Tag: chelsea

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Huffington Post (UK) Journalism Sport

Chelsea Need to Focus On January Transfers And Barcelona

Languishing 14 points behind leaders City, Chelsea would do well to shift focus to the Champions League, after due reinforcements in the January transfer window

Before their stumble in the away London derby game against West Ham, Chelsea had won six and drawn one of their previous seven matches, including the Alvaro Morata header-inspired 1-0 home victory over Manchester United.

And yet, the chances of retaining the League looked all but improbable even before the defeat to The Hammers because of Manchester City’s imperious form and its formidable fourteen-point lead over third-placed Chelsea. As things (read current form and points tally) stand, Chelsea – or any other team for that matter — can win the League only if City themselves decide to squander the advantage.
Chelsea manager Antonio Conte seemed to have thrown in the towel for the title race after the defeat at the London Stadium:

“When you lose four games my experience, my previous experience tells me that it’s impossible to fight for the title. In 16 games to lose four games it means the target must be another.”

But Chelsea supporters need not drop their shoulders. They should see this as an opportunity. With the League defence prospects all but evaporated, Antonio Conte can opt to give his all to the biggest one of them all – the Champions League.

Of course, a 1-1 home draw with Athletico Madrid at home in the last group stage match meant that Chelsea’s horror show in Rome has came back to haunt them, as they finished second in the group – and got paired with Barcelona in the 16 draw.

The first leg will take place at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday February 20 and Chelsea will travel to the Nou Camp on Wednesday March 14.

Not the best way to start the knock-out stage, right?

Yes; and no. Chelsea are one of the bogey teams for Barcelona, if you subscribe to the term. The 2011 Champions League Champions from London, who had broken Barcelona hearts with a come-from-behind win in the second leg of that year’s semi final at the Camp Nou, are unbeaten in the their last seven matches with the Catalan giants. How many teams boast of statistics like that!

The two sides have met 15 times previously, with the bragging rights being split almost unnaturally evenly – five wins apiece for the two sides and five draws. Beat that in terms of offering an even contest.

Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde has already expressed his respect for the opposition and singled out the threat that Alvaro Morata poses to his side in the last-16 tie:

“It’s a tough draw for us because of the magnitude of the opposition. With the signing of Morata they’ve added pace in attack, while (Eden) Hazard is very good between the lines.”

What makes things very interesting in the meeting of the two former champions is the record of Lionel Messi. Royal blue goalpost is certainly his most favourite target. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner is yet to score against the reigning Premier League champions in his eight attempts thus far! And what do they say about all Messi teams – stop Leo and you win more than half the battle against Barca. Or some percentage of that.

Of course, it is never that straight-forward. But the point is, unlike what the ‘armchair (read “social media”) experts’ might tell you, this is a tie that can go either way.

Antonio Conte alluded to something similar in a press conference when he exhorted his players, especially the mercurial Eden Hazard, to go for it across the two legs against Barcelona:

“The tie will see Eden Hazard come up against Lionel Messi and Conte has issued a war cry to his most influential player and his team-mates. ’This type of game is a good chance for every player to show the right value, not only for Hazard, but for every player in the right way.”

Even prior to the clarion call by the boss, the Blues dressing room was prepared for the pairing – and is said to be not too daunted by the task ahead.

But if the assured calm needs to kick the talk on the pitch, there will have to be a couple of additions to the squad during the January transfer window. Conte has gone hoarse crying for reinforcements since the beginning of the season. With the Premier League defence probably gone, the Chelsea hierarchy might finally heed to the request.

But the simple action now could prove to be a tricky one – what with most A-listers would’ve already played the group stages of the Champions League, making them ineligible to play for Chelsea in this season. So, while a Sandro from Juventus is a must for the long term, short and mightily important objectives demand Chelsea augment their defence (David Luiz suspect and Antonio Rudiger and Gary Cahill both not the most reliable currently) and midfield (since Tiémoué Bakayoko clearly needs more time) with immense talents from sides that have not featured in this year’s Champions League.

Consider this – four very good matches out of the remaining seven, and Chelsea could actually be a champion. I know you are thinking, “if wishes were horses”. But the emphasis is not here on the number of matches. It is about how straight-forward, though not easy by any stretch of imagination, it is to plan – as against planning for 22 more matches in the Premier League.

By the time you read this, Chelsea would have already played Huddersfield Town at the John Smith’s Stadium. Another loss for Chelsea can really put everything at stake, but a win might offer precious little to change the eventual fate. And that is indeed the point of this piece.

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Huffington Post (UK) Journalism Sport World Diary

Chelsea Remains The Team To Beat

This article was first published on The Huffington Post (UK Edition) here.

If there was one message that rose above all the others after the engaging and edgy Premier League encounter between Tottenham Hotspurs and Chelsea at Wembley, it was that despite all the doomsayers pronouncements about disharmony and dejection at Stamford Bridge, the rest of the teams in the league would have to work desperately hard to take the trophy off Chelsea’s hands.

Chelsea’s defence organiser and captain Gary Cahill, midfield creator Cesc Fabregas and stand-alone genius Eden Hazard, were all missing – while new signing Tiemoue Bakayoko and last year’s hero Pedro were both far from 100% fit. Add to that a new boy up front, a new boy in the back three, and an old boy in a new position in the midfield – and you know why playing the last year’s runners-up was always going to be an exercise of having the back against the wall for Chelsea.

But that didn’t matter in the end. Because Chelsea proved to have something that only the real champions have – self-belief, tenacity, and an enormous sense of timing.

They went forward in the first seven or eight minutes and should have been a goal up if Morata had not missed a sitter by heading out a sublime cross by César Azpilicueta. Then, as they realised that Spurs were getting into the game, they decided to ‘allow their opponents to come to them’. And when got their second opportunity, they made the most of it with the man of the match Marcos Alonso scoring the first goal of the match via a sublime, world-class free kick. And then it was back in the trenches, till Mitchy Batshuayi scored an unfortunate own goal. With barely any time left, Chelsea went out again, got lucky because of first Hugo Lloris’ unfathomable throw straight down the middle and then bungling it decisively by letting Alonso’s shot from an angle under him.

That play was Chelsea manager Antonio Conte’s well thought-out switch to 3-5-2(Willian just behind Morata) from the last year’s 3-4-3.

The Italian had set up what is known as the catenaccio tactical system. In Italian, catenaccio means ‘door-bolt’, thereby implying closing any opportunities for the opponent to score. Well, one can argue that is another name for ‘Mourinho’s Parked Bus’. The difference is that in the case of Mourinho, it was a natural style for him for all seasons whereas Conte’s approach was a dire tactical response to a dire situation.

Conte used the catenaccio tactical system like most Italian teams are known (accused?) to use it – a counter-attacking option wherein the team sits back, hopes to get one or two chances to invade the opponent’s box, make use of the chances, and then apply the ‘door-bolt’ to things.

Mitchy almost spoiled it. But Alonso made sure that in the end, it worked out precisely as planned.

In other words, injuries, suspensions, and depleted squad size or not, Conte is not only aware of and open to a variety of tactical options but also has the ability to quickly drill them decisively into a team that has its own share of impetuous personalities. This, again, is something that only the real champions have in them.

The game on Sunday, the first-ever league game at the national stadium, typified the recent abrasive clashes between the London rivals. A red card looked round the corner at many stages of the match – with my Blues fans taking to social media to ask how Jan Vertonghen’s tackle on Victor Moses was any different from the one that saw Chelsea captain get a straight red in the match against Burnley. But it was amply clear to viewers that Chelsea players seemed to be under strict instructions from Conte to avoid getting a red fourth match in the running.

Just as one defeat was not the end of the world, one victory is not a panacea for Chelsea’s problems. The questions remain: Would Morata be able to fill the big shoes of Diego Costa? And hey, when is that saga going to end – before it starts affecting the dressing room in a major way? Is Bakayoko really an upgrade on Nemanja Matic? Where are the defence backups?

But if the victory at Wembley is anything go by, we can be sure that Chelsea are the champions of England not because of ideal circumstances of the previous season. They are champions because they can fight to win despite everything. And that’s why Antonio Conte’s Chelsea remains the team to beat.

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Huffington Post (UK) Journalism Sport

Chelsea And Conte Need To Transfer Faith, NOW

For the second consecutive game, Chelsea lost points due to a disjoint performance by an ill-equipped defence. That that would be the opening line about a Chelsea performance even in the new season reveals how little has changed in that department for the team; and how much the stagnation threatens to repeat the 2015/16 season.

Unlike their visit to Swansea, where Chelsea clearly were the better side and should have won despite the two comical goals against them, the game against Liverpool was more a tale of two halves. Chelsea simply did not turn up in the first half. Though it dominated possession in the second half, it just could not make the final kill. That would, in all fairness, mean that Liverpool were the better team in the first leg of the meeting between the two giants.

And yet, Liverpool did not win just because they were better; they also won it because Chelsea continue to be so poor in defence and organisation that they allow every ‘better’ to look ‘much better than actual’.

Unfortunately, that truth is a consequence of the bigger truth: Chelsea have been miserly in the transfer market and suffer from a dangerous fixation with the backline that looks eminently unreliable – after having served the club superlatively for the most part of the last decade.

While it might sound harsh to hold the first line of argument against Roman Abramovich, especially after the $1bn that he has spent on the club in the last decade, the truth is that Chelsea did indeed baulk at the transfer market prices for the second consecutive year – in comparison to, say, a Manchester United that was not afraid to break the bank for a single midfield player. So, in a way, it is indeed about buying new players too.

But the bigger reason, it seems, is the longstanding love relationship with the trio of John Terry, Gary Cahill, and most importantly, Branislav Ivanovic.

All three of them seem to be past their best years – at least in the Chelsea colours. Ivanovic was so off the pace and poor in the 2015/16 season that the social media was full of ridicule heaped upon him by fans, including Chelsea supporters. He no longer seems to be able to make telling crosses, nor can he make his long throws count anymore. On the wrong side of 30, he is not the quickest on the field too. Never renowned for technical craftsmanship, it is really surprising how he manages to hold his place so regularly in a team that is desperate for defensive robustness.

Ivanovic’s extended run probably owes to the fact that he generally does not catch the eye for what he does. That misfortune seems to prefer Cahill recently. Even though the referee missed a trick and did not call the foul on Cahill in the match against Swansea that cost Chelsea their second goal, the fact remains that he was less than assured in the game. Repeating his performance, his meek clearance push outside the box resulted in Jordan Henderson getting acres of space just outside the box, and scoring a sumptuous goal. Cahill too, like Ivanovic and some others in the Chelsea team, does not have the speed to handle the likes of Philippe Coutinho, Raheem Sterling et al.

John Terry is the only one amongst the three that could still be in the team – purely for his organisational skills. He is the ‘voice’ in the box. He is naturally wired to continuously have a look over his shoulder to get the ‘larger picture’, and direct his troops accordingly. It seems improbable that in Terry’s presence Chelsea would have left four Liverpool players open for a cross. Simply unthinkable.

But that is not to say that he is NOW not indispensable. If Chelsea had made the correct buys in the transfer market, Terry might not have started all the games. At his age, it would not have been the most insulting thing to happen either.

Yes, Chelsea and Conte need to now transfer faith. Maybe David Azpilicueta on the right, David Luiz in the centre, and Marcos Alonso on the left is not such a bad idea to start the next game with.

Categories
Huffington Post (UK) Journalism

Shamed Mourinho Has Unleashed a Beast

The article first appeared on The Huffington Post (UK) here

Chelsea supporters could be forgiven for thinking that in hindsight, the embarrassment of that humiliating FA Cup Round 4 loss to Bradford could well be the most timely potion that destiny could have provided Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho. For a coach who is not the biggest advocate of player rotation, slightly less tired legs of his chosen few could well prove to be the difference in May.

But the script played out slightly differently on a tempestuous Tuesday night – and every limb of the Blue army found itself drained completely out of the last ounce of juice after a massively physical 120 minutes of battle with Liverpool in the second leg of League Cup semi final.

It couldn’t have taken any less to book a place in the March 6 final at Wembley.

If blood and sheer guts in the matches of recent years between these bitter rivals is said to be a legacy of Luis Garcia’s ghost goal in the Champions League semi-final in 2005, this was raising it a notch higher.

Despite Mourinho asking his supporters to stay clear of abusive chants about Steven Gerrard, a bit of that could be heard even before the first kick of the match. The visiting stands fell not much behind in letting the world know what they thought of Costa. Mourinho clashed furiously with the officials over many decisions; the two benches clashed occasionally; the referee clearly lost the plot by a series of curious decisions (including a clear penalty shout against Skrtel’s tackle on Costa); and the players ran, tackled, fell, rose up, shot and ran like this was the last match ever to be played.

Each one of the 38 tackles by Liverpool and 28 by Chelsea was hard and uncompromising – nine of which led to yellow cards. It was breathless tenacity and steel at show in every corner of the pitch.

The nature and intensity of the game was summed up in typical Mourinho style after the match when he praised the game’s only goal scorer Branislav Ivanovic:

‘He has lots of blood and the boot is completely full of red blood and it should go straight to the (Chelsea youth) academy.’

Yes, it was that kind of the match.

Almost entirely because the Chelsea team that took the field were clear in the head: Either we play great football and win or we play our last football and win. They managed the former in flashes, but eventually won because Liverpool couldn’t climb and cross the possessed Chelsea bodies.

Brendon Rogers believes otherwise and almost accused Chelsea of playing it bad. In his post-match interaction with media, he said that Chelsea striker Diego Costa ‘doesn’t need to stamp he’s top class’ – a barely veiled dig at the fiery Spaniard for two incidents of, what it looked on camera, deliberate stamping by him. The Liverpool bench believed that the Costa’s studs on Emre Can and Martin Skrtel were worthy of red card.

Mourinho appeared to be livid with that interpretation. But he couldn’t have cared less really. As Petr Cech put it before the match, tonight was a chance ‘to clean up the mess’. The world cannot expect a Bradford to beat Mourinho’s team at home and the team to not react. And further reaction there would be – as January 31 promises the season-deciding showdown in the Premier League.

Current league holders Manchester City should not be surprised if on January 31 they meet a Chelsea team that plays both freely because it is relieved of some pressure and angrily because it feels that the world is responsible for its defeat at the hands of Bradford in FA Cup.