With Avram Grant and Ten Cate both fired from the Chelsea staff, it seems that Chelsea are going to start rebuilding the team from the roots for the next campaign.
After a frustrating year at Stamford Bridge that included ending the season with no silverware, coming close to landing the Premiership title and the Champions League, only to be denied by local rival Manchester United on both occasions, and parting ways with fan-favorite Jose Mourinho, a revolution is in line for the Blues next term.
What do Chelsea need to get back to their winning ways?
Chelsea have to start with investing in a born-winner manager. The likes of Portugal head coach Luiz Felipe Scolari and miracle-worker Guus Hiddink are among the reputable managers wanted by Chelsea.
A new manager should be accompanied by a new approach. What is wanted today at Stamford Bridge is what brought them to success in the first place, and that is having the winning mentality that Mourinho planted at Chelsea four seasons ago.
So enough with the talk about "beautiful football"! Trophies are captured with consistent good results. Carefully scouting your opponent, preparing for matches and winning them, one at a time, whether that victory is by a five goal margin or if it's the ugly one-nil Italian philosophy that Mourinho once implemented at the Bridge brings success to the trophy cupboard of a club.
What is needed today at Chelsea is the strategy that brought them the back-to-back Premiership titles and established them as a force to be reckoned with in world football: possession football.
It is simple really: if you have the ball, you won't concede goals. If you keep a clean sheet, one goal would be enough to bring all three points, and the players won’t be jaded for the rest of the season since they do not have to run after the ball if they don't have possession. Before the diamond formation replaced the successful 4-3-3 formation, Chelsea were cruising into consecutive victories.
After the diamond formation was applied by Mourinho, the team lost control of the ball, and goals kept coming in. Once a team concedes two, it should score three to obtain a victory, and that's a hard thing to do all year long, especially when big teams play smaller teams that would want to prove they have a good squad that will fight to leave the relegation zone.
Because Chelsea could not keep good control of the ball, they drew with Wigan, a result that might have cost them the league at the end.
Fresh Faces: a New Chelsea
Rumors are circulating that Robinho might be brought to London for a fee of 35m Euros, while fellow Real Madrid man Sergio Ramos is also wanted by the Blues, in the view that he will form a solid partnership with captain John Terry if Ricardo Carvalho is offloaded.
The Blues are reportedly willing to pay a mind-blowing 70m Euros for the services of Sergio Ramos. Also, some reports suggest that, as part of the Barca revolution, Lionel Messi might be leaving to join Chelsea for a massive amount of cash.
Although to date, the only official deal that has been sealed by Chelsea is the one that brought Portuguese right-back Bosingwa from Portuguese outfit FC Porto.
Although new faces are to be introduced as soon as a new manager fills the Chelsea hot seat, paying a fortune for a player or two won’t do the Blues any good.
With the likely departures of Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba, Carvalho, Paulo Ferreira, and Andriy Shevchenko, Chelsea would require five players—more or less—of high quality if they are to mount a serious challenge for the English Premier League and the Champions League, and if Mr. Abramovich is to be fulfilled, as he eyes to be the owner of a football dream team and capture the quadruple.
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4 months ago
You speaking a lot of truth Zahi. However, I doubt very much that Lampard will leave. He is the face of Chelsea, as mentioned somewhere else on this site. It looks like Chelsea will start from scratch again, which I think is totally unnecessary. Peter Kenyon needs to stop involving himself in footballing matters and stick to the business side of the club. I dont think there's anybody in the country that likes him. He is despised everywhere, including every Chelsea fan. What is needed is not a another huge influx of foreign superstars but simply one or two good players that will strengthen certain positions. Eg, Left Midfield, Central Striker and maybe a youngster (Dos Santos)...
Looking forward to your future articles homie...
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