Chelsea: The Father of the Pride speaks (Volume I)
As the “not-so smart, but let’s say, more life-experienced” Pride of London writer, the site’s hierarchy has indulged me with a weekly column in which to air my Chelsea viewpoints. In reality, it will be me looking back at the previous week in an irreverent—or more likely irrelevant—way.
What a week it has been for the Blues. Chelsea has gone from aimlessly floundering in the transfer market for a striker to all but sealing a deal for one of the world’s best. Romelu Lukaku would be an excellent re-signing for the Blues. Not since the days of Diego Costa have we had someone who us old school dudes could call a genuine centre forward. What’s more, Rom (I hesitate to use Big Rom) will hit the ground running in the Premier League, the man has previous experience of the hardest league in the world.
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Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku is close to rejoining Chelsea from Inter Milan.
No disrespect to Timo Werner or Kai Havertz, who I think will really do well this season, but they struggled at times last season. Erling Haaland, good as he is in the Bundesliga, may have had those same first season woes. Looking good on paper and in another league doesn’t always mean the transition to somewhere else will be an easy one. Chelsea has needed a full-on “20 goals per season” striker for a while now and there will be nothing false about the Belgian. Lukaku fits the bill perfectly.
Elsewhere, everyone has returned to the club following the summer break and their forays with international football. It was great to see Cesar Azpilicueta bringing the Champions League trophy out at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday evening as the crowds finally returned to the stadium in good numbers following the enforced absence. Hopefully that continues throughout the upcoming season, as well.
Jorginho and Emerson returned to Cobham as double European Champions. Both played key roles through the tournament that Italy eventually won defeating . . . a team that escapes me right now. Sadly, earlier in the summer, one player not returning—well, briefly—was Olivier Giroud, who left the club for AC Milan. Like Didier Drogba before him, the Frenchman left as a European Champion, something Arsenal could have never bestowed on him. Giroud always gave his best, never moaned, a proper team player and one who will be missed. With that in the past, we must look forward.
Chelsea’s next competitive game could see the Italian stars add to their European trophy haul. The European Super Cup is played in Belfast on Wednesday, where Villarreal will be the opponents. We wait to see who is in the squad for that, but the possibility Thomas Tuchel will have Lukaku at his disposal is a mouth-watering one.
Before that, a behind-closed-doors game on Saturday will give the German a chance to fine tune his squad into something akin to his strongest starting XI. Following this week’s game against Tottenham, it’s clear that there are still players that need to be offloaded before the transfer window closes on the 31st of August. A strong first half display was followed by a lacklustre second half performance that showed no one in the shop window in a positive light.
There are still many questions that need answering concerning the players that are likely to leave the club, more so than those arriving. Chelsea’s squad has been heavy for too long and the time has come to cash in on the players that were brought in as stop gaps. Timeoue Bakayoko, Danny Drinkwater and Ross Barkley in particular need to move on post haste. Decisions on the younger players who have been with the club awhile and may never make it as senior members of the Blues’ squad need to be sorted as soon as possible.
As the European Champion, Chelsea needs a concerted effort at winning the Premier League in 2021/22. Not since 2016/17 under the stewardship of Antonio Conte has a Chelsea captain picked up the country’s top trophy. It will be somewhat ironic if Lukaku, the striker Conte wanted all those years ago, is the catalyst for another title.
Chelsea killing Super League only looks better in hindsight. dark. Next
At the time of writing, news broke of the death of Michael Ballack’s son in a tragic accident. My thoughts, as well as everyone else’s at The Pride of London, go out to Michael and his family as they suffer unimaginable grief. R.I.P Emilio.