Bleacher Report - Articles by Timothy N

Where in the Diamond Would Franck Ribery Fit?

Timothy N — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:45:24 -0500

Latest rumors from Goal.com suggest that a certain Franck Ribéry is the main target of the team on Kings Road.

While I may disagree with him being the primary target, one cannot deny his great skill in attacking and bringing energy to whatever side he is playing for.

But where would he fit in Ancelotti's Blues Diamond? He is an attacking winger, after all. Plus, attempts to move him to a more central role in Bavaria have not worked out well.

Would he play opposite of Lampard and behind Cole in the diamond? Would he play at the tip? Would he play up front with Drogba or Anelka as a striker?

While I have covered this in a previous article, now there is a decent sample size of games to gather data about the diamond along with what the best lineups have been.

So far, Essien, Lampard, Ballack, and Cole/Deco with Anelka and Drogba up front has proven not only to be the best formation for the team, but they're boardering as the best line up in all of Europe.

Ribéry would almost certainly play on the left side of the diamond with Lampard on the right and Cole at the tip.

The question is whether or not this provides any upgrades over the current formation with Ballack and Lampard on the sides.

Ballack has been quite the enforcer and distributor while providing leadership and set-piece threats.

Ribéry is not nearly the defender and passer that Ballack is, however, his offensive abilities are in a league that very few in the world can match. His pace and dribbling would give even the the stubborn and physical defenses of the Premiership nightmares, opening up holes for the rest of the squad.

And perhaps there is the reason Ribéry would be a good fit for Chelsea's diamond. The teams that have contained Chelsea best have spread the field and held an extra defender to keep the control away from the powerful and intelligent play of Lampard, Essien, Ballack, and Deco.

With Ribéry in the lineup they lose a significant defensive presence, but with Cole at left-back and Ribéry in front of him other teams would invariably slant towards that side giving Lampard more room on the opposite flank.

This would mean teams could not clamp down the way they have been able to, and give the diamond even more freedom to dominate possession and the center of the pitch.

It is for this reason that Ribéry may be a good fit for Chelsea's midfield diamond, and though I would rather see Sergio Kun Aguero and/or Alex Teixeira join the Blues, I certainly would not be against the electrifying Frenchman becoming the latest member of the club of Kings Road.

Chelsea Ban Suspended, But Who Are the Targets?

Timothy N — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:26:43 -0500

Now that the Court of Arbitration suspended the transfer ban on Chelsea, it is time to look at some possible January transfers.

Yes, I know that Ancelotti has said that they are unimportant at the moment, and yes, I am well aware that the club has lacked a marquee signing in the past few years.

However, this does not deter me from thinking that Ancelotti will attempt to strengthen the squad during the African Cup of Nations in the midst of what may be a title run. The fact that our best defensive midfielder and top striker will be away will help to spur Chelsea's deals throughout the January transfer window.

Now if you all remember, Sergio Kun Aguero was rumored to be going to Chelsea all summer long and, after his brilliant display on Tuesday, he once again has Blues fans salivating.

This time however, the question of pricing may be a little different. Aguero is cup—tied, his team is stumbling, and worst of all Athletico are in rather dire financial straits.

Maybe a 35 million pound bid would be able to bring him to the Bridge, and bring some style and flair to a team that is more known for power and control.

The next big name appearing is none other than Franck Ribéry, another summer rumor.

The Bayern Midfielder combined well with former Chelsea winger Arjen Robben to start the season for the Bavarians. However, injuries have caught up to the squad and it is rumored that if they miss Champions League qualification, then Ribéry will want out.

Still, the veracity of these rumors is a bit on the low side (even for rumors), and last time Bayern wanted a ridiculous sum of money. 45 million pounds will more than likely be the top offer from Chelsea, but I do not see this transfer occurring.

For the next player, we return to another cash strapped Spanish side in Valencia. David Villa has been the talk of the transfer market for ages now, but January will be the best time to pry him loose.

Villa is now saying that he would not mind a change of scenery, making teams from other leagues salivate. Manchester United are rumored to also be in the market for both Villa and David Silva to enhance their punch since Ronaldo's departure to Madrid.

However, Chelsea may be able to offer Villa a more interesting package considering the strength of their midfield, the tutoring of Ancelotti whose track record with Villa style players is impressive, and the chance to partner with the blazing hot Drogba, that is reminiscent of his partnership with Fernando Torres.

I can see a move happening in the 30 million pound range, and may be more likely than Kun Aguero to move.

The final player that is on Chelsea's Big Board is the next big thing out of Brazil (kudos to S B for running an article on him a couple weeks ago). Alex Teixeira is an attacking midfielder that would not only be perfect for the Diamond, but provide a long term investment for Chelsea and Ancelotti.

His game is dazzling and while there is no doubt he would need some time to adjust to the rough pinball style of England (along with its less than pleasant weather), he is more than worth the risk.

His current club Vasco de Gama is asking for 30 million pounds or so, but the chances of Chelsea paying that are next to zero. However, somewhere between 15—25 million should be enough to pry him away and give him a chance to star for one of the biggest clubs in the world.

It will be impossible to know who will and will not be making phone calls in boardrooms over the next few months, but I for one will enjoy watching the spectacle of European transfers all over again.

The Diamond Transformed into a Spear: Joe Cole Returns

Timothy N — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 12:01:18 -0400

Imperious.

Rampant.

Electrifying.

All these words describe Chelsea yesterday in their rout of Blackburn at Stamford Bridge. After facing a tough loss to Aston Villa, the Blues bounced back with back to back goal-fests that saw Athletico and Blackburn destroyed and wondering when the match would be over.

While Athletico's poor run of form contributed to their loss, Blackburn just seemed totally outclassed from the opening kick.

But why was a Chelsea team that struggled so mightily just a week ago and maybe a bit weary from a big midweek clash so much better now?

Maybe they were feeding off the Bridge's support, maybe the matchups were simply better, or maybe it was the return of one of their favorite players, some one not seen for nine months.

Joe Cole was back, and he wanted to the world to take notice.

While he did not get on the score sheet and missed a couple of very nice looks, his passing, pace, and dribbling absolutely shredded the opposing defence and created a rhythm that Chelsea never lost.

Cole was playing in the perfect position for his skill set but had given the likes of Lampard and Malouda trouble earlier in the season: the tip of the diamond.

This position is tailor made for some one who is a playmaker in every sense of the word: They can dribble, pass incisively, have the pace to scorch defenders, and are a threat to score themselves.

While Lampard and Malouda have some of these qualities, the only other player for Chelsea that has the perfect skill set is Deco.

Early in the season Deco was everything you could ask for in this role, but he has faded as of late due to fitness, something that is a point of concern for a player that is beginning the descent of his outstanding career.

Cole brings everything Deco would bring in his prime, and though not quite as technical, definitely has the heart and imagination to make up for it in the physical, pinball style of the Premiership.

With Chelsea nearing full strength, they were missing their bombing wing-backs, Cole let the world know that they are a force to be reckoned with.

Will Gael Kakuta Be Worth The Agony?

Timothy N — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 01:34:02 -0400

To finish the flurry of articles related to the transfer ban for Chelsea I pose the question: Is Kakuta really worth all this heartache for Chelsea?

This is going to be a tricky question because of his age and what his highlight reels show.

He is a mere 18 years old and has pace that is in the class of only a dozen or so other players in the world.

In addition to this wonderful pace, he is masterful at dribbling and shedding defenders, something that even the rising star of Arsenal (Theo Walcott) cannot yet claim to do.

But is football not filled with stories of unfufilled promise and talent gone to waste? How many players were in his position before without all of this transfer drama, in addition to the usual pressure of being a professional footballer?

Currently, Kakuta is recovering from a long-term injury and should be healthy by the time his four month ban is up; and considering the fact that many players will be heading off to the Africa Cup of Nations, he might get some meaningful playing time.

Can he take the pressure though?

Before it was just his team and his opponents for the day watching, but now he has the whole of the football world glued to his development, and rightfully so, he could be costing Chelsea an untold amount of grief in the coming seasons by missing out on transfers.

His talent on the pitch is undeniable, but are his heart and head in the right place?

As an American, I get to see high draft picks (yes, here in America we draft young players to ensure a more level playing field, but then again, it is just one nation) become busts all the time. My favorite sports team currently has a former number one overall pick as our third string quarterback in Joey Harrington.

Kakuta will face even more pressure and scrutiny when he debuts with the Chelsea first-teamers who are already reaching the down slope of their careers, and hungry for titles that may be cut off to them, because of the inability to buy and change the team over the next two transfer windows.

However, should he continue to develop at his current pace and slot with other promising youngsters like Franco Di Santo, Daniel Sturridge, and Miroslav Stoch, than perhaps Kakuta might be worth all this trouble.

If you asked Sir Alex Ferguson if he would give up the same amount of transfer windows for another Ronaldo, what are the chances he would pass up the deal?

Gael Kakuta shows that level of promise and ability at a mere 18. His talent with the ball almost demands that he run isolations in the manner that Arjen Robben once commanded, but with a significantly more built frame for breaking through defenders when not dribbling through them.

If he can develop into the player that he seems to be becoming, then the answer is undoubtedly yes. But only time will tell if Kakuta is truly worth the agony that Chelsea and its fans are currently going through.

I for one, will be along for the ride.

Insanity!!! FIFA Ban Chelea for 16 Months!

Timothy N — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 09:34:45 -0400

There is breaking news that Chelsea have been banned for a period of 16 months from making any transfers for "inducing" Gael Kakuta into breaching his contract with Les Mans.

Really? What Chelsea did was illegal? Compared to what Real Madrid and Manchester City have been doing for the past year or so are that much better?

This comes hot off the heels of Eduardo's diving ban, does that mean Liverpool and Manchester United are next for kneecappings by the international community?

Usually, I do not write articles about this, they are usually emotionless evaluation of tactics and formations, but this is just insanity. A 16-month ban under questionable "induction of contract breaching."

Tell me, is it any worse than what Real Madrid did to get Ronaldo for the past year? Or Manchester City to get Lescott (and their failure to acquire Terry)?

The fact that two rather harsh bans in the span of a week for minor offences comes against English clubs reeks of unfairness and targeting. What Chelsea does to get players sometimes is not the most gleaming way to do business, but they are vastly improved in this practice of the past several years.

Furthermore, I think all of the Big Four in England conduct their transfers with less underhandedness than multiple other clubs around Europe, yet they seem to be in the cross hairs of UEFA and FIFA.

While it is easy to dispute whether or not the EPL is the best league in the world, it has generated huge amounts of revenue and press for the sport and have made the biggest inroads in places like Asia and America; two of the largest markets in the world I might add.

Whether or not this holds up under a blitz of appeals is debatable, and maybe it is karma for the Adrian Mutu fine (also insanity I might add), but when you tell a club players can leave it and get injured playing for it but that it cannot get any players in return, it is simple insanity.

The Christmas Tree Or the Diamond? You Choose

Timothy N — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 00:14:54 -0400

What a start to the season: four straight victories and some silverware already for Chelsea under Carlo Ancelotti. What has been talked about most under this new regime is his change of Chelsea's formation from their usual 4-3-3 to either the Diamond or Christmas Tree that he found much success with in Serie A with AC Milan.

So far Chelsea has used the Diamond for three wins and the Christmas Tree for one.

Both formations lack natural width and compensate from either attacking fullbacks or pinpoint passing and marauding players. Both formations also prefer to have possession of the ball in order to ground opponents down with multiple shots on goal or to create openings from the midfield for the big, physical strikers to finish on isolation drives.

The of the 10 goals scored this season, all have been predicated on the power of the central midfield feeding the strikers. Furthermore, only the goal by Anelka after the feed by Drogba has been on a real break away that was started with an Essien long ball.

Gone are the days of simple, blistering counter attacks and rear third possession that made Chelsea the poster boys for "anti-football." The Chelsea of today have put more passing, slashing, and control to complement their enormous physical prowess.

While all the running and setting up makes formations seem almost irrelevant at times, the zones of responsibility that each formation holds is what makes it so important and where the contrast between Ancelotti's two favored formations come into play.

The Diamond wants to keep the ball in the middle and final third of the pitch for possession with one striker typically moving slightly back or out to give the tip of the diamond more options and allowing the base of the diamond some breathing room.

Both Anelka and Drogba have played the part in the past two games, but nominally it will be Drogba sitting in the front with his strike partner dropping closer to the midfield like Kalou.

The Christmas Tree is more defensive in nature. It wants more possession to stem from the first third and middle third with a single striker out, and five midfielders. While all five are expected to play box-to-box, two are mainly defensive and hold the center, one is a true box-to-box player and links to the two more offensive midfielders that share playmaking responsibilities and feed the lone striker.

Since Chelsea is a fit and fast team, they have managed to use their fullbacks to provide natural width against these first four sides and have managed to unlock very stubborn defenses (note the lack of break away goals) because of it.

However, when they face stronger offensive sides with pacy wingers (like Tottenham in a few weeks), the fullbacks will be more pinned and the width will either have to be virtual (via passing) or from drifting players.

Now the problem with the diamond is if players drift too much it exposes them to attacks, like with Hull, and Tottenham are a much stronger offensive side and will be able to exploit this.

The Christmas Tree is more defensive in nature and I think more able to launch counter attacks because that defense is stouter and the links are increased in the midfield.

So I pose the question: Which formation would you prefer to see Chelsea use as its standard? The more balanced Diamond that is both hard and cutting, or the curious Christmas Tree that is solid but can light up at a moment's notice?

Special Qualities of the Diamond Shown in Chelsea

Timothy N — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 17:00:33 -0400

Diamonds are renowned for many things: Beauty, rarity, optical qualities, toughness, and thermal conductivity.

In terms of football, it is those last two qualities that are so critical to success in the game.

This is what Chelsea's diamond provided against Burnley.

Despite the early-game lapse by Lampard that almost let Burnley take the lead, Chelsea showed an extreme amount of toughness throughout the game. Their defense was physical and swarming, their offense was unyielding, and their possession almost unbreakable.

With the full backs pushing forward, the four midfielders from Chelsea were given the freedom to fully express themselves by hammering against Burnley time and time again. Constant passing and great off-the-ball runs appeared to be an invisible wall Burnley simply could not break through.

Essien, Ballack, and Lampard appeared to be enforcers, while Deco played the role of an illusionist while the game was being orchastrated.

Essien created the first goal with his amazing long ball pass. The second goal came about after a great build up and corner that Lampard simply chipped over to the slashing Ballack. Cole's goal came about when he slashed in and had a simple but effective give and go with Lampard.

The sequence of all three of these goals was built on the hard backline and midfield. However, it is the "thermal conductivity" of Chelsea's diamond that took advantage of the stout back of Chelsea.

Lampard's passing and touches were simple but extraordinarily efficient and deadly. Ballack's runs complemented Deco's smooth dribbling and passing, allowing for the ball to stay in Burnley's half. Essien's tackling and ball-winning led marauding runs that freed his teammates to move and slash to their hearts' content.

But if I am to talk about conductivity and electricity, it was the two strikers that had it in levels that could light a city.

Despite Anelka and Drogba having very similar playing styles, their relationship is without a doubt the key to getting goals this season for Chelsea. They play like the strike pairs of great teams past, with unselfishness and lethality that will make it hard even for great teams to defend against.

Hardness and conductivity--these are the qualities that make diamonds some of the most sought-after things in the world.

And with Ancelotti crafting Chelsea's diamond, they are showing these attributes in a manner that can bring Chelsea what they crave most: Silverware.

The Stadium of Light Shines like a Diamond

Timothy N — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 18:11:02 -0400

Once again Chelsea gave up an early goal, but once again it not only roared back to life, but took an absolute stranglehold on the match.

The statistics do not lie, 26 shots (six on goal) with three goals and three saves by the Sunderland keeper.

Chelsea also had 75% possession of the ball and absolutely pinned Sunderland in their half for the final interval.

However, I must give credit where credit is due, Sunderland played their hearts out and showed a tenacity that has made the EPL so popular in the world, it was not until the third goal by Deco did they seem to lose hope at last, as if it was a dagger into the heart.

Darren Bent also proved that his one bad year at Tottenham was not all he had left in the tank by capitalizing on a fortuitous bounce and showing the technique and instinct to send his side ahead.

However, Ancelotti's tactics were not to be denied. Not only did he switch to the formation that won against Hull City, but he stuck with it despite the shaky start with great dividends.

Jose Boswinga and Ashley Cole finally began providing the width necessary for the Diamond to work which led to such a huge amount of possession and shot attempts for Chelsea.

Essien, Ballack, and Lampard all picked up some defensive responsibilities given their box-to-box nature which allowed Deco to once again shine and be the creative force that this side has been missing for so long.

Drogba and Kalou looked to be a better combination together than Anelka and Drogba and only a little more finishing prowess would have seen the score 5 or 6-1 given their missed shots and Deco's sublime passing.

One goal that probably should have been on the highlight reels but was discounted for a handball (a decent call I might add) is Lampard's turn and shoot which would have given him a well-deserved brace.

Overall, Ancelotti's first three games against English opposition seem to be going well. His tactics are still new to the players but have shown to be perfect for the Premiership once they become more fluent in its maneuvers.

Is The English Environment Too Rough For a Diamond?

Timothy N — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 20:57:23 -0400

Thank goodness that season has finally started, it is great to watch here in the United States on ESPN with NFL quality recording.

On to the Blues vs. Tigers which led the way for ESPN's new contract with the EPL.

Again, Chelsea falls behind rather quickly only to not only comeback, but to dominate the second half with multiple corners and on target shots. However, one must ask why Chelsea fell behind at home to a side that barely held off relegation with a side that is supposed to win the Premiership this season.

The question before us is whether or not Ancelotti's formation is suited for the rigors of the Premiership.

I am not saying that Italy is not full of great players and athletes, but the environment they play in is simply different from England. When I say environment, I mean the physical environment.

I believe that it was Don Fabio who said he could not believe how English players practice considering the amount of wind that is constantly buffeting the country. It is hard to work on technical factors because of these environs. Multiply this to the entire professional football environment and you can see the differences on how play has developed.

One need look no farther than teams in the Northern United States that play outdoors as opposed to fair climate areas and indoor teams in American football. These teams must run the ball more and depend on power instead of throwing it where the environment takes control of the ball.

Likewise, the fairer Italian environment breeds a style that can be slower and more deliberate with more technical passing. In England, some of these qualities are replaced with speed and physicality, leading to the "pinball pace" and exciting games that has made the EPL so popular worldwide.

Ancelotti's diamond is built on side midfielders that fight like brawlers for possession, (something that is not uncommon in the EPL), defenses that butcher possession (also another trait of the EPL), and essentially two playmakers, one on each end of the diamond.

And there lies in the problem, imaginative playmakers are rare in the Premiership, pinpoint passing is significantly harder when the Earth itself is fighting against you. Little mistakes are ruthlessly exploited with speed that is very different from other leagues.

With the departure of Xabi Alonso, how many truly creative forces are there left in the EPL? Cesc? Gerrard? Deco?

Ancelotti's diamond is not a flawed tactical system so much as a system that is handicapped by a league that prefers counter attacks and isolations.

The fact that the team performed markedly better when Ballack and Deco came on is a sign of what the diamond requires: creative passing to cover distance instead of faster pace and side midfielders that are willing to battle instead of isolate on the wings.

While Mikel and Malouda are perfect for the 4-3-3, Ballack and Deco are perfect for the diamond. Both are technically gifted and sure tacklers that are now willing to play their roles.

Malouda is a good attacker, but his defensive skills are negligible for the level of Chelsea.

Mikel is a very good defensive midfielder, and maybe even a decent holding midfielder, but he is not yet the deep-lying playmaker that Ancelotti needs.

Ballack can be an enforcer, but is creative and a good passer of the ball so he can play the "Pirlo role" if necessary.

The more interesting development however is the great Chelsea play as soon as Deco came onto the field.

A year ago he proved he could be great with Chelsea until injury and weather took its toll. However, if his form manages to hold up, him playing at the back as he did in the pre-season will make Chelsea a very, very scary side to play.

The final player to look at in this adjustment is Frank "SuperGoals" Lampard.

While not a born playmaker, his passing was still very good and always a threat by the goal.

If this diamond plays the way it did in the second half, Chelsea is undoubtedly the team to beat. That is a big if though, an if as big as to whether or not England's environment is too rough for the an Italian diamond.

The Window Closes and The Shield Rises

Timothy N — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 12:51:29 -0400

To the dismay of some and rejoicing of others, Chelsa's new manager Carlo Ancelotti has declared there will be no more transfers for the summer.

Considering Chelsea lost no assets during the summer and added some youth in Sturridge and Zhirkov (both under 26) while loaning out some promising stars, the need for transfers is at a low.

Liverpool, Arsenal, and Manchester United have taken significant personnel losses and while this does not necessarily mean they are weaker, it does mean a certain chemistry has changed.

Carlo however must be considered a bigger x-factor than the loss of players for the other squads—which may be the reason the transfers are closing.

Ancelotti is by no means a dumb manager, he understands that changing the make-up of a team and its formations in a brand-new environment is extremely complex. It is a procedure that takes time and if he pushes too quickly, he could end up like Scolari.

His two biggest signings were youngster Sturridge and 'The Russian Ronaldinho', Zhirkov.

Both can slot in easily due to their age and versatility, but also bring a more subtle change to the Chelsea squad.

Zhirkov will play left side midfielder instead of left winger in Ancelotti's system. Chelsea has always run some sort of left-winger in their 4-3-3 or 4-4-2. Furthermore, they once had the incredible (and oft injured) Arjen Robben there and under Scolari they wanted Robinho.

For Ancelotti, Zhirkov is a model of transition. Looking at AC Milan under Ancelotti, he never really used a left-winger, and prefered to play off his two star playmakers in Kaka and Pirlo while stuffing the middle of the field.

In the Premiership where action and physicality take the place of dedicated movements of the Calcio, this strategy may be less effective. In Zhirkov he gets a dribbler and battler, a hybrid of the two playing styles he has worked with.

In Sturridge he gets a young player with plenty of attitude and potenial. Is there any doubt Ancelotti's coaching has helped Kaka, Pirlo, and Scheva reach their peaks? Ancelotti gets a chance to mould this young striker into a weapon of his choosing.

While the transfer window is closing, the door to the Ancelotti era is just opening.

EXTRA—A Community Shield Preview:

As you all know Sunday marks the opening of festivities for the the season when Manchester United clash for Chelsea for what seems the umpteenth time, it promises to be a very different clash from before.

United have lost Ronaldo, and Van der Saar along with Vidic will be missing from the clash. Owen will also be debuting against the Blues while partnered with Rooney.

Chelsea will be missing Zhirkov, but will be displaying their new line-up with Ancelotti at the helm. Deco may play the "Pirlo role" while Malouda hopes to continue his scintillating form.

All in all, hopefully an entertaining match with the Blues walking away with a win.

Too Many Karats in the Diamond?

Timothy N — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 10:40:36 -0400

Oh the insanity, £100 million swoop is what Chelsea is rumored to be planning for Sergio Kun Aguero, Andrea Pirlo, and last but certainly not least, Franck Ribéry.

Carlo Ancelotti has made it clear that he would like to run a 4-4-2 diamond formation, but with the addition of these three players, one must ask if the diamond will be large enough to accommodate all of these players?

Will Ancelotti feel obligated to run his newly signed players considering the huge prices they may be signed for. Already Sturridge and Zhirkov have shown promise, but how would you fit in three left wingers (Zhirkov, Malouda, and Cole) with Ribery?

Pirlo would be competing with the likes of Ballack, Essien, Deco, and Mikel.

Kun would have the least competition, but when Drogba and recent Golden Boot winner Nicholas Anelka in front of you is it not a statement of depth for Chelsea?

Let us play out a scenario in which all three are signed, (admittedly very very low chance of occurring), how would you fit all these stars into a single lineup?

The midfield while the most clogged, it could be the easiest to sort out for the upper portion of the pitch.

Zhirkov and Essien would be first choice for the sides of the diamond with Lampard as the tip, but the holding role would fall to Pirlo.

Why Pirlo you ask? Assuming he is signed, the large amount of money spent on him would be a good start, but makes him a better choice is the fact he acts as a combination of Ballack and Deco.

Larger and more physical than Deco, but more skilled than Ballack, Pirlo would be the creative spark for an otherwise brawn-heavy midfield. While he lacks the abilities as a holder that Makélélé once gave Chelsea, he is still one of the best deep-lying playmakers in the game.

Also, running the diamond allows for a very stout and strong midfield, but gives very little width. Chelsea mitigates this problem with wing-backs usually, but against stronger attacking sides they lack the ability to spread the field.

Enter Pirlo. His precise kicks and range allow for the field to be spread in a virtual sense. This combination would give Chelsea the ability to spread the field almost at will.

Also, considering the fact that all three "attacking midfielders" in this formation can play box-to-box means that the wing-backs and Pirlo have more freedom to express themselves and bomb forward with less defensive worries.

Assuming that this would be the midfield formation and that it is as stout in play as it is on paper, let us work through a few bizarre forward scenarios.

Despite what Drogba and Anelka have done, if you pay £85 million for two players, you're almost obligated to find some sort of place for them.

So what would Ribery (a winger) and Aguero (a second striker) do as centre-forwards that Drogba and Anelka cannot?

Anelka and Drogba are hitmen in every sense of the word: they have pace, size, finishing ability, and are good passers for forwards.

Kun and Ribery would bring a slightly different dimension to the forward line.

While they may lack the size and power of those two, they are better dribblers and have younger legs with pace to set the pitch on fire.

Given these attributes they might not act as the big front targets as Anelka and Drogba, but they are much better on isolations and hold up play which could give space for the marauding Zhirkov, Essien, and Lampard.

Anyone that watched Chelsea's last two games knows how dangerous it is to leave Essien and Lampard with any type of space in the 30 yard box, combined with Kun and Ribery slashing and dribbling, could this crazy formation work?

Chelsea has long relied on its power and counter-attacking prowess, but have just as long lacked that technical precision and creative flair.

In recent years, Lampard has become more of a creative force from the his central role but has had no other playmakers with him.

The addition of Kun, Ribéry, and Pirlo would provide creativity and technical prowess that could push Chelsea over the top. They would have not only a rock-solid defense, but the ability to push and hold the ball in a manner that would allow them to finally get over the hill for a treble-run.

Again, while acknowledge that the chances of signing all three (or even two) of these palyers is very small, the prospect is nevertheless exciting. However, if Ancelotti is not careful, he might end up with too many karats in the diamond.

Football Theory: The Midfield Floater

Timothy N — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 16:21:10 -0400

In an age reminiscent of "Total Football," today's game is being increasingly filled with more versatile and athletic players who may not always excel at one position, but fill in a variety of positions that can keep opposition teams off balance.

Some current evidence for world-class players that fill in a variety of niches are Sergio Ramos and Ronaldo of Real Madrid.

While Ramos typically plays as a wing-back, his aggression makes him a virtual winger that tears opposing defenses to pieces while being able to slide to the center of the defense and be a hard man of sorts for Real Madrid.

Ronaldo's claim to fame is his tremendous goal-scoring ability as a "I'm a winger not forward" position. In a vein similar to Luis Figo, he floats all over the field whether from isolations on the wing, to deadly runs up the middle like a regular striker, and finally with his back against the goal "posting-up" and "off the dribble" moves like a centre-forward.

However, the position that I will be addressing today is the "floating midfielder".

For the purposes of this article I will be addressing the use of a central midfielder that is "floated" not only out on the wings, but in a variety of roles like deep-lying playmaker and defensive stopper when they are usually used more as attacking midfielders.

Finally, I will address perhaps the implications for the future of team formations with the inclusion of these "floaters" and how the dynamics of the game will adjust.

Rightfully so considering my article picture will be Deco. Deco's claim to fame is his playmaking for Porto that saw them lift the European Cup in 2004 and his subsequent move to Barcelona where he would join with Ronaldinho to "make rain fall" as Scolari once put it.

At Barcelona, Deco was often played deeper than his usual playmaking role and given much more defensive responsibilities and held to center side roles. Instead of being stifled he flourished, once again winning the UEFA Best Midfielder Award and capturing another Champions League winner's medal.

The question is why was this transition not only easy, but extraordinarily effective. It is by delving into this that makes the idea of a floater so attractive.

The skills of any midfielder will include a high combination of work rate and ball control, decent shooting and tackling, and a high aptitude to make through balls which include vision and intuition skills.

Considering that all these skills are what you want in almost any footballer, is it any wonder that the floater would be effective anywhere?

Wingers typically have a higher degree of pace and offensive skills, but depending on the team do not have a high degree of defensive responsibilities.

By moving a central player out to the wing like the way Cesc is moved to the wing for Spain's 4-4-2 with one true winger, you get some one that opposing defenses do not match up with as well.

Both Deco and Cesc can make plays from anywhere on the field with their passing skills which force defenses to slide towards them, opening up holes in other parts of the field.

Another central midfielder turned winger with good results is Wesley Sneijder.

Sneijder's performance at Euro 2008 was nothing short of scintillating, but at Madrid he found himself displaced at times and sent to the opposite wing of Robben.

While this was not his natural place, it provided great dividends for Real Madrid as it allowed Robben and Higuain isolations that kept their title ambitions afloat for a crucial part of the season.

Another position that the usual central midfielder is moved to is rear-wards to the Makelele role.

In this position the defensive responsibilities are equal to the passing responsibilities of the player with sure tackling and tenacity more important than dribbling and shooting.

However, it is that instinct to look for the shot or the killer pass that makes them so effective in this role. They understand the movements and anticipation, their shooter's vision translates into good defensive angles and playmaking deep passes.

One need look no further than Chelsea yesterday with Deco again moving to this holding role.

He provided the same spark that he did when he first joined Chelsea but from a withdrawn position, something that could bode well for the future as his stamina would not be so challenged, but where his playmaking will still turn the tide of the game.

The final floating position that I will discuss is the role of defensive ace. This is not really a set position so much as a responsibility reserved for the strongest midfielder on the team, in this example I will use Michael Essien who is known for playing all around the pitch.

Essien plays best when he is allowed to roam the field from a central midfield position, but can play as the holding midfielder and is in that position for his national team.

Against teams like Barcelona and Liverpool however he is often floated around the field to not only shackle the passing and dribbling of the likes of Gerrard and Messi, but to force them to at times track back.

The defensive ace must be able to pressure their mark on both sides of the pitch forcing either them or another defender to pull away from the main attackers.

Against Liverpool Gerrard's abilities were stifled while Chelsea won 3-1.

Against Barcelona Essien's efforts helped to hold them to one goal in two games in an unfortunate aways goal loss.

This defensive ace role is vitally important when facing superior attacking opposition because it throws off both the opposing team's offensive plan, but also force their defense to move up and take some of the passing burden away from the locked down player.

The concept of the "Total" or "Complete" footballer is nothing new. It is their tactical usage that constantly undergoing changes and innovations.

The "floater" could either be a big-name aberration, or it could turn into a genuine paradigm for teams that sacrifice a little structure for more versatility. What is known however, the use of them will make for some very interesting and exciting matches in the years to come.

The Cult of The Offensive: Tactical and Practical

Timothy N — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 21:14:02 -0400

It seems this summer is the summer of the striker. While Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo are nominally midfielders, their main purpose is to put the ball in the back of the net whether with their own foot or via assist.

Furthermore, big moves for Roque Santa Cruz and Carlos Tevez by Manchester City, along with even larger rumored moves for Zlatan Ibrahimovic, David Villa, and Samuel Eto'o show the trend of transfers both in reality and in the consciousness of teams.

Even the big defensive signing for Liverpool was Glen Johnson, a player known for his abilities to bomb down the wings and spread the field.

Real Madrid and City have set precedents as to pricing and strategy for this transfer window, but it speaks to a deeper current in the sport, a cult of the offensive.

Sure, it is trendy to say that "defense wins championships", but how many fans does it win?

To ignore the fact that football is a business in this day and age is laughable, and to think that fans want to see stingy defenses square off is even more outrageous. No, they want the ball in the net.

Furthermore, the strategy can work to amazing effect. One need look no further than the triumph of Spanish football as of late. Sure, their defenses are top notch, but their attacking lines are simply otherworldly for the most part.

Teams this summer have been searching high and low with insane price tags being slapped on virtually every world class attacker. I mean, 70 million for Ribery? He is a great talent but is that price tag not slightly inflated?

Tactically speaking, it means teams with loads of strikers will fall into two categories:

Those that rely on a playmaker to balance everything on the field

Those that rely on running isolation sets to take advantage of mismatches.

While most teams run combinations of these strategies, the fact that there is only one ball and many mouths means certain formations and schemes will simply be nonviable.

Take the way Barcelona runs their offense. Though Messi is probably the greatest talent on Earth, it is predicated on their midfield duo of Xavi and Ineista along with Toure as their safety net.

In other terms, if the strikers are the bullets and ultimate killers in the cult of the offensive, then the midfield must be the trigger.

Manchester United flourished with an awesome defense and a couple of midfield battlers that would either feed Rooney and Berbatov, or help to isolate Ronaldo. When they ran into a possession obsessed team in Barcelona their bullets were left in the chamber because there was no one to pull the trigger.

That is why the signings by Madrid and City can be considered cult behavior, dogma overriding good sense at times. Even the most casual of observers will note the problem of having too many mouths to feed and not enough spoons.

However, it appears that this cult of the offensive is going nowhere, it attracts viewers and can bring trophies, but done wrong, it is no better than any cult following and doomed to disaster.

Expression in Football: On and Off The Ball

Timothy N — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 10:13:18 -0400

Above is Michael Ballack; one of the best midfielders of his generation but some one who I think is a symbol of what I am going to attempt to discuss today.

You see, Ballack is not the fastest player on the pitch, nor the most technically sound, nor the strongest, and maybe not even the most creative. Sure, he has a lot of these attributes in spades, but he is not a Zidane or Ronaldo or Kaka.

No, Ballack is not really one of those players that you think of immediately when you try to translate a player's expression into team success, for he experience the Treble Nightmare in 2002, and heartbreaking late tournament losses in two World Cups, a Champions League, and a European Cup.

So why is it that I chose him as my symbol for what expression is?

The fact that any of those teams made it to those late tournament stages is pretty incredible considering their line-ups compared to the line-ups of their opponents.

I mean, Bayer Leverkusen vs. Zidane Madrid?

The German National team vs. their Spanish counterparts?

On paper, neither of these matches should have ever been in doubt, but one player arguably kept each team afloat and fighting.

Ballack while capable of playing enforcer and defender, is at his most natural when flying forward and creating chances. He is at his best when he can express himself both on and off the ball.

Like with creativity, there are two basic types of expression on the pitch: On the Ball, and Off the Ball.

On the ball expression is what comes to mind for most people when they hear the term expression. It is what a player does when they have the ball whether they cut, dribble, or pass and has a lot of intersection with creativity.

Off the ball expression is slightly more complicated, but is most definitely as important as on the ball. It is the way a player slashes and screens and rolls and calls for the ball all with the purpose of getting a better position to win the game.

Both of these descriptions are rather abstract, so for the purpose of this article I will break it into two more measurable ideas and hope to defend them.

First, is how long a player gets to hold the ball when they gain possession.

Second, where are the player moves on the pitch and what the coach calls when they do move.

For example, the amount of time Ballack is allowed to hold the ball for the German team and what he can do is entirely different from what he is allowed to do for Chelsea.

When playing at the European Championship he is allowed to move forward to his heart's content and hold the ball while directing the likes of Klose and Bastian all around the pitch before making one of his patented cutting through balls.

For Chelsea however, he is used almost as an enforcer, playing much deeper and given very little time and space to move with the ball unless Lampard or Drogba are already in shooting position.

Is it any wonder that his form for the Blues has been so radically different from his form with the German team?

At Chelsea he is not allowed to truly express himself. While he is still very very good at what he does, this lack of expression is akin to only letting a person take left turns while driving. Sure, that person will be able to figure out how to get to their location eventually, but is it really the best use of their time and resources?

Then again, individual expression must always work for greater team accomplishments, and I sincerely hope that Ballack wins a big medal with the Blues, especially if he is given a chance to express himself in a magical Champions League Final.

Chelsea: Transfers, Rumors, and the Future

Timothy N — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 19:41:45 -0400

Oh Transfer Window, how I have missed you since Robinho signed with Manchester City a year ago.

On Jul. 1, Carlo Ancelotti will be confirmed as the Chelsea manager, but, if you have read his recent book, he was already their manager on paper for an extended period of time.

The day or week of his confirmation Sturridge's fee is expected to be settled along with Zhirkov's signing.

Both of these players bring something that Chelsea desperately needs in their starting line-up: youth.

With the exception of Pirlo, almost all of the players that Chelsea has been linked with still have some of their best years ahead of them.

In Zhirkov, they get a savvy player that is already established but has at least six or seven good years left in the tank. Zhirkov also brings them some much needed creativity, both in dribbling isolation and in concerted team efforts.

He can play on the inside-left and the wing.

In Sturridge, Chelsea gets a very strong player with a lifetime of potential left. While Kalou is only a little older and has already established himself as a worthy 12th or 13th man, Sturridge brings more swagger and physicality to the club, which could make them even harder to defend on the break.

In addition, Sturridge will benefit from being around another physical player like Anelka whose game he can model and improve on as he nears his peak.

Beyond these confirmed signings, there is the glut of rumors that surround Chelsea's chase for Franck Ribery, Andrea Pirlo, and Alexandre Pato.

For the sake of sense (and I use that term very loosely because these are transfer rumors), I will re-look at Pirlo and Pato and what they mean to Chelsea's future.

First are the rumors that Chelsea will drop an amazing bid for the 19-year-old Pato. Pato brings all the physical tools that Sturridge has, adds a proven touch, and the samba style that his nation is known for.

Playing as a centre-forward, Pato can create not just for himself on isolation and slashing runs, but has demonstrated a certain amount of unselfishness that is beyond most 19-year-olds that have double digit goal tallies.

Over time, Pato will morph into a creative, play making forward that would in many ways be the crown jewel for a team like Chelsea.

As far as Pirlo is concerned, it is becoming more and more likely for him to join Chelsea with a chance to play quarterback.

Since I covered much of what I think of his abilities and what he can contribute in my last article here:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/204665-pirlo-and-chelsea-age-and-creativity

I will attempt to complete my thought on who Chelsea should build their future around.

Mikel Jon Obi, as he prefers to be called, was a highly coveted prospect that Chelsea pried away from Manchester United.

With the departure of the Smiling Assassin and Essien's injury, Mikel has shown he can be a part of the most physical and intimidating midfield on the planet.

With proper coaching, however, I believe that he is THE player that Chelsea should build around.

He is already a top 15 defensive midfielder in the world at a mere 22. His tackling and work rate allow his midfield partners to attack.

As I mentioned in the Pirlo article, it is his technique that needs to improve.

If he does manage to train with Pirlo and improve, he can possibly exceed what Makelele did for Chelsea because he is more of an athlete than Make was.

He can provide cover for the defense that has made Chelsea so successful.

But, I can see him evolving into a quarterback that helps to not only unleash Chelsea's very talented attackers the way a Pirlo and Make would, but to break other teams on his own.

Sure he'll never have the moves of a Ronaldo or Zidane, but his pure physical strength and stature with the touch and vision of a bona fide playmaker is exactly what can turn Chelsea into a great club for the future.

Transfers and rumors are never concrete, that's why they're called transfers and rumors!

I would love to hear what you think of these players and future tactical systems, so please leave ample comments!

I also plan to do an article on defensive expression once I get a stable Internet connection, so I would also love to hear your thoughts on what that may be.

Until next time, enjoy the drama that is the summer transfer window.

Pirlo and Chelsea: Age and Creativity

Timothy N — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 23:06:58 -0400

Latest word from Milan is that Silvio Berlusconi is now willing to let Andrea Pirlo go; presumably to join Carlo Ancelotti at Stamford Bridge. While the first reports had Pirlo being swapped for Michael Essien, these reports give a price of around 20 million pounds.

The question is if Pirlo is really worth it and how can he prove that he is.

First, let us get the obvious critique out of the way: he is 30. In fact, he would be joining an aging club with Lampard, Anelka, Drogba, Ballack and Terry all at or pushing 30. Older players is something that Chelsea has been trying to move away from as of late pushing to sign young strikers and playmakers along with finally promoting or loaning out younger players like Di Santo and Mancienne.

The next critique is that he has not produced as of late either for club or country. Anyone that watched the World Cup in 2006, Euro 2008, and the recent disaster that is the Confederations Cup will tell you that Pirlo was the main creative force for these squads. His passing, tempo control, and free kicks have been amazing and are a big reason his team has any type of success.

Club is a little more complicated.

Coming off of a great performance in the Champions League final back in 2007, Pirlo's form has dropped of dramatically along with the fortunes of AC Milan. However, outside of Kaka and Pato, his teammates forms have dipped even more tellingly signalling it might not just be his fault so much as a lack of support.

Outside of these two critiques, the question is whether or not Pirlo can contribute at all to Chelsea's already powerful midfield. A midfield that stars Lampard, Ballack, Essien, Mikel, and Joe Cole. What can Pirlo do that these stars already cannot do?

Firstly, outside of Mikel, the other midfielders, while great at playing box-to-box, prefer to roam and attack. Lampard in fact might be the greatest attacking midfielder to ever play in England with a ridiculous amount of 19 and 20+ goal seasons.

Essien's work rate and ability to lock down an opponent have been integral to Chelsea's success, but having him sit back wastes his incredible ability to shoot and slash.

Ballack plays a game similar to Lampard but is more of a provider turned enforcer. However, this conversion has left him stifled and unable to become the transcending force he was in Germany.

Only in Joe Cole does Pirlo find a player similar to himself—someone who's dribbling and passing ooze flair and, dare I say, creativity. Smokin' Joe Cole's injury-marred season along with the injured Essien may have prevented Chelsea from de-throning Manchester United this season.

It is that aspect of the game that Pirlo could provide Chelsea immediately; and perhaps even for the future.

Chelsea is a team that has no lack of power, but are still less technically sound than their competitors. Not only that, but their creativity peaked for the month that Deco came in and was healthy. Additionally, Chelsea's title-winning seasons came when Makelele was given command of the back allowing Lampard, Cole, Drogba, and Essien to parade forward. Pirlo could provide a similar spark and role.

In the short term, he would fill in for Essien and Mikel while they are away on international duty at the beginning of the season. A midfield consisting of himself, Lampard, and Ballack could pay huge dividends to start the season.

Both of those players prefer to attack and express themselves moving forward. With Pirlo's sublime playmaking abilities, these two powerful midfielders would pound other defenses.

It is in the long term however that Pirlo may be able to provide the biggest boost to Chelsea. To explain this, one must look at his history with Ancelotti.

Pirlo began his career as an attack-minded midfielder, but under the guidance of Ancelotti became nothing less than a maestro. It is this conversion that is a major factor in Italy's World Cup win and AC Milan's impressive runs in the Champions League.

With Ancelotti and Pirlo, Chelsea could focus on the same training and conversion for one of their youngest stars in Mikel Jon Obi.

Though Mikel plays in the Makelele role when he is on the field, he prefers to move a little farther up and support attacks. He is a gifted athlete in the same vein as Michael Essien, but does not have the skills or training at the moment to express himself.

Pirlo could be that guiding force that changes that raw ability into a refined playmaker. Pirlo underwent a similar metamorphosis with the same coach and could make a large impact on a young player like Mikel. Even if Mikel only has 75 percent of Pirlo's playmaking abilities, combined with his age and athleticism, he would be the center of Chelsea's title runs for the next ten years.

Pirlo offers a chance to dominate for ten years for twenty-million pounds and a 31-year-old who might have a good run or two left in him. It is the gamble that occurs at the intersect of age and creativity.

The Arrogance of Football Powers

Timothy N — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 16:52:53 -0400

No, this will not be another article about Ronaldo leaving Manchester, at least not in particular. This will be about the latest rounds of discussion in the wake of the mega transfers that have recently occurred.

First, there is Real Madrid being linked to everyone. Now that they secured two of the top five players in the world, they are chasing down two more players that can be considered at the top of their positions.

David Villa is arguably the most wanted and prolific striker in the world this past year.

He is currently tearing up the international scene with Spain and doing almost equal damage with Valencia. Signing him would add to the cult of the 'Galacticos'.

But there's one problem, Valencia have insisted they do not want to sell to Madrid.

Not only do they not want to sell to Madrid, but they want to sell to their rivals in Barcelona or to Chelsea (who have given quite a significantly larger bid than Madrid).

Still Madrid chases with an arrogance and swagger that would make the New York Yankees blush.

Their supporters of course love this policy, this endless unsettling of other clubs and lack of any idea of how to build chemistry.

They defend Madrid because of their glorious history, as if it is the destiny of the club to not only win (as all club supporters should think) but to outright subjugate other clubs.

The second and even more extreme example is Franck Ribery. None other than "The Emperor" Franz has said that he does not want to sell, but what does Perez do?

He sends the legendary Zinedine Zidane to recruit Ribery until Bayern Munich ups the price to such insane levels that it seems more rage than business sense.

Not only that, but it makes Munich look for other offers as if to snub Madrid even though they can offer the best combination of players and cash.

While both players have expressed on level or another that they would enjoy playing at the Santiago Bernabeu, if their clubs do not want to sell it only causes strife for all parties involved; a la Ronaldo and Manchester United this past season.

This leads to the other side of the coin. Manchester United have recently lost both Ronaldo and Tevez and have had players like Villa and Ribery declare they would never play at Old Trafford.

What do pundits (read every English writer in the world) and supporters say?

"We don't need them, Sir Alex Ferguson is a genius, the club will get better without them"

Am I the only one that thinks losing your best player and your most energetic player are bad things? Seriously? This is not Barcelona dumping Deco and Ronaldinho, this is something that at the very least should be unsettling.

But apparently, SAF can win with no one on the field, if you believe Eurosport and Paul Parker, who is by far the worst imitation of an analyst I have read. (I get it, you love MU, write for them, not for a general site.)

This type of arrogance is equal to Madrid's policy of buying everyone. These teams have won a lot of trophies and have a tremendous history, but one would think that approaching teams and personnel decisions should require a little more tact, a little less arrogance.

Take for example Barcelona and for once Chelsea's approach to transfers.

Both teams are rather rich from their constant high finishes and both have incredible teams already. They recognize that they can get better, which Manchester apparently does not recognize.

However, they consider other clubs do not always sell their best players, and if they want a chance, they have to be respectful and offer generous amounts, which is the opposite of Madrid's near bullying of clubs to sell to them.

This is why I believe that not only will these two sides be able to sign the likes of Aguero, Ribery, Villa, etc., but that they will be the best two sides in Europe next season.

Confidence and swagger are not always on the sleeves, but in the actions and knowledge.

Fire And Ice: A Contrast on Creative Midfield Play

Timothy N — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 16:45:14 -0400

During the Semi-Final of this year's Champion's League tournament, we witnessed the two best midfields in the world go at it, and no, I am not referring to Arsenal and Manchester United.

It was a study in contrasts: The beauty of Barcelona's carousel passing vs. the tight and technical defense of Chelsea. However, both sides performed brilliantly at what they were trying to do.

Barcelona came into this game with its standard 4-3-3 with the best strike force in recent memory controlled by two artists and backed up with a strong defense that had one of the best defensive midfielders in the world in Yaya Toure. This entire team was designed to out pass and outsmart every other team on the planet and for most of the season they had; with a few hiccups due to injury.

On the other side was a rejuvenated Chelsea side under their new tactician Guus Hiddink, the man that had masterminded a strong Russian performance that saw it keep England out of the European Championship and stop the previously unstoppable Dutch in that tournament. Their midfield and frontline did not have the artistry or pace of Barcelona's, but they had a far more physical nature and just as much grit.

The two legs combined for a 1-1 with Chelsea a mere three minutes away from going to the final once again if not for away goals rules. This was virtually unheard of all season for Barcelona, and when they did go to the finals they once again showed their prowess on the pitch by embarrassing Manchester United.

So if Manchester United was supposedly the best team in all of the EPL, why was it Chelsea that came closest to defeating Barcelona?

The answer invariably lies in the midfield as most of us already know, but it is here that I take a diversion from what has been written about so much in the past few weeks.

In my analysis, I'm going to look at it through a lens of creative and tactical considerations on both sides of the ball and expand through player profiles within this context. Since so much has been written about Barcelona I will spend the bulk of my time on Chelsea. Besides, what can a layman such as myself have to say about the absolute artistry of Lionel Messi with a ball at his foot and two yards of green pitch?

First, the general premise for my thoughts on creativity can be found in my previous article so I will be using it as my framework, it can be found here:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/198514-creativity-and-the-beautiful-game

Next, I'm going to go out on a limb and try to apply some methodology to the game that probably does not always work:

If Team A is so creative as to outscore their opponents in every game they play and Team B holds them to two draws, does not mean that the defensive creativity must have been in same league as Team A's creative offense?

Barcelona's plan is predicated on constant movement and precise, surprising passing allowing them to constantly keep opponent's off guard and on the back pedal. This strategy was so effective as to have their frontline score almost 100 goals by this time in the season and shatter even the stiffest defensive efforts by opposition.

Enter Chelsea.

Most modern defenses use a mix of heavy zonal and moderate man marking in order to maximize defensive efforts. These teams prefer to score on the counter attack and usually have big defenders and little width in attacking.

Chelsea modified this scheme by using not only heavy man marking, but my maximizing what little possession they did have by playing wide passes, something that is rather surprising for a team that wants to clear the ball and stay alive.

This innovative defensive scheme worked mathematically in favor of Chelsea as they led for more of the game that Barcelona did, but it is a by product of their midfield.

If Barcelona is the engine of a Bentley with their grace and speed, then Chelsea's midfield is the engine of a tank. Rarely pretty, but always effective. In Ballack, Lampard, Essien, and Mikel they get players that are all big, fast (not necessarily quick), and very strong. All four can play box-to-box, and are proficient at passing.

This combination of attributes allowed Chelsea to not only shackle Barcelona, but to nearly squeeze the life out of them. If Barcelona left an opening Chelsea not only had the dangerous Drogba up front, but in midfielders that were as deadly from range as anyone of them.

In addition, while the fullbacks were used to contain the dangerous attackers from the Catalan club, Bosingwa, Ivanovic and Cole also provided the necessary width and timing that helped to take some steam out of Barcelona's engine. Xavi and Ineista found themselves hammered by Ballack, Mikel, and Essien. Toure often found himself on one of the most prolific midfielders ever in the EPL in Frank Lampard.

In Chelsea, Barcelona had found a kindred spirit in tenacity and creativity, albeit on the opposite side. Whereas Barcelona had technical passing, Chelsea had technical defending. Whereas Barcelona had an offensive mastermind in Pep, Chelsea had an equal defensive mastermind in Guus.

The battle between the two was like one between ice and fire, and unfortunately the rules (away goals, not the calls, I will not go into that as I think things were more or less fair in the end) allowed fire to melt the ice.

As always, I would love to get your feedback. Depending on transfer rumors this week I might do an article on Chelsea and creativity if they do get a young striker or if they manage to sign a young playmaker.

Creativity and the Beautiful Game

Timothy N — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 12:39:02 -0400

It is a term bandied around a lot when talking about football and how a team either is or is not and thus extended to entire leagues like La Liga and the Premiership.

But what exactly is creativity?

By definition it is the ability to create something that is considered different. It is essentially a surprise, but how does that even translate to the pitch?

Let us first lay out what the purpose of the game is. It is to win by putting the ball into the net—soccer at its purest form.

Does that not mean a straight line is the easiest way to the goal and with enough pace the game is virtually won?

If you are a detractor of English football, then you will be saying that is exactly what the EPL is like, but then there's the whole "defense" and "goalkeeper" that are so bothersome as to keep you away from that easy, straight line win.

This is where creativity comes into play, the deception, the strange passing moves, the cutting and slashing, this, by all accounts the creative aspect of football.

This is why it is called "The Beautiful Game."

I must point out there are many categories of creative play. There are the movements of an individual player against another, there is the fulcrum type of player, there are creative tactics for both offense and defense, there is creative substitution, etc. etc.

In this article I plan to talk about the first two mostly and touch base a little on the third.

Creativity in a player for one-on-one situations is exemplified by strikers and wingers.

Ronaldo, Arjen Robben, and Thierry Henry come to mind when this particular type of creativity comes up. They seek isolation where they can use pace and trickery to create a shot for them self, similar to a good Shooting Guard in the NBA. Passing is secondary for these types of players, but their dribbling must be off the charts.

The moves make all the highlight reels, the step overs, twists, spins, push offs, and shots.

This individual creativity is usually what seeps into the consciousness of the viewer and turns players into superstars and heroes, but it does not always guarantee victory.

For example, Arjen Robben's dribbling and technique rank amongst the best in the world, but just how many games has he won on his own?

Ronaldo tried this in the Champions League final. He attacked from the first step using his famous step overs and power shots and what happened? Barcelona completely destroyed Manchester United.

This type of creativity, while essential to the game and a team's success is always secondary to the idea of team creativity which requires a different type of individual—a maestro.

I am only 21 and have witnessed only the era of Zinedine Zidane so I cannot rate other greats like Cruyff and Di Stefano, so I will be using him as an example for this part of the article.

Zizou has all the moves of those other players including his patented spin move that allows him to slice through defenders, but it is what he does with the ball after that is different.

While entirely capable of creating his own shot with his pace and skill, he uses his individual creativity to accentuate his team and deceive the other. He is always looking to create opportunities to score by passing and orchestrating.

This goes on to be applied to the whole team creating unexpected and shocking passes until the other team folds. This is no more evident than what he did against Brazil in 2006.

Though the scoreline was 1-0 and France scored off of a brilliant set-piece; it was Zidane's game.

While a player like Ronaldo would try to create his own chances if he had the ball, Zidane was a maestro. His passing led to more passing as he slashed and moved off of the ball. The French looked to be playing beautifully against the Samba stars doing the most unexpected things on offense and holding possession.

On defense they showed creative flair too; they incorporated the old man-to-man marking schemes that had mostly faded into memory surprising the otherwise deadly Brazillian team.

While Zidane acted as a fulcrum of creativity for his team, he was hardly alone. He had Claude Makelele playing deep as a playmaker and had Thierry Henry and Frack Ribery in front.

With Zidane and Makelele as the engine this team embodied what it means to have a creative team: A group of players dedicated to creating unexpected chances for each other thereby attaining victory by putting the ball in the net.

The most recent, and arguably finest, display of team creativity was Barcelona's display of carousel passing against Manchester United.

While Man U had about four creative players in Ronaldo, Berbatov, Rooney, and Tevez, they had zero maestros. These were players that were excellent at creating their own chances, and despite Berbatov's best efforts, terrible at creating chances for each other.

Switch views to Barcelona with an entire team adept at passing, three or four bonafide playmakers, and the deadliest frontline in recent memory.

All their moves were dedicated not only to accurate passing and possession, but to confusion. Man U looked bamboozled as to what Barca was doing and what they were going to do. Runs at the goal appeared from nowhere, shots were constantly coming in, and the dagger came from a header from a player who stood a mere 5'4".

This is creative football at its finest, this was why football is called "The Beautiful Game".

This concludes my first of hopefully several articles on this subject and I invite not only criticism, but as many viewpoints as possible on this very very broad topic.

Perhaps we as a community can combine our thoughts into a deep and expansive idea of what it means to be creative not only in this game, but in sport.

So, What Happens to the Dutch?

Timothy N — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 00:17:13 -0400

So he signed, and to no one's surprise Kaka will be at Real Madrid for the foreseeable future. Returning president Florentino Perez has promised to chase three more big name players in Franck Ribery, Cristiano Ronaldo, and David Villa.

If Madrid does manage to sign these three players, what happens to their current squad? (Specifically, the large Dutch contingent that has been in place for the past season or so.)

Four fairly good players would fall into this category: Klaas Jan Huntelaar, Rafael Van Der Vaart, Wesley Sneijder, and Arjen Robben.

First, the question must be how many of these new players will be signed?

If it's Villa, then the forwards are in trouble.

If it's Ronaldo and Ribery, then it's the wingers and midfielders.

For the purpose of this scenario, let us say all three are signed.

Right now, Robben, Sneijder, and Hunter are either starters or key players at the club.

But, with the addition of these three, how many would want to stay?

Imagine a 4-5-1 with Diarra as a holding midfielder, Ribery and Kaka central, Robben and Ronaldo as wingers, and Villa up front.

This would leave Sneijder, Hunter, and VDV on the bench. Sneijder is currently a starter and Hunter a super-sub, while VDV has been in and out of the lineup with injuries and mercurial form.

While Sneijder has had great form and Hunter has proven he can score even as a sub, this would leave VDV out of the loop. Furthermore, as we have seen in Manchester United that while players can be productive off the bench, in the case of Tevez and Berbatov, they are unlikely to stay happy.

If Ronaldo could wrangle his way out of Manchester to Madrid, is it such a stretch to imagine them getting Robben back?

Robben has already proven he can be very good in the Premiership when healthy and has a similar skill set to Ronaldo.

Snejider has shown the temperament and ability to be good no matter where he is, but if Madrid were to sell him they would probably get whatever the payed for him and then some.

Hunter is the youngest of the group but perhaps the most talented. With Kaka feeding him and having Villa as a possible strike-partner, it could turn out to be a nightmare for other teams considering they both have greater than 1:2 goals to game ratios over their careers.

Van Der Vaart would be the biggest enigma for Madrid with the influx of new players.

Would they sacrifice their holding midfielder to add another offensive weapon in a lineup that is already stacked?

Would a player of his skill-set be useful off the bench?

Van Der Vaart is a playmaker in the same vein as Kaka, and is not generally known to generate instant offense the way Hunterlaar and Snejider can. It already seems he is the odd man out on the Madrid squad, but with three world class players coming in his time at the Spanish capital may be numbered.

The Dutch contingent that came to Madrid during the short lived tenure of Bernd Schuster looked to be, and at times was, extremely productive.

They played an attractive style of ball and won quite a few games. However, the drubbings by Barcelona and take over by Perez seems to have spelled an end to this era leaving the question, what happens to the Dutch?

Three Players That The Hornets Should Be Looking at This Offseason, Pt 2

Timothy N — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 02:01:43 -0400

The picture says it all, the player that I think the Hornets can move for and would make the most impact is Chris Bosh.

First, let's look at the numbers:

Last season he was injured quite a bit but he still managed to average 22.5 points per game and 10 rebounds per game in 77 appearances. In the previous three seasons he played about 69 games average while averaging close to the same amount of points and rebounds.

This kind of production is outstanding, All-Star and All-NBA outstanding. We may get the rebounds from Chandler and the points from West, but in Bosh we can get both.

Next and most importantly, how in the world does a team over the cap possibly land one of the best Forward-Centers in the league?

I'm going to throw out a few scenarios that I think plausible and why they are plausible.

Scenario 1: Chandler, 1st Round Pick this year and next year for Chris Bosh

Right now I'm working under the assumption that Bosh does not want to be a Raptor any longer than he has to so that in 2010 Toronto will have had nothing for losing their franchise player.

Enter this trade, they get an athletic, albeit banged up, center that is a good defender in the paint. A tandem of Chandler and Andrea Bargani could be quite effective especially on pick-and-rolls with a point guard like Calderon who can shoot and pass particularly well.

The two draft picks help to develop the roster in the wake of the departure of Bosh and Shawn Marion.

For the Hornets this would be a slam dunk, having Bosh and West in the frontcourt and Chris Paul in the backcourt would make any team quiver. All three players are capable of hitting mid-range jumpers. Furthermore, Paul and Bosh in the paint would be as money as West (for the most part) from the top of the key.

Like I said, scary.

"But what about the salary cap?"

Excellent query; my solution: Get rid of Mo Pete and Antonio Daniels by any means necessary.

Daniels is a decent back-up point guard and has a manageable contract. Best of all, it's an expiring contract.

Suggestion: Trade for a conditional second round draft pick in 2010. Will it work? Who knows, but its definitely worth the gamble, especially if we can re-sign Pargo

Mo Pete is trickier, his contract is fairly manageable, but it's not expiring and his value has had to drop this past season. However, there's a little team called Memphis with 20 million in cap space looking for some bench depth. Mo Pete can still contribute and for that price with that much cap space, it could be a great move for both sides.

Suggestion: Same as Daniels, maybe a guaranteed 2nd round pick instead of conditional.

This would clear the required cap space to make a move for Bosh giving him a chance to play with two other All-Stars; including the best point guard on the planet. Even if New Orleans is a "small market" team, the city is one of the best in the world and a serious chance to be contenders.

Scenario 2: Peja Stojakovic and David West and various draft picks for Chris Bosh

Immediate reaction, "What are you nuts!?!? No way would Toronto be stupid enough for this!"

Alright, take a step back and hear me out. Toronto is already going to lose their starting Small Forward in Shawn Marion and his hefty contract and could lose Bosh as well. Peja's contract is slightly cheaper than Marion's and runs out in two seasons while West's contract is significantly lighter than Bosh's.

This would give Toronto the best perimeter front-court in the game and while this might not be anything to be proud of, it could work by interchanging two good shooters in West and Bargani in the post.

The Hornets would have a much better rebounding front court if Wright started alongside Bosh and Chandler and be significantly more athletic. This would also clear our salary by about 7-8 million and if we manage to pull of the above move(s) we'd be in even better financial shape.

Is Bosh just a pipe dream for the Hornets? Probably. Are all these moves crackpot ideas? I'd like to think they're fairly reasonable and creative, but I'm an optimist. Feel free to leave feedback, I love trade ideas and discussing them.

Chelsea and Its Youth System: A Look at Three Young Stars

Timothy N — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 00:39:13 -0400

Today Frank Lampard came out and said that Chelsea needs to start looking for more homegrown talent like himself in places like Essex instead of going out and constantly spending fortunes.

Despite my love of high profile transfers to my favored club, Lampard is 100 percent correct.

I will cite two clubs that have won multiple European Cups/Champions League titles; the title I might add that most clubs probably value the most.

First, there is FC Barcelona, recent European Champions and one of the most dazzling sides of this decade.

Gerard Pique, Lionel Messi, and Xavi all have came from the youth system saving the club not only money, but learning how to develop their integral chemistry from an earlier age. This method of building a club combined with smart transfers has always been the formula for success and I think that Lampard's statements come right in line with it.

Second, I'm going to dive into the bag of oldies and pick one of the most surprising European Cup double winners of all time: Nottingham Forest.

This team would be considered the extreme of what homegrown talent can accomplish. During the era of true English domination of European play this team won back to back Cups using players that were not only homegrown in the youth system, actually from the same small area!

This is astounding and practically unheard of today. But if Chelsea is chasing European glory, this might be a good history lesson to help map the future.

Now with the history out of the way, let us take a look at the three players that have the potential to be superstars for Chelsea in the future.

Firstly there is the one that has seen some first team action and gotten a call up to the senior national squad: Michael Mancienne.

This young defender has played in upwards of 70 games for Queens Park Rangers on loan from Chelsea and has shown his ability to play anywhere on the backline in both zonal and man-to-man schemes. In his two appearances this season for Chelsea he held clean sheets while on the field and showed great tackling, energy, and instincts.

Considering Johny Terry is starting to show signs of wear and tear, and Carvalho about to go out the door I believe it is time for Chelsea to start grooming Mancienne for the future. He has shown remarkable skill and patience while waiting for his turn to shine. If his previous appearances can be used as landmarks for the future, he will certainly shine bright.

Standing at 6'4, Argentine striker Franco Di Santo seems to be the future out-and-out striker for the Blues. Before arriving he had 35 goals in 86 games for Audax Italiano in the Chilean league.

This is from a mere teenager!

While playing for Chelsea's reserve squad he managed an impressive seven goals in eight games including one hat trick. Furthermore, when Scolari brought him on tour he proved he could score while playing with the first squad and in his various other substitute appearances he has shown a great instinct for the goal.

With Drogba and Anelka already over 30, why not give a chance for real starting minutes to this player that can be an exceptional mix of Hernan Crespo and Didier Drogba for the next decade. Certainly he can at least play half a game against mid table Premiership sides.

The final player that I will be examning will be England Under 20 International Scott Sinclair.

Though he has not been given a lot of opportunities by Chelsea's first team or the sides he has been loaned out to; he did make a great contribution to the English youth sides with eight goals in 15 appearances. However, he has been playing for the reserves alongside Di Santo and is around many great players during his tenure this year with the first team. Sinclair has the pace and touch to be a fine striker for Chelsea.

The talents that these players have combined with the fact they have been playing together and with the first team could be the crucial building blocks for not only capturing a Champions League within the next few years, but lay the foundation for long-term Chelsea strength for the next decade. Perhaps this is what Lampard fears for. He knows that he and his best running buddies are losing the battle against Father Time and wants his new manager (who he admires) to help develop this crop of players the same way he developed Pirlo and Kaka.

One last thing, I wanted to look at three more players from the bench in Woods, Lee and Stoch, but I honestly do not know too much about them. My hope is one day they could replace Joe Cole and Frank Lampard, but there isn't enough video or commentary for me to think they could. If anyone of you do have information on those and the other Chelsea first team youngsters I'd love for you to comment/report on them!

These Three Players Can Help the New Orleans Hornets: Part 1

Timothy N — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 02:21:00 -0400

Fifty-eight points.

The largest loss in playoff history.

It burns me to my very core. It stings even more to know it happened here in New Orleans, the insanity for them to let another team come to this city, this city that has endured so much and has had its sports teams galvanize its spirit.

A year ago, the Hornets were full of promise for the future, but now we're full of doubt and despair with a shrinking salary cap and players who seem to have little trade stock outside of two All Stars.

Paul Augustin has done a fantastic job at looking at the cap situation and will run down each player and their skills, role, value, etc. I will be writing on three players I think the Hornets can acquire that can once again make the Hornets contenders for a championship.

First is a smaller guy who I think can line up with CP3 in the backcourt—Kirk Hinrich.

I know what you're thinking: "He's a point guard! He can't shoot! He's too small!"

Granted, a lot of these criticisms have merit, but you should look at the two things he does very well—defend and handle the ball. The two-point-guard look worked fairly well this season with Delonte West and Mo Williams in Cleveland, so I started there for my analysis of Hinrich.

Would you rather have those two guys line up or Hinrich and Paul? This would give the Hornets a great perimeter defense, free CP3 up occasionally on plays to roam and in extreme cases, catch and alley-oop like he did in the All-Star game (granted it was the All-Star game, but it has potential!).

Second, it gives the Hornets a chance to move Rasual Butler to the bench. Despite his spike in productivity this season, Butler remains an average shooting guard at best. This would make the bench a little stronger with a shooter like Butler getting to be a focal point of the second unit.

Third, trading for Hinrich could relieve us of some badly needed cap space. Consider these trading pieces: Tyson Chandler, David West, Antonio Daniels and his expiring contract, and possibly our first-round draft pick.

If we package Chandler to Chicago for Hinrich and possibly Tyrus Thomas, we would get some small relief and inject two high-energy tough guys into the lineup.

We could trade D-West straight up, but a better deal would be to package him with Daniels for Thomas and Hinrich, filling up two of our needs while adding cap space. I would like to add that this might make Chicago prohibitive favorites in the East with West, Luol, Gordon, and Rose.

All in all, I think the addition of a player of Hinrich's caliber would be an asset to the Hornets, and depending on various other trade scenarios, he could be the perfect piece to a title run.

Next on my tour will be the big guy, Chris Bosh. Feel free to comment and critique, I'd love to know what you think about my analysis and methodology.

Chelsea Transfers: Pato, Sturridge, Pirlo, and Kaka? Oh My!

Timothy N — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 15:37:49 -0400

Summers—known as the offseason and quite possibly my second favorite time of the year with playoffs being the first.

So far Chelsea have been anything but quiet, attracting rumors at a pace that is befitting of their status as "glory hounds" to denouncers and "world beaters" to supporters.

Today I'll be examining the four most recent and (somewhat) reasonable rumors.

First there is the one, the only one that Chelsea have truly desired for what seems like ages now. He is Kaka, the 2007 FIFA World Player of the Year and maybe the best playmaker on the market when healthy.

Last night, it was reported that Madrid had secured his serves as returning president Perez embarks on rebuilding "Los Galacticos." However, Chelsea have been rumored (and denied) making a grandiose 76.5 million pound bid for his services and hijacking Real Madrid of their star catch.

Though they have denied making a bid and offered an astronomical amount of money, I would not be surprised if it was true considering their previous attempts to bring him to Stamford Bridge—especially with his former coach Carlo Ancelotti now there.

I'd give this transfer a 40 percent chance of occurring.

Next up is Alexandre Pato.

The 19-year-old striker from Milan is one of the few bright young stars for the club but is set to be subject to more than a 25 million pound bid to join Stamford Bridge where he can play with the likes of Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba, and John Terry.

I think that this rumor has a little more substance than the Kaka rumors considering Chelsea do need an injection of youth (more on that in another article later this week) and he would be with a familiar coach.

For this transfer, I'd give it a slightly better 50 percent chance of occurring.

Thirdly, there is Manchester City's Daniel Sturrdige.

A highly rated England U-20 striker that would come on a free transfer. Goal.com reports that he would get at least 50,000 pounds per week to commit to a future at Stamford Bridge. While the free transfer would usually make this automatic for the rich Londoners, there are a few problems with this.

Firstly, Ancelotti usually (Pato is an exception) does not play young players. Despite my misgivings about this for Chelsea's future, he has not made any statements about changing this policy.

Secondly, this team is already loaded with attackers and though three through six will are or will be over 30 in the next few years, Sturridge would definitely not see a lot of first team action.

Finally, Chelsea already has another young English striker in Scott Sinclair, an attacking midfielder in Michael Woods, a winger in Miroslav Stoch, and someone that has already shown to be at the same level as Sturridge (if not better) in Franco Di Santo.

Why would Chelsea ignore this talent for this Manchester City product?

30 percent chance of occurring if good sense wins out, 70 percent if absurdity does.

Finally, there is the Italian Maestro and maybe Ancelotti's greatest work in Andrea Pirlo.

His move from attacking midfielder to deep-lying playmaker is a work of genius from both coach and player which has brought much success to both AC Milan and Italy.

However, after the Deco experiment of last season, I can't see Peter Kenyon and Roman Abramovich going for this no matter what Ancelotti sees unless the price is significantly lower than the reported 20 million pounds or Michael Essien.

RA has already shown that Essien is a Chelsea favorite and would not trade him for the aging Italian playmaker.

35 percent chance for this transfer.

Please feel free to correct me on factual mistakes etc. and leave comments, I love chatting it up.

Chelsea, the New Manager, and the Transition to the 4-6-0

Timothy N — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 01:10:58 -0400

Hi, I would like to greet everyone out there and thank you for stopping by for my first ever Bleacher Report article. Today I will be doing a theoretical outlook on Chelsea next season given the new manager Carlo Ancelotti and a few transfers that have been rumored to take place.

First things first, the new manager. While many point to his lack of English speaking skills and only one Scudetto trophy, I think that he is more than capable of lifting Chelsea to their long standing dream of being European Champions.

As an American viewer accustomed to knock out tournaments, the Champions League is the ultimate club soccer title, far ahead of the winning the EPL, but again, it is a personal bias.

With that said, he has won the tournament twice, and reached the final stages on a number of occasions, and has been practicing his English skills along with having a great translation staff.

Next, the transfer rumors, since Roman A. took over the club, Chelsea is always linked to all players in the world, period.

It's almost laughable reading the amount of rumors surrounding their transfers, but there are a few concrete things coming out that point to Drogba, Anelka, Carvalho, Deco, Malouda, and Kalou leaving for Inter, AC Milan, and Arsenal.

The rumors that seem to be absurd are the ones concerning swapping Essien for old playmakers at Milan; despite any loyalty Ancelotti might have to his old players, he's a keen tactical mind and knows that dropping a player of his quality for older players without the pace to play in the Premiership could be disastrous.

As for incoming players, Yuri Zhirkov to replace Malouda and playmaker Kaka are real possibilities considering the ties that Ancelotti and new technical director and ex-coach Guus have.

But with these transfers, the question is: "Who will be the out and out strikers?"

My answer: No one, the big 4-6 will be coming to London in a magnificent way.

A quick examination of the recent history of the 4-6 lead to Manchester United's winning squad from last season and even for the Champions league defeat where they ran their "Fabulous Four" out on the field together.

However, a better lineage would be Roma's stunning use of it over the past two seasons which showed that it can be a fine tactical system given the proper personnel. When it comes to Chelsea however, the question must be: "Why abandon their successful 4-3-3, especially in light of Barcelona's triumph?"

The answer: If the transfers hold true, Chelsea will be without their top forwards, but will have an influx of two outstanding in prime playmakers, along with the return of arguably the most creative English player in Joe Cole.

That would give Chelsea outstanding playmakers on their wings to play with their bombing fullbacks in Ashley Cole and Jose Boswinga. In the middle they can run Mikel as their deep lying play maker, and Lampard and Essien up and next to each other.

With Cole and Zhirkov on the wings, that would leave Kaka in the center which at first glance would essentially be a 4-3-3, the difference however, would be the depth and channels.

In possibly the best modern 4-3-3, Barcelona have three strikers, including two notorious hitmen in Eto'o and Henry, and their superstar playmaker/forward/Napoleon in Messi on the wing with Xavi and Ineista pulling the strings and Yaya Toure as a defensive midfielder.

In this new Chelsea 4-6-0, the wingers would be equally wide, but not as far in front giving Chelsea a a stiff defense all over the field, while Kaka instead of sitting and waiting for balls like Drogba or Anelka, would track further back and pull strings letting shooters like Lampard and Essien get loose and use their outstanding physical and aiming talents to the fullest.

In essence, this is almost a rejection of the "Wingless Wonders" of 1966 England and the 4-4-2, the 4-6-0 would want to stretch the field with playmakers on each wing and free the center three players to express, run, and shoot at will.

In conclusion, this is merely a theoretical exercise in the possible evolution of Chelsea from superstar also-rans to outright kings, the transfers this summer will be critical to determining what will occur, along with Ancelotti's soon to be in-depth analysis of Chelsea's strengths and weaknesses, including depth and youth.

I hope you enjoyed reading and I'm very open to constructive criticism. 'Til next time, Go Blues!