Luiz may prove the long-term answer to Chelsea’s midfield quandary
Published:Chelsea may have beaten Manchester United in their FA Cup quarter final replay, but it was more of a case of winning ugly than doing so with their more typical model of creative football.
The current Chelsea way is built around the interchangeable nature of their three attacking midfielders Juan Mata, Eden Hazard and Oscar.
All are adept with the ball at their feet, all are dangerous when finding pockets of space between the lines, all can score goals and all can supply ammunition to a lone striker.
The problem comes when the space they normally orchestrate from is closed and so the other Chelsea starters are unable to get the ball into their feet.
If Chelsea had a Michael Carrick in their team against Man Utd, there is a strong possibility that they would have possessed a greater attacking threat.
Instead, John Obi Mikel didn’t look to pass the ball forward enough, while Ramires’ game is based more on his impact off the ball, rather than when he has it at his feet.
One player Chelsea have been linked with is Yaya Toure, but he is another that has a game based on power and energy, rather than passing forwards from a deeper position.
Therefore, he would potentially be the wrong fit for Chelsea and someone more in the mould of a Xabi Alonso or an Andrea Pirlo would be ideal.
Although David Luiz would not naturally spring to mind in such a role, he could prove the ideal deeper midfield player to perform this duty.
Luiz plays like a defender who wants to start higher up the pitch and his natural instinct is to go forwards rather than sideways, either through bringing the ball out of defence or laying it into the feet of a teammate.
He has stepped into midfield already this season when Chelsea’s squad has been pushed to its limit and could do so again in the closing weeks if Chelsea need to rest players.
Chelsea remain 4/11 to finish in the top four this season.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
