Chelsea playing with wingers next Season - FACT

LegacyUser

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has revealed that he and club owner Roman Abramovich held clear-the-air talks at Stamford Bridge last week.

A rift between the pair overshadowed Chelsea's efforts last season.

But speaking in Los Angeles, Mourinho said: "It was a long and enjoyable meeting. I was more than delighted. The air is clear and there's no problem."

Chelsea's US tour got off to a good start as new signing Florent Malouda scored in a 2-1 win over Club America.

Malouda struck a 75th-minute equaliser before setting up skipper John Terry to head in the winner.

New signings Tal Ben Haim and Steve Sidwell also tasted their first action in a Chelsea shirt but Blues fans will be more pleased to hear news of Mourinho and Abramovich's reconciliation.

BBC Five Live correspondent Nigel Adderley is in Los Angeles and reported: "A breakdown of communications last season seemed to suggest Mourinho was on his way out of Chelsea.

"But their first formal meeting for six months has cleared the air and now the manager is hopeful of staying for another four years at least."

Mourinho's contract ends in 2010 and he said he would be happy to see it out - and could even stay longer.

"I am in my fourth season here and if I can carry on five, six, seven, eight years, then I will go on without any problem," he said.

"I have no desire to change and try something different in Italy or Spain. I don't have that desire.

"I want to stay - and if Chelsea had wanted to make a change, they would have done it by now."

Looking ahead to the new season, Mourinho sent a warning to midfielder Michael Ballack, saying he is looking to ditch the diamond formation which best suits the German star.

"I want to go back to wingers and play attacking football," Mourinho explained. "The objective of having players like Robben, Cole, Malouda and Kalou is because we want to give width to our game, to give speed, to give creativity.

"I don't want to play football with a diamond any more.

"So I don't think it will be easy for Ballack. But he's a top player, a top personality and I think he's the kind of guy ready to fight for a place."

Taken from there: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/c/chelsea/6899379.stm

So does anyone agree/disagree with this? Do you believe Chelsea have a much better chance of winning the league back with this style?

I have to say this is probably the worst news I have read from a United fans point of view because Chelsea probably still have arguably the best squad in world football and there are a lot of attacking players in the squad and this is dangerous for the rest of the football world.

PHB

So does anyone agree/disagree with this? Do you believe Chelsea have a much better chance of winning the league back with this style?

They have a better chance, not a much better chance. IMO, they lost last season largely due to pressure rather than incorrect formation. This will just mean that they will be at least at the same level as the season before, which means United have to step it up.

I'm very happy from a football point of view though, now Chelsea will be at least interesting to watch.

I wonder, wonder, wonder, will Ballack be able to displace Lampard or will Shevchenko be able to displace Drogba? Don't see it happening
Kinda think Ballack got what he deserves Shevchenko I feel sorry for, as he needs a decent footballing team.

Pepe LeFrits

Yep.

They'll win the league this coming season. I can't believe anyone, especially their own fans, is writing them off.

Jammer

I stumbled upon the game they had last night, and they were given a lesson in attacking football in the first half. Club America tired in the second half and let Chelsea in for an easy time.

They had Robben, Joe Cole, Malouda & Kalou on and none of them looked decent. Robben had the usual antics of beat a couple of players then throws himself to the floor. Malouda scored a tap in, and did little else. Joe Cole had one decent run which led to an easy save for CA's goalkeeper.

Sidwell was decent, made a couple of good tackles. Johnson had a decent enough game. The two new left backs they were trying had a trouble half each, neither really impressing.

I think United's squad is considerably stronger then Chelsea this season.

gosplan

PHB wrote:

They have a better chance, not a much better chance. IMO, they lost last season largely due to pressure rather than incorrect formation.

I dunno. I feel they lost last year as they stopped scoring goals from midfield and Utd. got loads of them. You need midfielders to bag about 25-30 goals if you want the premiership. The 25 or so provided by duff/robben/cole wasn't there and Lampard scored fewer as well.

Jose's 16 player core group with 4 central midfielders was one of the dumbest things ever. Can't believe he didn't get fired for it.

PHB

I think United's squad is considerably stronger then Chelsea this season.

I think that's a viewpoint which is gaining ground, but utterly utterly incorrect.
There is very little difference between the United and Chelsea squads, and both squads are pretty much world class in every area they need to be world class in. There are no real weak points in either squad

Vokes

Surely it'll be a midfield of Essien / Lampard / Ballack if they go back to wingers?

I could still see them playing Shevchenko in a front 3, and then maybe Dani Alves (if they get him) providing the width on the right.

PHB

Surely it'll be a midfield of Essien / Lampard / Ballack if they go back to wingers?

Personally I think we will see more Makelele next season.
I think Mourinhos current top choice is
Makelele-Essien-Lampard

And Ballack will have to work into that, although he really should be able to.

Also there's sidwell and Obi Mikel there, so it's gona be a lot of competition for small places.

I could still see them playing Shevchenko in a front 3, and then maybe Dani Alves (if they get him) providing the width on the right.

I think Shev might leave. 15 mill to Milan I think is likely. Drogba is always gona be first choice at the head of a 4-5-1, and Shev doesn't want to be a right winger, especially competing with Robben, Malouda or Joe Cole or even Kalou.

Vokes

You really expect to see more Makelele? He seems to have had more niggling injuries now, and when he had played last season, he didn't appear to be the Makelele we've seen the 2 years previous. Chelsea should be getting in another defender to replace Geremi so maybe we'll now see Essien be moved permanently into a DM role (although he's better box-to-box) and let Ballack and Lampard and the wingers do their stuff.

PHB

Maybe not with Robben though, which I think is fantastic news

From the BBC:

Chelsea winger Arjen Robben has agreed personal terms over a move to Real Madrid, reports BBC Radio Five Live.

The clubs are yet to agree a fee, which is thought to be about £15m, but Robben, 23, is expected to fly to the Spanish capital on Friday.

It is also believed Feyenoord's 20-year-old left winger Roystone Drenthe has been lined up to replace Dutch international Robben.

Holland Under-21 star Drenthe is expected to move for £7m.

Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon earlier admitted they were keen to sign Robben but Blues boss Jose Mourinho denied he was to leave the club.

Robben has two years left on his Chelsea contract and has seen talks on a new five-year deal stall.

Calderon told radio station Onda Cero: "It is a negotiation which will take place in coming days or weeks.

"If the situation is favourable financially, I think that he is a player who could be brought in."


But Mourinho is in no hurry to sell, saying: "The club wants to keep these players. I trust the board and our chief executive Peter Kenyon in the negotiations he is doing.

"I know the players want to stay and I would be happy if they signed."

Robben's future has been further clouded by Chelsea's signing of Lyon winger Florent Malouda and Robben admitted on 10 July that contract talks were not going well.

The winger is one of manager Mourinho's key players but his progress at Chelsea has been hampered by a succession of injuries.

Last season, a thigh strain and knee injury kept him on the sidelines for several weeks of the campaign.

However Mourinho said he was keen to keep Robben, despite Malouda's arrival.

Robben played 45 minutes of Chelsea's 1-0 friendly win over Suwon Bluewings at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California, on Tuesday.

After the match Mourinho said: "The latest with Robben is that he played the game. I cannot tell you more than that.

"At the moment he is a Chelsea player with two more years of contract and he is working well.

"For me, he is a player like Terry or Lampard with two more years of contract.

"I look at him as a Chelsea player and he has to compete against very good wingers like we have. I am happy with the situation."

I really hope he goes, I still firmly believe if he had joined United, he would be one of the best players in the world right now, and when he joins Real, that will become even more evident.

jackdaw

PHP who do you support out of interest?

Necronomicon

PHB wrote:

Personally I think we will see more Makelele next season.
I think Mourinhos current top choice is
Makelele-Essien-Lampard

Hmmm, I'm not so sure. I think we could see John Obi Mikel start to displace Makelele, making it:

---

Mikel

---

Essien

---

Lampard----

which I think is probably the best choice. Although whether Ballack will be dropped is another thing. With Ballack in there instead of Mikel, Essien could play the Makelele role, although it's not really his greatest strength.

PHB

PHP who do you support out of interest?

United.

which I think is probably the best choice. Although whether Ballack will be dropped is another thing. With Ballack in there instead of Mikel, Essien could play the Makelele role, although it's not really his greatest strength.

They can all play in the holding role, they have the discipline (bar Lampard), but they are nowhere near as good. I think the fact that Makelele hasn't been sold is a sign that he will play a large role in the premiership this season.

Attractive Nun

Necromomicon wrote:

Hmmm, I'm not so sure. I think we could see John Obi Mikel start to displace Makelele, making it:

---

Mikel

---

Essien

---

Lampard----

which I think is probably the best choice. Although whether Ballack will be dropped is another thing. With Ballack in there instead of Mikel, Essien could play the Makelele role, although it's not really his greatest strength.

I do rate Lampard, and he clearly deserves his starting place in the Chelsea team, but if Mourinho could start getting the best out of Ballack then I really think - maybe in a season or so - a midfield of...

---

Mikel

---

Essien

---

Ballack

...could be amazing. It would be way harsh on Lampard to drop him, but the potential in that midfield is unreal IMO, because I think Ballack has more in his locker than Lampard, as a playmaker, and with the likes of Drogba, Malouda, Robben and Joe Cole running about in front of him - I quiver as a United fan.

eirebhoy

Attractive Nun wrote:

I do rate Lampard, and he clearly deserves his starting place in the Chelsea team, but if Mourinho could start getting the best out of Ballack then I really think - maybe in a season or so - a midfield of...

---

Mikel

---

Essien

---

Ballack

...could be amazing. It would be way harsh on Lampard to drop him, but the potential in that midfield is unreal IMO, because I think Ballack has more in his locker than Lampard, as a playmaker, and with the likes of Drogba, Malouda, Robben and Joe Cole running about in front of him - I quiver as a United fan.

I agree!

maxi-twist

Weird the way they've pretty much sold robben then.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/c/chelsea/6904044.stm

If they were playing wingers, they'd certainly want him over SWP or Kalou. But then again Mourinho rates Kalou really highly. Personally i dont see the reason they sold him, pick n' mix between him joe cole and malouda would have been quality IMO.

Bounty Hunter

It seems Robben is the one that wants the move not Chelsea, its also rumoured Roysten Drenthe will replace him for less than half the price. Robben is someone who i would expect did not like the amount of time he spent on the bench at Chelsea recently.

fortuneg

He really is too good a player to waste his career warming their bench, best of luck to him!