Here are your Chelsea headlines for the morning of Thursday, October 29.
Former Chelsea midfielder backs Lampard for handling of Rudiger situation
Joe Cole has praised Chelsea manager Frank Lampard for the way he handled the summer transfer saga concerning Antonio Rudiger.
The German defender was the subject of much speculation after falling down the pecking order under Lampard, but Rudiger is now back in the first team fold, starting the Blues’ 4-0 win over Krasnodar in the Champions League.
“I think it’s been spot-on,” Cole told BT Sport. “Rudiger’s been a good player for Chelsea, he’s a leader, he’s a big player in Germany, he’s a big character in the dressing room.
“There were certain lads who were training this way, there was no time in between the seasons to really do your business and really get people out of the door who needed to go, and bring people in.
“It’s not an excuse, it’s a reason why things didn’t gel immediately because as you have more time on the training pitch, you plug up things tactically, and things get better. What Frank’s trying to do now is trying to get that base right.”
Ziyech verdict offered by former midfielder
Jermaine Jenas believes Hakim Ziyech offered a glimpse of what’s still to come as he made his first start as a Chelsea player in the 4-0 away win over Krasnodar in the Champions League.
The Moroccan started, and found the back of the net in Russia, leading the former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder and TV pundit to sing his praises.
“You know what, I thought he had some really good moments in there, Ziyech,” Jenas told BT Sport. “In the first half he was getting better as the half went on.
“I mentioned the fact that fitness for him is of most importance right now, he is a player that relies a lot on his sharpness and you can see the quick feet in the tight areas. He is going to be a good player for Chelsea and he is a man that thoroughly enjoyed seeing that third goal go in for Chelsea.”
Chelsea fans question defender’s summer window decision to stay
The sight of Fikayo Tomori on the bench for Chelsea’s Champions League trip to Russia to face Krasnodar has led some fans to claim the defender made the wrong decision over the summer.
Speaking to the Mike’d Up podcast , the young defender recently admitted he was presented with the chance to sign for West Ham in the transfer window, but decided to stay at Stamford Bridge and fight for his place instead.
However, Tomori appears to have fallen a long way down the pecking order under Lampard, with the 22-year-old on the bench for the match against Krasnodar while Antonio Rudiger started alongside Kurt Zouma.
A number of Chelsea fans tweeted their view that Tomori should have made the switch to West Ham where he likely would have been a first-team figure under David Moyes by now.
