Chelsea FC: 5 Mistakes That May Leave Them Trophyless

The last couple of weeks for Chelsea fans have been rough. Two embarrassing derby losses and a tie against the weakest team in their Champions League group.

Although many are saying that Chelsea will quickly recover and prove they are competitors, they must also remember that Chelsea's job is not to recover, but to compete for trophies. So far, it seems as though Chelsea will be chasing shadows in terms of capturing any silverware.

I write this article not only to discover the constant problems Chelsea face, but also some improvements that can change the Chelsea season in a positive way.

High-Line Defense Is Killing Chelsea Softly

Remember when Chelsea was notorious for their stingy defense and how they would barely allow goals? Yeah, those were glorious times. However, new coach Andre Villas-Boas has decided to implement the "high-line" defense which causes constant offsides for the opposition and allows an easier way to get the ball into the attacking half.

The problem with this: it never works.

Chelsea have allowed 15 goals already in only 10 games. Mind you, Chelsea only allowed 15 goals in all 38 games during Mourinho's first year as manager.

Granted every coach does not possess the same tactics as the Special One, there is no reason a title-contender should be so leaky in defense. That is where the high-line comes in. It is the main fault for goals being constantly scored against them.

If Arsenal and Manchester United were able to exploit this weak defense by scoring five and three, respectively, just imagine what will happen when the Blues play free-scoring Manchester City or if they met Barcelona in the Champions League. They will get slaughtered when playing with a high-line against big teams.

The solution is quite easy; AVB needs to stop playing the high-line defense and go back to zonal marking like Chelsea used to do under coaches like Ancelotti and Hiddink. Although it may slow down Chelsea's play, it also allows them to dictate the play from the back, something they have not done this season.

David Luiz Is a Ticking Time Bomb in the Back Four

As a Chelsea fan, I love David Luiz. He's confident with the ball, can dribble past defenders, shoot with both feet and has a wide array of passing. The only problem with all of this is that he likes to show off his skills while playing as a central defender.

He takes too many risks going forward and gets caught out when on the attack. He thinks he can win every ball and commits senseless fouls. He tugs on jerseys for no reason (just look at the picture above) and he continuously racks up yellow cards. Although he gets the job done, he never exercises caution causing him to be a constant danger to our own back four.

The answer to this problem is assigning him a new role. Most fans and analysts constantly state that David Luiz should play in the defensive midfield position and I agree with them. If he were to replace Mikel, then he would be able to play offense the way he wants without worrying about leaving the back four.

Also, since he is quite good with his right foot, I believe he should be tested out in the right-back position. Bosingwa is atrocious in my opinion and with Luiz, you get a player who can get the ball past the first defender when crossing and a player that has a bag of tricks which can easily foul opposing players on the flanks. The bottom line is that David Luiz needs to be at least tested in a different position before Villas-Boas keeps starting him in the central defender role.

Weak Transfer Window

When Andre Villas-Boas took over at Chelsea, he stated that he would not go money-crazy when buying players and that he would stick with the squad he inherits out of respect. This was not a good decision.

Although Chelsea brought in Juan Mata, the only playmaker on the team, they failed to bring in any other special players. (Raul Meireles is a good squad player and Lukaku along with Courtois are good prospects for the future.)

Overall, the transfer window for Chelsea was good; but that is the problem. Chelsea are not supposed to be just good, they are supposed to be the best. Chelsea failed to bring in another playmaker in the form of Luka Modric after three unsuccessful bids. However, AVB seemed very uninterested in Modric the entire time and this is why the Blues failed to sign another big name.

If AVB were to continue in the quest for the Croatian during the summer, perhaps Tottenham would have let him go. In addition, when you have billionaire Roman Abramovich funding you, you have the power and resources to get almost any player you want.

It is too late to bemoan Chelsea's average transfer window in the summer, but it may be too late for Chelsea to land any big names in the near future. Abramovich is in the process of being sued for billions by Boris Berezovsky and if he loses his case, then Roman will most likely be more cautious with his money. AVB may have lost his only chance to build the squad the way he wants it and this might hurt Chelsea's chances of any trophies.

There is no clear-cut answer to this problem but perhaps AVB should have been active in the transfer window rather than being a spectator. Also, with January coming up, Villas-Boas has to make some sort of an attempt to bring in players that can play under his style.

The 4-3-3 Isn't for This Chelsea Team

When Andre Villas-Boas controlled FC Porto, he opted to play the 4-3-3 and it worked to perfection. However, Chelsea's transition to the 4-3-3 has been anything but.

First off, Chelsea only have one authentic winger in Juan Mata. Players like Anelka and Kalou are selfish and don't look to create opportunities for their teammates. Drogba and Torres can only play in the centre and Malouda lacks pace and skill to be a winger.

In addition, many think Sturridge is the solution, but I think he is no good unless playing against a weak team. Most look at the number of goals he has scored instead of how he scores them and his number of passes completed. The fact is Daniel Sturridge is too selfish and inexperienced to start week in and week out as a winger for Chelsea.

However, AVB thought he solved this problem of a lack of wingers because in the 4-3-3, the side-backs would act as wing-backs. Too bad he was stuck with Bosingwa on the right, who can never get an accurate cross in or get back on defense (he was clearly at fault for Andre Santos's goal in the Arsenal-Chelsea game). All this leads to a weak right side which makes the West Londoners predictable since their best players are on the left and the middle.

Also, the three midfielders is an issue because Frank Lampard can not run as much as he used to and this leads him to decide whether playing offense or defense is more important. In addition, Mikel is good enough to guard the back four but never contributes when the Blues go forward. This leaves Chelsea with only four-five dangerous attackers when the Blues go on attack.

The solution is difficult but also easy in a way; AVB needs to do some shopping come January. First, he should look for a right winger, someone like Eden Hazard or Sebastian Giovinco. These players have pace and subliminal passing making them an additional playmaker to Mata.

The Blues should also attempt to make another bid for Modric, who has yet to sign a new contract with Tottenham. If Chelsea were to get the Croatian, it would make the midfielders more effective in this formation since Modric plays his part on both sides of the ball. Other long shot transfers that can help Chelsea are Wesley Sneijder, Neymar and Stefan Jovetic.

Too Much Faith in Andre Villas-Boas

Don't get me wrong, I think Andre Villas-Boas is a fine coach and tactician. I want him to be a long term coach for the Blues but when you look at him closely, perhaps it was a bit too early for Chelsea to snatch him. Yes, he won the Portuguese League and the Europa League in his first full year as manager but just how much of that translates to success for a world class team like Chelsea?

He has brought a new style of play to Chelsea, which is more entertaining but overall, awful for the Blues. They concede more goals and seem very stagnant at times on offense due to a lack of creativity. It was easier to do play like this at Porto because let's face it, the Portuguese League is not as good as the EPL.

If Andre Villas-Boas changes nothing and future results continue to look like the last few games, then expect AVB to get sacked. However, if the ex-Academica manager changes his philosophy and brings in new players, particularly playmakers, then he will finally be able to establish himself as a great manager, perhaps even a manager in the ranks of his mentor, Jose Mourinho.