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Steve · April 7, 2012

“The early bird gets the worm” – That’s precisely Chelsea’s policy in this transfer window as the club have already confirmed 2 high-profile signings so early in the transfer window. For once, it is heartening to see the club finally decide to create a new team. All these years, Chelsea fans went into the transfer window expecting the squad to be strengthened considerably but were left disappointed. Last season, an AVB-inspired Chelsea went on a summer-long pursuit of Tottenham midfielder Luka Modric only to settle for Raul Meireles on deadline day. Juan Mata, Romelu Lukaku, Oriol Romeu and Thibaut Courtois were also signed in the window as the board looked to infuse youth into an ageing team but unfortunately, with the exception of Juan Mata, none of the others established themselves at the club. This summer though, things look promising as Chelsea have already dipped their toes in the transfer market by snapping up German winger Marko Marin for a mere 7 million and Belgian sensation Eden Hazard for 32 million. With reported interest in a whole host of players across Europe, next season may finally be the start of the post-Mourinho era at Chelsea.

1. Marko Marin

Marko Marin signed for Chelsea at the end of April (rejecting Tottenham) in what was seen as a ‘coup’ at £6 million by most Chelsea fans

Position – Marko Marin will almost certainly be used in the Left Wing position at Chelsea. He plays his best football on the wings and has struggled lately when Werder Bremen used him in the Attacking Midfielder role after Mesut Ozil’s departure.

Strengths -.Comparisons to Lionel Messi may be far-fetched but Marin has built a solid reputation in Germany as an “assist-maker”. His dribbling and acceleration are extremely good and he doesn’t hesitate to take defenders on and get past them. For once, it will be refreshing to see a true winger play on our flanks (Kalou)

Weaknesses - As much as I hate to agree with goal.com, Marin seems to be inept in his decision making on the field. Far from being a Messi, Marin’s style of play is more similar to Real Madrid winger Angel di Maria. Also, there is a big question mark over his fitness.

Tactical Implications

One of the reasons Marko Marin was brought in was to increase the overall strength of the squad. No more of playing Kalou and Malouda in the Champions League final. Plus, Marin is an out and out winger, something Chelsea have been lacking in the last few seasons. We have relied on overlapping full-backs to spread the game wide for a long while now, so Marko Marin will give us a different dimension in attack (something like Jesus Navas for Spain)

Stat – Marko Marin has made 40 assists in under 150 appearances for Borussia Monchengladbach and Werder Bremen.

Verdict – Can’t do worse than Kalouda and at 7 million it’s a very good deal – 7/10

2. Eden Hazard

After a transfer saga that threatened to spread out over the summer, Chelsea signed Eden Hazard from Lille 2 weeks after winning the Champions League. The fact that a manager-less Chelsea beat the Manchester clubs to his signature is particularly satisfying.

Position – Eden Hazard is a player who can play anywhere in attack mainly due to his vast array of skills. Rudi Garcia used him in the attacking midfield role occasionally switching to the flanks but with Juan Mata already occupying the CAM position, I think Eden Hazard will start his Chelsea career out on the wings.

Strengths - Just like Marin, Hazard will add pace and creativity to the side and gives Juan Mata a genuine wing option to pick out. He has brilliant agility, acceleration and is also known for his quick thinking and pin point passing evidenced by consecutive Ligue 1 Player of the Year awards.

Weaknesses – Eden Hazard should take up defensive responsibilities especially in the big games. For example, If Manchester United play Nani at RM and Valencia at RB, Eden Hazard should help out Cole in case he gets double teamed. Of course, his primary intent should be to run at defenders rather than track back to cover Cole but he has shown negligence in his defensive responsibilities. Also, he doesn’t seem to be a good header of the ball and that means both Hazard and Mata won’t go up for headers in attack.

Tactical Implications

di Matteo has a welcome headache in his team selection. With Eden Hazard on one wing and Ramires/Marin/Sturridge on the other, Chelsea’s attacks will be less of “stick it up to Drogba” next season. This falls right into the hands of Fernando Torres who likes to receive through balls rather than crosses. Also, Hazard adds a dynamic edge to the attack with his dribbling skills. He maybe Chelsea’s answer to Ronaldo and Messi

Stat – With his International debut, Hazard became the youngest player to represent Belgium at 17 years and 316 days

Verdict – Unnecessarily raised expectations with the transfer saga but he has the time and ability to live up to it – 9/10

Future Activity

Hulk

With a rumored pricetag of 38 million, the big man from Porto comes at a price but he’s big, he’s strong, he’s fast and you can’t go wrong with that. Hulk is seen as a replacement for Didier Drogba although he primarily plays on the wing. Signing Hulk will give Chelsea depth in the attack and his obvious strengths – strength and speed works well in the Premier League. He has got a bullet of a left foot as well as an astonishing goal-scoring record of 150 goals in 278 appearances overall.

Verdict – Make it happen, Gourlay - 8.5/10

Victor Moses

Is he in the same league as Hulk? No. But Victor Moses looks like the board’s fall back if their primary targets fail. Essentially costing peanuts, Victor Moses is pacy and has a great future ahead of him. He offers depth on the wings and in the centre-forward role

Verdict – Should be considered only if primary targets fail – 6/10

Mathieu Debuchy

Star of the Euros for the French National team, Mathieu Debuchy is a solid right back who plays for Lille. Frankly, he is far better than any of the other fullbacks we have been linked to (Selassie, van der wiel) evidenced by his solid performance against England in the Euros. He seems capable of running up and down the right flank all day long and would be a genuine option to challenge or rotate with Ivanovic for a right back slot.

Verdict – Solid full back. Bench-strength for defence – 7.5/10

The Old Guard is broken up, Mourinho’s shadow is lifted and a new team is being built. The future looks bright for the European Champions as di Matteo heads the dawn of a new era at the club.

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Strike · April 8, 2012