Chelsea FC is not the most traditional club in the Premier League. In fact the club struggled and yo-yoed up and
Chelsea Champions League Team
down until the intervention of Roman. Since then Chelsea has won 3 Premier League titles, 4 FA Cups, a Champions League Title and a Europa League Title in 10 years. However, Stamford Bridge has been the scene of constant change. The Blues have been managed by 10 different personalities from 7 different countries. The reintroduction of Jose Mourinho could mean some stability at the West London Club but his past has shown he’s never in one place for long. Plus Mourinho’s desire for a strong spine through the middle of the field means there’s a need for Cech, Terry and Lampard.
Petr Cech constantly proves he is still one of the greatest goal keepers in the world. Even with a keeper like Courtois waiting in the wings, Cech keeps his starting spot. His excellent reaction time have on numerous occasions have saved Chelsea numerous amounts of points throughout the years. One of the main questions is how long the Fulham club is going to keep the Eastern European wall on the first team. With as much change that has happened at the Bridge in recent years having such a reliable force at the back is a huge positive.
In front of Cech, is the solid force of John Terry. The former England captain may be the most polarizing force in all of the English Premier League. He’s been suspended for racist comments and dirty tackles both. However this year, this Chelsea staple has somehow re-found his form under the tutelage of the Special One. He is scoring goals again, becoming the number one defender in Premier League All Time Goal Scoring from open play. He has also orchestrated, from center back, some stellar Chelsea defensive performances this year, even though the other half of the defensive pair has been ever revolving between Cahill and Sideshow Bob’s body double.
Finally, we come to Mr. Chelsea himself. Despite starting out at one of the Blue’s biggest rivals, Frank Lampard has become the essence of the organization. Through his creativity, goal scoring and professionalism, Super Frank has become the center of Stamford Bridge. When Roman threatened to not resign the London native, Frankie responded with a record breaking year, becoming the number one goal scorer in Chelsea history. He also led the league in goals scored per minutes played. Luckily this year it seems that Mourinho prefers Lampard in the holding midfield. With Van Ginkel out for the foreseeable future, Chelsea’s number 8 importance has only been amplified. Lampard’s willingness to adapt to new positions and his on field vision makes him probably the most important of the Old Guard.
There are many other players who are crucial to Chelsea’s stability while the newbies adapt. The young guns such as Oscar pulling the strings as well as Eden Hazard are crucial to the Blue’s growth. Mourinho’s tactics and his willingness to bring in new talent could soon spell the end for the old guard. This combined with the reluctances of Roman to resign Lampard last year could see the beginning of the end for the good old years. However, these Blue are still crucial for the development of the club into a consistent European Power.
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