Monday, August 18, 2014

Chelsea Ten Commandment for a healthy season-Lessons from last season.


As Chelsea FC take on Bounley today in an away game to begin their campaign in the 2014/2015 season of the most watched league ,the Epl,  there are issues to consider and lessons to bring forward from last season .

1. Chelsea cannot afford to lose to supposed lesser teams

A lot about this explained why Chelsea lost the league and went trophiyless last season, they underrated smaller teams. If the team want to win this season, they must play every match the same way. They must underrate no team. 

2. Chelsea lost too much concentration in defence

As powerful as Chelsea defence was last season, they kept losing concentration when it mattered the most. Players were not watching one another in defence. In those days, my coach used to tell the person playing six and the one playing five to watch one another. If one is going, the other stayed behind. If one was going to mark, the other returned to cover just to ensure the back was not exposed.  The defence did so well last season but minor loss of concentration cost the team. Cahill and Terry must watch their back. If a Terry will play less, who ever it is must watch the other. To expose your defence is like giving a player a penalty.

3. Chelsea style of marking opened them

Last season, I noticed very strongly that Chelsea boys exposed themselves with the way they marked. The boys followed too much of the ball as against following their man. That way, opponents threw lots of change location passes and it caught them deeply. A player will change the scene say from left to right and you may end up finding four opponents there but just one Chelsea player. Last season. I found myself shouting on my seat, hold your man right from my living room. I wish they heard me. But I hope I don't have to shout this season that way. 

4. Chelsea must know when to hold the ball

There were games were all the player  needed to do was release the ball and deny the opponent ball attention as a fellow player was better placed but holding on to the ball too much denied them a lot. In all I write here, am not interested in name calling. However I think playing for the team is better than being selfish.

5. Chelsea must kill a game before making lesser changes.

Last season , because the team underrated some clubs, Chelsea played some unacceptable football. Players who had not played for some time were used to execute some games and when it started going bad, he brought in his key players who had no enough time to make anything happen. If the team must win, they must play the key players first and then make changes later. Like they say, prevention is better than cure.

6. Chelsea must play Torres out of position.

I strongly feel that the last time Fernando Tiorres saw himself as a striker was when he played at Liverpool. I say so because at Liverpool, his positioning was in a class all by itself. Also, his one touch on the ball resulted in a lot of goals for the club. However, when he came to Chelsea, expecially after the English press described him as a player not fit for fifty million, Torres lost it. Because he always wanted to prove a point, he will want to dress every ball or romance the ball each time he got it. He rarely  played tip tap, instead he wanted to dribble.there were moments when Torres needed just one touch, he wanted to dress the ball. In truth, he lost his sharpness. He played more like an attacker than a striker. But he is a good player. He fought for the ball and made good passes. For that reason, I think rather than keep benching him, Chelsea must play him out of position.  He should play eight or ten. He can perform

7. Chelsea Should play young players like Nathan Ake from time to time

The only way to develop a player is by allowing them in the midst of the giants. Twenty minuite to the end of a game or fifteen munuites is good time to allow the young ones in the squard develop. They are hungry and will want to proof a point. Last season , this boys rarely played, how then do they develop?

8. Chelsea must not expect a miracle from Diego Costa

As the whole team expects him to perform, other strikers should be encouraged along side him . Drogba is old but has the fire in him. I know I requested that Torres be played out of position, if the coach won't , he must allow him Play time from time to time as a striker. I say this because it becomes difficult to get result from a player who has become not just match rusty but competition rusty as well. They need the games  to push them not the bench to warm them. The club made this mistake last season. Many players were not given hope . This has to change.

9. Chelsea must bring back that believe.

Last season, the coach said, the title is not ours this season. Perhaps it was a mind game but it did work down the psyche of the boys. The believe to rule must be hundred percent this season. Mourinho has to show once again why he was once voted the best coach in the world . Many believe he has lost it with pride, they describe him as being too proud but I think, he is still the special one and the happy one. The believe has to return.

10. Chelsea must repeat last season top club form

Last season, if there was one thing Chelsea fc did so well, it was the fact that they took very personal all matches played against the top clubs. I refer to teams like Manchester city, Man United, Liverpool and Arsenal. The way they played the first legs with this teams made these teams fear them. Those teams wished they did not have to play Chelsea a second time. If they can bring that mentality from last season into this season, it will go a long way to position them as champions. 

I have argued it before and I will say it again. The 2014/2015 Epl trophy is that of Chelsea to lose. They have what it takes to rule England in a special way this season . And beginning with Bounley today, let the sky remain blue.

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