Ex-Chelsea Defender Cundy: Rogers Off to Strong Start, Defense Remains the Problem
The short version
- Morgan Rogers joined Chelsea from Aston Villa in July for a reported 117 million pounds.
- He has three goals and one assist in five Premier League appearances, plus three assists in a 6-3 Carabao Cup win over Leeds.
- Jason Cundy said consistency will determine whether the fee is justified.
- Cundy argued Chelsea's defensive issues are a bigger concern than the attack.
Jason Cundy praised Morgan Rogers' fast start at Chelsea but said the club's season hinges more on fixing its defensive issues.
Morgan Rogers has made an immediate impact since joining Chelsea from Aston Villa in July for a reported 117 million pounds. The 24-year-old has three goals and an assist in his first five Premier League appearances, and he added three assists in a 6-3 Carabao Cup win over Leeds United.
Former Chelsea defender Jason Cundy said Rogers has already shown why the club pushed hard to sign him, while noting that big-money transfers are ultimately judged over a full season rather than a strong opening stretch.
Cundy's wider point was that Chelsea's attack is not the concern. He argued the bigger question is whether the squad is secure enough defensively to support its ambitions, and that the club's transfer planning may be judged as much on the back line as on the summer's headline signing.
Rogers has fit quickly into a forward group that includes Cole Palmer, Joao Pedro and Estevao, with his understanding with Palmer drawing particular attention under manager Xabi Alonso.
Speaking separately, Cundy also discussed men's health, drawing on his own testicular cancer diagnosis at age 26 while at Ipswich Town. He backed initiatives such as Prostate United and named Petr Cech, Ashley Cole, John Terry, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba among Chelsea greats, referencing the club's 2012 Champions League win in Munich.
