Quite a few must have been surprised with how strongly Di Matteo's Chelsea began their season. They were supposed to be the team in transition; with all those fancy new play-makers coming in who would surely need time to adapt. Add to that, they'd just lost the talismanic Didier Drogba, and a bunch of dependable squad-players like Kalou, Meireles and Malouda. The hopes went up pretty fast though, once they'd stormed to 7 wins in first 8 games, playing probably the best football in British Islands. Last few weeks have shown enough though, to remind us that, Chelsea very much remain a "work in progress."
So, where do the problems lie? People point out Chelsea haven't kept a clean-sheet in last six games. But, the defenders haven't been poor to be honest, nor the goal-keeper. They haven't really got enough protection from the midfield shield ahead of them. How many times have we seen Mikel so unusually high up the pitch for his holding-role? Some of us wondered how could Hazard and Mata play in the same team. Well, Chelsea even threw Oscar into the mix, and they have formed an incredible attacking-trio quite seamlessly. Chelsea's biggest concerns stem from not the new boys, but adapting the existing ones to the new system.
The Double Pivot:
Ideally to play a double midfield pivot, you'd prefer a combination of a strong ball-winner, and an excellent passer, the one they call "the deep-lying play-maker" these days. A good example would be Busquests and Xavi at Barcelona, or Vidal and Pirlo at Juventus; even though neither of those two clubs employ the the same formation. Last few games have shown us that Chelsea have neither.
With Di Matteo sticking to his preferred 4-2-3-1, it allows Chelsea to field all three of their coveted playmakers. But it has created a new conundrum in the deep-lying midfield positions. Last season, Di Matteo would play Ramires as the part of the advanced trio, leaving Lampard and Mikel to sit in front of the defense. Lampard adapted to the role brilliantly, controlling the play from deep and even getting into strong tackles frequently. This season though, Di Matteo has had to choose two out of the three, and Lampard has found himself on the bench a few times because the energy Ramires brings to the midfield.
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| Lampard and Mikel proved to be a solid midfield-duo last season. |
As Chelsea's approach was conservative for the big games, Mikel often stayed deep and went on to be one of the stand-out performers last season. But with this season's Chelsea wanting to play with flair, we've often seen him move high up the pitch at times, where frankly, he looks like a deer caught in the headlights. What's worse, it leaves Chelsea vulnerable to counter-attacks like the way United cut them open for their second goal. Oriol Romeu seemed to be tailor-made for a role in this midfield with his performances early last season, with decent tackling skills and excellent ball-distribution. But his form has pretty much fizzled out since.As for Ramires, yes, he's one of the most valuable midfielders in the Premier League right now with his boundless stamina, he's not the guy suited to his current role. Ramires is a proper box-to-box midfielder, tirelessly moving up and down the pitch. Thus, his attacking instincts leave Chelsea outnumbered in the middle of the park during rapid opposition counters.
The Number Nine Role:
Well, there have been enough columns filled on this one. Chelsea do get goals, but they need more of them coming from their strikers. I feel the criticism handed out to Torres is a bit excessive. He's looked quite sharp recently, ready to take on defenders, even pulling out tricks and dummies. But Chelsea need him to score goals.Anyhow. Without them, the pressure is too much on the trio of Mata, Hazard and Oscar. At the moment, they're the ones expected to create chances, and then do the scoring too. Daniel Sturridge simply doesn't look good enough to start week-in-week-out. Which means Torres has to start games continuously without even thinking of rotations and stuff.
To be frank, expectations from Torres have been sky-high because of all the expensive creative talent brought in by Chelsea. During his heydays at Liverpool, everything went through him. But Chelsea's creators are themselves more than able bang in goals themselves, which in fact means, lesser clear-cut chances for Torres than one would expect. He's at his best when playing on the shoulder of the last defender, while currently he often has to come deeper to link with Mata and Hazard. This is one big conundrum to deal with for Di Matteo.
There are already talks of a January swoop for a big name forward. If the current scenario doesn't change soon, that might turn into a necessity rather than a luxury. We've been told Chelsea will be genuine title contenders this season, but all that talk may end up to be premature. This team is yet far from complete. The occasional flashes of brilliance might dazzle us temporarily. But unless Chelsea sort out their current issues, the English title looks unlikely to leave the city of Manchester.
