Radamel Falcao's Copa America Form Questions Logic of Chelsea Move

On the one hand, Jose Mourinho’s apparent desire to sign Radamel Falcao is readily understandable. Only 18 months ago, the 29-year-old was considered one of the finest strikers in the world and here he is, available on loan just when Chelsea need another forward after the exit of Didier Drogba.

Perhaps Falcao will rediscover his form, in which case Chelsea will have the option of two highly potent forwards, with Loic Remy as back-up. Colombia coach Jose Pekerman clearly feels that will be the case, as he said earlier this week: "I have no doubts that they (Falcao and Juan Cuadrado) are going to help each other (at Chelsea) and are going to be a success."

But perhaps he won’t, in which case it’s cost Chelsea nothing more than a year’s wages—and even that, arguably, is a worthwhile price for doing the agent Jorge Mendes a favour, given his influence over the transfer market.

Jorge Saenz/Associated Press

Yet watching Falcao in the Copa America, it’s hard not to wonder just what Mourinho plans to do with Falcao. It’s not so much that he looks desperately out of sorts—form comes and form goes and it may be that it will return with confidence, particularly if Falcao’s sluggishness is a temporary issue brought about by his efforts to return from the serious knee injury that kept him out of the second half of the previous season and caused him to miss the World Cup.

It’s that Falcao these days looks incapable of playing as a lone centre-forward, which is surely how Mourinho would look to play him.

Colombia prospered at the World Cup with a lone centre-forward that allowed them to play a fluid 4-2-3-1 with Teo Gutierrez as the lone centre-forward that in turn permitted James Rodriguez to drift in off the flank. 

Pekerman brought Falcao back as soon as he could—he had, after all, been the main reason for Colombia’s impressive progress through World Cup qualifying, scoring nine goals—and made him captain of the Copa America squad, as though to underline his continuing centrality to this side. That move seemed to be justified as Falcao scored five goals in five games before the Copa America began, becoming his nation’s top goalscorer.

Like Argentina, Colombia’s glut of centre-forwards gives them a problem. Carlos Bacca was in tremendous form towards the end of the season for Sevilla, scoring two in the Europa League final. In that sense, the decision to pair him and Falcao in Colombia’s opening match in the Copa America, against Venezuela, made sense, but the consequence was a blocking 4-4-2 with two players who are natural leaders of the line. That, in turn, restricted Rodriguez, who was largely confined to a position on the left wing.

Silvia Izquierdo/Associated Press

Venezuela, sitting deep and playing with great discipline, held Colombia relatively comfortably until Gutierrez came on. He is a more natural second striker, so dropped off, creating something approaching the interchange of players that had made Colombia such a thrilling side to watch at the World Cup. Gutierrez kept his place against Brazil and that movement was back, aided by the fact Brazil played a far more open game than Venezuela.

But the vital point is that Gutierrez is a second striker. He pushes forward to support Falcao. He is not an attacking midfielder in the manner of Oscar or Cesc Fabregas. Pekerman is always evasive on the issue, but he clearly feels he can’t play Rodriguez as a No. 10 behind Falcao, that Falcao needs more support. Chelsea simply don’t have a player like that.

Their requirements for a central striker are clear: he has to be able to hold the ball up and play with his back to goal, bringing others into play. Diego Costa does that and it was Drogba’s capacity to do just that that led to him largely being preferred to Remy when cover was needed.

Perhaps Pekerman is wrong about Falcao’s capacities, perhaps he does still have the pace and strength to operate as a lone striker, but there has been nothing at this Copa America to suggest it. Whatever other reasons there may be for Chelsea to sign Falcao, there’s been nothing at this Copa to suggest he will fit in tactically.