Earlier this summer, I postulated that with the exit of Ji So-yun and Melanie Leupolz’s absence, the Chelsea Women needed to add to their central midfield depth, especially at the base. As the transfer window winds down, it looks as though the squad is more or less set, barring a shock last minute deal for Emma Hayes’ squad. Although Jelena Cankovic is an excellent signing who will absolutely bolster the midfield, she is not a traditional defensive midfielder. Therefore, the Blues will be entering the season without a traditional No. 6.
Here, “traditional No. 6” is referring to a type of player who has the athleticism, read of the game and ability in possession to operate as the only central defensive midfielder in the team. For most of last season, due in part to the fact that Chelsea did not have that type of player, Hayes opted to play with two in the middle of the park. While effective, devoting two players to that area of the field can take away a bit from the attack, and most top teams—like Barcelona and Lyon—play with just one at the base of the midfield. Examples of these players are Sergio Busquets, Casemiro, Julie Ertz, Fabinho, Amandine Henry, Lena Oberdorf and others.
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Having someone who can operate alone is arguably the most valuable type of player any top team can have. Given the fact that Hayes is likely transitioning toward a more standard 4-3-3 this year, she needs a traditional defensive midfielder to unlock the formation. Enter Erin Cuthbert.
Could Erin Cuthbert be the Chelsea Women’s answer to CDM issues?
Cuthbert is a magnificent footballer, there’s no question about it. She can do so much in so many different positions, but her primary role was down the right side last season. Cuthbert has played centrally before for both club and country, which is a testament to her versatility. This preseason, Hayes has taken it a step further and placed Cuthbert in the aforementioned traditional No. 6 role, something many never even considered to be a viable option. Suffice it to say, the early returns are promising for the Blues.
In the most recent preseason game against Tottenham, Cuthbert was nothing short of spectacular. She won the ball, played incisive passes, recycled possession when needed and generally did all of the things that a No. 6 needs to do throughout the course of a match. It was extremely impressive. Furthermore, Cuthbert playing this role unlocked an extra gear for Pernille Harder, who excelled in that hybrid No. 8/10 role that she occupied prior to coming to Chelsea.
For how great she was, I remain a bit skeptical of how long-term this solution is for the Blues.
For one, playing Cuthbert at CDM means Hayes doesn’t have her pressing high and creating closer to the box, which would be a massive loss for the team. On top of that, we don’t really have any data on whether or not Cuthbert can maintain the level she would need to maintain in order to be successful in that position. Traditional No. 6s are required to do a lot of running, a lot of ball winning and they have to do it every single game at an extremely high level. I’m not saying she can’t do all of that, and I would never bet against Cuthbert, but that is a lot to ask of someone who has never played in that role professionally before.
If Cuthbert turns out to be a world class No. 6, Chelsea’s ceiling at home and in Europe absolutely skyrockets. From what she’s shown so far, that transformation is not outside the realm of possibilities. Either way, I am very much looking forward to watching such a gifted player evolve as needed by the team.
Do you think Cuthbert is suited for this role in the Blues’ starting XI? Let us know your thoughts in the comments or on Twitter!