Sport360° view: Mourinho should base his tactics on attack- not hit and run

Alam Khan - Reporter 13:14 22/09/2014
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  • 'Small team': Jose Mournho's Chelsea side have been accused of restricting his players freedom to attack at will.

    Just when Jose Mourinho was getting deserved praise for Chelsea’s impressive start to the season, he is accused of having a “small team” mentality.

    Even if he was unruffled by the jibe from Manchester City rival Manuel Pellegrini after yesterday’s  1-1 Premier League draw at the Etihad Stadium, the comment will sting. And it was painfully true.

    Having scored 15 times in their previous four games with a brand of flowing football and powerhouse performances, it was disappointing to see them retreat in numbers every time City attacked.

    While Mourinho may have adopted counter-attacking tactics to catch the hosts off guard and take advantage of forward runs from full-backs Aleksandar Kolarov and Pablo Zabaleta, it looked like a safety-first approach.

    With this team, and this personnel, it is Chelsea who should impose their own style and scare opponents to death. Instead, Mourinho may well have sown unnecessary seeds of doubt into the minds of his side.

    He used to be the master at getting players to rise to greater heights and perform beyond their capabilities. So it is puzzling to see him restrict their freedom to flourish and show the flair and firepower that had blasted teams apart in this campaign. Eden Hazard, one of the most gifted players in the world, hardly had a touch in the early stages, but then created Andre Schurrle’s opener with a brilliant break.

    At this stage of the season and with a five-point advantage over champions City you would have thought attack was the best form of defence. Instead, he set up his side to defend in numbers with a clear objective of avoiding defeat.

    Diego Costa was often left isolated up front. It was a test of his character as well as his qualities and he passed with flying colours.

    Seven goals in his previous four games had elevated his profile and highlighted his prowess, and his tussle with Vincent Kompany and Eliaquim Mangala emphasised the impact he can make in English football.

    It was a tough day for the Spain striker, but he kept battling. Some strikers would not have fancied this kind of encounter, but he did not hide. 

    Intelligent and imposing, Kompany was again imperious and there are few better centre-backs in world football right now.

    With Mangala alongside and impressive on his debut, City could well have a defensive partnership at the cornerstone of future title bids. As neighbours United struggle to cope with the loss of Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand, the need for quality central defenders cannot be overstated.

    Chelsea have two of their own in John Terry and Gary Cahill, but Kompany and Mangala showed pace, power and a perfect understanding.

    With contributions from all areas, Pellegrini felt this was their best performance of the season and they looked confident and comfortable until Zabaleta’s dismissal. They were also physical and feisty, showing the required combative edge against a forceful Chelsea outfit. 

    As they both slugged  it out until the end, it was clear that it is going to be difficult to separate these two teams in the title race but it could be decided by who adopts a braver and bolder approach in their tactics. Mourinho may well have to show that Chelsea are a big team with big ambitions.

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