Tactical Changes That Chelsea Need to Make for the 2013-14 Season

Chelsea ended the 2012-13 season with one trophy from a possible seven. Whilst they played some incredibly exciting attacking football, wins turned to draws and draws turned to losses as the opposition time and again worked out how to neutralise the Blues' tactics.

Chelsea stuck with the 4-2-3-1 formation throughout the season, with any experimentation coming from player positioning within that system. If the Blues want to improve for 2013-14, there are a few things the new manager should consider.

Whilst two of Fernando Torres' 17 goals in 2012-13 came in crucial cup games, it was the attacking midfielders who got the lion's share of goals throughout the season. Hazard and Mata provided 30 goals and 34 assists between them, and Frank Lampard netted 15 times to become Chelsea's all-time top goalscorer.

With so many goals coming from midfield, the strikers suffered extensive droughts. Luckily, there are a few solutions to this problem.

One is to bring in an in-form goalscorer. There are a few options available who are known for their clinical finishing, and if they could get onto the wavelength that Hazard, Mata and Oscar have found, Chelsea's attack would be unstoppable.

Another option would be to bring Romelu Lukaku back from his loan spell to add substantial height and power to the attack. The young Belgian is good friends with Eden Hazard and fellow loanee Thibaut Courtois, and this familiarity would surely aid his transition to the first-team squad at the second attempt. 

Whoever ends up playing as the designated striker next season, it is vital that they are part of a front three, with Hazard and Mata in support. However, there is another amigo to consider.

Oscar has been deployed as an attacking midfielder, one of the Three Amigos supporting the striker. His 10 goals and six assists provided an important contribution to the team's overall success, as did his overall passing accuracy of 82.9 percent, with 1.3 key passes per game. However, it soon became clear that his strengths lie further back on the pitch.

Compared with his fellow Amigos, Oscar's defensive contribution is far greater. His average of 2.2 tackles per game are far higher than both Eden Hazard and Juan Mata, who both average fewer than one.

Whilst his slight frame is a concern in a more defensive role, his skills more than make up for this, and he would work very well in a similar position to the one that Ramires occupied in 2012-13.

Then there is the David Luiz conundrum. With a shortage of experienced centre-backs throughout the season, Luiz was frequently recalled from the more advanced defensive midfield position that Rafa Benitez had moved him to.

This was detrimental to the season, as Luiz's average of 5.4 long balls with an overall 81 percent accuracy proved his ability as an all-around midfielder. Starting him as a defensive midfielder would get the best out of his endless energy and enthusiasm, without compromising his defensive qualities.

That leaves the issue of replacing Luiz at centre-half. Branislav Ivanovic has adapted well having spent the last few years playing as a right-back, and rotating him with John Terry when the captain is fit again is the first option.

However, Nathan Ake was Chelsea's breakthrough star of 2012-13, and like Luiz is able to play as a centre-half as well as a defensive midfielder. If the Blues are serious about their commitment to the young players at the club, giving Ake the chance to show of his skills in the back four could provide the perfect plug for the leaky defence.

All of those changes will leave Chelsea with a variation on a 4-3-3 to start the 2013-14 season.

The Blues' next manager will need to have something special to move away from Roman Abramovich's coveted 4-2-3-1 formation, but these changes are vital to ensure that next season is a more successful one at Stamford Bridge.

All statistics are taken from whoscored.com