Chelsea FC: What do we know, what have we learned

Old School Van

Van’s the man – Marco van Ginkel

He might look like Justin Beiber, but the guy is as far from him as the North Pole is from the South.

Marco van Ginkel is one of those old school, hard-but-fair tackling midfielders who has been repackaged according to the needs of this era.

His tackles throughout the night were inch perfect and he was not afraid to go for the ball, even against the stronger players of the opposition.

Add to that the speed that he possesses and the eye to pick out a fine pass, and you have the ingredients to bake a perfect midfielder of the modern era.

van Ginkel ran tirelessly for 66 minutes and chased down every ball that passed him by. If this is his fitness level in the second pre-season match of the year, then imagine what he can do when he is back to his full fitness.

This van will be parked at Stamford Bridge for years to come.

2. What do we know?

What we know is that it was just the second pre-season match. The season is yet to start and the quality of the opposition is bound to get better with time.

Only the test of time will determine the fate of ‘New Chelsea’. Till then, much like Liverpool’s playing style under Rafael Benitez, we can only ‘hit and hope.’