Chelsea vs. Manchester United: 5 Tactical Decisions Villas-Boas Must Make

Chelsea once went unbeaten in 86 Premier League games at Stamford Bridge. 

However, recent home defeats to Aston Villa, Liverpool and Arsenal reinforce the notion that Stamford Bridge has morphed from a fortress into a sandcastle. 

That is something Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United will take advantage of because they have the best away record in the league. 

Here are five tactical decisions André Villas-Boas must make.

Start Ryan Bertrand Instead of José Bosingwa at Left-Back

Ashley Cole has been dreadful this season but wouldn't have been dropped because there is no serious competition for his position. 

But now, Cole's suspension will give André Villas-Boas pause for thought.

Who should he start at left-back?

There are two candidates: José Bosingwa and Ryan Bertrand. 

Villas-Boas would have made his life easier if he had included Bertrand in the UEFA Champions League squad. If he had done so, Bertrand would have started at left-back against Bayer Leverkusen, a game Ashley Cole missed due to an ankle injury. 

Instead, Villas-Boas was forced to handicap his team by starting Bosingwa at left-back, which led to Gonzalo Castro dominating the often-missing-in-action Portuguese "defender."

Bertrand has hardly played and if he was in the Champions League squad, he could have at least played against Leverkusen and Genk. 

It makes no sense to start Bosingwa at left-back because he'd be chasing Antonio Valencia's shadow. 

By throwing Bertrand into the deep end, Chelsea management could find out whether he has what it takes to be Cole's successor. 

Change the Formation from a 4-1-2-3 into a 4-1-2-1-2

By having a security blanket in front of the defence, André Villas-Boas is kidding himself if he thinks he's still playing a 4-3-3. It's a 4-1-2-3 at best, which is a deviation from the 4-3-3 that got Villas-Boas the job at Chelsea. 

The current formation isn't working because there are two wide forwards that do not offer wide play. 

First there is Juan Mata, who yearns to play centrally. 

Then there is Daniel Sturridge, who forgets he has to provide, given that he isn't the centre forward. He's taken 53 shots, compared to Fernando Torres' 38 shots—no wonder the Spaniard has had such anemic figures. 

By playing a 4-1-2-1-2, Villas-Boas would allow Mata to become Chelsea's sole central creative midfielder, which would in turn empower Torres. 

The new formation would also liberate Sturridge from his "I'll score as many goals out wide to force you to play me in the centre" mentality.  

Give Romelu Lukaku an Extended Cameo

André Villas-Boas never wanted Romelu Lukaku, just as he didn't want to sign Kevin De Bruyne. As a result, the Portuguese manager has wrecked the confidence of Lukaku, who has not been given a fair chance. 

For those saying, "Oh he's not ready yet"—really?

At 17, he had already scored 39 goals and provided 14 assists in 95 professional games. 

What were Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo doing at 17?

Just getting their first taste of professional football. 

Lukaku is a man-child and it's disappointing that Villas-Boas had not utilised such a physical phenom on more occasions. 

Rather than sub on Paulo Ferreira, Villas-Boas needs to give Lukaku an extended cameo (20-30 minutes) if Fernando Torres doesn't show up against Manchester United. 

Target Jonny Evans

What is Jonny Evans' weakness? 

Tackling, because he makes poor decisions. 

Examples range from a red mist-like tackle on Stuart Holden, making Óscar Cardozo look like a world beater and pulling down Mario Balotelli. 

This is why André Villas-Boas must play Juan Mata centrally, as the Spaniard will either waltz past Evans or draw a foul. 

Evans completes 89.7 percent of his passes, so he's one of the safest centre-backs in the world when it comes to distributing.

Villas-Boas has to force Fernando Torres to pressure Evans when the Manchester United defender is in possession. 

By doing so, it would keep Evans from gaining confidence by stringing together successful pass after successful pass. 

Shoot on Sight If David De Gea Is Keeping

With Anders Lindegaard out, David de Gea should be the No. 1, but he's out of form. 

In addition, third choice goalkeeper Ben Amos didn't make a mistake against Stoke City. 

Talk about a quandary for Sir Alex Ferguson. 

Chelsea will handicap themselves by starting David Luiz and maybe even José Bosingwa, so it's only courteous for Manchester United to reciprocate by starting De Gea in goal. 

What a novel idea for Manchester United to buy De Gea, even though he has bad eyes. 

Remember, this is a goalkeeper who conceded the most long-range goals during the 2010-11 La Liga season.  Chelsea must shoot whenever they get the chance because it increases the likelihood of De Gea making a mistake. 

Please watch Leo Messi's best goals this season. 

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