Have you ever come across the advertisements of those weight loss programs with a “before” and an “after” picture, portraying a fat-bellied man or woman in the left and a magically fitter version of the same on the right? Or maybe you have seen those promises of hair regrowth on a bald face which suddenly looks overloaded with hair in the next pic. Now, you must be wondering, “Why on Earth will somebody mention these things while writing a simple analysis of the Blues’ Quarter Season story?”. Well, if you have followed Chelsea FC regularly throughout these 3 months, you probably know the answer. Chelsea’s transformation in the later stage of this three month period has been as dramatic as those ads and there is also a mild possibility that this dramatic change may turn out to be as deceptive as well. Well, probably not “as deceptive” but still some doubts remain even after 5 otherwise utterly convincing victories. But, first things first. Let’s have a look at the matches played by the Blues this season.
The Unconvincing Ones:
Chelsea beat West ham at home in their opening league fixture and then won at Watford with identical 2-1 scorelines. With late goals from Costa and Batshuayi being the saviour both times, these wins were far from convincing but surely sent a good message to the rest of the premier league about the fire in the belly. Bristol Rovers managed to give a good fight to a second-string squad in EFL Cup but Chelsea managed a 3-2 win. A comfortable victory against Burnley followed.
The Crisis Period:
It was another comeback against Swansea courtesy of a Diego Costa masterclass but this time the reward was just 1 point. A narrow loss to Liverpool followed. Fabregas’ brilliance in another comeback win against Leicester in the EFL Cup meant he started against his former club. What followed next was a disaster. Arsenal virtually toyed with Chelsea. The blues went down without a fight, evoking bitter memories of the last season. It was enough for Conte to take matters into his own hands. 54th minute: Fabregas out, Alonso in. (Read, 4-2-3-1-out, 3-4-3 in).
The Invincibility Period:
It ha since been a fantastic run for Chelsea, with Hull and Leicester being dispatched 0-2 and 3-0 respectively. The statement victory came against Mourinho’s United. A loss againt the Hammers in the EFL cup was quickly forgotten with 0-2 and 5-0 wins against Southampton and Everton.
THE SUBSTITUTION THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING:
Not everything though, especially not the scoreline of the most disastrous match of Chelsea’s season. But Marcos Alonso being subbed in for Fabregas in the 54th minute of a match with 0-3 down did underline quite a few points. The 3-4-3 that has become the star of the show in November may be the most important among those but surely not the only one. Through the substitution on that day and Fabregas’ absence since now, Chelsea players have surely got the memo-Conte means business. Fabregas was the star of the show during the comeback victory over Leicester and Marcos Alonso-a deadline day signing which probably everybody (except Conte obviously) had thought to be a panic buy. Ruthlessness 1-0 Patience. It almost seems that Conte was waiting for the perfect opportunity for a squad and formation overhaul. An immediate change at the start of the season could have brought an adverse effect. Conte waited for everybody to understand that the present system is not working and accept the change. A few points were probably sacrificed in the process but all that for the greater good. As the last season pointed out, there are some big egos in the Chelsea dressing room. Nobody would like to miss an opportunity of a radical change without hurting those egos. Ruthlessness 1-1 Patience. The opportunity eventually sprang up for him and boy, he did grab it. In hindsight, sending Kenedy on loan, retaining Victor Moses, buying David Luiz-it all makes more and more sense increasingly.
The 3-man central defence has brought the best out of Luiz, from the defending point of view. Azpilicueta’s ever-defensive mindset has found the perfect job and Cahill, though still vulnerable has regained the confidence by virtue of the numerical advantage in defence. In Moses and Alonso, there is a perfect balance in the wider areas of defence and attack. And he had got the final piece of the puzzle without much drama much before the closure of the transfer window- one of the best CDMs in the world to protect the back three. And just to prove that whatever Conte tries comes off successfully, here is a little quote from Chelsea’s busy bee. “Chelsea have many very good midfielders, but most of the time I play with Matic and, yes, he’s a good player. In training we have done a lot of work together, so in the game, we can understand each other. When he goes forward, I stay back. When I go forward, he stays back. When you play together, it’s good to understand each other and I think it is a good partnership.” In Hazard, Costa and Pedro/ Willian, Chelsea’s attack is as good as any team n the world. The PHD tag is already widely circulating though it feels like a bit of injustice for the Brazilian whose starting place is not quite as secure as last season anymore. Talking of starting place, let’s have a look at what these 3 months have meant for the Chelsea players. Who has gained unexpected starting places and who has lost out?
Risers:
Marcos Alonso- He has probably revived his career in his newfound role. Solid in defence with occasional assists and goals. From Real Madrid to Bolton-Alonso has seen all the ups and downs but he seems ready to announce himself on the international stage now.
David Luiz- Excellent as always on the ball with a newfound penchant for defending- call it the Conte effect or the extended support from a 3-man defence, his performance has surprised one and all. “Luiz looks – I’m scared to say it – like a serious defender. You’ve got him buying into it as well, and that was a problem for Chelsea for many years. But when he’s like that, he looks the real deal.” -Jamie Redknapp said while assessing Conte’s philosophy.
Victor Moses- With Ivanovic struggling and Azpilicueta being drafted infield, Moses has got the new role of Right Wingback and a fantastic attack in front of him has allowed him to wreck havoc.
Fallers:
Cesc Fabregas- He has not been in the scheme of things since the start itself, apparently due to his immobility not suiting the intended intensity. And even after his matchwinning performance against Leicester, it will be tough to disagree with Conte, given the lacklustre 54 minutes that followed.
Branislav Ivanovic- He is, at best, a third choice CB presently and the rumours has it that his stay in Chelsea is nearing an end.
John Obi Mikel- Another player who has not featured much under Conte, with his Olympics participation rumoured to be a reason (not much reason to believe though).
The thing that will please Chelsea supporters is that everybody is willing to fight for their places under Conte unlike last season when the desire to play and win seemed non-existent. “Every player in the world would like to play every game, but sometimes you don’t have that choice, but you have to be ready for every challenge – and for myself I can say I’m ready”-Ivanovic said after insisting that playing with a back three at Serbia will help him get back into the plan at Chelsea. Fabregas has also reportedly rejected offers from Italy and China to fight for his place.
BEST PERFORMERS:
Eden Hazard- Without a doubt. Magical Eden has already scored 7 league goals this season, more than he had scored in the entire last season. And did I forget? His dribbling and ball control is as good as ever.
Diego Costa- Top Scorer of the league with 9 goals. Need I say more?
Also Read: Diego Costa- The Devil Chelsea Can’t Afford to Lose
N’Golo Kante- In the era of “Next Ronaldo”s and “Next Messi”s, he is the “next Makelele” and this one is the closest-to-reality comparison out there.
THE SLIM DOUBT THAT EXISTS
It is really tough to question the credentials of a team or a manager when they are on a run of 5 wins with 16 goals scored and 5 cleansheets the last of which was described as “The best 90 minute performance” he has ever seen in the Premier League by none other than John Motson. But given the season Chelsea had to endure in 2015-16, there is bound to be some doubts. Conte is following the Mourinho way in his team selection, giving start to a core group day in and day out. In a system much more intense than Mourinho’s, it will be interesting to see if the players can hold themselves up long enough to win the title. Towards the end of 2014-15 itself, the flaws were starting to show. But in the absence of serious competition, the team somehow drew itself over the line before falling apart next season. Conte has the advantage of not having to play in Europe this season but if he is to bulid a dynasty at Chelsea, there is a lot still to ponder over.But even before that, he will have to come up with a way to stop Spurs and City, the first “proper” title rivals (Man Utd did not really play like one) the reshuffled Chelsea is going to face. Are you worried? Cheer yourself up with these then. Meanwhile, press the “Follow” button on the top right to stay updated for more awesome articles.
~~Falguni Ghosh
The Big Football Opinion 