the opportunity presents itself, shots towards goal are best as they can have several very positive outcomes. While passing in those situations sometimes works, it doesn’t necessarily create better chances.

The Blues also continue to make multiple poor crucial passes. This negative concept was on full display early on against Sheffield. Even Ziyech, the Moroccan Magician, was guilty a few times. The outfield players have to take a bit of extra time to be certain their pass doesn’t end up at the opponent’s feet. These mistakes are correctable, but when prevalent can be killer. Look no further than Kai Havertz’s mistake against Southampton to see this concept in action. Against the better teams, these errors must be minimized in order to avoid dropping points.

Another continuing issue is that Chelsea can sometimes be bullied by a small club like Sheffield, populated by players of massive size and limited pace—not that small and pacy is a bad thing. Big, strong and tough—coupled with pace and talent—is an even more dangerous combination. It’s good for clubs to have and very difficult to oppose. That is why adding a large, strong central defender is a must if Chelsea is to compete against the very best in Europe. A tough player in midfield would also be an asset. Think Declan Rice or Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, for example.

Also, there is no one around now to fully deputize for Havertz as one of dual No. 8s. Chelsea shortsightedly sent Ross Barkley and Ruben Loftus-Cheek out on loan, leaving the Blues thin in attacking midfield. In a 4-3-3, seemingly the preferred formation of-late, either one would have slotted in very nicely to deputize for Mount or Havertz. With N’Golo Kante manning the defensive middle in his inimitable form, they are a formidable trio when healthy, but confused when not.

The substitutes totally lacked a scoring touch against Sheffield and that’s a depth issue that needs to be rectified if the club is hoping to seriously compete for the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup titles. Bringing Barkley back would be ideal, but since that is unlikely to happen, let’s remember the January transfer window is not too far away. Rectifying those shortcomings in a few months will make the Blues’ team a very formidable one.

Chelsea supporters have reason to be very excited about the future. The Blues are playing well now, but they haven’t even begun to scratch the surface of what they will be capable of in the future. Chelsea is on the ascendant and the sky is the limit.