Is this the way to get the fans Jose?
So, one point remains to be made before the club can celebrate back-to-back titles. I’m hoping the game against United in two weeks will see us wrap up the league and allow us to relax – even if NotsoNostradamus Ferguson and his team will be positively itching to ruin the day. However the point being made by the press is a different one and some way short of celebratory. A jaundiced but not untypical reaction coming from James Lawton in the Independent – Lawton is a relentlessly smug Arsenal fan, as you can probably tell.
It doesn’t take a genius to work out that a club, any club, receiving the lavish gifts bestowed by Roman Abramovich on Chelsea is not going to be universally popular. There is a club hierarchy in English football and Chelsea have unceremoniously gatecrashed their way in. Those already established in this hierarchy are resentful because their regular entitlement to silverware is under threat. Those not among the privileged few are unhappy because they would rather it was them breaking into the elite.
There are also a couple of other factors which add to the general dislike for Chelsea. In a club which contains more than a smattering of star players and one of the richest men in the world Mourinho is far and away the dominant personality. He is so firmly fixed centre stage that no one else even dares to stand in the wings. His personality epitomises the club to such an extent that for a lot of people Mourinho is the club.
To be fair I would loathe Mourinho were he in charge anywhere else. He is abrasive, sullen, arrogant, dismissive, provocative and totally uninterested in any view other than his own. His single mindedness wins a lot of games but even as a Chelsea fan there are things I wish he hadn’t done: his finger to the lips, aimed at Liverpool fans, after Chelsea took the lead in last year’s League Cup final being one. I don’t like Liverpool at all, or their ridiculously self important fans but a manager doesn’t react like that. Managers and players celebrate, goading is best left to fans.
I wish Jose had kept his own counsel over Anders Frisk and his half time love-in with Frank Rijkaard last season. I would have preferred him not to make such a big deal over Del Horno’s dismissal this year and I was not enamoured with his attempt to demonise Messi. I cannot begin to imagine how Jose would react to one of Drogba’s theatrical tumbles if the Ivorian played for the opposition. I would have been far happier if Jose – and everyone else involved – had realised meeting Ashley Cole in a public bar, not 10 minutes from FA headquarters, was incredibly stupid. There are a couple of managers whose hand Jose should have shaken, however thuggish they, or their teams, were during the match.
I’m also not a big fan of the way Jose publicly criticises his players; Joe Cole, Arjen Robben and Asier Del Horno have all been openly reprimanded like naughty children. Straighten them out by all means, but in my view these are things best done behind the dressing room door. It’s likely that Young-Pyo Lee’s horrendous schoolboy error, against United on Easter Monday, has cost Spurs a Champions League place – and the multi-millions that go with it – but I didn’t see Martin Jol digging out his errant full back in front of the camera.
These are personal points of view, some Chelsea fans will agree, some will doubtless find it treacherous that I dare question the methods of the man who has delivered such success. I am not ungrateful for the trophies, but I am uncomfortable with some of what has gone on in achieving that success. I may be a Chelsea fan, but I am not blind, or unthinking. Asking a few questions of his style does not mean I am undervaluing Jose’s achievements.
Talking of style brings us to the other main complaint against Chelsea. We are allegedly ruthless, mechanical, organised and efficient but we do not stir the spirit. The argument goes something like this: as Chelsea have unlimited funds we could at least produce an entertaining team. To spend so much money on producing a team that is a slave to work ethic just doesn’t seem right. Fair point?
Defensive organisation and discipline are typically tactics of the underdog. This is how Greece won the European Championship, how Porto, or even Liverpool, won the Champions League. Teams with huge resources are expected to play with a certain swagger and style, unless they are Juventus. I feel there is some validity to this. Whatever statistics, goals scored and our impressive results might suggest, our style of play is not easy on the eye. I doubt many neutrals find Chelsea entertaining to watch. I imagine the majority of non-Chelsea fans watch more in the hope of seeing us beaten than of being captivated.
Of course it isn’t easy to produce a team to enthral. There are very few players with the genius of Rooney, Henry or Ronaldinho and at least one genius is a pre-requisite for such a team. Mourinho was also charged with achieving instant success, he had no time to establish a style of play that would suit everyone’s taste. He opted to stick to tried and trusted methods, those which had already worked for him at Porto. I suspect most of us would have done the same. His job, first and foremost, was to win. Imagine the reaction had Mourinho failed. With all the resources at his disposal and his supercharged ego, he would have been crucified. And then fired. (In fact he’s been crucified for having succeeded, so the bile fest that would have ensued had he failed doesn’t bear thinking about.)
Having tucked away the Premier League once I was hoping Jose would free the team from their rigid, tactical discipline and allow them to breath a little. It seems this was a forlorn hope, even if there are some signs that Jose is relenting marginally. I watched us play Barcelona with a feeling of inevitability. As someone else put it, our attackers helped our defenders defend, whilst their defenders helped their attackers attack. I don’t see Barcelona as the shining angels they are portrayed to be but they play more expansive football than we do.
I was hoping a team containing Duff, Robben, Wright-Phillips, Crespo, Joe Cole and even the much maligned Drogba, would be allowed to attack more. But in the main we have persisted with the risk free, wait for the mistake mentality that brought our first Premier League success. Even recently when Jose decided to play two strikers up front he declined to use two wingers to accompany them. Although to be fair, we had to win our last three games and we’ve done exactly that. At the moment of greatest pressure in our season – with absolutely no room for error – Jose changed his preferred system. So he doesn’t lack courage, or flexibility, even if his new ‘two striker’ Chelsea is a variation on a theme, rather than a fundamental change.
Who leaves and who arrives at Chelsea this summer could be an indication of a change in style, however small. Adriano is a certainty for speculation, but whether a Brazilian in his prime will relish England remains to be seen. I would be very surprised if Robben, Duff and Wright-Phillips are all still at the club in August. It also appears that Jose is not entirely happy with his full-backs, and there may well be changes in defence. I’m sure Ballack’s predicted arrival would spell the end for Gudjohnsen. Eidur is one of my favourite players, but sadly one with no real place in whichever version of 4-3-3 Jose settles on.
Personally I would love to see Jose change his spots a little more, put out a really attack minded 4-4-2. Allow our wingers to really take people on and risk losing possession, instead of being auxiliary full backs. Of course this would be a move that could be seen as weakness, Jose allowing negative press to influence his changing a proven method. Perhaps it wouldn’t work. Perhaps I’m being greedy. After all I do not want to relinquish any of the silverware Jose’s methods have brought. Perhaps I shouldn’t question any of his behaviour, or how his teams play. But there is a part of me which cannot help think ‘what if’? What if we used our limitless resources to build a seriously f**k off, all-out attacking team? I’d love to see it, but I’m not holding my breath. And I still love Jose, even if he can be grouchy and his teams can be too defensive minded.
We show guts and team spirit aplenty – just how impressive was that come back against West Ham? – but I for one would love us to play a little more carefree and a little less risk free.
- Posted at 10:11 AM · Permalink · Print · 3112 views · Last indexed by Google on the 16th May 2008
- Tags: Blingo Starr, Champions League, Jose Mourinho, Manager, Premiership
Hey Blingo! Good post. I agree with a lot of what you say. I too am pleased with the trophies, but not necessarily the style of play - but is this asking too much? I have supported Chelsea since 1968 so I’ve seen a bit. The current team is great but it lacks something. Functional yes. Hardworking yes. Creative? Not always. Maybe a Hudson, a Cooke, a Gullit or a Zola would provide the lift. If only the team could be as carefree as the fans.
Well said! Now that we have established ourselves at the pinnacle of English football it’s time to open the throttle a bit. We can never lose sight of our ultimate aim, but let’s also try to do it in style!
Patience my friend., patience! That’s the keyword.
There’s only one way to gain the kind of respect you want (it’s that what you want, isn’t it?) and that comes by winning trophies and with that creating a wide core of fans (by the way, this will take at least 15 to 20 years). The Blues fans that now are 6 or 7 years old (and daddy is Hammers or Spurs fan) one day will write on newspaper the kind of warm things you now want to ear.
Jose it’s only starting the foundation’s, someone else will continue from there. Meanwhile let’s make some solid ones by winning, because Abramovich won’t last forever and history is full of clubs who touched the stars and afterwards eclipsed themselves.
Look at the similarities between Parma and Chelsea. What went wrong with Parma even with all the successes Nevio Scala gave them! They never established themselves as a big Italian team. Why! Chelsea is in the right direction but it takes time… and patience!
National silverware, of any kind, obtained on a regular basis that’s what will give you respect and access to the G14! That’s also what will influence well-established players like Schevchenko, Adriano or Ronaldinho coming to a club like Chelsea.
Viali, Gullit and Zola, they all came here after their peak as a football player. Why? Because every player at the end of his career likes to play in Clubs that don’t have constant pressure to win. Chelsea WAS that kind of club.
I know it sound cynical but that’s the awful truth!
If Jose keeps doing what is doing shining stars, which don’t come even with a truck full of gold, will be banging on the door in the near future. Why? Because rising stars want to win trophies and be remembered by a legion of fans.
All the other club’s fans, like James Lawton, can keep writing whatever they want, but if they keep asking Jose for autographs for there nephews or coworkers we sure are in the right direction ; )
PS – Can anyone tell me what are the average national league trophies of all the Champions League winners? I take this could be a reasonable measure for how long it takes to be a BIG club.
An overly negative view of both our season, the manager and our style of playing in my view.
I’ve also supported Chelsea since the late 60s and I personally would prefer it if we wait a little while longer before throwing caution to the winds and attempting to “play more expansive football”. That’s what Arsenal do apparently and look where they are and the only reason Barcelona can be held up as “shining angels” is because Real Madrid have been so piss-poor the last two seasons.
“Defensive organisation and discipline” are actually the tactics of not losing. It was a lack of such that enabled Barcelona to be 3-0 down in 20 minutes last year. This time round they were much cagier.
In addition, hard-working we undoubtedly are but you don’t get to win the Premier League by a record number of points or do it back-to-back by being purely “functional” (he says hoping he hasn’t invoked the wrath of the Great God of Chicken Counting). Some of our counter-attacking football is fantastic to watch.
Good point, Blingo!
The root-cause for the relatively un-attaractive football is the number of star players we have around here and the rotation policy. Ideally i expect Duffer and J.C to leave next season (with no replacement). They are incredible talents and can get lotsa first team action anywhere else. Cutting the squad size by few and making the ideals clear would certainly make the team play with more focus towards the Goal ;-).
God bless the Blues with ever-lasting glory!
Wenger’s Arsenal would never be able to play the way it does if there hadn’t been a decade-plus of Graham-style truculence to build upon…
Interesting article Blingo and good to see you back. However, I disagree with just about everything said about Jose in the article, and also about the “style” of football. However I also recognise that your view is one shared by many other Chelsea fans and from my spot in the MHL it’s split about 70-30 in your opinions’ favour. To be honest Jose polarises opinion amongst Chelsea fans almost as much as the rest of the football community including the press wolf-pack that seems to have turned so quickly against the “breath of fresh air” attitude from last season. In my view Jose is just putting a new spin on the Fergie/Wenger years of mind games, disdain and intransigence towards other coaches/teams and knobber hacks. Yes, he’s opinionated but most “latin” types are. Yes, he goads fans and coaches but to me that’s why we got him. Remember his “goading” of Manure (fans, players and management) by running the touchline when Porto beat them? To me anyone willing to stick one up Fergie’s proverbial pipe in such a fashion was something special, and not a supine, toadying lackey too scared to say anything for fear of FA/UEFA sanctions. He took Fergie to task before the game about how Fergie had written off Porto without knowing anything about them (true, he had done just that, similar to his feeling about beating Sunderland) and then danced in Sir Rednose’s back yard when he proved his point. That takes balls, and last season he showed that his are big enough to cart round in a wheelbarrow like Buster Gonad himself. Respect is good, and should be encouraged but my view is simple… if Fergie or Wenger or anyone can berate/bait people via the press/media then it is equally ok to respond via that or any other channel and JM does just that. Both Fergie and Wenger are bad losers for the simple reason that they are at heart winners, and give me that any day over the nice guy losers like Clownio Ranieri.
As for football style, well quite simply we aren’t Arsenal or Barca… perhaps more AC Milan, but having been starved of success for so long I want trophies, trophies and more bloody trophies for a few years before we stroll down Fancy-Dan Avenue. Peter made the point about Wenger building on Graham’s truculent style and I agree. Give me a few years of winning then lets start to play “expansive” football. I don’t recall ever hearing a single whinge from a Gooner about the “style of winning” when they were picking up trophies annually using George Graham’s “war of attrition” style football that fell just short of laying mines across the halfway line and defending the area using Challenger tank battalions. Nope, they were just happy to be tagged winners, and history is full of teams that win things without being pretty. England Rugby being one when picking up the World Cup in 2003, Greece winning Euro 2004, Germany winning any World Cup and even the Maradona era Argentina were happy to play for goalless draws and penalties in order to get the right result.
You don’t deserve such a good coach…and saying your team is defensive means you haven’t yet understood what Mourinho’s tactics are all about.
Cheers.
I have to agree with Grocer Jack, Blingo. We need to build and maintain a ruthless winning mentality right through the club, and if this is the style of football that acheives that, then I along with other fans have no complaints.
Jose reminds me very much of another great sporting hero of mine, Ayrton Senna. He is able to be single minded enough to get the results required, it’s not arrogance, it just a total self belief in his own ability to do what’s reqiured.
Perhaps a “Flawed Genius” he may be, but he’s our Flawed Genuis” and we should savour these times, because Chelsea will not see the likes of him again!
Clive
Michael, we do deserve such a good coach because of all the years of unrewarded support we gave the club, through some very rough times. Keep the faith.
But you are right in what you say, Mourinho is a great coach - coach of the year two years running. Look at what he’s done with Joey Cole, John Terry and Frank Lampard - they have all improved beyond recognition under JM, and should England win the World Cup he will have played some small part in that. He will do the same for SWP given time.
And no, our team is not defensive, but it is hard working and earns the right in any game to play football. Anyone who still thinks we play unattractive football hasn’t been watching the last 3 games. Sometimes it all clicks into place, sometimes it doesn’t. Is it the coach’s fault or the players’ when it doesn’t quite click??
If we want to, as one previous comment suggested, become a gung-ho flair team then what players do we need to buy? Would any of them come to Chelsea? The only one I can think of is Tevez who may cost £60M, and where would we play him in our team? Ronaldinho or Rooney I’m sure would not move from where they are.
I think Roman got the best man for the job, the best coach in the world.
I’ve been supporting since 1963. I agree with Blingo but have been swayed a little by the arguments extolling the need to win.
Accepting that winning is important would it be possible for Jose to temper his behaviour? Could he shake managers hands? Could he accept defeat graciously and just say we lost; rather than pointless claims that we never lost when it was 11 v 11? I don’t believe his Frisk scenario had any influence on the home leg result. I can see through him and, unless they’re all idiots, so can the players and I’m sure they’re not impressed by his antics, despite their public proclamations of loyalty.
You don’t have to play ugly to be a winner. Ok so it worked for McEnroe but Borg won more and I don’t recall him resorting to threats to stick his racket up the umpires tailpipe.
To JJ and GrocerJack
I agree with you guys. The view Blingo has expressed here is the view of someone who reads too much press!!! How we can be defending side, when we scored more than any other team in EPL this season!!!???
Revert to 4-4-2 can not be done in one day. I was really surprised when Jose started to play diamond in the last, so crucial, games. However he (Jose) moves further and trying to build new setup for the next season. I feed up with the stupidity of press during the season and I am really surprised to see the Chelsea fan that does not understand our ways.
Blingo for you to remember we are THE BEST ATTACKING TEAM IN EPL THIS SEASON and not best defending. Our GD is 49, so far. “Genius” likes of Rooney and Henry have 37 and 30 respectively. You can not argue with the numbers. I am not sure I want this so cold “genius romantic” STYLE.
Now about fans I have said it before however will repeat my self. I am in the United States currently, visiting my family. I have seen here american blokes wearing Chelsea shirts with number 8 on the back. I have not seen even one wearing colours of Manure or Airline. We are getting international fans!!!! So guys please stop crying we are one point from winning EPL and two games from getting FA Cup. Cheer up and drink!!!!! Come on Blues!!!
I was expecting more disdain / abuse / than I got to be honest.
Trust me, I’ve been to pretty much every game this season and we are a VERY defensive side. Statistics prove nothing, we spend the majority of most games DEFENDING. I’ve seen them! I was there!!
Look at how we played against Barcelona, we went to the Nou Camp 1-0 down and what did we do? We DEFENDED :-)
We did the same thing at Anfield last year, we were 1-0 down in the tie and we did not commit to attack, EVER, in the whole game.
Some of you are too thin skinned, by no stretch of anyone’s imagination are we an attacking side. Accept it. Feel it. Love the catenacchio. We are the masters of the dark arts. Get into it and stop pretending we play like Barcelona / Arsenal 04 / United 99 because we do not.
Mourino and Chelsea’s record on the pitch over the last two years speaks for itself. Outstanding. Chelsea record on and off the pitch over the the next five to seven years needs to be written and will be the real legacy. Utimately, the judges will not be the current fans but we will be the a next generation of fans and they will be all over the world. In seven years you see lots of Chelsea baseball caps or tee shirts on a kids all over the world then you know Roman’s money will have been well spent
nice analysis Blingo. Not everyone has to agree, but if you support the Blues you might like to construct a wishlist of objectives for next year.
For mine:
1) a third consecutive premiership
2) >100 goals in the premiership
3) win the Champions league
That suggests an attacking formation (343, 352), indicates the sort of players I hope we start with, and means we need to adopt an attitude of going for the jugular when we are on top (both players and fans).
If it does not happen? I will still be Chelsea through and through.
regards
there are a few things that Blingo says tat i often think as well… however, when everyone says that we need to play expansive football, they need to remember that Jose is still rebuilding this team and this is just his second year here… anyone remember Barcelona when Frank Rijkard first took over??? i would not mind waiting to play that kind of football, hoever in the meantime a few trophies would b just fine!!! everyone seems to gibe Rafa and Wenger the time to rebuild their squads but when it comes to Jose, i have never heard anyone say the same… also, we keep refering to a ’star studded’ team… can anyone clarify which one of the Chels was a reas ‘STAR’ before Jose came in and we started winning??? Joe Cole??? John Terry??? Frank Lampard??? Guddy??? was Drogba a household name like Shevchenko??? maybe Del Horno???
however i see a revolution here… this new 4-4-2 we play can be a lot more… when we played Barca and a few of the tougher clashes we had, the trouble was tat we never had a second formation to fall back on… now imagin this, we start of with a 4-4-2 with either Cole, Robben, Duff or Wright-Phillips as one in MidField… then when it time to change, take off one of the strikers and send in the other winger… and we have a 4-3-3… the system we are so used to playing!!! Jose has been very daring in afew situation with 3 in defense as well… now image he pulls out one of the full backs, switches Billy from center to the flanks in the back 3 and sends the other winger in… we have a 3-5-2 or even better we’d have a 3-3-4 formation if he so wants… think of these systems… cant you see what he is trying to do??? he is building on his system and variations… i m sure, given the time, Jose will produce a Chelsea that will send a chill down the spine of any and every opponent… and he will do it with no HUGE stars!!! as he rightfully said, there needs to be only one star in this team and that is him…
all we need is a lil bit of patience… the Chelsea of our dreams is on its way… dont be fooled by seeing just this 4-4-2, its just the start… Carefree!!!
Blingo, maybe you could consider the possibility that we might have suffered a bigger loss at Nou Camp if we weren’t being as solid defensively as we were on that day. To contain likes of Eto’o and Ronaldinho, it is relatively understandable to play more defensively and wait for the break.
In the end, look what we got, 1-1 at Nou Camp. And while we weren’t the better team at both legs, at that time, our form was still not at its top while Barca’s was. And we were a man down for most of the game at SB. I know you were probably wanting and expecting another classic match like last season’s, but sometimes, things just don’t happen. I’d bet things would be different if the match was played now.
We’re not an attacking side, true, coz we lack the individuals to form the team of attacking players. I honestly think you’re asking too much, it will take time.. Im sure in two to three years’ time, we will produce a team such like Barcelona’s that you admire so much. Looking at Mourinho’s achievements, I’m sure you were probably illusioned into thinking we were supposed to achieve the best in EVERYTHING.
Patience is virtue, and I’m positive you’ll get what you want soon.
Cheers mate.
Blingo Blingo
mate you shot off the target…QUITE A BIT OFF…
Chelsea a defensive team, vs Barcelona….
You were at the game…..
Here is some inside information you may want to consider….Remove Barcelona which Team has attacked Chelsea more than Chelsea has attacked them???
Add Barcelona…We were ten men aginst those Barca players who were placed on them same footing with us and I believe we pressed them so hard we scored the first goal…
Arsenal this season…we blazed all over them…
Drogba at L’pool, WHam what are you talking about mate????
Goals scored…how many penalties have we scored this season….
You seek a great team which we are moulding into…Two seasons and you want to be A GREAT TEAM???? The press is going to your head!
I have not supported Chelsea that long…since the 80’s but This is the one time am seeing us playing to be respected…
No team in their true mind can come and say that they would want to play us in a tournament…Not even Barca…Hope we pick them in the first round next season and we will see how it goes…
You are entitlted to your opinion…my view is that we are the most tactically gifted team shifting shape at will…and it is all down to our coach…NOT MENTIONING THAT WE ARE DOING THIS IN OUR SECOND SEASON UNDER THIS COACH WITH NEW PLAYERS THAT HAVE BEEN WITH THE TEAM LESS THAN FIVE YEARS….
WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE…
BE REALISTIC!
TheFallenAngel has also a point there. None of the players in the team were huge stars. They became stars. I think the only exception could be Arjen Robben. But none of the others were true well-known stars before. So to expect a bulding team (not actually rebuilding from my point of view), and to want or demand expansive football, its just a tad too much to ask from our boys. I think they deserve to get appreciated for the hard work they did to reach the standard they are now.
P.S. No one is Ronaldinho. He is a legend-in-the-making, and possibly rank among Pele and Maradona, and to want our team to work like Barca’s, which is essentially built around Ronaldinho, is a lot to ask. Really.
Are you sure you are a football fan? Such a lucid and balanced piece…
Well, recent changes in formation and the Drogba/Crespo pairing seemed to have freshened our performances in my opinion.
We are the second highest scorers in the league aren´t we? OK - maybe trhat doesn´t subtract too much from the slant of your article BUT goals must be SOME indication of entertainment surely?
I sometimes think we´ve been too spoilt - after decades of suffering we suddenly want it all? We apear to want domination and style - our cake and eat it without any more waiting!
Ask yourself a question: “Would I like to play more like, say, Arsenal and be 26 points the top team instead of the top team with a style of play that ranges from dogged, machine like performances to the scintilating?” (you won´t deny our performances against West Ham and Everton weren´t thoroghly stylish and impressive?).
My view is that this new era is still very in it´s early, formative stages - I don´t just mean the infrastructure and the marketing - I´m talking about the team and the way we play as well. We´re like a massive, powerful machine in the early stages of development and construction - streamlining and more oil is still to be added. We will add players, change formations and mould a team with real style AS WELL as continuing to achieve results. I honestly believe within 2-3 seasons we will have one of the most exciting teams to watch in the world.
“To be fair I would loathe Mourinho were he in charge anywhere else. He is abrasive, sullen, arrogant, dismissive, provocative and totally uninterested in any view other than his own.”
True! And I believe he is 100% right to have total bewief in himself! WHO should he “listen to” exactly?
The fans? Yeah, right! He´d end up with 15,879 different views and advice! And do any of us know better than him?
The press? Kenyon? Buck? I´m sorry, but I can´t understand exactly why you feel he should listen to anybody! (I´m sure he accepts advice from Clarky - but that´s his job isn´t it?).
^I’d correct that. We ARE the highest scoring team in the league. Man Utd is behind us by a goal. And we concede the least.