Chelsea tactics and transfers: Finally some tactics and transfers

Mohamed Camara

The truth is I don’t think the problem with Chelsea is a lack of attacking talent. Those players have had too little time to blend and work together of course but talent isn’t the issue. Chelsea’s biggest issue is that they’re lacking in the engine room. Of course we all have different football philosophies but Chelsea’s lack of demolition men in the midfield tirelessly blowing up attacks and pacey, physical and frankly dark-arts willing defenders is the issue.

Mohamed Camara is one of my favorite midfield prospects in recent years and it’s no wonder Paul Mitchell of Monaco found him. Chelsea will be aware of the player too having brought in his deputy, Lawrence Stewart, as part of the recruitment staff’s revamping. That said he’s no longer going to be as cheap as he would have been and he’s perfect for what Chelsea need.

Camara is tireless and completes well over 2 tackles per game while completing the majority of his passes. He has the sort of work ethic of N’Golo Kante who if people remember correctly used to be much more than a defensive midfielder at his best. Kante performed as human dynamite all over the field. Camara does the same but rather than simply then laying the ball off in the direction he’s facing he is a magnificent progressive passer as well. Camara gets his head up and moves the ball forward decisively and with good judgment.

Often in modern football, we are forced to make the sacrifice between defensively competent and dangerous attacking players. That’s a rant for another day about the over-segmenting of players like “ball-playing defenders” when the truth is we’re really just discussing incomplete players. Paul Scholes was a great passer but a vicious tackler. John Terry was a master of the dark arts and a defensive Rock of Gibraltar but was also described by Glenn Hoddle as having “the best first touch I’ve ever seen”.

Football has become so segmented and inorganic that the players who are natural beasts and complete aren’t really valued as they should be.

Camara is one of those players. If he does jump from Monaco as is often the case the team who gets him will be getting a diamond. Chelsea should try and make that they are the next step. Particularly if it is true that they could have the opportunity to pair him with Enzo Fernandes who is a similarly complete and dynamic player. A pivot possessing those two would never be an easy team to play against.