Pastore, please don’t go – an alternative profile
Dear Javier,
Don’t go. Please. I’ll miss you.
You arrived in Serie A as a relative unknown all the way back in July 2009, after your adventure with Huracan almost helped them to the 2009 Clausura back in Argentina. Your performance against River Plate, demolishing the Argentine giants, earned you many plaudits but it your slight frame – hence your nickname ‘El Flaco‘ – and lack of tactical awareness left the biggest European sides unwilling to take a risk on you.
At Palermo under Walter Zenga, you had to be content with coming off the bench for the majority of your first season and we were teased and drip fed small portions of your talent. Zenga remained resolute until his dismissal though “Until he understands how to play football, I will substitute him“.
You’re only 22, and Serie A will miss your youth – I can see the average age creeping up as you read this. Had you chosen any other team we may have never seen what you could do. You really should thank Delio Rossi. Once he was made Palermo manager, he trusted you and you began to thrive in this new found comfort zone. Rossi gave you freedom to express yourself in an all out attacking Palermo team – and what a side it was; you almost made the Champions League in 2009/10.
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Chelsea succumb to Sunday League tactics
Jose Mourinho’s return to Stamford Bridge was a victorious one, with many sceptics planning the death, demise and funeral of Serie A it was left to the ‘Special One’ to show just what the best Italian teams are capable of producing in European competition. Inter controlled much of the game and hit Chelsea 11 minutes from time with a wonderful goal crafted by Sneijder and finished clinically by Samuel Eto’o. Chelsea were probably disappointed at half time to go in with the scores level, they had had a 15 minute spell that led to many chances and a goal was only avoided by a series of last ditch tackles and excellent blocks. Didier Drogba struck a wonderful half volley on the turn that was shaping into the top left corner but Maicon threw himself at the ball as if his life depended on it not reaching the target.
So far the Champions League has eluded both sides on show, Chelsea coming close in 2008. So it will be a doubly bitter pill to swallow for Carlo Ancelotti who earlier on this week outlined the competition as the club’s number one objective this season. He will have to concentrate on a more modest League and Cup double now.
Chelsea lined up as a 4-3-3 with Lampard, Mikel and Ballack in the midfield and Malouda, Drogba and Anelka up front. The good news for Chelsea was that they had a full back of sorts playing at left back rather than the emergency measure that was Florent Malouda. Though it may have been touted as the manager’s number one objective the Chelsea players tonight didn’t seem to be showing the sort of drive required to take them through to the next round. The side lacked width much like it had in the first leg, something which I had pointed to here as the best way to break Inter down.
Mourinho sent out a line-up that was incredibly more attacking than anyone expected. He selected what appeared to be a 4-2-1-3 when attacking and a 4-2-3-1 without the ball. In many ways it was a case of attack being the best form of defence. This article at ZonalMarking.net puts forward the theory that Mourinho set out to ensure that Chelsea were stifled by occupying all of the Chelsea players. The midfield pairing of Motta and Cambiasso bossed the midfield and completely removed the threat of Lampard and Ballack from the game allowing Inter to take control of the midfield. Chelsea needed to seize back the middle of the pitch in the same way a chess player should aim to control the middle of the board.
With control of the midfield established Inter were able to hit Chelsea with the same simple tactic again and again, the Premier League side did not adapt to it and eventually it led to their downfall. Inter resorted to playing a series of meandering passes between players on one flank before pinging cross field balls for Maicon or Pandev to run onto. In the first half Maicon found himself with almost a quarter of the pitch empty but the Brazilian number one right back failed to capitalise on the ineptitude of the Chelsea back line. In the second half the focus of these attacks switched to the left hand side, Sneijder putting Milito through on goal but Milito fluffed the shot choosing full power rather than any level of accuracy.
This tactic of squeezing play into one area of the pitch before unloading balls onto the opposite flank where the opposing winger is waiting to collect a ball and attack the empty space is something I have seen utilised at amateur and semi-pro level to a great extent. I was very surprised to see a Premier League team succumb to this in Europe. The root cause is Chelsea’s width, while it is perfectly acceptable to field an asymmetric formation deploying Ballack, Anelka and Ivanovic leaves them very narrow on the right hand side and they will struggle to contain teams who attack well down the left hand side.
While Inter did well to beat Chelsea I think they will struggle to go far in the competition, at least they will not do so with ease. I think that they’ll come up short against sides who attack with plenty of width and that are able to contain Sneijder and Maicon. Man Utd for example could deploy Park down the left to keep Maicon tied up and put Fletcher on Sneijder and that will blunt the Italian attack significantly.
Another factor that will stop them clinching their first Champions League is their disciplinary record, they picked up 4 yellow cards and with the whole back line on a yellow before the 2nd leg began they will be without Lucio for the next side they are paired against in Friday’s draw. They were fortunate that the officials missed some of the wrestling that was occurring at corners, this could have changed the game dramatically if UEFA had done the decent thing and issued referees with directives to crack down on rugby tackles in the penalty area. Until there are 3 or 4 games where a sequence of penalties are awarded for such actions players will not learn that they cannot commit such atrocities.
SHOW ME THE MONEY!!!!!
In one of the best scenes of Jerry Maguire, Rod Tidwell (a brilliant Cuba Gooding Junior) is annoyed by his lack of a new contract, blaming his agent Jerry Maguire (Tom Cruise) for too much ‘talking’ and that his team mates are getting paid far more than he is. He doesn’t refer to his new contract in monetary terms, no, he refers to it as “the kwan”:
Rod Tidwell: Maybe you don’t. Because it’s not just the money I deserve. It’s not just the “coin.” It’s the… – “the kwan”.
Jerry Maguire: That’s your word?
Rod Tidwell: Yeah, man, it means love, respect, community… and the dollars too. The package. The kwan.
Jerry Maguire: But how did you get “kwan?”
Rod Tidwell: I got there from “coin,” dude. Coin, coin… kwaaaan.
“The kwan” is the sporting equivalent of the Homeric kudos. It is not just about getting a lucrative deal, it is about getting parity with your fellow players, the amount you deserve as a footballer, rugby player or whatever. I don’t necessarily believe that the kwan is the be all and end all to footballers, I think its more of a mindset, especially those earning a lot of money in sport. The regular joe on the street does not understand “kwan”, as for the sports star, the exceptional amount of money now does not matter, what matters is the parity with his team mates, and his value ot the team as a whole. Two footballers have recently been in the news over not getting the kwan, and their desire for new contracts. Both have yet to receive the offer they have wanted and their displeasure at their clubs reluctance to offer them what they want has been splashed across the newspapers.
The first, Joe Cole is currently earning about 80k a week, and his contract expires in the summer. He allegedly wants in excess of 100k a week, nearer what Chelsea and England team mates John Terry and Frank Lampard earn. Does he deserve this substantial pay rise?
Joe Cole is 28, and his next contract will possibly be his most lucrative, he is at his footballing peak and has been a loyal servant for Chelsea since 2003, playing over 170 league games. This season however has been one to forget; blighted by injury, he’s played about 4 league games and has seen his place, not just in the first XI but in the England squad taken away. He will probably not go to South Africa. He has also seen his close friends in the Chelsea team get lucrative new deals, such as Lampard, Terry and Ashley Cole, whilst he has had to wait. This could’ve just been down to timing as the new manager this season, Ancelotti seems to not be a fan of his. He might prefer to go out and purchase a younger player, who will be on much lower wages and have greater potential than Cole for the future.
Cole is clearly a gifted footballer who has great natural ability, and he could play for any of the top teams in England. Does he however deserve a new deal on parity with other players who have clearly shown to be more important to Chelsea than he has been? Cole has been replaceable for Chelsea in the last year or so. Its clear that other Chelsea players are more crucial to the club’s success than Cole is. Terry’s leadership and defensive capabilities, along with Lampards goals and set piece taking is more important than Cole’s creative skill. He’s also had his injury problems in the past, which will only get worse with age, and maybe a new club could revitalise his career which has stalled somewhat recently.
Cole is not just the only England international to want a new deal, Shaun Wright Philips has voiced his concern over the new contract offered by Manchester City. He is reportedly on 60k a week, and would like this increased to 75k. The difference with Cole (and there are a couple) is that SWP has got 2 years left on his current contract, not six months and that he has played nearly all of this season, without distinction. It hasn’t helped that SWP dad, the quiet and reserved Ian Wright, blasted Cook and Marwood about not offering his son the deal he apparently deserved. In this situation however, the club holds all the cards, with 2 years remaining on his deal. City can take their time, not having to worry about his contract running out any time soon and not be pressurised (especially by the players dad!) to make a final decision.
The problem for SWP is that this has not endeared him to some fans, who rightly ask whether getting an extra 15k a week on his already big wage is right. This may be moving into Ashley Cole territory, and nobody wants that. It could also be an element with timing for SWP as well, he came in before the new owners did, and Mancini hasn’t warmed to him like Hughes did. What has also caused the problem is that there are others in the team on MASSIVE money. Adebayor is reportedly earning 175k a week. Why shouldn’t SWP get less than half of what he’s earning? Is that right? Should his kwan demands be met?
The similarities between these two players can be traced to their respective clubs, and their transfer dealings. Both have been subjected to takeovers by wealthy ‘sugar daddy’s’ who have spent big on bringing new faces on big money to the club. Wage structures have gone out of the window, and naturally in these situations, footballers will get extremely annoyed about wage parity. Bringing one superstar on big wages may not change much, bringing quite a few will certainly rock the boat. SWP probably feels a little unappreciated considering all the new faces and their huge contracts that have recently come to the club. I’m sure he just wants to be valued as they are. To the average man on the street, this would seem ludicrous, they earn massive money any way, why do you need an extra 10k on the millions you make a year? But to a footballer in the dressing room, its about being valued, getting respect and probably a bit of jealousy too. Shaun Wright Phillips wants his Kwan, and he wants it bad.
Does this mean that the sugar daddy culture is infeasible in the long term? How is a high wage structure sustainable when players will be arguing over parity? This would be especially hard for clubs in the future where wages and turnover may be linked for European qualification. City have had their dressing room problems this year, and by all accounts it still isn’t happy now. Maybe they bought the wrong kind of player, or they’ve gone for superstars when they would have needed to take things slower. Chelsea have taken a more measured approach recently, but even they aren’t immune to problems with wages, especially when they are trying to move to a self sustainable model, of which Peter Kenyon was so successful.
Will Joe Cole move? It is certainly up to him. I can’t see Chelsea budging too much on what they’ve offered unless he starts to seriously perform on the pitch. Sir Alex Ferguson and Harry Redknapp are both long term admirers of Cole and would take him on a free transfer. Would he however, earn what he wants by moving to those clubs? Will anyone show Joe or Shaun the money?
Tactical Analysis: Chelsea left back dilemma
Over the past couple of weeks injuries for the Chelsea full back department have left them without Ashley Cole, Jose Bosingwa and Yuri Zhirkov to cover the left back position for 2 vital fixtures.
Malouda filled the void against both Inter in the Champions League and Man City in today’s fixture in the Premier League. I felt that he had 2 very good games on an individual basis, pushing forward to support the attack and tracking back and defending well. However as part of the Chelsea system I felt he didn’t quite fit in and it left them horribly exposed.
In the San Siro against Inter, Ancelotti lined up with a narrow 3 in the midfield which negated the Italian centre of Cambiasso, Thiago Motta and Stankovic. Up front they played Kalou, Drogba and Anelka, a front 3 pairing that would struggle to offer width sufficient to break down Inter.
In this situation Chelsea were relying on the full backs, Ivanovic and Malouda, to get forward and provide the necessary width. For whatever reason most of the action on Wednesday night went down the Chelsea right wing. Perhaps with the intention of getting at the ageing Javier Zanetti or maybe just a coincidence. When Ivanovic pushed down the right, Malouda had to push on the opposite wing to provide width and try to stretch Inter.
Inter setup to absorb this pressure and played most of their football on the counter attack, with the Chelsea full backs out of the equation Inter were able to break and were left 3 versus 3 with plenty of space in the channels (shown in yellow above) to stretch the 3 Chelsea players. If they could have made more of these situations they would have more than a 1 goal lead to take into the second leg at Stamford Bridge in just under 3 weeks time.
Against Man City today, Chelsea went with a narrow-ish 4-4-2. Joe Cole providing a little bit more width down the left but this time Chelsea’s problems came from transitional play. Bellamy’s first goal came about because Chelsea left themselves 2 versus 2 at the back when they had a corner and the scores level at one a piece.
The move began from the clearance of a Joe Cole cross, at this point Chelsea had the situation under control. Carvalho was marking Bellamy and Mikel was free behind him to cover as he retreated to defend the transition. I cannot understand what went through Carvalho’s head, he all of a sudden decides that Bellamy is not important and turns to pressure Gareth Barry who has the ball, he has at least 15 yards to make before he can make any sort of block and leaves Bellamy with some 20 yards of space to play into before he gets to Mikel.
Predictably, Carvalho is in no man’s land, the ball is lifted into the space and Bellamy and Tevez are 2 versus 2 which leads to the goal. You can see the goal here at 101greatgoals.
Luckily it seems that Bosingwa and Zhirkov will be back next week. This will give Chelsea better shape and should see them through to the next round of the Champions League as well as their next few games in the Premiership.
The next Chelsea manager
Following yesterday’s sacking of Luis Felipe Scolari there has been much speculation as to who the next Chelsea manager will be. A wide range of names have been linked with the job already, some of which I expected to hear and some I most certainly did not. As both a Chelsea fan and someone with a great interest in the wider football world I will be taking a look at some of the names on this list as well as some of those I think ought to be on there. Feel free to disagree with any of my opinions if you so wish.
PS. Before any of you suggest any names I may have left out of this list, please bear in mind that I’d rather have my balls sandblasted than have Martin O’Neill as Chelsea manager. You have been warned.
The names that are always mentioned:
Frank Rijkaard: Won 2 la Liga titles and the Champions League with Barcelona but struggled to contain the egos in the dressing room thanks to his lax attitude toward discipline during his final two years in charge. Overall, would try to play the good football Abramovich seems to crave but seemingly not the man to control the Drogbas and Terrys of this world. Avoid.
Guus Hiddink: Has enjoyed great success at club and international level and known to be a strong disciplinarian. A close friend of Abramovich who may be willing to take the job on a part time basis until the end of the season. However, seems reluctant to leave his job as manager of Russia and has not had a job managing a club outside of Holland for some years. Would be a popular appointment but a risk nonetheless.
Jose Mourinho: Ever since his sacking I’ve maintained that he will not be coming back, no matter how much anyone at the club wants him to. However, you can’t help but wonder when you hear stories about him not being happy in Italy or that he and Abramovich have patched up their differences (Roman recently bought Jose a car as a thank you for everything he did for Chelsea). Has a proven track record in English football and would command the respect of the players. But even if this most unlikely of comebacks is still a possibility, it would almost certainly have to wait until the summer; Inter are 7 points clear in Serie A and Jose would want to have a Scudetto on his CV meaning someone else would have to take charge until the end of the season. I’d love it if Mourinho did come back but still can’t quite see it happening.
Roberto Mancini: Whenever there’s a job going in the Premiership, his name always pops up. Won 3 titles with Inter (the first admittedly by default) and got Lazio into the Champions League with a transfer budget of about 50p, but has no track record outside of Italy and suffered a near mental breakdown last season as Inter were knocked out of the Champions League and almost threw away the scudetto. I worry how he would cope if he ever became embroiled in Ferguson’s mind games or if the team suddenly lost form as Inter did last season. A calculated risk.
The surprise:
Avram Grant: In spite of what some fans may think, I believe Grant did an admirable job as manager last season. Knows the club and the players very well and seemingly remains on good terms with Abramovich in spite of the ruthless nature of his sacking just 2 days after the Champions League final. I would happily welcome him back until the end of the season but worry about the reception he may receive from some of the more moronic sections of support who refuse to acknowledge his achievements and are seemingly unable to see past the fact that he’s Jewish (sad, but true). Such a hostile reception may take its toll on the players and add to the club’s problems.
The up and comers:
Gianfranco Zola: A club legend who would be given time by the fans to turn things round and would probably bring Steve Clarke back with him. After a slow start, has managed to galvanise West Ham, lifting them to 8th in the Premiership and earning rave reviews from the players. Still too inexperienced for me though (Glenn Hoddle proved at Tottenham that returning heroes don’t always make great managers) and recognises that he owes a lot to West Ham for taking a chance on him. Has never broken a contract in his career and, in spite of his oft-stated love of the club, is unlikely to start now. I’m sure he’ll be Chelsea manager one day, but not yet.
Roberto di Matteo: Another club legend, currently guiding MK Dons toward another promotion. Still has no experience of top level management though, could prove to be another Paul Ince. Could one day team up with Zola for the fan’s dream ticket but should not be considered for a few years yet.
Slavan Bilic: Undoubtedly a great motivator, as evidenced by the success he has had with a Croatia team with a few stars but a lot of average players. No experience of club management though and may represent too big a risk than the club is willing to take. Does strike me as a strong disciplinarian though which seems to be what the club needs at the moment, and is clearly a total head case, which would make for some interesting confrontations with other managers.
Not mentioned but worth a look?:
Phil Brown: Laugh if you must but I’m a big fan. In one season turned Hull from Championship relegation fodder into a Premiership club, and is making a good fist of keeping them in the league. Their recent drop in form was inevitable but I still fancy them to survive. One of those managers who just needs a big club to take a chance on him. The biggest risks can sometimes bring the biggest rewards.
Quique Sanchez Flores: Anyone who could cope with the pressure of managing a club like Valencia would have little trouble coping with the pressure at Chelsea. His Valencia team played great football and were competitive in la Liga despite a massive financial disadvantage against Barcelona and Real Madrid. I’d love to see him get the job but doesn’t seem to even be on the board’s radar. A shame.
Thomas Schaaf: If Roman Abramovich wants exciting attacking football, this is the man to provide it. During his time in charge, Werder Bremen have consistently been the top scorers in German football and have won many admirers with their attractive offensive style. However, the flip side to this is frequent kamikaze defending; if Werder score 3 there’s always a chance they’ll let their opponents score 4. Defence has been a big problem for Chelsea this season and I doubt that Schaaf is the man to address this problem.
Sven Goran Eriksson: Was vilified by Chelsea fans when linked with the job 5 years ago but was his record with England really that bad? Not when you compare it to Steve McClaren’s efforts it wasn’t. Made a great start at Manchester City last season before being undermined and eventually forced out my the club owner. Certainly has an eye for a good signing and has a proven track record with big clubs. I’d still rather they looked elsewhere but am now not nearly as hostile to the idea of Sven managing Chelsea as I have been in the past.
Conclusion:
I’d obviously love to have Jose Mourinho back as manager, but as I stated above, I just can’t see that happening. While writing this article I have learned that the club have been talking to Guus Hiddink with the view to him taking over until the end of the season. I would welcome this appointment but still wonder where this would leave us next season. One thing is for certain, whoever is given the job long term, the board have to make the right decision. Chelsea are a team in need of some major surgery at the moment and the new man needs to have the character and the determination to take on this task. Many fans continue to use Jose Mourinho as the yardstick by which all Chelsea managers are judged, any new manager needs to be able to cope with this expectation and return Chelsea to the top of football’s pyramid if he is ever to be spoken about in the same breath as “the Special One”.