Champions League winning Chelsea manager Roberto Di Matteo has told the media that he will not be making any major changes to the team’s playing style this season despite the arrival of technically gifted and pacey attackers, like Eden Hazard, Marko Marin and Oscar.
Di Matteo’s side of last season was concentrated on the defence being resilient and as an outfit we were tough to beat, just ask Barcelona and Bayern Munich. We were heavily criticised for these tactics, of course, but we won the FA Cup and Champions League and we played the way we had to in order to lift them, so none of us give a toss about the rubbish our detractors have thrown at us.
The 42-year-old said:
“There will not be radical changes. We will try to make some changes. With the integration of these new players, inevitably we will change how we play a bit. But I never said we were going to play attacking football – we will play to try and win games.”
(International Business Times)
He also said that the club will be patient with new signing Hazard, who has dreams of playing the number 10 role on the big stage and it would seem as though Di Matteo wants him to realise that dream, but isn’t putting any undue pressure on the 21-year-old Belgian international.
Di Matteo told ESPN:
“Of course we are looking for Eden to be incisive – but we have to be patient. He is a young man, he has come from a different league in France and we need to give him time to adapt.”
(ESPN)
I think that he’s being deliberately coy over his tactics because no-one knows which way Chelsea will play during the coming season and perhaps it is best to keep our rivals guessing. Also, we’ve brought in a few young players and may add another one or two before the end of the transfer window, so it will take time to organise them.
Hopefully the pre-season was no indication as to how we will play as it was terrible. I know they were only friendlies and the results do not matter, but fitness and performance does, and we looked particularly sluggish when we reverted back to the dead 4-3-3 formation during the 3-1 loss to Championship side Brighton. We were too predictable and played in straight lines, but I don’t expect to see this when we play 4-2-3-1, with the likes of Juan Mata, Eden Hazard and either Ramires or Marko Marin providing the magic in the final third.
It will also be interesting to see where our new number 11 Oscar plays in the team and how quickly he will break into it. I’m expecting Eden Hazard will play behind Fernando Torres with Mata on the left and Ramires/Marin/potentially Hulk? on the right. Oscar has already expressed his desire to play and will be willing to do so in any position the manager asks to (take note, Daniel Sturridge).
I reckon the Brazilian may be deployed in central midfield for the most part, alongside John Obi Mikel, who has nailed the holding role. With rumours that this will be Frank Lampard’s last season at the club as his contract expires next summer and he has been linked with a big pay day in the US, do the club see Oscar as a long-term replacement for the England midfielder?
First team line up that makes perfect sense.Our
problem in preseason is Hazard or Marin playing on the left always cut inside meaning that their
running in to the strength of the opposition,a bit
like Bayern in the final.The ball is then getting switched to Ivanovic,who if truth be told can do little with it,plays it backwards and we have to start all over again.By having Mata on the left,it opens up the pitch and gives us plenty width,meaning we can strength teams.With Oscar playing in the middle our play is bound to be quicker.
nice one
Petercech,ivanovich,johnterry,davidluis,ashcole,mikelobi,franklampard,ramires,hazard,mata and torres
4-2-3-1
Blues for live
Al i want is win win
BE WARNED!!!
Di mateo act very fast, on buying hulk(even if, the money is high for hulk, he should bid £40m on hulk, b/c hulk is the right replacement for drogba), £25 for andre schurt(b/c andre is the right replacement of kalou) and £7 for ascipueta(ascipueta is the right replacement of bosigwa) before community shield cup.
i have seen no tactics at all in the way chelsea played this preseason;
chelsea even did not even had any defence whatsoever;
no attack – the only thing that happened was piazon-ramires-piazon = goal, 1st game;
this is crazy, the more RDM speaks the more he gets found out that he has no clue! he said it clearly last year he did not change much after he took control by the time CL was won; now he says he will not change much compared to last year; therefore to any sane person we are still using AVB’s diagrams in 2013?
this is what RDM has just said!
by the looks of it, he has no pride in bringing a vision on board,
i can see that because players do not get clear instructions how to position themselves both with and without the ball; NOTHING is happening!! it is not even claimed that any brain is being injected in the team!!
RDM and torres will take chelsea down this season;
** remember what results he had in PL: chelsea – new castle 0-2;
chelsea – spurs 0-0; man city – chelsea 2-1; liverpool – chelsea 4-1;
he took chelsea on 5th, finished on 6th;
take CL win off his list of achievements (for which he deserves credit he has helped win it, ugly but he did) and he has been quite average!
i heard him clearly saying
“we are trying to transfer to the game what we exercised in training” – approximate quotation here –
this kind of talk , in particular this very expression was coined by AVB when at chelsea (he used it many times in interviews)!!
does it ring any bells?
Some times only small things, such as attitude or encouragement is all that is needed to make big changes. Nobody said that Avb wasn’t good at tactics. In fact, I honestly think he would have succeeded in the future if he was given his 3 year window but time is usually short for manages at Chelsea. Avb was stubborn and refused to play to his players strengths and forced us into a high line and attempt to be a high octaine attack squad when we simply didn’t have the players. We have brought in 3 attack minded players w speed. Minus the high line, we actually have the players to be more attack oriented. Let’s not discredit RDM’s achievements because he did great last year. He took over a squad in absolute turmoil and came back from being down 3-1 v. Napoli. Then beat Barca down a man playing Rb’s as Cb’s and beat Munich in Munich. Rdm has the support of the players and I believe that is extremely important in today’s football. His record in the Pl wasn’t great but we all have to remember We were playing in 3 tournaments and dealing with injuries. I think Rdm had about as good of a coaching year as anybody else. He took a squad who wasnt going to win anything and turned it around to bringing home the biggest and most sought after prize in club football along with winning the FA. Let’s give the guy Some credit for what he has done!
This is exactly what u all said when he was given the interim job and he went on to win the double. Jst wait for atleast three games before condemning him. Am nt sure u guys are cfc fans
keep the blues flag flying high!
This is just the beginning…for me, Chelsea has a team that can beat any other if we can be organizated. In as much as no one wants to consider david a natural 4, I see the reason. Well let’s keep Czech as NO1, cole nd ivanovich, david nd JT or cahil, mikel and ramires, oscar as my sure No.10 mata and marin will interchange on the right while my incisive hazard will operate from the left (so that he can cut in, his right foot is wicked and we need him to make use of that by placing him right). If this team can blend together, Any striker is bound to deliver even our £50m inconsistent El nino.
Victor is so offencive and he’s so good on assult and if we get him, we won’t be needing hulk any longer.
Chelsea is destined for success…Mr RDM this is ur chance for that height. And U should be thankful to able Roman.
God Bless Chelseafc.