Chelsea MOTM evokes Tuchel heyday as Pochettino hamstrung by vertically challenged Blues
Malo Gusto is a proper full-back and boy have Chelsea missed those. But Mauricio Pochettino is hamstrung by his vertically challenged squad.
In a ranking of Chelsea transfers to write home about in the last 18 months, Malo Gusto may well struggle to get into the top 20. A backup right-back when the club has signed ÂŁ1bn worth of talent besides was never likely to be someone to set the pulses racing. But the stunning mediocrity of the more sexy signings has led Gusto to become a more and more coveted addition as this seasonâs gone on, with the latest of Reece Jamesâ long-term injuries further increasing his prominence.
He changed the game from the bench against Newcastle, providing an attacking outlet from full-back thatâs been lacking for near enough the whole of this season, which was the key to Chelseaâs success under Thomas Tuchel, and Frank Lampard before him. The Frenchman was brilliant again in the 2-1 win over Crystal Palace.
With Ben Chilwell on the left and James on the right, Chelsea used to stretch the pitch and attacked right across it, granting space for Mason Mount, Kai Havertz or whomever else was operating between the lines. It was a formula that worked; one that Mauricio Pochettino has moved away from this season.
Mainly out of necessity. Injuries to James and Chilwell, combined with a lack of height in the team has seen Pochettino opt for at least three centre-backs, often four, in his backline.
Thereâs no solution to the height problem other than buying taller footballers, and weâre thus obliged to point out the ridiculousness of a transfer policy which doesnât take into account the physical qualities of a football team. But then this is Chelsea, where the squad as a whole simply hasnât been a consideration in the face of shiny, expensive, vertically challenged attractions.
Gusto was the the best player on the pitch, particularly in the first half, defending as required and doing more than his fair share on the front foot, to serve as a reminder of what Chelsea have been missing. He started the move for Mykhaylo Mudrykâs opener, dragging the ball away from Chris Richards beautifully on the right, before popping up on the left shortly afterwards to cross for the Ukrainian.
With Chelsea chasing a winner in the second half, after Michael Oliseâs equaliser in first-half stoppage time, given the option of keeping Gusto on the right and moving Ian Maatsen to left-back from his more forward position, Pochettino instead stuck Gusto on the left with Disasi moving to right-back. Again, we have to assume that this is with the height of his team in mind, because an obvious method to improve the teamâs attacking output would have been to have two raiding full-backs rather than one. The Chelsea boss is hamstrung.
Mauricio Pochettino directs his Chelsea players from the touchline.
It wonât be a major consideration in talk of Chelseaâs biggest problems this season, particularly after yet another game in which big chances went begging â both Mudryk and Nicolas Jackson missed one-on-one opportunities. But itâs a problem that looks set to stay the course beyond a solution to their goalscoring woes, which could be remedied in January.
Assuming Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo sit in front of the defence for years to come, and any combination of Mudryk, Raheem Sterling, Cole Palmer, Conor Gallagher or Christopher Nkunku play behind a central striker, thatâs not a lot of aerial ability in a starting XI.
Pochettino could play three centre-backs and wing-backs, as Tuchel did, but that was clearly never his plan. And though we can never assume what goes on at Chelsea, weâre guessing the manager had at least one conversation with the owners and directors about the formation he would play, and probably advised them that height should be factor when considering their transfer targets.
Itâs not the priority, in so much as itâs not a problem that can be solved with one transfer, as other such problems may be, but height has got to be a continuous consideration among all transfers from now on, as it always should have been, to allow the Chelsea manager to play his best XI, which undeniably includes Chilwell, James, and Malo Gusto when the captainâs unavailable.
