Cracks In The Diamond

[The Big Drog 1,110]

2 defeats in 1 week and Chelsea have gone from all conquering , indestructible super team that thought the eye catching Arsenal a thing or two about football to being a team in decline who have pushed the panic button….. Ok perhaps it isn’t as melodramatic as that but during the course of the season we have gradually seen problems develop within the Chelsea system and this week they thrust themselves into the spotlight.

Getting knocked out of the Carling Cup is hardly need for the chairman’s dreaded vote of confidence in the manager but it was the manner of the loss that was so disappointing. It was some spectacularly poor defending , it was a failure to really grab the game by the throat and even though we took it to penalties there can be no doubt that Blackburn were good value for their victory. Granted some of the big guns did not start for Chelsea but with first team regulars like Ivanovic , Mikel , Ballack , Deco , Joe Cole and Drogba coming on at half time you would expect better from Chelsea.

The game against City was not only disappointing for Chelsea because but also because you witnessed every limitation of the Chelsea diamond. What Man City managed to do to great effect was keep their width throughout the entire game. In particular Shaun Wright Phillips was very effective and offered a constant threat. With the diamond system it often leaves the full backs with little to no protection meaning that wingers are liable to get at them one on one each time they receive the ball. Though Ivanovic handled Robinho very well , same cant be said for Ashley Cole against SWP.

Another huge problem yesterday was Chelsea in possession , only after conceding the second goal did Chelsea have the nerve to start moving the ball around fast on the floor. Before that each time Chelsea got on the ball it followed the same pattern. Essien received the ball , he looked to pass it forward , nobody showed for it , he went back to Terry or Carvalho who played it back to Cech who hoofed it forward. This just continuously repeated throughout the game because Adebayor and Tevez worked hard up front and plugged up the gaps in midfield. Granted the long ball usually wouldn’t be such a bad option with Drogba up front but Cech’s kicking was wildly inaccurate.

The attacking tip of the diamond has become something of an unsolved riddle for Carlo Ancelotti. Though he has tried a number of players in that role none have prospered over a run of games. Joe Cole still doesn’t look match sharp. Deco is quite hit and miss and his best days are past him. Lampard just didn’t work out in the role despite being Ancelotti’s first choice to play there. The solution ? January. For the diamond to function properly you need a creative force , Kaka at Milan was the perfect example of this. Hamsik ? Joevetic ? These could all be options to fill the creative void.

Though the diamond has undoubtedly brought a lot to the Chelsea side , the biggest defect it has caused is the suffering form of Frank Lampard. Since his failure to establish himself as the point of the diamond , he has reverted to playing on the left. Cutting inside , almost like Seedorf used to do for Milan , that seems to be his role in the side now. The problem though is that he has not found the net as much as he has in seasons gone by. His influence on games which has been so vital to Chelsea over the past 5 years has been rather minimal this season. Frank Lampard has been reduced to playing a bit part role. His penalty against Man City summed up his season so far , it was weak , it lacked vigour and real belief.

Though this piece may have sounded extremely negative , I am not faulting Ancelotti. He is being paid big money to do what he believes can make Chelsea successful and I don’t think reverting back to Mourinho’s tried and tested 4-3-3 system would hardly required a manager of Ancelotti’s tactical brilliance to employ. Chelsea’s defence has been rock solid for the most part , Ancelotti has formed the most dangerous strike force in the league in the form of Drogba and Anelka and Chelsea have played some truly scintillating football at times. There are flaws to the diamond , flaws the need to be addressed in January because as good as Chelsea have been this season , these cracks in the diamond could shatter Chelsea’s title chances come the end of the season.

[BlueLion. 21,491]

Spot on mate. In the three games we've lost this season we've certainly seen how teams can purposefully line up to counter the way that we play. It hasn't cost us in any of the big clashes against the likes of United, Liverpool and Arsenal, but we certainly need a plan B. With the diamond we have limited width, and the same is with the Christmas Tree, which, in my opinion, only works well at home when the opposition plug the midfield with plenty of players. There isn't enough genuine width in the formation, which, with Zhirkov, Malouda, Kalou and Joe Cole in the squad, isn't good enough.