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Thoughts on Eden Hazard’s move to Chelsea – May 29th 2012
It’s hard to think of anybody who’s acquired more of a negative reputation for themselves in this country without kicking a ball in the Premier League.
Eden Hazard’s has spent the last couple of months leading the European media on a merry dance with his ambiguities and social media hinting, prolonging his time in the spotlight to the point where, now that he has made up his mind, he’ll be arriving in England with a giant target on his back.
The English sports press love nothing more than knocking an ego back down to Earth, so unless Hazard’s continually exceptional in a Chelsea shirt, he better get ready for a rough ride.
Supposedly, one of the conditions which affected Hazard’s choice of club was the guarantee that he would be employed in a withdrawn forward role. That’s understandable from a player’s point of view, but not necessarily from the club’s – and especially not from a club without a permanent manager in place.
This brings back into question the issue over who’s making these transfer decisions at Chelsea – and who’s giving guarantees over the structure of the first team. How can a player be guaranteed a certain role without the input of the manager responsible for picking the team. It’s worrying.
Add into this, the already completed transfers of Kevin De Bruyne, Marko Marin, and the rumoured approach for Hulk – and Chelsea look like they’re going to be over-endowed with attacking players for the new season. It’s almost reminiscent of the first year of Sheik Mansour’s reign at Manchester City: buy headline making players, work out how they all fit into the team later.
Eden Hazard is a fantastic player, and we should all be grateful that he’s going to be playing in England next season, but there just doesn’t seem to be a lot of method to the process at Stamford Bridge at the moment.
Thoughts on Chelsea’s managerial situation – May 27th 2012
What would you be thinking if you were Roberto Di Matteo?
Having taken over a volatile situation at Stamford Bridge on an interim basis, the Italian finished the season with both an FA Cup and Champions League winners medal.
So why the continued bluster over Pep Guardiola?
Let’s get this right – Di Matteo delivers the one prize that Roman Abramovich has craved more than any other, and he’s still not being offered the job. We’ve voiced concerns on this site about why Di Matteo might not be a good long-term fit for the job, but he deserves to be treated better than this.
Remember, for all intents and purposes, Pep Guardiola is as much of a risk as any other manager who hasn’t worked in England before – the Spaniard’s success at Camp Nou was, after all, built on the staggering quality of his squad. Would he have won this season’s European Cup with the current Chelsea side?
The counter to that argument is the presumption that Abramovich wants a long-term, dynasty-style approach at his football club. That’s fine, but if there’s one thing you don’t associate with being Chelsea’s manager, then it’s being given time to develop a side and afforded the opportunity to imprint an image on the club.
What’s the point of that philosophy if you’ve shown yourself time-after-time to be impatient for success? If Guardiola came in next season and failed to win anything, any work that had been achieved in the background would be ignored and his job would be under pressure – repeat that for a second year, and he’d be sacked.
Same old post-Mourinho Chelsea: one step forward, two steps back.
This obsession with star-quality and big-names is hurting the club. If you’ve got a formula that appears to be working, then why mess about with it? Di Matteo has the team winning trophies, so why is his lack of image and status within the game hurting his chances for the job full-time?
Regardless of your thoughts on Di Matteo and what he could achieve, he’s actually being treated very poorly now – what more could have been asked from him?
Thoughts on Chelsea’s interest in Hulk – May 25th 2012
Really? You’re actually considering spending that much on this player?
The BBC are reporting that Chelsea have entered into negotiations with Porto over Brazilian forward Hulk. Two things; firstly he’s going to cost a sum of money wildly disproportionate to his talent, and secondly, Chelsea are once again buying players without having a permanent manager in place.
Who makes these decisions at the club? And how wise it to build a squad without establishing who’s actually going to be responsible for managing it?
When will they learn this lesson – European Cup or no European Cup, last season’s league campaign was an abject failure, so maybe a rethink is needed? How about – just to be revolutionary – the manager buys the players, not some faceless background character with no accountability.
A case in point: Hulk doesn’t fit into this team. Regardless of this site’s belief that he’s a vastly-overrated novelty player, accommodating him is going to be extremely difficult. He’s not going to play as an out-and-out forward, so he’d be battling for a place in the team with Juan Mata, Marko Marin, Daniel Sturridge, Frank Lampard, and Ramires. Four of whom are better footballers, and all of whom are a better fit for the current Chelsea system.
It’s mystifying – how about spending this money on a new right-back or a holding midfielder to replace Jon Obi Mikel and Michael Essien.
Four candidates to replace Didier Drogba at Chelsea – May 23rd 2012
Roberto Soldado
So perilous has been Valencia’s financial situation in recent years, that the club have been powerless to stop their biggest assets slipping through their fingers – and while the bottom line is a little less concerning these days, a serious bid would likely see Roberto Soldado join those who have already departed.
While the Spanish international doesn’t have anything like the physical presence of Didier Drogba, he’s still a twin threat with both his both his feet and head. In his two seasons at La Mestalla, he’s managed a return of over a goal a game, and has a set of attributes which would translate into the English game.
Luuk De Jong
As adept at putting the ball into the net as he is at putting others in position to do so. FC Twente’s De Jong has scored a remarkable 25 in 32 in the Eredivisie this year, and his future is extremely bright. Great awareness, a creative mind on the pitch, and technically very astute – he also has the upside of being able to play as both a lone forward and in a withdrawn role. The second option being particularly pertinent if Chelsea want to avoid marginalising Fernando Torres this Summer.
De Jong is still only 21 though, and his game occasionally shows signs of rawness that will have to be tolerated by any side making a move for him now – definitely one for the future, but maybe don’t expect an immediate return.
Fernando Llorente
The premier forward outside of Barcelona and Madrid. Llorente is like a more physical and more experienced version of Luuk De Jong – and his price tag will reflect that. 6ft5, physical, outstanding in the air, and very comfortable with the ball at his feet – if a prototype for the modern forward existed, it would look like the 27 year-old from Pamplona.
As rare as it is to say this, he’s a forward without any weaknesses. As he should be for the £35m that Athletic Bilbao reportedly want for him.
Gonzalo Higuain
A gossip column favourite.
Probably the most likely option on this list, given Jose Mourinho’s perceived preference for Karim Benzema at Real Madrid – Higuain wants a move, and Chelsea could afford him. Two-plus-two logic…
His credentials are fine: he’s scored over twenty goals in three of the last four seasons, and his range of finishing is fairly eclectic. Combine that with a physique suited to English football, and Chelsea could do a lot worse.
The most natural goalscorer of the four.
Why Chelsea should now sell Fernando Torres – May 21st 2012
A player can be out of form, he can be struggling for confidence, and he can also not contribute to the extent expected of him – those are all uncontrollable elements with a football player, and they can all be tolerated by a manager and a club.
But the moment he starts taking issues out of house and straight to the media, that’s where you have to draw the line. It’s so selfish and typical of the pampered modern player.
What was so disappointing about Fernando Torres’ comments over the weekend was obviously the timing; never will you get a purer example of a player putting himself before the team. A generation of Chelsea stars reaches a goal that they’ve collectively worked towards for eight years, and Torres is bleating about not starting the game. Really?
Even if this an integral performer, a key component of the squad, it’s completely intolerable – there’s no excuse for talking out of school – especially not when it’s to the backdrop of a European Cup parade.
Whoever is installed as the next Chelsea manager has to remodel this team, and top of the agenda is replacing Didier Drogba, who’s supposedly off to China to join Nicolas Anelka. Torres doesn’t fit that role, he’s not a fraction of the presence the Ivorian is, and he’ll never develop the same talismanic quality that Drogba brings to the side.
The logic next step here, is to acknowledge that Torres is never going to be what he was at Liverpool, and that he’s never going to be able to occupy the role Chelsea need him to perform. He’s a £50m elephant in the room, and if his attitude is focused on himself rather than how he can contribute at Stamford Bridge, then why should the club continue to persevere with him? Regardless of his poor form, Torres still has a decent value in the market, so why not cash him in?
Financial Fair Play is just around the corner, and regardless of their affluence, Chelsea can’t afford to carry players who aren’t pulling their weight – and especially not ones who are going to be actively disruptive.
Recoup some of the original fee, and go after someone like Roberto Soldado. Fernando Torres has shortchanged Chelsea with his contribution, and the club can’t wait forever for him to snap out of his malaise.
Fernando Torres raining on Chelsea’s parade – May 20th 2012
Most of you will have read the quotes from Fernando Torres today, so there’s no real need to repeat them. If you have someone managed to avoid them, here’s are some snippets – from which you can guess the rest.
“I’m not happy. Before the game I felt it was going to be one of my best moments and I came with great desire and ambition. But then I had to start on the bench. I felt huge disappointment when I saw the starting line up, maybe the biggest disappointment of my life.
I wanted to take a penalty but they didn’t let me.
This season I felt things I had never felt. I felt they have treated me in a way I was not expecting, not the manner for which the club brought me here.
We have had many conversations and now the season is finished we will have more talks to see what happens in the future because this is not the role for which I came.”
When will players learn that sometimes – just occasionally – the world doesn’t revolve around them. Every so often, the team takes priority over their own agendas. At a guess, winning the European Cup probably trumps Torres’ issue with being a substitute.
And another thing Fernando, if ‘the biggest disappointment of your life’ is only playing in part of a Champions League final, then you’re doing ok for yourself.
What’s so acutely irritating about this, is that it’s another example of a player believing he’s owed something by his club. False – players are purchased and paid by the clubs, and then allocated accordingly. If Torres really wants to go down the ‘brought to the club under false pretences’ road, then couldn’t that be turned on him? Chelsea thought they’d bought a £50m forward, and instead they’ve got a confidence-free shadow of what they were shown in the particulars.
Fernando Torres did not start for Chelsea last night, because he hasn’t earned a place in the team. Roberto Di Matteo’s decision to start Didier Drogba looks, retrospectively, to have been a fairly good decision – wouldn’t you say ‘Nando?
If a player’s not happy at a club, then fine – move on, but don’t use the stage created by a collective triumph to vent over petty grievances.
It’s yet another case of a footballer showing a quite staggering level of self-awareness – and it has no place in the news, today of all days.
Chelsea take note: Oscar Cardozo set to leave Benfica – May 17th 2012
A lot of talk has always accompanied Oscar Cardozo – there’s always been a hypothetical question over whether his goalscoring prowess would translate from the Portuguese league to a stronger competition. Goals and statistics from minor leagues should always be treated with caution, but Cardozo’s 86 goal return from 126 appearances is still pretty impressive – particularly as he’s averaged more than a goal every two games in the last four seasons consecutively.
Just being a goalscorer obviously isn’t enough in the elite leagues in Europe, but the Paraguayan is more than that: 6ft4, and good on the ball, he ticks the target man box that is so important in a contemporary forward. Add into that mix that he’s also a set-piece expert and a rock-solid penalty taker – albeit with a strange and stuttering technique – and you have quite a package.
Chelsea should look at him. With Didier Drogba more than likely to depart Stamford Bridge this Summer, the Blues are in need of a new focal point. Fernando Torres looks like he’s returning to something approaching his best, but there needs to be a credible variation up front available to whoever is managing the side next season. Have Torres’ pace, dynamism and ability to finish, but combine it with the physical presence of a forward in the Oscar Cardozo mould.
Talksport have picked up on reports in Portugal that the forward is going to be allowed to leave Benfica this season – and they’ve projected that a £12m fee would be enough to persuade them to sell. That has to be worth a risk, particularly given the comparative value in the rest of the market.
Warning Chelsea off Hulk – May 16th 2012
There isn’t a more overrated or overhyped player in European football than Porto’s Brazilian forward Hulk. He of the £85m buyout clause. Lots and lots of hot air.
Setanta reported yesterday that Chelsea have already completed a deal for the player following their long-standing interest.
Whoever it is at Chelsea who makes transfer decisions certainly seems to hold at least a passing interest in the Lou Ferrigno-lookalike, but Setanta are probably jumping the gun by claiming anything has already been done.
Here’s the deal with Hulk – he’s just a YouTube player. He’s a collection of impressive highlights rather than a complete forward – a flat-track bully making hay in a defensively inferior league.
And Chelsea don’t need him.
He’s not an out-and-out forward, and so would be competing for a place in the team with Juan Mata, Marko Marin, Kevin De Bruyne, and Daniel Sturridge – all of whom are arguably better players. De Bruyne may not be yet, but will be within a few years.
Given the extravagant transfer fee it would take to bring Hulk to England, this should be a non-starter. Nobody would talk about this guy without his novelty moniker – he’s a myth. Goalscoring statistics, goals-to-games ratios? Don’t care, they’ve been accumulated while playing for one of the dominant teams in a weak league.
“You’re not incredible”
Chelsea vs Liverpool: Thoughts from Wembley – May 6th 2012
How Andre Villas-Boas must have hated watching Chelsea over the last couple of weeks. Cohesive, organised and structured – and with key players giving performances worthy of their reputations. Chelsea are everything under Roberto Di Matteo that they weren’t under the Portuguese.
On current form, Frank Lampard deserves to be starting for England ahead of Steven Gerrard. All season long we’ve listened to the press declare Lampard to be ‘finished’ and ‘past his prime’, yet he was imperious in both semi-final legs against Barcelona and his distribution at Wembley today was exemplary. Steven Gerrard’s contribution over the same period? Minimal. Roy Hodgson wants to pick his first eleven for Euro 2012 on form rather than reputation, and that, currently, means Lampard rather than Gerrard alongside Scott Parker.
Jay Spearing isn’t good enough for this level of football. Spearing tries very hard and has the workrate, but his understanding of the game is not advanced enough to perform the tasks needed of him. He was at fault at the source of both goals – Lucas Leiva really can’t be back quick enough.
Jose Enrique is not quite as good as we all thought he was. Maybe it’s a confidence issue, but this is not the same player who starred for Newcastle last season. Watch Ramires’ opening goal again – what’s the Spaniard doing?
Petr Cech is something of a renaissance man. Excellent against Barcelona – in both games – and some critical interventions at Wembley today. Yes, yes, we know what we said about him – more humble pie being eaten.
Didier Drogba’s finish for his goal was excellent, he put the ball in the only place he could’ve scored. That aside, the Ivorian’s contribution was once again excellent, and – if this is to be his last season in England – he’s making a powerful statement about how difficult it will be for Chelsea to replace him.
Chelsea vs Liverpool (Carling Cup Final 2005) – May 4th 2012
Hands up if you preferred the Millenium Stadium to Wembley as a cup final venue?
With the roof closed, there was something really special and other-worldly about that atmosphere in Cardiff.
With Chelsea and Liverpool set to go head-to-head tomorrow for the FA Cup, let’s go back to 2005 and the last time these two met in a major final – and Jose Mourinho’s first final in English football.
This was a great game of football.
Why Chelsea should be wary of appointing Roberto Di Matteo full-time – May 3rd 2012
Roberto Di Matteo has been put in a no-lose situation at Chelsea. Regardless of what happened after he took over from Andre Villas-Boas, he had a ready-made set of mitigating circumstances because of the Portuguese’s perceived failure.
Being an interim and being a full-time manager are two very different jobs, and as such Chelsea fans should be wary of demanding the Italian’s appointment on a full-time basis.
A two-legged victory over Barcelona in the Champions League is an outstanding achievement, of course it is, but it’s in isolation – you can’t judge a manager on a cup competition alone. As such, is Di Matteo really the right man to be leading Chelsea through a league campaign, away from the natural euphoria of the Champions League?
One factor that goes against him is his relationship with the players. Ultimately, it’s the matey-ness that makes him unsuitable – Chelsea’s next manager still needs to oversee an overhaul of this squad, and Di Matteo doesn’t have the ruthless qualities needed for that. It’s one of the ironies of being a manager: sometimes the closer you are to your players, the harder it becomes to do your job.
If Di Matteo wants to be the man to lead this side through the impending transitional phase, then he needs to shed his ‘Robbie’ persona, and become more of a ‘boss’ or ‘gaffer’ – otherwise, how is he going to develop the detachment needed to be a leader of this club?
What’s led to Chelsea’s mini-revival is a collective spirit, which was clear for all to see in the Nou Camp. However, that isn’t necessarily to be confused with effective management – you suspect that what’s fostered that spirit is the ego damage that these players have suffered through the press, rather than inspirational leadership.
Di Matteo has been a calming influence at Chelsea, which in the wake of Villas-Boas’ oppressive tenure was something that the squad desperately needed. The side, barring last night, are playing with a sense of freedom and joy again, and that’s the product of a more relaxed atmosphere – the rigidity and fear that were hallmarks of the AVB reign are long gone. In the short term that’s great, but there’s nothing to suggest yet that Di Matteo has the unwavering respect of the players, nor the tactical acumen of a Jose Mourinho. Does he even have the managerial standing in the game to attract the kind of players that Chelsea fans will want to see arrive at the club in the Summer – especially given the question mark over continued Champions League involvement.
None of those are definitive points, but they all add up to a caveat about where Di Matteo may be lacking – Roman Abramovich needs to make an appointment based on proven credentials, not just because of a short-term feel good factor.
Gonzalo Higuain to Chelsea: Maybe not so unlikely – April 29th 2012
We should all be used to outlandish transfer rumours involving Chelsea by now, and most us will have dismissed their link with Real Madrid forward Gonzalo Higuain with a bit of a shrug.
Just about every paper in the country has run this one, and maybe it’s not quite as silly as originally thought.
Higuain has lost his place in Jose Mourinho’s team, and supposedly his agent Norberto Cacho will meet with club officials next week to establish whether his client has a long-term future at the Bernabeu. Depending on the outcome of that meeting – which will probably be negative – the Argentine will probably looking for a new club in the Summer.
Chelsea beware though, PSG will be bidding for everything and anything in the off-season, and their ‘wells’ of resources run pretty deep.
Chelsea have already made their first signing ahead of 2012/13, with an agreement being reached with Werder Bremen yesterday for German playmaker Marko Marin.
Marko Marin: What Chelsea have bought – April 28th 2012
In short, a quite brilliant little playmaker.
Chelsea have reached an agreement to sign German international Marko Marin from Werder Bremen today, and that should be the cause of huge excitement at Stamford Bridge.
We’ll leave the discussion of who exactly is making the transfer decisions at Stamford Bridge for another day, and instead you can have some video of Marin. A fantastic player in the making.
Champions League: Three predictions for Chelsea & Barcelona – April 24th 2012
Chelsea will have a man sent-off
Barcelona seem to have a strange hold over referees, particularly in the Nou Camp. The obvious threat in Barcelona is the intricacy of the football, but a close second is the skullduggery that has become a Catalan hallmark. Get ready for a night of howling, whistling, and histrionics – if Barca don’t have their way early on, watch for them to start targeting the referee and imploring him to make their task easier.
There’s no sense of a conspiracy, more that Pep Gaurdiola’s side have mastered the art of manipulating officials. Couple that with the weight of a 97,000-strong crowd, and it’s a brave official that refuses to issue a second yellow on command.
Ramires, watch your step – you’ve got history.
A red card in the match? 5/2 with William Hill (free £25 welcome bet)
A defensive blunder will cost Chelsea a goal
As well as they performed at Stamford Bridge, there’s something really unnerving about the Petr Cech, Gary Cahill, and John Terry defensive axis. Cahill was outstanding six days ago, but everything that Terry did had a hint of desperation about it – it was all last gasp, ‘on the stretch’, Jamie Carragher-style defending. While that may appear heroic, over a given period of time the odds of keeping a clean sheet if you defend like that greatly diminish.
Petr Cech? Well, sorry to say it, but he’s got an error in him these days – and all it takes is one questionable moment and Barcelona are right back in this game. Given the speed Barca have in the penalty box, he can’t let anything rebond off him, his hands have to be secure, and his decision-making must be perfect.
Terry or Cech will board the plane back to London with regrets.
Barcelona to score in both halves – 8/11 with William Hill (free £25 welcome bet)
…but Chelsea will score
Why can’t they? Gerard Pique, Javier Mascherano, Gerard Pique, Adriano and Victor Valdes – that’s hardly an intimidating back five. If Petr Cech is a risk going into the fixture, then double the doubt over Victor Valdes – he’s a problem for Guardiola. The way that Barca play in La Liga, and the standard of the opposition that they face, goes a long way to disguising their defensive frailties – such is the Cruyff philosophy at the Nou Camp; you don’t win games with defenders.
Really? Well you can definitely lose them in the Champions League. Attacking set-pieces, shots from distance, balls played over the top for Didier Drogba – these are all avenues that Chelsea should be looking at. If they make that Spanish defense work – and don’t just allow them to pass the ball around on the halfway line – then eventually Chelsea will profit from it.
Didier Drogba to score at anytime – 7/2 with William Hill (free £25 welcome bet)
Three ways in which Chelsea can qualify in the Nou Camp – April 23rd 2012
Show ambition
Nobody can go to the Nou Camp, camp in their box, and expect to come away with anything – Barcelona are too good. Yes, they’ve now lost two games in a row, but that doesn’t mean that they’ve suddenly become incapable of unpicking a defence. As long as Xavi, Iniesta, Messi and Alexis Sanchez are on the pitch, it’s just too risky to invite them on to you.
Chelsea’s success at Stamford Bridge was built on defensive discipline and being compact and organised in their own half. Obviously, the same has to be the case on Tuesday night. That being said, Chelsea need to show some intent going forward, otherwise Barca’s attacking momentum will eventually punish them.
Additionally, if there’s one weakness in this side, it’s their defense – so why would you not target that area?
Maintain discipline
The same as last week, but with added emphasis.
A Champions League referee never needs much encouragement to show a red card in the Nou Camp – season-after-season Pep Guardiola’s side have benefited from numerical advantages in the knockout stages, and that’s not a battle Chelsea want to be fighting.
Roberto Di Matteo’s last words to his players? Stay on your feet, walk away from everything, and don’t give Sergio Busquets any chance to roll around. You get the idea.
Make attacking set-pieces count
Whether Guardiola recalls Gerard Pique or not, Barcelona’s defensive organisation just isn’t good enough, especially around set-pieces – people don’t notice this because the Catalans are usually so dominant in games. Victor Valdes is a liability – he should’ve kept Didier Drogba’s goal out last week and his positioning was at fault for both Real Madrid goals at the weekend. Any chance Chelsea get, they have to put him to the test; corners need to be swinging in on top of him, and free-kicks need to be whipped into the area between him and his defenders – put the ball into testing areas, and he’ll cough up mistakes. An away goal will make Chelsea’s night an awful lot easier, and snatching one is well within the realm of possibility.
Four ways in which Arsenal can beat Barcelona – April 18th 2012
Stay disciplined
For all their merits as a footballing side, Barcelona are also keen practitioners of the darker arts in the game. It’s no coincidence that the Spaniards’ opponents are so frequently reduced to ten men in the Champions League knockout stages – because they cheat. They dive, they roll around, they try to influence referees – Chelsea can’t afford to be sucked into that, because composure is the prerequisite for defeating this side.
If anybody goes anywhere Sergio Busquets, Daniel Alves, or Andres Iniesta, those players are going to go down like they’ve been hit by a train. As difficult a problem as it is to avoid, Chelsea have got to try, because they certainly won’t progress without keeping eleven men on the field for all 180 minutes.
Referees, just like most fans, have a tendency to be mesmerised by this side, and there’s been a very clear pattern of favouritism towards Pep Guardiola’s players in the last few seasons – Chelsea must not give the officials an opportunity to disrupt the competitive balance of this tie.
Don’t try to match-up with Barca’s playing style
Chelsea cannot beat Barcelona at their own game – their player would probably cheerfully acknowledge this. Playing two-touch, passing triangle football against Barcelona is a recipe for disaster, because nobody in world football is better at that than the Catalans.
One of the biggest failings of Premier League sides in Europe has been their attempts to adapt to a more continental style of play. That’s an error; the way to unsettle a side of Barcelona’s calibre is to enforce an English mentality on the fixture – high-paced, fractured, and with physicality in attack. Barcelona don’t see that kind of football very often, and it makes them uncomfortable. Look at the success Chelsea have had in the past against this team – when they’ve won, it’s because they’ve played the same way as they would in the Premier League.
Note Cesc Fabregas’ comments in the press over the last few days; mocking Roberto Di Matteo’s side for their long-ball approach. Firstly, that’s not really true – Chelsea are capable of being just as intricate as any side in England, but secondly, Fabregas’ comments are really just borne out of a fear of that type of football. Lumping balls into Didier Drogba – Barcelona aren’t equipped to deal with that, they’re playing Javier Mascherano at centre-half.
Attack
Chelsea must not, under any circumstances, be reserved. When you face opponents like Leo Messi et al, the temptation is to play passively in order to avoid potential embarrassment. That’s absolutely wrong – there’s no side that can defeat Barcelona like that, and the last one to try was Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan, who got away with it by the skin of their teeth.
Chelsea need to be progressive, and they need to lay into the opposing defence as if they were Spurs, Arsenal, Manchester City or Manchester United. Really, the back four they’ll face tonight is no better than anything they see domestically. Daniel Alves thinks he’s a winger and can’t tackle, Adriano or Maxwell – whoever plays at left-back – is not even close to elite status, Gerard Pique is a fine footballer but a shakey defender who has had a poor season, and Javier Mascherano is not a centre-back. And the goalkeeper? Victor Valdes, for all his shot-stopping ability, is a liability who’s uncomfortable under the high-ball.
Chelsea can hurt this side.
Hassle Xavi
Everything Barcelona do goes through their captain. Everything. Because of the threats that exist further up the pitch, opponents too often just let him play and to shift possession around the pitch. That’s a grave error. Get in his face, nip at his heels, and stop him playing. Chelsea mustn’t get preoccupied with Leo Messi, because Xavi is the real heartbeat of this side, and if you stop him playing then you’re a long way to overcoming this side. Disrupt Xavi, and you break-up Barcelona’s fluidity.Five ways in which Chelsea can win at Wembley today – April 15th 2012
Use experience
As talented as this Tottenham team is, they are still a side stacked full of players that don’t know how to win trophies – only Aaron Lennon and Ledley King were involved when Juande Ramos led them to Carling Cup success in 2008.
For all that’s been said about Frank Lampard, John Terry, Ashley Cole, and Didier Droba, their experience is crucial today. All have them have won silverware, all of them have come out of games like this victorious, and – most importantly – that’s a generation of players used to beating Spurs.
Where Tottenham fans should question their players’ ability to perform in this kind of fixture, Chelsea supporters should have no such doubts.
Show Gareth Bale infield
The biggest mis-match on the pitch this evening will be Bale against Jose Bosingwa – assuming that the Portuguese starts at right-back. What no full-back in England can afford to do, is allow the Welshman to go outside them – he has too much pace, and his delivery is too good. Bosingwa needs to stay as tight to the touchline as possible, and usher Bale inside and into more central areas. Much to Spurs’ fans chagrin, Bale has recently taken to playing very low percentage football when he finds himself in a central role – Chelsea would do well to encourage this, and keep him away from the touchline.
Keep Daniel Sturridge high up the pitch
Benoit Assou-Ekotto likes to get forward and create overlaps with the aforementioned Bale. Keeping Sturridge ahead of the halfway lane will keep Assou-Ekotto more focused on his defensive duties – which is the weakest and most unreliable part of his game. Keep pressing him, and eventually he’ll cough-up a mistake.
Wrap-up Rafael Van der Vaart
Stop Tottenham playing their attacking football, and sooner or later the self-doubt entrenched in the club starts to creep in. The gap that exists between their midfield and Emmanuel Adebayor is filled by Van der Vaart, so stop him playing and Chelsea are halfway to the final. Having John Obi Mikel or Michael Essien assigned purely to the Dutchman will disrupt the axis between him, Modric and Scott Parker. Crucial.
Get Juan Mata involved in central areas
I know that both Andre Villas-Boas and Roberto Di Matteo have preferred to deploy the Spaniard on the left of the attacking triangle, but surely there can’t be a downside to having him roam all the way across the pitch. He’s the joker in the pack for Chelsea, he’s the one who can tease and torment Spurs’ ageing centre-backs – give him the ball as much as possible, and allow him as much license to use his creativity.
Chelsea should look at Samir Handanovic to replace Petr Cech – April 6th 2012
If you’re a regular reader, you’ll know my thoughts on Petr Cech by now. Wednesday night’s ‘deer in the headlights’ moment which led to Benfica’s equaliser may not have been costly within the context of the tie, but it was an addition to the growing catalogue of poor moments Cech has between the sticks.
He’s a player living off his name. That his decline is probably owed in part to the head injury suffered all those years ago is sad, but it doesn’t make it any less real. If Chelsea want to become more water-tight, then they need to rebuild their side from back to front – starting with Cech.
I’ve chucked out a few names over the last few months – Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Diego Lopez – as well as suggesting that next season might be the right time to throw Thibaud Courtois into the first-team, but it might be worth also casting an eye over Udinese goalkeeper Samir Handanovic.
If they do, they’ll have to move quickly – Handanovic is being linked by several different sources with a move to Inter, as Julio Cesar looks increasingly likely to return to his native Brazil.
At 27, Handanovic could represent an interim solution between Cech and Courtois, as the Slovenian is the perfect age for a goalkeeper, and at 6ft5 he has the physical tools to survive in England – Chelsea could do a lot worse.
Three reasons why Chelsea will not beat Barcelona – 5th April 2012
Lack of a true ball-winner
If you’re playing a side that thrives on retaining possession, it’s helpful to have a player whose role is to track and retrieve the ball – actually, against Barcelona you may need three of them.
While Chelsea may instruct Jon Obi Mikel or Michael Essien to do this, the likelihood of them achieving such a feat is remote. Essien is clearly not physically what he once was, and as such isn’t suited to any kind of seek and destroy deployment, while Mikel doesn’t have the kind of footballing IQ required to disrupt the plotters in Barcelona’s midfield.
Given the potency of the Spanish Champions’ forward line, a lot of possession nearly always leads to a lot of goals – or at least a lot of chances. Break-up the play or lose, and Chelsea aren’t armed to do the former.
This will turn into double-edged threat, because Chelsea need possession – and momentum – to do damage to teams, whilst they also need to keep the ball away from Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Leo Messi. Not only are they going to struggle to recover the ball, but retaining it is not one of the
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