Chelsea’s defensive problems -Analyzed and explained- The issue of Trevor Chalobah
Srećko Šijaković 
Chelsea defense:
Chelsea players this season can execute numerous defensive maneuvers, including defensive juggling in front of their goal, clearances, one-leg clearances, and showing impressive defensive skills. They also make so much noise behind them.
In that case, they are also known (Tosin and Chalobah), their bad technique, and are defending not in the lines like other clubs, they are defending man to man with high jumps, involvements, and passing to get to the back to attack on the other side. They do this for Stamford Bridge, applauding their defensive skills and defensive maneuvers.
Chelsea misses Noni Madueke and Nicolas Jackson.
Last year, when Noni Madueke and Nicolas Jackson were present, these clearances and passes of the defense would often be followed by a fast counterattack for Chelsea; however, that is no longer the case.
If you watch Chelsea regularly, you know central defenders are playing on stamina, on the strength, and they alone are stopping opponents’ attackers with one more block in front, which is being led by Trevor Chalobah or against Lincoln City, Wesley Fofana. Caisedo he is also covering his defensive position. The central defenders clear, then the ball goes to the right side, or the midfield, who are trying to create the action, but they overplay themselves and, unlike last season, aren’t able to produce an attack or half-counter attack.
Their opponents take the balls of their possession in midfield with very little influence of Joao Pedro, without in-play wingers. It could have looked good and attractive for fans, but relying on your game on an extremely high rhythm of clearances from central defenders is a suicide mission, and it leads to disaster.
He who watches Chelsea for the first time in many months will think Chalobah, Tosin, Acheampong, and the other are playing basketball against Premier League teams each week, and it is visible this model will crack just a few weeks in, as it started.
Not using offensive talented players and using defenders, and preferring players with defensive qualities.
Instead, he should have a ball at the front for Buonanotte, Jammie Gittens, Garnacho, Pedro Neto, Estêvão Willian, and Joao Pedro, so they can create something on the offensive side with passes, crosses, and combining. He can also use Reece James in terms of crosses from the right side. In this way, Chelsea can score more than they are conceding.
In that way, he would push the ball on the opposite side and reduce the opponent’s possession. He needs to create a midfield wall or a mechanism that will pass the ball to Joao Pedro and other wingers, so they can have a chance to score. He can’t wait centuries and be very cautious with Enzo Fernadnez, on whose balls Marescaas Chelsea relies.
In other words, it is missing the play creation, and Chelsea misses Noni Madueke, who was receiving these passes and was transferring the ball directly in the opponent’s box. He was also very dangerous for the opponents in 1 on 1 situations.
Maresca tactics
Also, Maresca is way too defensive, so he uses Wesley Fofana to seek his long balls in front, which shows so much uncreativity and a lack of game understanding. It surely can’t work.
Marescas’ defensive football, lack of ideas
He is rotating Caisedo in defense, which gives you a definite idea of his football ideas. He isn’t using talent or playing on talent; he does that on strength and positioning. He should play to create chances like – against Lincoln; he is using players like Malo Gusto, and doesn’t create space for Gittens, Garnacho, and Estevao. In the last two Chelsea games, Joao Pedro couldn’t do anything in attack because he didn’t have any support; he was alone in there.
Chalobah issues
When Colwill injured himself, the infantile story of who was going to catch the left central back position began. It was a question of who would clear, jump, and not spear themselves in the defensive line, who would be the left one. Toisn doesn’t have the technique and qualities for that position, Hato is just terrible, and Chalobah’s jumps are just very high. A real high flyer, he really is. His fall was a very big one for Chelsea.
Soo Marescas’s incompatibility to provide the ball for the attackers and his constant use of defensive players without risks is at a price. Joao Pedro doesn’t have a companion in attack in the Premier League game; he is all alone. He has turned Italian defensive mode; he has become way too defensive since Bayern Munich, but Chelsea was also defensively compact in the Club World Cup, with Neto rising from an impact from Joao Pedro.
In this case of kindergarten group defenders who are ready to defend like in basketball, we came to the injury of Chalobah, Tosin, and Hato, who asked for a replacement at the end of the Brighton game. Wesley Fofana had a concussion after the game with Lincoln.
You simply can’t defend like that in football and must get an injury eventually. We really came to realize that Chelsea’s players are way too young and inexperienced, but the blame falls on Maresca’s side because he leads the team and tactics. The problem is that he is very defensive at the moment.
Bad example, Chalobah and Snancez:
I will just give you the explanation of the behaviour of Chalobah and Sánchez after facing a 100 % chance. They are there to stop with both hands, and Chalobah pushes; they are so immature, so they don’t want to receive a goal, so they push so arrogantly when they are defeated. Football is played for the goal, but when they are beaten, they do everything possible to stop opponents’ players from scoring with forbidden actions.
Even Maresca has said that after Manchester United, Sánchez had to let them score.
Manchester United – Chelsea derby
After the Manchester United – Chelsea derby, it was so many sayings about Maresca’s substitutions. But here I have to agree with Enzo Maresca. Many anixpirinced fans forget the situation in which Chelsea was till Casmierio got sent off for the Manchester United side. On that rainy night in Manchester, Chelsea could lose 6 or 7 to zero, maybe. Mareca has saved Chelsea from a very big embarrassment.
Manchester United’s attacks in the first half after a red card was given were so big that Chelsea were on their knees. In the second half, 10 to 10, Chelsea was way better, but Maresca’s defensive approach showed itself here.
What was interesting was that Enzo Marseca had given up on equalising; he brought in Gorge instead of Garrnaco.
He was again wise in here; he took out earlier Neto, Estevao, and Palmer because that very wet pitch could cause serious injuries. So he has saved their players for future matches and avoided potential injuries instead to pursue Manchester United.
Against Brighton, he needed to take offensive players ON so they could create something with Joao Pedro.
Joao Pedro couldn’t create an offensive impact because he was the only attacker on the pitch. He was the only attacker on the pitch and an offensive, creative player. How would Chelsea score then against Brighton?
Defensive impact solution
They can’t defend themselves like that; they need smaller intensity training on defense and training on the offensive side. They need to be entering the pitch with a pace, with ball controlling techniques, and they have to be firm and compact.
They should be avoiding ball loss. They need to improve transferring the ball in front of a goal with players who are opening in good and right positions and then can score, not like Joao Pedro’s horror in September.
They need good leadership of the group, which they don’t have at the moment. New signings need their chances; they should not be jumping like clowns in the circus. They need to play position football with talent that can create chances and goals, as Buonanotte scored a goal for Lincoln.
They need to attack to create, to defend when they have to.
They are hugely missing Noni Madueke, who was their right winger, who didn’t have a problem attacking on the first ball and was a constant threat and a nightmare for Chelsea opponents’ defenders. With dribbling and shouting, and scoring goals, today’s Chelsea needs to be desperate. They miss a striker who receives the ball in the opposition box and shouts like Nicolas Jackson.
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