Sunday, 17 June 2012
Roberto Di Matteo: Do's & Don'ts For 2012-13
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On 13th June 2012, Roberto Di Matteo officially became Chelsea's new manager. The appointment was given a thumbs-up by Chelsea fans, as most of us believed that the man who led us to our maiden Champions League title should be given the job on a permanent basis.
Di Matteo hardly needs an introduction. He joined the club in 1996 from Lazio & scored 26 goals in 175 appearances for the Blues. He is a man held in high regard by Chelsea fans. After he miraculously turned our season around in 2 months, it became clear that he was a front-runner for the job.
However, being the manager of Chelsea isn't easy. 7 managers (8 if you include Di Matteo's interim spell) have been in charge of Chelsea since Roman Abramovich took over the club in 2003. If Di Matteo wants to avoid the fate of his predecessors, he will have to avoid making the same mistakes they did. Here's a look at the Do's & Don'ts for Roberto Di Matteo in the coming season.
Do's:-
1) Focus on the result- Many people felt that the tactics used by Roberto Di Matteo in some of Chelsea's matches last season (most notably against Barcelona) were negative, even being branded as "anti-football". The way I see it, as long as you get the desired result, it doesn't matter what tactics you use provided they aren't illegal. Many previous Chelsea managers (most notably Scolari & AVB) focused so much on changing our style of play that it hurt our results, & football is a results business. With players like Marin, Mata & Hazard now part of our squad, one can expect stylish football from Chelsea. Robbie should simply focus on getting the right results.
2) Give youth a chance- I can't even begin to stress how important it is that we give our younger players a chance. Chelsea is teeming with bright young talent, but what's the point of having them in the squad if they aren't given any game time? Players like Sam Hutchinson, Lucas Piazon, Patrick Bamford & Milan Lalkovic (just to name a few) are promising young talents. There are also players like Oriol Romeu, who went missing for a majority of the 2nd half of last season. Josh McEachran is held in high regard by many Chelsea fans, but has barely featured in Chelsea's starting XI. Considering the fact that we are likely to see the departure of the so-called "Old Guard" (Lampard, Terry, Cech etc) in a few years time, it is important that we have players who are ready to make the step up when required.
3) Squad rotation is a must- This was one thing Robbie excelled at last season. When he took over, Chelsea were still competing for the FA Cup & the Champions League, whilst also playing for 4th place in the Premier League. Even with a squad that was considered past it's prime by many, he constantly chopped & changed his starting XI depending on the teams we played while ensuring we got the desired results. With Roman looking likely to add more players to the squad, he can expect a squad that has good depth. Considering the fact that we will be involved in 5 major tournaments next season (I'm not even counting the Community Shield & the European Super Cup), he will have to continue to rotate the squad to avoid player fatigue.
Don'ts:-
1) Alienate the "Old Guard"- Ah, the reason for AVB's demise. The young Portuguese manager was so determined to get Chelsea to play attractive football that he used to field mostly younger players, often leaving the "Old Guard" frustrated. AVB was eventually sacked (as we all know). Robbie kept faith in the "Old Guard", often starting them in crunch matches & they repaid his faith by winning the FA Cup & the Champions League. They proved that they were still integral to Chelsea FC as a whole, & Robbie must keep the faith in them as long as they are playing for the club. Doing otherwise would bring about his downfall.
2) Extreme reliance on certain players- Last season, Juan Mata was the only creative spark in the midfield. This usually meant that he started almost every game for Chelsea, & whenever he didn't start, we struggled. Mata was actually so tired by the end of the season that it reflected in his performances. I don't blame the Spaniard, but I dreaded watching matches when I knew that Mata was on the bench. It was the same with Ramires. Whenever he didn't play, we struggled. With quality players being signed this season, I don't see burn-out as a big headache. But Robbie must recognize who his key players are & make sure that they are well-rested before important games. Winning matches will be a bit easier if that happens.
3) Let the past affect him- This is the most important in the list of "don'ts" for Di Matteo. It's a known fact that Roman Abramovich is a boss who is as likely to sack managers as he is to spend extravagant sums on players. Chelsea fans are almost used to it now. Robbie's already seen AVB get the sack, & he can be sure that if he doesn't live up to Roman's high standards, he will most likely be fired as well. However, this must not affect him from doing his job.He did a fantastic job for us during the last 2 months of the season, & now that he is the permanent manager, he must pick up where he left off. He's shown that he has the ability to create teams that can win trophies. If he keeps doing that, he could be at Chelsea for years to come.
I'd like to end by wishing Robbie best of luck. The Chelsea job isn't an easy one, but he's defied the odds before, hasn't he? He will do it again.
On 13th June 2012, Roberto Di Matteo officially became Chelsea's new manager. The appointment was given a thumbs-up by Chelsea fans, as most of us believed that the man who led us to our maiden Champions League title should be given the job on a permanent basis.
Di Matteo hardly needs an introduction. He joined the club in 1996 from Lazio & scored 26 goals in 175 appearances for the Blues. He is a man held in high regard by Chelsea fans. After he miraculously turned our season around in 2 months, it became clear that he was a front-runner for the job.
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| Chelsea's new manager Roberto Di Matteo |
However, being the manager of Chelsea isn't easy. 7 managers (8 if you include Di Matteo's interim spell) have been in charge of Chelsea since Roman Abramovich took over the club in 2003. If Di Matteo wants to avoid the fate of his predecessors, he will have to avoid making the same mistakes they did. Here's a look at the Do's & Don'ts for Roberto Di Matteo in the coming season.
Do's:-
1) Focus on the result- Many people felt that the tactics used by Roberto Di Matteo in some of Chelsea's matches last season (most notably against Barcelona) were negative, even being branded as "anti-football". The way I see it, as long as you get the desired result, it doesn't matter what tactics you use provided they aren't illegal. Many previous Chelsea managers (most notably Scolari & AVB) focused so much on changing our style of play that it hurt our results, & football is a results business. With players like Marin, Mata & Hazard now part of our squad, one can expect stylish football from Chelsea. Robbie should simply focus on getting the right results.
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| McEachran: still waiting... |
2) Give youth a chance- I can't even begin to stress how important it is that we give our younger players a chance. Chelsea is teeming with bright young talent, but what's the point of having them in the squad if they aren't given any game time? Players like Sam Hutchinson, Lucas Piazon, Patrick Bamford & Milan Lalkovic (just to name a few) are promising young talents. There are also players like Oriol Romeu, who went missing for a majority of the 2nd half of last season. Josh McEachran is held in high regard by many Chelsea fans, but has barely featured in Chelsea's starting XI. Considering the fact that we are likely to see the departure of the so-called "Old Guard" (Lampard, Terry, Cech etc) in a few years time, it is important that we have players who are ready to make the step up when required.
3) Squad rotation is a must- This was one thing Robbie excelled at last season. When he took over, Chelsea were still competing for the FA Cup & the Champions League, whilst also playing for 4th place in the Premier League. Even with a squad that was considered past it's prime by many, he constantly chopped & changed his starting XI depending on the teams we played while ensuring we got the desired results. With Roman looking likely to add more players to the squad, he can expect a squad that has good depth. Considering the fact that we will be involved in 5 major tournaments next season (I'm not even counting the Community Shield & the European Super Cup), he will have to continue to rotate the squad to avoid player fatigue.
Don'ts:-
1) Alienate the "Old Guard"- Ah, the reason for AVB's demise. The young Portuguese manager was so determined to get Chelsea to play attractive football that he used to field mostly younger players, often leaving the "Old Guard" frustrated. AVB was eventually sacked (as we all know). Robbie kept faith in the "Old Guard", often starting them in crunch matches & they repaid his faith by winning the FA Cup & the Champions League. They proved that they were still integral to Chelsea FC as a whole, & Robbie must keep the faith in them as long as they are playing for the club. Doing otherwise would bring about his downfall.
2) Extreme reliance on certain players- Last season, Juan Mata was the only creative spark in the midfield. This usually meant that he started almost every game for Chelsea, & whenever he didn't start, we struggled. Mata was actually so tired by the end of the season that it reflected in his performances. I don't blame the Spaniard, but I dreaded watching matches when I knew that Mata was on the bench. It was the same with Ramires. Whenever he didn't play, we struggled. With quality players being signed this season, I don't see burn-out as a big headache. But Robbie must recognize who his key players are & make sure that they are well-rested before important games. Winning matches will be a bit easier if that happens.
3) Let the past affect him- This is the most important in the list of "don'ts" for Di Matteo. It's a known fact that Roman Abramovich is a boss who is as likely to sack managers as he is to spend extravagant sums on players. Chelsea fans are almost used to it now. Robbie's already seen AVB get the sack, & he can be sure that if he doesn't live up to Roman's high standards, he will most likely be fired as well. However, this must not affect him from doing his job.He did a fantastic job for us during the last 2 months of the season, & now that he is the permanent manager, he must pick up where he left off. He's shown that he has the ability to create teams that can win trophies. If he keeps doing that, he could be at Chelsea for years to come.
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| Defying The Odds: Robbie after the Champions League win |
Saturday, 16 June 2012
What the Next Season Holds for Chelsea FC (7 Competitions): PREVIEW
Premier League
As a top top Club, we are expected to Challenge for the title EVERY season, transiton or no transition.
Coming to the new season, the squad looks pretty good and settled. Not to mention the sky-high confidence running in the club following our Epic UCL win. We got the best goalie in Petr 'Batman' Cech. Our defence needs no intro. Terry, CAhill, Luiz, Ivanovic, Cole, Bertand are all good to go.
Plus we'll be getting a new defender too, so Defence will be strong. Midfield suddenly looks fearsome. From no creativity last season, to bursting with creativity this season. Juan Mata, Ramires, Lampard, KDB, Marko Marin, Hazard, Mikel, Romeu makes up a pretty creative, harworking unit.
The Forward line is a bit shaky as of now. Nando, Lukaku, Sturridge doesn't make up a very convincing unit. Ofcourse, if Nando starts firing, then it's a different matter altoghether. Sturridge is eccentric. Lukaku is talented. A few more games ought to help him.
If Hulk/Ben Arfa/Joevtic enter the frame, it would look much better. However, I remember our CEO Gourlay saying " We'll have 2-3 stikers hitting 30 goals next season."
Which means Nando and another big name striker. My guess would be Falcao, though I would prefer a Mario Gomez more.
Looking at everything, and considering the time needed for the new squad to settle and being realistic ..
EPL FINISH - 2nd position.
FA CUP
A no-brainer really. We sort of own the FA Cup tournaments. With a squad this strong I easily expect us to win the tournament.
FA CUP FINISH - Champions.
UEFA SUPERCUP
We'll be playing this one against Ath. Madrid, where our next Petr Cech plays. But he won't play against us. Falcao might be a problem.
That is if he doesn't end up in a Chelsea shirt by then. Expect Ath. Madrid to put up a fight, but we'll be too strong for them.
UEFA SUPERCUP FINISH - Champions.
CARLING CUP
The cup taken seriously the least by top teams (unless you happen to be Liverpool trying to salvage your season), I don't expect us to win it this time either.
I expect youngsters to take part heavily in it. Look out for Lukaku, Marin, Bertand and Piazon in this tournament. We'll do well but won't win it.
CARLING CUP FINISH - Semifinals.
FIFA WORLD CLUB CUP
Expect us to win it. Opposition in this tournament just isn't good enough to trouble a squad like ours. Heck, I hardly know a few club names who participate in it.
WORLD CLUB CUP FINISH - Champions.
COMMUNTIY SHIELD
We will be playing against Man City, If I am not wrong. THough their squad is good, our squad's better (I might be being partial).
Should be a cracker of a match. Expect the Goalkeepers to play a vital role in it. A lot will depend on Mata and Hazard to provide ammunition for Nando.
David Silva and Aguero are well-known thorns in our side. That being said, I expect Cech to play exceptionally well.
COMMUNITY SHEILD FINISH - Winners.
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
The Grandest prize of them all. My fellow Blues, If last season was considered the best, your are in for a excellent treat this time round.
Hell with Barcelona and Madrid, our talent + will to succeed is greater than any of the Messi's and Ronaldo's.
I FULLY expect our now UCL Oldie Champs to combine with hungry new mesmering talent to go all the way. To be honest, Our squad is the most BALANCED squad in the UCL next season.
With Mata getting better, Hazard providing a new dimension .. expect Torres to fire. And if he DOES fire, say Bye-Bye to the so-called powerhouses of Spain.
Mark my words. Next season, you'll see the following headline :
"CHELSEA CREATE HISTORY BY BECOMING THE FIRST CLUB EVER TO DEFEND THE UCL TITLE"
And then, RDM will get a life-time job at Chelsea and Roman will forget about Pep Gaurdiola.
UCL FINISH - Champions.
So, as you can see, I clearly think, that next season will be the best ever season in our history. And we'll create history.
Because we write our own destiny. The UCL triumph last season was the end for a long time pursued dream for Chelsea.
But as we all know.. THE END IS JUST THE BEGINNING.
#KTBFFH
Pen Name: RR2
Ramires wins Brazil's Futebol No Mundo Award For 2011/12
Ramires Wins ESPN Brazil's Futebol No Mundo Award For 2011/12 ahead of the likes of Thiago Silva, Hulk, Marcelo and David Luiz (best foreign based Brazilian player).Congratulations Ramires, you deserved it!
Why Daniel Sturridge Should & Will Stay At Chelsea
Daniel Sturridge is a name that evokes mixed reactions from Chelsea fans. It's not hard to understand why. Sturridge has all the tools required to be one of the best: pace, dribbling ability, a powerful left foot & skills that can bamboozle most defenders. However, many Chelsea fans constantly berate him for his attitude & supposed selfishness.
Mind you, some of that criticism is well-deserved. He has a powerful shot, but has often resorted to shoot-at-sight tactics (some of those shots coming from hopeless angles) when he could have played in a team-mate with a simple pass . At Chelsea, he has been used almost regularly on the right wing, but has stated that he would be best suited to playing as a striker. While I agree that he's a natural striker, it's not uncommon for strikers with his ability to be used on the wings. Thierry Henry played as a winger on a regular basis, as did Nicolas Anelka when he was at Chelsea.
Nevertheless, I believe Daniel Sturridge will be an integral part of Chelsea come next season. Here are 3 reasons why:-
1) Will play as a striker- Last season, Sturridge was often deployed on the right wing due to a lack of better alternatives. I can't honestly say he played badly, but his frustration at not being played as a striker often reflected in his performances. This led to him being frequently benched under Roberto Di Matteo, with the interim manager preferring Salomon Kalou on the right wing. This season, Chelsea will have both Hazard & Marin to call upon as quality wingers, meaning Sturridge will almost certainly be deployed in his preferred position. He may not be Chelsea's No. 1 striker at the moment (Fernando Torres is expected to lead Chelsea's attack next season), but I certainly look forward to seeing him play as a striker.
2) Lack of better clubs willing to buy him- This may seem like a bold statement, considering both Liverpool & Manchester City have expressed a desire in signing him. But I don't see him going to either club. He was an integral part of our Champions League-winning squad, so if he does leave, he will sign for a club who are can offer him 2 things: Regular play time & Champions League football. Neither Liverpool nor Manchester City can offer him both. At Liverpool, he will start almost regularly (considering how poor their strikers were last season), but they aren't part of the Champions League, and don't look like top 4 contenders. Manchester City can offer him Champions League football, but regular play time will be hard to come by. He'll have a hard time making the bench at City. Only Chelsea can offer him regular play-time, Champions League football & of course decent wages.
3) England snub hurt him- When Roy Hodgson announced his squad for Euro 2012, many people were surprised that Daniel Sturridge wasn't included in the final 23-man squad. Danny himself admitted that he was disappointed at not making the final squad, while I was amazed that players like Stewart Downing & Andy Carroll made the squad ahead of him. However, this could prove to be a blessing in disguise for him, as it will spur him on next season & ensure that he takes advantage of every chance handed to him by Di Matteo.
There are many Chelsea fans who would be happy to see the back of Daniel Sturridge. I'm not one of them. I believe he has the potential to become one of the best strikers in the world. He has age on his side (he will turn 23 this year), so one can expect him to work hard on developing those aspects of his game that aren't his strengths i.e. his passing, consistency, attitude etc. Throw in the fact that he will play in his preferred position, & I'm sure we can expect better things from Daniel Sturridge in 2012-13.
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| Danny's willingness to shoot from has often left fans frustrated |
Nevertheless, I believe Daniel Sturridge will be an integral part of Chelsea come next season. Here are 3 reasons why:-
1) Will play as a striker- Last season, Sturridge was often deployed on the right wing due to a lack of better alternatives. I can't honestly say he played badly, but his frustration at not being played as a striker often reflected in his performances. This led to him being frequently benched under Roberto Di Matteo, with the interim manager preferring Salomon Kalou on the right wing. This season, Chelsea will have both Hazard & Marin to call upon as quality wingers, meaning Sturridge will almost certainly be deployed in his preferred position. He may not be Chelsea's No. 1 striker at the moment (Fernando Torres is expected to lead Chelsea's attack next season), but I certainly look forward to seeing him play as a striker.
2) Lack of better clubs willing to buy him- This may seem like a bold statement, considering both Liverpool & Manchester City have expressed a desire in signing him. But I don't see him going to either club. He was an integral part of our Champions League-winning squad, so if he does leave, he will sign for a club who are can offer him 2 things: Regular play time & Champions League football. Neither Liverpool nor Manchester City can offer him both. At Liverpool, he will start almost regularly (considering how poor their strikers were last season), but they aren't part of the Champions League, and don't look like top 4 contenders. Manchester City can offer him Champions League football, but regular play time will be hard to come by. He'll have a hard time making the bench at City. Only Chelsea can offer him regular play-time, Champions League football & of course decent wages.
3) England snub hurt him- When Roy Hodgson announced his squad for Euro 2012, many people were surprised that Daniel Sturridge wasn't included in the final 23-man squad. Danny himself admitted that he was disappointed at not making the final squad, while I was amazed that players like Stewart Downing & Andy Carroll made the squad ahead of him. However, this could prove to be a blessing in disguise for him, as it will spur him on next season & ensure that he takes advantage of every chance handed to him by Di Matteo.
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| Sturridge will be a key player next season |
Friday, 15 June 2012
Season Rewind : Petr Cech
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| CECH: One of Chelsea's Biggest Hero's last season... |
The role Petr Cech played as the Blues secured both the Champions League and FA Cup cannot be understated, with outstanding performances in the finals of both competitions.
After playing in the opening day draw away at Stoke City, Cech missed the subsequent games against West Bromwich Albion and Norwich City, while his form was called into question upon his return, with the game at home to Arsenal, in which we conceded five times, raising more questions than answers.
However, as so often in the past, Cech bounced back and went on to perform with the levels of consistency and maturity which have proved his trademark since his arrival at Stamford Bridge in 2004.
He almost single-handedly kept us in the Champions League when Barcelona visited west London in the semi-final first leg back in April, denying both Andres Iniesta and Adriano, before making a stunning late save from Carles Puyol.He was equally impressive in the return leg, turning a Lionel Messi effort on to the post with the game on a knife edge as the Blues held on for a memorable victory.
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| That is world-class goalkeeping... |
In the FA Cup Final against Liverpool, meanwhile, with the game delicately poised at 2-1, Cech made arguably the save of the season, clawing an Andy Carroll header on to the bar before Branislav Ivanovic was on hand to clear the danger, and there was more to come.
The Champions League Final in Munich will go down as one of the greatest nights in the club's history, and there is little doubt Cech was a major factor.
As the game moved into extra-time with the scores level at 1-1, Bayern Munich were awarded a penalty. Arjen Robben, the former Chelsea player, was the man entrusted with taking the kick, and as Blues fans feared the worst, Cech made a brilliant save low down to his left to keep us in the game.
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| Mr. Reliable |
His finest moment in a Blue shirt, however, was still to come. With Juan Mata having missed our first kick in the deciding shoot-out, the game appeared to be slipping away.
Cech, though, made two successive saves, from both Olic and Schweinsteiger, providing Didier Drogba with the opportunity to win us the trophy, which he duly accepted.
Appearances: 55+1,
Clean sheets: 19
Penalties saved [not including shoot-outs]: 2
minutes on pitch: 5,334
KTBFFH fellow Blues till then.....
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