Hello everyone! Our season is underway and Chelsea so far have been doing well in both the Premier league and the Champions League after initial teething problems. This success is the result of the contribution of different players on the pitch and coaches in the training ground for sure but I would also like to credit our initial success to the Captains of Chelsea Football Club!
Captain(s)?
Captains you ask? Cesar Azpilicueta is the captain of the 20/21 Chelsea squad but we have had 4 different squad members captain the team until now. N’Golo Kante, Jorginho and new signing Thiago Silva have all taken the armband this season for Chelsea as the team usher’s into a new era. In this piece, we will try to decode the importance of these four individuals to this Chelsea team and what they bring to the squad both on and off the pitch
Cesar Azpilicueta – Number One
Cesar Azpilicueta has been the club’s captain for the last 2 seasons now. He took over the vice captain role with Gary Cahill back in 2017 and was the on field captain for most of the 2018-19 season. Under Dave’s leadership, Chelsea won the Europa league back in 2019. He is one of the most respected figures in the club and although is role on the pitch is seemingly less compared to the previous years, Dave is an immense professional and leads by example.
He has been nothing but positive about Reece James who has taken over his spot this season. He has said multiple times that he relishes the competition and so far this season whenever he has been called up, either as a substitute or to start, Dave has not put a foot wrong this season Cesar’s leadership skills have been truly moulded by his predecessors John Terry and Gary Cahill with whom he shared dressing room’s with during his career.
His leadership skills were in light against Crystal Palace when he stopped Tammy Abraham from taking the spot kick with designated penalty taker Jorginho still on the pitch. The infamous incident with Kepa and Maurizio Sarri in the Carabao Cup final in 2019 was another display of his voice on the pitch as well as numerous moments. Although Dave over the last two seasons was mostly the lone captain and the only voice on the pitch, he has more help this season.
Thiago Silva – The New Face
When Thiago Silva signed for Chelsea this summer, I was beyond elated; not only due to us signing a world class centre back, but also a leader. I consider Thiago Silva a leader among men in football. He has captained both PSG and the Brazilian national team to trophies and success. A victory at the 2013 Confederations Cup, multiple Ligue 1 titles and French League Cups along with becoming the first Brazilian captain to start in a Champions League Final, one can say Thiago Silva has seen it all.
Although his first start as captain against West Brom did not go well, he has not put a foot wrong since then. Since the West Brom game, Thiago Silva has kept six clean sheets in eight starts for the club where he captained the side for four out of the eight games. Thiago Silva’s presence in the team has visibly improved our defence. The presence of Edouard Mendy, Cesar Azpilicueta and Kurt Zouma who speak French has helped him settle a lot faster than most expected and he seems to have a lot of trust with left back Ben Chilwell on the pitch when he starts at on the left-side.
Thiago has been a vocal presence on the pitch, dictating set piece routines, instructing players to occupy positions and even expressing his disappointment when the team does not keep a clean sheet. Thiago Silva has transformed our backline into a truly formidable force.
Jorginho and N’golo Kanté – Midfield Maestros
Jorginho and N’Golo Kante have also taken up the armband this season. Jorginho has been a fantastic professional both on and off the pitch for Chelsea. Frank Lampard has always spoken very highly of him and he did keep his spot as vice-captain. Jorginho has been a positive presence in the dressing room too and he has often been seen on Instagram stories with other players, always smiling and being a positive influence in the team especially to the younger players. This to me is an indispensable character, someone who is very important to the team. It took a while for Jorginho to start for Chelsea during Project Restart and everyone assumed that his time at the club was done. Even at the start of the season, many assumed that he would go to Juventus or elsewhere.
What struck me beyond all this was how professional Jorginho was as an individual. In the public realm, he has never expressed his disappointment or his intention to leave during this time. He has put his head down, worked hard, started a few games, captained the side in Azpilicueta’s absence and often dictates the tempo in midfield where he points players to take up positions or is often one of the loudest voices on the pitch. I consider Jorginho to be a very important personality within this squad.
N’Golo Kante captained the team for the first time in his Chelsea career last season against Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena. Since then, the French midfielder has been handed the armband several times in the absence of Cesar Azpilicueta and Jorginho. It is to be noted that Frank Lampard has given the midfielder additional responsibility this season on the pitch. Kante, who recently captained Chelsea at Newcastle, sets the tempo in the midfield. Frank Lampard praised his ‘ridiculous output’ both on the field and during training sessions:
‘I keep saying every time I get asked about N’Golo I have so much faith in him. The top midfielder that he is in world football, and not just breaking up and winning balls back, we know that’s a huge quality, but his passing and supporting in midfield, playing in that deeper role now, it’s been a very comfortable transition for him as he’s playing”.
While N’golo Kante may not be the most vocal leader on the pitch, his work ethic and drive on the pitch can instantly lift the players he plays alongside. I believe that is one of the reasons why he is one of the four captains in this squad.
The Importance of Captains
Cesar Azpilicueta must be relishing the additional support he gets from his three on-field captains in his absence, and I am sure his voice is always the loudest behind closed doors. I am a big fan of what Frank Lampard is trying to do with his captains. When a leadership role this important is shared with no ego between four players, it will often do more good.
Injection of fresh ideas, new voices and more dependable people to lead the team is always a great sign. Chelsea’s young generation have four of the most utmost professionals in world football to look upto and I cannot think of anyone better to usher this new generation of Chelsea superstars into the next era of greatness.
I am confident that our captains will lead by example and set the tone for the next generation of Chelsea’s leaders when they take over.
What do you think of Chelsea’s captains on and off the field? Let me know in the comments below. Until then, its goodbye from me. Come on Chelsea!
Written by Vivek @CFC_Vivek
Edited by Jai Mcintosh @jjmcintosh5