Welcome Mauricio Pochettino

[Vytis33 1,261]

 

[Costa19 858]

The thing is, when you have a squad full of young, promising and at the same time tactically immature players, having a cozy uncle as manager doesn't work.

You need to have a tactician who hammers in them a philosophy, running paths, attack patterns, etc.
So much so that the young players dream about it at night and it settles in their spinal cord.
You can then shape them gently and lead them on a more personal level.

Wrong manager at the wrong time unfortunately..

[Vesper 30,085]

It is hard to believe Chelsea will see the best of Levi Colwill at left-back

https://theathletic.com/5191501/2024/01/10/levi-colwill-left-back/

The time had come to ask Mauricio Pochettino the question that has been on many Chelsea followers’ minds: why does he keep playing Levi Colwill at left-back?

Colwill looked rather uncomfortable again in the position against Middlesbrough. Chelsea lost 1-0 with the winning goal coming from a cross by Isaiah Jones after he had got the better of the 20-year-old, not for the first time, down the home side’s right flank.

After the issue was raised by The Athletic in the post-match press conference, Pochettino explained: “I think we would all agree Levi is a young player that can play in different positions. Last game (against Preston) he played like a centre-back with Axel (Disasi). Today we played Thiago (Silva) with Axel (Disasi).

“We were talking a lot. I think it’s for him to take experience in Premier League with Chelsea playing there. I think it will help him be a better player and in the end, it is to feel the competition.

“I don’t like to compare with another player but you (can) find some similarities with different clubs who sign players that can play centre-back or play full-back. Look, for me, Levi is having a fantastic season. He is playing centre-back or full-back and is a player for the future of Chelsea. At the moment, when you don’t win, when you struggle — and we are a young team with young players — they need to learn and need to improve in the competition.”

Chelsea’s head coach is right to suggest he wants Colwill to get better in the role, but it still seems a very odd thing to consistently play one of England’s finest young centre-backs elsewhere.

According to football statistic website Fbref, just six of his 25 appearances this season have been as a central defender (his substitute role against Blackburn in the Carabao Cup should count as a seventh but is not accounted for on the site). There are another five listed as CB/LB, which reflected how Pochettino — particularly early in the season — would have Chelsea line up with three at the back while in possession, but switched to a four when the opponents had the ball. It was Colwill who occupied the left-hand side though in each system.

Conversely, 21 of his 24 appearances on loan at Brighton last season were as a centre-back (just one outing as a left-back), while in his first loan away from Chelsea at Huddersfield in 2021-22, he operated in the middle of defence 31 times in 32 matches (the odd one out shows him operating as a CB/wing-back against Bristol City)

Now this is not to say Colwill has been a disappointment on every occasion he has operated as a left full-back for Chelsea, but you can sense his unease. Defensively, his pace, not that Colwill is slow, is challenged more and his passing from deep is less assured because he is restricted by being closer to the touchline. He also cannot provide much attacking threat down the wing as his one assist this season indicates.

Colwill was refreshingly honest in an interview on the club’s website when talking about all this last week and intends for it to be a short-term measure. He said: “Obviously, I’m playing in a different position — everyone knows I’m a centre-back — but I am trying to help the team and learn as much as I can to help me in the future. There have been good moments and I am happy to keep learning for the future when I return to centre-half.

“In terms of one-versus-one defending, as a full-back, you’re very exposed to the winger. When you’re at centre-back, you have players around you and you can slow them down. So that has been tough.

“Another thing would be where you receive the ball, as a lot of the time you receive the ball on the line. At centre-half, when I’ve got the ball, I’m in control of the situation and can break the lines and start attacks. As a full-back that’s harder because you’ve got the winger ahead of you, the centre-half next to you, or the midfielder. Those are your options.”

Middlesbrough sensed Colwill’s disquiet about it from the very first minute. A clumsy back header allowed Emmanuel Latte Lath to get an early shot in at goal and had VAR been in operation, could have led to a penalty due to Disasi’s challenge on the Middlesbrough forward in the area.

The incident encouraged the Middlesbrough fans and infected Chelsea with uncertainty from the outset of their Carabao Cup semi-final first leg. On the half-hour mark, Colwill slipped and in his panic to make amends, pulled Jones and was booked.

Shortly afterwards, the England international had a chance to play the ball down the line but before he could do so, knocked it out for a throw-in instead and was jeered by the home supporters.

So when Jones got the better of him to set up Hayden Hackney, albeit Moises Caicedo has to share the blame for allowing Hackney the space to finish, it came as no great surprise. To his credit, Colwill played for an hour on a booking and kept his discipline to avoid a second, yet it was one of the only positives to take.

With Ian Maatsen now in Germany to complete a loan move to Borussia Dortmund, Colwill’s chances of featuring more inside have decreased a little further, although Pochettino clearly did not trust the Netherlands Under-21 international to operate in his favoured left-back role anyway (just two of his 15 appearances under Pochettino were as a left-back).

Recognised senior left-back Ben Chilwell has returned to training after a serious hamstring strain, but his injury record over the past two years does not inspire confidence he can be a first-team regular at the moment. Besides, he was played ahead of Colwill when fully fit at the beginning of the campaign. Meanwhile, another option — Marc Cucurella — is expected to be ruled out for another couple of months with an ankle injury.

The other issue for Colwill is that Pochettino clearly wants to select veteran Thiago Silva on a regular basis to have some much-needed experience in a young team and prefers Disasi, more often than not, to be alongside the Brazilian.

It is better for Colwill to be playing at left-back regularly than not at all. Pochettino has also shown support in another way by naming him captain on two occasions, which is a remarkable achievement in the academy graduate’s first campaign with the senior side.

But it is hard to believe Chelsea will see the best of Colwill until he is playing where he feels he belongs.

 

[SomethingSomething 17]

Tbh Colwill has all the chances to prove himself. He has game time, trust, was even captain. If we doesnt make the most of it, he maybe just isnt on the level.

There are many issues with the club, neglecting Levi isnt one. Palmer is doing fine. 

[Strike 7,474]

17 minutes ago, SomethingSomething said:

Tbh Colwill has all the chances to prove himself. He has game time, trust, was even captain. If we doesnt make the most of it, he maybe just isnt on the level.

There are many issues with the club, neglecting Levi isnt one. Palmer is doing fine. 

There's a huge difference between LB and CB. Half a season in his second position when he's 20 isn't going to help him at all. 

[SomethingSomething 17]

2 hours ago, Strike said:

There's a huge difference between LB and CB. Half a season in his second position when he's 20 isn't going to help him at all. 

If he shown growth in defending and awarness he can get to CB spot, given we are leaking left and right. That said he was suspect defending all season long.

[Strike 7,474]

8 hours ago, SomethingSomething said:

If he shown growth in defending and awarness he can get to CB spot, given we are leaking left and right. That said he was suspect defending all season long.

I don’t think performances in this Chelsea team + out of position is any measure of his ability. He’s been called up to England for a reason. There’s a potential top CB in the league by age 24-25 imo 

[OneMoSalah 8,883]

3 hours ago, Strike said:

I don’t think performances in this Chelsea team + out of position is any measure of his ability. He’s been called up to England for a reason. There’s a potential top CB in the league by age 24-25 imo 

Yep.

Think he needs taken out the team just to sort of take him out the firing line but that wont happen to Marc & Ben are fit

[Vesper 30,085]

Chelsea could sack Mauricio Pochettino in two weeks as pressure cranks up on Blues boss

COMMENT: Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino is in danger of losing his job in the next few weeks.

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/1854172/Chelsea-news-Mauricio-Pochettino-sack

[TheHulk 2,401]

3 hours ago, Vesper said:

Chelsea could sack Mauricio Pochettino in two weeks as pressure cranks up on Blues boss

COMMENT: Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino is in danger of losing his job in the next few weeks.

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/1854172/Chelsea-news-Mauricio-Pochettino-sack

Get Alonso in, he will also want Wirtz in, so another win for us.

[Reddish-Blue 2,489]

7 hours ago, Strike said:

I don’t think performances in this Chelsea team + out of position is any measure of his ability. He’s been called up to England for a reason. There’s a potential top CB in the league by age 24-25 imo 

Exactly....and then you add on the fact that both Liverpool and City were keen on getting him in the previous transfer window.  

Hopefully for his sake Chilwell/Cucurella get fit and he can focus on being a good CB and learning from Silva as much as possible. 

[SomethingSomething 17]

10 hours ago, Strike said:

I don’t think performances in this Chelsea team + out of position is any measure of his ability. He’s been called up to England for a reason. There’s a potential top CB in the league by age 24-25 imo 

I agree he is top talent, but he needs to make most of his play time. Obviously its not ideal for him, being out of position in wrecking team but he needs to step up. He needs to pick up mentaly and step up as one of the leaders in this team because we lack them. Its great opportunity for him. 

I think he would be next Van Dijk in Pool side for example. He just needs to show he wants to be here, fight for team and do the best he can.