Comments on: Ancelotti’s Chelsea Needs a “Plan B” for the English Winter http://www.setpieceanalysts.com/20091208/ancelottis-chelsea-needs-a-plan-b-for-the-english-winter/ Analysis and opinion of the world's game Mon, 12 Jul 2010 20:36:32 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: richardfarley http://www.setpieceanalysts.com/20091208/ancelottis-chelsea-needs-a-plan-b-for-the-english-winter/comment-page-1/#comment-150 richardfarley Fri, 11 Dec 2009 21:26:56 +0000 http://www.setpieceanalysts.com/?p=496#comment-150 Great point re: Essien, but especially Essien because they have cover for him. Not that they even need cover. I think everybody understood why Wenger started the team he did. Great point re: Essien, but especially Essien because they have cover for him.

Not that they even need cover. I think everybody understood why Wenger started the team he did.

]]> By: Ray Curren (orangeorange05) http://www.setpieceanalysts.com/20091208/ancelottis-chelsea-needs-a-plan-b-for-the-english-winter/comment-page-1/#comment-141 Ray Curren (orangeorange05) Wed, 09 Dec 2009 02:32:19 +0000 http://www.setpieceanalysts.com/?p=496#comment-141 Sorry to add on, but should anyone be surprised that they conceded two goals today with Belletti and Zhirkov (?) playing outside back? And why would you play anyone of note today? Game meant nothing, and now you've lost Essien. Ancelotti has to answer those questions more than he does the system. Sorry to add on, but should anyone be surprised that they conceded two goals today with Belletti and Zhirkov (?) playing outside back? And why would you play anyone of note today? Game meant nothing, and now you’ve lost Essien. Ancelotti has to answer those questions more than he does the system.

]]> By: Ray Curren (orangeorange05) http://www.setpieceanalysts.com/20091208/ancelottis-chelsea-needs-a-plan-b-for-the-english-winter/comment-page-1/#comment-139 Ray Curren (orangeorange05) Wed, 09 Dec 2009 00:28:21 +0000 http://www.setpieceanalysts.com/?p=496#comment-139 I disagree, Kartik, I think Ancelotti's 4-4-2 is setup to deal precisely with games like those at Sunderland and at Stoke, etc. I don't necessarily like it, but they clog the middle and get the ball forward as quickly as possible to Drogba and Anelka. Not a bad strategy when you have those two guys out there. As you said, the diamond really restricts the width, which makes it tough for him to use guys like Malouda, Joe Cole, and Zhirkov (when he's healthy). The Bosingwa injury has really hurt Chelsea as well, he's their width on the right and his replacements (Ivanovic, an aging Ferreira, an aging Belletti - who does better at giving them width, but can't defend or recover at all) just don't cut it when your talking about the world's highest level. Their biggest problem is a shaky goalkeeper, Cech has been poor for a while now, and seems to give up a soft goal in almost every game (like the second one against Manchester City last Saturday), and defending set pieces consistently. For some reason when they get away from Stamford Bridge, they forget to mark anyone on free kicks and corners. They still lead the Premiership, and I think the next 6 or 7 games will tell the tale. If they can get full points at a soft point in their schedule (some of which will find them depleted because of the African Nations Cup), I think they'll win the title. But Manchester United will push them every step of the way, that's for sure. I disagree, Kartik, I think Ancelotti’s 4-4-2 is setup to deal precisely with games like those at Sunderland and at Stoke, etc. I don’t necessarily like it, but they clog the middle and get the ball forward as quickly as possible to Drogba and Anelka. Not a bad strategy when you have those two guys out there.
As you said, the diamond really restricts the width, which makes it tough for him to use guys like Malouda, Joe Cole, and Zhirkov (when he’s healthy). The Bosingwa injury has really hurt Chelsea as well, he’s their width on the right and his replacements (Ivanovic, an aging Ferreira, an aging Belletti – who does better at giving them width, but can’t defend or recover at all) just don’t cut it when your talking about the world’s highest level.
Their biggest problem is a shaky goalkeeper, Cech has been poor for a while now, and seems to give up a soft goal in almost every game (like the second one against Manchester City last Saturday), and defending set pieces consistently. For some reason when they get away from Stamford Bridge, they forget to mark anyone on free kicks and corners.
They still lead the Premiership, and I think the next 6 or 7 games will tell the tale. If they can get full points at a soft point in their schedule (some of which will find them depleted because of the African Nations Cup), I think they’ll win the title. But Manchester United will push them every step of the way, that’s for sure.

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