My Hope for Chelsea

Article by Jason McGovern

@e_spursthailand

Our recent run of form and goalscoring has seen much of the criticism of the team disappear into the background, and rightly so. It’s been no surprise to me to see the upturn now we as a club, and by that I mean, manager, players and supporters are fully focused purely on the premier league.

Fans have stopped grumbling of the atmosphere and inconvenience during and after Wembley games, players have stopped the travel to and from European games, Pochettino has stopped the rotation always with an eye on the next fixture. We really now are focusing on one game at a time.

The pre match thoughts seem to centre on how we set up and whether it’s a back 4 or back 3 with 2 wing backs. The merits of both systems have clearly been seen, with the wing back system in stunning form v Hull, but it was switching to a back-4 at Watford as you could see Poch talking to Rose on the sideline 20 mins in that made the difference. Wimmer moved to left back, Trippier had so much room he could be what he wanted, Rose was often seen infield alongside Wanyama, and the switch allowed Dele to play 20 yards further up alongside Kane, rather than at the start, alongside Wanyama. We controlled the first 20 mins at Watford, after switching we started to threaten as well as control.

Tactics are of course hugely important, but the success of them is often based on the result rather than the pattern of the game. Wednesday’s opponents and Di Matteo were lauded for getting their tactics right when they lifted the Champions League. In fact their tactical plan was awful. No tactical plan would allow Barca & Bayern to have a total of 62 shots at goal in 2 games (26 of which were on target). Their grand tactical plan relied on Messi missing a penalty. A correct tactical plan provides you with the platform, but does not guarantee you a positive result.

Having said that, Chelsea 3-4-3 with Kante & Matic/Fabregas in the middle is the area that I feel we have to take advantage of, rather than concentrating on full backs/wing backs. Control of that area will see control of possession, the more we have the ball, the less Hazard & William/Pedro have, and the less chance of Moses & Alonso getting forward. I’d actually like us to go 4-3-3 with Wanyama & Dier in midfield to match there 2, with Dembele in there as well. Eriksen & Dele, etc. just off of but close to Kane, ideally within the width of the penalty area, but they must all get in the box. The problem with that would be is Dembele good enough to find them in those dangerous areas, but it still allows Walker & Rose to bomb forward. It also leaves us less vulnerable to their counter attacks which with Hazard & William can be at great pace. Whichever plan it is, we must get those 3 attacking players touching the ball inside Chelsea’s box, rather than out wide or 40 yards from goal.

However, as I said, no tactical plan guarantees a result, and you will see 442 beat 4231 and beat 343 just as you will see a 343 beat the others. The key is players making the right decisions at the right time, and not switching off from the jobs they’ve been given, not conceding needless silly fouls, making sure they go with their runners, marking properly at corners and set pieces, not getting caught in possession etc , etc.

Much has been made by ourselves of the Chelsea game with Rose's pre-season comments, now Jan talking of it being as big as the Woolwich game. My concern for us, and particularly Jan, is we build it up into a bigger game than it is. I want to see the passion of a derby, but not the headless chicken approach or emotive approach. For me, Chelsea are by far the most mentally strong side in the league. Rather than any tactical plan to match, it is that mentally strong approach we need to match. No sloppy errors, no silly decisions such as Dembele’s taking a quick free kick 30 secs before half time that allows a breakaway goal. Play the percentages as Chelsea themselves so often do. That free kick for them ends up in Courtois hands via a backpass, not in his net. Jan himself has to keep control of his mental side, not allow Costa who will provoke at every opportunity to break his concentration and drag him into scraps. I don’t want to see Jan taking lumps out of him, I want to see a smile on Jan’s face when he shakes hands with a distraught goalless Costa at the end of the game.

Rather than seeing them as the new Woolwich, I’d prefer us to take the game as the new Man U/Man City/Liverpool, recognise the importance, recognise the talents of the opposition, recognise the need to compete with the big boys, but not play it on emotion.

Martin Atkinson is the referee I believe, a strict referee that will want to make sure there is no repeat of the May battle. There wasn’t at the Bridge this season, but he will still have memory of that May clash in his mind, and with Chelsea on the brink of a new PL winning run record, will be aware that they will also be more motivated than ever before. He’ll want to be strict, not surprised if yellow cards are shown early, and in that case, not surprised if at some stage during the game, somebody sees red. It’s our job to make sure if that happens, it’s them down to 10 not us.

I’m confident if we match them on the mental side and the gamecraft side of the game, (none more so than if we are 1-up with 15 mins to go), that we can collect all 3 points to keep us in the title race, (regardless of our %age chances of winning it). However, even if we dominate the game, but make 1 or 2 mental errors, then we’ll be 13 points behind, and once again open to suggestions we bottle the big occasions.

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