“Goals breed, use him in your attack” – Former Chelsea defender tells Tuchel to start Chelsea star in FA Cup final against Liverpool
Terry Phelan, a former Chelsea defender, has picked his favoured man to lead the Blues’ attack in Saturday’s FA Cup final against Liverpool. During different stages of the current campaign, Thomas Tuchel has used both Romelu Lukaku and Kai Havertz as strikers.
Lukaku, who signed a club-record deal with Chelsea last summer, has started the season strongly, netting four goals in his first five appearances in all competitions.
However, as his condition deteriorated, Tuchel decided to trust Havertz as a false-nine. Lukaku has been plagued by injuries and has also been the subject of controversy following a self-defeating interview.
Havertz gradually but steadily climbed up as the Belgian suffered a stunning fall from grace at Stamford Bridge. In March, the German scored four goals in three league games for Chelsea, including the game-winning goal in the Club World Cup final versus Palmeiras.
Havertz’s rise to prominence sparked a debate about whether he is a better fit for Chelsea’s system than Lukaku. Lukaku, on the other hand, has recently shown indications of promise. After replacing Havertz in the lineup, the 28-year-old has scored three goals in his previous two outings.
However, Phelan is of the opinion that Lukaku should lead the line for a third straight game when Chelsea face Liverpool in the FA Cup final. In an exclusive chat with Sportskeeda, he stated:
“Goals breed confidence for strikers. With Lukaku, he has to have the ball in the right areas [to be effective]. If you look at his goal [against Wolves], the way he spun and put the ball into the bottom corner was absolutely brilliant. He got the penalty [as well for the first goal].
Phelan is of the opinion that Lukaku and his physical presence could be of use to Chelsea against the Liverpool defense marshaled by Virgil van Dijk.
“That’s his strength, one-on-one, being nice and tight and rolling centre-backs. I think they need a physical presence up front playing against Van Dijk and company. They need that physical presence to hold the ball up and then bring other players into the game.
The Irishman also highlighted Havertz’s style of play, but maintained how he would prefer Lukaku to start in the final.
“Will he play at the weekend? I would think so after the goals he scored. We know the form Havertz has been in, we know he gets on the end of things. He comes into the box a little bit later with his late runs so it’s a tricky one [to choose who starts against Liverpool]. For me, I think you’ve got to go with Lukaku.”