Andy Townsend has claimed he can’t imagine a successful Chelsea team without key defender Antonio Rudiger.
A switch to a back-three system has seen Rudiger thrive as the left-sided centre-half. He dominates his area of the pitch with high intensity defending that is both physical and aggressive. In addition, he offers something on the ball when playing forward.
Ex-Chelsea player Townsend has highlighted the importance of the Germany international at Stamford Bridge, claiming his former club need him to be successful.
Townsend said: “You can’t imagine a successful Chelsea team without him. He’s got those inspirational qualities, he gets people off their seats as a centre-half! There aren’t too many that do that. Every now and again he goes crazy and tries to hit one, blazing it out onto the King’s Road.
“But he’s just got that about him. He wants it. He wants to make something happen for the team when it’s all gone a bit quiet. And defensively, very few players get the better of him.”
Rudiger is everything Tuchel wants from his team in terms of ferocity and it feels like he’s been delivering 8/10 performances every week this year. His influence at the back is so pivotal, which is why he’s played every minute of the 2021/22 season so far.
