By Rahman Osman
Follow on twitter @iamrahmanosman
Ghana defender Abdul Baba Rahman has completed a dream move to Chelsea. As a footballer I know very well from his days with Dreams FC and later Asante Kotoko I can’t hold but be happy for him.
I remember quite fondly, asking him about this persistent Chelsea interest that would never go away and the only thing he kept on repeating was that, “Rahman we leave it in the hands of God” this was just two months ago when Ghana was set to play Mauritius in Accra, for the AFCON 2017 qualifiers.
A player with a rear talent and composure that belittles his age, I am not surprised the almighty Jose Mourinho has decided to make him the most expensive summer acquisition of his side so far
What surprises me is the lack of vision of Baba’s supposed advisers. In my view despite OPTA’s statistics that shows he won more tackles than any other Bundesliga player, Baba Rahman still remains a potential, a rough diamond that still requires a season or at most two competitive football season to reach his peak, a platform that saddens me he won’t get at Chelsea for the under-listed reasons.
- Chelsea had the best defense in the English Premier League last season and the Jose Mourinho I know is a very conservative tactician who likes to stick to a working plan. The old phrase which says “If ain’t broken, don’t fix it,” fits this situation. I have heard the talk of Ivanovic dulling and the need to move Azpilicueta to right back paving the way for Baba to play at left back, but in as much I would love this to happen, it may not. This is despite Ivanovic having a nightmare afternoon against Ecuadorian Jefferson Anthonio Montero on the opening day. His best chances of playing regular football is at right back and not central defense and he will fight tooth and nail to impress the high standards of Mourinho leaving the fight, a straight one between Baba Rahman and Azpilicueta. For me, at the moment it’s just one winner and it’s the Spaniard. He ended Ashley Cole’s career, kept Brazilian Filipe Luis out of the team and I am afraid Baba might be added to the growing list.
- Chelsea’s history of lack of patience for youngsters. Commit a mistake and you are out of the team and the next thing you are loaned out.
Baba Rahman arrives with the same potential like Kevin de Bruyne, Romalu Lukaku, Egyptian Mohammed Sallah the list is endless. Before you know it, your career is on a nose-dive and you’d have to revive it elsewhere, not because they were not good but Jose Mourinho does not have the time to develop. He doesn’t entertain half baked players, he buys you to perform at the highest level and will bench you for God knows how long after just a poor game.
- Baba Rahman is an attacking fullback who is coming to play for a shrewd defensive genius. He will have to adapt his game, and failure to do so will see him thrown out of the team like Filipe Luis.
Before Filipe Luis arrived at Chelsea he had aided a relatively unknown Athletico Madrid side to win the Spanish La Liga. He played a key role as the Red and Whites reached the UEFA Champions league final in Lisbon but he had problems displacing Azpilicueta.Why? Because he was more attack minded than his direct competitor, I am afraid the same is said about Rahman. He is a delight to watch especially when he plays for the Black Stars just behind Andre Ayew and the Swansea City man who likes to cut in deep and allow him to make that overlapping run and send in an in swinger. It’s all rosy for the team but at Chelsea Jose sees two overlapping lateral defenders to be too risky. That is why during his days at Madrid he sometimes preferred Alvaro Albeloa ahead of even Dani Carvajal in big games like the Classico’s because Marcelo would attack and he wanted to have three men at the back any time they attacked an opponent. If Baba adapts, it would kill his attacking flair, if he doesn’t he is out of the team.
- Moving to a big club like Chelsea without pre-season with them, he will have to adapt to, not only their style of play but the environment, something that even bigger players have struggled to cope with.
Most people undermine the essence of settling in well and hitting the ground running but yes it is as important as signing the dotted lines. It took Didier Dogba an entire second half of the season to adapt to life in Chelsea when he arrived from Marseille. Why? because he arrived in January, no preseason, the food, the culture and even where he lived was a problem. He acknowledges the importance of getting to feel well in your new surroundings as being the reason for his ultimate success with the Blues. He says it was during pre-season games where pressure were at ultimate minimum that he properly understood what the coach demanded of him. Will Baba Rahman have the luxury? I guess your answer is as good as mine.
- The Pressure to make it at Chelsea where fellow West Africans have raised the bar higher, including his own country man made it big there Michael Essien. Failure to manage the pressure, and he will be doomed!
Chelsea is a club where West Africans, varying from Salomon Kalou, Mikel Obi, Didier Drogba, Jereme Njetab and Michale Essien have all attained legendary status. Baba would there is a standard he needs to maintain. Another psychological welfare the youngster will have to acknowledge and conquer.
Every kick and super moment will draw comparison with the once favorites of the blue.
As a person I am happy for him but as a Ghanaian I write with a lot of hope that he finds reason to prove me wrong and be a massive hit at the club.