Mourinho: Games and the Island Mentality

No one plays games quite like Jose Mourinho. 

Players and managers are the usual targets of the Portuguese' psychological plays, but in the last few months that has changed. The man in the hottest seat in world football has seemingly moved away from the likes of Pep Guardiola and Manuel Pellegrini and instead taken aim of the entire Chelsea fan base. Or - to be more precise - the ones inside Stamford Bridge every other week.

After a home game against local rivals QPR at the start of November, Mourinho claimed that playing at home felt "like playing in an empty stadium". It was a startling claim, bearing in mind these were the fans who have vocally lauded the return of 'The Special One' since August last year.

In what appeared to be another dig at Chelsea fans, after the first leg of the Capital One Cup semi final at Anfield, Mourinho said that if Stamford Bridge could "give 25% of the atmosphere at Anfield" they would safely progress to the final. As it happened, Chelsea did beat Liverpool and progress to the final, but there was still somewhat of a sour taste in the mouth of fans in spite of Mourinho's apologies.

But this is just one half of the games the Portuguese tactician is playing.

Mourinho and the FA have never exactly seen eye-to-eye. Countless fines, touchline bans and disputes have ensured that relations between the Blues' boss and the leading figures in the English game started from a very low base at the beginning of the season. But Mourinho took it one step further. 

The Portuguese has never been one to hold back. Be it poor decisions or poor performances, Mourinho says it how he sees it - regardless of anyone else's view. It's perhaps one of his greatest strengths; his players know exactly where they stand with him, neatly summed up with left back Filipe Luis: "It is true that Mourinho deals equally in love and hate".

But at times it also seems like one of his few weaknesses. From the outside, Mourinho simply does not seem to learn. Regardless of fines and charges, he continues to make comments that, as the FA define it, "bring the Game into disrepute". So once deciding that calling out the individual performances of officials wasn't enough, Mourinho went as far as to claim that there is an active campaign against the side who currently sit top of the Premier League table. Severing the last possible ties to the suited officials of the FA sufficiently achieved, he somehow managed to go even further.

As if taking on Chelsea fans and the FA wasn't enough, Mourinho took aim of Sky and their pundits, blaming them for the ban of Diego Costa. Against league regulations, he refused pre and post match interviews and denied the Sky team access to training facilities on Deadline Day (an act, it should be mentioned, not unique to the London side).

It's a battle that is seemingly impossible to win. One man against the football authorities, media giants and endeared fans. Even King Leonidas might be tempted to call it a day when faced with those sorts of odds.

So why do it?

The answer became evident in the wake of the FA's decision to uphold the ban on Diego Costa, meaning he would miss the vital clash against league rivals Manchester City. In the first minutes of the match, cries of "DIEGO, DIEGO, DIEGO" echoed across the Blues' home ground. Those formerly quiet home fans were showing their solidarity with the banned Spaniard who had endeared himself to them with an explosive start to the season and hunger for victory only matched by his manager.

Twitter too was filled with support for the striker and opposition to the decision made by the FA. Whilst some fans felt that Chelsea had been hard done by over the years, Mourinho's public claim gave them the license pursue it even further.

Whether an actual campaign exists is, for this purpose, irrelevant; Mourinho knows that these extreme lengths will only distance himself further from the corporations he wishes to challenge.

Instead, what Mourinho has done is instil an island mentality in the playing and supporting levels of Chelsea Football Club. Be you a fan, a player or a member of the coaching team, Mourinho has played the field set for him and created an "us against them" approach for every game, every training session and every fan sitting in the stands. It's the sort of mindset that wins silverware year in, year out.

It's also the mindset that builds teams. This island mentality has been fed into Mourinho's sides since he began his career. Take the team he left after leaving the Blues in 2007. The spine of that side won the Champions League final in 2012, and not on merit - but on sheer determination and an unbreakable spirit. 

Interestingly, it is argued that this was the approach that saw his time at Real Madrid come to a sour end. Big players and big dressing room egos fractured his collective approach to a season and when results started to suffer, the cracks got bigger. Thankfully however, this time Mourinho already has some former players who he can depend on.

Over the past decade, managerial changes have meant Chelsea have never been able to discover their own footballing identity. They have never played the same way for more than two consecutive seasons, and much of the playing staff change each year. But perhaps it is too easy to define sides by their style. But what many often fail to realise is that the leaders in the team rarely changed. For years, the likes of Cech, Terry, Cole, Drogba, Lampard and Ivanovic provided the stability that managers couldn't. They were able to keep the same mentality within the dressing room and is arguably the reason that the London side have been so successful in recent years.

Another big promoter of a psychological approach to each game was Sir Alex Ferguson. Simple things like running to take corners and throw-ins mounted the pressure on opposition teams. His berating of officials made them scared to make incorrect decisions. Be it morally right or wrong is another question. What cannot be contested is that it added another dimension to a hugely successful set of teams.

The fact of the matter is that the best teams know how to find a balance between playing style and mental approach. Playing free-flowing football that is beautiful to watch is not enough. Having technically brilliant forwards who mesmerise defenders is not enough. In the same way, having a team of players ready to track and defend for 90 minutes solid doesn't guarantee a win. Equilibrium has to be reached.

With this in mind, recall Germany's 7-1 triumph of Brazil during the World Cup. 90 minutes gone, 7-nil to the good at the time and Oscar manages to squeeze the ball past Manuel Neuer. What followed was scenes of a furious goalkeeper and captain, waving fists and fingers at the defence who had failed to do their job. A lot of teams would simply have picked the ball up an taken it to the centre circle again, but the mentality of the team meant they would not accept complacency regardless of the score.

Love him or loathe him, Jose Mourinho sees so much more to football than what happens on the pitch. What we have witnessed this season was perhaps his most risky yet, and only time will tell whether the ends justify the means. Whilst the Stamford Bridge atmosphere is somewhat lucklustre, riling home fans never provides a sure result. What is certain however is that if it works, Chelsea will be an even more formidable side than the one we have seen so far this year.

Agree? Disagree? What's your opinion? Leave a comment below or tweet me @crunchingcelery

 

Mourinho: The Master of Media Diversion

With an average age of 27, Jose Mourinho's current Chelsea team is a far cry from the one he had in 2004. Different teams require different methods, but the outcome remains the same.

Mourinho is a media dream. It is hard to recall a manager so comfortable in maintaining such a position, especially in the top tiers of European football. His abrasive yet infectious charisma in his first stay in the Premier League endeared him to journalists - if for nothing else than the fact he gave some of the most memorable headlines in the last decade.

Mourinho's approach now is different. He is older, wiser and - as he stressed at the start of the season - calmer. Nevertheless, as we enter the results-end of the season, now seems as good a time as any to reflect what can only be described as a genius tactic - media diversion.

The first taste of this came after the defeat of Pep Guardiola's Bayern Munich. For those who have managed to erase the painful memory from their mind, our Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku missed the penalty which handed Bayern the Super Cup. Shortly after he was shipped off on loan to Everton, after Ramires was sent off for two yellow cards. Mourinho's comments straight after the game were incredibly important.

‘I’m disappointed because the best team lost. The team that most deserved to win, lost. But that happens in football. People who earn their living in football always feel there’s a very important rule: the passion for football. If you are in love with football, you don’t kill a final with a second yellow like this'.

Mourinho's post match words were certainly provocative. More than stating the loss was undeserved, he questions the referee and, through the broadness of his claims, draws the wider footballing community into the equation.

The following day the back pages of the majority of newspapers had the face of Mourinho, not Lukaku.

Mourinho knew his striker needed some degree of protection after such a heartbreaking loss - and that's exactly what he got. He diverted the focus of the loss away from his young, developing players and took the brunt himself. 

With this in mind, let's look at Mourinho's most recent quotes, taken from the triumph against Manchester City. When asked about the title race, his response was:

"Two horses and a little horse. A little horse who needs milk and to learn how to jump"

Chelsea, of course, are the little horse in this analogy. But after beating Manchester City home and away, and keeping a clean sheet against what he described as "the best team in the league, for sure", why isn't Mourinho staking his claim for the Premier League title? He is, after all, a self-proclaimed winner.

The answer, in line with the title, is his tactic of diversion. He is moving the focus away from the players and in this case indirectly to himself once again. As has been pointed out on many occasions, our team is young. Two of our most integral players - Oscar and Hazard - aren't even in their mid-twenties, whilst the number of first-team players 25 or under swelled with the arrival of Matic. Like the horse in Mourinho's analogy, young players need nurturing. They might be able to 'jump' on their own eventually, but far better they learn in a season where the focus - for the time being, at least - isn't on them.

Mourinho is training his troops for next year, but don't be surprised  if Chelsea are right at the very top come May. It's embedded in their DNA but more than that, they are fully capable of doing so.

Another positive effect of remaining coy on Chelsea's chance of the title is that it piles the pressure on City and Arsenal. You wouldn't expect a little horse to beat Kauto Star in a race, would you? Yet here we are: Chelsea level on points with City and two behind Arsenal. The Pensioners can work their way up quietly, leaving it to City and Arsenal to take the brunt of the pressure and either rise to it or suffer from it.

Mourinho certainly has toned down over the past few years. Nevertheless, he still remains something of a media darling; whether they realise he is working them like putty between his fingers is another matter entirely.

Have an opinion? Leave a comment or tweet me @CrunchingCelery

Goodbye Mata - did it make sense?

Manchester United announced last night that Juan Mata had completed a record £37.1 million move.

It is a disappointing end to his Chelsea career, and many fans will feel bitter despite his heartfelt open letter on his blog One Hour Behind. Not for leaving Chelsea - rather leaving to perhaps our most significant rivals through the last decade.

In terms of finance, the deal is successful. We make nearly £15 million profit on a player who played a bit-part role this season, and struggled to make an impact. This also represents our biggest ever fee for an outgoing transfer. Mourinho himself talked about the need for financial prudence in an age of Financial Fair Play, declaring that "We now sell at £20 million and buy at £5 million".

Having announced losses of £45 million in the last season, this comes as a welcome push back onto the right track.

Despite the loss of our two-time Player of the Year, Mourinho's vision for the team has not changed, and is arguably clearer than ever. When it comes down to it, the early press claims that "Mata is not a Mourinho player" were - somewhat regrettably - correct; he isn't direct, powerful and the gritty defensive work doesn't come naturally to him. Using Mourinho's jigsaw image, it was like trying to squeeze a corner piece into the middle of the picture.

It could even be considered a positive that we are one step closer to completing a squad of players that fit with how Mourinho wants us to play. It worked out alright last time.

However, this was a transfer that was more than simple numbers and names on a team sheet. Mata had endeared himself to the Chelsea crowd from his debut goal against Norwich. His personality was Zola-esque: you would be hard-pressed to find an opposition fan who disliked our former number 10.

It is somewhat of a strange move as far as United are concerned however, as on paper Mata doesn't fit into their team. He and Rooney both operate in the same position, which could even help Chelsea if a bid for the United star is renewed in the summer. Considerations must also be given with regard to Mourinho's strategy. Whilst we have strengthened a rival (albeit not a rival this campaign) Man United's remaining fixture list for the season do not see them come up against us again (unless we are fatefully drawn against each other in Champion's League, in which case Mata is cup-tied). They do however play our title contenders, and if Mata helps United take points of the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Man City we have something else to thank him for.

Have an opinion? Leave a comment or tweet me @crunchingcelery

Matic in, De Bruyne out (but don't shake it all about)

We're halfway into the January transfer window, and it would seem the majority of Chelsea's business has already been conducted.

Chelsea have had two main dealings in this window so far - Nemanja Matic returning from Benfica and Kevin De Bruyne leaving to join Wolfsburg. It would appear that these are the two main dealings of this transfer season, and it makes a nice change to have wrapped up our dealings nice and early.

As mentioned, incoming is Matic. "Matic? We had one of them before" I hear you say. That would be correct; Matic is returning for his second stint at the club, having left to join Benfica during Carlo Ancelotti's time in charge. His transfer has cost the club £21 million - significantly more than when he left as a makeweight in the deal that saw David Luiz move to the club -  Matic being previously valued at just £3 million. Cost aside, Matic could be a very important player for the Blues, perhaps even a piece of the 'jigsaw' that Mourinho is currently building.

On paper Matic is a 'Mourinho-style' player. Tall, strong, athletic with good technique. As a central midfielder, he shores up a position in which Chelsea look somewhat stretched for depth, with Marco Van Ginkel out for the season through injury, Essien looking a bit lost in the Premier League and Lampard not capable of 60 games a season.

But Matic is more than a simple squad player, and has a lot more to his game than steadfast defensive work. Primarily operating in the pivot, Matic not only break play up and protect his back four but also has the vision going forward to get attacks going - qualities of an 'enganche' player for the more traditional tacticians among us. More than this however, Matic has the physique to drive forward in a Yaya Toure-esque model, and while his goals-to-game ratio isn't something to rave about, he is capable of being a threat. At 25 years old, Matic is here to stay for the long haul, joining a host of Chelsea players all south of their 'peak' years. Having made a brief cameo in the win against Manchester United, we will see a lot more of the serbian in the next few weeks - not in the Champions League however, having already appeared in the competition this year.

Most fans have the same qualm with this transfer, and it is very valid: £21 million is a lot for a player who just 2 and a half years ago left for a seventh of that. The bottom line is simple however: ignoring that fact (and the assumption that had he stayed, he would not have developed to the same extent) it is a fair price for the 2013 portuguese league Player of the Season, particularly when considering that the man he essentially replaced - Axel Witsel - joined Zenit for £32 million.

It should also be considered that this cost is partially offset by the departure of Kevin De Bruyne for £17 million. It was expected; De Bruyne had a handful of appearances, the most impressive of which came in the first half of the first game of the season. It is a shame regardless, as De Bruyne is a very talented player with great potential, but £10 million profit for a player with so few appearances is testament to the newfound financial prudence that the hierarchy at Chelsea have been eager to achieve.

Other dealings this window have seen Ryan Bertrand move to Aston Villa on loan, which should see him gain regular minutes in preparation for next season. It's worth keeping an eye on Aitor Karanka's Middlesborough too, who have taken Nathaniel Chalobah and Kenneth Omerou on loan as they push for promotion in the Championship. Our FA Cup 3rd Round opponents Derby also signed Patrick Bamford, in a move which sees him tested at a higher level having left MK Dons with 17 goals.

The message for the moment is clear - one in, one out with no need for a major shake up as Chelsea find their consistency heading into the results-end of the season.

Follow @crunchingcelery for match updates, reports and opinion pieces.

Why Rooney Might Just Make Sense

Why Rooney Might Just Make Sense

Happy Transfer Season! Emerging once more are rumours of a Chelsea bid for Wayne Rooney. If a deal for the English attacker went through, would it work out?

Reports surfaced this week of Chelsea considering a bid for Wayne Rooney once more (get up to date here if you missed it). We know Mourinho likes him, but why might he be 'the final piece of the jigsaw'?

Quite simply, his style of play matches our current set up. Former Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti was quoted (by somewhat of a dubious source, but the point remains) that Chelsea are in essence playing a 'false nine' system. I'll demonstrate what he means below.

On the right is our standard formation: 4-2-3-1. Several Premier League teams use this system - Liverpool and Manchester United are the most prominent examples. So why are their strikers so much more prolific?

One reason lies in our attacking trio, in this case: Willian, Oscar and Hazard. Each one always wants to be brought into play, linking and interchanging with fluidity whilst pushing towards the opposition goal. The double pivot (Ramires & Lampard) are given the duty of feeding them the ball, but where does the striker come into play?

Long story short, he doesn't - at least not in the traditional sense. Chelsea at the moment are not a team who constantly look to release a striker making runs behind the defence or who whip in crosses to a target man. What we are seeing is a Chelsea striker who is required to drop back and almost become another attacking midfielder. Interestingly, as evidence of this claim, there are some statistics we can use to compare the output of our attacking trio and our striker. (You can skip the next paragraph if you are not statistically inclined)

On average in the Premier League, Torres takes 1.2 shots a game (measured over his 15 appearances). Hazard and Oscar both come in higher, at 1.3 and more significantly 1.6 respectively. Lampard, despite being in the double pivot, takes an average of 1.8 shots a game. No coincidence then, that Hazard, Oscar and Lampard have scored more than Torres - they've taken more shots, so naturally they are more likely to have scored more. But this also suggests that the three aforementioned midfielders are getting into better shooting positions - somewhat worrying considering the main job of a striker is to shoot.

This is where Rooney comes into it. Rooney is not an out-and-out striker. He doesn't have the pace to run in behind, nor the physical presence to knock in headers and be an aerial threat. What Rooney relies on is dropping back into the midfield, linking play and interchanging with his midfielders - much like Suarez at Liverpool. He uses he technical ability on the ball and his vision to create - and finish - chances.

Our current set up won't leave us with a striker who scores every week. What it will leave us with is a front 4 who will share the goals, the beginning of which we have seen this season.

What do you think? Would Rooney work? Leave a comment below or follow me.

Crisis, Mata and 'The Project'

Five games in to the Premier League season and Chelsea sit fourth with 10 points. Not bad for a team who, according to some, were in crisis after consecutive defeats to Everton and Basel.

In the Premier League, Chelsea have been far from scintillating. After a nothing-short-of sublime opening half against Hull, performances began to dip and the main problems for Mourinho and his squad began to make themselves known. A loss at Goodison Park (by no means an easy place to go) followed by a toothless and disappointing performance as Basel took all three points at Stamford Bridge piled pressure on the self-proclaimed 'Happy One' - some journalists even asking the question "Are Chelsea in Crisis?"

The short answer: no. The long answer: The Project. 

It's been a while since we've heard of 'The Project'. In fact, not since Andre Villas-Boas' tenure did we hear about the Project that the club were now ploughing their wealth of resources into. In reality this project is the same as it was back in 2011 - only the man at the helm has changed. Mourinho (and the club, it should be said) wants to change the way Chelsea play. As he said in his post-Fulham interview with Sky the Club's philosophy has to change, and this is no easy feat. It will take time to achieve what Mourinho envisages, but we have seen glimpses - the aforementioned first-half vs Hull and the second half performance against Fulham are both signs of things to come.

So, what can we expect? 

Mourinho outlined what he wanted from this new-look Chelsea side. Quick, incisive passing in the final third and a game playing to the strengths on the abundance of technical talent that Chelsea currently possesses. Willian, Oscar, Hazard, De Bruyne and Mata are all fairly similar players, and it's with this in mind that Mourinho wants to base his attacking strategies. This is the part of the game that we, as fans, can see the deficit in - games against Basel and Everton highlight this. But, as mentioned before, we had a glimpse; Torres vs Bayern was a clinical end to high-tempo build up.

The defensive vision is a "high defensive block" and good pressure, winning the ball high up the pitch and starving the opposition of any room to work in. But as we saw vs Fulham and Darren Bent 1-on-1 with Petr Cech, it hasn't quite clicked yet. However, one of the most important parts of Mourinho's defensive game is work rate, and this is where Mata unfortunately fits into this piece. 

Mourinho didn't beat around the bush when he stated what he wanted from his wingers in terms of defence. He wants them tracking the opposition fullback, and providing cover for our own. It seems as though it is the defensive contribution that has left Mata out on the sidelines thus far. It appears as though he also sees Mata as a winger, rather than a number ten, having publicly stated that Oscar has his trust in that role. Whether that is right or not is another matter, but as things stand that's the way it lies. 

I, like so many other fans don't want to see our two-time Player of the Season out of the team. He's a fan's favourite, a thoroughly nice guy and fantastic footballer, but don't listen to the media stories of unrest and the imminent departure of our number 10. Mourinho also said on Saturday that he wants Oscar and Mata in the same team - it's not either/or. He also said that Mata has to adapt and the problem is not nature, but nurture: the way in which he has grown up playing football meant his defensive game didn't need developing. The next few months will really tell all about Mata and his future. The best outcome? The intense competition inspires Mata to improve his weaknesses and take him to another level of performance. That's what Mourinho wants; for Mata to say that the decision to drop him was wrong, and he is key in the present and future of this young team.

As for now, we have to be patient and believe in that the incredible potential that this team has can be reached. Fans have to play a part as well - boos as were heard at the end of the mid-week defeat to Basel have no purpose for a team who rely on confidence, and it's testing times that fans have to make their support heard.

I'd love to hear your views. Leave a comment or tweet me at @CrunchingCelery

FINDING THE BALANCE

In 2007 Jose Mourinho spoke out about the lack of Youth players and adequate reserves. After a shock draw at Wycombe in the league cup he said: “We have not the quality of player ready to play for Chelsea…I don’t have a second squad to go through and pick players”.

            This message was in the process of being answered; if we compare and contrast situations then and now the change is quite remarkable. The scenario we now find ourselves in is almost completely the opposite. Chelsea now have a very significant group of talented youth and reserve players – so much so that (as has been widely reported) a very capable XI could be fielded just from those on loan. A problem, but nonetheless a problem more desirable than in 2007.

            This ‘problem’ comes at a time when the spine of our first team over the past eight years is slowly being phased out. Drogba has moved on to pastures new, while Terry and Lampard have found playing time harder to come by. Cole and Cech are approaching periods in their career where plans need to be made for ‘the morning after’. It seems a perfect match then; as the ‘Old Guard’ are slowly phased out a new cohort of talented young players can attempt to fill the significant void. No easy feat mind, but if a balance is found the transitional years that every club is afraid of may not seem so daunting, and life after Terry, Cech, Lampard and co may not seem so intimidating after all.

            Firstly, lets look at Cech and the goalkeeping position that he has nailed down since his arrival in 2006. Another season of consistent, quality performances have shown us all how capable he still is. But in Thibaut Courtois, the 20 year-old Belgian currently on loan at Atletico Madrid, Chelsea for the first time in many years are beginning to have a selection issue. At this key time in Coutrois’ career it is vital that he gets regular game time – something he achieves at Atletico as undisputed number one. If he returned to Chelsea, would this be the case? Cech’s high quality performances would suggest not. Perhaps the transition can be postponed for another season.  

            Next on the agenda is the defense. Defensive stalwarts Terry and Cole are entering the last years of their contracts, but Chelsea have already made plans for their replacements. Cole’s understudy Ryan Bertrand seems a fit; learning from the best in the world over the past few years. In addition, young Patrick Van Aanholt (who spent the season at Dutch side Vitesse Arnhem) provides competition for the role. Turning to centre backs, Van Aanholt’s partner at the back Tomas Kalas is also on loan from Chelsea, and the young Czech may in future seasons be able to push at the boundaries of the first team. However, it could be argued that the first team squad already has replacements ready; David Luiz, Gary Cahill and Branislav Ivanovic are all ready to provide several years of service. Perhaps with Terry’s injury hit season we have already seen the first stage of transition? Only the new season will tell.

            It is perhaps in midfield that Chelsea boast their largest pool of talent. In terms of defensive midfielders, we have Nathaniel Chalobah (who enjoyed a very successful season at Zola’s Watford) and Nathan Ake – a player who will be known to many fans after his six first team appearances this season. In terms of attacking midfielders we have yet more and seem set for the future with out current crop; Lucas Piazon and Kevin De Bruyne among the most promising attacking talent in Europe adding to Mata, Oscar, Hazard and Moses who have performed so well over the past season. The hardest decision to make here however is finding the right time to introduce them. Players such as Frank Lampard and Michael Essien (who returns to Chelsea after a loan spell at Real Madrid) will need replacements, but they still have a lot to offer - their experience is vital and no substitution can be found for that. In the same way, young players need playing time. They need to play at a level where they can develop week in, week out without the pressures of competing with world-class players for a spot on the team sheet.  If young players were left to sit on the bench for a season, this sort of stagnation will not have any positive effects.

This is the key part of finding the balance. A balance needs to be found where the introduction of young players to the first team can be achieved without hampering their development, and without blocking the contributions of experienced team members who have a lot to give. In addition, with particular attention to our current attacking midfield crop, a balance needs to be found between playing our best (Mata and Hazard) while nurturing future prospects and having players capable of effective squad rotation.

            Finally, we have the attack. One year on from Drogba’s departure it could be argued that his place is still up for grabs. Yet again, Chelsea have plans. Pretty big plans. In fact, the plan comes by way of the physical phenom of Romelu Lukaku, who spent last season at West Brom giving Premier league defenses a torrid time. Lukaku is only 20, but it seems as if he has something to give. His pace, build and finishing combine to create a striker with devastating potential. Yet again, Chelsea will need to decide over the summer what they want to do with him, but there will be no shortage of clubs queuing to secure him in a loan deal.

In conclusion, the next season or two are the transitional years that the club has been anticipating for many years. With a large band of talented youngsters all vying for places in the first team, the club will hope that the inevitable losses of key players over the last few years is smoothed over somewhat. But, as the title of this piece eludes to, a balance needs to be found – if it is successful, the foundations are laid for a very promising future with continued successes.