Three Positives For Chelsea In This Disaterous Season

Chelsea FC endured a torrid season, which finally came to an end with a 1-1 draw against the Champions, Leicester City. This could have been the ideal opportunity for the blues to regain the Premier League crown with Man City struggling, but things went from bad to worse and ultimately Jose Mourinho became the casualty because of a horror start to the new campaign.

Many players who helped the blues to win trophies in the past like Eden Hazard, Branislas Ivanovic and Gary Cahill had a dip in form and never looked like the players that will step up to take Chelsea out of their slump. They were the so called leaders in the dressing room but failed to do so on the field. This was the worst defense of a league title and along with Mourinho, many players need to be blamed for and will pay the price for it in the summer transfer window.

Also the decision of giving John Terry a new contract in the last week of the season should have been sorted much earlier and a legend of the stature of Terry should not be treated this way. The decision of roping in Antonio Conte Is a welcoming one and he is the perfect man to guide the club back to the glory days. Along with that, many positives were seen throughout the course of the season, let’s take a glance at three such positives:

1. Youth from the academy getting a chance:

Many youngsters got the chance in the first team squad and all of them impressed which proved the fact of bringing the kids from the academy is always beneficial. The likes of Matt Miazga, Tammy Abraham and Fikayo Tomori made their debuts for the blues and showcased their talents. Bertrand Traore made many appearances and had some kind words for him by Hiddink. The most impressive of them all was Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who played in a number of positions, whether at shielding the defense or playing in the hole behind the striker. He definitely has a future at Chelsea and will be in the squad under Conte.

2. Rise of Willian:

With Eden Hazard, Oscar getting all the praises last season, one name was always under the limelight but was an integral of the team, that was Willian. He came of age this season and impressed one and all with his blistering pace, brilliant setpieces and most importantly his work rate was crucial in him getting Chelsea’s player of the season award. Conte loves these kind of players and Willian will be one of the most important piece in the jigsaw under the Italian.

3. Emergence of Cesc Fabregas as a leader:

After a sluggish form this campaign, Fabregas played with vigour under Hiddink and was one of the best players under the Dutchman. He enjoyed a free roaming role and in the last few months, played like the player for which he was renowned for. Along with an upturn in form, he also emerged as a leader whenever needed and is termed as the next Chelsea captain.