Chelsea under Andre Villas-Boas: A new Barcelona in the making?

Chelsea manager Andre Villas Boas made a statement recently about his admiration for Barcelona and their style of football. He said,

“When I became a manager I got excited with an idea for how football should be played. Barcelona has set new standards for the way the game is played. They are the benchmark for modern football.

“Their success is a combination of events that has provided this team with the ability to play so well. It is the amount of talent that has come through the youth team and a manager who defends the club’s philosophy so well.

“I’m not sure it can be this way forever because there will be some years of talent and some of drought, but now they are setting new standards in the game.”

Comparing Apples and Oranges

When Chelsea and Barcelona played each other the last time in the Champions League, it was more than just a battle between two footballing giants, it was a battle of philosophies. One team relied on players who came through its famed academy while another catapulted itself on the big stage because of a generous owner. The players, managers and the referees; all got a fair share of controversies and made the headlines during that tie. But the main reason why people were attracted to that fixture in the first place was the different styles of playing.

Both Barcelona and Chelsea have created a fan base of their own. Barcelona have always played the swift, one touch passing game which is a beauty to watch. Players like Ronaldinho, Deco, Xavi and Messi have thrived at such a fast paced game.

Chelsea in the Roman era began to have its own philosophies. Jose Mourinho moulded the team in such a manner that it was hard to try any other philosophy on the team even years after he left. The motto was simple: You don’t lose if you don’t score a goal, you lose if you concede one.

The defensive approach to the game saw Chelsea go without losing a home game for a record number of years.The 4-3-3 formation was unbreakable with Duff and Robben storming the flanks and Makelele breaking up plays with ease in the defensive midfield position, thus spawning the name to the position as the Makelele role.

But times have changed now. Cut to 2011-12, Barcelona still relies on its core philosophies. Players like Thiago, Cesc Fabregas and Alexis Sanchez are guarantees that the Barca revolution of swift one-touch football will be carried for years to come.

For Chelsea, it has been a something of a roller coaster ride. A number of managerial changes have left the club short of a standard philosophy to follow. Chelsea don’t exactly need a revolution of the Barca mould, but they need to evolve.

With the club now rapidly increasing its fanbase worldwide, they know that winning alone does not do the trick. A Drogba chesting the ball from Petr Cech and setting it up for the energetic lampard was good to watch a few years back. But fans today want to watch Mata cut past two defenders elegantly and find Torres who dodges the goalkeeper and fires into an empty net. In short, fans want to see attractive football.

Andre Villas Boas has impressed critics very quickly by choosing players based on their performances rather than their reputation. This combined with his reputation at Porto has given rise to the sentiment that with him at the helm, this is the perfect time for Chelsea to change to the swift football Roman Abrahamovich has been craving for.

In the current Chelsea squad, there is Ramires who has finally adapted to life in England and can now unleash his unbelievable energy and pace, thus making him perfect for the new attractive approach. David Luiz, already a cult hero at Chelsea, is known for his forward surges and can surely thrive at this style better.

Juan Mata has proved to be the missing piece of the Chelsea jigsaw and for him to earn a spot in front of Fabregas and Silva in the national team, he needs to prove that he deserves the place more than his counterparts. Recent games have shown proof of this, for his fantastic partnership with Ashley Cole and Bosingwa,who again can adapt to any style of football, has proved effective for Chelsea.

And finally there is Torres, the man who needs to repay the faith of Stamford Bridge faithful and impress Villas Boas as well as Del Bosque, thus justifying his price tag, but nonetheless would fit seamlessly in the new approach.

Bringing in a lot of youngsters this season such as Lukaku, Romeu and Courtios as well as retaining Josh McEachran and Daniel Sturridge in the squad has shown that Andre Villas Boas aims to bring a fresh style and philosophy to Chelsea.

Chelsea have already begun emulating Barcelona by strengthening their youth brigade and a bringing in a new Sporting Director at the helm. In light of Villas Boas’ recent comments about Barcelona, it is only a matter of time before Chelsea emulate the Catalans and begin accumulating silverware.

Edited by Zico