Spanish striker Alvaro Morata has made a dubious start to his Chelsea career so far.
The summer signing from Real Madrid missed a penalty kick in the Community Shield against Arsenal, which saw the Gunners win a shootout and claim the trophy.
The Spaniard had only come off the bench as a late substitute to replace Michy Batshuayi, who has is now a serious contender to start the campaign as Chelsea’s first-choice striker.
Morata seems to be lacking fitness and there are already people questioning the signing of the Spaniard.
Morata will need time and patience
By all accounts, Morata is a very thoughtful and nice guy, some have said too nice. Critics have accused him of not being ruthless enough to make it as a top-level striker. Morata comes across as an engaging and thoughtful footballer, which is very rare.
He does not seem to possess the natural confidence of a Cristiano Ronaldo or a Lionel Messi. A footballer with that sort of personality may need more time to adapt to his new surroundings. From what he has shown and stated in the past, he will only thrive when he has the confidence of his teammates and coaches.
However, at Chelsea, he will need to earn that sort of confidence with his displays on the pitch. The Spanish international was a bit-part player at Real Madrid and even Juventus. The 24-year-old will need to become accustomed to playing a bigger role for his team, which could be a big change for Morata.
Potential to be a great striker
It was always going to be a tough task to replace Diego Costa at Chelsea. In fact, it is almost impossible. The Spanish international is out-of-favour and is unlikely to feature for the Blues. Morata is a completely different sort of player to his club and international teammate.
Morata does not have the devilment or fiery nature of Costa. However, he has many of the attributes that could prove vital to becoming a great striker. The 24-year-old is a very intelligent footballer and that will work in his favour in adapting to his new environment.
In many ways, Morata has all the potential to become a complete striker. To fulfil his potential, though, he needs to be playing regularly to develop his attributes.
However, for that, he needs to hit the ground running, as Batshuayi has shown good form in pre-season so far and now looks like a real contender for a starting role this season.
Morata no doubt has the potential to shine at Chelsea. The conditions need to be right for the Spaniard to thrive and become a success at Stamford Bridge, though.
Chelsea’s title bid may hinge on Morata’s form
Last season Chelsea’s title triumph was built on the play of Costa. The 28-year-old played a massive role for the Blues in both scoring and assisting goals. The striker’s absence will have a big effect on Chelsea’s title this season.
The Blues are odds of 7/2 to retain the Premier League crown this season. However, the Blues title challenge could well hinge on how Morata performs in his debut campaign in the Premier League. If he lives up to his goals per minute ratio of last season in La Liga, the Spaniard will be a success at Stamford Bridge.
People seem very quick to write-off Chelsea, and Morata in particular for the new campaign. However, as the Blues and the striker have proven in the past they are accustomed to the pressure at the top of the game.
