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Jonathan Devadson

Chelsea 2014/2015 Squad Dynamics

By Chelsea NewsNo Comments

People have drawn comparisons between this Chelsea squad and Mourinho’s first Chelsea squad, and there are some: A physical, dynamic center forward, a hit squad of pacy, intelligent and dynamic attacking midfielders, a gigantic midfield enforcer, a settled back 4, and a young keeper who is also one of the top 3 in the world right now.

However the similarities end there.

Chelsea 2014/2015 Squad Dynamics

Mourinho’s first Chelsea squad was essentially a bludgeon, a war hammer, that could just grind teams down and wear them out. It wasn’t pretty, but it was consistent, and it got results. No team could outfight Chelsea, outlast them, outjump them, or outrun them. It relied on raw power to defend and attack. This Chelsea side rely more on speed, trickery and fluid interchange of positions when attacking, and high-intensity pressing at pace in defense – the scalpel as opposed to the hammer.

While the current version may not be as defensively ruthless as the first Mourinho Chelsea side, it is still menacing, just in its own way. This season so far, Chelsea has kept 17 clean sheets, and conceded 27 goals, the fewest in the league. In attack, they are the second highest scoring team, with only Manchester City ahead of them in that regard. And they accomplished this while only using 22 players, the fewest of any team in the premier league.

Mourinho doesn’t rotate or change often, and once he has a settled side, he sticks with it. But here too lies the problem this season, that perhaps this squad burned out, as the same players were being used too often. The Champions League exit against PSG, particularly the second leg, saw the players looking drained even before the game had reached half time. It was lethargic, slow, plodding.

Elimination from the competition helped the players rest more, as there were now fewer games. While Chelsea took strides to add to both the starting XI and the depth, more players are needed in the summer to add more depth and dimension to the squad. This is particularly the case for the central midfield and attacking midfield positions. Chelsea shipped off Salah and Schurrle in January, and brought in Cuadrado for 30 million pounds.

Thus far, I have not been impressed by Cuadrado, and his limited game time suggest Mourinho doesn’t trust him yet either. Oscar was brilliant in the first half of the season, as always, and then promptly stopped being good once January rolled around. We need more quality depth here, so that injuries, fatigue or suspensions don’t cripple our attack, especially given that the side is heavily reliant on Hazard. In central midfield, quality cover is needed for both Fabregas and Matic – players who can both defend competently and distribute the ball with accuracy and ambition. Ramires is better in a 3 man midfield as a box-to-box player, and is hampered by the 2 man midfield pivot, though he is useful cover.

Mikel is a good defensive option, but the lack of appearances this season suggests he might be on his way out this summer. This does not mean a shopping spree, but rather a few shrewd acquisitions to tweak the squad.

One thing that still bothered me this season was that we struggled to score goals when we shouldn’t have. One cause of this is simply that our players can’t finish chances. Hazard or Fabregas might create brilliant chances, but no one can finish them. The other is that our attacking players just don’t shoot the ball enough. I’m reminded here of the winning goal Willian scored against Everton, in stoppage time.

Willian has a great shot, but rarely uses it. Ditto for both Oscar. Hazard shoot probably be shooting more as well, though he scores different kinds of goals. Too often the squad tries to walk the ball into the net when they could just shoot the ball when in a good goal scoring position.

A final thought here, and this will be really cheesy, but Chelsea players just seem to be at home here. I don’t know if that is the case for other teams, but watching them play, watching them in the media, watching Mourinho in interviews, you get the feeling that everyone at the club is there because they love the crest on their shirt, they love the club, they love the fans. Mourinho looks so at ease now, because he is home, he is at his club, the club he was meant for, and he has the backing of everyone.

The players love it here, and haven’t set their eyes on other pastures, because Chelsea is a place to be, it is a place to belong. And I love that this culture still exists, that new players have to in a sense buy into the the club and what it means, and I hope that continues.

Even The Referees Could Not Deny Chelsea This Year

By Chelsea NewsNo Comments

In the 2014/2015 season Chelsea did not get anywhere near the number of penalties they deserved, this season it will not matter as the league has been won with something to spare but in future seasons it could be decisive.

Think I am being paranoid? Then take the recent Arsenal game, Chelsea were denied two penalties during the game that left little to be argued, a draw for Chelsea was enough to set up the league at Crystal palace but Chelsea were denied two points that on other occasions could be decisive.

Goals win matches and the penalty spot is almost an absolute lock with Eden Hazard as the lead penalty taker, therefore the denial of penalties in games big and small could be the difference between a title and a near miss in the future.

A Campaign Against Chelsea?

 

The number of non-calls this season was appalling, and disgusting. I don’t know if there is a campaign against Chelsea or not, but this needs to stop. I lost count of the number of times this season Chelsea should have been fairly awarded a spot kick, and didn’t get it. What made it worse was the number of times Chelsea players were booked for simulation for clear penalties, you are not going to get every decision but to get accused of cheating on top of not getting the penalty is ridiculous.

Will It Change Next Season

The refereeing this season across the Premier League but Mourinho has painted a target on the club’s back by being so outspoken about the poor decisions he felt Chelsea have received, referees do not take kindly to this so I would not expect a renaissance in refereeing anytime soon.

I hope next season referees actually award penalties to Chelsea when they are deserved and we get better rub of the green.

 

Players of The Chelsea 2014/2015 Title Win

By Chelsea NewsNo Comments

Here are the players and revelations of the 2014/2015 Chelsea title win

1) Kurt Zouma

The Zouma seen at the end of this season is nothing like the Zouma seen during pre-season. Pre-season Zouma was all raw potential – physical ability without polish. I am still amazed at how much he has developed in one single season. He went from raw to cool and composed, playing a massive role in Chelsea’s second game against Manchester City. Whenever he played in central defense he looked ruthless, engaging the ball, making crunching tackles, winning headers, making last-ditch interceptions, was one of the first to wade into fights between players, and just generally got “stuck in”, as coaches like to say. He rarely made serious mistakes, and had the pace to correct them.

I remember two instance, first in the City game, where Aguero slipped free and was about to score, only for Zouma to race back and put in the perfect slide tackle to block him. Then against Everton, Lukaku managed to escape him and would have been through on goal…except that Zouma used his freakish pace to make up the ground and put in a good tackle. The kid still has work to do to improve, but this season marked his progression from a boy into a man. Next up for him is to improve awareness and passing ability.

2) Cesc Fabregas

I hated Fabregas. I hated him at Arsenal, I hated him at Barcelona. But he was the man the squad needed. He pulled the strings in midfield, and used his exceptional passing ability to set the tempo and keep the team moving. I have since grown to respect him more, and I am glad he is in the squad. His ability to make goals and chances is second to none, and he has developed a fantastic attitude. Suck failure, Wenger.

3) Diego Costa

If you’re a Chelsea fan, you love Diego Costa. If you aren’t a Chelsea fan, you hate Diego Costa. There is no middle ground here. Costa epitomizes Chelsea teams – ruthless, aggressive, fierce, brave. He plays with a snarl on his face, he has this street-fighter attitude, he plays like he’s always the underdog, having something to prove. Basically, he’s a Mourinho player. I had some misgivings about him going into the season, but those are gone now.

He’s been brilliant, and he knows how to score goals, something Chelsea lacked in previous strikers. Now he can rest and get his hamstring problem sorted out, so that he is 100% ready for next season.

4) John Terry

The guy only seems to get better with age. A few seasons ago he looked spent, and finished. But last season and this season, he has been brilliant, nigh on perfect. This is a defender who has been refined and refined and is now a true master at the craft. He was never blessed with pace, but uses superior positioning and reading of the game to snuff out danger. He always wins aerial duels, and throws his body on the line time and again to make blocks and stop shots and crosses.

He has rarely been caught out of position, and more surprisingly, barely ever gets a card these days. I can’t even remember the last time Terry got a yellow card. More importantly, he has never picked up a serious injury this season or the last, which is a testament to the coaching staff that Mourinho has. Terry has played every minute of every league game this season, and the vast majority of every other game as well.

He has never looked tired, or off the pace. At his age to be able to continue playing at such a high level is brilliant, and I can’t wait to see him again next season.

5) Eden Hazard

It is so exciting watching a young player get progressively better and better as each season goes on. Under Mourinho he has transformed, stepping it up every season. This season, he was out of this world, truly phenomenal. The future looks bright with this fella, so keep an eye on him.

The Mourinho Factor In Winning The League

By Chelsea NewsNo Comments

Last season, Chelsea almost went all the way in the Champions League, succumbing to a late collapse in the 2nd leg of the semi final against Athletico Madrid. In the league, they only needed 4 wins to secure the title, but could not pull it off. All of this was despite missing several crucial pieces to the squad. Mourinho identified these gaps early on, and as soon as last season ended, the club went out and acquired the players Mourinho needed.

Enter the Mourinho factor to winning the league.

The strikers were cleared out, and better ones brought in. A new left back was acquired, and Courtois was brought back from his loan. Chelsea also brought in Fabregas, who turned out to be the midfield general the team needed. Deadwood was cleared out, and promising young players sent out on loan. The result? Mourinho crafted a well balanced squad, that had a mix of talented young players with exciting potential, veterans who were in the prime of their career, and seasoned war dogs who had the experience to guide the squad through any challenge.

But having the right players isn’t enough, if there is no strategy on how to use them. And here, this season we saw Mourinho at his best, he was Ender in Ender’s Game. For those of you who never read the book, the short synopsis is that Ender is a genius kid, with a talent for strategy and leadership. He is given command of an army made up of the youngest kids in the battle school, the weakest, the smallest. the rejects.

However, unknown to the rest of the school, these kids are individually the best, and when put under the leadership of Ender, turn into the most feared army in battle school, routinely demolishing armies made up of kids who were significantly older and bigger and faster. Why? Ender turned his army into a machine that was infinitely adaptable. It could respond to any challenge, adapt to any problem, and find the resolve and steel to grind out results when needed.

The Mourinho factor has crafted this Chelsea side into an infinitely adaptable weapon. The squad can do anything he wishes for them to do, for as long as he wants them to do. This season, Chelsea played every kind of game: Possession-heavy styles with quick incisive passing, possession-heavy styles against teams that park the bus, defensive styles against more attacking teams with reliance on counter attacks, high pressing defensive games to force teams into errors.

Chelsea have also had to adapt to numerous challenges: teams that rely on long balls into the box, critical injuries to Diego Costa and Fabregas, suspensions, congested fixture schedules. And in almost every test, Chelsea have responded with the result. In effect, the Mourinho factor has created a pragmatic side, that has no fixed style, and adapts based on the opponent that day. Being so flexible is what won the title, and being flexible is what will see Chelsea have sustained success going into the future.