John Obi Mikel, the former Chelsea player, has strongly criticized the club's failure to sign the necessary players in the summer, stating that this issue has now negatively impacted the team under the management of Xabi Alonso.
Midfield Problems
After a good start to the new season, Chelsea has recently suffered a decline with a defeat against Arsenal and a 2-2 draw at home against newly promoted Hull City. The team has scored 18 goals in their first six matches across all competitions but has also conceded 12 goals simultaneously.
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Alonso is trying to strengthen the team's defense by signing World Cup-winning goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez and defender Maxence Lacroix, but Obi Mikel believes the main issue lies in midfield. The absence of Moisés Caicedo due to injury has clearly impacted the team.
Caicedo's Absence and Its Impact on the Team
Obi Mikel stated on the “Obi Wan” podcast: “We desperately need Moisés Caicedo. When he returns to the team, I think our team will be much stronger. He is a player who breaks up play and protects our defense well. Our defense is solid, but his energy and ability to create play and advance the ball, similar to what Declan Rice does for Arsenal, is vital for us.
With Caicedo's absence, Alonso has been forced to choose two midfielders, Romeo Lavia and Reece James, while James is no longer considered as a right-back. Chelsea is now lacking in a midfield position as they have failed to sign a replacement for Enzo Fernández, who left the team due to a record-breaking transfer to Manchester City.
Obi Mikel pointed out: “This is a position that the club has failed to strengthen during the transfer window. We knew Enzo Fernández wanted to leave the team, and now with £125 million in the bank, we have not been able to bring in a new player, and that’s why we are suffering now.”
Obi Mikel emphasized that to improve the team's performance, having at least two midfielders to protect the defense in this system is essential: “We don’t want players like Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers, and João Pedro to be forced to chase back the entire length of the pitch to defend. Their job is to create play in midfield and score goals. When they expend their energy on defense, they won’t be effective in attack.
With Caicedo's return and his energy and stamina, our team will be much stronger. We desperately need him. Although we have lost Enzo Fernández, with Caicedo's return, we will see a significant improvement in the team's performance.
Chelsea aims to make the necessary improvements in their performance, and Caicedo may return to the lineup soon, as the team will face Brentford next week.
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