Tom Gott discusses the need to integrate Loftus-Cheek into the Chelsea team.
Chelsea fans have been saying for years that Ruben Loftus-Cheek has everything required to make It as a professional footballer. Joining Chelsea when he was eight years old, Loftus-Cheek always impressed, and as he started to develop physically, he was head and shoulders above the competition, not just literally.
At 6’3, Loftus-Cheek almost always had the physical edge over his opponents and was often lining up against players much older than himself, making his Under-18 debut at just 14 years old. Impressing this season on loan at Crystal Palace, before his untimely injury, we take a look at what the future might hold for one of Chelsea’s brightest prospects.
Fans of youth football will know Loftus-Cheek well. A regular at Under-18 and Under 21 level for both Chelsea and England, Loftus-Cheek’s talent has always been easy to see. Operating in the centre of midfield, Loftus-Cheek has always been calm on the ball, able to see and pick out a pass, but his preference would always be to drive forward from midfield, using his imposing physique to brush past defenders. One could draw a similarity between the Englishman and Yaya Touré who famously produced a stunning campaign in the 2013/14 season, which saw the Ivorian net 20 times in 35 appearances, alongside providing nine assists, all from this deep central midfield role.
During his time in youth football, Loftus-Cheek, on one of his many driving runs from deep, scored an incredible goal against Liverpool Under-21s in early November 2015. Picking the ball up from kick-off, Loftus-Cheek had one thing in mind. He ran directly at the opposition’s goal, brushing off three opponents as if they were not even there, before burying his shot past the helpless goalkeeper.
While this was his most notable highlight in youth football, it was not an isolated incident. Loftus-Cheek would frequently dominate opponents with this same manoeuvre, to the point where it would become unusual not to see it performed. By this time, Loftus-Cheek had proved he had learned all he could in youth football, as the opposition were rarely able to ask questions of him.
Loftus-Cheek had ideas, and he could execute them effortlessly, leaving Chelsea fans salivating at the potential on show. A loan move was undoubtedly the only option, but unfortunately, it was not to be. Many even hoped Loftus-Cheek would be fast-tracked to the Chelsea first team, with the team performing horribly and sitting close to the bottom of the Premier League table at the time, and it appeared that this could be on the cards. Unfortunately, after multiple favourable sporadic appearances, Loftus-Cheek was relegated back to the bench and back to youth football at the end of the 2015/16 season.
Loftus-Cheek has been employed all over the attacking line. Starting as a central midfielder, he was then used as an attacking midfielder, and even as a striker by Antonio Conte. Unfortunately, he was a victim of the issues which eternally surround the talented young players at Chelsea, and could not force himself into Antonio Conte’s plans, making only six appearances in the 2016/17 season.
Desperate for more opportunities, Loftus-Cheek joined Crystal Palace on loan for the following season, and it is here where we have seen Loftus-Cheek threaten to realise his potential. One of Crystal Palace’s very few shining lights at the start of the season, Loftus-Cheek, as an attacking midfielder, was back to his best, dribbling past opponents with ease.
A change of manager saw a change of tactic, with Loftus-Cheek utilised as a winger, and, while it is not his natural position, he performed very admirably, maintaining his excellent form. In fact, he was showing so much potential that England manager Gareth Southgate, who was very familiar with Loftus-Cheek after their time together in the England Under-21 setup, handed Loftus-Cheek his first senior international appearance, against Germany no less.
While only a friendly, Loftus-Cheek excelled, earning the Man of the Match award after touching the ball more than the rest of England’s attack. He completed 96% of his passes, and executed two beautiful pieces of skill, putting the ball between the legs of the onrushing Sané and then Halstenberg, in quick succession.
The world had taken notice of Loftus-Cheek, and there were high hopes for him for the rest of the season until he suffered an ankle injury just after Christmas. Chelsea are hard at work trying to heal Loftus-Cheek in time to return to Crystal Palace and stake his claim for a place in Southgate’s World Cup squad. However, at the minute, it is not sure whether this is possible or not, meaning Loftus-Cheek may have to settle for 15 Premier League starts for the season.
Now on to his future. When the season ends, Loftus-Cheek will officially return to Chelsea and will find himself at a crucial point in his career. Can he afford to spend another season settling for appearances from the bench? Does he stay and fight to be part of the first team, or does he return to a club such as Crystal Palace, and receive almost guaranteed minutes?
Chelsea will know this and must be prepared to answer. Can they afford to lose another bright prospect, following the likes of Nathan Aké, Bertrand Traoré, Nathaniel Chalobah and Dominic Solanke out the exit door? Most Chelsea fans will agree that the answer to this is a resounding “no”. Fortunately, it does seem as if the club share the same opinion, with multiple reports stating Loftus-Cheek has been assured of his future at Chelsea following the signing of Ross Barkley.
But where would he fit in? It comes down to the formation being utilised by the team, which in turn is almost always decided by the manager of the team. If Loftus-Cheek continues as a winger, he is competing with the likes of Eden Hazard and Willian and will inevitably struggle for game time.
As a central midfielder, however, his future seems much more optimistic. It is safe to say that N’Golo Kanté is one of the first names on the team sheet at Stamford Bridge, so Loftus-Cheek would be fighting with the likes of Cesc Fabregas and Tiemoué Bakayoko to line up alongside the Frenchman. However, lining up alongside Kanté is not always as easy as it seems. Kanté is given such defensive responsibility, which he does not often attack, and when he does, his midfield partner is required to drop off and defend, and then launch counter attacks with speed to create opportunities. Fabregas has struggled with this all season, as he is not famed for his off-the-ball work, and the same can be said of Loftus-Cheek. The lone partner is required to exert a tremendous amount of energy to cover the rest of the midfield and is often left outnumbered by the opposition.
However, the way to combat this is simple – play a three-man midfield. The 3-4-3 has lost most of the momentum which was gained last season, and, if Antonio Conte leaves Chelsea at the end of the season as is widely expected, a formation change may be in order. A midfield of Fabregas, Loftus-Cheek and Kanté is incredibly balanced, offering almost everything which could be asked for. Fabregas brings an incredible eye for a pass, Kanté brings an endless motor who can smell danger before it has even manifested, and Loftus-Cheek brings an imposing physical frame which can attack from deep, evident from his box-to-box days in the youth academy.
When compared to the likes of Tiemoué Bakayoko, Loftus-Cheek offers, per Squawka, more key passes, more created chances, more defensive stability, more successful dribbles and more assists than the Frenchman. He provides more both offensively and defensively, and he is threatening to become the player which many hoped Bakayoko would be upon his arrival.
This season, Chelsea are crying out for some dynamism in their offence. Hazard and Willian are relied upon to attempt to dribble past defenders, and while they frequently achieve this, sometimes they are nullified by the opposition. If Chelsea’s trickery and intricate passing are not working, Loftus-Cheek could pick up the ball from deep, return to his youth football roots, and embark on one of his trademark direct runs, asking questions of the defence, who have been left unchallenged far too often this season. Even if he was not successful, being surrounded by the likes of Hazard, Morata, Willian and Fabregas give him a lot of options, and he also has the ability to pick out a pass and start a move himself. Loftus-Cheek has the talent and the potential to make it in this Chelsea team; one can only hope that the club can see this too.
Written by Tom Gott – @MyFootyMind
