The addition of Demba Ba to the Chelsea roster certainly can't hurt the clubs on field play. At 27, Ba is in the prime of his career, and has showed his goal scoring prowess at previous clubs. The dilemma interim manager Rafa Benitez has is, how will both see adequate time on the pitch? Chelsea has been known recently for using formations with one striker, taking advantage of their skilled midfield players. Before Ba's arrival, Fernando Torres was clearly the first choice forward, and has had an okay season thus far, depending on who you ask. With a top four finish not looking certain for the Blues, they have options to consider with their front men. Does Benitez give a nod to either player as his first choice, and lone striker? Does he alternate between the two, similar to last season with Torres and Didier Drogba? Or could Chelsea possibly employ a two striker lineup?
After a "disappointing" beginning to his Chelsea career, Fernando Torres has shown more flashes of his old self this season, and more importantly, has improved his consistency a bit. If anything, Torres has at least been a mainstay in the Chelsea lineup this season. He's played in 23 contest, and started in 21. At first glance it would seem that Torres is having another poor season, as two midfielders, Frank Lampard and Juan Manuel Mata have both scored more (eight) than Torres (seven). Though when you break things down a bit more, Torres' season hasn't been bad at all. With the sheer skill of the players around him, Torres' goal count is bound to take a hit. The aforementioned Lampard and Mata are proven scorers, also players such as Eden Hazard and Ramires have goals in them. Digging a bit more, if you count the games Torres has started, it equals to a goal every three game. He could certainly do better, but one in three is respectable. He also has 24 shots on goal this season, which again averages to just about a goal every three shots on goal.
Demba Ba is still getting his feet wet at Chelsea, and doesn't have many numbers yet to go off of. He's played in three games, starting two, and has a goal to his name. Ba is known for his days at Newcastle United, where he scored at an excellent pace, and did so with style. During his time at St. James' Park, Ba scored 29 times in 54 appearances, and also knocked in two more during league cup play. While we haven't seen much of Ba yet in a Chelsea uniform, his reputation speaks for itself. As the games come and go, he should become more acclimated to his settings, and hopefully for Chelsea fans, return to the form he showed while at Newcastle.
Both Ba and Torres have previous history of being class scorers, but that isn't the question. The question simple is, how will the two co-exist? While Chelsea hasn't lived up to the ridiculous standards of owner Roman Abramovich, they've been able to keep a place in the top four utilizing a lone forward formation. Benitez could continue to employ a lone striker setup, but at the risk of angering one, or both men. Alternating between the two, going with the "hot" player in a sense could also be an option. But again, would either Torres or Ba agree to that type of plan long term? Finally, Chelsea have the option of trying to play them both, using a two forward system. This seems the most logical of the options, but could disrupt team chemistry, and would take a talented player off the pitch.
So how should Rafa Benitez use his two strikers in the latter half of the season? Leave a comment or tweet (@mojo_FTNB) and let us know!
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