Chelsea’s game plan for January [Part I]: Goalkeeping and defense

To exist is to change, to change is to mature, to mature is to go on creating oneself endlessly.~ Henri Bergson

The recent Chelsea results haven’t been very satisfactory. The final 10 minutes have usually decided Chelsea’s fate this season. High pressure on Sturridge inspite of big names on paper, shows there is something terribly wrong with Chelsea. Yes, the results may still go their way, scorelines can be flattering and statistics may give a pretty picture. But only watching the game minute by minute shows the misplaced passes of Meireles, the mistimed runs of Torres and the pedestrian performance of Lampard and Mikel.

This article will give a review of the players till now, and their position for the future games as well as transfer activity needed in the position.

Let us analyse the Defense and Goalkeepers:

Goalkeeper: Petr Cech has conceded more goals this season than in any other season. However we should also take into account the high line of defense played by AVB and some goals were a one-on-one scenario. Though Cech has shown a dip in form, he is still one of the best in the Premier League. Chelsea are thinking of extending Courtois’s loan spell with Athletico Madrid which looks like an ideal scenario for all parties. Hilario’s contract will end this season but no news from either side about a new contract. Ross Turnbull is a decent enough backup at the moment and since we have progressed significantly in the FA Cup and the Champions League, the substitute keepers wont be getting enough game-time either.

Verdict: No changes.Cech as first choice Goalkeeper.

Left-Back: I can hardly remember Ashley Cole having a torrid time other than his encounters with Theo Walcott or Antonio Valencia. Patrick Van Aanholt has returned from a loan spell from Wigan and will surely move to a team that would give him more game-time. Ryan Bertrand is a solid backup for Cole. With two quality (And Home grown as per rules) youth players, getting Alvaro Pereira from Porto at a high fee will be a disaster for both parties. If such an amount is at our disposal, why not strengthen other positions?

Verdict: Start with Cole. No need to splash in January

Right Back: This has been the most vulnerable position for us. Almost all teams, particularly Tottenham recently, have exploited this position to easily take the game away from us. Bosingwa has been the Achilles’ Heel for most of the goals conceded this season.

Ferreira has been a loyal soldier for the Fortress but I do not see him making into the first team. It was quoted some time back that he is happy at Chelsea and his contract expires in 2013, so keeping him as a squad player will not really harm us.

Having bought Ivanovic for 7 million in a January transfer, he has been one of the best players for Chelsea in recent years. Though he is a Centre Back on paper, I am more impressed by his contributions as a Right Back.

Bosingwa has been a fantastic player this season but defensively he is very poor. With David Luiz making forward runs, Bosingwa fails to realize he needs to track back in time. Bosingwa’s contract expires in January, and from a long term prospective, Chelsea should not offer him a new contract so it can get Gregory Van Der Wiel.

Van der Weil, just 23 years old, has been tracked by Chelsea for a long time and his performance during the World Cup put him into the spotlight. It’s been several years since we have had a decent RB to support Cole on the flanks. We had to refuse Dani Alves due to his high demands but looking back now, he has been playing brilliantly for Barcelona. So any transfer activity surrounding Van der Weil should immediately come into force as Valencia has already made a bid for him.

Ivanovic is out with an injury at the moment and playing Bosingwa even against teams with tricky wingers is a massive risk. And with an encounter against Napoli on the cards, we can expect the same treatment that Gareth Bale had given Bosingwa.

Verdict: Buy Van der Weil and let Bosingwa go. The man is worth the 15 million. Backup in the form of Ivanovic is good enough.

Centre Back: With news coming in that Alex has already given a transfer request and assuming Gary Cahill will complete his transfer soon, it seems there could be drastic changes in this position.

Terry Luiz Partnership may make way for Cahill

David Luiz is a excellent player, a joy to watch. But his lapses in concentration and rash tackles have been putting Chelsea in awkward positions. Of course, he will improve by experience as these are silly mistakes. But due to his national duties, injuries and squad rotation, David has not been able to learn from those mistakes as quickly as AVB wanted. A competition for places will surely be a win win situation for everyone.

John Terry has not been able to adjust to the high defensive line but he has been at his best whenever called upon. His leadership and motivation is surprising and seems that his controversies have not affected his game. Though the verdict is not out yet, Chelsea still have to find a replacement for Alex.

Also, Sam Hutchinson is a fantastic player but due to the competition for places, I don’t see him making into the first team this season.

Gary Cahill is very close to joining Chelsea and I hope the deal is wrapped as soon as possible.

Verdict: Buy Cahill for the offer price of 7 million. Sell Alex at any reasonable price

Who makes the Final Four?

The Formation should not be very predictable for the teams. However it shouldn’t emphasize on rotation just for the sake of it. In my opinion Cole as Left back and VDW as Right back will surely give additional strength to the flanks. Ivanovic can always be called upon as more of a defensive right back, especially when we are trying to keep possession or holding on to our Lead. On closer inspection, today we have a world class left back with two promising young stars fighting for that position whereas at Right Back, we hardly have any top quality youth and are settling for a Centre Back in a Right Back position.

If the VDW deal doesn’t happen, we would have to play the same formation with either Bosingwa or Ivanovic .If Chelsea make this mistake again, I find it very difficult to believe that we will come out with clean sheets against Napoli, let alone the further rounds of the Champions League.

As for the Central Defenders, Cahill and Terry would be the first choice. As events unfold, we would know how well Cahill has adjusted to the team or if Luiz is capable of giving a disciplined performance. At the outset, Cahill hasn’t been having the best of games at Bolton recently and thus having high expectations (Read:Torres) in the starting games wont make things better. Give him time to adjust to the team. Also in case of injuries, we would still have the backing of Ivanovic in this position.

To conclude, AVB has a chance to rectify his mistakes and try his high defensive line once again with young players who are willing to adapt to such technique. With the quality of defense on paper, AVB has a chance to prove his critics wrong by stopping the goal leakage and building a Fortress, just like during the Mourinho Era.