Chelsea have only won one of their last 8 Premier League games after drawing against relegation-battlers Nottingham Forest on New Year’s Day.
Once again the whole team was wrong, and it took us back to the terrible run of games Chelsea had before the World Cup break.
Like I say, no one played well, but after having to watch off the bench again of late, Trevoh Chalobah will feel like he deserves to get the nod in the next game, and you’d be absolutely right to think that way. For me, Kalidou Koulibaly must be abandoned.
We often see it, players coming in for the first time to play Premier League football from a different league, and they struggle.
However, when Chelsea signed Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli in the summer, they didn’t expect him to join a long list of players we can place in the former category.
Kalidou Koulibaly
He came here as a proven world-class defender with experience and quality. I don’t think anyone can doubt that statement, right? It’s easy to sit here and say Chelsea made a mistake buying him in the summer. But I don’t think anyone complained at the time?
However, his performances for Chelsea so far have been below average, and he was completely terrified last night by Nottingham Forest’s Taiwo Awoniyi, who left the City Ground having overpowered the experienced centre-back.
He was jumping into tackles too soon, overcommitting and easily evaded time and time again. His lack of pace around the corner is a concern. He has lacked confidence and seemed half the player he was at Napoli.
Personally, if I’m Trevoh Chalobah right now, I feel completely aggrieved that I’m not playing. I would be surprised if Koulibaly starts the next game. However, to be honest, he demonstrates why we need to sign new centre-backs at the club and/or bring Levi Colwill back.
None of us really know what the problems are with Koulibaly. Playing devil’s advocate, maybe he’s just struggling with confidence in a new league. Trust issues can literally change a player.
Maybe he just takes some time to adjust to the surroundings and the new league, it’s absolutely possible that this is the case. Let’s hope it’s just that and that he goes one step further in the next games.
Chalobah should be rewarded with a start in the next game, and I’m sure he’ll step up if he does.
