Since your appointment as Chelsea's head coach on January 25, 2021, you have been a revelation. In the words of a famous figure, "you brought us out of s**t." We were mired in ninth position, with a shattered dressing room and no idea if there was really a route out. Many others were sure that there wasn't.
You demonstrated that there was an alternative and improved several aspects of the squad. Many people thought your predecessor could have done it if he had been given more time. When you arrived, you stated that the league was unreachable, but that the Champions League was still well within our grasp and that we would strive for it. You kept your word and placed the Champions League.
You offered previously frozen-out guys chances, and they thrived. You handled the tricky circumstance of having a world-record £72 million second-choice goalkeeper admirably. You adapted the system to accommodate a variety of players and always picked what was best for the squad. Almost at every turn.
You led Chelsea through a takeover and were the voice of certainty and logic when there were many rumors and speculations about the club. You made a commitment to CFC during a time when many people did not want to be affiliated with the club. You even endeared yourself to the fans to the point where many of them regarded you as Chelsea's best head coach to date, even surpassing Jose Mourinho.
You directed Chelsea's attention to a trophy that was missing from their trophy cabinet. Under your guidance, the Blues finished football and became one of only six clubs in history to win every potential club football trophy. You performed a lot of things correctly, but you weren't always consistent.
You stated that you choose based on merit, but at multiple moments last season, you made many people doubt that claim. When it came to Hakim Ziyech, the message of meritocracy was most perplexing. To be sure, you reserve the right to select and bench anybody you believe is necessary to help the squad on any given day. However, it appeared that Ziyech was frequently playing well when he appeared.
It soon became evident that he had been purposefully left out of the lineup. This was perplexing for many people, including fans and almost definitely the guy himself. Fans have accused the Moroccan of needing to work on his game and improve in order to return to the starting lineup. He did. This is despite the fact that he has always worked hard both on and off the field. Nonetheless, Ziyech improved his game and worked harder both on and off the field.
Ziyech had such an influence for Chelsea that despite playing 1,048 minutes fewer than the player in first place, he ranked second in total big chances created (9) Ziyech topped the squad in both large chances produced per game (0.39) and big chances created (0.39).
Last season, Ziyech was in the 82nd percentile for total chances created in the Premier League. It stands to me that if he had played more, he would have generated more. Ziyech had a big impact last season, and not just on the field. Last season, Ziyech pressed 18.1 times per 90 in the Premier League, ranking sixth in the team among players with up to 19 appearances. Ziyech, on the other hand, led all Chelsea forwards in interceptions per 90, as well as tackles plus interceptions per 90, according to FBRef. However, Ziyech had the most possessions per game in the final third (0.7). Despite playing in 9 fewer games, he tied Mason Mount in total possession won in the final third (16).
You benched Ziyech after the 4-1 Brentford loss, despite the fact that he was clearly the greatest player on the field. According to SofaScore, Ziyech had 87 touches, four defensive actions, and a team-high three opportunities, including one huge chance, in the game. He attempted 18 crosses and accomplished 5 (28%), a remarkable crossing success rate. You left Ziyech out of any starting lineup for the following 11 games and only brought him back in the season's last two games. Fans asked what Ziyech did wrong, and it's not a stretch to suggest Ziyech did as well.
Ziyech is currently being connected with a move away from Chelsea, and while the club does need to sell some strikers, Ziyech has a lot of what Chelsea requires. You may not like Ziyech, but it's tough to deny that he's good at what he does. Ziyech shown ingenuity and a quick work rate when called upon, yet he was nonetheless benched. After the season he's had, Ziyech has every reason to be dissatisfied with his minutes.
As previously stated, you did many things correctly, but your management of Ziyech last season was one of the few things that many will argue you handled incorrectly.
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