12/21/24
May 15, 2006
Ballack signs for Chelsea.: The Germany captain and former Bayern Munich midfielder joined Chelsea on a free transfer. To clear up any confusion, Chelsea boss Mourinho insisted "Ballack and (Chelsea captain and midfielder) Lampard will play together". Thou doth protest too much?
posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 03:42 PM - 25 comments
Sorry for all the questions, but this really does begin to boggle my mind a bit.
posted by trox at 03:58 PM on May 15, 2006
I expect Robben to be on his way this summer. Makelele and Essien will stay and play, along with Lampard and Ballack. Quite where Joe Cole fits in, I don't know. I wouldn't be surprised if Gudjonson leaves, although it may be cheaper, (if Chelsea ever concern themselves with that), to keep Gudjonson and move on Drogba. Either way, Mourinho won't hesitate to have Drogba sit down while he starts with Crespo and Scheva, if they land the Ukrainian. He's hardly in Scheva's class. Of course, Mourinho could play five up front or something next year. His first season he played a lot of 4-5-1, (or, perhaps more accurately 4-1-3-1-1), with a lot of play coming down the wings through Robben and Duff, while this year he's been trying to find a way to get to a 4-2-2-2, which he can do, now he has Ballack and Lamps. Essien took over for Gudjonson as the link man, Robben's role was much reduced through injury and poor form and Duff was used as a spot player, alongside Wright-Phillips. Mourinho will have new players, new tactics and new ideas waiting for Sir Alex, Arsene and Rafa next year.
posted by Mr Bismarck at 04:22 PM on May 15, 2006
Free Shaun Wright-Phillips! He ruined his England chances by cashing in and sitting on Chelsea's bench all season, and he's too good of a player to be wasted like that.
posted by Toxteth O'Grady at 05:31 PM on May 15, 2006
Trouble is, he has four central midfielders (Lampard, Essien, Makelele, Ballack), one who should be (Cole) but is used wide, and a range of specialist wider players (Roben, Duff, Geremi, SWP). I don't think you can play 4-2-2-2 without exposing the flanks, so Mourinho still needs some width. I agree with you, someone has to go. And probably more than one, but the central/flank balance needs to be kept. That could work in Cole's favour.
posted by owlhouse at 05:51 PM on May 15, 2006
I suspect a diamond of __Makalele Essien Ballack __Lampard will feature commonly in their midfield, with the rumoured addition of Roberto Carlos at left back providing some width along with Ferreira. You could then play Shevchenko off Drogba up front. Mourinho is a known fan of this formation: he used it at the Portuguese clubs at which he managed and he has tinkered with it at various stages at Chelsea. He may keep a winger or two to use from the bench when extra width is required, but the class of Makalele combined with the addition of Ballack and Essien in recent times and assurances Lampard will stay, would point to a narrow midfield diamond.
posted by walrus at 05:51 PM on May 15, 2006
Owlhouse, you think he can't play it without exposing the flanks and I think it's a pretty narrow formation too, but Jose does what he wants and if it can work, I think he'll find a way to make it work. I can see Makele sitting in front of the back four, with Essien playing a water-carrier role between the back and Ballack and Lampard, playing behind Sheva and Crespo. (Yes, I'm totally unsold on Drogba, and wouldn't play him if I had two decent forwards.) If Chelsea can't land Sheva, then a front pairing of Crespo and Drogba remains, but he could also stick in a "Forward" rather than a Striker, perhaps playing Robben, Duff, Cole or Wright-Phillips behind a lone front man, although that would cramp the space for the tip of a diamond, if he plays that style of midfield. I guess this is why Jose has won four titles in a row and I, err, haven't. Although I do ok on Football Manager 06.
posted by Mr Bismarck at 07:09 PM on May 15, 2006
I like the diamond, but if you are relying on your fullbacks to supply width, this gets very risky, and can allow space behind. I play the back of the diamond in our over 35s, by the way. But no-one has compared me to Makalele - yet.
posted by owlhouse at 08:03 PM on May 15, 2006
I don't think he'll play a diamond, (Walrus brought that up). I think Makelele and Essien play "flat" in front of the back four, with Makelele holding and Essien granted more tactical freedom. In front of those two, Lampard and Ballack are given almost entire freedom to let their world-class talents take them where they will. Sometimes wide, sometimes not. The forwards will also be expected to provide width, (think Thierry Henry), and I think Sheva can make this work. This is the only system in which I pick Drogba ahead of Crespo, as Didier is more physical and active, whereas Crespo really only comes alive in the box.
posted by Mr Bismarck at 08:57 PM on May 15, 2006
What amazes me is how much real talent these moves will make available. I'd love to see Liverpool step up and bid for Duff or Gudjohnsen rather than some of the other rumors I've seen. Either one would be a huge improvement over Morientes, who has to go, and maybe even Cisse. I wonder if Daniel Agger will figure for us next season since he didn't get on field this year and whether Zenden will recover to previous form.
posted by billsaysthis at 10:31 PM on May 15, 2006
I think getting Duff would be a steal, maybe even Cole. Especially with the "older" and injury-prone players like Kewell and Bolo likely candidates for sale. However, it's more important to get some strikers. We've got Fowler for a year, but the rest of the strikers, including Cisse, are just not producing. We can't go on relying on Gerrard being the top scorer on the team. We've also got to look for a holding player to take over from Hamann, and someone to take over from Hyppia. So, I say sell Zenden and Kewell, sell Garcia. Sell Morientes. And, yeah, I wouldn't be too unhappy if Cisse was sold. Bring in a new striker, maybe two. A new winger (hey, don't we have that Peruvian or Chilean guy working out his Euro papers so he can play?). A holding midfielder. A central defender. Someone to cover Gerrard; we need cover for Gerrard! Buy! Buy! Buy!
posted by worldcup2002 at 12:11 AM on May 16, 2006
The only reason I mention the diamond midfield Mr Bismarck is that it's Mourinho's favourite formation, and he's reverted largely to it in the latter part of this season. He's never fielded the 4-2-2-2 to my knowledge, although that doesn't preclude the possibility I suppose. bill: Agger was brought in as a long term prospect: I don't think he could or should be "featuring" this season, although I expect him to be groomed into the side more. But at the moment we've got the best defence in the league, so it's not broken and does not require fixing. Similarly to worldcup2002: Hamann is one of our most important players for the calm and experience he brings to the squad and has just won himself a new automatic contract extension. He's happy playing a bit part so why sell him? We wouldn't get a lot anyway. I wouldn't advocate selling any of our wingers either. We need an extra two wingers, not fewer. But I'm not sure how this thread became about Liverpool.
posted by walrus at 02:19 AM on May 16, 2006
It became about Liverpool because this place is full of Liverpool fan-boys (myself included). I heard this morning that Rafa is planning on switching formation next season. He's going to play a "1" formation. Just Stevie. He's going to sell the rest of the team and go on a long holiday himself (as apparently SG can manage the club better than anyone else too). He fully expects to come back from the Carribean next May to find Gerrard sitting in the board room surounded by trophies and smoking a rather fat cigar.
posted by JJ at 05:54 AM on May 16, 2006
The diamond is Jose's comfort blanket Walrus, yes. But in his time with Chelsea he's migrated from 4-4-2 to diamond to 4-1-3-1-1, which played like a strange 4-4-2/4-3-3 hybrid, to some bizarre 4-1-1-2-2 stuff this year, with virtually no natural width at all. I guess the wildcard here is that Chelsea can afford to keep everyone, if they can keep them happy, so I'm sure Jose would like to have a huge squad for an assault on back-to-back-to-back titles and the Champs League in 06/07. I have a friend, (a Watford fan), who hopes that Chelsea keep everyone and win everything next year - Premiership, League Cup, FA Cup and Champions League - his hope being that both Jose and Roman get bored and leave England.
posted by Mr Bismarck at 06:00 AM on May 16, 2006
"back-to-back-to-back titles" If anyone says "three-peat" I'm never coming back.
posted by JJ at 07:23 AM on May 16, 2006
i am looking forward to the EPL next season.
posted by poda72 at 09:12 AM on May 16, 2006
Next season? But one EPL team has one more game to go! (Then I can focus on the World Cup).
posted by trox at 01:22 PM on May 16, 2006
Yeah, I'm rooting for Arsenal tomorrow, as much as I like Ronaldinho and Barcelona's overall talent.
posted by worldcup2002 at 01:49 PM on May 16, 2006
back on topic, I've said before and I'll say it again:
Ballack gives Mourinho a versatile option in midfield. Ballack can play a Lampard-style attacking midfielder role as well as a holding role (should Essien and Makalele be unavailable). I see Mourinho rotating (in this order) Ballack, Essien and Makalele, with Lampard as the only top choice. When Ballack starts on the bench, he can be brought in as fresh legs for Lampard or Essien or Makalele. If Chelsea wants to win more than the EPL championship out of each season, they'll need this. Ballack only cares for the CL at this point in his career, so he'll probably figure more in Euro games.The BBC has their own analysis.
posted by worldcup2002 at 01:57 PM on May 16, 2006
Chelsea have now successfully replaced Man U as the team I want to lose every game they play (Man U replaced Liverpool a couple of decades ago). PS If you colonials want to be proper football supporters you need to start referring to a team in the plural rather than the singular.
posted by squealy at 06:10 PM on May 16, 2006
Oh, do we, now.
posted by chicobangs at 06:52 PM on May 16, 2006
Man United still haven't shaken the tag of team I want to lose everything, a stigma that will probably stay with them until they sell the Horse-Faced cheat. Which should happen soon, apparently.
posted by Mr Bismarck at 09:40 PM on May 16, 2006
If you colonials want to be proper football supporters you need to start referring to a team in the plural rather than the singular. Is that proper football supporters or proper grammar supporters, squealy? I would think the latter should come first.
posted by Texan_lost_in_NY at 06:26 PM on May 17, 2006
Grammar has no place in football. You only have to listen to a post-match interview with a player to realise that eg Well I seen him free out on the left so I feeds him in and he buries it. All I'm saying is that teams are referred to in the plural in Europe and we all know how you enlightended colonials worship our European leagues.
posted by squealy at 06:55 PM on May 17, 2006
We could send Big Ron over to educate them. A couple of years of "The little ginger fella was giving it eyebrows at the back stick" and they should be fine.
posted by Mr Bismarck at 07:03 PM on May 17, 2006
So, who's on their way out to make room for Ballack and Schevchecko (since Lampard will be playing with Ballack)? Drogba? Gudjonson? Robben? Wright-Phillips? Essien? Makelele? Cole (boy the English press would love that)? Duff? Geremi? Gallas wants out, but he plays defense (and they don't want to let him go anyways). And is Crespo definitely moving to Italy? There's simply not enough room in that lineup for all those players. At what point are the players going to start avoiding Chelsea due to the log jam of players.