The Blog just forgot its 5th birthday!
Do you know that BlueChampions Blog turned 5 this September? Yup, on Sep 1, 2011, this blog completed five years of service to Chelsea FC and its fans. In internet terms, 5-year completion calls for some golden jubilee celebrations. I’ve been so busy that I didn’t even do a blog to celebrate this proud moment for us. Last few months have been quite difficult – family, work, fatigue and travel. I’ve been too tired to even tweet regularly.
Do you know that 80% of the blogs are abandoned within the first month? And that the average lifespan of a blog is only 4 months? So if this blog has turned 5 years, it’s quite special and we should be extremely proud for nurturing and growing it. In the last 5 years, there have been numerous challenges that have threatened the existence of the blog. It has survived all these tests because you have continued to come back and support through its good and bad times.
Maintaining BlueChampions Blog has always been a pleasure for me but then it does get challenging by the day with progression in my career and family. No matter how casual it is, writing a few paragraphs does need some time and focus – both are at a premium now for me. But trust me when I say that the blog will go on – as regularly as it used to be.
Though I haven’t been active on internet but have been watching the Chelsea games. Last week I was in London. I was keen to see the Chelsea vs Man City game at the Bridge. But it was so cold that I feared that I could fall sick and I didn’t want that on my work-related travel. Saw the match in a pub and as always I was the lone Chelsea supporter but that didn’t stop me from my pump-fisting, incident-applauding and yesss-yelling.
Thought it was a very good game. You can see that when this Chelsea team decides to drop deep, they are so hard to beat and they have so much to gain. Against Valencia and Man City, it was bloody obvious that the depth of our defensive line made a telling difference. Having seen us play Valencia that way, I kinda expected AVB to play against Man City the same way. We just couldn’t risk losing that game.
By the way, below are couple of my very relevant tweets on the Man City game:
Before the match:
Back in 2004-05, the team that stood between Chelsea and an unbeaten league season was Man City. Fast fwd to 2011-12. You know the rest.
After the match:
What did I say? Arsenal beat Chelsea. Man Utd beat Arsenal. Man City beat Man Utd. Chelsea will beat Man City to complete a full circle!
I couldn’t see the Wigan vs Chelsea game as I was in the flight. Got to see the highlights later. When you drop points like that in an away match, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for AVB. The guy has been giving his best. Of course, he’s made some mistakes but you can’t doubt his commitment or passion. It’s not great going. That’s for sure. Having shown the league that Man City can be beaten, we should have finished off Wigan. That would have made today’s Man City vs Arsenal game quite interesting. We could have had a chance of being only 4 points away from Man City. After the game tonight, we could be at worst 9 under par.
What is my preferred result today? Anything but a Man City win. Yes, that includes a painful Arsenal win too. For the greater good of the season, I don’t mind Arsenal winning this game. But then, I’m okay with a high scoring draw too – the one where Arsenal go 4-0 up in the first half and concede four in the second half with a stoppage time equaliser. That would be something.
Meanwhile, the champions league draw happened. While all the group toppers were looking to avoid two teams – Napoli and Milan – we got one of them. It’s going to be a really tough tie. Napoli could beat any of these champions league contenders (barring Barcelona and Real Madrid who are in a separate ultimate league). Topping the group means we would get to play the second leg in Stamford Bridge and that’s a plus. I expect to see Barcelona, Lyon, Benfica, Milan, Real Madrid, Chelsea, Bayern and Marseille in the quarter finals.
Before I wrap this one up, few words on my whereabouts. One sure shot way of reaching me is Twitter. I’m almost ALWAYS on Twitter. So reach out to me @bluechampion if you’re on Twitter and want to ping me or check my tweets. Catch you soon! Cheers!
Please.. no more Lamps and Mikel in the first eleven if we were to have anything positive..
Happy birthday blog!
AVB’s soft spot lampard cost us dis game, wif 10men(lamps receivin medical attention) we had space n scored which means lamps was an unwelcomed liability-lackd fluidity n yet he finished d game. So so surprised.
I really don’t undrestand why we don’t play Ferreira. The guy has a a hell of a cross and can defend better then Boaingwa. Okay yes he might be slow but come on compared to Bosingawa he is something else.
Happy birthday………..;)
great another player we are gonna miss out on:
Ajax’s Gregory van der Wiel: I have agreed personal terms with Valencia
happy B´day BC Blog!!!
Okay… I could as well continue…
I have constantly said the players we have do not suit the way AVB sees football to be played
Building from the back, I will start and finish (the way he plays and the way I will write)
GOALKEEPER – Cech
A sweeper keeper confident in his abilities with the ball at his foot who will come out of the box and play the ball ON THE GROUND out of defence, looking to start an attack. FAIL
Centre Backs – Terry + Luiz
Not much explaining needed. They simple need to develop an understanding which comes from playing together week in and out. Due to the midfield trio pressing and covered by wingbacks capable of defending the width, they are hardly troubled. PASS
Wing Backs – Cole + Bosingwa
Able to attack as good as they defend. Vital in the attacking phase of play because without them, the attacks will lose their width. FAIL
Defensive Midfielder – Romeu
Not much needed to be said here either. Standard defensive midfielder able to do his job and distribute the ball. Here is where AVB’s use of him as the “base” differs. During those 90 minutes. He will move from the base, to the sides, the top and back to the base. Romeu in recent matches has shown unlike Mikel he is able to spot passes and support attacks. Essentially, the midfield trio + the wingbacks SUPPORT the attacking trio up front. However, AVB has noted this does not work in the very hurried system in which England plays and his been forced to abandon this. I will expand and this and a couple things later. FAIL
Centre Midfielders – Meireles/Lampard + Ramires
One sits below the other as a deep lying playmaker while the other stays further forward but DOES NOT have the freedom to go forward until the same sided winger as moved inside. With Ramires ALWAYS going forward and Sturridge not a natural winger, ALWAYS coming inside… it compromises the attacking build up and hence their is congestion. Now… that is not the only problem. When Lampard plays… this ALSO happens on the other side. Ever notice when Lampard + Mata play, Mata is usually quiet and limited to the left side of the pitch? He is not going to come inside because if he does the team will look literally like a box up front, with 2 side midfielders (wingbacks) and two very spaced out CB’s…. you could fly a plane through that shit. It is not over yet….
Wingers – Mata + Sturridge
As said before… Sturridge is not a natural winger and causes complete congestion when he cuts inside, combined with a retarded Bosingwa further forward covering the space where a natural winger would be, with Ramires bombed forward. A completely retarded triangle serving no effect. If Mata cut inside… the same on the left and the team would be screwed to oblivion. Mata, pivotal to our attack nowadays, serves no purpose if played with Lampard but other than that he is wonderful.
Striker – Drogba/Torres
TOTALLY DIFFERENT STRIKERS. Drogba prefers to drop deep (Mata’s/Lampard’s area), receive the ball into feet and hold it, allowing the wingers to get inside and fullbacks to push up. Notice I said full backs. When he plays… we can’t play high.
Torres prefers to stay higher up and probe around the opposition’s defenders, playing off the shoulder and prefers to receive a pass into space in which he is deadly at using. 81 goals in 142 appearances…. When Chelsea play higher up, quick passing, probe the spaces and pass into space, Torres plays best.. sadly that has happened collectively for about 60 minutes January.
AVB is currently in the process of adapting the tactical dynamics in his formation and essentially his philosophy to suit England. Hence… a lowered defensive line, discontinuation of midfield rotation, discontinuation of Lampard, discontinuation of Torres, reshaping to suit a team not suited to his style until he gets the investment from Roman.
So here is what a proper AVB team should look like.
Mata – Torres – Sturridge
Meireles – Romeu – Ramires
Cole – Terry – Luiz – Ivanovic
Unless Ramires and Sturridge receive new instructions we will see that same congestion. Unless Lampard changes his style of play… he will continue sitting on the bench. Terry won’t be punished as much anymore with a lowered line, but the midfield must start to press better. Emphasis ball possession must be put back on, but this time emphasis on quicker distribution must be started. The team must involve Mata as much as possible. Cole must not push so far forward because Ivanovic will not and Meireles is no Moutinho.. who would drop into the space he left, while Mata probes the space left by Moutinho and Cole is now in Mata’s starting place. So Cole must be limited in his attacking runs. Ramires must be told not to venture forward unless Sturridge goes outside. In truth, this would only stabilise the results. The defence won’t be as vulnerable anymore, the team would have more of the ball as we did back in the beginning of the season and attacks would have a much better end product.
AVB is not only being forced to adapt to England at this current moment but also with the players he has as well as the media. Poor him. The team has become heavily influenced by the slow, laboured, deep defending, patient and left sided style of Ancelotti. I hope Roman hasn’t lost his cheque book,.