Thiago Silva is both a blessing and a curse for Chelsea here is Why – Chelsea Legend Explained
There are several reasons why Thiago Silva is advantageous to Chelsea as well as a disadvantage.
Simply put, Thiago Silva is excellent. guaranteed class and an actual physical occurrence. As we are constantly reminded, he is not only competing and playing at the highest level in the world’s hardest league, but he is standing out. He was in his fourth year in England already and appeared certain to log more than 2,500 minutes.
It would take something unprecedented for this not to be the case because without Champions League football and Brazil’s national team giving him a seemingly cold shoulder, there isn’t an overwhelming fixture list for him to deal with. Silva has, predictably, established himself as a dependable and beloved component of Mauricio Pochettino’s team, and this trend doesn’t appear to be changing.
Although circumstances have forced the manager’s hand to an extent, injuries and suspensions across the backline have meant that other candidates for the centre-back spots have often been moved, leaving Silva free, there is little doubt that he still reads the game better than any.
The benefit of just having Silva in the side when there are young defenders around is something of huge importance, not just for Levi Colwill or Benoit Badiashile and Wesley Fofana (when fit) but also for academy hopeful Alfie Gilchrist.
Colwill is deserving of his spot and has been yet to get a run in the side in his preferred position but is yet to develop the control of a game’s tempo that Silva has, that comes with age. The issue for Chelsea is that there is always a contingency matter with Silva.
The 39-year-old is on a one-year rolling deal that is negotiated often over the winter before being confirmed ahead of the new season. It makes sense for both parties but at what stage does time have to be called? Silva has been vocal of his wish to return to Brazil at some stage with Fluminese but right now he is still vital to his club side and also good enough to warrant the attention, praise and gametime that he has.
The former Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan hero is not quiet on his future plans and goals of competing at the 2026 World Cup either. His wife is a social media sensation – at least when the team is playing well – but will tell anyone who listens just how settled in London the family are.
The issue for Chelsea is that they will have to move on from Silva at some point and it might just be heading in that direction now. With Axel Disasi often played next to Silva this season – another player without much speed or mobility which holds the team back in certain scenarios but has otherwise made a good start to his Chelsea career – there is a long list of options still available.
In this sense, Silva is both a blessing a curse. He is still a standout player, especially for his age, and adds intangible qualities that others lack. He has the passing ability of a midfielder but cannot play with the same aggression and press that Badiashile and Colwill together would allow for due to pace.
Badiashile is now in contention for minutes once more as well which amplifies this but against Arsenal, it was Silva and Colwill together with Marc Cucurella at left-back. When Ben Chilwell is fit once more or if Cucurella continues his form then there is suddenly four players for two spots with little chance to rotate.
In the long run this is healthy considering there is Fofana to consider – though his own consistent fitness issues raise a big concern – but it still leaves four players between 20 and 25 for the position. However, Si Phillips reports that the Blues are looking to sure up defence and that any potential Silva replacement would need to be more experienced than the young crop they have turned to recently.
It is also noted that on-loan academy prospect Bashir Humphreys has not been forgotten about. As another left-footer, Humphreys is currently at Swansea for his first taste of senior football in the English pyramid. He spent the second half of last year at Paderborn before spending pre-season with the Blues squad, soaking up minutes next to Silva and largely impressing.
As a tall presence, Humphreys offers an excellent passing range with both feet and is one of the most highly-rated youngsters in the system. He made his debut for the first team last year and even signed a new deal with the club earlier this year too. Due to the way in which the current owners have largely dealt with academy players, it is risky to say that he is being prepared for a step-up, but in that position, he is the best space to do it out of any.
Humphreys would likely still need another loan though, meaning another season of experience, and that is the way that the club have tended to operate in recent years. Fikayo Tomori and Reece James directly from the second tier into the Premier League with Chelsea via a single loan spell but that was under a transfer ban.
Humphreys would likely still need another loan though, meaning another season of experience, and that is the way that the club have tended to operate in recent years. Fikayo Tomori and Reece James directly from the second tier into the Premier League with Chelsea via a single loan spell but that was under a transfer ban.
It’s certainly a convoluted way in and there is little certainty due to Silva’s inhuman way of ageing, but if Humphreys can take the next steps in his stride then there is a path there for him to take. After all, the best way to replace the irreplaceable is with another ‘free’ addition to the squad.
