It has been a very up and down seven days for the Chelsea fans in the Transfer Tavern…
The euphoria of a win against Atletico Madrid in the week was marred by the disappointment of a loss to Man City, with the Blues losing the Premier League clash in very underwhelming circumstances.
Their performance at the weekend was almost unrecognisable to that which turned out in Madrid on Wednesday evening, and that has baffled the fans in the Transfer Tavern.
Indeed, it’s been a week that has posed more questions than answers, and Antonio Conte clearly has a few problems to solve. Fortunately for him, he’s got a bit of time to do exactly that, with the international break now upon us.
Though it means a lighter schedule for a number of players that have been unselected, it will be a busy period for Antonio Conte as the manager looks to get his side back on track in the Premier League.
With that said, here are 2 major Chelsea problems that Conte simply must solve during the international break…
Gary Cahill’s Role
Gary Cahill was great last season, and he deserved to be named the captain at the start of this campaign.
However, so far this year, he just hasn’t been up to snuff. He has been error-prone and he has also been outshone by a number of his colleagues, and so something has to give.
Conte clearly feels as though he needs to play him, given his English background and the fact that he’s just been named the captain, but he needs to work out if this is best for the team.
Antonio Rudiger has looked good lately, and so if he continues in that vein, could it be the end of Gary Cahill’s tenure as a starter?
Where Does Zappacosta Stand?
Davide Zappacosta impressed on his debut against Qarabag, but he hasn’t really been seen since.
It said a lot about what Conte thinks of him against Man City, with the Italian staying on the bench as Cesar Azpilicueta was shifted out wide in the absence of Victor Moses.
He was, of course, brought in to serve as a backup to Moses, but so far he hasn’t played that role.
The Italian was signed for big money, and if he can’t be trusted by the Italian yet, then why not? Antonio Conte needs to work out what’s going on here.
