Chelsea FC: Andre Villas-Boas Needs the Jose Mourinho Plan

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Andre Villas-Boas is certainly not a happy man these days.

Club owner Roman Abramovich had called for an emergency performance analysis meeting following Chelsea’s 2-0 defeat to Everton this past week.

But that didn’t go well with reports of players criticising the manager’s style emerging from various quarters.

To top that, Chelsea had to come back from being a goal down to save their FA Cup campaign against Birmingham City.

But, judging from his confidence, we can assume that maybe Villas-Boas isn’t on the Russian Tsar’s firing line.

The Portuguese tactician remains defiant in his stance that he has the full backing of Roman Abramovich.

What Is Expected?

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Assuming it to be true, the least that Villas-Boas could do then is to repay Abramovich’s faith by at least securing the Champions League spot.

But that seems to be a tough ask given the recent run of form.

Many people seem to take the easy route out by criticising the underperforming players.

The fact, however, is that, though it is partly the players’ fault for the lack of results, it isn’t the problem in its entirety.

Wrongful Blame

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Yes, Fernando Torres isn’t the problem.

How can we hold him responsible for Chelsea’s poor defending?

Chelsea has let in 31 goals so far in this season and most people attribute it to a high defensive line that Villas-Boas has employed.

It is the reason why Chelsea has been vulnerable to counter-attacks against teams that use their wide men to attack.

And his decision to stick with Jose Bosingwa at RB despite his lack of form, when Branislav Ivanovic would have been the better choice, has come in for some criticism.

David Luiz has been on-and-off and the unpredictable nature of his performances is a worrying factor given that new signing Gary Cahill hasn’t quite lit up the Bridge with his defensive abilities.

John Terry hasn’t been reliable either while Ashley Cole is now out with injury. Sure, some defensive woes that Villas-Boas has on his hands.

So it’s only fair that he tries out a different formation to the present 4-3-3 that he employs. But therein lies the problem.

He insists on playing the 4-3-3 when clearly he lacks the type of footballers who’d suit this style.

Being a bit more defensive in these circumstances would do a world of good for both Andre Villas-Boas and Chelsea.

A Possible Solution

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A possible solution could be adopting the 4-2-3-1 formation that Jose Mourinho employs at Real Madrid.

Now I know it’s a bit difficult for high-profile managers like Villas-Boas to copy another established manager’s style of play, especially if the other manager happens to be Jose Mourinho.

But if this shuffle can help Chelsea in their Champions League chase and indirectly help save his job then he should give a thought into it.

Choosing to employ the 4-2-3-1 will mean that Villas-Boas can take some pressure off of his shoulders and concentrate on the attacking.

The two defensive midfielders will help the defenders if the Chelsea boss continues to play the high defensive line.

Please keep in mind that this formation is only a short-term remedy, i.e. at least until the end of the season.

Let me justify the selection of the players in these positions…

Player Selection

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The back four consists of Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry and Bertrand.

Ivanovic is a better player at RB than Bosingwa in that he actually tracks back to defend. Paulo Ferreira could be the second choice.

Partnering Cahill with Terry is the way ahead, at least for the time being.

This will help the former Bolton player in gaining experience working alongside the Chelsea skipper.

The obvious choice for LB is Ryan Bertrand now that Ashley Cole is out with a long-term injury.

In the defensive midfield, I think it’s best for David Luiz to partner Essien.

Given Luiz’s tendency to push up, Essien can stay rooted and provide cover when his partner decides to move forward.

Oriol Romeu will be the backup for that position.

Playing Mata in the CAM position is the best bet for Villas-Boas rather than wasting the Spaniard within 70 minutes by playing him in the left wing.

Mata, to his credit, has been exceptional playing in the wings but runs out of stamina well before the game is over. Frank Lampard shall be the second choice for this position.

Ramires, who has had an exceptional season so far, will work better in an attacking capacity. Plus Villas-Boas will have the added bonus of the player helping out in defensive duties.

Raul Meireles will be a suitable substitute option.

Player Selection—II

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Now, Daniel Sturridge’s selection as LAM may not be to everyone’s liking given that he is the top scorer for Chelsea this season.

But if he can score that many playing from the right wing, he might as well continue for another couple months in the same vein.

Florent Malouda or Salomon Kalou can be the backup choice.

Fernando Torres is at his best when he plays alone up front. The problem is that people tend to compare him with Sturridge and build a misconceived idea over the Spaniard’s ability.

But all that depends on how far his teammates are willing to sacrifice for the overall cause of the team. This has been Fernando Torres’ issue at Chelsea.

And that is exactly why playing Mata in the CAM position will not only help Chelsea but also help the misfiring Fernando Torres. Chelsea needs that someone who will be unselfish when it comes to feeding Torres.

Didier Drogba can replace Torres in this setup very well. They also have Romelu Lukaku in their ranks to play in that position.

Conclusion

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The problem with Andre Villas-Boas and Chelsea is not a lack of resources. But it’s a problem of how to use those resources.

In this case, Villas-Boas has experimented far too much which has ultimately cost a little bit in the race for the fourth spot.

Still the fourth place is very much up for grabs and Chelsea can make up for the lost bit quite easily.

But it comes down to whether Villas-Boas wishes to alter his short-term plans for the better and brighter long cause.

Benching Fernando Torres is not a solution unless they have plans to offload him in the summer.

Villas-Boas is certainly the man for the job and even the Special One seems to suggest so. But it is his unwillingness to accept fault with the formation that is undermining Chelsea’s chances.

Roman Abramovich can dream of a Barcelona-esque type of football from the next season as it is easier said than done.

The free-flowing football style requires midfielders who are equally adept at attacking as they are with their defensive duties. Clearly, Chelsea doesn’t have many like that at the moment apart from Ramires.

But what is important at the moment is to plug the defensive leaks and set their hearts on a good run in the Champions League this season.

Because that will help Andre Villas-Boas in prolonging this clock…