The Curious Case Of Danny Drinkwater

[urban.spaceman]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-6411187/The-curious-case-Danny-Drinkwater-35m-forgotten-Premier-League-champion.html

 

The curious case of Danny Drinkwater – the £35m forgotten Premier League champion who is yet to play a single minute under Maurizio Sarri at Chelsea

• Danny Drinkwater's disappearing act is virtually complete at Stamford Bridge
• The England midfielder has not made a competitive appearance since March
• Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri made it clear he does not fit in his tactical system
• At 28, with the experience of a champion, Drinkwater ought to be in his prime 
• Drinkwater is now £35m outcast with three-and-a-half years to run on a contract 

By Matt Barlow for the Daily Mail

Published: 22:30, 20 November 2018 | Updated: 09:56, 21 November 2018

One year on from his decision to reject an England call-up and Danny Drinkwater’s disappearing act is virtually complete.

Drinkwater has not made a competitive appearance since March and Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri has made it clear he does not fit into his tactical system. ‘I told him two months ago what I think,’ said Sarri when quizzed on the matter.

There was no sign of him against Everton last time out, or in Belarus the week before because he is not in the Europa League squad.

Danny Drinkwater was a part of Leicester's title-winning squad before moving to Chelsea

 

At 28, with the experience of a champion, Drinkwater ought to be in his prime. Instead, he is a £35million outcast with three-and-a-half years to run on a contract which pays around £90,000 a week. 

His five Premier League starts since the transfer from Leicester have cost Chelsea more than £8m each, in terms of his fee and salary to date.

Drinkwater showed no interest in a move during the summer despite the indications he was not in the manager’s plans, but the opening months of his first campaign under Sarri have proved so bleak he is ready to consider his options as January approaches.

Even so, it may not be so simple. Chelsea will expect clubs to cover at least the bulk of his wages in a loan deal and want most of the fee back in any permanent move.

At 28 years old, with the experience of a champion, Drinkwater ought to be in his prime

Who will invest this sort of money in a player who has barely kicked a ball in 18 months?

Drinkwater has landed firmly outside Sarri’s circle of trust and those who worked with the coach in Italy know there is often no way back.

Even in the Carabao Cup, the Italian has not ventured far from his trusted few and sent first-team regulars on from the bench in the close contests against Liverpool and Derby. Only 14 players have started for Chelsea in the first dozen Premier League fixtures and only five others have appeared as substitutes.

Sarri operated the same way at Napoli to the annoyance of frustrated stars such as Emanuele Giaccherini.

‘He has a relationship problem with squad players,’ said Italy international and former Sunderland striker Giaccherini. ‘For him, there are only 14 or 15 players, but if you want to win things, you have to manage the entire squad. You have to make everyone feel important, but I didn’t feel like that at Napoli.’

Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri (L) made it clear that Drinkwater does not fit in his tactical system

Chelsea train ahead of Europa League tie against MOL Vida

 

Giaccherini predicted the policy would backfire when Sarri’s core of favourites tired and those on the fringes were not sharp enough to step in and help the cause. Perhaps he had a point. Napoli did fade and Juventus won the title.

This does not help Drinkwater, who had the courage to break out of Manchester United when upset to see other young players, including Brazilian Rodrigo Possebon, given first-team opportunities ahead of him.

He demanded the right to go on loan and joined Huddersfield, Cardiff, Watford and Barnsley before a permanent move to Leicester at the age of 21. 

‘A lot of players are happy to sit at a big club and not play and call themselves a Premier League footballer but Danny wasn’t like that,’ said Richie Wellens, a team-mate at Leicester who also came through the ranks at Manchester United.

‘He wanted to play and he showed his strength of character to go on loan because that’s where young players learn. Not all the loans worked out but he did well at Barnsley and earned his move.

‘At Leicester, he developed a good relationship with players, especially Jamie Vardy and provided a lot of assists, and his energy alongside N’Golo Kante was a big factor in them winning the league.

‘It was a risk to leave. Look at Vardy, still the main man at Leicester, playing well in a team producing results. Danny took another route. Perhaps he thought Chelsea was too good to turn down but it’s difficult.

‘Top players like Kante, Jorginho, Cesc Fabregas and Mateo Kovacic keep their form and chances are rare. It’s a shame. He’s not been given a run. He’s got to keep his head down, train hard.’

Kante has thrived at Stamford Bridge, but Drinkwater’s Chelsea experience went from bad to worse.

He arrived in the midst of Antonio Conte’s dispute with the board over recruitment and he suffered muscle injuries as the Italian coaching team tried to push him back to fitness.

Tiemoue Bakayoko, signed from Monaco, had a knee injury and deals for Ross Barkley and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain had fallen through. Nemanja Matic had been sold and Conte was short in midfield.

The midfielder has not made a competitive appearance since March and is often overlooked

Drinkwater did not feel 100 per cent fit last November so he rejected Southgate’s invitation to be part of his squad for friendlies against Germany and Brazil.

With Jordan Henderson, Harry Winks and Fabian Delph absent, England deployed Jake Livermore, Eric Dier, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Jack Cork in midfield over two games and Southgate has not felt the need to return to Drinkwater.

His international career, which started with an impressive debut against Holland, consists of three appearances in friendlies under Roy Hodgson in 2016.

There is no prospect of this changing while he languishes at Chelsea.

[Tuna]

What a farcical mess the Silva / Drinkwater transfer was for all parties.

[AKCJ]

I'd ship Silva back to Portugal and have Danny back and starting for us in a heartbeat.

[ScouseFox]

pretty sad, really, when you read it like that. genuinely superb footballer and outside of the top 4 or 5 would be starting every week but made a big move and got unlucky. 

 

I still can't work out if he's the type of person who would genuinely not even be that arsed if he plays or not, or if he's the type of person who would happily keep going down until he ends up in the conference somewhere aged about 43 still playing just because he loves playing. 

[ealingfox]

Don't feel sorry for him but yeah if we can ship out Silva and get him back for like 15m tops I'd be down with that. If his body isn't clapping out already that is.

Edited 21 November 2018 by ealingfox

[Collymore]

Living in London earning £90K a week with time on his hands. My heart bleeds. 

Edited 21 November 2018 by Collymore

[H.a.r.r.y]

1 hour ago, Collymore said:

Living in London earning £90K a week with time on his hands. My heart bleeds. 

he probably doesn't care about playing anymore as well

[Dan]

Only winners in the whole thing were Sporting.

[fuchsntf]

3 hours ago, ealingfox said:

Don't feel sorry for him but yeah if we can ship out Silva and get him back for like 15m tops I'd be down with that. If his body isn't clapping out already that is.

That's the point though!!!  How is his fitness future potential.

If We knew we could get at least   ca  25+ games per season  in the next 2-3 seasons.He's worth a punt,but only IMO at 12m tops.

It is our risk,and we help Chelsea with their wage-bill!!

 

Then the next question..how do we fit him in.  His he way better,with more quality than the present,first 4 choices....

Maddison,Ndidi,Mendy,Iborra,plus James with Gray & Albrighton taking the Wback come midfield positions ..plus any youngster Puel/club may have in mind.

Though he needs to prove it still, I haven't yet given up on Silva,unless Puel has erased him from 1st team memory!!!

 

It hurts to say it, but I can't see him cutting it again here.Though if he was given another chance,I would welcome him back into the fold,and

Support him fully,but he would need to hit the ground running after 5-6 games!!!  For me there are other adventures,we & the scouting/coaching staff

should concentrate on!!!

[fuchsntf]

4 hours ago, ScouseFox said:

pretty sad, really, when you read it like that. genuinely superb footballer and outside of the top 4 or 5 would be starting every week but made a big move and got unlucky. 

 

I still can't work out if he's the type of person who would genuinely not even be that arsed if he plays or not, or if he's the type of person who would happily keep going down until he ends up in the conference somewhere aged about 43 still playing just because he loves playing. 

I think he was at the crux,of proving he is a superb player,but fate intervened!!!

Unless he makes a comeback,I never put him in that superb category...He had IMO 3 good/top seasons at Leicester,and he was another player

I defended,against hell of alot of early negative posts. If he's fit and can put the nagging injuries behind him,at 28 he can still have 5-7 seasons

at the PL level.

[m4DD0gg]

you reap what you sow

[siraaj_lcfc]

I have no sympathy towards Danny. People like Kante and Mahrez deserved to go on and play for better clubs. Danny Drinkwater didn't. He wanted to follow the money, even if it meant being a benchwarmer at Chelsea. There have been calls for us to take him back on loan, Personally I wouldn't seeing as he's ruined his career and hasn't played since god knows when.

[ScouseFox]

10 minutes ago, siraaj_lcfc said:

I have no sympathy towards Danny. People like Kante and Mahrez deserved to go on and play for better clubs. Danny Drinkwater didn't. He wanted to follow the money, even if it meant being a benchwarmer at Chelsea. There have been calls for us to take him back on loan, Personally I wouldn't seeing as he's ruined his career and hasn't played since god knows when.

why didn’t he? 

 

he was just as deserving of bettering himself as mahrez or kante, he got the same offer as kante and he took it. just transpired that he wasn’t actually as good as kante and i’m not sure any chelsea manager who’s been in charge during his reign actually wanted to sign him. 

[surrifox]

He’s Chelsea’s problem don’t let’s make it ours 

[Xen]

Would happily take him back, but only if the fee is within ~£5m of what we recoup on Silva and he takes a cut in wages. A 2-year loan with no recall and us paying the full wages wouldn't be a bad deal, either. Chelsea must be eager to get him off their books one way or another.

 

Brilliant player who backed his own ability and tried making a move to the next level. Didn't work out for numerous reasons, but he still has the ability and would improve our midfield.

 

 

Not sure Puel will be keen, though.

[Jon the Hat]

Some of you have no ****ing heart.  Danny was as much a part of the title win as anyone was.  I'd have any of them back.

[FoxNotFox]

1 hour ago, m4DD0gg said:

you reap what you sow

Well, yes, but I wouldn't word it that harshly.

 

He decided it was time to move on (fair enough, I have no problems with that)  and, on paper, a move to Chelsea IS a move up. I don't judge him for those aspirations. It was never a given that he'd be first name on the team sheet there, and he perhaps backed himself to force his way into being a 1st team regular. It was going to be a challenge for him, even back then. It was a roll of the dice on his part.

 

Since then, Chelsea have a different manager and have bolstered their midfield options... and Barkley is the new best thing. DD is not getting a look in and that roll of the dice now seems to have gone against him. It happens and I feel a little sorry for him.

 

What he does from here is another big decision for him. He might be happy to take the pay cheque and see out his contract but I doubt it. It wouldn't be his nor Chelsea's (it seems) preferred option. Whatever he does, I wish him well, I have no axe to grind. That said, I don't see him back with us. There's neither the space nor need, and beyond that, he's not a fit to our new style. 

[m4DD0gg]

20 minutes ago, FoxNotFox said:

Well, yes, but I wouldn't word it that harshly.

 

He decided it was time to move on (fair enough, I have no problems with that)  and, on paper, a move to Chelsea IS a move up. I don't judge him for those aspirations. It was never a given that he'd be first name on the team sheet there, and he perhaps backed himself to force his way into being a 1st team regular. It was going to be a challenge for him, even back then. It was a roll of the dice on his part.

 

Since then, Chelsea have a different manager and have bolstered their midfield options... and Barkley is the new best thing. DD is not getting a look in and that roll of the dice now seems to have gone against him. It happens and I feel a little sorry for him.

 

What he does from here is another big decision for him. He might be happy to take the pay cheque and see out his contract but I doubt it. It wouldn't be his nor Chelsea's (it seems) preferred option. Whatever he does, I wish him well, I have no axe to grind. That said, I don't see him back with us. There's neither the space nor need, and beyond that, he's not a fit to our new style. 

Hes there for the money plain and simple, the previous manager didnt want him either and he was purchased by the club.

 

Obviously a leicester legend but like most who leave us its very rare that things turn out better on the pitch.

[mancunianfox]

He was great for us but I just can't see a return working out, I think we need to move on. Hope he rinses Chelsea for that salary over the next three and a half years.

[RowlattsFox]

I think he could play in the current Chelsea midfield, their job seems to be make lots of short passes until Hazard gets in some space. Problem being Drinkwater is probably not patient enough and wants to play the Hollywood pass too soon. He's barely had a chance to proof himself there.

 

Was always a strange signing, I don't blame Drinkwater for going. You have to back yourself as a player but I don't think Chelsea ever really wanted him. I'd probably take him back if we got rid of a few squad players. I hope he gets a move and gets back on track because I want him to do well.

[foxy boxing]

His career has stalled at Chelsea and he needs to move for first team football, lets be honest he went to Chelsea for the money knowing he wouldn't be playing a lot of games like a lot of footballers that go there. he needs regular game time not bits and pieces appearances. still a good player and can offer a club something but he needs to get a move sorted.

[CosbehFox]

2 hours ago, siraaj_lcfc said:

I have no sympathy towards Danny. People like Kante and Mahrez deserved to go on and play for better clubs. Danny Drinkwater didn't. He wanted to follow the money, even if it meant being a benchwarmer at Chelsea. There have been calls for us to take him back on loan, Personally I wouldn't seeing as he's ruined his career and hasn't played since god knows when.

Sorry that's bollocks - it's common of fans from 'small clubs' to say this when a player leaves to one of the big six.  Danny Drinkwater joined the Champions of England - they were a better club and still are. They have probably the world's third best player in their ranks. 

 

If I am a player whose won the league with an unfancied club and worked with them to get into the Champions League Quarter-Finals, in the process proving myself to be a player capable of playing 'at the top level, I want to play again at that top level. I would back myself do that again. 

 

If you said you wouldn't make that move - then you are unambitious and have no belief in your own ability. His wages at Chelsea are probably only nominally better than he would get paid here. He went for it - had an injury, couldn't make the impact and now finds himself with a manager who uses 14 players all season. 

 

The same applies to Kante and Mahrez. They tasted the big time and they wanted more. I'd expect the same of anyone in another walk of life and in another occupation. Still say the reason Vardy didn't go was that it was Arsenal who wanted him. A club who realistically struggle to compete with the other five and as it stands, he wouldn't have played in Champions League football for them. 

[siraaj_lcfc]

3 minutes ago, Cardiff_Fox said:

Sorry that's bollocks - it's common of fans from 'small clubs' to say this when a player leaves to one of the big six.  Danny Drinkwater joined the Champions of England - they were a better club and still are. They have probably the world's third best player in their ranks. 

 

If I am a player whose won the league with an unfancied club and worked with them to get into the Champions League Quarter-Finals, in the process proving myself to be a player capable of playing 'at the top level, I want to play again at that top level. I would back myself do that again. 

 

If you said you wouldn't make that move - then you are unambitious and have no belief in your own ability. His wages at Chelsea are probably only nominally better than he would get paid here. He went for it - had an injury, couldn't make the impact and now finds himself with a manager who uses 14 players all season. 

 

The same applies to Kante and Mahrez. They tasted the big time and they wanted more. I'd expect the same of anyone in another walk of life and in another occupation. Still say the reason Vardy didn't go was that it was Arsenal who wanted him. A club who realistically struggle to compete with the other five and as it stands, he wouldn't have played in Champions League football for them. 

Totally Respect That but can you seriously say that Drinkwater was on the same level as Kante and Mahrez. And as for Vardy, I doubt that he would have left if it was Arsenal or an even bigger club.

Edited 22 November 2018 by siraaj_lcfc

[CosbehFox]

23 minutes ago, siraaj_lcfc said:

Totally Respect That but can you seriously say that Drinkwater was on the same level as Kante and Mahrez. And as for Vardy, I doubt that he would have left if it was Arsenal or an even bigger club.

You've completely misunderstood my point - didn't even state that Drinkwater is on the same level. I just stated he achieved the same success as Kante/Mahrez (therefore 'deserved' a move) and he believed in his ability to join a big club. 

 

You are looking it with Leicester eyes if you think Vardy wouldn't have joined Manchester City or Chelsea or Liverpool when we won the league. 

[yorkie1999]

Wait till next season, he'll be playing.