When Chelsea’s team sheet was released for their game against Wolves there was one glaring absence – Romeo Lavia.
The midfielder has been excellent in preseason and has looked like a key player for Enzo Maresca. But it’s not just about his absence – it’s about the lack of balance the team has without him. That was never more clear than against Wolves, particularly in the first half.
Moises Caicedo looks half the player without Lavia helping out, and the Ecuador star was caught out on the ball multiple times, including in the buildup to the home team’s first equaliser.
The whole midfield looks incredibly open without Lavia’s presence in the middle, and the endless quest to get Enzo Fernandez working together well with Caicedo is sent right back to the drawing board when Lavia isn’t there to help out.
The total lack of shape or meant a very open, exciting game with the feel of a basketball match as counter attacks swung one way then the other.
Chelsea survive this week – but more problems to come
Despite so much action in the transfer market, we don’t really have any depth in terms of defensive midfield players. We’ve got so many 8s and 10s but very few capable of playing as a really defensive minded 6. Caicedo and Enzo don’t suit it, even Lavia is not really a natural destroyer, but can do a job.
All we know is that we can’t go through the season looking open this every time Lavia isn’t fit. Either within this squad or in the market we need to work out how to find the right balance in the middle. The good news is that Caicedo made it through 75 minutes of the game unscathed, and should hopefully now get a full rest with not a minute played until next weekend.
Los estúpidos gringos desarmaron el grandioso medio campo de Caicedo y Gallagher por darle protagonismo a la niña maravilla de Menzo Fernández…
Yes, we missed Lavia, but part of the problem is that playing Palmer (or Felix) in the midfield means we basically have a passenger in defense. Whereas, when you have Lavia, Caicedo and Enzo all in midfield you know you’ve got three guys who will get stuck in and win balls back when possession turns over.
So, it’s a trade off. The 10 produced 2 goals and 3 assists for us today, but led directly to our looking so open to the counter.
It’s completely incorrect to say the missing link in Chelsea midfield is Romeo Lavia because he has never been part of the midfield core as he spent the entire season out injured . The player Chelsea misses and will continue to miss is Connor Gallagher unless they find a suitable replacement.