Chelsea’s mid-season report: Jose striving for “tactical flexibility”, as Oscar and Ramires become key pins

The Tactical Evolution

Chelsea set out to compete in the 2013-14 season with quite a big squad and yet another new manager at helm. With the club’s youth policy operating in full force, a large pool of talented youngsters, were hoping to get some minutes in a Blue shirt. But with the registration restrictions in place, many were bound to seek first team football elsewhere. Romelu Lukaku, Lucas Piazon, Victor Moses, Marko Marin, Oriol Romeu, Gael Kakuta and Nat Chalobah, who were very close to breaking into the first team, ended up being loaned to various clubs. With the new manager, came new signings. Though, the arrival of Schurrle or Willian can be attributed to the scouting system and the owner’s ego respectively, Marco van Ginkel seemed to be the only business Mourinho managed to make personally, in the summer window.

Van Ginkel was brought in to be developed as a replacement for Lampard

The ex-Vitesse player, was going to be the missing piece in the Chelsea midfield. Van Ginkel, thought to be brought in as the replacement for Frank Lampard was a signal from the manager that he was planning for a long term project. Having secured a cap for the Oranje, Van Ginkel was to feature heavily in the Chelsea setup once he got settled to life in London. But a twist of fate threw him out of contention as he got himself injured in a league cup tie in September. Mourinho had to be content with 4 midfielders until the transfer window reopened. And this was the base for a the evolution Chelsea underwent, in search for their best XI.

Flexibility with formations

By the end of September, Mourinho had already used 3 formations in 9 matches. 4-2-3-1 remained the standard or base formation, and this was tweaked accordingly when the situation warranted. Against Man Utd, a side with no striker was fielded, in a 4-6-0 formation. Against Everton, Chelsea’s shape changed to a 3-4-3 when they were a goal down and chasing the game. Also, the 3-5-2 was used against Norwich with great effect as they took full points from Carrow road. Against Southampton in December, Mourinho changed the shape from 4-2-3-1 to a 4-4-2 during half time and turned the game round its head to win 3-1 after trailing 1-0 going into the break.

Such has been the depth of talent the manager had at his disposal, to experiment with that many formations. All these shapes, had one common pillar, the midfield duo. Frank Lampard and Ramires, who are not an ideal duo to be played in a double pivot, managed to start numerous games in the midfield. Mikel was only introduced as a late substitute to run down games and provide more defensive support. Injuries to Ramires and Lampard did force Mikel into the starting XI, during which he didn’t disappoint. But the main crux of Mourinho’s idea still remained, ‘Play a fluid system with tactical flexibility’.

The Fullback experiment

Azpilicueta has been solid wherever he was asked to play.

It was increasingly uncomfortable watching a seasoned rightback, Azpilicueta, being played on the opposite flank ahead of a decorated and fit Ashley Cole. Equally baffling was the deployment of Ivanovic at rightback, when he kept offering next to nothing in attacks. But Mourinho had a valid explanation for this. He wanted to be able to shift to a 3 man defense without substituting many players and this certainly helped when the Blues were chasing games. The inverted fullback concept crippled Chelsea when it came to width in play. The fullbacks were either too deep to join the attack, or were often caught high up the pitch and got exposed to counters. Though this experiment was a success to a certain extent, it failed to contribute to the fluid system Mourinho wanted to build.

Rise of the Brazilians

Chelsea’s Brazilian contingent became even bigger after the arrival of Willian in the summer window. Two players have been pivotal in everything Chelsea managed to achieve until now this season. Oscar and Ramires have been ever present in the starting XI and they have played a key role in the hunt for a new identity for the team. Ramires started in 19 of the 20 games in the league, and Oscar appeared in 18 league games. The functional role Ramires has been playing in the midfield, not only compliments the fullbacks but also adds energy and drive to contain opponents and catch them off guard. Oscar, who is probably the most clever player in the squad has been nothing short of a beast in the no.10 role.

The shifting tides. From one No.10 to another.

Though Juan Mata did get equal number of appearances as Oscar, the way the young Brazilian gave a new dimension to the no.10 role opened many possibilities. Oscar’s tactical discipline helped the midfielders to bomb forward and overload the areas around the opponent’s D box. Also, his active involvement in all phases of play earned him plaudits from all corners. His sheer workrate and intelligence going into tackles and making interceptions cemented him as the first choice no.10 ahead of the crowd favorite, Mata. In the recent game against Liverpool, Oscar won 7 aerial duels against the likes of Skrtel and Lucas. For a player as slender as him, that is a sign of remarkable commitment and productivity.

David Luiz had a good outing against Liverpool at the Bridge.

David Luiz hasn’t had much luck this season, as he managed only 18 appearances in all competitions. A rejuvenated John Terry and a disciplined Gary Cahill restricted Luiz to the bench. His recent stint in the midfield against Liverpool proved to be enormously useful, as Liverpool were effectively stopped from dictating play. In spite of less minutes on the pitch, and being a transfer target for many top clubs, Luiz has reiterated many a time of his loyalty to the blue shirt. If Chelsea don’t sign a midfielder in January, Luiz might as well be playing a very crucial role in the run up to the final games of the season.

The last man in this samba list is the new signing Willian. Chelsea already knew what Willian brought to the plate, after facing him in the Champions League during his time with Shakhtar. Though, the signing had much drama to its tune, Mourinho actually is benefiting from it. At Real Madrid, Di Maria was used as the utility player by Mourinho. A role that demands endless running and pressing the opponent. Willian is reprising that role at Chelsea now. He, along with Oscar and Hazard have formed a formidable partnership in the attacking band behind the striker and are clearly the x-factor when it comes to winning games. Another summer signing Andre Schurrle will be anxious about his extended time on the bench and will be battling it with Willian for that much coveted starting spot.