Source: FOOTYMAD
Essien can help Blues to Champions League glory
Return of the Bison lifts all at SW6 THE return of Michael Essien to full fitness and back in Chelsea Blue is a real boost to club and fans alike.Here Anthony Williams, 23 and from London tells it like it is... DURING the middle of this summer much of the press attention surrounding Chelsea was focused on Joe Cole’s fairly acrimonious departure to Liverpool after his contract with the Blues expired. Meanwhile (and more importantly) - Michael Essien, regarded by many as the best player currently on the books at our beloved west London club, was working his way back to full fitness. It is natural that the British press will focus on the negatives surrounding Chelsea, especially as we are perceived to have the short end of the in what was more or less a sort of swap as Coley left for free with Yossi Benayoun coming to Stamford Bridge in a £5.5 million deal. However, they say that every cloud has a silver lining. Even though some fans may be down-hearted after a fan favourite in Cole has left the club, but on the bright side Essien’s return to fitness is effectively akin to having a £50 million signing and I believe ‘The Bison’ is the man who could be key for the Blues’ quest for a Champions League crown which has so far eluded the Blues. Chelsea, its fans, the squad and the staff will be boosted with his return as we have been deprived of his talents for much of the past two seasons (just 40 appearances over the 2008/09 and 2009/10), and I am sure that we will all be praying that he manages to avoid the treatment room this term. The 27-year-old Ghana international has proved himself to be versatile during his time at Stamford Bridge (defensive midfield, right midfield, right back and even centre half), but he is at his optimum playing in his preferred central midfield role where he unsettles his opponents with his physical nature and seemingly limitless energy. If Chelsea are to lift the Champions League trophy at Wembley come May then I have no doubt that Essien will play a very big part in getting them there with his big game performances. Remember Steven Gerrard’s performance for Liverpool at Anfield against Chelsea in the 2008/09 Champions League quarter-final? ...no, neither do I as Essien made the Reds’ skipper completely anonymous and look like a shrinking violet under the intimidating presence of the Chelsea number 5, who became the jailor of Liverpool’s wrinkly foreheaded hero. Now, I’m not saying Chelsea don’t have plenty of game changers within their ranks as Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard and Florent Malouda to name a few are all capable of making something happen, but it was clear to many that during their Champions League clash against Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan side last year that the Stamford Bridge outfit lacked a certain spark. On the other side, Wesley Sneijder’s passing made a real difference for Inter, especially at Stamford Bridge and I can’t help but feel that a midfield with Essien in it would have made the Dutchman’s task 10 times harder and we may have also given the San Siro side a lot more to worry about. Is Essien the man to take Chelsea to the next step? Follow Anthony me on Twitter @ajwilliams1987Do you agree with Anthony? If you have something to say about a Chelsea player, drop me an email here and let Chelsea-Mad fans know too.
