Thomas Tuchel, the German coach who brought the Champions League trophy to Stamford Bridge, could also bring something new with him: faith in the future. Convincing the club owner, who would not hesitate to sack even the legend Frank Lampard, of his fitness and the correctness of his plans is an impossible task. But Tuchel has coped with it brilliantly.
However, Chelsea is in crisis, with only four wins, one defeat, and six draws in their last eleven games. Tuchel admits that, under the current circumstances, it is foolish to even think about winning the league title, but a qualitative breakthrough is still possible. The next game for Londoners is against the leading Manchester City, who will be favourites according to LSbet (check bookmaker review at https://bookmaker-ratings.com/review/lsbet-bookmaker-review-rules-support-sign-up-free-bets-site/). Despite the odds, the result is unpredictable.
Let's look at what conditions the London club must meet to be considered a contender for the top spot.
Resolving the problem of the left-back
The team lost Ben Chilwell to injury against Juventus at the end of November. The player will have to undergo surgery and not appear on the pitch for the rest of the season. This leaves Chelsea with only Marcos Alonso, who can play in this position.
The transfer department is already considering options for a six-month loan, but there are few options. For example, Chelsea could recall the Italian Emerson from his loan at Lyon. Other options include Serginho Dest, Lucas Digne, and Nicolas Tagliafico. Moreover, Chelsea can even buy one of those players if the club cannot reach a loan deal.
Dealing with centre-backs crisis
Chelsea is experiencing a defensive crisis: The team currently has three central defenders whose contracts expire in the summer of 2022. There were four such players most recently, but Tiago Silva has been persuaded to stay. Today, questions remain over Cesar Azpilicueta, Andreas Christensen, and Antonio Rudiger.
The Spanish defender and fan favourite at Stamford Bridge are keen to stay in England, but the player has no concrete decision yet. If talks with Chelsea reach an impasse, Azpilicueta has two options in La Liga. Barcelona has financial difficulties and would be happy to take on an experienced player for free. Atletico is currently looking to replace Kieran Trippier, who left for Newcastle and willing to compete for the defender.
Andreas Christensen's contract is also yet to be signed. The parties have already agreed on terms, but the player has not announced a final decision. Interest in the Danish shows the same Barcelona.
The fate of Antonio Rudiger seems much more apparent. The club has made their salary offer, and the defender has named a much higher amount. Chelsea decided to stick to the policy "no player can be more than the club" and emphasized the words with the case in the Lukaku situation a little later. On the other hand, the German defender has begun to look for another team that can meet his demands. Among the contenders for the player, they call Real, Bayern, PSG.
Chelsea remains of the opinion that the extension of these agreements remains a priority.
Stabilize the attacking group
Not so long ago, one of the most expensive acquisitions of the club, Romelu Lukaku, shocked everyone with his interview. The player shared his dissatisfaction with his position at the club, how the coach uses him, and the difference in tactics between Inter and Chelsea. Any team fan has undoubtedly noticed that the Belgian is having difficulty adapting to Thomas Tuchel's football. Specifiers have noted that with Lukaku, Chelsea plays more directly and predictably, which could cost them points.
Another difficulty is Timo Werner's performance and his difficulty converting chances into goals. The German is still not performing half of what he did in the Bundesliga, and changing partners does nothing to improve the situation.
The best stretch that the Londoners have shown this season was precisely the time without Werner and Lukaku. Then Tuchel was forced to use Kai Havertz in the role of false nine. The team combined excellently, finding unexpected options to break through the opponents' defence.
The main obstacle to finding the right combination of players is injuries and illness. It's hard to remember a long period this season when everyone was available for 90 minutes.
By solving the problems mentioned in the article, Thomas Tuchel's team will fight with Manchester City and Liverpool for the league title as early as this season.
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