How Can Jose Mourinho Improve His Blues Squad? A poor performance, but salvaging three points anyway, known in football circles as: The stuff of champions. Watching Chelsea vs. Queens Park Rangers on Saturday, by definition, one saw a champion-like squad in action. Despite 65 percent of possession and 18 shots, eight of which on target, Blues manager Jose Mourinho told reporters in his post-match interview: I dont think we played a good game. Obviously QPR comes for a point, and comes in a very well-organised team by the defensive point of view, but we didnt play well—we didnt play well consistently. An interesting conclusion from the Portuguese boss, considering his side have been the most consistent team in England thus far into the 2014/15 season, but a correct one. Chelsea, like every team, have their issues but winning (or not losing) is a great deodorant. Mourinho will be delighted to play poorly and win, but mistakes from the QPR game should give him an opportunity to correct some obvious mistakes. The first potential upturn worth looking at is the right full-back position. Branislav Ivanovic is unquestionably a fan favourite. His work ethic, commitment, leadership and physical prowess combine for a fantastic footballer, but the traits which make him a great player also tend to let him down. The Serbians desire to help his teammates in attack often leaves Gary Cahill and John Terry isolated when Chelsea lose possession. Work rates from the attacking triumvirate of Eden Hazard, Oscar and Willian mask many of these issues, as their diligence to retrieve the ball is magnificent, but in situations where Ivanovic finds himself in the oppositions box—many times unnecessarily—he leaves the right side of defence prone to counterattacks. While not a call to drop the right-back, Mourinho could remedy the situation by asking his rampant defender to camp between the 18-yard box and the halfway line, only going forward for set pieces or if the Blues trail. Ivanovic is every bit the Mourinho player, part of this descriptor includes a willingness to follow orders. The Serbian international being slightly more disciplined would help both his back-four teammates, goalkeeper and either Willian or Andre Schurrle. The second improvement is sustained offensive pressure. Should the back-fours foundation be solid, Chelseas attacking talent should be allowed to play for as long as possible. When Chelsea are dropping points to teams they should beat, Mourinho takes no issues deploying a second striker and playing with two target men—as seen vs. Harry Redknapps QPR outfit when Didier Drogba and Diego Costa played together from the 64th minute to the 78th. The Spanish striker’s 78th-minute removal was a direct correlation to Hazards 75th-minute go-ahead penalty. However, the Blues four dropped points in the Premier League might be attributed to negativity from the Portuguese. Up 1-0 vs. both Manchester City and Manchester United, one would expect the typical Mourinho side to see out the result, but this side is far from typecast. Procuring Cesc Fabregas this summer has given Chelsea a new midfield; no longer does the marathoner Ramires take precedence in the double pivot, but the technical visionary from Catalonia. The former Arsenal and Barcelona midfielder creates a side more apt to attack than defend—but when leading through newfound initiative, Mourinho invariably reverts to conservation. Against Manchester City, Mourinho substituted John Obi Mikel and Schurrle for Willian and Ramires, moving Fabregas to the No. 10 position. After Schurrle put them ahead, Chelsea acquiesced possession to a 10-man City side, eventually conceding an equaliser to Frank Lampard in the 85th minute. The changes, albeit before Pablo Zabaletas red card, gave Manuel Pellegrinis side impetus to seek parity. Up one goal vs. Manchester United, Mourinho took off Oscar, brought on Mikel, again moved Fabregas to the No. 10 role and, like before, brought only one point back to Stamford Bridge. A red card to Ivanovic was one of the culprits in Uniteds equaliser, but the Blues gave the Red Devils a shovel to dig out with by not killing the game sooner. It would seem logical that going defensive prevents goals, but in most cases it welcomes pressure. The best form of defence has proven to be attack; Chelsea—the Premier Leagues best defensive side—only won four games 1-0 in 2013/14. Releasing Fabregas, Oscar, Willian and Hazard for the full 90 minutes—adjusting for fatigue, injury and/or form—should guard against late-game lapses. The quartet constantly look to create goalscoring opportunities and are dedicated to capturing the ball when lost, primarily before it reaches dangerous areas. These qualities tend to dissipate after introducing holding midfielders. In summation of our title question: Marshaling Ivanovics forward movement would assist in keeping more clean sheets—the Blues maintaining three from their opening 10 Premier League fixtures. Combined with better defensive balance, allowing his recognised attacking options an opportunity to kill games off should see Mourinhos side step their game up another level. Attempting to improve a side already six points clear of their nearest title rival is a difficult task. In most respects Chelsea are exactly where they need to be two-and-a-half months into the season: On the fringe of their full potential. Nevertheless, Mourinho and his staff are unlikely to be satisfied with on the fringe. It is a rather intimidating thought—envisioning this rendition of Chelsea Football Club getting better—but there is always room for improvement. #ASSOT #CFC #KTBFFH
Posted on: Mon, 03 Nov 2014 14:45:33 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015