Chelsea were said to have the right set of players who could work wonders in the ‘Sarriball’ philosophy. The likes of Pedro and Cesc Fabregas have had prior experience of playing in such a system. Eden Hazard and N’Golo Kante possess skillsets that can be harnessed in any system.
Alvaro Morata was touted to succeed in a possession-based system, but the Spaniard has failed to meet his expectations. The case of Willian, however, is rather odd. The Brazilian is an excellent dribbler of the ball and uses his pace to its maximum advantage. A dead-ball specialist, Willian is first in line to stand behind a free-kick in a favourable position, a role that he is slowly conceding to Marco Alonso.
His virtues aside, the winger has proved to be a burden to Chelsea this season and has influenced their fall from title contenders to top-four contenders. Ahead of Chelsea’s clash against table-toppers Manchester City, it’s clear why Chelsea need to clear the deadwood and sign a replacement.
Goal contributions in the #prem this season:#Pedro: 6#Willian: 4
— Amps (@ampadont) December 4, 2018
Minutes played in the prem this season (in the prem):
Pedro: 629
Willian: 854
Goal contributions per 90:
Pedro: 0.86
Willian: 0.42
We all know who deserves that starting spot at right wing #cfc fans
Lack of end product is a common problem among wingers who are blessed with pace and rely on this attribute to bring the best out of their game. Players such as Willian, Gerard Deulofeu and Adama Traore are so quick with their feet that their decision-making ability lags behind.
Two goals and two assists in 919 league minutes is unacceptable for a forward who plays for a club that is supposed to challenge for the title. The Sao Paulo-native’s lucidity in two-versus-three situations is questionable and he often ends up wasting the counter-attacking opportunity.
Willian
The 30-year-old is also extremely susceptible to mistakes that can lead to goals. An example of this can be found in Chelsea’s recent defeat against Wolverhampton Wolves. Willian lost the ball in a crucial area to Joao Moutinho, who started the move which eventually led to Diogo Jota putting the ball to the back of the net.
The forward is dispossessed at a rate of 1.3 times per game, an unimpressive number for a player in a possession-based system. These are some of the moments when the Brazilian can be a burden to the team
At the age of 30, expecting Willian to improve is a bit too optimistic but hoping that he does not regress is the least one can expect. However, the winger has provided no evidence to support his case.
Also, Willian has displayed higher potency at the left-wing position during Hazard’s absence. But this position is reserved for the Belgian for as long as he serves the club. Willian’s best role is basically that as a second choice to Hazard. He has done nothing which could increase his stock-value as a starter at right-wing at the expense of Pedro, who has scored three goals more than the Brazilian this season despite playing 250 minutes less.
Pedro
The former Corinthians man sure brings a lot to the team with his creativity and the threat he brings to set-pieces. But his flaws outweigh his virtues and renders him a burden to the club. The London-based club must consider offloading the player before he regresses further and has his market value reduced.
Thorgan Hazard and Denis Suarez are two alternatives Chelsea could consider as Willian’s replacement. The former is extremely versatile and is having the best season of his life at Borussia Monchengladbach. The latter is wasting his career on the Barcelona bench despite having the quality to represent a top European club.
