Speaking exclusively with BOYLE Sports , former Premier League defender Glen Johnson has given his thoughts on the next move for Anthony Gordon, says individual errors have costed Chelsea but has praised Liam Rosenior for how he handles the sending off.
Johnson has also spoken on Chelsea's keeping conundrum, whether Sanchez should be backed in net or if Trafford or Kelleher should be lined up to replace him come the summer and name checks Reece James for a shock move to Old Trafford
Elsewhere he predicts The Blues upcoming games against Aston Villa, Wrexham with Kieffer Moore highlighted as someone who could cause their young defence problems in their upcoming FA Cup tie.
Anthony Gordon
Gordon's Next Move: Does Old Trafford Loom?
In terms of him getting game time and kicking on, I'd probably say Manchester United as a destination for Anthony Gordon . Obviously, he's a Liverpool fan, so for a Liverpool fan to play for United , it could be a bit odd for him. But at Arsenal , you've got too many similar players. I don't think he'd be needed as much. Under Michael Carrick , they've obviously kicked on a lot more. I think the way he plays, he would get game time, and I just think that would probably suit him best right now.
Anthony Gordon has shown us for a while now that he's got legs, loves to run in behind, works hard, is very energetic, and covers a lot of ground. He can obviously get teams up the pitch very quickly, which releases pressure off the side. Having that leggy runner really stretches the game and helps everybody get a little bit of respite, as well as him obviously being very good on the ball.”
Liam Rosenior
Individual Errors Costing Chelsea
I think Liam Rosenior has been doing a great job overall. They've looked ready to compete. The issues seem to be individual errors or random dips in performance, so consistency is the key. However, his time there so far has been better than in recent years.
He still deserves a chance. It would be more worrying if they got thrashed by Arsenal . Losing to Arsenal is not an embarrassment, especially when playing 20-25 minutes with 10 men. You just lost to the potential champions. Like I say, I'd be more concerned if it was three or four-nil.”
Rosenior Handled Sending Off Well
The performance with 10 men is a big compliment to Liam Rosenior . Obviously, you've got to cover a bit more ground with 10 men, but when you have the ball, it doesn't really make a difference because the ball can't be in 11 positions. It's only in one position, and therefore you've got three players around you, and so have they. It's when you don't have the ball, and you've got to quickly get back into position, that you can come under pressure, because you can't press so high.
But when you actually have the ball, it doesn't really make that much of a difference because the spare man technically should be the centre-back or the keeper, who's not involved anyway. And they've got very good players, a very good squad.
The fact that they were still trying, you know, because some teams go 10 men and think, 'I'm playing against Arsenal , we're two one down, 10 men, like, let's just not get embarrassed.' So the fact that they still tried to win the game is a credit to them.
Next Chelsea Keeper
Should Sanchez Be Sold?
It's very hard because form can change so quickly. There have been times where Robert Sanchez has saved them in games and made incredible saves, but he does have that mistake in him.
As we know, if the keeper makes a mistake, it usually, nine times out of ten, results in a goal. So it can be literally game-changing. But I don't think he's been bad enough to say, ‘Right, you have to replace him.’ Because when he's in form, I think he's been fantastic. He just needs to bounce back now and regain his confidence. Then I think he's absolutely fine. He's not bad enough to think he's a must-replace player.
Should Chelsea Stick With Sanchez?
Trafford To Chelsea?
James Trafford to Chelsea ? It worked with Cole Palmer , didn't it? Even that one at the time was a surprise to me, because I've never really seen him play before, to be honest. And the same with the goalkeeper, I've not seen him play. But in terms of could it come off? Absolutely, it can. It'd be unlikely, I guess, because it's a big role to be the number one goalkeeper at Chelsea . You normally need a lot of experience, and you can only get experience by gaining experience, obviously.
But to risk it with a youngster like that, it could be risky. Even if he was to sign and do a couple of years behind a number one and learn the club and learn everything that way, then of course in three years’ time or something, then he could easily be the main man.
Kelleher Is Less Risky
Caoimhin Kelleher would definitely be the less risky option right now. And again, that's not to say who's going to be the better player in two or three years, but Kelleher , anytime he was called upon for Liverpool , was fantastic.
He's now still doing another good job at Brentford . So if I had to pick a target now for Chelsea , it'd definitely be him. He's done it with Liverpool , a big club in big games and big tournaments. So I'd say that's the safest option.
Reece James
Transfer Speculation: Reece James
To be honest, given how versatile Reece James is, I think he'd suit anyone. Because in terms of his ability, he can do a job all over the pitch. He's a fantastic player, but to have that versatility in your squad is invaluable. He could fill in at left-back, play centre-half in a back three, or be a right wing-back or a midfielder. I think he would genuinely suit any club, especially one going through a few changes or dealing with injuries.
Players like him are hard to find because I don't think he would go to a club expecting to play 50 games at right-back, for example. It's not going to happen. So, to have a player who can adapt and do whatever the team and squad need, I think a lot of teams would want that option. I'd love to see him at Liverpool , that's for sure. I think he would suit Liverpool , probably more so than Arsenal . And I think Manchester United would probably want him as well. But Liverpool could be a very good fit, to be honest.
We spoke about the right-back option with Jeremie Frimpong and others, but as I said, Reece isn't going to go to a club and play a solid 40 games in one position. He just isn't. So, to have him as an option, perhaps in midfield, especially since Liverpool are still in all competitions and will have so many games, injuries, and suspensions, I think he'd be perfect. Yes, I'd love to see him land at Liverpool .
Chelsea Predictions
Prediction: Aston Villa vs Chelsea
There are still a lot of games to play, as we know. But I think for Chelsea to even dent Aston Villa's confidence and to give themselves confidence, they need to win this game. Because I think they're six points in front now. If Villa win, then Chelsea are going to struggle to bridge that gap.
The problem is Chelsea have been so inconsistent. You wouldn't want to be putting money on them every week in terms of trying to pick the results, that's for sure. But even though, say, the Arsenal game was confident, I think they can win. I could easily see them winning 2-1. I don't think they're going to blow them over, but a competitive game where either side wins by a goal. I think that's a realistic opportunity.
Prediction: Wrexham vs Chelsea
You’d like to think that Chelsea are good enough to get the result and move on. But Wrexham will be rubbing their hands at the opportunity to knock a giant team out. They have been playing well, they're direct, and they can cause you problems.
But of course, Chelsea are the better side. But this is why we love the FA Cup ; the best team doesn't always win. So yeah, if Chelsea apply themselves properly and perform the way they can, they should get the job done. But this is football, this is the FA Cup . Like you say, it's all a perfect dream at the moment for Wrexham , so they're all going to be looking forward to the task.
Moore vs Chelsea Defence
Chelsea’s defenders are all good footballing players, but they don't enjoy getting roughed up and, having an old school, physical striker that is direct and powerful like Kieffer Moore will make things interesting. He will want to rough them up.
They're just going to be focused on him all the time and will try to be in the right position at all times. And if you nullify that, then of course they've got more of a punch on them that they can land on Wrexham for sure.
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