Chelsea 3-3 Man United

[didierforever 7,349]

disgraceful match, the refreeing, our defending, manu's dives, all of it was disgraceful.

[Zola kinda blue 89]

Good article here, but its what we all know and agree anyway!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/b...otball-tactics

Chelsea play clever when Juan Mata is central to their plans

Moving Juan Mata out wide limits the influence of a player with the ability and brain to control the tempo of a match

It wasn't the brilliant volley just after the break that underlined Juan Mata's importance to Chelsea. It wasn't the late, curling free-kick that forced David De Gea into a full-length save either, or even the delivery from wide for the third Chelsea goal.

It was a 20-yard sideways pass to José Bosingwa in the 65th minute, with the score at 3-1, that slowed down a Chelsea attack. It annoyed Florent Malouda, who wanted a pass in front of him to attack Manchester United's new right-back Antonio Valencia, and it prompted an audible moan around Stamford Bridge.

But the pass demonstrated Mata's intelligence and awareness of the situation. Chelsea had gone 3-0 up without playing particularly good football, but had then allowed United back into the game. The second half was frantic, fast-paced and end-to-end. Chelsea, the side with the two-goal advantage, didn't want that – they needed to calm things down, kill the game, control the tempo.

Mata was the only one who understood that. His pass was unspectacular, underwhelming and lacking in ambition. But it was the right thing to do; it prompted a whole minute of pure Chelsea possession, something they struggled to recreate later on, at a time when United attack followed United attack and Chelsea made clearances when they could have played passes.

And what followed that minute of possession? A shot from Mata, controlled, precise and forcing De Gea into a smart stop down to his right. It was the perfect way to attack at that moment, to control the game, frustrate United, then pounce quickly.

Mata is the one thinker in a Chelsea side being turned into an exciting team, but one based around pace and technique rather than thoughtfulness. Villas-Boas desires a 'vertical' game, but yesterday they needed to be more horizontal. Raul Meireles and Michael Essien are both box-to-box players more than holders, Daniel Sturridge and Malouda moved high up and wanted to break quickly, while Fernando Torres was naturally hunting for the goal that seems destined never to arrive. Chelsea were playing too direct and they needed someone to soothe a side full of shuttlers and scurriers.

The most intelligent footballers adjust their game and make the correct decisions according to the situation. The former Real Madrid midfielder Fernando Redondo was a master of that, described by Fabio Capello as a 'tactically perfect' player, able to defend and attack equally well by using the same strengths in different ways.

Being adaptable in this respect is the final part of José Mourinho's coaching regime. He devises drills based around 'guided discovery', helping the players to arrive at their own conclusions. The ultimate aim is to make his players intelligent enough to adjust the shape and style of the side based according to the tactical situation in the game, without the need for input from Mourinho. He likes an on-field leader, a central midfielder who carries out the instructions and sets the tone for the rest of the side. Esteban Cambiasso did that conspicuously at Inter, while Xabi Alonso was earmarked for the role at Real Madrid.

Villas-Boas is a disciple of Mourinho, of course, and his technical leader is unquestionably Mata. The Chelsea coach spends much of his time on the touchline dictating instructions to players. He is remarkably pedantic with regard to positioning, often whistling to a defender from his odd crouching position, then gesturing for them to move a couple of yards deeper, or a couple of yards narrower.

Mata is slightly different. Villas-Boas rarely shouts to him, but often calls him over for a much longer chat, as if discussing a full-blown change in manifesto rather than a modification in policy. Mata may never be the right kind of player to be Villas-Boas's captain – and this week of all weeks, you won't get many people at Chelsea wanting to discuss the subject of captaincy – but he is unquestionably the face of Villas-Boas's Chelsea. In fact, he is the face of Villas-Boas: the two look remarkably similar when discussing the game on the touchline, and the coach towering over the playmaker while lecturing him resembles a kid taking advice from his older brother midway through a school football trial.

Villas-Boas has had to change his strategy since he came to Chelsea, in two particular ways. The first was a move from a constant 'high block' to a medium or low block – in other words, moving from heavy pressing towards more of a reserved position, and in some games (most notably the crucial win over Mata's former club Valencia) dangerously close to parking the bus. The second was restricting the attacking license of the holding midfielder, for Villas-Boas ideally likes a rotating midfield triangle, demonstrated by the movement and understanding his Porto side enjoyed in midfield. "We decided it doesn't work here, so that's one of the things I have adapted," he said. "You lose a little bit of balance in the Premier League if you play that way. Transitions here are much more direct, making the importance of the number six (the holder) to stay in position more decisive."

Both moves have been more cautious, more pragmatic than his initial philosophy dictated. The next change might be to become less vertical and more patient with the ball. In home games against big sides Chelsea have twice lost points late on, to Arsenal (5-3) and Liverpool (2-1). Now they've surrendered a three-goal lead to Manchester United. Villas-Boas will explain that by stressing his commitment to attack, but it's not just a question of how much the side attacks, it's a question of how they attack.

In fairness, Chelsea did snatch the points late on against Manchester City in another big home game. But that win was secured when City went down to 10 men, Roberto Mancini moved to a very narrow 4-3-1-1 system that allowed Chelsea space down the flanks, and the home side won the decisive penalty after an attack that crossed the pitch three times, flank to flank. Sideways can be equally effective as forwards.

It was a sideways move that Chelsea needed yesterday, but a sideways move of a different kind to the one made by Villas-Boas that ultimately cost them. His decision to move Mata out to the right meant his conductor had been pushed to the margins, and Chelsea were suddenly clueless with the ball. Oriel Romeu came on, played much deeper, and Chelsea conceded the midfield ground for the final 20 minutes.

Villas-Boas is largely trying to recreate his Porto side at Chelsea, though the biggest caveat is Mata, who is unlike anyone Villas-Boas coached in Portugal. It has been assumed that Mata would learn about the Premier League in a wide role before being gradually brought into the centre, but his adaption to the league has been remarkably swift, and Sunday's showing might be the catalyst for the decision to play him centrally on a permanent basis.

[TacticalBlues 2,817]

[Jase 43,479]

Still feeling extremely gutted, disgusted and aggrieved as I still could not believe what happened yesterday. It was pure sickening when that joke of Howard Webb gave the second penalty. To give one non-penalty in a game is bad enough but to give two?! Farcical and to think this referee officiated the World Cup. An absolute disgrace!

[LDN Blue 7,903]

Could've used Drogba last night. He knows how to close a game properly.. There's still question marks as to how we let them get an equalizer.

[Santiago. 1,500]

I HAVE NO COMMENT...

[Kojo 4,676]

Why is it everytime Man U and Chelsea play each other, we always get a stupid referee, the only time decisions where right was the 2-1 win at the bridge to us, and the 2-1 defeat at old trafford last season, and possibly the 2-1 defeat in the champions league 2nd leg but i cant remember it that much. Besides that this season it's been awfully refered and to Uniteds benefit twice, the season where we won our 3rd premier league title both of the league matches where won by dodgy decisions, besides the 2-1 because of macheda's handball it was evened out really but still bad refereeing.

Honeslty is a good referee who wont make retarded mistakes hard enough?, instead the F.A think it's wise to give us referee's such as Phil Dowd and Howard Web (good referee but not when United play, he honestly needs to be inspected with this Man U thing, too many times it's happened, not just against us but against a lot of other clubs aswell).

[Kojo 4,676]

Could've used Drogba last night. He knows how to close a game properly.. There's still question marks as to how we let them get an equalizer.

Drogba and Ramires were vital, Torres for me was average besides the cross, but Drogba is a better crosser anyway. And Drogba would of hit that chance first time, but then again who knows maybe Drogba wouldn't of been there like Torres would. Still though he would of worked more, and i know he would of slipped that ball through to Malouda for a one on one in the first half, instead Torres took a shot and it ended up hitting the corner flag rather than the goal.

Midfielder was the most important thing, Benayoun would of been very important, because for me Malouda lost us this game, he did nothing but give the ball away, no spark in our team nothing, his movement was good i'll give him that, but what's the point in movement when you get the ball and just lose it, fair enough you stretch defenders, and he played a part in Evans's own goal, but he still lost us that game.

[Sheva. 5,373]

and possibly the 2-1 defeat in the champions league 2nd leg but i cant remember it that much.

Cheatarito was offside when he scored imo

[Kojo 4,676]

Cheatarito was offside when he scored imo

Yeah he was i remember now, but to be honest i didn't go mad about it because it was almost impossible for the linesman to see, he would of had to have see through vision because a lot of players where in the way, Hernandez was probably almost a yard offside but still nevermind, we probably would of got raped by Shalke lmao even if they were terrible.

[Kez 2,727]

Doh

[Santiago. 1,500]

Not as bad as this

[xPetrCechx 13,571]

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson will not face a disciplinary charge over his criticism of linesman Darren Cann in yesterday's 3-3 draw at Chelsea, Press Association Sport understands.

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Manchester-United-Alex-Ferguson-linesman-Chelsea-no-action-taken-article862266.html

[manpe 10,861]

An absolutely disgusting article in The Guardian http://www.guardian....fy-wayne-rooney

David Pleat could just as well suck off Rooney and be happy carrying millions of his dead children in his stomach

[francozola 2,040]

Not as bad as this

Surely that pic isn't real......... right???

[manpe 10,861]

Surely that pic isn't real......... right???

Of course not.. look at Webb's hand and Rooney's shirt

[sainttourist 68]

We need to move on, against all odds. I see the game more positive - next time Webb will need to give 3 pen and 2 red to stop us! I think we are on the right track. Mata what a jem, ever bacon face drooling on him in an interview.

[francozola 2,040]

Of course not.. look at Webb's hand and Rooney's shirt

Right. Didn't notice that. It's a pretty decent photoshop job. Usually they're awful and you can spot the part where they've inserted the new layer over the original one easily but this one is pretty well done

[Laylabelle 9,535]

An absolutely disgusting article in The Guardian http://www.guardian....fy-wayne-rooney

David Pleat could just as well suck off Rooney and be happy carrying millions of his dead children in his stomach

Didnt even notice him playing half the time!!

As for Fergie..no shock he can say what he wants and get away with it!

[Fulham Broadway 17,315]

An absolutely disgusting article in The Guardian http://www.guardian....fy-wayne-rooney

David Pleats never been the same since he was convicted of kerb crawling.

Come to think of it, which I do, he's a kindred spirit with the hair transplanted one, in as much as they both seek out 'ladies of the night'.