In the early hours of Wednesday morning, Chelsea’s pre-season tour came to an end. We look back over the three games to see what’s what.
Firstly, the new kit looks odd.
The ten years of Samsung is over. Japanese rubber company Yokohama have swooped in flexing their financial muscles, signing a five-year shirt sponsorship deal worth £40 million-per-year.
It will take some adjusting to with poppers on the collar and the shirt sponsorship quite high up compared to other kits. Red is also creeping in with the Yokohama logo, teamed with some red detailing on the shirt and the shorts. I have mine in preparation for the new season and I like it.
Our defending has been poor.
Many will agree that the defining feature of Chelsea’s great success over the years has been a rock solid defence. So, to see some shaky performances from usually dependable players such as Terry, Ivanovic and Azpilicueta is a little worrying. It’s not the end of the world though; a good defence is built up over a period of games.
Terry and co need to find their rhythm again and it wouldn’t hurt if Mourinho picked his back five for the Community Shield as soon as possible, allowing them to work together in training over the next few days.
Victor Messi could have a future at Cheslea.
Victor Moses (or Messi to some) has really impressed in the US, giving Mourinho something to think about. When Chelsea fans heard Victor Moses’ name mentioned in the tour squad, there were some heads being scratched. Especially as he took up a space that 99% of us thought would be filled by Belgium sensation Charly Musonda.
After starting the first game against New York Red Bulls, Moses scored against PSG and looked a genuine threat against Barcelona after coming on as a second half sub. He showed off his great strength as well as speed and awareness. He’s also willing to go to the by-line as well as cutting inside. All this makes him a contender to start against Arsenal.
Jose might not trust his kids as much as we first thought.
At the back end of last season, Mourinho had a lot to say for his academy players. Praising the likes of Izzy Brown, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Dom Solanke. Of the three, Brown has left on a loan deal to Chelsea B, more commonly known as Vitesse in Holland. Both Solanke and Loftus-Cheek travelled with the first team to America but found their playing time limited.
Loftus-Cheek played 45 minutes against New York Red Bulls while Solanke was given 19 minutes. Another youngster Bertrand Traore also got 45 minutes in New York with Ola Aina coming on for 27 minutes before being taken off. Nathaniel Chalobah got 3 minutes this morning. Jake Clarke-Salter and Jamal Blackman failed to play a single minute making it a combined total on 139 minutes between the academy players over the three games. In comparison, Cesar Azpilicueta himself played 242 minutes.
We’re carrying some dead wood.
Chelsea have some players on their books that are just not up to standard. Cult hero John Obi Mikel and winter flop Juan Cuadrado top the list. Mikel has been a patient servant to the club but has not reached the potential that he promised when he signed. His style is out-dated and any player in his role needs to match the ability of Nemanja Matic, which will be incredibly tough.
As for Cuadrado, he showed promise during the World Cup and the decision to sign him may have solely been based on that. He was granted sparing opportunities in the second half of last season and failed to shine. His minimal pre-season game time could be a result of Mourinho losing confidence in the winger. The sooner he is sold the more money we will recoup. Getting rid of Andre Schurrle and replacing him with Cuadrado was poor business.
Ramires needs a strong season otherwise he could soon face similar criticism. Everyone is aware of the qualities he possesses, a very strong runner and a hard worker capable of flashes of brilliance. However, this is coupled with inconstancy and an eye for a foul.
Signings are needed.
Chelsea’s prominence in the transfer market is a shadow of what it was last year. The eye catching additions of Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas grabbed everyone’s attention. That hasn’t happened this year and understandably so as Mourinho feels he has a complete team. Asmir Begovic has signed as a replacement for Petr Cech and Radamel Falcao for Didier Drogba, sensible dealings to reinforce strength in depth.
A high profile signing is unlikely this summer but a new left-back will need to be added after the departure of Filipe Luis. Alex Telles of Galatasaray and Baba Rahman of Augsburg have both been linked.
The fine details.
Diego Costa’s finishing has not been up to scratch but you expect this to change when the season starts proper against Swansea. Loic Remy has a bit of catching up to do if he is to challenge Costa and Falcao. Finally, Asmir Begovic could do with a couple of starts early in the season to boost his confidence.
With two more pre-season games to go, there is still a chance for the creases to be ironed out. Chelsea are still a strong team that has a fantastic chance of retaining the Premier League title.
