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Chelsea’s Fantastic Four: 2012-13

Posted in Chelsea, Premier League, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on July 19, 2012 | 7 Comments »

With Roberto Di Matteo on the verge of completing a deal for Brazilian wonderkid Oscar, we preview how Chelsea’s attack might look as they seek to retain the Champions League and challenge Manchester City for the Premier League.

Chelsea team 2012 2013 hazard torres mata oscar lampard ramires

How Chelsea could line up for the 2012-13 season

The key to the above formation is the ability of Lampard and Ramires to provide a stable enough central partnership to allow the front four the freedom to play fluid passing football without worrying too much about their defensive responsibilities.

 

“The centre of the park”

Lampard

We all know ‘Fat Frank’ isn’t the player he used to be, and he certainly won’t hit 20 goals-a-season anymore. However, a look north to how Fergie has employed diminutive ginger Paul Scholes in a ‘Pirlo’ role should give you all the justification you need that Lampard should retain his place in the centre of Chelsea’s midfield.

Lampard possesses an eye for a pass and composure in his decision making that make him a valuable part of this formation. With more experience than the rest of the midfield/attack, he can orchestrate the forwards, giving guidance to the youthful Oscar/Hazard/Mata combination further up the pitch.

 

Ramires

The engine room of this Chelsea side – Ramires has the stamina of Dirk Kuyt, but thankfully isn’t cursed with the same technical ability. His role in this side would be to compensate for Lampard’s lack of mobility and cover as much ground defensively as possible.

Alternatively, against stronger opposition, the central pairing could become a three with Oscar (or whoever the AMC is) sacrificed and David Luiz being employed as a defensive midfielder behind Lampard and Ramires. Luiz could also replace Lampard if a bit of erratic defending interspersed with attacking brilliance is what RDM is looking for.

 

“The Fantastic Four”

Oscar

The skillful and highly-rated Brazilian is somewhat of a gamble for Chelsea (if they indeed manage to complete his signing, as expected). However, he will offer invention that Lampard and Ramires don’t, and has the potential to play in a fluid attacking trident with Mata and Hazard either side, behind Torres. His ability to adapt to the physicality of the Premier League will determine how successful he can be in England.

In the event that Chelsea fail to complete a deal for Oscar, they may choose to move Mata inside and give Daniel Sturridge the wide attacking role. Or just splash some more деньги in search of another wonderkid (Ganso).

 

Mata

In the 2011-12 Premier League season, Juan Mata created 102 goal scoring opportunities. Only David Silva (104) created more.

The beauty of Mata’s play is his typically Spanish movement; he glides across the pitch and, much City’s prolific assist-maker, creates space for himself. His ability to turn, dribble and find a pass under immense pressure makes him key to Chelsea’s attack, and with increased creativity around him this season he should get even better.

 

Hazard

No one quite knows what the cocksure Belgian will deliver in the blue of Chelsea. There’s no doubting his ability, but his mentality could be called into question when he realises defenders like Vidic and Kompany won’t be as forgiving as those he faced in Ligue 1.

What Hazard will benefit from at Chelsea is the increased level (mentally and technically) of the players around him. The above formation allows Mata and Hazard to interchange positions in a way that Roman’s men haven’t done since the days of Robben and Duff. Constant movement between the two wide players will either leave one of them free, or expose space for Torres and Oscar to exploit.

 

Torres

Possibly the most important piece of this jigsaw is the Spanish number 9. With Drogba gone, Torres is RDM’s main man this season. This season will decide whether he climbs to the lofty heights of his days under Rafa Benitez at Liverpool, or is cast off as another failed Abramovich forward (see Kezman, Shevchenko).

His form in the Euros showed (in the little time he had) that under the right circumstances he can still be a lethal finisher. With a wealth of creative talent behind him, this season could potentially be his most fruitful yet. If he fails to find form, Hazard’s Belgium teammate and devourer of books Romelu Lukaku is waiting for his chance to shine.

 

City, be afraid. Or don’t, as you have Aguero. But everyone else…be afraid! Chelsea are back!

 

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Falcao and Torres – contrasting fortunes of two of Europe’s very best

Posted in Champions League, Chelsea, Debate, Premier League, Spanish Football, World Football, tagged , , , , , , on May 20, 2012 | 2 Comments »

falcao torres atletico chelsea

Falcao and Torres: two players of arguably similar ability who have been going through remarkably different runs of form

Radamel Falcao

radamel falcao goal v braga

Falcao possesses outstanding heading ability despite only being 5’10″

The greasy haired Columbian has gone from strength to strength in the past three seasons. Fans of South American football and Football Manager alike will know him from his days at River Plate, where he showed signs of extraordinary talent but where injury prevented him from hitting the top level.

In 2009 he was signed by FC Porto for a bargain €3.9m and immediately made an impact, scoring 34 goals in all competitions. It was the 2010/11 season where he really grabbed the wider attention of Europe with his performances in Andre Villa-Boas’ all-conquering Porto team, including a record 17 goals in 14 UEFA Europa League games as Porto blitzed their way to European glory.

falcao celebrates goal europa league final athletic bilbao

Falcao celebrates his second goal in a 3-0 win over Athletic Bilbao in the Europa League final, and becomes the first player ever to win consecutive Europa Leagues with different teams

Falcao was signed by Atletico Madrid in 2011 for around €40m to replace the Man City-bound Sergio Agüero. In another record breaking season – this time as the most potent debut-season goal scorer in Atletico history – Falcao hit 36 goals in all competitions; 24 in La Liga, finishing 3rd in the race for the Pichichi behind Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

On 19th May 2012 in a friendly against America de Cali, Falcao scored an overhead scissor kick which is already being touted as one of the greatest goals of all time – you really do have to see it to believe it (below).

With David Villa suffering from injuries and reportedly unhappy at Barcelona, and with Higuain looking likely to sign for Serie A Champions Juventus, Falcao could well be tempted by one of the Spanish Giants.
A transfer to city rivals Real would be convenient for his lifestyle and Madrid could certainly afford the transfer, whilst their style of play would likely suit his poacher’s style better than Barcelona’s total football which would require him to constantly drop deep for the ball.

Further, with Manchester City looking to sell Mario Balotelli and Carlos Tevez, and Chelsea’s possible departures including Didier Drogba and Fernando Torres, Atletico will not be short of interest this summer. However, any potential suitor would have to offer in the region of €60m to persuade Atletico to part with their prized asset.

Judging by his performances in these past three seasons, he could well be worth every penny.

Fernando Torres

Although he showed signed of re-discovering his form this season, Torres remains a shadow of his former self. A £50m signing from Liverpool, he has suffered with injuries and lack of confidence both domestically and at international level for 2 years now.

fernando torres chelsea upset transfer champions league

Fernando Torres has been a forlorn figure at Chelsea since his £50m transfer

Improved performances under Roberto Di Matteo this season culminated in coming off the bench to score against Barcelona at the Nou Camp, and Torres seemed to have his swagger back. He was, however, left out of the Champions League Final line up against Bayern Munich – confined to a substitute’s role in the latter stages of the game. He again showed his worth to the team by playing as a right-sided forward, supporting Drogba where possible and doubling up on Ivica Olic in defense. Indeed, it was his persistence that earned the corner from which Drogba equalised.

torres goal barcelona chelsea nou camp champions league

Torres rounds Victor Valdes at the Nou Camp to seal Chelsea’s place in the Champions League final

As extra time ended, Torres seemed disgruntled when he volunteered to take a penalty in the shootout, but Di Matteo decided not to use him.

After the game he spoke to Guillem Balague and said he’ll be reviewing his future this summer:

Torres:

“It’s contradictory because I feel like I’m at a peak moment in my career, with more desire and hunger than I’ve felt in a long time, but I’ve had to spend the final on the bench. It was a huge disappointment when I saw the line-up, perhaps the biggest in my life”

“I’ve felt like they treated me in a way that I didn’t expect, not in the way that was spoken of when they signed me. We’ve had a lot of talks and we’ll talk about my future because the role I’ve had this season is not for me.”

“I’m not comfortable. I want them to tell me what is going to happen in the future. Now I do feel like football is worth it but I’ve been through a difficult time; the worst in my career. I don’t want that again. There’s been many times when I’ve felt lost, I wasn’t sure what to do. I felt like I didn’t know where I belonged. I’m eternally grateful to my family who have been by my side and also for the support of the owners who have stuck by me. And especially to the fans, if it hadn’t been for them this season I would have given up.”

“I need the club to tell me what is going to happen and what sort of role I will have within the team, what my duties are, what the club expects of me. And then judge whether it is worth it.”

Balague described his interview with Torres; “I found Fernando Torres troubled, wounded. Nobody wants to hear this, but he is a young man under lots of pressure.”

torres champions league win chelsea celebrate juan mata

Torres celebrates the Champions League win with Juan Mata – but his post-match comments suggest he is far from happy

Torres is now 28 and realistically has 4 good seasons left in him. He should now be at his peak and I truly believe that he has the potential to be a top striker for many seasons to come. He now boasts Champions League, European Championship and World Cup medals to his name, and he may want another crack at the Premier League to complete his collection.

However, he clearly isn’t settled at Chelsea and he would perhaps be worth a risk for another top European team. It remains to be seen whether Chelsea would cut their losses, but an offer in the region of £25m would give them something to think about.

A lot will depend on whether Di Matteo continues at the helm, and if Didier Drogba has done enough to earn a contract extension. If the Ivorian does leave the club along with Di Matteo, Torres’ future will hinge on who the new manager is and how he intends to use the Spaniard next season. If Abramovich does decide to discard Di Matteo, he could do worse than to hire Rafa Benitez if he wants to get a return on his £50m investment in Torres.

Interview quotes courtesy of guillembalague.com via Twitter @GuillemBalague

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Villas-Boas becomes sixth managerial casualty of Abramovich era

Posted in Chelsea, Premier League, Sack Race on March 4, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

Andre Villas-Boas was today sacked by Chelsea after just nine months in the job. With The Blues languishing in 5th place, 20 points off leaders Manchester City, Abramovich has wielded the axe for the sixth time in his nine-year tenure at the London club. The change in management will certainly please Lampard and co. who never bonded with Villas-Boas in the way they did Jose Mourinho, or to a lesser extent Carlo Ancelotti. However, questions must be asked of Abramovich after yet another manager fails to meet his exceptionally-high standards.

This Chelsea squad is in need of a complete rebuild, and that is what AVB should have been allowed to oversee for many years. Teams in transition will inevitably suffer from a dip in form and fortunes – just ask Arsene Wenger. The problem that Villas-Boas had from the start was that he was never totally in control at Chelsea. The club’s failure to generate home-grown talent from their Cobham training ground led to substantial investment in promising young European players. However, these signings were often not selected by AVB but by the powers above. In the January transfer window, Chelsea announced the signing of exciting Belgian winger Kevin de Bruyne from Genk – a move that the Londoners had been working on for over 6 months. Upon announcement of the deal, Villas-Boas commented:

“It’s a target that’s decided by the club…it’s the club policy for the future. I’m a manager who respects club policy. A club has to look to the future, whether it’s with this manager or another.“

The signing of de Bruyne followed deals to bring Romelu Lukaku, Oriol Romeu, Thibaut Courtois, Lucas Piazon and Juan Mata to Chelsea. Whilst well over £60m was spent bringing these players in, only Mata and Romeu have made an impact on the first team squad. Indeed, de Bruyne and Courtois were immediately loaned out to gain further experience, whilst Lukaku and Piazon have been largely confined to the reserve team. This recruitment policy clearly points to the future, as did the signing of the hottest young manager in Europe (at a cost of £13.3m) following a season in which his Porto side went unbeaten in the league (only the second Portuguese team in history to acheive this feat) and completed a phenomenal quadruple. Yet the London club seem to have backed out of this plan less than a year into Villas-Boas’ contract. Which begs the question – why employ him if he isn’t going to be given time to rebuild the team around his own tactics and style?

The odds have been stacked against the Portuguese since day one. Chelsea have been without direction and clarity for several years, and there is no greater evidence of this than the signing of Fernando Torres. Another Abramovich decision (despite the approval of then-manager Carlo Ancelotti) – Torres joined Chelsea for £50m despite more than a year riddled with injury and poor form for club and country. If ever there was striker to build a team around, it is Fernando Torres. Quick and agile, he is an instinctive finisher who thrives on high tempo attacking play and dissecting through balls. Instead, Chelsea left him up front whilst Ancelotti played slow, methodical possession football. Torres spent his first six months at Chelsea being dropped in and out of the team as a lone striker, then alongside Drogba, then out wide in a trident attack. His confidence already down from a year of injuries, he became a shadow of his former self.
Underperformers like Anelka and Alex left, and the club invested in Gary Cahill as a long-term replacement for the ailing John Terry. However, the senior players were not happy with Villas-Boas and private issues soon became public. The young players Villas-Boas had brought in would take time to develop, and he needed time to work with these players and raise them to play ‘the AVB way’. The club needed to trust in his tactis, his methods, and his vision.
Young players like Lukaku and Courtois are ready-made replacements for Drogba and Cech respectively, whilst de Bruyne is showing signs of being the winger Chelsea have missed since Arjen Robben left for Madrid. Aging players like Lampard, Terry, Lampard and Drogba are past their prime and yet continue to dominate the club, still basking in their Mourinho-built ‘Legend’ status. What Villas-Boas needed was the club’s full support when senior players openly criticised his team selection and tactics. Instead, all he got was a telling silence.

In a time when the club needed to support their talented, charismatic young manager in building a new-look team for the decade ahead, Abramovich has again hit the panic button. With Guus Hiddink recently lured to Anzhi Makhachkala, Chelsea haven’t got a replacement in mind. Di Matteo has been put in charge until the season’s conclusion but will not command much more respect than the outgoing manager. Mourinho is certain to return to England in the summer, and will be the leading contender for the permanent job in the eyes of many Chelsea fans. His relationship with the Russian owner may well be the decisive factor in whether or not he makes a sensational return.

Villas-Boas will surely not be short of options when he is ready for a return to managerial action. With Harry Redknapp ready to take the England hotseat for the European Championships in June, Villas-Boas might not be selling his London home just yet.

And so Andre Villas-Boas becomes just another chapter in the Chelsea story. Abramovich has tried, tested and rejected the experienced Ancelotti, his personal friend Avram Grant, the enigmatic Luis Felipe Scolari, and now the wonderkid Villas-Boas. Only time will tell if the story is to take the biggest twist of all and lead back to the Special One – Mourinho.

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