Morgan Rogers: Chelsea’s relentless Numbers Man

Morgan Rogers is a rare breed of attacker. The output man. Rain or shine, good game or bad, like the postman, he delivers the goods. He reminds me of players like Salah, Mané and Son. Supporting attackers who consistently hit numbers that strikers would be proud of. A striker’s instinct disguised in a midfielder’s body. It is so refreshing to see a forward play with that direct, killer instinct. So often in the modern game, restrictive systems dictate when a player should dribble, and more often, when he should simply recycle the ball. Rogers does not follow the rules. He is a heat seeking missile. He wants to go forward and he wants to shoot on sight. And it is not just the system. How many skilful, pacey forwards arrive in dangerous positions and then hesitate? You are out of your seat, screaming shoot, and they pass... There is a controversial new measurement in football, xG. It is not without its faults, but it is an interesting one and I am sure it will only improve in accuracy over time. I like to think of it in terms of golf. Hitting your xG is like scoring a par, it is what is expected of a professional. Those who outperform it are hitting birdies, which is why many argue it cannot be sustained over long periods. But Rogers has been doing it for seasons, not weeks. Last season at Aston Villa, he scored ten Premier League goals from an xG of 8.0, outperforming his expected total by two goals. This season at Chelsea, six games in, he has four goals from an xG of 1.9. A birdie machine. Chelsea paid £117 million to bring him from Aston Villa this summer, a British record fee. And one look at the player explains why. Rogers is a physical specimen, the ideal prototype of the modern footballer. Tall, strong and fast, with a change of direction that belies his frame. He has the technical attributes and footballing IQ to play across multiple midfield roles and across the attacking line. But I believe he is best suited to his current role, the inside forward off the left. Close to his fellow attackers and a sight of goal. But football is always about balance, and it is that balance which has enabled Rogers to excel in his short time at Chelsea. Across the full team, Chelsea are still finding their feet. But in attack, they are perfectly weighted. They have, arguably, the most complete centre forward in the league in Joao Pedro. A ruthless finisher. And then there is Palmer, who plays with the imagination of an artist and the execution of a sniper. The chemistry between the three is obvious. Like two hydrogens finding oxygen, the goals start running like water. There are always different styles of play. Jurgen Klopp once said of Arsene Wenger’s football: it is like an orchestra, a sweet symphony. But he preferred heavy metal. And in Rogers, Chelsea have their rockstar. As soon as the music starts, he finds the beat and starts attacking the drums.