AVB
So, after all the whingeing I heard at the weekend about the Chelsea squad, the lack of anything resembling an attack, not to mention questions raised (yes, after just two games) about AVB’s ability to take Chelsea forward – in addition to the summer signings of Oriol Romeu and Romelu Lukaku, the Chelsea manager has now presented us with Juan Mata.
Sly old devil eh? Or maybe less of the old because at only 33 himself and with some of our ‘key’players a little too close to his own age for comfort, the Chelsea manager has clearly made a start in bringing the average age of our squad down during his first transfer window. Not only that but he’s addressing some of the issues we’ve all had a bit of a grumble about into the bargain.
In 23 year old Mata, Villa-Boas is bringing in a creative winger – yes, a real live winger! – and one with bags of pace, whose ability to cut inside will keep a fair few defenders busy. Add to that the benefits Fernando Torres will undoubtedly reap from the Spaniard’s presence and there should be a lot less cause for complaint.
In 19 year old Oriol Romeu, we’re not getting your typical Barcelona midfielder, he’s 6ft 1in and 13 stone for a start and not felt to be as precise in his passing, as slick in posession or as pacey as his peers but alongside a great attitude and presence, Oriol is described as “solidario. He never abandons his team-mates. He reaches every corner and covers every gap. He gives balance in the middle, allowing the rest to construct with freedom, and he goes into challenges strongly and decisively.”
Finally, Romelu Lukaku, at 18 has already been compared to Didier Drogba and AVB suggests “He is tremendously powerful, very strong in the challenges. Despite his size, he has an explosiveness and an ability to react quickly which looks pretty amazing. He just has to break through this competitive level and, for sure, he will get opportunities this year.”
Whether or not there’ll be any more additions before the window closes, we still have to wait and see but even if there’s not, you can’t argue the boss has made a good start.
Blue is the colour
