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.

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 …

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