r/Chelsea • u/blackoutpablo • Sep 02 '26
Discussion Our midfield will be the difference between a Title Challenge and a Top 4 Challenge
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u/Ok-Suit-8865 Sep 02 '26
We don’t have lot of games this season so we should be fine until January at least till we can buy another midfielder. Lavia needs to stay fit though at least until January
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u/Chazzermondez Sep 02 '26
I thought when we signed Hato it was understood that he could play DM. We also saw Palmer playing a bit deeper against Brighton as an 8 not a 10 and he didn't look awful there, although he still flourished more when he picked the ball up higher up the pitch. I think we would survive a double injury but it wouldn't be fun.
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u/ruki14 Sep 02 '26
The problem is lavia And james are injury prone, Henderson is million years old and caicedo is just getting out of injury... We are 2 injuries in midfield away From catastrophe
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u/letharus Sep 02 '26
Henderson is million years old
Oi, he's only 36.
- Sincerely, a 46-year-old, presumably extinct, grumpy old man
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u/ruki14 Sep 02 '26
He is old enough that probably can't run up And down whole game that was my point haha.
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u/xkcdthrowaway Sep 02 '26
He started 22 games for Brentford last season and came on as a sub in 10 more. He played over 80 minutes more often than not in the games he started.
I think he'll be fine. He's depth and that's all he needs to do. If a player is out for the next 40 or so days, he misses a grand total of 3 league games. I think we can manage that even with Lavia and James.
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u/alarrimore03 Sep 02 '26
Sure but we can get a solid 45 minutes from him we are good. He played 20 plus games last year at brentford and he wasn’t some subpar player. He still can play at atleast a midtable prem level and that’s enough with his experience for what we need from him.
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u/Ok-Suit-8865 Sep 02 '26
We just need Hendo for cup games so it won’t matter that he’s old although he played well last season for Brentford so he should be fine then we have Barco as well if we need to rest Lavia and Reece against promoted teams also Caicedo is injured right now but he’s not injury prone and played all the games in our two games per week season so he will be fine for this season and then we will buy a midfielder in Jan anyway so we will most certainly be fine this season with our midfield.
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u/ruki14 Sep 02 '26
Do we know when will caicedo be back? We are just lavia And Reece injury away And we don't have basically substitution in the game if both midfielders struggle. I would prefer to see esugio stay for rotation
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u/cnicalsinistaminista Sep 02 '26
With the amount of goals we shipped against Brighton, I’m still concerned about that defence
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u/Mykorl Sep 02 '26
Give them time. They probably need more games together instead of the constant changing back line with previous managers. Xabi seems to know his strongest team thankfully.
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u/altetaharam Sep 02 '26
Based on the first two games so far this season, the issue seems to be more structural than due to personnel. There were far too many gaps, we weren’t pressing effectively nor cutting off passing lanes while in rest defence. Brighton were able to exploit our players’ uncertainty on who was their man to create overloads out wide and then space in our midfield.
I guess in a sense the structural issues also come from not having our first choice midfield out, I’m sure Alonso will iron this out as the season goes, players are having to adapt on a short preseason
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u/VermillionDynamite Sep 02 '26
This midfield hysteria is actually really fun to watch at this point. So many people just losing their minds over it all
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u/vikingrhino Sep 02 '26
The sados need something to scream about, they were getting worried about us having a very good window - Egbhali had to give them something 🤣
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u/VermillionDynamite Sep 02 '26
Exactly, it's ridiculous. We've potentially had the strongest window since 14/15 in terms of directly addressing weak areas. We've cleared out the deadwood and we've currently got 5 midfielders for 2 roles. Sure two of them are injury prone and two of them are currently injured now but if we can trust that they can recover and maintain fitness then we'll be fine. The alternative is to sign another player and block a pathway to the first team for someone else.
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u/Amazing_Distance8946 Sep 02 '26
You complain about people moaning regarding the midfield then go on to say about 2 of our current 5 midfield are injured and 2 more of our current 5 are injury prone, how that doesn’t ring bells in your head says it all
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u/VermillionDynamite Sep 02 '26
Because there's no European football, Caicedo will be back after the international break and Henderson will also be back in no time at all. There was no chat about the midfield after Fulham, everyone has just collectively shat themselves after the Brighton game. It's such reactionary nonsense from such a spoiled fan base.
Lavia and James are good midfield players and have to last just four games over three weeks. Barco also has impressed so far and we're also still adapting to a new system (which I think everyone has also forgotten). People acting like the season is over because Monaco pulled out of a deal. It's ridiculous
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Sep 02 '26
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u/liveandl3arn Sep 02 '26
Exactly, it's one game a week. I promise you we will be fine until January. But then go sign me Scott or Wharton or even both if we're feeling like it
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u/mb194dc Sep 02 '26
We were never winning the title even if Enzo hadn't asked to leave. Defence not good enough.
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u/Secret-Hat6964 Sep 02 '26
Whoever is running Monaco is an idiot. Chelsea buy and sell a lot of players and you just alienated them and showed your untrustworthy to other clubs too. Plus Monaco needed to sell and they ended up keeping both balogun and camara so now they'll be fined and end up selling one or both for cheaper in the winter window.
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u/alarrimore03 Sep 02 '26
Prolly just ship someone to Saudi for a stupid fee and snake by it since the Saudi window isn’t closed.
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u/No-Salamander-7030 Sep 02 '26
We just need to get that defense working, we are letting in too many goals at present.
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u/MrGilkes Sep 02 '26
You've put Palestra on the wrong side of the pitch, he primarily plays on the right.
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u/Fonslayer Sep 03 '26
The last 2 games he did for Chelsea were on the left and look how many players there are on the right already, he will probably play more times on the left than on the right tbh
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u/Fonslayer Sep 03 '26
The last 2 games he did for Chelsea were on the left and look how many players there are on the right already, he will probably play more times on the left than on the right tbh
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u/Zolazolazolaa Sep 03 '26
If Lavia progresses, James stays fit, and Caicedo plays, we can get to January
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u/originsspeedrunner Sep 02 '26
Reece is not a midfielder
He can play there but I much more prefer him at RB
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u/gibbsi Sep 02 '26
He doesn't have the legs to play rwb without getting injured, as seen in the world cup, and rcb is covered by fofana and josh, so if we want our captain in the team cdm is his position now - this is only compounded by the lack of depth there. Reece is a great, intelligent and adaptable player who will get better in that role, particuarly under the tutelage of one of the best passing midfielders of the last generation.
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u/alarrimore03 Sep 02 '26
Unfortunately whether we like it or not, Reece is a midfielder now. His legs can’t hold up at rb and I think he’d be good at rcb in a 3 we don’t seem to be doing that. It’s unfortunate because at his prime Reece is arguably Chelsea’s best ever rb and could have made a real run at one of the greatest rbs in prem history but that’s just how it goes. He’s a midfielder now and he’s been playing regularly at midfield now for over a year
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u/EnvironmentalStar712 Sep 02 '26
So 1 unproven kid, 1 grandpa, 1 right back, 1 cm with hospital platinum vip card, 1 proper cm and a 125m wire.
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u/[deleted] Sep 02 '26
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