Chelsea’s gameplan for January [Part II] - Midfielders

At the outset, though I have mentioned Midfielders as my topic, I haven’t covered Mata and Malouda here as they play a role more upfront and their verdict will directly relate to the verdict on the strikers.

Chelsea’s midfield has been lacking creativity. Possession has not been a problem but there is no creative spark to unlock the defenses. AVB has been rotating the midfield for almost every game and its unfortunate that we still don’t know which is our best XI. I would not be giving a verdict for every position like I have given earlier for the first part because most of the midfielders like Essien, Lampard and Mereiles are very versatile and can play wherever the situation demands. Instead I will be giving the verdict player to player, a review of his role till date and any transfer speculation, if any.

Here’s an analysis of the midfielders:

Jon Obi Mikel: To describe him in one word – Overrated. Yes,he was supposed to be the next Makalele. Yes, he is still young. But his game hasn’t improved one bit since the previous seasons. Having no competition whatsoever in a Holding role position since Makalele’s departure, Mikel’s form has been as erratic as Solomon Kalou. I still feel Chelsea should sell him if a chance does come along. But since Romeu’s term at Chelsea is uncertain, its at best that he remains a squad player. With Romeu, Mereiles and even Lampard getting into this role this season, it’s difficult for him to get any more game time. Also if Essien makes a comeback, Mikel can write off his chances of playing.

Verdict: Sell Mikel if the offer is Right.However unless Chelsea buy another midfielder, one eye should be kept on Essien’s recovery to see if he would be ready to fill Mikel’s boots.

Micheal Essien: Hoping that he is fully fit by the end of the month, Essien will be like a new signing altogether. The versatility that he has, Essien puts almost all of the midfielders’ contentions into doubt if they would get a start or not. “The powerhouse” can deliver the goods when called upon.However the question remains about his form, as he hasn’t had any gametime for almost a year now. But from previous experiences, Essien has hardly lost his touch coming back from injuries and I cannot wait to see Ramires and Essien build up the energy into Chelsea’s game.

Power Engine waiting to Vroom

Verdict: Too early to state as he hasn’t recovered yet. However if he is fully fit,AVB can use him at any midfield position.

Romue Oriol: Bought from Barcelona, Romeu has adjusted to the English game very easily. His passing quality has deteriorated a little in the recent games but is still good enough to compete at the highest level.

Verdict: Having already displaces Mikel, he now has to compete with Mereiles for the holding role. With the rotation policy, he is increasingly getting a chance to show the impact he brings into the team.

Raul Mereiles: Bought at a relatively small amount as a next best thing to Modric, Mereiles is surely value for money. His passing is not as good as Romeu which gives latter the edge over him. However Raul is more versatile, who can play a holding role as well as a box to box midfielder. Also his screamers are an apt replacement for Balleti and the now departing Alex. Not even close to Modric in terms of creativity but great squad player who can recover the ball well and play a poacher in the box if need be. Its not suprising that AVB has kept Lampard on the bench due to Mereiles ‘ workrate.

Verdict: Important Squad player. May not start every game but hardly makes any mistake when he does

Frank Lampard: A midfielder who has averaged around 20 goals per season and has hardly ever been substituted for the past few years today finds himself on the bench and in between ridiculous rumours. Frankly speaking, if it isn’t for Lampard’s ability to take penalties and to be in the right place and the right time, Lampard has been a shadow of his earlier seasons’ self. Statistics speak about his goals but the fact that his workrate cannot match Mereiles and Ramires has to be accepted. Of course, his transfer rumours shouldn’t even be given a second look. Lampard doesn’t need to prove anything to anyone. As long as he accepts that he will deliver his best when called upon and that sometimes, even he could have a bad day, I don’t see any reason stopping Lampards goals galore.

Verdict: It rests with AVB if he would want a player who would get him goals but having an average workrate or players like Mereiles who would bring in the energy but put the onus of scoring on other players. This would depend on the scenario for every game so Lampard will surely start due to more experience.

Frankly Silencing Critics

Ramires: Unbelievable Energy! A player who was bought to distribute the ball with defenders is now speeding past his own strikers and opposition defenders to score goals. AVB still hasn’t decided where to play him. Ramires can be played on the Wings,Central Midfield or even in a free role. However his control is not at par with his speed, which causes a lot of missed chances.

Verdict: Being the only player other than Sturridge to bring such pace in the game, he’s surely for starters, no matter what position. His tackles are still rash but I think we can forgive those.

Josh McEachran: Proclaimed the next best player after Wilshire, Josh is hardly given a chance to break into the squad

Verdict: Hopefully he is loaned out and comes back stronger. Sturridge has now given hope to all the young players that it is possible to make yourself a name in a star studded squad.

Gael Kakuta: Having a disastrous spell at Fulham, the verdict is to send him to France on Loan to regain his form so that at least he can prove to Chelsea that their attempts to sign him haven’t gone all waste.

Potential Signings in Midfield:Honestly speaking, most of the rumours aren’t really going to convert into signings. Kaka will surely not be going anywhere. I doubt Neymar joining Chelsea(would have been great though) and don’t think we need Tiote, when we already have Romeu and Mereiles for that role. Modric will still be a great signing but there are almost negligible chances that will happen.

FormationSince our midfield consist of just 3 players(4-3-3 formation) we have around 6 players vying for a spot. So in quantity sense we are pretty satisfactory. Quality wise we may need a Mata kind of player but that will be covered in the next article relating to Wingers and Strikers