wj818

When Roman came and started buying big players with big money Chelsea got shit and still do.
When Qatar goes for PSG and start buying big players with big money PSG are called ambitious...

Looking at it now i still can't believe that out of all the teams we've had, THIS was the one that won it. I mean we had Bosingwa, Cahill and Luiz in defence with Mikel shielding them. Kalou and Berty on wings. Seriously, how did we pull it off?

Well, I didn't say it was impossible, I said he "might not become world class". But, let's be honest, it's very unlikely. He just doesn't the technical and natural ability on the ball. But that shouldn't stop him from being a very solid defender.

Eto'o is worse than Torres

This is must read !
goodbye letter from Juan Mata

Juan Mata - Hi everyone, As you can imagine
this is a very important day in my life, and with
these lines I would like to express the
memories and emotions that come to me as I
write. This letter is written from my heart, and
first of all I would like to say that I will never
forget all the affection given to me by the
Chelsea fans From the very first day until the
last. With your support and affection I have
grown up as a player and I have had an
amazing time both on and off the pitch. I will
always feel the gratitude towards you. Always.
No words are enough to give back all the things
I have received. There has been plenty of good
moments: the FA Cup, my first trophy as a
Blue; the immense happiness of winning titles
for the first time in the club's history, such as
that magical Champions League night in Munich
and the Europa League...
On the other hand, I have experienced some
complicated situations from a personal point of
view, mainly during the last six months. Every
message I got through the social media, every
nice word you have said to me on the street,
and of course, your support in the stadium,
has made me feel incredibly proud of the
Chelsea fans; you deserve a team like the one
you've got, with so many fantastic players. I
won't forget the faith you put in me when I was
given the player of the year award the last two
seasons. I feel really proud and I will never
forget those nights. Thank you so much for the
way you have treated me, you have been
unbelievable.
I hope you understand that after going through
a complicated and, for me, new situation in the
last few months, I believe this is the best
choice in order to carry on with my football
career and to keep enjoying this sport. Before
last summer, my intention was to stay here for
a long time; as long as the club wanted me to,
and to keep winning trophies for Chelsea FC.
This is how happy I was in the club and in the
city.



However, as you all know, things changed after
the preseason. From feeling like an important
player, I started to experience some difficult
situations and I felt unable to help the team to
the extent that I wanted and was used to.
Obviously, I fully respect the circumstances.
Football is a team sport and it's not easy to
play regularly in such a good squad. In sports
you may win or lose, but the most important
thing is to give everything. I hope you know
and feel that I have always done so. In every
game, in every training session, without
exception.
I have always tried my best for the club. I
would like to emphasise the affection,
admiration and respect that I've had for my
former team mates since the first day. I want
to thank the captains for their help and
understanding at all times. They made me feel
comfortable when I arrived and they have
supported me throughout the difficult times
this season. I thank all my former team mates
for these two and a half years and I wish them
the best, personally and professionally, for the
future. Of course I have been closer to some of
them, but the most important thing is that my
years in Chelsea have left me with great
friends. Friends forever, football rivalries aside.
I also want to highlight the day-to-day job of
every member of the Chelsea staff: medical
team, kit men, staff at Cobham and Stamford
Bridge, media and marketing department,
Chelsea TV team... All of them are very
important in making this club a great one.
Thank you for your treatment and your efforts
to make the life of the players easier.
Furthermore, thanks to every manager I have
had the pleasure to work with during my time
here. They have all been a big help for my
progression as a player. I have always
respected their decisions, whatever they were;
they made me more mature and a stronger
person. You learn from everything, and certain
situations make you think about other team
mates who are coping with similar situations
more regularly.
Thank you Andre for giving me the opportunity
to join Chelsea FC. Without your support, none
of this would have happened. To Robbie and
Rafa, for their unlimited trust in me. And to
Jose, for making me a stronger player, because
in difficult moments, I have learnt to remain
positive and to keep working hard.
Lastly, I want to thank the Club, and in
particular its owner, Roman Abramovich, for
trusting me and making an important
investment when signing me. Also for their
understanding regarding my situation over the
last months. I'm very glad to have been part of
the squad that made his and our dream come
true: winning the Champions League on that
unforgettable night in Munich. Additionally, my
years in Chelsea have been profitable for the
club, which I'm very pleased about. I want to
make clear that the stage that now comes to an
end has been extremely important for me,
personally and professionally. Although many of
you, like myself, never thought this moment
would come, this is football and a new chapter
is about to begin.
I would have liked to say good bye to all of you
in the stadium, or in a press conference, but it
has not been possible. I'm sure, i will be able
to do it in the future, because is what you
deserve. Evidently, today is a day of mixed
feelings, remembering the past and looking
forward to the future and what it has to bring.
I look forward to being happy and to enjoy
what I like the most: play football. I will never
forget my time in Chelsea and the affection I
take with me, I will keep forever. I wish you
the best. A big hug to all of you.
THANK YOU so much, Juan Mata

All that is saying that if they had to go through qualifying rounds to get to the group stage and failed then that player would be able to play in the group stages or further with another team since he hasn't played in the actual tournament just qualifying rounds.

How did the 6 goals go in?
 
Arsenal faced a rampant Manchester City at the Etihad and were forced to pick the ball 6 times out of their own net, stunning a number of fans who expected an evenly fought contest. 
At the same time Chelsea also haven't been on the best of forms. The London club has been suffering from poor decisions at the back while also lacking the cutting edge required for converting chances into goals.
The 6th one was a penalty converted by Yaya Toure, but how did the other 5 go in?
 

 
The first one was a corner that floated in towards Martin Demichelis who nods it towards the far post. For a moment, Koscielny looks very well positioned, but his eyes are fixed on the ball.
Aguero sneaks in behind him and Koscielny panics as the ball reaches the Argentinian . It can be seen in his body language. Interesting to note that Arsenal also have their fair share of defensive lapses like Chelsea. Koscielny is supposedly Arsenal's best defender, and its quite amusing to see him make a mistake Chelsea fans would usually associate David Luiz with.
 

Before moving on to the second goal, a slight insight into Arsenal's defensive organization. Arsenal are pretty much like Chelsea when it comes to defending. Throwing bodies back , holding your structure, and pressing in patterns.
With Chelsea though, the problem is that sometimes the pressing fades away, with the players acting lazy. On the other hand , when the ball is being played diagonally, Arsenal tend to press high towards that direction and leave open spaces for exploitation, hoping that the play is switched slowly to the other side. 
It seems like a really foolish mistake to make against a team that has Zabaleta. 
 

 
Yaya Toure lobs the ball onto the path of Zabaleta and the Argentinian puts it in for Negredo who puts City back in front. It really is all about the positioning , a mistake Arsenal make throughout the game and pay the price for.
 

 
The 3rd goal was a mixture of mistakes. First of all, Mertesacker, Flamini, Vermaelen and Monreal formed the backline as Sagna went over to take a throw in. He throws it towards Ozil who puts it in to the path of Flamini. Either the weight of the pass wasn't right or Flamini had a really poor touch, but Fernandinho capitalized on it and finessed it into the back of the net.
 
Flamini and Wilshere function somewhat as the pivot of the Arsenal. One attacks and the other track backs. In this case we have Flamini dropping to form the back 4. Ozil should never have gone for him, as it was just asking for trouble. His movement equated to an open space ready for exploitation. Combine this with Manchester City's high pressing in the final third and you have a recipe for disaster.
 

 
Another defensive lapse when the ball is crossed in. The defender seems to be well positioned but falls for Navas's trickery when the Spaniard cuts the ball in. Not much to say, a silly goal to give away.
At this point, we can draw comparisons. In the game against City, Arsenal looked as vulnerable, if not more, as Chelsea have been when balls have been floated or drilled into the box.
 

 
As , mentioned before about Arsenal's high pressing, we see City's 5th goal being a good example. Wilshere receives the ball and looks for options to distribute to come up. As he looks up, Nasri barges in from the back and toe pokes it towards Fernandinho who's also closing down. 
Look at how well positioned Negredo seems to be. If we compare this scenario with Chelsea, we have Oscar who presses really high on the midfielders. He looks like a sure starter for this fixture if he can do the dirty work in the middle. Nothing to say about which striker will start.
If Nasri hadn't received the ball back from Fernandinho, he wouldn't have had an assist. In today's world, the match would have ended with the player who did the dirty work labelled as 'not needed'. Food for thought.
Click here to view the article

This is a lie. How do you explain the goal then? Or the time he set Ba up from a low cross or forced a good save from the 'keeper?
If we treated other players like we treated KDB and they would be the same. Especially a young player with his relative inexperience. Especially one who actually started the season well. First bad appearance in the C1C - boom, dropped to training with the reserved and didn't make an appearance for a month. Hazard, Mata, Oscar, Willian and Schurrle have all had more chances than him and more bad games than him. They've also had some good games, as they don't start once a month. Seen nothing to suggest KDB is any less talented than them.

Arsenal play a different form of the 4-2-3-1 ( getting sick of saying this) . Two static center-backs with full-backs that push forward at every chance. However they're slightly inefficient.
In the middle we have two midfielders, one defensive and the other holding. Unlike other teams, where one pushes and one defends, the other midfielder (usually Arteta) opts to sit around the half-way line and play passes into the middle . He spreads play along the flanks and the central zone. Like most teams, Arsenal have a problem with width. Arteta somewhat nullify's it by spraying balls wide and encouraging the full-backs to push forward a bit more. You can talk all you want about Ozil, but Arteta provides something different, which is highly essential to Arsene Wenger's team. 

In the front three we have wide players who function as interiores again. They come in a lot more centrally than usual ones though, creating central over-loads which help the full-backs push forward as well. Downside to this is, there are barely any 2v1 situations against the opposition full-back. Considering Chelsea's wide players retreat back to defend, Arsenal will most definitely have problems down the flanks.
In the middle we have star man Mesut Ozil. Some say Arsene would never spend better 42 million on anything else again. He gives Arsenal a direct attacking threat, something they have lacked over the years in an attacking midfielder. His ability to pick out a man, and have himself easily picked out is a remarkable quality. Also has functioned as a second striker while playing in the hole behind the striker (though this is mostly an observation made when the wide players squeeze up in the middle and thwart Ozil forward)
Upfront we have the striker who can combine with the midfield while at the same time make those runs in behind the defense. A target man during set pieces.

While transitioning to defense, everyone presses high, especially Arteta. His aim is to press right at the man with the ball (if its around his zone) and cut off options for him to pass the ball forward. Thus he forces the ball side-ways or backwards, giving the Arsenal players a chance to recover back into position. Ozil too has been seen to join in on this pressing phase.
It's highly unlikely for them to play two defensive blocks of four, but it is a high possibility when they come up against Chelsea. However one can never be too sure.
The wide players have themselves well positioned to break forward. It was well noticeable against Napoli. They would carry the ball forward, or provide unnecessary distraction for the retreating defenders, often aiming to mess up the defensive line before they organize structurally.
Now finding out defensive frailties isn't quite easy. However one that could be observed is exploiting the positional freedom given to Arsenal's wide players. While pressing, they are allowed to press high, while leaving open spaces which would naturally have to be covered by another player. This could be one of the pivot players or a full-back himself. 
If Chelsea were to pass the ball quickly, make indirect movements into the final third while turning the full-backs inside out, what could be perceived as a defensive block could be entirely destroyed. This would create space for someone like Mata or De Bruyne (who are likely to start) , a clear opportunity to play a through ball that splits apart the final defensive line when a striker makes a run in behind the defenders.

While moving into defense, Arteta usually pushes up, but not too much. The wide players cut inside and form a quadrilateral in the center. The ball is played around them, while the full-backs try to push forward. Ozil meanwhile tries making runs in the final third. While he isn't doing that, he is trying to pick out either the striker or one of the wide players.
Problem Arsenal have had so far is natural width. Despite pushing full-backs forward, their problems are akin to the one's Chelsea had against Basel, Norwich, etc. 
If Chelsea are to defend deep, then there doesn't seem that they would have much problems. Though I hardly think Mourinho would do that, considering Arsenal might just play kids. A growing trend seen in the Chelsea philosophy is to have brilliant starting minutes that lead up to the first goal, and then go into reverse drive by defending deep and making it harder for the opposition to score.
At the Emirates though, Jose might have something different up his sleeve. I can't imagine the horror of being an Arsenal fan and writing a scouting report on Jose's team.

Something else that has been talked about quite a lot is why central players such as Wilshere and Ramsey ( not counting Cazorla as he has previous experience of playing as an interiore) are playing in a wide position on paper.
Arsene definitely knew that if players like Walcott and Chamberlain are out, he'll need a quick solution. The only way to do this was apply the philosophy behind interiores and push your full-backs up for width, the latter as said before, hasn't worked well yet.
Ozil's lateral movement into the final third alongside Giroud, gives the wide players even more space in the middle to move the ball around. Not only that, Ozil's movement also drags player away from static positions or their own zones of pressing. A prime example being Tettey, who was used by Norwich manager Hughton, to man mark Ozil out of the game. Though Tettey did succeed in holding Ozil off, the other players found more than enough space to cause Norwich problems.
Arsenal might be playing kids, but this would be their first real test against title challengers. There is no doubt that the Emirates, is about to be set on fire, not just entertainment wise, but also on a whole new tactical level.
Click here to view the article

Schalke play a standard 4-2-3-1. Two solid center-backs who like getting forward as well. Think Luiz, but a little less erratic. And two wing backs on opposite sides who love charging forward and providing width.
 

In the middle we have the pivot, both of them either defend or attack. There is no vice-versa role as it happens in Chelsea for Schalke. They defend together, or attack together. It helps Schalke in a way, which we shall see later.The front three function like interiores, as they drift a lot into the center. The striker has the ability to drift, which gives theinteriores and the #10 an opportunity to move forward and function as a #9. The attacking midfielder has also been noted to play as a second striker, especially when the #9 pulls back and links up with the midfield.
 

 
Now we have their transition to defense. The wing-backs now squeeze themselves inside, as the wingers come back to ensure that the whole structure doesn’t become too narrow. Two blocks of four is what Schalke used against Bayern. Yet they suffered a heavy defeat due to not taking their chances by exploiting the flanks.
The middle three press together at the ball, and have a peculiar relationship. Each of them have hybrid profiles in a sense that they can take up each other’s position while pressing. This gives them the freedom of movement with security in mind that the other two are covering. One out of the three never presses. He stays back and provide protection to the back four, and covers holes opened up by the pressing midfielders.
 
Schalke always always always mark zonally. It’s like they are allergic to man marking. Even their pressing is zonal rather than charging right at the player.
 
If the ball is won, Schalke charge down the wings. This is a strategy used by almost every team that likes using two blocks of four during defensive transitions. The wingers or interiores are the main outlets when the ball is won back, the striker being secondary. All of them push up, including the attacking midfielder and the wing-backs in a bid to create a clear cut chance.
 

 
Now when it comes to transitioning to attack, Schalke aren’t afraid in committing men forward. The wing-backs play akin to Alaba and Lahm of Bayern. The wingers on paper show the true qualities of interiores by shifting in ward. This cramps up and causes congestion in the center of the final third.
A quick switch of play to the flanks and the opposition have problems to deal with. Schalke can be threatening by frequently applying this strategy. If the play is switched back and forth too quickly, opponents who don’t have high concentration levels, pay the price.
Considering that Schalke don’t exactly play full-backs, they are highly vulnerable on the flanks. To counter this, the pivot restrict their movements forward. They opt to stay back and defend ahead of the center-backs 75% of the time. If the ball is lost, most team’s play down the flanks to exploit that space. One of the pivot players intelligently closes them down, while the attacking midfielder joins up with the other pivot player in the center.
The wingers meanwhile retreat back as well, giving Schalke further options to recover the ball back, or hinder the attacking transition of their opponents.
This helps Schalke slowly regain its shape as they wait to counter the next time they get the ball back. One thing to be noted is that Schalke will enter the game without any fear. The plethora of players at their disposal could give Chelsea a run for their money. Chelsea will be forced into working really hard if they want to get anything out of the game. Not to forget that concentration and work-rate must be high. Schalke are going to make us run all night if they have to.
I expect Azpilicueta to start the game. He seems to be much more clinical down the flanks than Ivanovic has been this season. Moreover Torres is also likely to start. One thing the Spaniard has to do is harass the German back-line. Only then will spaces open for Chelsea’s wide players to directly penetrate. I don’t see Eto’o having the capability of doing something like that. We don’t want too much drifting towards the flanks.
There’s a slight possibility of either Essien or Mikel starting at the Veltins-Arena. Chelsea need a pure defensive midfielder to stay back during attacking transitions as this would limit the amount of damage Schalke could cause.
Click here to view the article

Cardiff City play a standard 4-2-3-1 or a 4-1-4-1 depending on what phase of play you are looking at. They have a back-four consisting of Turner and Caulker in the center. They along with the defensive midfielder are responsible in holding the structure during transitions, unlike top teams where the responsibility lies mainly on the CM’s. The full-backs join in during attacks by providing width and come in narrow when the opposition have the ball.
In midfield we have Medel, who is arguably the most important player on the pitch for Cardiff. He is the life-line through whom every part of play goes through. Alongside him we have Gunnarsson - Cardiff’s own Frank Lampard - that makes those trademark late runs, bursts forward during attacks but also defends with discipline. We have Whittingham and Odemwingie on the flanks and both have the tendency to drift inside and support the strikers and midfielders. They also get back and cover for full-backs during the transition to defense. This helps Cardiff’s structure against team’s that dominate possession.
In the middle we have Kim who combines quite well with Gunnarsson and Mendel. He also drifts wide, on either flanks, which allows Gunnarsson to move into the proverbial #10 zone and assist the striker. On top we have Campbell, who has the ability to drift wide as well, which helps Cardiff a lot as they tend to attack more from the flanks than through the center.
Moving on to transitions. Now before delving into the matter of how Cardiff organize themselves to make sure that the opposition can’t break through their barrier, there is a moment where the ball is being carried from the opposition’s half to Cardiff’s half (noting that the ball isn’t lost in their own half, but is being played after a goal-kick or deep turnover).
During this moment, Cardiff apply a separate philosophy in an attempt to win back the ball quickly. If successful, they transition into attack. If not, they move into their defensive transition. Let’s have a look at this peculiar but effective strategy which is even used by Mourinho himself.



The philosophy of cornering and pressing in phases. These are actually separate philosophies combined into one. The strategy of cornering can also be called as a 100% sure way of forcing your opponents to the flanks to create unforeseeable congestion. Pressing as we all know, is pressurizing the opponent aggressively into giving the ball away. In phases, it means the moment where the opponent is transitioning into attack and is still vulnerable.
We imagine a scenario where a goal kick is taken. The ball is in our half, with, lets say, Luiz. He is pressurized by Campbell, the striker. He can’t play it to Terry or Cahill cause Kim, the attacking midfielder is close to him. The only clear way to retain possession is to either play it to the flanks, or to the defensive midfielder. 9 times out of 10, the ball is played to the flanks. This is usually down to the lack of confidence the defender has in playing a slightly risky pass to the CDM.
As the ball reaches the flank, we realize that the strategy of cornering is complete. The striker and attacking midfielder pressed high, causing a clearance to the flanks.
The moment the full-back touches the ball, he’s pulled into a black hole or may I say a black triangle formed by the Cardiff full-back, Cardiff winger and one of the Cardiff pivot member. The Chelsea player has only the wide man to give it to, and when you’re being pressed on really high, it gets tough to release the ball. This can happen on either flanks.
There we have the strategy of pressing in phases.
The chances of this being pulled off perfectly are low, especially when facing teams bigger than you. As it’s time limit is very short, if it is pulled out in the right manner, its results can be devastating, especially for Cardiff’s style of play, which we shall find out later.
I have highlighted the rad area for simple reason’s that it would be a much better option to play it narrow then quickly switch to the flanks. In doing so, Cardiff don’t have the time to apply their philosophy and neither do they have the time to organize themselves.
Did Mourinho use this? Yes he did. A perfect example from the Hull game can be found here, where four Chelsea players perform their duties - http://imageshack.co...rge/11/lrih.png



So let’s say Cardiff are not able to retrieve the ball during that time zone and now they transition fully into a defensive structure having two solid and narrow blocks of four. The only way to go through is either barge into the middle with clever play, or use width.
I cannot stress enough how important width will be in this game. The importance of counter-attacks are also going to be very high.
Cardiff transition to 4-4-1-1, with Campbell awaiting for the ball to be retrieved.


While transitioning into attack, Cardiff switch to a 4-3-3 or a 4-1-4-1. The main role is played by Mendel, who is responsible for holding the structure and opening up passing lanes. Mendel had a 99% pass accuracy against Newcastle, making 69 passes which was more than anyone on the field. By switching formations, they give themselves a better chance in creating goal opportunities during their final transitional phase.



This is how Cardiff line up to attack. An average high-line, held together by Mendel. We can see triangles on both the sides, which are held by Kim on the right and Gunnarsson on the left. Do remember that it happens one at a time. If Kim is the one drifting, then Gunnarsson stays center and vice versa.
Cardiff literally struggle to create chances through the center, be it through balls or individualistic play. They rely on width and crosses to score goals. One of the main reason they’re good at headers is because of this.
This is why the philosophy of pressing and countering works well for them. They can recover the ball and initiate counter-attacks from the flanks. If Chelsea are to shut down the sides of the pitch and force them narrow, I don’t see Cardiff creating anything, unless they lob in a cheeky long ball.
Click here to view the article

no matter if you are a torres fan or not, you cannot help but to have a little admiration for the guy. always seems like a real person.
get well soon nando!

I Got The Blues
Norwich 1 x 3 Chelsea – English Premier League
I Got the Blues is a contextualized stats point of view where chances created, blocked and conceded by Chelsea players during matches are scouted. The feature rates the players’ individual contribution in each of those aspects, in addition to any important mistakes and isolated plays that could be highlighted. As an attempt to identify players’ and tactics’ weaknesses and strengths, negative and positive contributions are rate separately instead of being deduced from one another. Rates vary from 1 to 5 [positively or negatively] and are giving to players individually. Collective plays are also rated in terms of team work and team chemistry, but unlike the players who are rated for almost every touch in the match, collectively only the best [or worst] displays are rated. It’s important to stress that rates are vary according to the contribution’s importance – meaning that a failed pass that gives the opponent a counter-attack will be rated more negatively than a failed pass in an end zone that simply concedes a turnover.
In addition to the data, a brief analysis is provided collectively and individually to assess the team’s performance in general.
For this week we showcased two 'specials': transition to attack and Oscar and Mata's interchange. For the transition readers should consider it the final pass that will get the ball in the attacking half or when someone crosses the mid-line carrying the ball with the clear intent to set up the attack. Most transitions weren't rated, only showcased because normally this is just another pass in the match and rating it would be counter-productive. Only amazing passes (and terribly incomplete ones) were rated - as they are usually.
Oscar and Mata's interchange is just informative, the author doesn't aim to say who is better as a CAM or as a RW or who should play in each position. The only opinion the author shares is that they shouldn't leave the RW abandoned so often, as for times during the matches both were in the middle as they naturally gravitate there.
Players ratings: total amount of contributions (positive rate/negative rate):
§ Petr Cech: 2 (5, -2)
§ Branislav Ivanovic: 15 (50, -12)
§ David Luiz: 21 (61, -19)
§ John Terry: 17 (54, -7)
§ Ashley Cole: 7 (11, -12)
§ Ramires: 18 (47, -22)
§ Frank Lampard: 8 (27, -7)
§ Juan Mata: 10 (28, -13)
§ Oscar: 15 (46, -14)
§ André Schürrle: 15 (45, -8)
§ Demba Ba: 10 (19, -10)
§ Samuel Eto'o: 2 (8,0)
§ Eden Hazard: 1 (5,0)
§ Willian: 4 (18,0)
Team Chemistry rates:
§ Only two plays were showcased, one positive (rated 5) and one negative (rated -3).
Team Work rates:
§ Ten plays were show cased and seven out of those were positive while three were negative. Seven plays rated 5, one rated -3 and two rated -5. All negative rates came from poor defending movement, positioning and cover.
Individual highlights:
§ John Terry, despite the mistake in the goal conceded, is the most consistent player in the defense.
§ The defensive trio formed by Ivanovic, Terry and Luiz [throughout the whole match] was very effective with few mistakes.
§ For the second match in a row Oscar is the player who contributed creatively the most for the team (6).
Additional observations:
§ Declining. Ashley Cole had a negative overall contribution, not only his negative rate were bigger than positive summing up, he also had more negative contributions (4) than positive (3).
§ The sun as a twelfth player. During the first half Norwich goalkeeper John Ruddy played against the sun and it seems like Mourinho had asked the team to insist on long and high ball in the box as they were exhaustively done with normally Ba as the target-man. It is a successful tactic because the England International goalkeeper found himself in trouble a few times during the match. Playing against the sun in the second half, those direct connections weren’t used by Chelsea as much.
Additional analysis:
§ Mata and Oscar Interchange. Mata played 58:05 minutes as a CAM, 20:51 as a RW and 01:18 as a LW; meanwhile Oscar played 30:11 as a CAM, 46:05 as a RW, and 04:14 as a LW.






§ Chelsea’s transition to attack. Except for counter-attacks, there were 53 transitions from defense to midfield or attack in open play. Out of those 40 were successful while 13 weren’t completed. The player that transitions Chelsea to the attacking half more often is Luiz with 17 hits and 4 misses, followed by Lampard with 8 hits and no miss.




Conclusions:
§ A secret weapon or overloaded? Luiz was the player responsible for most of Chelsea’s transitions from defense to midfield or attack. With good pass, first touch and ball control the CB provided accurate passing to make the transition to the attack and still he was rarely marked or pressed by opposition [it doesn’t happen only with Norwich, though]. No wonder so many fans want to see him as a DM.
§ Mata is the CAM, but he’s not alone. Whether this guidance comes from the manager or it’s an agreement between the players, for the most part of the match Mata worked as a CAM as showed in the charts above. Mata had 8 contributions in the attack (4 positive and 4 negative) which shows why most fans didn’t feel like he had a great match. He had four lovely passes [all 4 as a CAM], but also offered four turnovers, two of which very poor. Four positive contributions isn’t a bad number, but it was a below part display by Mata compared to his best days. Oscar on the other hand played mostly in the RW. Out of his 15 contributions in the match 8 were offensively (6 positive, 2 negative). Looking closer in those two negative contributions one of them was a way off-target shot (playing as a CAM) and a sloppy pass (as CAM) in the final seconds of the match. Looking at his 6 positive contributions, one of course is the goal (as CAM), as well as the pass for Hazard’s goal (as RW), but the other four consist in a blocked shot to the goal (as CAM), a header-pass for a counter-attack (as CAM), an assist to Schürrle inside the box (as CAM) and another for Ivanovic at the edge of the box (as RW). The Brazilian is progressing creatively even if he’s playing as a RW and while he’s still far behind Mata creatively, the partnership is very positive for Chelsea. There’s a down side to them though. As both prefer to play in the middle, for moments during the match both were positioned in the middle, leaving the RW abandoned. Against oppositions like Norwich [which didn’t sit too deeply and tried to make their own game] the lack of width isn’t too important, but in tight matches with overcrowded midfield at least one of them should hold position in the wing. Attached in the spoiler section is a table of their time in each position.
§ Oscar, MOTM. Despite his higher than usual amount of mistakes (he had 4 negative contributions out of his 15), Oscar was the best player in the pitch, actively participating in two goals, as well as providing assists to Schürrle and Ivanovic and two shots on goal. No other player contributed as much to the attack, while also recovering possession 3 times throughout the match.
§ Defensive? Just like last match against Steaua, the biggest contributions in the match came from the defense. On one hand this is positive because when the defenders are anticipating opponents and tackling to recover possession it means the team is pressing constantly, but maybe too deep in the pitch. Norwich’s pitch is even smaller than the usual in England and that makes the play more compact and even when the defense is high, it’s still quite inside the defensive half. In bigger pitches – especially in European competitions – it’s going to be interesting to see if the defenders will press deeper or if the players in the midfield – including the attackers – will press higher and give Mourinho the high pressure football philosophy he wants to have in place.
§ The pivot discussion. Chelsea fans are a very heterogenic lot, and different opinions about players, style and tactics are easily found in the middle of the Blues’ fans, but two things seem to be universal among fans: the pivot and the strikers. Today we won’t provide a closer look at the strikers, but the pivot was singled out. Ramires and Lampard had a lot of positive contributions throughout the match with overall good stats. Their pass accuracy was good – Ramires 56/62 (90%)*; Lampard 58/66 (88%)*– which means 25% of all passes by Chelsea (506)* passed through the pivot. While statistically it seems like the pivot participated enough, a closer look into the numbers and beyond them will show otherwise. Lampard didn’t participate enough in the attack, Ramires was slower than usual (and more erratic) and the transition to attack should involve them much more than it did. The double pivot helped starting Chelsea's attack 14 times which is less than half than the defense did (30) [considering only the goalkeeper and center-backs]. Who also contributed inexpressively to the transition were the FBs and their lack of action only makes the pivot issues more prominent. Cole and Ivanovic only transitioned the play three times [two of which failed]. A formation like the 4-2-3-1 Mourinho favors in Chelsea demands the full-backs and the double-pivot to start the transition more often, as the three attacking midfielders usually don’t go way back to start it. The pitiful amount of transitions made by the full-backs will only add to the team’s lack of width and relying on the defense will lead to more turnovers than necessary as the numbers show: the pivot and FB’s combined transitioned play 17 times and made only three mistakes (82% accuracy), whereas the defense conceded a turnover every three times they tried to buildup the play (66% accuracy). Whereas David Luiz is an amazing player to transition the play with great pass accuracy and vision, relying on the Brazilian helps the problem in the pivot, but definitely doesn’t fix it. Chelsea's double pivot needs to step up and start controlling the game for the team and the full-backs contribution must grow.
*passes accuracy data provided by Squawka

Spoiler Data summary


First Half00:28 – Luiz is pressed and risks a failed long pass conceding the turn over. Luiz -2 [Luiz failed transition to attack]
00:30 – Schürrle anticipates the opponent and recovers the ball, and gets a throw-in for Chelsea. Schürrle 3
01:07 – Luiz attempts a long pass from defense and fails. Luiz -2 [Luiz failed transition to attack]
01:16 – Oscar and Schürrle press the opponents in their half and lead them to a failed pass Cole intercepts. Team work 5. Oscar, Schürrle 4.
01:28 – Schürrle passes by one opponent and avoids three in the flanks, passing to Oscar, but the Brazilian is blocked. Schürrle 5.
02:02 – [Cech’s successful transition to second third]. Unrated.
01:57 – Cole successfully tackles the opponent and recovers ball possession. Cole 4.
02:34 – Schürrle presses and successfully tackles the ball recovering possession. Schürrle 5.
02:58 – [Luiz’s successful transition to second third]. Unrated.
03:05 – Lampard successful long pass to Ba. Lampard 5. [Lampard transition to attack]
03:32 – Lampard spectacular long pass to Ba, who shows amazing ball control before assisting Oscar who finishes with the class to make Chelsea 1x0. Chemistry 5. Lampard, Ba, Oscar 5. [Lampard successful transition to attack]
04:35 – Ivanovic anticipates opponent and recovers ball possession. Ivanovic 4.
04:41 – Mata can’t control the ball and concedes a turnover. Mata -4. [Lampard successful transition to attack]
05:07 – Ramires unsuccessful tackle offers space to opponent. Luiz anticipates opposition at the edge of the Chelsea's box, recovering ball possession. Ramires -4; Luiz 5. [Luiz successful transition to second third]
05:58 – Ba recovers possession from a failed pass by Norwich. Ba 2. [Lampard successful transition to attack]
06:20 – Norwich presses and Chelsea go back, back, back until the ball is passed to Cech who tries the direct connection with the attack unsuccessfully. [Cech failed transition to attack]
06:46 – Terry wins aerial duel. Terry 3.
07:15 – [Luiz transition to attack]. Unrated
07:17 – Ivanovic poor pass in the attack. Ivanovic -3.
07:24 – Ba and Mata press the opponents and recover possession through a throw in. Team work 5. Ba, Mata 4.
08:07 – Lampard carries the ball from defense do midfield, pass to Ramires who is tackled by opposition offering counter-attack. Ramires -4. [Lampard transition to attack carrying the ball]
08:14 – Cole covers Terry in counter-attack. Team work 5. Cole 5.
09:27 – Luiz failed pass. Luiz -2. [Luiz failed transition to attack]
10:47 – Opponents pressed and defense passed back to Cech who passed badly to midfield. Cech -2. [Cech failed transition to midfield]
11:38 – Lampard takes a rebound from Ramires lost aerial duel and recovers possession. Ramires -1, Lampard 3.
11:59 – Luiz successful long pass to transition to attack when the team was highly pressed. Luiz 5. [Luiz successful transition to attack]
12:30 – Terry anticipates opponent inside the box recovering possession. Terry 5.
13:01 – Mata incomplete pass in the attack. Mata -3
13:06 – Lampard anticipates opponent in the attack recovering ball possession, Ramires provides successful pass for Mata to linkup play. Lampard 4, Ramires 4.
13:11 – Mata assists Ba, but Ruddy saves Ba attempt. Mata 5. Ba 2.
17:17 – Sloppy pass from Cole puts Luiz in danger, but the Brazilian works around it and passes to Ba. Cole -1, Luiz 5. [Luiz successful transition from midfield to attack]
18:21 – Terry long pass finds Ba in the box, but opposition clears the shot. Terry 5, Ba 2. [ Terry successful transition to attack]
20:10 – Lampard failed pass in attack concedes a throw-in. Lampard -3. [Lampard successful transition to attack (before the incomplete pass)]
20:15 – Terry wins aerial duel and recovers ball possession in attack half. Terry 3.
22:03 – Cech’s save in goalkeeper’s box. Cech 5.
22:30 – Ivanovic wins aerial duel in a corner by the opposition. Ivanovic 5.
22:37 – Ivanovic transitions to midfield. Unrated [ivanovic successful transition to midfield]
23:33 – Luiz transitions from defense to attack with a precise long pass. Luiz 5. [Luiz successful transition to attack]
23:35 – Sloppy pass by Ba concedes a turnover. Ba -3.
23:40 – Ivanovic successful tackle recovers ball possession in the attack. Ivanovic 4.
23:48 – Oscar carries the ball from the right wing to the mid, taking on a couple of opponents and then assists Schürrle inside the box, but the German’s shot is off target. Oscar 4, Schürrle -2
24:27 – Terry wins aerial duel. Terry 3
25:08 – Oscar anticipates the opponent at the edge of Chelsea's box and starts counter-attack, but then risks a failed long pass. Oscar 5. Oscar -3
25:40 – Oscar and Ramires press the opponent and Ivanovic anticipates the pass. Team work 5. Oscar, Ramires, Ivanovic 5.
26:40 – Luiz carries the ball to transition from defense to mid-attack. Unrated. [Luiz successful transition from defense to mid-attack]
27:15 – Luiz carries the ball to transition from defense to mid-attack. Unrated. [Luiz successful transition from defense to mid-attack]
27:53 – Luiz hits the free-kick from midfield to the box, but Ba can’t reach. Luiz 3.
28:59 – Luiz long pass to attack. Luiz 5. [Luiz successful transition to attack]
29:08 – Luiz anticipates opponent on the run in midfield and transitions to attack. Luiz 5 [Luiz successful transition from midfield to attack]
29:16 – Oscar passes to Ivanovic at the edge of the box, but he can’t control the ball. Oscar 3, Ivanovic -3
29:32 – Luiz covers Ivanovic in the right flank. Team work 5, Luiz 3.
31:10 – Terry takes advantage of an incomplete pass, but Luiz also concedes a turnover. Terry 2, Luiz -3
32:36 – Oscar tackles the ball and recovers possession in midfield. Oscar 4.
32:51 – Ramires makes transition from defense to counter-attack. Poor finish by Ba. Ramires 3, Ba -2. [Ramires successful transition to attack]
34:00 – Terry clears the ball in the box with a header. Terry 3.
34:04 – Terry anticipates the opposition at the edge of the box. Terry 4.
35:45 – Luiz anticipates opponent and recovers ball possession preventing a counter-attack. Luiz 5
36:13 – Ramires incomplete pass. Ramires -3
36:55 – Mata incomplete pass in the attack. Mata-3
37:35 – Luiz stops attack by anticipating his opponent. Luiz 4
37:44 – Oscar wins duel and recovers possessions. Oscar 3
38:47 – [Cole failed transition to attack]. Cole -3
38:51 – Terry wins aerial duel. Terry 4
39:08 – Sloppy pass by Ramires to make transition to attack. -2. [Ramires failed transition to attack]
39:10 – Luiz successful long pass to attack. 3 [ Luiz successful transition to attack]
40:00 – Ramires blocks shot inside the box. Ramires 4.
41:28 – Terry wins due and stops attack. Terry 4.
41:44 – Terry clears cross from the box. Terry 4.
42:05 – Poor defending/marking by Lampard and Schürrle allowing a cross. Lampard -4, Schürrle -3.
43:09 – Ivanovic wins aerial due. Ivanovic 3.
43:34 – Ramires transition from midfield to attack. Ramires 3. [Ramires successful transition to attack]
44:19 – Schürrle presses the opponent after Chelsea loses possession in the attacking half and delays Norwich counter-attack and then forces the opponent to pass sloppily. Schürrle 4.
44:52 – Cole wins a tackle and recovers possession. Cole 3.
+00:40 – Terry blocks a shot. Terry 3
+00:55 – Ivanovic loses an aerial duel in the box in a corner. Ivanovic -3.
Second Half
45:39 – Terry long pass to the attack is incomplete. Terry -2. [Terry failed transition to attack]
45:50 – Lovely linkup between Schürrle and Ramires in the left, but Ba couldn’t capitalize Ramires’ cross. Schürrle 4, Ramires 5, Ba -2
46:35 – Poor pass by Schürrle. Schürrle -3
47:12 – [Luiz makes the transition from defense to attack carrying the ball] unrated
48:02 – Good linkup between Schürrle, Lampard, but Oscar is blocked when he finishes. Schürrle 4, Lampard 5, Oscar 3
49:14 – [Cech bad transition to attack]. Unrated.
49:34 – Ramires anticipates the opponent in the final third and recovers possession. Ramires 5.
49:52 – [Ramires and Luiz make smooth transition to attack]. Unrated.
52:38 – Shaky movement by defense. Chemistry -3. Ivanovic -3, Luiz -2.
53:12 – Schürrle presses and forces a bad pass from opposition, recovering possession. Schürrle 3.
53:25 – Incomplete pass by Ramires in the attack. Ramires -3.
55:56 – [Luiz good transition to attack]. Unrated.
56:10 – Successful tackle by Lampard in the attacking field recovers ball possession. Lampard 5.
56:39 – Terry wins aerial duel. Terry 3.
57:36 – Good coverage by Ivanovic as Luiz tries to anticipate but can’t. Team work 5. Ivanovic 4.
58:01 – Bad marking by Cole, Terry is a bit slow but can clear the ball. Cole -5, Terry 3.
59:00 – Luiz good defending recovers ball possession and stops counter-attack. Luiz 5.
59:15 – [Good transition to attack by Terry under pressure]. Terry 5.
60:43 – Schürrle clears a corner away. Schürrle 3.
62:20 – Ramires clears the ball from the box. Ramires 4.
62:25 – Oscar wins aerial duel and links the counter. Oscar 5.
62:43 – Brilliant pass from Mata to Cole. [isolate play]. Mata 5.
62:50 – Good assist by Mata, but Oscar’s finish is way off. Mata 5, Oscar -5.
63:22 – Cole loses aerial duel. Cole -3.
63:30 – Ba intercepts the ball in the defense half. Ba 4.
63:35 – [schürrle makes the transition to attack carrying the ball]. Unrated.
63:46 – Ba is slow to reposition himself and is caught offside, although he doesn’t pursue the ball. Ba -3
64:15 – [Luiz good transition to attack]. Unrated.
66:00 – Mata presses opponent inside their box and forces him to concede a throw-in. Mata 4.
67:05 – Terry loses aerial duel inside the box, Luiz is a tad late to avoid the second header that ends up with Norwich’s goal. Terry -5, Luiz -4.
68:18 – [schürrle transition to attack carrying the ball]. Unrated.
70:15 – Slightly slow and bad coverage of Chelsea defensively after they took a corner. Team work -3.
70:54 – [Ramires good transition to attack]. Unrated.
71:05 – Lovely assist by Mata, but Schürrle’s shot is blocked. Mata 5, Schürrle 2.
71:43 – Successful tackle by Ramires prevents counter-attack. Ramires 5.
73:25 – Good cross by Cole. Cole 3.
74:50 – Ivanovic anticipates opponent inside the box, stopping attack. Ivanovic 5.
75:15 – [schürrle transition to attack carrying the ball + combo with Hazard]. Unrated.
75:35 – Successful tackle by Ramires in the attack. Ramires 5.
75:52 – Luiz loses midfield duel allowing counter-attack. Luiz -4.
75:59 – Luiz fixes his own mess and recovers ball possession. Luiz 3.
76:00 – [Luiz good transition to attack by carrying the ball]. Unrated.
76:28 – [Luiz good transition to attack]. Unrated.
76:36 – Poor cross by Mata to no one in the box. Mata -3.
77:20 – [Luiz good transition to attack]. Unrated.
77:51 – Eto'o anticipates opponent in the attack and recovers possession. Eto'o 4.
78:03 – Good cross by Ivanovic. Ivanovic 5.
79:07 – [ivanovic bad transition to attack]. Unrated.
79:39 – Terrible positioning by Chelsea defense, leaving an opponent completely unmarked at the edge of the box. Team work -5.
80:55 – Ivanovic + Willian combo pressing and tackling recovers the ball to Chelsea. Willian 4, Ivanovic 5.
80:59 – [Lampard transition to attack]. Unrated.
81:06 – Oscar bad control of ball gives it away. Oscar -3.
81:41 – Terrible positioning by Chelsea defense, leaving an opponent completely unmarked inside the box. Team work -5.
81:47 – [Luiz bad transition to attack with a long pass]. Unrated.
82:06 – Ivanovic anticipates an opponent and recovers possession. Ivanovic 5.
82:15 – [Willian smooth transition to attack]. Unrated.
83:05 – Bad defending by Ramires allows dangerous attack. Ramires -5.
84:01 – Ivanovic clears corner with a header. Ivanovic 5.
84:03 – Hazard wins an aerial duel, Willian controls the ball twice with his head to start the counter-attack led by Oscar who assists Hazard that scores. Team work 5. Hazard, Willian, Oscar 5.
85:25 – Luiz blocks a cross. Luiz 5.
85:32 – [Oscar + Willian combo make smooth transition to attack]. Unrated.
85:41 – Willian magnificent finish to score. Isolate play. Willian 5+
87:14 – Schürrle anticipates the opponent near the corner, regains possession. Schürrle 4.
88:01 – Ramires wins a tackle in midfield. Ramires 4.
91:16 – Willian successful tackle in the midfield. Willian 4.
91:38 – Schürrle anticipates the opponent and recovers possession. Schürrle 4.
92:16 – [Terry bad transition to attack with a long pass]. Unrated.
92:40 – [Cech bad transition to attack]. Unrated.
92:47 – Eto'o wins duel in the sideline and regains possession in the attack half. Eto'o 4.
93:12 – Sloppy pass by Oscar concedes turnover. Oscar -3.
Click here to view the article

I'm sure if Lukaku started 2 matches and made 10 substitute appearances at West Brom in half a season he also would not developed or found form. Players need to play in order to improve or find form - when they are lacking match practice they are never going to be sharp or improve.

I actually think second striker is his best position. He's played wide in the youth teams but his play style is very much of that of a second striker and not of a wide player. Even when he started on the left in the youth team he always moved central and down the middle, provided no width at all.He plays like a Jovetic.

I Got The Blues
Steaua Bucharest 0 x 4 Chelsea – Champions League 2nd round
I Got the Blues is a detailed analysis of best chances created, blocked and conceded by Chelsea players during matches. The feature rates the players’ individual contribution in each of those aspects, in addition to any important mistakes and isolated plays that could be highlighted. The rates vary from 1 to 5 [positively] and -5 to -1 [negatively] and are given individually for each player. Collective plays are also rated in terms of team work and team chemistry showed to build them. At the end all positive rates are summed up – as well as the negative - to provide a more precise assessment of individual performances. Stats rates vary depending on the zone where the duel happened. For example, tackles that created a counter-attack are rated higher than tackles in end zones.
The ultimate objective in the analysis is to measure the players’ negative and positive contributions to the match, evaluate tactics employed as well as the collective work and how all of it influenced in the final result.
Players total rates total amount of contributions; (negative rate/positive rate):
§ Cech: 5; (0/21)
§ Ivanovic: 16 (0/72)
§ Luiz: 25 (-6/104)
§ Terry: 11 (-6/45)
§ Cole: 6 (-10/19)
§ Ramires: 18 (-2/72)
§ Lampard: 8 (-8/23)
§ Mata: 15 (-4/58)
§ Oscar: 20 (-12/67)
§ Schürrle: 14 (-2/58)
§ Eto'o: 11 (-3/40)
§ Azpilicueta: 1 (0/5)
§ Willian: 1 (0/5)
§ Torres: 1 (0/5)
Team Chemistry

§ It was showcased 15 plays where the team’s chemistry was evaluated. 13 out of those were rated 5, while one was rated 4 and another was rated 3.
Team Work:

§ One more play was showcased and the stats are similar with 14 plays rated 5, two rated 4 and one rated 1.
Individual highlights:

§ Ivanovic aerial duels: 10 attempts – 10 won, 0 lost. Ivanovic is the only defender not to make one single mistake during the match. He didn’t give the ball away, positioned himself poorly, failed to tackle and especially he didn’t fail to use his head to kill the opposition attempts to keep the ball.
§ Luiz pro-activeness: 10 times Luiz anticipated his opponents, intercepting the ball and regaining possession for Chelsea.
§ Ashley Cole partnership with André Schürrle. They concentrated Chelsea's action in the left side of the field being nearly unstoppable
Conclusions:
§ No player contributed more positively to the match than David Luiz. The Brazilian had 25 highlighted contributions, only two of which negatively. The center back contributed with solid defensive skills, good passes to link up with the attack, but the stat that pops among his contributions is the amount of times he moved from his expected position, and anticipated his opponents, intercepting the ball and regaining possession for Chelsea. He did it ten times during the match.
§ Even if he doesn’t figure among the most highlighted contributors, André Schürrle was the man of the match taking part is almost all creative, dangerous and effective linkups in the attack. No player had more successful dribbles [or take-ons] in the pitch than Schürrle did. He also provided the width Chelsea have been lacking this season when facing deep defenses and overcrowded midfields.
§ Mourinho’s tactics seem to become clearer and clearer with each match and also more similar to the ones he had at Real Madrid. Chelsea pressed high in Steaua’s field most of the match [there was a certain relaxation from the 70th minute mark on, where the team was sloppier and probably tired already], having all players involved in the match whether Chelsea has the ball or not. it].
Tactical analysis:
As briefly explained above the team seems to be absorbing Mourinho’s philosophy and for the second consecutive time [considering only the second-half against Spurs] they seemed to be solid, objective, fast and determined. At this point Mourinho should be convinced that Ramires is a great addition to the team as long as he strengthens the pivot. Not only the has Brazilian been showing improvement in his first touch and providing a better transition to attack than he did in the past, but he’s also a great presence in the midfield pressing and tackling the opposition. He’s growing into a very effective box-to-box midfielder that relentlessly protects and covers the defense, but who also appears in the attack with one of the team’s best finishing skills. The alternative used by previous managers and twice by Mourinho this season is having Ramires in the right winger, but if anything the first half against Spurs proved that as long as the double-pivot consists of Lampard and Mikel [and probably any combination involving Michael Essien as well], Chelsea can’t control the midfield either because of Lampard slowness or Mikel’s limited vision and ability to buildup attack plays. Also while improved, Ramires first touch isn't good enough for him to be considered a good winger. It’s a lose-lose situation for Chelsea, while having the #7 in the pivot seems like a win-win scenario.
With the attacking players pressing high, and the double-pivot covering and protecting the defense, Mourinho’s high pressing plan consists of two stages: 1] try to suffocate the opponent, leading them to resort to long passes and consequently mistakes; 2] regain possession as soon as possible with tackles and interceptions. The first aspect could be seen clearly against Steaua [but also in the second half against Tottenham] and it’s one of the keys for Chelsea to control matches. With a well-posted defense, and David Luiz having freedom to roam around the pitch to offer defensive contributions and anticipate opposition even in the attack field, Chelsea detract the opponents’ possession and pass accuracy. The second aspect of the relentless pressing is to intercept the ball. That’s the main goal and every player in the pitch has to be aware of his surroundings and ready to anticipate the opponents’ move or to get involved in duels, recovering the ball. Mourinho’s style is as far from tiki-taka football as possible and the Portuguese doesn't believe in possession for the sake of it. He wants his team to control the match by putting a lot of pressure on the opponent with and without the ball.
With the ball Mourinho wants a fast paced team that will move to the attack objectively, but who also knows how to hold back and start over calmly. Chelsea don’t have and won’t have a target man in the attack in most matches because their manager doesn't like the deep and direct connection [that leads to predictability and is more prone to mistakes] neither does he favor play concentrated in one individual – unless in exceptional talent cases such as Cristiano Ronaldo who he has managed for three years at Real Madrid. As players like his fellow countryman can’t be found at every football academy, Mourinho prefers his team to attack as a block, with as many targets as possible. Here is where the similarities with tikitaka ends. While the never-ending ball possession and pass exchanging aims to have the ball and pass it until a chance presents itself while tiring the opposition [probably also irritating them] and exhausting the defenders as well as the possibilities, Mourinho’s style is much more objective. He doesn't want his team to wait for the chance or the small break to appear, he wants his team to split the opposition apart. Ball possession in his tactics is the mean to the ends, but never the main objective. His team showed today with Ramires, Lampard, Cole, Ivanovic, Terry and Luiz that if the attacking players are well marked, they’ll restart the play in Chelsea's defensive field, only to give time to the attacking players to find the space required to have the play going on forward again – preferably quickly. Mourinho wants his team to favor pace over possession, but not in a predictable and premature way that many times lead to turnovers.
Although Schürrle was fixed in the left wing, rarely venturing elsewhere, Oscar and Mata interchanged places between the middle and the right wing. Sometimes one of them even came to the left wing where Schürrle was as a way to offer one more linkup possibilities. Oscar also dropped deeper than Mata – as usual – which strengthens the pivot. While the Spanish seems to be incorporating to the work-rate Mourinho demands when Chelsea don’t have the ball, he mostly left to Oscar the responsibility of going behind the midfield line to start the play when Chelsea do have possession. That’s when the design in the field changes and the formation momentarily goes from 4-2-3-1 to 4-3-3. The double pivot and Oscar drop deep to organize the play and have a panoramic view of the attacking field to distribute the game. Once Chelsea moves forward, the formation switches back to the usual 4-2-3-1 and Oscar has been seen many times linking up with Mata, Lampard, Ivanovic and Eto'o in the middle as well as in the right [although the game didn't pass much to the right wing because of Schürrle’s effective presence in the left].
Many fans may have not understood why at the marks of 78 and 80 minutes Mourinho decided to sub two of his attacking midfielders for one winger and a full back. Some may have thought he wanted to rest Mata and Oscar or that he wanted to give Azpilicueta playing time, but Mourinho may have had an additional agenda. Cole and Schürrle certainly impressed their commander with their constant partnership in the match which was very productive for the team. The same hasn’t been found in the right side and while there could have been many reasons for that, Mourinho may have wanted a more objective answer. Ivanovic’s forte is his defensive skills – reason why he has played countless times as a CB - and while he isn't totally unimpressive attacking, he didn't offer on the right the same Cole offered on the left. The Spaniard full back is a different story. Mourinho used the player that was signed mainly for the right wing [Willian] and the full back that can provide him a more offensive partnership among all options Chelsea have in their current squad. While Azpilicueta seemed to have the freedom to roam around the pitch [he was replacing Oscar after all], most of his actions were concentrated in the right flank where he positioned himself ahead of Ivanovic. Unfortunately in the ten minutes Azpilicueta was there Willian didn't hold position enough to show to Mourinho if he could have the same contribution in the right wing he found in the left with Cole and Schürrle.
Mourinho must have ended the day very happy not only with the result – that was vital in Chelsea's Champions League campaign – but also with the answers his team is finally starting to give him. There can still be some individual sharpness issues – especially in the finishing – but tactically the team seemed to finally carry on form and production from one match to the other and seemed more settled and comfortable executing his orders.
Below you will find a detailed summary of all plays showcased, in the spoiler tag.

Spoiler Data summary
First half
0:38 – Fernando Torres tackles the opponent and recovers the ball [this tackle cost him the rest of the match as he got a knee injury in the process]. Ramires and Juan Mata touch the ball before it reaches André Schürrle who fails to complete the cross. Torres 5; Ramires 2; Mata 2; Schürrle 2. Team work and chemistry 3.
1:20 – Branislav Ivanovic wins aerial duel conceding a free throw in a counter-attack. Ivanovic 4
2:14 – Chelsea press Steaua from 1:27 up to 2:14 leading the opponent to leave the attacking half and go back to the defense half, eventually leading to a turnover, as John Terry anticipates the opponent . Terry 5. Team work 5.
2:24 – As Steaua presses and Chelsea can’t move from their defense, David Luiz makes a long pass that reaches Oscar perfectly. A sequence of quick passes is exchanged in the midfield between Oscar, Ramires, Mata and Schürrle, until the German cuts in from the left winger, passes by 4 opponents and shoots. The shot is blocked by the defense and Mata has the rebound, assisting Schürrle whose shot is once again blocked. David Luiz 5, Oscar 3, Ramires 3, Mata 5, Schürrle 5. Team work and chemistry 5.
4:48 – Opponent passes by Ramires entering the box dangerously, but Oscar tackles the opponent, clearing the ball away from the box. Oscar 4.
5:27 – Ashley Cole tackles successfully the opponent in the flank. Cole 5.
5:49 – David Luiz successful long pass to transition from defense to attack, but Oscar’s first touch is weak. Luiz 5. Oscar -3.
7:14 – Luiz clears the ball from the box with a header. Oscar offers yet another turnover, but Ramires recovers the ball. Luiz 5, Oscar -4, Ramires 4.
7:41 – Luiz anticipates his opponent, intercepts the ball, and draws a foul. Luiz 5.
08:07 – Luiz tries a long pass from the defense in an attempt to find Torres in the box. The pass isn’t completed because the defender clears the ball, offering a corner. Luiz 3.
09:16 – Smart exchanged between Oscar and Schürrle near the sideline and Oscar tries a splitting pass for Schürrle, but the goalkeeper is faster and anticipates it. Oscar 4, Schürrle 4. Team work and chemistry 4.
09:38 – Terry wins aerial duel, recovering possession. Terry 5.
10:06 – Ramires can’t control the ball and offers a turnover. Ramires -2.
11:08 – Lampard concedes a turnover. Lampard -3.
11:20 – Ivanovic successful tackle. Ivanovic 5.
11:37 – Mata concedes a turnover. Mata -4
12:41 – Schürrle concedes a turnover in the attack. Schürrle -2.
12:59 – Ramires and Mata press the defenders and earn a throw-in. Team work 5. Ramires 5, Mata 5.
14:18 – Luiz anticipates the opponent intercepting the ball, setting up a counter-attack. Luiz 5.
16:01 – Ivanovic clears a free kick from the box in an aerial duel. Ivanovic 5.
17:08 – Lampard anticipates the opponent clearing the ball to the side line. In the throw-in Ramires anticipates the opponent and recovers possession. Lampard 3, Ramires 4.
17:14 – Lampard concedes a turnover. Lampard -5.
17:23 – Luiz clears the ball from the box with a header. Luiz 5.
17:26 – Schürrle has a successful tackle, recovering possession. Schürrle 5.
18:41 – Ramires intercepts the ball successfully and starts the counter-attack that created Chelsea’s first goal. He passes to Mata who links the play with Schürrle, who advances in the flank and successfully crosses to Eto'o that has trouble controlling the ball, but somehow completes a pass for Ramires to score. Team work 5 and chemistry 5. Ramires 5, Mata 4, Schürrle 5, Eto'o 4.
20:00 – Luiz intercepts the ball successfully feeding a counter-attack. Luiz 5.
20:54 – Another long pass by Luiz attempting to find Eto'o in the box, who was marked by two opponents that were able to clear the ball. Luiz 3.
21:36 – Eto'o, Luiz and Oscar press the opponent until Oscar is able to intercept the ball and start a counter attack. Team work 5. Eto'o 3, Luiz 5, Oscar 5.
22:25 – Ivanovic anticipates the opponent and clears the ball from the box. Ivanovic 5.
23:18 – Luiz interception. Luiz 5.
24:35 – Ramires makes the transition between the defense and the final third, reaching Ivanovic who links up for Oscar to cross, but the ball is cleared by the opponents defense. Chemistry 5. Ramires 5, Ivanovic 4, Oscar 4.
25:31 – Luiz wins aerial duel in the midfield, but Eto'o gives the ball away. Luiz 3, Eto'o -3.
26:17 – Luiz anticipates the opponent in the final third, recovering possession and advancing towards the box, finding Mata who tries to chip the ball over the defense for Oscar, but the defense clears it. Luiz 5, Mata 5.
26:30 – Schürrle successfully tackles the ball inside box, and Lampard links with Eto'o that assists him back, but the defense blocks the shot. Team work 5. Schürrle 5, Lampard 4, Eto'o 4.
26:51 – Schürrle advances in the flank, making a 2-1 play with Mata and shoots at the end of the box way over the goal. Chemistry 5. Schürrle 4, Mata 5.
27:19 – Ivanovic wins aerial duel. Ivanovic 4.
27:35 – Ramires interception completed by Luiz. Ramires 4, Luiz 4
27:52 – Ramires interception. Ramires 4.
28:31 – Successful tackle by Terry. Terry 5.
29:07 – Mata and Eto'o exchange passes in front of the box, and Mata shoots to the goal, but without much danger. Chemistry 5. Mata 4, Eto'o 4.
29: 48 – Mata anticipates the opponent, links with Ramires that passes to Ivanovic who links with Oscar. The Brazilian tries to find Eto'o in the box, but the defense blocks the pass. Chemistry 5. Mata 5, Ramires 3, Ivanovic 4, Oscar 4.
30:06 – Mata anticipates the opponent after Ramires presses. Team work 5. Mata 5, Ramires 4.
31:23 – Terry anticipates the opponents inside Chelsea's box. Terry 5.
33:34 – Oscar wins aerial duel. Oscar 3.
33:50 – Schürrle advances through the flank, passing by an opponent and then by three more, finding Oscar at the edge of the box who shoots poorly. Schürrle 5. Oscar 1.
34:17 – Lampard wins aerial duel. Lampard 5.
38:52 – Luiz and Terry clear the ball away from the box both of which with headers. Team work 5. Luiz 4, Terry 5.
38:57 – Petr Cech punches the ball away from a cross by Steaua. Cech 4.
39:18 – Ivanovic wins aerial duel. Ivanovic 5.
39:22 – Oscar successfully tackles the opponent and links the counter-attack. Oscar 5.
39:47 – Sloppy pass by Oscar offers Steaua dangerous counter-attack, but Cech anticipates it. Oscar -5, Cech 5.
40:24 – Luiz anticipates the opponent and recovers possession. Luiz 5.
42:07 – Ivanovic clears good linkup by Steaua’s attack. Ivanovic 5.
42:25 – Successful tackle by Ramires gives Chelsea a counter attack involving Oscar, Mata, Ramires himself and Schürrle. It ends with Oscar’s shot going a bit too high. Team work 5, chemistry 5. Ramires 5, Schürrle 4, Oscar 4, Mata 3.
43:35 – Ivanovic clears free kick inside the box with a header. Ivanovic 5.
43:36 – Cole takes Ivanovic clearance and links up the counter. Mata gives a superb pass to Eto'o to go in the run. The goalkeeper blocks the striker’s shot, but the defender ends up conceding an own goal in the rebound. Team work 5. Mata 5, Cole 4, Eto'o 4.
Second half
45:34 – Ivanovic wins aerial duel. Ivanovic 3.
46:06 – Bad long pass by Luiz. Luiz -2
46:26 – Long pass by Terry. Terry 5.
46:56 – Bad long pass by Terry. Terry -3.
47:27 – Successful tackle by Luiz at the edge of box and pass for counter attack led by Mata who passes to Eto'o to shoot without offering any danger to the keeper. Luiz 5, Mata 4, Eto'o 3.
48:03 – Ramires tackles successfully the ball offering Chelsea a counter-attack. Ramires 5.
49:00 – Luiz anticipates the opposition and recovers possession at the edge of the box starting the counter-attack. Luiz 5.
49:30 – Great pass by Oscar to Mata who runs towards the box and crosses for Lampard, but he can’t finish. Oscar 5, Mata 4.
50:30 – Luiz leaves the box to tackle the opponent and Ramires offering the cover, regains possession. Team work 5. Luiz 4, Ramires 5.
51:28 – Great linkup play between Schürrle and Eto'o, but Lampard can’t control the ball to finish. Chemistry 5, Schürrle 5, Eto'o 5, Lampard 1.
52:24 – Shaky positioning by Terry nearly offers Steaua a chance to score, but the opponent was offside. Terry -3.
53:57 – Successful tackle by Oscar recovering the ball. Oscar 5.
54:25 – Schürrle gets rid of one opponent and advances quickly towards the box. He passes to Oscar, who assists Ramires in the third goal by the Blues. Chemistry 5. Schürrle 5, Oscar 5, Ramires 5.
55:46 – Luiz anticipates the opponent and recovers ball possession. Luiz 5.
57:18 – Oscar wins aerial duel. Oscar 2.
57:41 – Two back heels consecutively by Oscar finding first Ivanovic inside the box and then Mata even higher, but the Spaniard is unlucky by hitting the post. Chemistry 5. Oscar 5, Mata 5, Ivanovic 5.
58:08 – Terry inside the box clears a shot by Steaua. Terry 5.
58:15 – Also inside the box Cole anticipates the opposition and passes to Terry to clear the danger completely. Team work 5. Cole 5, Terry 5.
58:41 – Opponent tries to chip the ball over Cech who recovers quickly making a good save. Cech 4.
62:23 – Oscar anticipates the opponent in the midfield linking a counter-attack. Oscar 5.
62:52 – Luiz wins a tackle in the defensive field. Luiz 5.
63:04 – Long pass by Luiz finding Eto'o in the counter attack with Eto'o who finds Schürrle. The German passes by two opponents, but the finish is poor. Luiz 5, Eto'o 4, Schürrle 3.
65:44 – Ivanovic wins an aerial duel, setting up a counter-attack. Ivanovic 5.
69:09 – Ivanovic wins aerial duel at the edge of the box. Ivanovic 5.
69:37 – Good linkup play started by Mata to Oscar, then to Ramires and finally to Schürrle, who couldn’t shoot on target. Chemistry 5. Mata 3, Oscar 3, Ramires 4, Schürrle 3.
70:33 – Ivanovic wins aerial duel in the midfield. Ivanovic 3.
72:02 – Terry anticipates the opponent recovering ball possession. Terry 5.
72:25 – Luiz blocks opponent cross/shoot at the edge of the box, after shaky positioning by him. Luiz 3.
72:35 – Cole loses aerial duel in the box, offering a dangerous chance for Steaua, but Cech saves. Cole -5. Cech 4.
74:26 – Ivanovic wins aerial duel in the defense. Ivanovic 5.
75:32 – Good ball control and link up involving all attacking and midfield players, ending with Eto'o finishing with a volley in an assist by Lampard, saved by the goalkeeper. Team work 5, chemistry 5, Eto'o 4, Lampard 5.
78:54 – Luiz anticipates the opponent and recovers possession in the midfield. Luiz 5.
82:50 – Ramires wins a tackle in the defensive half. Ramires 5.
83:06 – Ashley Cole intercepts the ball. Cole 5.
84:06 – Cole can't complete a pass, offering a counter attack, demanding a good defense by Cech. Cole -5, Cech 4.
86:24 – Sloppy pass by Luiz in the attack half gives the ball away. Luiz -4.
89:02 – César Azpilicueta anticipates the ball and links the counter-attack with Eto'o who links the play by crossing to Willian at the other side of the box. The Brazilian passes back to Lampard to score. Team work 5, chemistry 5. Azpilicueta 5, Eto'o 5, Willian 5, Lampard 5.

Click here to view the article

It's not about being violent enough bitch slapping an opponent is also a 3 match ban and it won't leave scratches unless you have a pimp ring on the finger. When you place your hand on an opposition player's face you're asking for trouble - if Vertonghen had done a Busquets and rolled about Torres could have been send off without even scratching him. It was an act of stupidity and if an opposition player had done it and not gotten send off I'd be livid and fuming.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4Tk9zg_4tY

Chelsea began a new sporting era marked by the return of Jose Mourinho to the position he was employed between 2004 and 2007. It thus put an end to the last fifteen months during which the team was assigned to temporary managers as Rafael Benítez succeeded Roberto Di Matteo. This last point proves to be crucial ahead of the new season, especially after a 69-game season played all over the world. Chelsea suffered from the lack of rotation options in many positions. Therefore, it seemed reasonable to expect from the London club a greater freedom of movement granted to the Portuguese manager, resulting in the addition of several players in order to improve the competition for places and complete the XI which was established the last ten months. It also gave Mourinho ammunition to enhance the very much short term based gameplans in use until now. After a meaningful pre-season, Chelsea played four official matches including two wins and two draws. Here is a roadmap of options explored until now, in which we we look at how Chelsea is now able to respond effectively to situations encountered during the various phases of play.
 
Note: This is the translation from an article written in french you can read on here or here. It has been written during the international break and translated the week after.
The return of the Special One What tactical approach ? What attacking application ?Create a launch pad by submerging the opponentWhat roles in the double pivot ? Full backs don't camp at the forefront anymore Mourinho's tactical overbidding Eden Hazard, between Joe Cole and Cristiano Ronaldo ? The blackboard The art of counter-attack The attackers' dual role, an insoluble dilemma? What's the Mata with the Special Juan ? The recovery system : suffocate the opponent on the flanksThe funnel in the closet, let's use the waffle iron How to deal with crosses: the communicating vessels A look at the roster Conclusion The return of the Special One
 
The expectations on the Portuguese manager are based in particular on his ability to play Chelsea's numerous attackers while maintaining a form of balance on the collective plan. If the approach the doomed Roberto Di Matteo freed attackers at the expense of any organization (to ensure a form of entertainment every week?), that of Rafael Benítez however bridled individualities in favor of a ground grid that did partially meet the challenges set up by the opposition. It is possible though to link this lack of noticeable evolution in terms of handling situations as such (beyond the positioning) to the heavy schedule Chelsea faced, preventing an in-depth look at different aspects.
 
The pre-season played in Southeast Asia and the United States saw Chelsea take on opponents of heterogeneous level on agrarian pitches, which, however, left possible to observe the various attacking applications in 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 and actual ways to handle opponent's attacks.
 

 
" He reminds me of myself it was ten years ago when I contested every decision. I wanted to lead my team while having the whistle in my mouth. He is my spitting image " Jose Mourinho on Paul Lambert after the game. In the jungle of the Premier League, Mourinho being a character of his own is a welcome breath of fresh air in contrast to the complacency of Carlo Ancelotti or Rafael Benitez with the referees.
 
Chelsea started the season with a victory against newly promoted Hull City (2-0) dominating their opponent in the first half. Aston Villa proved to be a very different opposition three days later, being able to partially oppose moves initiated by Chelsea in order to counter them. It has ultimately been the replacements made by Mourinho in the last half hour that tipped the scales in favor of his team in turning a 1-1 scoreline to a 2-1 win over Paul Lambert's team.
 
Back-to-back meetings against Manchester United (0-0) and Bayern Munich (2-2) saw Chelsea drop low to wait for their opponent and then use fast-break, triggering a tidal wave of negative reactions. However, the implementation of Jose Mourinho seems actually much richer than this simplistic observation (as evidenced by the first two official meetings) and is proving to be once again a true adaptive system based on the forces available or the attitude of the opponent. However, due primarily to the disparate state of form of key elements, who came back from their holidays consecutive to their involvement in the Confederations Cup, Chelsea has especially been in control defensively and could deploy its new offensive system only in rather limited sequences during games.
 
What tactical approach?
José Mourinho is described as a true 4-3-3 manager although he's actually only eager to monitor the trend related to the comparative advantages of a system over another in the landscape in which his team plays. This was the case at the time of benefit from the contribution of Claude Makelele in the role that subsequently took his name, it is the same as the desire to build his team around a central attacking midfielder who has led the use of 4-2-3-1 ("[his] favorite system ") to Inter Milan or Real Madrid.
 
The Portuguese coach said shortly after his arrival that this system also corresponded to forces in his new roster, a system "in which De Bruyne, Oscar, Mata and Hazard like to play." Mourinho is likely to primarily use the same 4-2-3-1 than its predecessors.
 

 
It is then interesting to consider this choice to the extent that the double European Champion has been noticeable for his anthology of tactical flaws for two years. Roberto Di Matteo's set-up certainly reflected the precarious position of his job and may explain why his team made the show more than it sought to impose its control in all circumstances; once the first wave of pressure formed by all four attackers get past through by the opponent, Chelsea found himself outnumbered in the middle of the park and in the flanks, resulting in a line of average recovery at the edge of its own penalty box.
 
Rafael Benítez changed his wide attackers' defensive instructions, asking them to flank two midfielders so that his team could feature two lines of four players behind the ball. And only if Eden Hazard and Juan Mata's proximity towards Lampard and Ramires allowed them to get out more easily to press, it didn't resolve the latent issue related to handling the opponent's deeper midfielder; preeminent in the tribulations of the club London since the work of Juan Mata and Eden Hazard in the center position is still largely insufficient in this regard. It appears in fact that only the presence of Oscar allows Chelsea to feature a real triangle in midfield, in which the Brazilian can effectively oppose to players such as Andrea Pirlo, Michael Carrick, while allowing his team have a "hub" in the central areas when in possession ; Oscar proving to be the ideal technical and tactical relay between Hazard and Mata.
 
For blackboard addicts, Chelsea so strongly looked 4-2-4ish under Roberto Di Matteo (4 attackers ahead of the ball when it was played in the midfield area) and 4-4-2ish under Rafael Benítez (due to the lack of impact on the CAM against the aforementioned opposition's deep midfielder).
 
Beyond a working implementation of the team block, the team's pressing shape is dependent on the attackers' willingness to retreat in areas where they can then act effectively to facilitate the work of their partners, as we shall see later, triggering the following stages of the ball recovery system. Everything being related to athletic settings or tactical instructions.
 

Figure 1: The buzzword in Europe: rotating midfield with three hybrid profiles. Here, Lucas Piazon drops while Essien pushes forward to compensate while Ramires takes the place of the Ghanaian. Only possible if the profiles are not split between defensive minded midfielders and  support attackers.
 
Chelsea therefore include three players behind the ball in midfield this season, which ultimately consists in the most effective solution to counter opposing organizations featuring four defenders and one out-and-out striker, regardless of the name the formation is labelled on the team sheet.
 
What attacking application ?
Create a launch pad by outnumbering the opponent
If the implementation of Jose Mourinho in his previous spell at the club included three strikers supported by three midfielders with high activity; it has evolved and now puts forward an elaborate formula based on a fluid interchanging, probably even more difficult to handle for the opposition. This development has resulted in maintaining or not individual instructions which were practiced recently.
 
What roles in the "double pivot"?
Until the beginning of the calendar year, Roberto Di Matteo and Rafael Benitez usually lined up a duo of John Obi Mikel and Ramires in which the latter played a few steps ahead of his teammate. Mikel then had an option between the lines to try to create the link with the attackers - which the latter hardly helped to create otherwise.
 
 

Figure 2 : Mikel plays very much in his zone and feeds the ball to players asked to play the ball further in the attacking build up (left) while Ramires moves from a zone to another.
 
Frank Lampard's return into consideration in 2013 because of his recovered form and his motivation related to the club all-time scoring record even more closer week and week out (and eventually surpassed thanks to a brace at Villa Park in mid-May, bringing its total to 203 goals) led the former Liverpool manager to change the instructions set to Ramires after John Obi Mikel's departure to the African Cup of Nations. The Brazilian was then allocated the role of axial hub to ensure the first distribution, in parallel with his positioning to cover for Lampard's attacking bursts or runs to come out to press.
 

Figure 3: While Ramires provides a first sideways distribution, Frank Lampard takes things in hand with riskier passing choices.
 
The season sees a similar establishment in which Ramires supplies his central defenders to feed full backs or midfielders dropping on level to him. Ramires, who used to make of 37 passes per game (two-thirds forward for a 85.5% success rate) in 2012/ 2013, has almost doubled its volume of play with an average which now stands at 67.3 passes per game (88.8 % success rate with the same hand played forward that during the previous season).
 

Figure 4: Ramires gets the ball in the center circle and keeps the tempo of the game by feeding options on level. It can also be folded back on backwards options in order to make himself  available again.
 
Full backs don't camp at the forefront anymore
Full back's role has evolved considerably when we remember the almost suffocating 3-2-5 under Carlo Ancelotti the season of Chelsea's last domestic crowning three years ago. The lack of rigor in Di Matteo's attackers forced full backs to provide attacking width by themselves but thus leaving the back all the more exposed. By asking the attackers to play more in zone, Rafael Benítez did set up on paper conditions in order to make his wide attackers and full backs link up altogether, although the latter were ultimately as reluctant to use runners on the overlap.
 

Figure 5: Ivanovic and Cole are two options on level with Ramires while Lampard and Oscar complete the triangle by simultaneous movements : while one drops back, the other gets to the symmetrical area.
 
Now, Ivanovic and Ashley Cole are now asked to be on level with Chelsea's deepest midfielder, Nascimento Ramires. This point is twofold, the first is to re-establish the offensive as key players in the attacking set-up and not mere consumers of balls received onto their their feet in the final third as has too often been the case in last ten months. So then, runs forward haven't the purpose to be systematic whatever happens, it is precisely triggered by how the situation requires or not support from behind. We will discuss the second purpose later on managing transitions and crosses.
 
Mourinho tactical overbidding
During the first two league games, Chelsea met two teams from defending their club crest based on an organization in 4-3-3. This organization was intended to be modeled on the theoretical lineup in 4-2-3-1 of the Londoners and oppose a deep anchor (David Meyler, Ashley Westwood) to Oscar Mata central position and two enforcers (Brady/Koren then El-Ahmadi/Delph) to Lampard and Ramires.
 

Figure 6: Aerial view of the implementation of the Chelsea 4-2-3-1 that seeks to thwart Steve Bruce with a 4-3-3 lineup.
 
However, the mobility of Oscar and tactical nous have contributed greatly to pull the opposition's anchor man away from the central zone he was supposed to keep in check (to cover for pressing runs and block  passing lanes toward the inside of the field). Dropping to the left of Ramires allowed Juan Mata to insert into his preferred zone and become an additional "runner " in between the lines. The presence of the lone Demba Ba then allowed the left Villa center back Villa Ciaran Clark to get out of his line of defense to keep the Spanish in check (and cancel the overload), but since breaking the defensive alignment of four defenders.
 

Figure 7: This is Juan Mata's favoured zone where he can cut inside to meet the runs of his team-mates. That positioning allows him to benefit from necessary adjustment seconds to the full back and one central midfielder in order to pass the marking instructions in between them.
 
Eden Hazard, between Joe Cole and Cristiano Ronaldo?
In addition, this season should be exciting to follow the work of José Mourinho with Eden Hazard, in order to keep the process to create a more complete player offensively, especially in terms of off-the-ball movements not only in order to receive the ball in central zones. The Portuguese announced its policy towards the Belgian striker during the preseason highlighting that due to his talent, the former Lille player would have to "give always more" and could no longer be satisfied of "isolated pieces of brilliance" Mourinho expects from the 22- years to translate his talent into goals and assists, an approach combining the work with Joe Cole (tactical and defensive rigor) and Cristiano Ronaldo (efficiency in front of goal) in the past.
 
Until now, Eden Hazard has served most often as a "balance attacking player" (yellow on Figure 10), one of crucial importance in the context already mentioned to rely exclusively on attackers to stretch or overload the opposing defence. The Belgian therefore has several options at its disposal to thwart the defenses and exploit the gaps vacated by a defender pulled out of his line :
 
The first is to play or call the ball on the outside to allow a teammate to insert in between defenders. This is the situatuon of the Torres' run that will lead to Lampard's missed penalty and Oscar's goal resulting from the run of the Brazilian between Hazard and Torres against Hull City.
 

Figure 8 : Hazard pulled the right side of the defense of Hull (Davies and "Elmo") by working in the channel. Oscar did not ask for less to insert in between the central defenders (red) while Torres attracts Chester, that breaks the defensive alignment.
 
The second option is to come in the central areas combine to allow the insertion of a late runner, such as Frank Lampard.
 
The third is based on the possibility of it ideally exploit his  outstanding finishing ability with genuine angled runs (relatively rare last season because of his tendency to go central, preventing him to make diagonal runs towards goal). This is the configuration in which Hazard forced Antonio Luna to concede an own goal after a diagonal run in behind the Villa defence of Aston Villa (Figure 9). The run follows a switch of play from Ramires controlled by the Belgian on the sideline a few seconds before.
 

Figure 9: Demba Ba weighs and helps to pull the defensive line Villa. Due to El Ahmadi misplaced pass in his defensive third, Vlaar comes out on Oscar who tricks him. Hazard can make  a diagonal run toward goal and receive the ball through the broken Aston Villa defensive alignment. Note the central overload of Chelsea that the Dutch stopper attempted to cancel.
 
It is understood that this animation depicts the roles that can take all among Juan Mata, Oscar, Kevin de Bruyne and Willian and that its success is conditioned by appropriate and proper use of the space, leaving the individual quality of the players involved speak by itself otherwise. However, beyond the tactical (not yet quite on level) it is a costly implementation in energy that will also depend on how effective the squad rotation will be made during the season.
 
The blackboard

Figure 10: Chelsea is almost akin to a 4-4-2 diamond, which takes an asymmetrical shape to the needs of the set up of the attack. Note the system that puts Oscar Mata and Lampard in rotation and even allows Ramires to switch with Oscar punctually.
 
In the configuration observed this season, Chelsea creates an overload in central areas (45 % of the attacks occurred in there is only 5 points lower than first of the class Swansea) using four midfielders (514 short passes per game, nearly 80 more than last season). These are complemented by an attacker pulling the defense and proving to be an option back to goal on ground (that Wayne Rooney, Samuel Eto'o or Aruna Kone are able to do - illustrated by their average pass completion rate over 80%) prior to the in-depth pass toward a player running from a wide position or behind. This corresponds more or less to the task of " false number nine," a task that Fernando Torres has also never really been able to be effective for two seasons because of his technical shortcomings. This tactic is a credible response to pop packed defenses and allow insertion of Mata or Hazard from behind.
 
The art of counter-attack
If one had to sum ​​up the philosophy of Jose Mourinho through a phase of the game, it would certainly be attackings transitions. The Portuguese is one of the technicians who are particularly looking into the different ways of managing the five seconds following the ball turnover to build their offensive circuits. According to Mourinho, it's the "perfect time to exploit the fact that an opponent is out of position" as "spaces are hard to find when the two teams are in place". The tactical irrelevance of the last season (offensive quartet expected to play possession in the attacking half, finally forced to play counter-attacking football due to where  the remaining players used to recover the ball - edge of the box), however, served to illustrate Eden Hazard or Victor Moses abilities on the break. Chelsea strengthened his attacking line with the arrivals of Kevin De Bruyne and André Schürrle which also arise in excellent options to exploit space in the back of adventurous opposing teams thanks to their running and ability to provide the final sevice.
 

 
Fernando Torres starting on the bench at Old Trafford unleashed his predictable lot of casual conclusions, we read in instance that Chelsea played without an out-and-out, using a "false 9" in the presence of Andre Schurrle. This finding is not entirely accurate since it is was German who ran in depth (and not one of his teammates in an actual "false 9" set up).
 
In a match or neither team wanted to commit themselves and therefore refused to come out to press the opponent, the very low defensive line performed by Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic was David Moyes men's answer to the former Leverkusen man's excellent runs through space.
 
Attackers' dual role, an insoluble dilemma?
José Mourinho picked Eden Hazard and Kevin De Bruyne in the left and right flanks, a choice that made ​​sense on paper in the context of operating in fast break. However, the two Belgians were also given the defensive tasks to oppose to Valencia and Evra's activity. If Manchester didn't subsequently blew Chelsea in wide areas as the first leg of the reverse fixture last season (2-3), the Blues failed to take over their opponent in the same areas. It appears in fact that while most of Chelsea's attacking options are now able to block - to some extent - their flank on request (against Barcelona Mata, Hazard and De Bruyne at Old Trafford), it therefore limits their offensive impact the last third of the field (an important element to consider in the big games where the balance between attacking free-license and defensive instructions stands as a real headache with kinds of players hardly able to string 180 minutes per week).
 

 
It should also be borne in mind that the absence of instructions defensive has certainly had the effect of distorting lens when analyzing the performance of Juan Mata and Eden Hazard in the past, which then clearly shows their lack of sharpness when they are subject to the lower orders. Over-used in club and country for three years, Juan Mata is also about to see his status coming back to a less crazy dimension, what the press was quick to translate as an expression of a lack of consideration from José Mourinho against him ; stirring the ideas of the so-called Mourinhesque player type which Mata would obviously not tick the boxes.
 
Only Ramires or Victor Moses demonstrated their abilities to operate in a configuration in which they have to repeat runs in the channel while retaining enough energy to take over at bothe nds of their playing zone. So then, one can then question the decision to loan the Nigerian striker out (if not in quantitative terms related to places in the list of 25 players for the Premier League) when we know that Ramires seems been converted into positional midfielder - although the Brazilian is appeared a few steps higher than Mikel at Goodison Park.
 
What's the Mata with the Special Juan?
 

 
Juan Mata is definitely a player as great as he is unique. This makes it difficult to label the style of play (offcentered playmaker ? Support striker ? Central winger ?) of the one who visits museums or reads Bukowski when he doesn't drops the ball on the boot of his potted attackers that Demba Ba or Fernando Torres appear most of the time (55 assists in three seasons in all competitions). Not a genuine playmaker due to his propensity to play penetrative passes into his attackers' path, unbalancing defenses through one pass (reason why the more conservative Silva is preferred to him in Spain's defensive possession game), the Special Juan is regularly uneasy when tightly closed down - and regularly gives the ball away to the benefit of the illustrious strangers of the game. This then puts further enhance on his propensity to exploit "pockets of space" in order to escape from his direct opponent. But those sideways or backwards first touches towards the open spaces allow the opponent to get back in position (which, paradoxically, does not prevent the Spanish to find a teammate with surgical precision even in a more dense area). But his stall away from the direct line of the opposing pressure and away from teammate that he automatically isolates passing the ball, when to provide close support.
 
Hence the contrast with Oscar's ball retention who is magneting his opponents and establish the Brazilian as a much safer option in central areas, in particular to provide close support under opponent's pressure (very similar to his link-up play with Neymar for Brazil).
 
In addition, Juan Mata is a player capable of reading the game better than the common human being, especially when he copes for his lack of pace with a run of perfect path and timing, which allowed him to put his name on 31 goals in the last three seasons, ending up in the right place at the right time in front or behind the defenses.
 
Finally, the diminutive Spanish simply pays the price for his athletic limitations, especially noticeable as he's is one of those hyper-decisive players at any moment even with very little impact in open play or in the attacking build-up (before last two assists), forcing his coaches to  expect an exploit from him until the last minute of each game. The close mate of Oriol Romeu and Esteban Granero has played 43 matches in 2010 /2011, 52 in 2011/ 2012 and 64 during the previous year in three seasons which he hended with participations in the U21 Euro 2011 Euro 2012, the 2012 Olympics and the FIFA Confederations Cup 2013.
 
His reduced playing time this term than in previous seasons is simply the corollary of a more reasonable use by Jose Mourinho, in order to exploit the qualities of the Special Juan and not resting the relative effectiveness of a ruined attacking set up on the weekly pieces of brilliance of an sole individual-fig leaf.
 
 
The recovery system: Suffocate the opponent on the flanks
 
Put the funnel in the closet, let's use the waffle iron
Jose Mourinho took advantage of the months of July and August to work on the establishment of a ball recovery system with purpose to suffocate the opponent in wide areas to regain control of the ball. This marks an evolution with Rafael Benítez's instructions who aimed to block the flanks to direct the opponent toward Lampard and Ramires' pressing (covered by David Luiz tracking runners in between the lines).
 

Figure 11: Left: Mourinho method (waffle iron), right, the now Napoli head-coach (funnel). Chelsea fills blue areas to direct opponents toward to defined recovery areas (green): flanks this season, the central funnel last season. Note the difference between the limits of recovery zones formed by the bylines or of the penalty area (ie : the center backs as last bastion before the goalkeeper), as the size of the areas to cover recovery. Line (indicative) of average recovery of the ball is shown in yellow (density of defensive actions).
 
This new system has resulted in new instructions transmitted to the full backs and the central midfielders. The latters as the second pressing wave under Benítez (the first being the attacker and his central support) have now seen demoted one rank in the hierarchy. About transitions and how it translates this into his training sessions, Mourinho says he often asks his team to "maintain a minimum of five players behind the ball" in order to "maintain a good defensive base if the ball is lost. " Full backs' role having also evolved (see elsewhere), this allows to Chelsea permanently have a real defensive base able to protect the center and flanks in frast-breaks (a tactic that was not limited to the confrontation against Villa and the presence of Agbonlahor and Weimann as it was reported). Protecting the defensive line now makes queries accessories about Cahill or Ivanovic's abilities to defend effectively beyond their penalty box as they are now rarely drawn out of it.
 

Figure 12: Chelsea's pressing shape forces the opponent to get the ball out through a predefined circuit, which allows the Blues to stake on the course. Chelsea is the sky blue area. Midfielders act as the third blade to cut passes in the purple zone.
 
The central overload when the team sets-up its attacks therefore naturally provides the platform to guide the ball onto the sides of the field : the first wave of pressure consists in - as usual in England - the attacker and his central support who will attack the pair of central defenders centrally to leave them only sideways options (Torres (9) and Oscar (11)). Once the full back is on the ball in his defensive zone, his forwards playing angle is automatically halved. The work of the wide attacker (Hazard - 17) is then to block the inside of the field while the central attacking midfielder gets back back to recover marking duties on the opponent down the middle. Both prevent lateral movement to seek an option inside and thus lead him to play in front of him toward his only option, back to goal. This then triggers the energetic pressing run from the full back (here, Cole - 3) to force his opponent to lay back. In case he manages to convey the ball to a partner in the middle of the field, it is then the responsibility of the midfielders to cut out the pass (Ramires and Lampard - 7 and 8)
 

Figure 13: Welbeck receives the ball from Evra while De Bruyne slides laterally to close the inside of the field. Ramires follows Rooney occupying his zone and blocks the option on the ground. Ivanovic comes out to press Welbeck.
 
In spite of these three stages, the opponent sometimes manages to get his sequence going and tries to switch play quickly. Chelsea faced this scenario during the visit of Aston Villa when Mata went through its intervention on Antonio Luna, forcing Ramires to come and support, without more success. Oscar positioned to block the backwards option, therefore couldn't to step back as well and monitor Villa's third midfielder bursting forward. Karim El Ahmadi was then offered an avenue to get in a shooting position.
 

Figure 14: Antonio Luna gets on the turn and manages to get past Juan Mata and Ramires. The ball comes to Benteke who plays a square ball to Karim El Ahmadi who bursted forward. Ivanovic can not come out to help Mata  due to the high positioning of Agbonlahor. Lampard is rooted in its position : as Oscar blocks Ashley Westwood, Delph and El-Ahmadi aren't told twice they can bomb forward. Cahill can not close down Benteke at the risk of the latter to play in his his back  through One Directioners' new favorite footballer.
 
How to deal with crosses, the communicating vessels
Last season's tactical flaws regularly created intractable situations at the back. Dealing with crosses was one of those aspects with room for improvement as attackers not tracking back left full backs in 1v2 situation where they were often written off. In case the covering center back went to cover and cancel the overload, it thus left only two defenders in the six yard box. If Mikel dropped alongside the center back left, it created then another inbalance situation at the edge of the box, leaving Lampard or Ramires the double duty to get on the second ball while seing the opponent's third midfielder getting in shooting position (Diamé at West Ham, Sissoko at Newcastle)
 
Oscar falling back facilitates therefore the system of communicating vessels : Ramires uses his pace to cut in behind his full back if the former faces a 2v1. Meanwhile, Chelsea packs his six yard box with three defenders while Ramires' partner and Oscar drops to get in between the edge of the box and the penalty area.
 

Ramires is drawn to the channel to cancel the 1v2 Wallace faced. Piazon (occupying Oscar's  CAM role) got alongside Essien. This allows Chelsea to dominate every area numerically, the first step in order to deal properly with the situation afterwards.
 
A look at the roster

 
Shortly after his previous "début" at Chelsea, José Mourinho stated his views on the composition of the ideal roster. According to the Portuguese coach, 22 players and three goalkeepers are required to to "meet the needs of the various competitions." For three seasons, the Premier League has also set up a list of 25 players each club must fulfill ; including eight players considered "home grown" (i.e. having spent the equivalent of three seasons - 36 months - in a English or Welsh club before 21). Chelsea could only register five players in this sub- list - Terry, Cole, Lampard, Cahill and Bertrand - actually making the list of 25 players a list of 23 players completed by Tomas Kalas and Wulfert Cornelius "Marco" Van Ginkel (listed as U21 and don't needing to be registered to play).
 
The arrival of Mark Schwarzer will provide Petr Cech competition he had gradually forgotten since the departure of Carlo Cudicini four years ago as Hilario's contract renewal should only bother Christophe Lollichon to be able to implement training sessions for four (considering as well Jamal Blackman - U21). After sitting around a table, Mourinho and Ivanovic raised the possibility of the latter to play as much as right back as in central defence. The Serb will be the alternative to the right back position along with Cesar Azpilicueta, giving the Portuguese different tactical options. For the CB pairing, David Luiz will be joined by Gary Cahill or John Terry while Tomas Kalas will provide squad depth in this position.  Ashley Cole and Ryan Bertrand should appreciate their new role on the left flank, in order to break the routine which set them as dummy runners with overlapping runs left unanswered.
In midfield, central positions should be distributed between Ramires and Lampard, followed by Mikel. Michael Essien and Marco Van Ginkel (both used as deep midfielders in pre-season) seem to have been granted the status of squad players, coming in late in games or in case Chelsea plays a reasonable opponent.
 
No matter how the press transcribed the summer moves on the transfer market in recent weeks, Chelsea is not in overcapacity in attacking positions: Eden Hazard and Willian should share their time playing on the left wing with the busy schedule in mind, especially as the first can not assume the frequency alone. The former Shakhtar Donetsk attacker will be entitled to begin the European meetings at the expense of Belgium on the basis of its good performances in the Champions League. Oscar seems indisputable centrally while Juan Mata and Kevin De Bruyne will share the role of off-centered attacking midfielder on the right, as both are eager to get into pockets of spaces in between opponents's defensive zones. Schürrle can play equally on the right or left as he can stretch opponents and run in behind defences. If Mourinho usually fields a lone striker, it is common to see his team end games with two strikers, especially when his team does not win or is trailed on the scoreboard. That's why he wanted to have three reliable out-and-out forwards in Samuel Eto'o, Fernando Torres and Demba Ba (at least for the route one football). Romelu Lukaku has been loaned out to Everton. The Belgian will have the opportunity to improve his overral game (Everton being an antagonist to the counter-attacking WBA) and improve his play on the ball (lay backs, link up), while having the opportunity to gain experience earning playing time to improve his body balance and aerial timing under Roberto Martínez's guidance (as we remember his impact on Victor Moses.)
 
Conclusion

 
Chelsea strengthened quantitatively and qualitatively, which marks a clear evolution with the previous season. Interrogation elements however remain about the relative value of players away from their optimal form ( Hazard, Mata, Eto'o ) which must then make sure to optimize their running to the benefit of the group before being able to make differences with the ball. Chelsea has also again a manager who does not hesitates to change his plans very quickly, an facet where temporary technicians since Mou's departure showed nothing for the sake of seeking the best formula effective in the short term.  Scolari, Ancelotti and Villas Boas meanwhile left to stagnate for weeks their set-up despite its apparent flaws. Mourinho has not hesitated to put sharp attacking options in the battle when his team held the draw ( Lukaku getting the decisive blow floors in the space created by racing Schürrle face Aston Villa) while the shift towards a defense against asymmetric three Roma in preseason ( 2-1 victory forcing ) and Everton ( without preventing the narrow defeat ) arose as an unimaginable option there are still a few months to force a decision.
 
Chelsea should be a relevant contender for the top three since the Blues have still earned 75 points in 2012/2013, which can be added as the only unflattering total of 14 points lost from winning positions (i.e.: the gap with Manchester United crowned with 89 points ). The "winning mentality" instigated by Jose Mourinho should allow to make the difference a fair amount of times times this season between draws (title race's only ennemy) and victories.
 
It will be interesting to look at the propensity of different players to blend into the system and lead roles while the big games leave however the issue of what role to give to individuals in relation to the need to maintain a form of collective balance. Will Eden Hazard, Juan Mata and Samuel Eto'o to Chelsea be able to make differencies  at key moments with new responsibilities ? Will they even combine impact of the game and ability to convert the momentum of their team in goals and wins ?
 
 
Sébastien Chapuis
Follow me on twitter: @SeBlueLion
Click here to view the article

For me, there is one player out there that suits both our style and would score goals for us and that's Lewandowski.
As we know he sounds like he is waiting on Bayern, but if we really want a striker next season to solve our problems up front, for me, he's the man.

Don't know how many of you have seen this, probably most of you have, but old 'Arry Redknapp was spot on.

Lets agree to disagree then.
As I said I hope I'm proven wrong. So far at least I don't like the underdog mentality we seem to play with against the "best" teams, whatever the results.

Let me tell you why Oscar isn't overrated at all. Gotze, Hazard and Reus have all started their careers in Europe, so it's natural you'd think they've shown (according to you) their talent more because you've been exposed by such more. Your claim that Oscar hasn't ever done anything to be mentioned in the same breath as those aforementioned is just ignorant to me, sorry. You act like playing number 10 for Brazil is not a big thing, fine, let's put that aside. What you can't put aside regarding his international appearances is that he, alongside with Neymar, is one of Brazil's best performers on a regular basis. Neymar and Oscar carry Brazil's attack. Yeah, Ronaldinho, Kaka etc. are on the wane and aren't as good as they were before but to say he was practically handed the role as Brazil's playmaker is plain ignorant. He cemented the role at a time when Ganso was considered a great talent, Kaka and Ronaldinho were still doing okay (especially the latter in Brazil), Robinho was still a very valid option, all very decent players. Even the likes of Lucas Moura and Coutinho if you're looking at people his age could not secure that spot in the team despite them all being great talents. He's Brazil's playmaker because he produces excellent performances for them, time and time again, and outshone all of the players mentioned before at the mere age of 20/21. If that doesn't make you acknowledge that he's a great talent then pity for you. You can't just discredit this argument because it's very valid.
There's a reason why the club spent ~£20m for him at a time the likes of Barcelona, Milan, Tottenham were interested in him (especially the latter, we practically nicked him from under their noses). He's been on his way as a potential world class player from a very young age - it wasn't a random impulse buy. He's been on the radar of the big clubs since the age of 17 when he made his competitive debut for Sao Paolo - another feat. You don't make your debut at 17 for a club like Sao Paolo if you aren't talented. At Internacional, despite being injured a lot, Oscar grabbed around 20 goals and 20 assists in 70 games at the age of 18-20. If that isn't phenomenal for a player of his age, performing for a big club in Brazil like that, then I don't know. In the U20 World Cup final in 2011 he scored 3 goals. A hat trick against Portugal. The only other person to ever score a hat trick in a World Cup final was sir Geoff Hurst when England won it in 1966. If that doesn't make anyone recognise what a special talent he is then again, I pity for you.
Again, I wouldn't really expect anyone to know the aforementioned without doing a bit of research because the Brazilian league is not covered here at all. However, if you couldn't see why he's on his way to become a top talent during his time here then you should go re-watch a couple of games, starting with his first start against Juventus where he played as a number 10, grabbed two goals against a world class keeper in Buffon (especially his 2nd goal which was our goal of the season), whilst effectively keeping one of the best midfielders in the game, Andrea Pirlo, marked out of the game. You have to be an extraordinary talent to be able to do that, especially if you are merely 21 years of age. If that game didn't make you realise what a great talent Oscar and why he's rated as one of the best talents in the world then nothing will. Again, incase you didn't see that game, here is the video (again, please do remember that this was his first ever start for Chelsea):

Oscar has such a high ceiling - he's still a bit raw (he's come on a lot since last season mind) but technically very astute, has very good vision, can dribble the ball effectively, his movement and intelligence on and off the ball is fantastic, technique is top notch - match this with his great work rate, defensive ability (he is one of the best I've seen defensively for a number 10), his physical attributes - which he can work on (He's 5 ft 11/6ft, he's only 21 at the moment and can easily fill out his body frame - gym, higher calorie diets etc.) and you'll soon realise why he's rated so highly. To me he has the potential to be one of the most complete footballers because of his attributes and his attitude - he doesn't seem like a trouble maker and he's still very, very young, many people forget that.
So yeah, in a nutshell, the above is why I think Oscar is definitely one of the top talents in world football today, and we at Chelsea are lucky to have young stars like Hazard, De Bruyne and himself in our squad, whom all have massive room to improve despite already being great players. Again, to me it's not even really debatable. He's definitely one of the best talents in the world.

What exactly are you saying here Alex

I will most likely get the home and white away tops , probably get a UCL version of one of them.

Its seems some think the only way Lukaku will "get a chance" is if we make him the number 1 forward.
There is a huge difference between giving a young player a shot and pining your hopes on them.