Breaking into the Chelsea first team is really tough, especially when the squad is near full fitness, as it is now. You have a giant club that splashed the cash this summer, especially in attack, but in midseason the manager was replaced by a guy plays very defensively.
Thomas Tuchel and his wing back employing system are just not suited for a lot of the current players. Christian Pulisic, the team’s best player during Project Restart and the most expensive American ever, has only one start under Tuchel and that was in the FA Cup.
Chelsea at Liverpool FC FYIs
Kickoff: Thur Mar 4, 8:15 GMT, Anfield
Team News: Chelsea Liverpool FC
Starting XI Predictions: Liverpool FC
Odds: Chelsea +210 Liverpool FC +260
PL Position, Form Guide: Chelsea 5th, 44 pts, DDWWW Liverpool FC 6th, 43 pts WLLLL
Tuchel’s countryman Kai Havertz is the most expensive German of all time and he’s a benchwarmer. Hakim Ziyech is very talented and expensive, but he’s not really in the mix. Tammy Abraham, very talented young player and a solid scorer, didn’t even make the 18 for the goalless draw against United.
It’s Tuchel’s system and he can do what he wants with it, and as long as he keeps getting results, the harder it is to question that. However, if the players you like are getting left out, you still have a right to be upset and then hope they can move on sooner rather than later if their omissions pile up.
You should expect some Chelsea players to call up their agents a lot this spring and get them to kick the tires on some potential summer exits. You got to do what’s in your best interest.
Let’s look at who might be in the first team when Chelsea visits Liverpool FC on Thursday night.
Chelsea Starting XI Prediction (3-4-1-2): Mendy; Azpilicueta, Christensen, Rudiger; James, Jorginho, Kovacic, Alonso; Mount; Giroud, Werner
Chelsea 1, Liverpool 0
In general, clashes between big six sides this season have been very hard to watch as we’re seeing more pragmatism and ramped up conservatism. Tuchel’s Chelsea play so defensive to begin with that we just can’t expect to see many goals in this one.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank, partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and SB Nation. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.