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So many subplots where do we begin?; Sarriball, Mourinho, Eden bloody Hazard, (England's) Golden Boy Marcus Rashford? Saturday's contest between Chelsea and Man United serves to be a clash for the ages. Chelsea enter Saturday's lunchtime kickoff on the back of an impressive start to the league displaying some of the most impressive football to have graced SW6 since the days of Zola et al. Manchester United on the other hand enter on the back of a timely International break. Sarri, the man who ought to be king of the Bridge faces the man who once ruled SW6 with an iron fist but now merely resembles a 5'9" piece of Iberian bait to the public game of charades dominating Old Trafford. With enough narratives to last Sky producers the next year , Saturday's game will go a long way in determining the narrative which will predicate the rest of both teams seasons.
SPECIAL (ONCE?)
July 1st 2004, was a momentous day for Chelsea fans if they did not realize at the time. A youthful, elegant, suavy 41 year old entered the press conference room at Stamford Bridge by the name of Jose Mourinho and thereby when quizzed on being a modern-day football manager, Mourinho memorably replied: "Please don't call me
arrogant, but I'm European champion and I think I'm a special one." Petr Cech, Ricardo Carvalho , Arjen Robben and Didier Drogba were added among others and formed the backbone of a then record breaking Championship team. Mourinho had inherited young English talents such as John Terry and Frank Lampard from Ranieri's previous reign and also had flair in abundance in the form of Damien Duff and Joe Cole supported by the only player to have had a position named after him; Claude Makelele. To say they romped to a maiden Premier League crown would be an understatement, Mou's side throttled opponents in their wake and finished the season with a record 95 points, 12 in front of the infamous "Invincibles" of the season prior. Their title triumph coincided with a League Cup win in March over Liverpool. Jose had indeed in many pundits minds justified his self proclaimed tag as the "Special One".
Before the 05/06 season the "Bison"; Michael Essien was added from Lyon for a 25 million fee only boosting the midfield options at Mourinho's disposal. The season was momentous for Chelsea's incredible start to the season where they recorded the most dominant first half of a Premier League season in history. They won a record 9 games in a row at the start of the season, which culminated in another record holding 17 wins out of the first 19 games. Once more the Champions League crown alluded Mourinho and the Blues but it was the comfortable ease which they captured a second Premier League crown which was the highlight of the year. Terry and Lampard particularly began to demonstrate a level of consistency which would later catapult them among the World's Elite. Lampard in fact came second to the Brazilian, Ronaldinho in the running for the Ballon D'Or. FA Cup and League Cup success followed in the next season with Manchester United sealing first spot and Rafa Benitez' Liverpool side eliminating Chelsea from the Champions League at the semi final stage. Poor relations during the year with owner Roman Abramovich and a power struggle with sporting director Frank Arnesen and Abramovich advisor Piet de Visser over the summer transfers of Michael Ballack and Andriy Shevchenko did not bode well for Mou's future.
The stage was then set for what arguably was the first setback "The Special One" received in his early managerial career. Roman Abromovich who earlier before aided Mourinho and Ranieri with his lavish spending soon began to realize his philanthropist model was no longer sustainable and Florent Malouda was Chelsea's biggest outlay in the summer of 2007 for a modest fee of 13 million pounds. Steve Sidwell and Tal Ben-Haim arrived on frees as part of the new cost cutting process. Mourinho exasperated and perplexed by Chelsea's transfer dealings soon found himself on the end of an awful start to the season. The first of two Chelsea P45's arrived via Abromovich on September 20th 2007. Mourinho would not return to the Stamford Bridge club until June 2013. However during that six year time frame flirtations with different accomplices had rocked both parties to the core. Seven first team coaches had come and went at Chelsea with Roberto Di Matteo achieving Chelsea's first European Cup triumph in between an era of Jekyll and Hyde like proportions. "The Special One" meanwhile had captured Internazionale's first ever treble in 2010 and in the three years after managed to fall out with everyone (including himself) in Madrid managing Los Blancos. When they reunited in the summer of 2013 they were two different entities to the harmonious marriage of 2004. Despite a Premier League and League Cup triumph in 2015 their relationship soon petered out into "palpable discord".
MANCHESTER UNITED
But how will Mourinho combat his old side this coming weekend? It's easy to see which side the momentum lies with ahead of their gigantic clash. Mourinho, who has been chastised unequivocally for his tendency to go pragmatic in the big games would be well advised to adopt such an approach against a free flowing Chelsea attack led by Eden Hazard. The Portuguese' risk-averse approach has been utilized enough this season albeit against a weaker opposition. Thus far defeats against Brighton, Derby and West Ham have been a mere litany of what's gone on and echoed the discontent which has embroiled club fans and Ed Woodward amid others. It is easy to sympathize with United fans over their current predicament. Martin Edwards and David Gill both held Woodward's position for many years and exhibited the wide array of leadership skills required to lead a multiglobal corporation. Gill in particular delegated responsibilities among his staff and had no interest in media attention and got things done. Woodward however is the face of a board rotten to it's core his ego driven inclinations have caused strife right through the club from the top down. However the leader of on the pitch activities is not escaping culpability either.
The easy argument here is to suggest Mourinho's football is antiquated to modern day manager's Guardiola, Klopp, Tuchel & co. Mourinho's spasmodic nature this season has made it very difficult to speculate what system he may adopt game to game. To garner what type of formation United may adopt against the Blues, one must cast their eye back to their fixture versus another top six side in Tottenham earlier this season in which they lined up with a 5-3-2. Although United fans were subjugated to an abhorrent second half which was the large part of their 3-0 demise, the first half however showed some positive signs as how United may adopt such a favorable approach against Chelsea. The two wing backs were crucial, Luke Shaw on the left and Antonio Valencia on the right. Tottenham’s attacking full-backs, Danny Rose and Kieran Trippier were totally nullified by United wing-backs Antonio Valencia and Luke Shaw respectively. It was the kind of high pressure we’re not familiar with a Mourinho side. Also, with Fred pushing forward behind Jesse Lingard and Romelu Lukaku, it pushed Spurs back and forced them to defend narrow to cover the attacking trio. Marcus Rashford from his heroics last Monday in Seville will likely take Lingard's place on Saturday and will look to cause similar complications in the Chelsea backline.
To play such a system, communication and game intelligence are key. The system is a simple 5-3-2 in defence while transitioning into a 3-5-2 in attack. the two variables being the aforementioned wing backs. To achieve such a balance without risking a decrease in fluidity requires commitment and fitness levels of the highest order at a bare minimum. Shaw and Valencia both demonstrated this for sure but obviously the danger inherent here being when a team falls behind, they must "chase" the game. The pairs technical abilities are undoubted however their game intelligence is questionable. The first two goals stemmed from the gap between United’s midfield and defence being far too big, with the likes of Dele Alli and Lucas Moura taking full advantage. The second goal also came about after makeshift central defender Herrera was too deep, playing Christian Eriksen onside. Valencia has been since sidelined due to off the field matters with Ashley Young deputizing ably to date.
Obviously Chelsea will look to advance most of their attacking through their left side with the marauding Marcos Alonso. What action Ashley Young takes in this instance will give a clear indication of how United will set up. When Alonso advances he will more than likely be aided by the third man runs of the in form Ross Barkley who will look to drag red shirts out of Chelsea's left channel with his movement. Young will have to decide early whether to vacate his right back position and press Alonso at this stage or hold his position and keep within touching distance of Hazard who more than likely will move towards the ball carrier, Alonso. Chelsea will look to overload this area of the pitch hoping to rejig several pieces of the United jigsaw before vacating the central and back post areas. How United seek to negate this threat will go a long way in defining the narrative of the game. It is so pronounced that Chelsea will loom to utilize this left half channel given that Azpilicueta, Kante and either Pedro or Willian represent a far inferior trio of attacking promise down their right, conversely this is where I expect any possible Chelsea goal to come from given the overload down the left.
The key point is the extent at which Hazard is prepared to roam. If United set up in the 5-3-2 I'd fully expect the Belgian to concentrate his efforts interchanging with Pedro or Willian down the right. The man marking option of Herrera would suffice in this case given the strong presence of Pogba, Matic and McTominay in central areas. However should United match Chelsea in a 4-3-3 or adopt for a familiar 4-4-2 such an approach would prove futile and a hammering could be on the cards given Chelsea's superior ball retention capabilities. I believe United will show little resistance to the Chelsea goal with the front two of Rashford and Lukaku starting quite wide from goal kicks. This will allow Chelsea to enter the middle third at relative ease. I'd argue at this junction United's best interests would be served not closing down Jorginho or David Luiz but concentrating their pressure around areas which Hazard and Giroud tend to link up with their quick combination play. The idea being that when United suffocate Chelsea and overturn the ball, Matic or Pogba will be able to dart long raking balls into the space vacated by both Brazilians and allowing Rashford and Lukaku to surge into these dangerous areas. Such a tactic resembles United's best chances of obtaining anything from Saturday's proceedings but what will be even more fascinating will be the makeup of the Red Devils' side.
Paul Pogba was back to his best albeit against a deficient Newcastle side in a second half performance where he slotted in at centre back penetrating the Geordie defense with his exquisite array of long range passing. Given that Chelsea are unlikely to play such a low block I doubt he will fulfil a similar position on Saturday. It would be refreshing to see Pogba take up the position of Fred v Tottenham, in the more orthodox box to box position. The World Cup winner has star quality but he is currently at risk of losing much of the aura on him given the furor of his recent misgivings about the current United setup. It would be quite relieving to see the French starlet let his feet do the talking. Murmurs have surfaced this week over the possible deployment of Nemanja Matic in a center back position however the cost-benefit analysis would tell you the Serb would be better acquitted to occupying the space Chelsea's midfield and forwards will most likely focus their attacks. Fred resembles a more dynamic prospect in the United middle third but one expects young Scott McTominay to get the nod. If Marcus Rashford fails to get the start following his recent performance in Spain many Red's fans ought to give more credence to the story surrounding a potential move to Juventus. Finally Mou will require a more selfish performance from his Belgian frontman, Romelu Lukaku. In recent games the striker has shown his commitment to the cause tracking runners and holding the ball in the channels but is failing to complete his own assignment; scoring goals. If he manages to abandon the wide play to both wing backs and focuses on what's between the eighteen yards of the goal, United may stand a chance. Conversely given their downturn in form they are equipped with no better manager at taking on the Blues given that Mourinho has coached no fewer than ten of the current Chelsea crop.
CHELSEA
Chelsea meanwhile continue to soar under the revitalization process ignited by Maurizio Sarri. "Sarrismo"has hit Stamford Bridge like an earthquake with the extent of the aftershocks yet to be ascertained. It is quite fair to say he has enjoyed a quite nascent start to his reign at the helm. Prior bosses like Conte and Mourinho have asked players to demonstrate qualities unbenign to themselves while Sarri focuses on getting the most of what he has at his disposal. Unlike seasons past Eden Hazard's main responsibility is to enjoy himself and this is evident through his play. The praise has been magnanimous and if awards were handed out in October the Belgian would claim all. Chelsea's no.10 is just one piece of a larger puzzle. Although he takes the headlines, he is a mere profiteer of the football going on around him. Jorginho has proved a blockbuster signing, rarely these days do you see such a shift in style from a club centered around one player.
That is exactly what Jorginho has brought to Chelsea. Although the "holding midfielder" it is he who routinely leads the press and organizes Chelsea attacks gesticulating at his fellow teammates. he is the orchestrator of a booming opera choir ensuring his fellow colleagues are attuned to the same beat. It's his steadiness in the Chelsea midfield that provides Barkley and Kovacic to flourish in their roles as playmakers. The rhythm at which he sets attacks in motion ensures the Blues are rarely susceptible if any to fatal counter attacks given the controlled progression. Given that neither he or creator in chief, Sarri completed a full pre season is a testament to the level of mastery Chelsea have prised from Naples and how much as of yet the Stamford Bridge crowd are yet to have been imbued.
It’s been clear to date that to stop Jorginho he has to be tightly marked in a face-to-face meeting, preferably in 2 v 1. If the Italian is not individually pressed, he could be made free using the third man to distract the pressers. Any pressing scheme other than that or man-marking of just the direct passing options of Jorginho – Kovacic or backline players – while leaving the ultimate ones open wouldn’t be able to stop the pass master in switching the play within a matter of seconds. In the games, and the situations of the games, where Chelsea’s opponents would form a low block while pressing Jorginho in a 2 v 1 fashion, the Italian is more likely to struggle offensively. This is because his ‘ultimate’ passing options are under the tight press from multiple angles. In such cases, even if he tries a short, deep through pass , or even a long one , before being closed down by the opponent, the attack is very less likely to proceed. However, given that Sarri commands his wingers to cross rotate and the fullback (mostly Alonso) to make runs from behind, Jorginho would find someone open at the width. But with a flat low block defence, this can be catered. While Jorginho’s passing options can find a way with this rotating and run-from-behind tactic even under a low but deep block, a flat low-block would be the solution here.
The Blues will set up in their customary 4-3-3 with no injury worries and just doubts surrounding two starting places. Kovacic and Barkley will compete for a starting berth on the left side of a middle three while either Giroud or Morata will play as the lone striker. the debate surrounding the latter two has been interesting and gathered momentum over recent weeks. In many eyes Giroud is a no brainer given his reliability, link up play, experience and industry. He holds the ball up well and drops deep allowing other Chelsea attackers to flourish given his selfless nature. Morata on the other hand stretches opponents given his lung bursting runs and tendency to play in behind. Although he has been the brunt of some well deserved criticism I have been impressed by his knack of always being in the right areas. Although in prior games against West Ham, Vidi and Southampton he missed relatively easy chances what was most promising was his tendency to keep on popping up in areas almost unbeknownst to defenders. However the figures do't lie and both strikers have contributed a misely sum of just two league goals this season.
Evidently Chelsea's 70 million pound man is lacking confidence but past performances have shown a glimmer of hope. It is hard to predict which type of threat the United rearguard would prefer to face. Morata with his pace and endless running will get the United defence turned and give Chelsea several outball options albeit against a low block. Giroud meanwhile will pin his considerable frame against the United defence and drop deep enabling the sharp, quick interchanges with Hazard and co. Whoever wins the lottery to start in the United central defence will be tasked with extinguishing either the Frenchman or Spaniard. Two out of sorts strikers but two different propositions nonetheless and a bit of thinking for Sarri to do before Saturday's lunchtime kick off. How peculiar it is that all the years Roman Abromovich spent throwing never ending supplies of rubles into the Chelsea coffers to build a team of style, substance and legacy that now when it looks as if he has he cannot watch them play.
CONCLUSION
Whatever the outcome the result is certain to dominate the back pages of tabloids nationwide Sunday morning. The blue corner are on the crest of a wave and will fancy themselves to stake further claim to their bashful title charge. The Reds meanwhile will hope to suffer the indignation of being the first team in the top flight thus far to lose their manager and all the embarrassment which that encompasses. Mourinho and United are aware of the challenge that lies ahead, they travel to Chelsea, a ground where they have won just five out of their last twenty three visits. Jose Mourinho's first game in English football was this very fixture over fourteen years ago, how ironic would it be if it were his very last.
PREDICTION - 2-1 Chelsea
*** Tactics infographs via https://www.coachesvoice.com/