Chelsea Tour Of America : A Pre Season Report

Just one win in four matches.. It doesn’t matter!!

Chelsea have ended their four match tour of America and are back in London. The results clearly haven’t gone their way and the fans rightly have slender concerns regarding the clubs performance in the upcoming season. Firstly let us have a very brief summary of each match.

SEATTLE SOUNDERS 2 CHELSEA 4

Lukaku scores two, one goal each for Marin and Hazard.  All six goals scored in the first half.  Cech,Terry,Cole,Torres  did not play the game.

A perfect start to the tour. Chances given to a lot of our young guns and reserve players like McEachran, Benayoun,Blackman; Hutchinson,Piazon.

CHELSEA 1 PARIS ST-GERMAIN 1

Lucas Piazon scores his first goal for the senior side.

Piazon celebrates after a lovely finish

PSG were the better team in the first half and went into the interval with a one goal lead. But a more even second half brought a late equalizer and both sides had chances to win it at the end.

Terry, Cole and Cech all got chances.

A good second half performance from the blues justified the scoreline.

MLS ALL-STARS 3 CHELSEA 2

Chelsea suffered the first defeat of pre-season in Philadelphia, thanks to an injury time winner for the MLS. Terry and Lampard score to give Chelsea the lead after going 1-0 down. A series of substitutions followed. MLS score two more and win.

Lots of positives can be taken from the game and this loss should not hurt us.

CHELSEA 0 AC MILAN 1

But this loss would have hurt!! Except Meireles and Lukaku the rest of the 9 who started this game will probably be the 1st choice players of their positions next season. Chelsea started very well and were the better side initially but did not capitalize on the chances created. Milan scored in the second half and Chelsea could just not break their defense despite the arrival of Torres and Marin as substitutes.

Now, why should the pre-season results not bother Chelsea much?? The most obvious reasons to justify this would be to say that these games were just friendlies and the teams against whom they’ve lost were top quality teams. It’s true but let us also understand the following:

• Fitness Check : the main aim of pre-season games is to get the players familiar with the physicality of the game  before the season starts. Get back the Stamina, maintain the strength.
• Where was the motivation?? : Yes, in football the passion and desire to win a game plays a vital role. There was no motivation to go all-out and win these games.
• Aim of the pre season : decide which player is in, which player is out. Expand your fan base. Play all the possible tactical combinations. In short EXPERIMENT.

So these matches were played completely different to real matches. Keeping the results aside, there can be a few important points which can the manager will have to think about.

• Do the blues need another striker? Chelsea’s midfield has heavily improved after the arrival of Hazard, Oscar and Marin. So even if Torres goes through his bad patches, the goals will still be coming. But what if his form from last season continues for a longer time? Should Chelsea risk it or buy another striker? The pre season answered this. We saw Lukaku having an impressive first game but had disappointments in the rest of the games.Had he impressed in the four matches, Chelsea would not have thought about another striker. Also Di Matteo is not very comfortable giving Sturridge the Poachers duty. Ans Piazon will have to wait for a while. So the best option for Chelsea is to buy a striker who wouldn’t cost them a bomb but at the same time has already proved himself. So the likely name is Victor Moses.He would cost the blues less than 10 million pounds and in case Lukaku is loaned out, he would fit nicely in the squad.

  Moses heading to the bridge?

• A right back : Maybe not a first choice right back, but certainly a young player who would fill Ivanovich’s role during the course of time. Hence César Azpilicueta is linked with a move to the bridge.

• Give chances to the young boys : Chelsea will have a hectic and a long season this year. They boast of having the best academy in England and are the current F.A cup holders. But what’s the point if you do not gradually bring them to the main team. The likes of Chalobah, Piazon, McEacheran, Kane, Hutchinsonhave impressed not only at the junior level but also in America.

  Is this the season when the academy players finally get to play for the main team?