Chelsea’s attackers need to re-discover form, and we need to assess wing back situation – Talk Chelsea

If Chelsea and Thomas Tuchel are planning to stick with a three at the back formation for the foreseeable future rather than switching to a back four, then we desperately need to address the wing back situation.

Chelsea’s current wing back options are not the perfect profile of wing backs needed, and this is why…

Reece James for me is much better as a right centre back or a right back, Cesar Azpilicueta is limited in the wing back role, and Callum Hudson-Odoi for me is just not a wing back, he needs to play predominantly as an attacker.

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On the other side Marcos Alonso is a real danger in attack, but for a wing back he is just too slow and doesn’t bring enough energy, he is also a liability defensively.

None of these players are direct and able to beat a man or two, hit the byline and pick out a good cross. Hudson-Odoi CAN be direct, but he isn’t doing it much right now.

The profile of wing back Chelsea need is someone like Achraf Hakimi, or ironically the player we sold to Southampton this summer, Tino Livramento. There is a reason we went for Hakimi this summer and Thomas Tuchel wanted him, he knows the importance of having good attacking and all-round wing backs in this system, and it is something that is really letting us down right now.

Ben Chilwell certainly brings more energy and direct play and is also good defensively, but for whatever reason he just isn’t being picked right now, and absolutely needs to be.

Another thing is purely the form of our attackers, even Mason Mount’s form before his injury was dipping. Kai Havertz’s form is also dipping. Christian Pulisic is injured too much, and Hakim Ziyech for me just isn’t doing anywhere near as much as we need him to be doing.

Again, we lack direct attacking players, players who will beat a couple of defenders and drive at goal. We have Ruben Loftus-Cheek, but he is better at doing this from deeper. We have Timo Werner who IS direct, and perhaps should be getting the nod more right now baring in mind the poor form of others.

But I do believe with guys like Havertz and Mount, it is just a dip in form, but they do need to re-discover form right away starting from this Saturday against Southampton.

Romelu Lukaku is frustrated, and you can see why, he just isn’t getting the service from anyone, and that is collective not just from our attackers.