Chelsea’s midfield makeup is going to marginalize and magnify

Assuming Chelsea’s going to settle on the 4-3-3 with dual eights for real this time, some will be marginalized while others are magnified.

A lot can be learned about a manager based on how they build their midfield. With a pair, it really isn’t here nor there but a trio offers a variety of options due to the increased dispersion of duties. For example, Jurgen Klopp prefers three hard if not flashy workers. The creation of plays is primarily through movement and the wide players. Pep Guardiola, meanwhile, prefers all three of his midfielders to be able to create with the wide players being outlets for the attack instead of the creators of it.

Frank Lampard’s recent return to dual eights is, on paper, most similar to Guardiola’s. Realisitically, however, it is more of a blend between Guardiola’s midfield and Klopp’s. That should come as no surprise as Lampard often seems to blend the ideas of both into his own setup. It is both steel and silk.

This recent formation change has likely been intended for sometime, but Lampard was hesitant until he had the right players to make it work. If anyone goes down, he more than likely does not. Furthermore, while the 4-3-3 has magnified the abilities of some, it has marginalized others in its current iteration. So, who suits each role and how might players away from the club or future transfers strengthen the team?

1. The linchpin that holds it all together

The most important of the three has to be the holding midfielder. It has been the main reason why Lampard was hesitant to switch to the shape; he simply has no depth there. The holding midfielder needs to be able to link up, or at the very least distract the opponent, as the centerbacks build from the back. Off the ball, they need to find the danger areas and cut the play out before the defense is truly under pressure. Thiago Silva has been instrumental for both of these factors because the holding midfielder doesn’t need to be a passing maestro nor locked perfectly central with Silva (and to a lesser extent, Kurt Zouma) behind them.

Thus far, N’Golo Kante is the most suited to the role and the only one on the depth chart Lampard would feel truly comfortable with there. Jorginho could do a job if needed, but he so often leaves his teammates in bad positions defensively or fails to really do anything with his passes from deep that he is not ideal most days. Billy Gilmour could prove an option when he returns from injury, but his ultimate placement in midfield is still a bit up in the air. In theory, Andreas Christensen could play there but Lampard has never done more than mention him as an option.

Ethan Ampadu seemingly offers an option when he returns from loan and that appears to be a part of the plan. The rest of the plan is an all out pursuit of Declan Rice in January. Ideally, the holding midfielder can just as much anchor the center as they can drop between the centerbacks for a 3-4-3 starting formation or a 3-2-5 in possession formation (for the teams that are very counter heavy). Regardless, without someone to fill in for Kante when he is unavailable or needs a rest, the current 4-3-3 with dual eights becomes somewhat precarious.