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It may be of little consolation to Thiago Silva, following his new entry to the top of Chelsea’s worst Premier League debuts lists, but perhaps at least his was not the most arrogant. Fernando Torres could forever retain that unwanted distinction after bowing to Liverpool and losing to them. However, the £ 50 million man wasn’t the only newcomer that day. David Luiz scored two unfavorable debuts, with two losses to Liverpool, and although amid some idiosyncratic pratfalls, he became the cornerstone of winning teams in the Champions League and Premier League.
First impressions can be misleading. Chelsea are confident that they are a Brazilian defender with a far greater reputation for reliability than David Luiz. The howl of Silva, who lost control of the ball to allow Callum Robinson to score his second goal as West Bromwich Albion led 3-0, had the feeling of an aberration.
Frank Lampard has enough understanding to realize that it was his contribution to the headlines, but argued that it camouflaged more encouraging signs. “People are going to want to talk about the second goal and that’s fair, that’s the nature of being an elite footballer, which has been his entire career,” he said. “But at the same time I think we saw what he is like, his leadership and qualities.”
Silva may have to be Chelsea’s silent leader. Granted the captaincy with César Azpilicueta on the bench – the Spaniard had to be called up when Marcos Alonso was to blame for the other two Albion goals – he was much calmer than John Terry in his days as captain, leader and screaming. Silva is multilingual, but English is not among those languages. “Language is a small barrier,” added Lampard. “I am sure he will learn quickly. Some players on the squad speak the languages he speaks, French being the main one ”.
But if the organization can come through communication, it is necessary. Chelsea have now conceded 60 league goals in 41 league games with Lampard; they let in 60 in their first 113 with José Mourinho. That decline in defense raised the question of whether Lampard, who has hired longtime ally Petr Cech to work with new goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, can do something similar with the back four. “No” was a one-word response from a manager who is generally more talkative.
Perhaps the theory behind the question was that individuals can effect an update; If so, it seemed to reflect Chelsea’s hiring strategy, with Mendy, Silva and Ben Chilwell hired to improve goalkeeper, center back and left back respectively. The counterargument is that it should come from training and structure, although last week’s Pathfinders suggest that upper-class personnel can be transformative – look at Alisson and Virgil van Dijk.
Perhaps Silva’s mistake could be dismissed as unique, the equivalent of Van Dijk presenting Leeds with a draw on the opening day. Perhaps, despite understandable questions about whether a 36-year-old can adapt to the Premier League and whether Robinson’s sharpness highlights concerns of whether he can cope with his speed and despite the likelihood that Alonso will become a Secondary player, Albion’s second goal was the least worrisome for Chelsea. The first and third were adjusted to family themes.
In one sentence, Lampard made reference to the transition, the mistakes and the set pieces: the three problems that have undermined his Chelsea in the rear. “When they ask you to tag a man, you have to tag a man,” Lampard said. “If you let someone fall on you and you can score a goal, it’s a clear mistake.” There is logic to his rhetoric, and it irritates one of the most diligent of his generation in following directions that others are less meticulous.
But if mistakes are uncharacteristic, as Silva’s feel weird, seeing Chelsea slip in calamitous is increasingly common. Perhaps Silva, Chilwell and Mendy will change that and the 3-3 draw at West Brom will, in effect, be Chelsea’s last result of 2019-20. But if not, Lampard, the most prolific scoring midfielder of his time, can define himself defending. And unless it transforms, that could be a bad omen.
