Is it time Chelsea moved on from Thiago Silva?

By Simon Johnsonand Liam Twomey

Less than two hours after the final whistle was blown on Chelsea’s 4-1 loss at Newcastle United, veteran defender Thiago Silvaapologised for his and the team’s performance.

“I am devastated,” he wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “It was not a good day for us. I would like to apologise to everyone for the defeat, especially to my teammates who believe in me and support me every day. I take full responsibility. Let’s gather strength and come back stronger.”

It was typical of someone who has been one of the first names on Chelsea’s team sheet since he joined as a free agent from Paris Saint-Germain in 2020. His signing was seen as a coup — a blend of quality and experience, with Silva amassing 113 caps for Brazil. At Chelsea, he has made 130 appearances, just 10 as a substitute.

Defenders always come under scrutiny when they make mistakes, but even more so when they are Silva’s age. The 39-year-old’s clumsy touch in the 61st minute effectively ended the game. It allowed Joelintonto put Newcastle 3-1 up, just 90 seconds after the home side had retaken the lead. The error summed up the centre-back’s sluggish display. He looked like a senior citizen playing a young man’s game.

Silva is the only Chelsea defender to start 13 Premier Leaguegames this season (midfielder Conor Gallagheris the only other outfield player to have a 100 per cent record). Should his untouchable status under head coach Mauricio Pochettino be maintained? The club have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last six league matches and Luton, Bournemouth and Fulhamare the only teams who have failed to score against them.

The Athletic’sChelsea correspondents Simon Johnson and Liam Twomey discuss whether the time has come for Silva’s role to change.

Liam Twomey: It has been a question at the back of my mind since he arrived — does his individual success come at a cost to the players around him? Chelsea coaches have had to make accommodations to get him in the team.

Two years ago, Thomas Tuchel was not convinced that Silva could play in a back four for the long-term. We are 18 months into the experiment of putting him in a back four under various other head coaches and there have been mixed results. He can still look good on the ball and is a fantastic passer. He carries himself as the captain of that unit but Chelsea still have frailties.

I do not know if he is the biggest problem they have but it is becoming increasingly clear that he is not the solution they need.

Simon Johnson:Saturday was one of his worst performances for Chelsea. There was a comical moment in the first half where he tripped over the ball in clumsy fashion and conceded a corner. He looked his age and rattled.

However, what alarms me about the discussion over whether he should be left out of the team is the lack of leadership Chelsea have already. It feels like this team can ill afford to be without one of the few experienced leaders they have.

This group are a bit rudderless and he is one of the only ones who communicates on the pitch. Even though his English is not brilliant at least he is talking. You can not say that about too many others, particularly when things are going wrong.

Twomey:I kind of agree with everything you say but come to the opposite conclusion. Leadership is an issue with him in the team. The disagreement we have is how much worse it will get with him notthere.

If you are at a stage where there are lapses in concentration whether they be as individuals or as a collective, if you are not getting the full benefits of what Silva is supposed to give you, then I do not know what you have to lose by trying to evolve and doing something different.

Pochettino has signposted the need to move on by not making him captain. It feels like they are looking for young leaders like Reece James, Ben Chilwelland Gallagher. It is like he is trying to cultivate these younger leaders and wean the team off of Silva.

Chelsea do have good young centre-backs they can work with in Benoit Badiashile, Levi Colwilland Axel Disasi. It is almost like by having Silva in the team you are depriving yourself of the chance for players to grow together. Yes, you will have to live with more mistakes but Chelsea are having to live with mistakes right now.

Johnson: I understand that argument. Chelsea always knew they would have to move on from Silva eventually. But it should not be forgotten he was voted by the fans as their player of the year last season, albeit the competition was not stiff.

I also remember how on Saturday, when Chelsea were making a game of it in the first half, Silva found himself in a one-v-one with Anthony Gordon. He was isolated and you thought he was in trouble with Gordon’s pace. And yet he used all his experience to comfortably win possession back. Perhaps only James is as accomplished in the same scenario.

I do think this should be his last season. You want him to leave Stamford Bridge with people still regarding him highly rather than as a liability.

It was just over a year ago that I asked him about his future before a game against AC Milanand there was a lot of talk from him and the club about wanting to renew. You are not hearing the same noises now and that’s significant.

Twomey: I have to caveat everything I have said so far by saying what Silva has done is unprecedented, not just at Chelsea but in the Premier League. I remember (former France international) Laurent Blanc going to Manchester Unitedin 2001. He was 35 and everyone talked about him being over the hill. He quickly proved that.

Johnson: You could also compare Silva with Raphael Varane. He is a lot younger and has struggled a lot more at Manchester United since he went there last year.

Twomey: Silva looks after himself. Physically and athletically he is on another level to what a 39-year-old should be. But he is still more limited than a 23-year-old, which is applicable in Chelsea’s case. It is the trade-off between his obvious know-how with how much different Chelsea would look if they had two young centre-backs who felt more able to play high up the pitch and press the opposition.

There were moments against Newcastle where Chelsea were pushed deep. It feels like Silva’s instinct, much like John Terry’s was near the end of his Chelsea career, is to drop when things get difficult. That is where Newcastle’s first goal came from.

If you have the younger guys, they are more mobile and can defend in space. Their instincts may not be where Silva’s is but their bodies are able to cover more ground quicker. We do not know what it will look like because no Chelsea coach has tried playing without Silva for any sustained period of time. Now is a good time to try it.

Johnson: It would be the bravest call for Pochettino to make. You are dealing with a fans’ favourite. You heard his name reverberating around Stamford Bridge a few weeks ago when he scored against Manchester City, a goal that galvanised their best showing under Pochettino.

Whatever happens with his future, he will be regarded as one of Chelsea’s best signings in the modern era. He has played at a level the rest in the squad want to aspire to. The first time I saw him live against Crystal Palacein 2020 at home and he just had this aura. He was on a different level to everybody else out there.

This is why I am nervous about him being out of the team. They are conceding goals with him but this feels like a fragile group and they could fold even quicker without him. The reason he did not make him captain is that Pochettino feels he is a captain anyway and does not need an armband.

You can see that on the pitch. There was a game this season where I went into it with the idea of watching his every move. He was the one shouting instructions, pointing at where teammates should go, issuing a telling-off when it was needed. Do Badiashile or Disasi have it in them? Colwill is growing into that kind of character but it is still early days in his Chelsea career.

Twomey: The other defenders look up to him. Speaking on pre-season tour, Colwill referred to Silva as ‘a joke’ because of how good he is.

I believe his presence has helped Disasi settle. But I still come back to how the fear of what Chelsea might be without Silva is what is holding Chelsea back. We know what Chelsea with Silva looks like and it has not been good enough collectively for over a year now. That is not all his fault, but it might be time to acknowledge he is one of the reasons why they are struggling structurally to defend, even if individually he is not doing too much wrong.

Chelsea are 10th and conceding goals aplenty. The amount you have to lose by trying something else is minimal.

Johnson: It is the beginning of the end game. I just would not make that call yet. You talk about Chelsea not having much to lose now…I would argue Chelsea would have been even worse last season had it not been for him.

I still think how he has played at Chelsea has not been appreciated enough outside of Stamford Bridge. But he is 40 next year and even the greats have to leave at some point.

He has spoken many times about wanting to go back to former club Fluminense before he retires and that is what he should do next summer….with Chelsea’s blessing.

https://theathletic.com/5092867/2023/11/28/thiago-silva-chelsea-future-pochettino/