Palmer, James and the Chelsea Players Fans Still Trust When the Noise Gets Loud
By any measure, this is a hard time to be a Chelsea fan or make a soccer bet live on its fixtures. With the team looking lost on the pitch and the club searching for new management mid-season, things are not looking so bright at the moment. Newsflash: we’ve already been here before and we know the team will eventually get back to winning ways. In fact, some of the players who are on the roster right now will likely be the ones to lead the charge.
Let’s take stock of who can be counted on to help right the ship and take it to new heights.
Trust the Captain When the Times Get Tough
If there is anyone who has earned the unshakeable trust of the Chelsea faithful, it’s certainly Reece James who has been the rock solid foundation of the defence for nearly a decade. He is the captain for a reason, and he enjoys the respect of his peers. His leadership will be much needed both on and off the field, and we can fully expect he will cherish this opportunity to do what only he can. Having come up though the club’s youth program and spending his entire career wearing the same shirt, he is a rare example of a home-grown leader in modern football and we are more than lucky to have him.
Cole Will Find the Net When It Counts
To start winning, the team must find a way to score and that means relying on the biggest goal-getter we have. Cole Palmer has proven time and again that he is up there with the most dangerous scorers in Premiership, and it’s only a matter of time before he regains his old form. There is no denying that he is having a dreadful year, but much of it is attributable to the injury that has been bothering him for a while. Facing physical limitations and a team-wide lack of spirit, he is unable to turn things around on his own. Still just 24 years old, he is a lock to get back to being a threat but the team must do more to surround him with complementary talent.
Enzo Is the New Blood We Need
Speaking of talent, how about this young man? Even in a season mired in losing and internal squabble, Enzo Fernandez has been a bright spot and the fans are increasingly viewing him as a pillar of the team’s future. The bet on the Argentinian midfielder the club made a couple years ago is paying off massively, and his long term contract is looking like a valid insurance policy. His creative play and ultimate professionalism can be big assets going forward, as the team looks to rebuild a winning culture and adopt a sustainable playing style under a new manager.
Who Else Can Be Trusted Long Term?
That remains to be seen. It’s hard to expect the fans to embrace a team that’s underperforming this badly, and some of that losing stigma is extending to the players. There are a few exceptions, and vast majority of fans agree that Moises Caidedo and Joao Pedro are long-term building blocks worth keeping. These players should be considered a part of the team’s core and they are all young enough to warrant building around them. While that’s obviously far from enough and smart additions are sorely needed across the formation, it’s fair to say that underneath all the noise Chelsea actually has a firm foundation.
In other words, don’t panic and trust the club to do the right thing again.
