Breaking Down the Fantasy Team Chelsea Could Have Had
It hasn't just been the media lamenting a lack of quality at Chelsea this season; fans have been equally up in arms at some of the poor performances we have seen at Stamford Bridge.
Guus Hiddink has gone so far as to label Chelsea's season a "football disaster."
Reigning Premier League champions Chelsea may have been this term, but they didn't quite live up to that billing. It's meant that the successes of players who never quite made the grade at the club or were sold on too early have hit the spotlight.
For every goal a current striker missed, Chelsea fans were being reminded of a frontman they let go who was hitting the back of the net with aplomb.
That's got us thinking: Who would make the fantasy team of players Chelsea could have had?
Our requirements were simple in that said player must have played for Chelsea at some point in his career and still be actively playing now.
Here's our team. We would say enjoy, but some fans may feel better off covering their eyes, given some of the talent that has slipped through the net in west London.
Goalkeeper
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Petr Cech
When you have Petr Cech and Thibaut Courtois vying for a starting place as your first-choice goalkeeper, something has to give. The pair are too talented for one to be sitting on the bench.
Like a frontier town in a spaghetti western, Stamford Bridge wasn't big enough for the both of them. Indeed, there isn't a stadium or club in the world that is.
It was regrettable that Cech was the casualty of it all. He had been a proud servant for over a decade, but with Courtois 10 years his junior, Chelsea had to choose the future over the past.
Cech joined London rivals Arsenal in the summer, where he has helped shore up the Gunners defence. The good news for Chelsea fans is that it didn't result in their winning the Premier League title.
Defenders
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David Luiz
Perhaps the wild card for Chelsea's defensive departures, David Luiz divides opinion. He was adored at Stamford Bridge more for his character than his ability as a footballer.
The Brazilian would look world-class in one moment, only to disappoint the next. He often left fans, players and managers pulling their hair out.
Luiz offered entertainment value, though, and played his part in Chelsea winning the Champions League in 2012. The club earned £50 million from his sale to Paris Saint-Germain, yet given the shortages at the back this term, the need for a player of Luiz's quality has been paramount.
Ricardo Carvalho
The Portuguese may be 37 years old, but he's still going strong at Monaco. It's been six years since he left Chelsea to join Real Madrid, and he had much to offer the club still.
Chelsea have enjoyed success since that time, but Carvalho remained a big part of the defensive partnership with John Terry. He offered something different to his teammate, proving capable in possession to get Chelsea moving from the back.
Terry's had plenty of partners throughout his career, but Carvalho remains up there with the best. Selling him at 31 seemed too soon.
Jeffrey Bruma
The Dutch centre-back made just 10 appearances for Chelsea, having come through the club's academy. Competing against big names such as John Terry, Ricardo Carvalho and Alex, he was always going to struggle to establish himself.
He spent time away from the club on loan with Leicester City and twice with Hamburg. In 2013, he returned to his native Holland with PSV Eindhoven, where he has become an established figure. The 24-year-old has made over 100 appearances for the club and is also a Holland international.
Filipe Luis
The Brazilian has restored his reputation since he returned to Atletico Madrid after a nightmare year with Chelsea.
Luis failed to dislodge Cesar Azpilicueta—a right-back by trade—as Chelsea's first choice on the left and returned to Spain with his tail between his legs.
Having seen him this season, he's looked like the player Chelsea thought they were signing in 2014. Luis is a big part of the solid defensive unit at Vicente Calderon Stadium but also provides a threat going forward.
He's played a significant role in Diego Simeone's side reaching the Champions League final in a season where Chelsea have struggled defensively and have looked out of sorts on the left.
Midfielders
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Kevin De Bruyne
Based on what he achieved at Chelsea, it was exceptional business for the Blues to get the £18 million they did when selling Kevin De Bruyne to Wolfsburg in January 2013.
Since that time, though, the Belgian has developed into one of Europe's most effective and best midfielders. In his 18 months back in the Bundesliga—De Bruyne had spent time on loan with Werder Bremen—he impressed so much that Manchester City splashed out £55 million for him in 2015.
Whether or not De Bruyne would've excelled like he has had he remained at Chelsea is a question that will always torment fans. Since leaving, he's become a bona fide star.
Josh McEachran
It's not for what the central midfielder has become that we're including him in this list, but more for what he could have been. Loan spells and big-money signings curtailed his progress at Stamford Bridge, and McEachran became a forgotten man.
Rising through the academy, he was Chelsea's youngest debutant when Carlo Ancelotti gave him first appearance for the club against MSK Zilina in September 2010.
He was always a silky midfielder with the ability to carve out openings for others. Comfortable on the ball, McEachran had excellent vision and could pick out a pass.
He's now at Championship outfit Brentford, and we're left wondering where it all went wrong.
Andre Schurrle
Another of Chelsea's promising attacking midfielders to leave for Wolfsburg was Andre Schurrle in January 2015. The German had shown much promise in his debut campaign under Jose Mourinho and even claimed the assist for Mario Goetze's World Cup-winning goal in 2014.
On the back of that, injury and illness completely knocked it out of Schurrle. He lacked any real confidence and became a major victim of Mourinho's tinkering.
He wasn't a regular starter for Chelsea, but Schurrle had the sort of qualities the Blues have been missing this season. He added depth to their squad that hasn't been replaced since he departed.
No. 10
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For the £38.1 million Manchester United paid for Juan Mata in January 2013, they were probably expecting a little more from him. The big problem for Mata at Old Trafford is that he's playing in a team that is congested through the middle, so he has been used out of position in wide areas.
That's not his game. As he showed in the two-and-a-half seasons he spent at Stamford Bridge, Mata is a sublime No. 10. He operates in behind the frontman with expertise and creates so much for his teammates. Not only that, Mata scores goals.
He was voted Player of the Year for two seasons running at Chelsea for good reason. He's an exceptional talent, and the fact he was sold to promote Oscar makes it all the harder for some fans to stomach.
Chelsea were able to invest the money from Mata's sale to beef up their squad elsewhere, but the feeling is still that he left Chelsea too soon. They lack a player of his ability, as he has never been adequately replaced.
Strikers
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Daniel Sturridge
Chelsea's loss has been Liverpool's gain. Since departing Stamford Bridge for just £12 million in January 2013, Daniel Sturridge has become one of the hottest properties in English football.
Injuries have curtailed his impact over the past 12 months, but before that he showed Chelsea exactly what they were missing. Partnering Luis Suarez at Anfield, he came close to winning Liverpool the title in 2013/14, and he is among England's best strikers.
All the while, outside of Diego Costa, Chelsea have struggled to find a regular goalscorer to lead the line.
Speaking of regular goalscorers, there have been few more prolific than Romelu Lukaku in the two seasons since he made a £28 million switch to Everton from Chelsea.
This season alone, the Belgian has scored 25 goals for an Everton side that has struggled in the bottom half of the table. It's a remarkable return for a player who was deemed surplus at Stamford Bridge.
Lukaku never performed whenever he was given a rare chance at Chelsea. What frustrates Blues fans all the more is that he's the sort of striker the club has thrived on in the past. He's big, aggressive and uses his physicality well to dominate defences.
Chelsea seem to want to make up for their apparent error in selling Lukaku, with him being linked with a move back to Stamford Bridge this summer for a cool £60 million, according to the Express' Liam Spence.
