Nathaniel Chalobah
For long we Chelsea fans have harbored hopes of Chalobah breaking into the first team picture, and he seems to be only fueling us further. We were all taken by surprise when it was announced that Chalobah would be moving to Watford on loan, to play under the watchful eyes of GOD Gianfranco Zola. We all felt that for Chalobah, who had no experience of any level of football higher than the U18s and Reserves, it was a move way too aggressive. We had next to no hopes. And, oh dear, hasn’t this England-representing Sierra Leone youngster surprised us all?
From Chelsea’s U18 star to Championship’s Best Young Player in just a year, this move was clearly Chelsea’s best loan move of all those 20-odd loanees. Having seen him spend his time at both center back and holding midfield, it was clear from his passing and ability to control the game’s tempo that he was destined to be a holding midfielder. Zola too played him there, experiencing immense success. Look at this goal which just screams Michael Essien !
He’s not a like-to-like Lampard replacement. He is a good passer, but he’s more of a Yaya Toure than he’s a Lampard. Standing over 1.8M tall, this kid has all the abilities plus the right attitude to make it big. Also, having seen him captain the Chelsea Youth sides, I can say confidently that when he’s good enough to hold down a spot in the first team, he’ll prove himself to be pure captain material. Chalobah has always been a composed player who didn’t take unnecessary risks.
His attacking had gotten pretty noticeable as the season went on. While he still hasn’t become Frank Lampard in the frequency of forward runs, he’s becoming increasingly easier to spot in the attack as the season wears on. Where he was a primarily a holding midfielder when he first made the move up the pitch, he’s become a true box to box player this year. Being 18, he’s yet to completely fill up physically, but even then he has been an aerial beast and a genuine threat in the air.
I would personally like an even more aggressive loan this month or the next for Chalobah. He’s clearly the best player the academy has produced in a while, and he’s getting better by the day. If he doesn’t remain at Chelsea, I’m looking at a Premier League loan. Chalobah too, like McEachran, doesn’t have a vast set of stats. So like I did with McEachran, I’ll stick to what I have.
Lampard, as discussed, doesn’t have a long time at the top level left. Hence, it would be wise to start preparing for life after Lampard. And so have Chelsea. These five in-house options surely feature a solution to Chelsea’s wants. But till they start showing they can fill the mammoth boots of Fat Frank, we can only expect Super Frank plays at his best and keeps banging the goals in.
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