By Ben Bowers
Chelsea may at times be overly cautious. But there is an unjustifiable amount of scrutiny over the way coach, Jose Mourinho, sets up his teams.
The Blues do not have the best attack in the league – Daniel Sturridge, a former Chelsea employee, has scored more league goals this season than the Chelsea front three combined. Nevertheless, The Blues have still taken their title challenge into the last week of the campaign.
This season they have conceded the fewest goals in the Premiership. Instead of deliberately playing defensive football, Mourinho is playing to Chelsea’s strengths. Their success is based upon a solid defence, hard work and determination.
Against Liverpool they were heavily criticised for their defensive set-up and their park the bus policy.
However many other teams have gone to Anfield, played more openly and got absolutely trashed. Arsenal were more expansive and conceded four goals in the opening twenty minutes against Liverpool.
Football is a results business and that is what Mourinho is best at. Chelsea do not pay him to play beautiful football but to win trophies – something he has done everywhere he has gone despite his prestige being undermined by a mixed spell at Real Madrid.
In 2012 Chelsea won the Champions League Final playing defensive football. However it is the trophy that lives in the memory of most football fans and especially Chelsea supporters.
Stoke City played direct football under Tony Pulis for many years and this was questioned by many a ‘puritan’.
However he managed to keep Stoke in The Premier League and develop them into a mid-table side whilst many other sides of the same stature as The Potters have been relegated whilst playing a more passing style of football, such as Wigan last season. Most fans would prefer success and trophies because it is the glory which remains in the memory. Whilst I do not always condone Mourinho’s conduct, the way he has set up his teams this season against the big teams has been phenomenally effective.
Football is now more money-focused and good results guarantee more money. Therefore the style of football is less important. I even find the Guardiola ‘tiki-taka’ philosophy of football boring to watch at times.
It is not Mourinho’s fault that Chelsea’s style of football does not please everyone, it is the way he gets the best out of the players that he has and delivers the results that he was appointed to achieve.
Gin
May 6, 2014 at 7:50 am
Pep’s Tiki Taka and Jose’s Chelsea bus are both the extremes. In their respective ways, both managers are anti-football. I dont understand why only Jose gets the stick for that. Pep does not come to play football, he just comes to try and keep the ball for 90 minutes and nick a goal. Jose comes to block the goal for 90 minutes and nick a goal. In either scenario, an open football match ( as we the neutrals want it ) never gets played out. IMO, if Pep’s Barca was the best, then Jose’s Chelsea was also the best.
roy
May 6, 2014 at 8:01 am
xxx
roy
May 6, 2014 at 8:02 am
….
nathaniel
May 6, 2014 at 8:52 am
What a wounderful article,when mourinho won at the etihad stadium,he was called the best manager in the world..i hope all of us can recall.
Bin
May 6, 2014 at 10:14 am
Im surprised that no one actually commented on the team currently in 4th place, Arsenal. They are known for their attacking style but they have scored lesser and conceded more than Chelsea but no one brands them as boring?
Ann
May 8, 2014 at 8:54 am
jelousy is the watch word . They can never be like general jose mourinho world class coach. Let dem talk . RUBBISH.
Ann
May 8, 2014 at 9:00 am
Chelsea fc nd mourinho 4 life. Let them say, whatever haters…