By the nature of this very article title, some of our Chelsea supporters here in the Football Transfer Tavern are sarcastically laughing while claiming that none of their players deserve a Christmas bonus given the horrific Premier League season they’ve contributed to so far!
Some over in the corner actually suggest that several of the Blues’ first team players should be docked their wages for terribly trying to defend last season’s title triumph with a series of performances that for the large part just haven’t been good enough this term.
But our landlord is sticking with the theme, pushing our Chelsea supporters hard into answering just who exactly has battled for the cause while several others have gone into their shell in a testing campaign for everybody involved with the West London club.
With a few murmurings here and there, the conversation stars to pick up and lets be honest; November was a relatively good month for the Blues considering given the fact Jose Mourinho’s team only lost one game – away to Stoke City – while defeating Dynamo Kiev, Norwich City and Maccabi Tel Aviv ahead of drawing against Tottenham last Sunday.
So with our Chelsea supporters finally playing ball, here’s the five Blues stars who are deserving of a Christmas bonus this year. Do you agree with their selections?
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Click on the image below to reveal the five Chelsea players that deserve a Christmas bonus.
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Willian
The best Chelsea player this season by a mile!
Willian hasn’t always been the most celebrated star at Chelsea but this season, his good form has really shown up well considering so many others’ standards have slipped well below the levels they should be at.
Currently the Blues’ top goalscorer with six strikes in all competitions, iit’s not scintillating by any means but given he tops the charts at the moment, he deserves his place in this Christmas bonus gallery by default.
Never shying away from the football when the going has got tough this term, Willian has tried his utmost to keep Jose Mourinho’s team on the front foot, rampaging forward while tracking back with his rapid pace.
One of those players whom it’s very clear to the spectators that he’s running his socks off, Willian has strangely been lauded by most Chelsea supporters this term when previously, many were killing him over his final ball.
Kurt Zouma
While many would consider Gary Cahill to be Chelsea’s first team defensive partner for John Terry, it was actually young Kurt Zouma who featured in all of the Blues’ fixtures in November.
Scoring a noteworthy goal against Arsenal earlier this season of course, Zouma is undoubtedly one of the top young defensive prospects in European football but it must be said that he will make mistakes as he continues to learn his craft.
Nevertheless, Zouma has been part of a Chelsea defence that has been improving in recent weeks and for this reason alone, he’s included in our Christmas bonus shortlist!
To be honest with you, how many other Blues stars are deserving of one this year!? Well, potentially only the following three entries!
Asmir Begovic
It can’t be easy for Asmir Begovic to know that whatever he’s done and will do in the team prior to Thibaut Courtois’ return from injury this month, he’ll more than likely be dropped the minute the world class Belgian international regains full fitness.
Signing on at Stamford Bridge in the summer from Stoke City knowing full well that becoming Chelsea’s number one long-term would be no mean feat, Begovic has made 17 back-to-back stars for the Blues since Courtois’ injury with most Chelsea fans claiming that he’s done a relatively decent job considering the circumstances.
While the likes of Cesc Fabregas and Nemanja Matic haven’t adequately provided cover for John Terry and Gary Cahill who’ve also made mistakes this term, Begovic has had to deal with increasingly confident opposition strikers while producing some top saves where he’s been able to.
The fact remains that Begovic doesn’t look a spare part in Jose Mourinho’s team who most definitely have the strongest number one and two goalkeepers of any Premier League side this term.
John Terry
At the start of November, Chelsea were at rock bottom having just lost three consecutive games to West Ham United, Stoke City (Capital One Cup) and Liverpool.
It was at this moment that John Terry decided to publicly burn Robbie Savage for his poor form, responding along the lines that he doesn’t listen to pundits who’ve endured an average career like the former Welsh international.
While Stoke City inflicted a second defeat of the season on the Blues thereafter, Terry has been part of an improving Chelsea backline throughout November with the Blues captain more desperate than most to prove he’s not past it just yet.
Lesser characters could’ve thrown the towel in but Terry continues to fight while remaining a part of Jose Mourinho’s starting eleven. For this reason, he’s included in our gallery.
Papy Djilobodji!
Hasn’t Papy Djilobodji been brilliant this season!? We joke of course!
To be quite honest with you, we couldn’t really think of many more Chelsea players deserving of a Christmas bonus in a God awful Premier League season for the Blues so far and thus, we’ve included their summer deadline day signing.
Why you ask?
Well because surely the former Nantes man was at least given some assurances of playing time upon signing back on September 1st?
Fast forward to the start of December and the Senegalese international has accumulated exactly ONE minute of action, appearing as a 93rd substitute away at Walsall in the third round of the Capital One Cup back in September.
Appearing as an unused substitute just TWO times since, Djilobodji clearly wasn’t a Jose Mourinho purchase, instead commissioned by the club on a panic basis and we can’t help but think, the poor guy!
To be honest, he’s probably still on a handsome wage but what the hell, tis the season to be jolly! He’s not playing football so have a little Christmas bonus as some consolation as you ruin your career Papy!
