Chelsea are back following the World Cup break and as usual, it was a mixed bag.
After the Blues got back to winning ways against Bournemouth they were mediocre against Nottingham Forrest and then terrible against Manchester City. As seems to have been the case with the West London side for longer than I care to remember the price of victory was more than it should have been and the cost of a loss was even more. For a side that values results above all else the cost is getting ever higher economically and physically.
As I wrote recently, Chelsea and England’s reliance on Ben Chilwell and Reece James is their Achilles heel. Reece James is the best right back in the world and as we saw in his 55 minutes against Bournemouth he was unbelievable. When he came off injured yet again Chelsea were just who their critics say they are. An expensive and average side who are somehow lacking that one special thing they have tried time and time again to buy.
They then proved that to be true against Nottingham Forrest with another uninspiring performance that lacked guile, imagination and dreams. It all culminated in two of the most predictably terrible matches the Blues have played in some time in their losses to Manchester City. That said CFC shouldn’t overreact because this is the part of the process that the Blues are in at the moment.
Was it painful? Yes. Was it necessary? Yes.
Manchester City are far better than Chelsea at the moment. They have a side who have been managed with one sole, singular vision for the better part of a decade. They have limitless wealth and dedication behind that vision too.
Chelsea are in a very different period in their cycle let alone destroyed by injuries and timing. Graham Potter is managing in his first season during a year that has been punctuated with stoppages for the Queen’s death as well as the World Cup following an unprecedented period of sanctions and an ownership change. Thing are going to be turbulent for a little bit. Acting with more of that energy is not going to fix it.
As always, the sad part of the Blues’ loss to City was the sad inevitability that Chelsea’s player always manage to show a lack of character. The culture at the club is one where the players know they can outlast any manager so when things aren’t happy go lucky in their favor they simply stop fighting.
It is important that Chelsea and Potter take a stand against this. Until the experienced players decide that they want to play for the shirt Potter should drop them. If he needs to go a full youth side 11 against Fulham then so be it. Chels’ will at least have 11 players out there who are happy to be playing football and listening to the manager. That ideal, that unity is something that can be built with. The attitude on display against City cannot be.
In addition to that ever-unignorable insolence raising it’s ugly head Chelsea are being crushed by injuries at the moment and needs to make additions to the squad. That is why if one thing is to be addressed by CFC in the upcoming transfer window above all else it should be a backup right wing-back who can also add to the attacking options when James is healthy but also contribute to keeping his performances per season under 45 total and only in the Premier League, Champions League some important cup matches.
That’s why for the first time in too long Tactics and Transfers is going back to the way it used to be and we’re going to be discussing but two things and two things only: Tactics and Transfers.