As Chelsea takes a break for the summer and the search for the next manager continues, we, Chelsea fans, have to consider what kind of changes we would like to have done at the club to move forward from this "bad moment" that we had last season.
There are two approaches when it comes to making changes in the team personals. The conservative approach suggests only a few tweaking to team, mainly getting rid of fringe players and bringing on fresher names into the lineup. It is a sensible approach since we only lost out the league title to Manchester United because of the mid-season slump which might be avoidable by bringing in a few players. This approach may call for getting rid of players like Yuri Zhirkov, Paulo Ferreira, Salomon Kalou and Nicolas Anelka.
There is also the Wholesale change approach. This approach will shake the current foundation of the team and call for some of the aging and under-performing players, who have been great servants for the team over the years, to leave the club. This approach concerns the likes of Didier Drogba, Jose Bosingwa, Michael Essien, and even Frank Lampard and John Terry. This is a much riskier and a more controversial approach. It will definitely take a strong manager (with the backing of Roman Abramovich) to carry out this move.
The question is... which one works? I think that the club has stuck to the conservative approach since the departure of Jose Mourinho. Other players came and went but the core of the team - Cech, Terry, Lampard, Drogba, Asheley Cole, Essien - remained pretty much intact. And I think this approach has worked well for us. Sure we haven't won the Champions League yet but by sticking to this approach we have gotten to the final of Champions League, we remain as one of the fixtures in the Champions League knockout stages, and we won the FA Cup twice and a league title.
But is there an argument to be made for the Wholesale approach? After all, these great players are getting older and slower. It is no doubt going to hard to let go of some of our favorites but is this the time to finally let go of those old soldiers?
At least two examples back up the Wholesale approach. Pep Guardiola and Kenny Dalglish.
When Guardiola was appointed as Barcelona manager in 2008, he immediately announced that the likes of Deco, Ronaldinho and Samuel Eto'o are not on his plan moving forward. It was definitely a shock because Barcelona has won titles and a Champions League trophy with these very players playing in the spine of that team. Deco was the Xavi of his time, Ronaldinho was the FIFA World Player of the Year, and Eto'o was one of the top goal scorers both in the Spanish league and in the Champions League. This announcement comes soon after letting go of Zambrotta, Giovani dos Santos and Edmilson.
These changes allowed Barcelona to bring in the likes of Daniel Alves, Seydou Keita, and Gerard Pique, while promoting youth players like Sergio Busquets and Pedro Rodriguez to the first team.
And Guardiola's bold moves paid off. Barcelona has looked fresh and motivated. The numerous trophies they have won since 2008 is the testament to the success of Guardiola's Wholesale approach in his first year.
Kenny Dalglish is the other manager who has benefited from a Wholesale approach. In his case, the changes were less intentional than Pep Guardiola. Part of the Wholesale change came from the selling of Fernando Torres and injuries to some of Liverpool's key players like Steven Gerard.
By the time Dalglish took over in January of 2011, Liverpool is sitting at 12th position (losing 9 and drawing 4 of the first 20 games under Roy Hodgson). Dalglish was able to bring Liverpool back to 6th position at the end of the season. During this climb up the table, main striker Torres was sold, Steven Gerard was largely unavailable, Fabio Aurelio's injury and Paul Konchesky's form forced Glen Johnson to move to the left side of defense, and later Glen Johnson himself was injured too.
Steven Gerard's injury allowed Raul Meireles, Lucas, and Jay Spearing to form new partnership in midfield. Injuries to their full backs mean that young players like Martin Kelly and John Flanagan can shine in the back. And up front, without Torres, Luis Suarez and Dirk Kuyt lined up well.
Wholesale approach, intentional or unintentional, worked for these teams. It does not, however, mean that the same result will be replicated in Chelsea. But I think we should be open to the idea. As I said, it must be done with the right manager at the right time. If it happens, it will definitely be sad to some of the familiar faces go but it could be for the better, in some cases for both the players and the club (e.g. Samuel Eto'o). But it would also be bitter sweet because we will get a better chance to see some of our younger players become regulars in the starting lineup (e.g. Josh McEachran and Daniel Sturridge).
So, what do you think is the suitable approach? Would you go with the conservative approach or the riskier one? Can that kind of Wholesale change approach work at the club? Would it be even allowed by Roman? Your thoughts?
By Lamin Oo (www.carefreechronicles.blogspot.com)
World Football Daily
