Comments on: Tactical Preview: Chelsea 2014/15

By: Oliver

Oliver — Fri, 22 Aug 2014 17:18:10 +0000

Hi Andrew,

I think you are thinking of the PSG game, after which Schurrle came on and scored. Having checked the team sheets and Zonal Marking (http://www.zonalmarking.net/2014/05/02/chelsea-1-3-atletico-juanfran-skips-past-hazard-for-two-goals/), I believe I am correct.

Many thanks for the generous praise, as I have said repeatedly in the comments, prokoving thought and enjoyment for our readers is the only aim.

Best,
Oliver

By: Andrew

Andrew — Fri, 22 Aug 2014 16:37:32 +0000

I like the article. Just one point to check on is that Hazard was subbed off in the 17th minute of that Atletico game with an injury if I remember correctly. So it seems unlikely that he his to blame for the two goals that happened after he was subbed off.

By: Oliver

Oliver — Fri, 22 Aug 2014 16:25:32 +0000

Hi Israel,

Since this is a site that thrives on dialectic discussion, I would be very happy to listen to what makes this article terrible. As per our comment policy (see Contact, section 1), I have removed the swear word from your post. Though this is a rather boring and meaningless comment which I could have deleted, I would be interested on what aspects of the article make it bad, rather than specifying nothing in particular and implying a swear word.

Thanks for reading anyway,
Oliver

By: Israel Ronowitz

Israel Ronowitz — Fri, 22 Aug 2014 15:49:55 +0000

This article was absolute rubbish, what a waste of my time

By: Oliver

Oliver — Fri, 22 Aug 2014 13:56:54 +0000

Hi Rishi, thanks for the generous praise and insightful comment.

I agree on Schurrle, I omitted purely because of space, Willian’s counter-attacking Ozil-esque movements would also have been another topic I would have included, but there is, as you rightly remark, a balance between brevity, and detail (I aim to do a more practical piece on Chelsea’s tactics, as I mention). On Schurrle, it is interesting, he is very much a wide forward a la Duff (when he played in the left) with clever movements behind the full back (but on the left is arguably more effective, even though he is more predictable). Hazard is far more of a Joe Cole (and hopefully far better, if he learns to shoot far more efficiently). Will be a lot of wing-switching I suspect. With Willian, it will also be interesting, just because I suspect in games against City, he will be the difference maker.

I suspect we will be as offensively effective as times in 04/05 (the 4 4-0′s in a row!), but never quite as solid, the rotation will stop the same level of midfield solidity/the league has got better. Inter 09/10 may be the best comparison, great counter-attackers, capable at provoking the ball against weak opponents, pressing while also remaining compact into an almost half-press.

Thanks again, feel free to engage with the site more, it isn’t exclusively Chelsea, but we do provide content of this ilk, and other, more historical or philosophical pieces. I have one coming up on what defines Jose Mourinho, my co-author on the impact of the WC in Brazil+ a weekly podcast.

Best,
Oliver

By: Oliver

Oliver — Fri, 22 Aug 2014 13:49:34 +0000

Thanks, Seun. If there is any more detailed feedback, please offer it here, I want to provoke my readers, this is the websites only goal. Please check out the other articles, they all have deliberately stimulating content.

Thanks again for reading.
Oliver

By: Rishi

Rishi — Fri, 22 Aug 2014 11:02:19 +0000

Absolutely fantastic, articulate piece. I read a lot of things football related, including tactical analysis and many can be incredibly generic. The icing on the cake would of been a more prominent feature of Andre Schurrle and the natural width & versatility he brings to Chelsea, but obviously I understand in the interests of brevity the decision to leave him out.

I think this Chelsea team has the potential to replicate the swashbuckling attack of 09/10 under Ancelotti with the stalwart defence of 04/05 (perhaps to a lesser degree)

Again, brilliant piece
Regards, from a fellow Chelsea fan

By: Seun

Seun — Thu, 21 Aug 2014 23:59:11 +0000

Wow. Great read. Was absolutely in another Zone while reading. Was like I was in a dressing room. A classroom. Taking a lesson n all.
Great Article yo.

By: Oliver

Oliver — Thu, 21 Aug 2014 20:13:24 +0000

Thanks for the comment Wouter, insightful and humorous as ever. No doubt that Costa likes to roam and destroy anything in his path, but it does look like Mourinho will try to get him to play left side. As much from the Inter team of 09/10, when Milito did much the same thing. I did actually come very, very close to saying that he is basically a more physical, mobile and aggressive Milito equivalent, but I thought better of it. Will be interesting to see what Fabregas does when he is (inevitably) used as a 10, he likes to play left half space, which may tilt the team too far to the left.

Once again, thanks for the comment.

By: Wouter

Wouter — Thu, 21 Aug 2014 20:07:07 +0000

Great article.
One question, you say “However, the situation has been solved, mainly by Costa. His favourite movement is to move in behind the space between Left and Left Centre back.” Then you show the heat map of him playing against Valencia getting in between the right-back and right centre-back (where he also wrecked havoc in the first 20 minutes of Spain v. The Netherlands) . My casual observations as an Atlético fan tells me the same thing, although I also vividly remember some rampaging runs down the right. In the end, I tend to think Diego Costa goes wherever his gut tells him to.
Or, to paraphrase the Dr.Ian Malcom character in Jurassic Park:
“The kind of control you’re attempting simply is… it’s not possible. If there is one thing watching Atlético has taught us it’s that Costa will not be contained. Costa breaks free, expands to new territories and crashes through barriers, painfully, maybe even dangerously, but, uh… well, there it is.”