REVEALED: Why Pedro is Chelsea’s unsung hero

Sam Cox 08:00 07/03/2017
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  • Pedro Rodriguez

    Pedro is a serial winner. He has five La Liga titles, three Copa del Reys, three Champions Leagues, a European Championship and a World Cup to his name – and he does not turn 30 until July.

    By that time he will likely have added an English Premier League title and possibly an FA Cup to his glittering collection of trophies.

    Only a smattering of players have ever come close to such a haul and, while his achievements are not unrivalled in modern times thanks to several of his ex-Barcelona team-mates boasting similar silverware, Pedro is currently proving to the rest of the footballing world just how adaptable he is.

    The criticism thrown at many Barcelona players down the years is that they can only play the way they do for the Catalans and Spain, and that they have never tested themselves elsewhere.

    This logic is of course flawed and a little clumsy, but there’s no question that building a second career in another country is a challenge for any footballer, no matter how talented.

    A poor first season at Chelsea saw Pedro take time to acclimatise. Indifferent form, niggling injuries and a club once again in turmoil saw the energetic forward soon linked with a return to Spain.

    By the time the 2016-17 season had started, Pedro had played under three different Chelsea managers in 12 months: Jose Mourinho, Guus Hiddink and Antonio Conte.

    Chelsea have proven to be specialists in high-profile transfers going wrong and Pedro could have easily gone the same way as Andriy Shevchenko, Fernando Torres and Juan Sebastian Veron. Each of those three also arrived at Stamford Bridge in the peaks of their respective careers – but all failed to deliver.

    Pedro was an ambitious signing in 2015, with Manchester United also believed to be strongly interested in the Spaniard – his pedigree outweighing some concerns about form and fitness.

    Despite a rocky first 12 months, this has not been another failed transfer for the Blues. Pedro has been one of the best players in the league in 2016-17, often producing key performances when his other team-mates have not been at their best. In the shadow of Diego Costa and Eden Hazard in the final third and with Victor Moses taking the mantle as the shock performer of the season, Pedro has – as he so often did at Barcelona – blended into the scenery.

    At Camp Nou, alongside David Villa and Lionel Messi, he was perceived as the weak link despite scoring at a rate of nearly a goal every three matches for the Catalans. Amid Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Sergio Busquets and Messi, Pedro’s role in the team was seldom fully appreciated.

    Reaching double figures in La Liga on three separate occasions, however Pedro was – and still is for Chelsea – often the man to instigate a breakthrough.

    Pedro’s path to the Barca first team was largely a result of Pep Guardiola’s decision to use Lionel Messi as a false nine. The system required the ‘wide forwards’ to run into the space that the centre forward would usually occupy when Messi dropped deep.

    Pedro was perfect for this, charging from a right wing position and breaking through the defensive line to receive sharp through passes from Iniesta, Xavi or Messi. Pedro was the direct option in their team, his energy off the ball and breath-taking acceleration making him a crucial component for a team that so often had to break down deep defences.

    That team is still regarded by many as the best club team to ever play the game.

    His role is different at Chelsea, but he brings a similar set of attributes to the team. With Eden Hazard given the freedom to play in any pocket of space he finds and Diego Costa leading the line, Pedro can drift across the pitch to receive the ball, whether it be in between the lines or attacking space left behind the opposition defence.

    His scurrying runs into the slightest gap in the opponents’ defence wreak havoc, allowing Hazard or Costa, or one of the wing-backs, to get free.

    Out of possession, Pedro’s role is equally crucial. Although sometimes positionally naïve, he is a ferocious presser. Key at Barcelona as they looked to regain the ball the minute they lost it, that role has grown at Chelsea, as the Spaniard often catches opposition defenders and midfielders in possession.

    This allows Chelsea to do what they do best, break quickly at a startled, disorganised defence. Pedro, naturally, is the best man to take advantage of a defence in chaos.

    At Barcelona he was a cog in an ideologically perfect football machine. At Chelsea he is the bridesmaid as Costa and Hazard make their plans for the end of season awards.

    Pedro’s career has not been about collecting medals – although he is one of only very few players to be involved in two Treble-winning teams – but the quality of his team-mates has affected his own reputation.

    The La Masia graduate continues to ignite matches, whether through a stunning shot like he produced against Tottenham earlier this season, or a cheeky turnover of possession.

    He may never be considered the best player in his team, but his importance to a magnificent Barcelona side and a Chelsea team flying to Premier League success should be applauded.

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