Versatility, Aggression and Circumstance Keys to Ola Aina's Chelsea Chance
Chelsea’s pre-season has been racked with question marks: What formation will the team play in 2016-17? Will Antonio Conte’s renowned training and tactical methods sink in quickly? Does a return to the Premier League top four beckon? And where on earth are all the new signings?
It’s that last question that has bugged supporters the most throughout the summer months. As uMAXit Football’s Joe Tweedie points out, it’s as if Chelsea secured the signing of N’Golo Kante and then proceeded to sit around and pat each other on the back for a job well done. There are gaping holes in this Blues side—holes that have needed filling for well over 12 months—and nothing is being done to fill them.
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Many of the weaknesses are in the defence. The Blues will head into the new campaign with just six senior defenders following the loaning of Abdul Baba Rahman to Schalke 04. While there is no European football to cloud the schedule, it’s a figure that stands one or two bodies shy of satisfactory.
Perhaps, then, there’s a chance for one of Chelsea’s fabled junior products to step forward and fill a gap, finally bridging the chasm between the Blues’ all-star youth team and the flagging senior setup. Pre-season is often a time for such players to stake their claim and impress the manager, and one in particular has given himself a chance of playing a role this coming campaign.
Ola Aina, Chelsea’s 19-year-old full-back, is the latest player to threaten breaching the first team. He has enjoyed (or endured) an incredibly steep learning curve over the course of the club’s money-spinning International Champions Cup travails. Having signed a contract extension until 2020 back in July, August saw him take several veritable steps toward Conte’s setup.
Versatility
Aina’s personal portal to the Chelsea senior side has opened in part due to his versatility. With the Blues short on numbers at the back and a fair chunk of pre-season work to get through without the stars who played at Euro 2016, Aina was drafted into the squad as both a left-back and a right-back.
As a natural right-footer, it’s clear he’s more comfortable on that flank. He ruled from that position at the youth level under manager Adi Viveash, but his ability to play on the opposite side—something not many full-backs can do—created a situation whereby taking Aina on tour became a "two birds, one stone" scenario.
Of the very few full-backs in world football who are comfortable on both flanks, one, Cesar Azpilicueta, plays for the club and will be on hand to offer tips. It’s a very difficult task, as every action the player is used to doing becomes reversed; we’ve seen how centre-backs struggle swapping from left to right or vice-versa, and it’s even harder for those outside of them.
Physical Attributes
When you watch Aina, the first thing that you’ll notice—and the reason your eyes are drawn to him out of all the players on the pitch—is his ability to burst forward. Outstanding physical attributes, including above-average height for his position, core strength, long legs and a controlled acceleration to die for, make for an exciting, bustling style.
In March 2015, Chelsea beat Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Youth League on the way to securing the European title, and one of the standout players was Aina. Time and again he soared past Los Colchoneros’ left-sided duet of Tete Morente and Lucas Hernandez—and you’ll recognise the latter as a player who started both legs of Atletico's Champions League quarter-final against Barcelona.
His height marks him out as a Branislav Ivanovic-type, but he’s a more natural fit to full-back than his colleague. Among seniors he doesn’t look as overbearingly tall, but still boasts a physical...imperiousness when darting forward. When you combine size and aggressiveness on the ball like Aina does, it’s a recipe for a classic bombarding, impactful full-back.
Production
It’s no good bombing forward if there’s no end-product, and it’s an affliction that costs many full-backs a place at the top of the game. If you can’t make the right decision, time the run or cross a ball—and as a result, moves frequently break down around you—you become a problem, not a solution.
At the youth level, Aina has shown a great understanding of when to push forward and how to arrive late as an out-ball for possession. Chelsea often dominate the ball at that level and teams squeeze in to block them; that makes Aina’s late runs to receive switch passes key to breaking down the more stubborn opponents.
A very positive part of Aina’s play is his willingness to cross the ball and cross it fast, first time. Too often, full-backs (of all ages) hesitate and allow their marker to make up the ground, closing off the space to swing a ball into the box and draining the impetus from attacks.
Aina’s looped crosses are good—not great, not poor—just good. He’s also willing to cross with his left foot when playing on the opposite flank—a skill he showcased against Werder Bremen in Chelsea’s final pre-season friendly—and that’s something few are willing to try. His ability to hit the byline and cross on the stretch also adds an extra dimension to his play.
In short, Aina’s attacking play is not overly complicated or luxurious; it is focused on hitting space at speed and utilising it by taking the next move quickly. He can consistently drop a ball into a nice area in the box and give his side the late overload on the flank that can break a defensive formation.
Defending
It’s been interesting watching Aina during Chelsea’s pre-season, as he’s been exposed to an entirely different level of competition. The harsh reality of errors costing your team goals was hammered home against Real Madrid, where an ill-fated push forward resulted in a Marcelo goal that was essentially his fault. His reaction told the whole story; his face was a picture. Far away from the incubatory nature of Chelsea’s cosy, dominant youth-level squad, you don’t get nine lives, you get one.
One thing he has taken from youth level to pre-season is his aggression, and that’s been accentuated by Conte’s system. The man-oriented marking Chelsea now use—be it from a 4-4-2 or 4-3-3 base—suits Aina perfectly, as he’s able to stick to his man and fight for every inch. He’s always been one to jostle and jockey off the ball, and he hasn't been afraid to mix that in this summer. It’s essentially a one-on-one battle, and his physical traits give him an edge there.
Against Real Madrid, his off-the-ball positioning was good. He embraced his part in the team shape and kept tabs on his winger well. Teams will often try to exploit young full-backs with switch passes and back-post crosses to see if they can cope with good movement, and on multiple occasions Aina saw off danger impressively.
One such example is pictured here.
Aina gives himself ideal covering depth, with both the ball and his marker in vision. In this situation, he simply has to stay within a step or two’s distance of his man so that if the cross is accurate, he can launch himself across his man and toward the ball to clear it.
He does just that, rising high early on and climbing the ladder, then heading it well away from danger.
But defensively there are still big question marks surrounding his game, and when he’s not securely stowed in a man-oriented system, errors crop up. His aggression takes him high up the field—either filtering forward in search of a tackle, or in the aftermath of a broken attack he’s overlapped for—and that can lead to big gaps appearing behind him.
It’s a high-risk, high-reward strategy. At times, it can spark a turnover high and engineer a very good chance (like he did against AC Milan). At others, it can lead to chances for the opposition. If a nimble winger or drifting striker floated into his area and occupied the space he left, you’ve got yourself a very quick out-ball going the other way that could do some damage.
Impact?
You can make those six senior Chelsea defenders five until Kurt Zouma returns from his ACL tear, which could happen any time in the next four months, depending on how smooth the rehabilitation goes. Just two of those five are full-backs—Ivanovic and Azpilicueta—opening a clear spot on the bench for a reserve option.
Right now, that option is Aina. Not only does his versatility give him a big boost, but he’s also responded well to Conte’s training and scheming over the summer. His bursts forward are as much a potential hazard as they are an attacking wildcard, making him a clear back-up to both his senior colleagues where possible. But in the absence of a new signing, Aina is in prime position to become his manager’s new utility, flex player.
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