According to reports from The Daily Mail yesterday afternoon, Chelsea are ‘planning for life without Branislav Ivanovic’ following the defender’s poor start to the season.
What’s the word?
The Daily Mail claim that Ivanovic’s woeful start to the season, ever-present in Chelsea’s three defeats from their first five games, has convinced Jose Mourinho that it’s time to consider life without the Serbian international. He’s sent off his scouts – presumably in the same manner as when the Wicked Witch of the West distributes her flying monkeys from a large, gothic bedroom window – to draw up a shortlist of potential replacements, knowing the Blues can simply drop the 31 year-old at the end of the season when his contract expires.
Has he really been that bad?
Ivanovic’s Premier League form over the last four seasons
It would constitute scapegoating of the highest order to blame Chelsea’s recent form on one just one player. John Terry was subbed off for the first time in 177 games under Jose Mourinho against Manchester City, which speaks volumes about how the Blues skipper has equally struggled this season. Likewise, Eden Hazard is nowhere near the PFA Player of the Year-winning form of last term, yet to find the net in five outings, whilst Cesc Fabregas and Nemanja Matic have failed to rekindle that ideal equilibrium of physicality, defensive protection, control and creativity in the middle of the park.
That being said, Ivanovic is undoubtedly one of the biggest culprits behind Chelsea owning the worst defensive record in the division, conceding twelve and keeping no clean sheets. Most of Chelsea’s concedes have come from their right-hand side and rather tellingly, the 6 foot 1 defender has been dribbled past 10 times already this year; the most of any Premier League defender and nearly two-thirds of his total from last term in just five appearances.
Sky Sports’ Gary Neville has questioned the level of protection from midfield but if Chelsea intend to adopt a more dominant brand of football, they need a younger, quicker and more technical right-back who isn’t so dependent on the shape and structure of others anyway.
Who’s in the frame to replace him?
The Daily Mail fail to actually name any potential targets, which makes you wonder the legitimacy of the story. But Everton’s Seamus Coleman certainly comes to mind as the Premier League’s best attacking right-back, netting nine times in 71 appearances over the last two seasons, with plenty of defensive nous too.
Team-mate John Stones, who Chelsea saw three bids rejected for during the summer, is another option, although the Toffees have made it clear they’ll only sell for a huge sum and not before Euro 2016 – a tournament which could skyrocket the 21 year-old’s valuation.
Looking beyond the Premier League, the summer arrival of Danilo could free up Dani Carvajal at Real Madrid, whilst Borussia Dortmund’s Lukasz Piszczek is often mooted as a target of top clubs – although he’s now 30 years of age. Chelsea are believed to have failed in a deadline day swoop for Marquinhos of PSG who, despite being primarily considered a supremely prodigious centre-half, can certainly do a job at No.2.
That being said, and in spite of The Daily Mail’s belief otherwise, Ivanovic’s decline could simply see left-back Cesar Azpilicueta return to his favoured right-hand side – as he did against Maccabi Tel Aviv for Wednesday night’s Champions League fixture.
Does that spell the end for Ivanovic?
Blending youth with experience? Chelsea’s summer signings
Not necessarily. The Daily Mail are sensationalising the fact his contract expires next summer, due to Chelsea’s policy of offering players over 30 one-year extensions only. But the Serbian international is a particularly useful defender, with physicality, experience and versatility in abundance, and if his right-back days are numbered he can still provide cover at the heart of defence.
Summer deals for Radamel Falcao, Pedro, Asmir Begovic, Rahman Baba and Kenedy suggest Jose Mourinho is trying to offset experience and youth as much as possible; even when not playing regularly, he’ll see Ivanovic as vital to maintaining that balance. He is, after all, an 81-cap international and two-time Premier League winner who has spent nearly nine years at Stamford Bridge.
If possible, I’m sure Mourinho would want to keep the defender on, although a lack of assurances over first team football could see Ivanovic refuse a new deal.
How reliable is the story?
It’s certainly debatable. The Daily Mail have a knack of being wildly off the mark at times and with just five games of the season passed, this report seems a little premature – especially considering they make no insinuation towards the January transfer window.
That being said, Ivanovic is clearly in danger of dropping into irreversible decline if his wayward form continues much longer and a title-contending club like Chelsea are always considering worst-case scenarios. It’s likely they already have a number of potential Ivanovic replacements drawn up as part of a never-ending recruitment process, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the former Lokomotiv Moscow man is on the verge of being ousted.
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