The closest thing the English football has to FC Barca stated Alan Shearer when asked about the transformation the winners have made coming into this season. An attacking trio of Oscar, Juan Mata and Eden Hazard have lit up the premier league with movement, creativity and an uncanny eye for a killer pa s that is beginning to mean even the erratic Fernando Torres cant help getting himself on the score sheet. However the words flair and Chelsea have never been something previously a sociated with each other Rhett Ellison Jersey .Since Jose Mourinho, a smooth and sophisticated Portuguese who had declared himself the special one upon his appointment in 2004, Chelsea had become a machine built upon the foundations of an iron backbone. John Phil McConkey Jersey Terry, Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole and Didier Drogba had made the club a force that did one thing, win at all costs. They became masters of defending, using a system which sucked all confidence, belief and energy out of any opposition until they had no choice but accept defeat in brutal fashion.After four further managers post Mourinho, Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich decided he wanted great football to accompany the succe s. With Chelseas spine now in their thirties, the key to this change in philosophy was to push out the so called old guard that had made the club winners. The man handed this poisoned chalice was Andre Villas-Boas.His man management skills were questionable, his selection policies were beyond bizarre. This summed up no better than with his selection before Chelseas knockout Champions League tie against Napoli. He began the game without Lampard, Cole, or Terry, playing Jose Bosingwa, a right-back, on the Oshane Ximines Jersey left of defence, it was a rushed attempt at change, and AVB was dismi sed. Step in Roberto Di Matteo, a club legend as a player but an inexperienced manager tasked with nothing more than damage limitation. As number two to AVB he had witne sed first hand how not to go about the job, instead he opted not to change anything straight away. Chelsea spent the second half of the season playing like the machine once again, and it worked. Chelsea were crowned FA Cup winners and most dramatically Champions of Europe after a task that all others before him had spectacularly failed at achieving, even more extraordinary given the way Chelseas season had gone until March. How though could Di Matteo change Chelsea?To start he spent heavily on attacking talent who know no other footballing way than the samba style Abramovich craves, the departure of Didier Drogba allowed Torres Julian Love Jersey to slot in as the number one striker. At 34 Lampard is no spring chicken and cant keep up with the gruelling profe sional schedule. This means Chelseas answer to Mo Farah, Ramires, and the much maligned John Obi Mikel occupy midfield. Lampard is still used by Di Matteo but is being pushed towards the sidelines. Ashley Cole has only been offered a one year contract and John Terry is doing a good job at making his position untenable. Di Matteo has nearly Carl Banks Jersey succeeded in changing the image of Chelsea.The change in style has so far brought about an unbeaten start to the season. Di Matteo has managed to protect his squad from the Terry and Cole public sagas and has got them doing something that Chelsea teams and managers of the past were unable to, Play some real football. To think he was only appointed interim coach in the first place just sums up the complicated enigma that is and no doubt always will be Chelsea.
The closest thing the English football has to FC Barca stated Alan Shearer when asked about the transformation the winners have made coming into this season. An attacking trio of Oscar, Juan Mata and Eden Hazard have lit up the premier league with movement, creativity and an uncanny eye for a killer pa s that is beginning to mean even the erratic Fernando Torres cant help getting himself on the score sheet. However the words flair and Chelsea have never been something previously a sociated with each other Rhett Ellison Jersey .Since Jose Mourinho, a smooth and sophisticated Portuguese who had declared himself the special one upon his appointment in 2004, Chelsea had become a machine built upon the foundations of an iron backbone. John Phil McConkey Jersey Terry, Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole and Didier Drogba had made the club a force that did one thing, win at all costs. They became masters of defending, using a system which sucked all confidence, belief and energy out of any opposition until they had no choice but accept defeat in brutal fashion.After four further managers post Mourinho, Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich decided he wanted great football to accompany the succe s. With Chelseas spine now in their thirties, the key to this change in philosophy was to push out the so called old guard that had made the club winners. The man handed this poisoned chalice was Andre Villas-Boas.His man management skills were questionable, his selection policies were beyond bizarre. This summed up no better than with his selection before Chelseas knockout Champions League tie against Napoli. He began the game without Lampard, Cole, or Terry, playing Jose Bosingwa, a right-back, on the Oshane Ximines Jersey left of defence, it was a rushed attempt at change, and AVB was dismi sed. Step in Roberto Di Matteo, a club legend as a player but an inexperienced manager tasked with nothing more than damage limitation. As number two to AVB he had witne sed first hand how not to go about the job, instead he opted not to change anything straight away. Chelsea spent the second half of the season playing like the machine once again, and it worked. Chelsea were crowned FA Cup winners and most dramatically Champions of Europe after a task that all others before him had spectacularly failed at achieving, even more extraordinary given the way Chelseas season had gone until March. How though could Di Matteo change Chelsea?To start he spent heavily on attacking talent who know no other footballing way than the samba style Abramovich craves, the departure of Didier Drogba allowed Torres Julian Love Jersey to slot in as the number one striker. At 34 Lampard is no spring chicken and cant keep up with the gruelling profe sional schedule. This means Chelseas answer to Mo Farah, Ramires, and the much maligned John Obi Mikel occupy midfield. Lampard is still used by Di Matteo but is being pushed towards the sidelines. Ashley Cole has only been offered a one year contract and John Terry is doing a good job at making his position untenable. Di Matteo has nearly Carl Banks Jersey succeeded in changing the image of Chelsea.The change in style has so far brought about an unbeaten start to the season. Di Matteo has managed to protect his squad from the Terry and Cole public sagas and has got them doing something that Chelsea teams and managers of the past were unable to, Play some real football. To think he was only appointed interim coach in the first place just sums up the complicated enigma that is and no doubt always will be Chelsea.
