da bet esporte： Chelsea’s defensive issues this season have been nothing short of catastrophic, with last season’s impregnable back four looking like one of the shakiest rearguards in the Premier League so far in 2015/16.
da leao： With Branislav Ivanovic and John Terry the two first-team players receiving the most criticism for their displays, one defensive member of the contingent continues to hold his head up despite the poor showings of the team. Cesar Azpilicueta is one of the most understated players in a star-studded group at Stamford Bridge, and there is an argument to suggest that the Spaniard is one of the most important stars at Jose Mourinho’s disposal.
The former Osasuna and Marseille full-back’s impressive performances are all the more significant given the fact that he has been operating at left-back for the last year or more, playing out of position to help the team. A right-back by trade, Azpilicueta has looked equally as comfortable on the other flank and continues to be one of the most committed and able defenders in the Premier League. This ploy of playing a right-back on the opposing wing is something that has been forced on Manchester United to some degree following the unfortunate, and sickening, leg break of first choice Old Trafford left-back Luke Shaw.
With the England international set to miss the remainder of the campaign as he looks to rehabilitate, Louis van Gaal has a decision to make over just who will fill in while the ex-Southampton defender is unavailable. Despite the fact that both Marcos Rojo and Daley Blind are fully capable of fitting in at left-back, the experienced Dutch trainer seems committed to keeping this duo as options at centre-half. As such, summer addition, and usual right-back, Matteo Darmian and Ashley Young have found themselves at left-back in recent games in an effort to nullify the impact of Shaw’s injury.
The Italy international does have some experience of playing on the left from his Torino days, but there is no questioning the fact that he is more comfortable and effective operating from his natural right-back position. Young, a winger by trade, filled in at times as a wing-back or full-back last season, but is still to fully convince the Old Trafford faithful of his merits as a defender.
While Chelsea’s experiment of fielding Azpilicueta on the opposite flank may have reaped dividends, the early signs are that United will not have the same level of success with right-footed pair Darmian or Young in a makeshift role. In United’s last game, a 3-0 defeat to Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, Darmian started in his natural right-back role, but was tormented by two-goal hero Alexis Sanchez and subsequently substituted at half-time.
Young did not fare much better at left-back against Aaron Ramsey and positionally suspect. A liability more than an asset.
Given the fact that Rojo has spent the majority of his international career as a left-back for Argentina and Blind is naturally left-footed and played in the role excellently at times last season, ending the experiment and playing one of these two in the trouble position surely makes more sense.
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