A Progress Report on Chelsea's Summer Transfer Signing Filipe Luis
Chelsea paid £16 million this summer for left-back Filipe Luis, who turned 29 years old before a meaningful ball was kicked; not exactly long-term thinking form the Blues—but their plan seems to be working.
Beginning the 2013/14 campaign with Ashley Cole at left-back, Jose Mourinho in mid-season opted to play Cesar Azpilicueta out of position. Determination and heart are permanently attached to the Spaniard's sleeve, so dropping him in favour of the then-33-year-old left-back was a curious, yet, reasonable decision considering his attributes.
When Cole left Stamford Bridge for AS Roma last summer, many thought Ryan Bertrand could serve as Azpilicueta's back-up, but the Chelsea boss had other ideas. In many respects Bertrand is a poor-man's Cole. Therefore, the young Englishman taking the Stamford Bridge legend's place would have been illogical: If Mourinho wanted a player with Bertrand's defensive style, he would not have replaced the real thing with Azpilicueta.
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Enter Luis.
A key component in Diego Simeone's La Liga-winning side with Atletico Madrid—and starting the 2014 Champions League final—the Brazilian was arguably the world's best at his position when arriving in London this summer.
His age and price tag suggested Mourinho would give him a key role in Chelsea's 2014/15 campaign—as spending £16 million for an aged left-back, then placing him on the bench would seem nonsensical—and that has largely been the case.
Playing in 17 matches for Chelsea in his first five months in west London, the left-back has found his role as a rotational player—allowing Azpilicueta and Branislav Ivanovic spells in their defensive duties.
Mourinho was accused, in some circles, for not rotating his squad following the Blues' loss to Tottenham—but the full-back position has been changed and swapped this season, whether from weariness or suspension.
"Chelsea 3 x 0 Watford 💙 pic.twitter.com/ggML0MOOMQ
— Filipe Luís (@filipeluis) January 4, 2015"
Used most often in cup matches, both domestically and continentally, the Brazilian left-back has given great accounts of himself on each front.
Strong in tackles, possessing terrific dead-ball prowess—as seen vs. Derby County in the Capital One Cup—and assisting his attacking midfielder, Luis has all the hallmarks of a world-class full-back; his only problem in this particular Chelsea outfit are the preferred, established options above him.
In his Chelsea career—spanning over 1,000 minutes—Luis has shown glimpses that warrant his lucrative price tag and why Simeone's Atletico was so successful last year. It must be said of the three players who played for the reigning Spanish champions, Thibaut Courtois and Diego Costa have had better seasons, but Luis not playing regular minutes rather skews the comparison.
Mourinho's preferred back four often lends itself to cameos for less-favoured defenders. Chelsea being top of the league—on alphabetical order albeit—rather justifies such action from the Portuguese boss. Footballers playing less than their class warrants always feels somewhat wasteful, but Luis has maintained his form throughout.
The Boxing Day through New Year's Day schedule is notoriously hectic for English clubs but, while important, there are more vital stretches in the offing.
Chelsea play in three different competitions this January, including the League Cup semi-final vs. Liverpool, and a championship six-pointer vs. Manchester City in the Premier League.
February sees the Champions League return, where the west Londoners drew arguably the hardest opponent they could have in Paris Saint-Germain, hence Mourinho will need every available option to play solid, consistent football.
No doubt joining Chelsea for trophies, Luis will have his role to play in the Blues' push for silverware.
Over this season's first half, the Brazilian defender has done everything asked of him—and possibly superseded expectations; Luis' manager and team-mates should expect similar performances from him as the 2014/15 campaign reaches its apex.
*Stats via WhoScored.com; transfer fees via Soccerbase.com where not noted.
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