What is the answer to Chelsea’s defensive frailties?
Frank Lampard has to be pleased with his first season in charge at Stamford Bridge overall. However, he has to be concerned with his team’s issues at the back. Chelsea have been particularly woeful at defending set-pieces.
This has been the subject of much discussion between fans and by experts at betting sites such as Comeongaming.com where odds have often reflected Chelsea’s perceived weaknesses. So what can Lampard do about the fact that his team has the worst record of defending corners in the Premier League?
A look at Chelsea’s dismal record of defending corners
We have already touched on the fact that Chelsea have been poor at defending corners this season; but just how bad have they been?
The team’s lack of success in this area was captured during the first half of the defeat against West Ham. The problems led to Soucek’s goal which levelled the score at 1-1.
This was only the latest in a line of defensive nightmares for Chelsea. This season 8.2% of the corners they have faced have resulted in goals. This is in contrast to Sheffield United. Their percentage of goals conceded from corners is just 1%. It’s easy to see why Lampard is desperately searching for a solution.
The Kurt Zouma factor
There has been some discussion about whether utilising Kurt Zouma could help with the issues that Chelsea are having. The Frenchman is arguably the most aerially-dominant player that Lampard has at his disposal.
However, Zouma has been struggling to get any first-team action this season, having made only 34 appearances in all competitions. Lampard seems to prefer players who can pass the ball out of defence. It also seems as though Zouma may be on his way to Paris Saint-German, according to TalkSport. So, it does not seem as though Lampard considers him to be a realistic solution to the team’s defensive problems.
Numbers in defence in the short-term
One short-term solution to Chelsea’s lack of effectiveness in defence, especially when defending set-pieces, is to bring more players back. This is something that Manchester City do in order to compensate for the lack of height in their defence.
When City defend a corner, they bring all of their players back to help with defensive duties. There is no doubt that adapting the team’s system in this way could help Chelsea in the short-term.
Options in the transfer window
The biggest help to Lampard, when it comes to solving his team’s defensive problems, is likely to be the transfer window. The transfer ban, which has restricted Chelsea in this area recently, ran out in February this year. So, it’s likely that Lampard will have plenty of cash to spend this time around.
The only problem with this is likely to be finding the right central defender to spend money on. If Lampard manages to do this then Chelsea are likely to be an even stronger team next season. This does not make things easier regarding their fight for European places this term but it does seem to suggest a very bright future for the club.
