Something went wrong, please try again late. Do n’t miss a rumor, headline or public opinion from the Blues – sign up to the Chelsea newsletter for release In many ways, 2021 has been the year of the advanced full-back. Every elite team has at least one and the exceed of the Premier League is ladle with class on the flanks. Joao Cancelo at Manchester City, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson at Liverpool, Reece James and Ben Chillwell at Chelsea.

But, clear teams have always had top players. however, it seems that players in the role are now taking more responsibility, are a more all-important part of teams ‘ plans and show a great bargain of end intersection. It ‘s demanded. Glen Johnson earned 271 appearances in spells challenging at the top for Chelsea and Liverpool, picking up two League Cup titles and the Premier League title, a well as lifting the FA Cup during his time at Portsmouth. He does n’t believe the function has changed drastically, so much as people have realised what an asset a good full-back can be. Johnson told football.london in conjunction with BoyleSports football : “ All top teams have proper full-backs. surely in the last 15 years they constantly have done. For me, it depends how you play, but it ‘s a very authoritative function on both sides. “ If you get it right and you ‘ve got the musician with the intelligence to play in those positions, it ‘s a massive advantage defensively and attacking. “ It ‘s more accept now. It was n’t ahead. I used to be in attacking positions more than I was defensively. It ‘s not deepen, but everyone ‘s woken up to it now and realised it ‘s a good advantage and a good creature to have. ” With so many top exponents of the character, but all differing slightly in the balance of their play, Johnson identified for the acme teams that being able to retain the ball is a precedence. He said : “ You have to be immediate, you have to be physical and potent enough to compete and run aboard people and you have to be good on the ball. “ In the top teams you ‘ve got the ball more than you have n’t. Your possession, your pass, your delivery all have to be exceed notch and of course you have to be able to defend. But when you ‘ve got the musket ball, you do n’t defend. For me it ‘s about yard and the news to be good on the ball. ” But who is Johnson ‘s favorite full-back at the moment ? “ At the moment, Reece James, ” he said. “ Trent is the better player going ahead for surely but Reece, I think is better all round and he ‘s very good going forward equally well. ” The importance of James and Chilwell at Stamford Bridge has been clear this season. Chilwell has three goals and an assist in six Premier League starts, while James has four goals and five assists in his 16 appearances. The early Leicester City defender has been ruled out until the end of the season after undergoing operation for his ACL wound. Marcos Alonso remains available for Thomas Tuchel but despite his lightning start to the season, is unable to always offer the defensive aspect Johnson described.

however, the 37-year-old believes the Blues should look no further than a irregular deal to cover the passing and rates Everton ‘s Lucas Digne. “ possibly a loan deal, ” said Johnson. “ crown players are sol expensive, just because Chilwell is injured now, he will be second and he is a thoroughly player so I do n’t think they want to try and replace him. If they ‘re lighter in the place, possibly they could pull off a apt loanword bargain. “ He ‘s a good player [ Digne ], I like him but it ‘s down to time, handiness and how much they ‘re going to have to pay. I ‘d be happy if they signed him, I think he ‘s a good player. ” The issue has been compounded by James picking up an injury of his own against Brighton on Wednesday flush. The 22-year-old left the ground on crutches after suffering a hamstring injury when he was tackled by Yves Bissouma. While Cesar Azpilicueta has occasionally been utilised in the function this condition, alongside the likes of Christian Pulisic and Callum Hudson-Odoi, Johnson believes James is irreplaceable. “ I think they will struggle to replace him. Hopefully it ‘s not a bad hammy and it ‘s only 10 days. Fingers crossed on that. He ‘s been great for them this temper and it ‘s a massive blow if they do miss him for a few games. With their police squad at the moment, you ca n’t replace him. “ They could do a job but if you ‘re going for a championship race, doing a job is n’t adequate. They ‘re distinctly well going forward but possibly they change the direction they play, the formation without Reece, I ‘m uncertain. Of course they can do a job, but you ‘re going to have to do more than a occupation if you want to catch [ Manchester ] City. ” The pressure of Chelsea ‘s wound crisis leaves the cabaret possibly preparing for remove action in January. The dilemma is whether Tuchel becomes overstocked with top players, who then expect a place in the start eleven. The Blues already have a bang-up deal of competition in forward areas, with Mason Mount, Hakim Ziyech, Kai Havertz, Pulisic, Hudson-Odoi and Timo Werner all competing for two positions. Johnson, in his experience at Chelsea, believes signing great players is a motivating divisor that outweighs any noses being put out of joint. He said : “ It was the first time in truth, because Mourinho came out and said he wanted two players in every position, which obviously makes a fortune of sense but cipher had truly done it before. “ There were times very when we had three players in positions. At right-back we had three, possibly four. The guys that were n’t playing, they knew they were n’t in the peck order so it demoralised them a bit. “ In the squad though, the team was great, it surely worked. good people in the dress board, it ‘s not going to be a trouble. Signing bang-up players is good, you want to see big names coming through. “ It ‘s healthy. Every musician should want to play every single game and most do. You ‘ve got to understand as a actor that people need game clock time, no one can play 50 games per season. There will be times you ‘re injured or need a rest. ” Johnson intelligibly did n’t believe the chumminess of his sides were damaged, even with Roman Abramovich just targeting the universe ‘s best players. The West Ham youth intersection noted the Blues had a secret weapon, however.

Steve Clarke had a crucial role as adjunct to Jose Mourinho in maintaining harmony on the train ground. He said : “ Steve Clarke, the assistants, it ‘s their job to keep the ear to the footing. They wander around the dressing room, they pretend they ‘re coming in to do something but actually they ‘re checking on things.

“ Most of the lads are thoroughly lads, thoroughly people, it ‘s not unmanageable to get on with each other. It ‘s fun working with each other. ” As Tuchel considers how to rectify the price done to his crucial wing-backs, it ‘s clean he should not be daunted to challenge his stars. He may need to lean on his staff to maintain harmony, but if the Blues have any hope of catching Manchester City, he needs to be pitiless in these instances. even if that simply means a lend sign, to give Chelsea a newly first base team star for six months .