Chelsea fans still talk about Levi Colwill as though he is the same defender who burst onto the scene a few years ago.
The 23-year-old has always been seen as a calm, progressive centre-back capable of stepping into midfield and breaking opposition lines with ease.
The reality is though, Chelsea’s system has changed Colwill far more than most supporters realise.
In fact, the Blues may now be expecting Colwill to sacrifice some of the qualities that made him so exciting in the first place.
Levi Colwill expected do Chelsea's dirty work
When Colwill first emerged from Cobham, there was a feeling Chelsea had produced a modern day centre-back capable of replicating past heroes.
His loan spell at Brighton and Hove Albion in 2022-23 only strengthened that belief, but one thing has changed since then. The defender is more restricted and his creative freedom a lot more limited.
Colwil is making fewer progressive carries, fewer line-breaking passes and there a lot less moments where he is able to express himself on the ball. This, as well as his lengthy ACL injury layoff, is largely why it feels like his development has stalled.
However, perhaps the reality is that Chelsea’s tactical setup, often dependent on Reece James' availability, now demands something completely different of the 23-year-old.
Chelsea are a young and, at times, chaotic side. Marc Cucurella pushes up high, the midfielders constantly rotate and the team can quickly become stretched in transitions.
At least one player has to stay disciplined behind the ball, and when he's on the pitch, that responsibility appears to fall on Colwill. It's the ugly part of defending, but it is becoming one of the most important jobs in this Chelsea side.
Colwill's biggest strengths are being limited
The issue is that defenders rarely receive praise for their ability to stay disciplined and do the dirty work.
Fans and pundits are quick to point out the 40 yard passes and marauding runs, but positioning, recovery runs and structural organisation is seldom highlighted.
That may explain why perceptions around Colwill feel strangely mixed despite his growing importance to Chelsea’s system. Because in reality, the Blues not only view him as a future captain, but they seem to trust him to be the player to hold everything together at the back.
Although that's one of the biggest compliments a club can pay a player, it also raises some interesting questions moving forward.
Do Chelsea want Colwill to become their safest and most reliable defender or their most expressive one?
Right now, it feels as though the demands of the system are slowly pushing him towards the former, and where's the excitment in that?
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