Posts Tagged ‘Sergio Aguero’

Squad diagnosis: Three new players before battle commences next month

Throughout the ebbs and flows of a Premier League season, one can expect the unexpected. When the transfer window closes at the end of August, teams wishing to challenge for major honours must have huge depth in every position as the Sport has never before been so geared toward squad football.

With this in mind then, Chelsea must add to the group of players they have before big spenders Manchester City and Roy Hodgson’s Liverpool start to amass teams capable of matching that of the Londoners.

The Goalkeeping situation at the club is something which needs attention, with Petr Cech picking up more and more injuries as years go by. His replacements are a perceived weakness by those who have pored over the squad in anticipation of the impending season.

Hilario, whilst never having given people reasons to seriously doubt him, is not a top notch number two. He has been a faithful servant of the club, but with a first choice so prone to missing games, the man coming in must be capable of a long stint in the side in all competitions.

Ross Turnbull is very young and surely a player for the future. He played well when called upon last season, but is again not a worthy replacement for a club looking to go the distance in the Champions League and domestic competitions.

Sergio Asenjo from Athletico Madrid is one of the best up and coming keepers in Spain, and Dutch number one Marten Stekelenburg of Ajax is rumoured to be heading out of the Amsterdam club. Chelsea could look to either as a number two or even a challenge to Cech’s first team place.

Defensively, the Blues have no real problems heading into the new campaign, with two players of real quality for each position. Ricardo Carvalho and Alex will no doubt be rotated as the former is approaching what is surely his last hurrah in the game.

Carlo Ancelotti has some decisions to make before the new season

Jose Bosingwa is set to return after having missed the majority of the Double winning season with a nasty knee injury, and Yuri Zhirkov provides more than adequate cover for Ashley Cole.

Cole is rumoured to be leaving the Bridge this summer, with Jose Mourinho said to be keen on taking the left back to the Santiago Bernabeau. The talk in Spain however, is that the ‘Special One’ will only be able to land one of his two defensive targets, with his priority being Internazionale’s Brazilian full back Maicon.

The midfield provides more of a headache for Carlo Ancelotti. Having allowed both Michael Ballack and Joe Cole to leave the club in the summer (and Deco soon to follow them out of the door) he must surely be looking to strengthen in an area which has been intimidatingly strong for the club in recent years.

Benfica’s Ramires will be his second signing of the summer after he took Yossi Benayoun from Liverpool for £5 million in June. This will add much needed legs to the middle of the park for Chelsea as his options have started to look thin on the ground.

Many have criticised the decision to bring in the Israeli skipper, but the manager has been shrewd by adding him to the Chelsea ranks. He has experience, the ability to score goals and versatility. Not to mention he is much less injury prone than the man he replaces, Joe Cole.

Nemanja Matic looks to be a promising young talent and has impressed Ancelotti in the reserve games in which he has played. He shows huge maturity on the ball and having watched him on several occasions, is evidently more aware off it than his rival for a central midfield berth, John Obi Mikel.

Frank Lampard will once again be the key man for the Blues as he looks to build on a fantastic season last time out, and the team will certainly revolve around him. Michael Essien is gradually getting back to fitness which will be a huge boost to the squad, having missed the second half of last season with a hamstring injury.

The Ghanaian must now have a full season without an injury after he missed huge chunks of the previous two. If he is absent from the team for much of this season, the club will be forced to look at his injury record and make provisions for life after ‘the Bison’.

After a record breaking season in front of goal, most people will call for more of the same from Chelsea as we go into the new season. However, should Didier Drogba or Nicolas Anelka pick up an injury, things could become very tricky with only Saloman Kalou and Daniel Sturridge to fill what would be a huge void.

With Drogba now 32 and Anelka just a year younger, injuries are going to become more and more frequent (not to mention the fact that Drogba is prone to the occasional suspension). Whilst Sturridge and Kalou have proven they can contribute to the side, they are far from being a potent force in front of goal and Champions League marksmen they are not.

As highlighted in a previous article, bringing in someone like Neymar from Santos in Brazil is an option, with the youngster keen on a move to West London. If not there are players capable of doing a short term job that are available for transfer. Despite his age, Raul on a free transfer from Real Madrid would not be a bad choice.

Athletico Madrid’s Sergio Aguero has been talked about as another potential signing and is a huge talent. However, the €40 million price tag for an inconsistent performer who is ill-suited to the English game is extortionate. Uruguay’s Luis Suarez of Ajax might be a better option as buying from Holland is cheaper than Spain, with Suarez having a decent injury record and an exceptional goal scoring record.

With just over a month to go before the transfer deadline, we can expect Chelsea to be active in bringing in new blood. The squad is excellent in most positions, but without bolstering the side with three new players they will struggle to repeat the success of last season.