Into the depths part 3: Chelsea’s wingbacks the drivers of the system

For the most part, Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea is comprised of interchangeable “blocks” of players. All the centerbacks and centermids roughly defy left versus right versus center. The forward three can, at most, be broken into forwards and strikers but ultimately any combination of three is possible. Wingbacks are slightly different. Though some players can find themselves in the depth for both sides, for the most part these are the loneliest positions for Chelsea.

Still, Tuchel does seem to have some preferences here, especially given how the depth at right wingback is all depth elsewhere. So, how do the wingbacks as a whole stack up on the chart?

1. Reece James

There is one undisputed king of the wingbacks at Chelsea right now. The Blues must have known that James would be destined for greatness when his very first loan was to a struggling Wigan side where James excelled. He returned the following season thanks in no small part to the transfer ban and Frank Lampard. Though there may have been concerns that he was a bit too “raw” for Premier League football that season, he quickly put most of those fears to rest. He continued into the next season but he has really begun to find a new level under Thomas Tuchel.

The wingback role is, arguably, one of the hardest in modern football. The fullback role has evolved into what the box to box role used to be and being a wingback is that plus having to take on the responsibilities of a winger. James hasn’t faltered though as he has only steadily improved over time. He’s the only academy player that can truly challenge Mason Mount for academy king and James makes a mighty strong case for it.