On Liverpool: Tactics, Torres, Dalglish, and Luiz

By: Devin | February 7th, 2011

Admittedly, I’m not over this one yet. The wound continues to smart the day after the wreckage, and I’m left with a sense of grief and despair. Grief over the notion that we’ve now lost twice to those Northerners, and despair over how porous of a performance we displayed given our newfound reinforcements and ‘momentum’. Jack’s summed it up rather succinctly in his Match Recap below. We were just not good enough, and it’s time to make way for players that are willing to give it all up for the shirt instead of loaf around half-heartedly.

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There is work to be done.

Maybe I’m venting. Maybe I’m overreacting. But if you watched this match, you couldn’t help but feel as though we were a squad going through the motions, expecting Torres to offer a moment of inspiration. Anelka, so good against Sunderland, was inept. Drogba was wholly disinterested on this day, and I can’t say I saw anything from our midfield trio of Lamps, Essien, and Mikel that warranted a guaranteed starting berth for the lot. For all our efforts, and there were few genuine ones mind you, we once again failed to link play between the midfield and our striking contingent.

Now, credit has to be given where it’s due. I know I know, we’re Chelsea supporters, so the mere notion of offering Liverpool praise for anything makes me vomit in my mouth. But alas, the facts are what they are, and on this particular night, Dalglish outmaneuvered Carletto. For a man to be out of the game for ten plus seasons, it’s been a rather remarkable feat watching him adapt his squad to the current landscape. For all his strengths, Carlo has been a pretty poor tactician this season, often refusing to adjust the formation or bringing on questionable substitutions in critical situations. Granted, he gets paid the big bucks for a reason, but I think as fans we’re starting to grow impatient with his decisions.

But in truth, yesterday’s match was just a microcosm of the past week. The glorious highs and despondent lows of being a supporter. We capture two world-class footballers, and then lay an egg in the hotly-anticipated rubber match over the weekend. Any other club would let this one roll off their back and move on to the next one. But we can’t seem to shake the vitriol from Liverpool supporters, and no doubt the media will be branding Torres as a 50m flop now that he failed to score a goal in his 60-minute cameo in Blue.

The good news? David Luiz looked fantastic. Like a young Riccy bounding up the pitch, hair in tow. My, the boy is athletic. It will be interesting to see how he is integrated into the squad, and whether or not his arrival will precipitate the disappearance of Bosingwa from the starting XI. Call me crazy, or what have you, but I was more excited watching Luiz forage into the attack yesterday, make critical blocks, and use his size to impede the progress of Liverpool players than at any point during Torres’ performance. When he entered the match, he brought with himself a sense of purpose and energy. As if he was determined to make an impact on the pitch, for better or worse. The same can’t be said for anyone else in Blue. Credit to Luiz. Also, Taxi for Bosingwa, por favor. And oh by the way, I think we’ve found Paulo’s new calling: translator between Paul Clement and David Luiz.

Here’s a recent excerpt from Mr. Luiz interview with the CFC Press:

‘I am a quiet guy, this is very different from when I am on the field,’ he explains. ‘Outside the field I am a “take it easy” guy, I have a simple life. Inside the field my personality changes because I am tough when I play, but I like to stay at home, I have my family in Brazil, and the simple things make me happy.”

So where do we go from here? Conventional wisdom suggests we can only get better after failing to offer anything tangible on the pitch yesterday. I’d agree in this context. Players need time to adjust and develop chemistry before they can seamlessly slot into position. Expectations will always be high for a club of our stature, so it’s no surprise many of us are disappointed with what we witnessed. But with time, and the right amount of tinkering, this can be a squad that goes on a rampage. Patience is the key, but more than that, it will come down to Carletto’s ability to distinguish talent from ego, and therefore devise a formation that is suited to our abilities rather than the names on the back of our kits.

For now, I’d like everyone to relax, breathe, and remember that it’s just one game. We’ll be back in seven days to try again. KTBFFH!

Some Related Chelsea Posts:

Category: Chelsea Team News, Opinion, Premier League

« PL Recap: Chelsea 0-1 Liverpool | Home | Dear Fernando: A personal message for our new No. 9 »

Ken

BYE BYE CHELSEA.....C U IN EUROPA LEAGUE...
Pyro

Liverpool and Barcelona fan here:
What Chelsea needs is a motivated midfield. Carletto needs to drop the fucking lazy ass players (I'm looking at you Didier Drogba) and give a chance to the players who really want to play and will run their ass off. AKA Kalou. Chelsea needs consistency in. Liverpool have finally found some solid ground with Dalglish and I'm delighted. I am not here to insult anyone or attack anyone. King Kenny said that you will never win anything if you dont work hard. Men like Drogba and whoever is not giving it all needs to be benched. Carletto needs to stamp his own authority. But Abramovich seems to be a little bitch, who always gets what he wants that is why Mou Mou, the Special One. El Anti-Barca left Chelsea.
Jack

You make good points. We'd love to see some of these players dropped but the fact is Carlo has yet to show the sack to do so. As for Kalou starting, can't agree there. I love his effort, but he is and will always be - at least at Chelsea - a good impact sub.

Applause for Dalglish, because he's doing stunning work on Merseyside. Can't say I saw it coming.
Adyatama

Omg is there any indication that Chelsea is offering Di Matteo as assistant coach!? Seriously he's an ex-chelsea legend, an Italian who lives in England (could help carletto in translating more motivation) and also had a manager of the month trophy in prem league. Oyeah he was also an excellent central midfielder which is a mssive problem rite now. Who is our current assistant now? Is he good enough?
Aj

Look on the bright side, for all the money chelsea have spent, stupid arsenal refused to buy any defenders in january now their main CB djorou will be out for the season as well as other long term injuries to their other main CB as well bans for the player that got sent off last weekend. So they have no proper centre backs and have to rely on the 2 guys that let in 4 against newcastle especially scilacci who is not even a defender and doesnt know how to defend. you gotta laugh at those stingy bastards. they dont seem to understand that to win trophies you need a good squad and cover in defense, and all their money they are making from emirates as well as having the highest ticket prices in europe, is going to the fat directors. arsene wenger is a good business man and good at finding young talent and develop them (then sell them) but his transfer policy is one of the worst in the PL.
YNWalkA

Accepted, you cry babies. You were beaten, by a BETTER and BIGGER team fairly and squarely and, really a 0:1 really flattered you, should have been at least 0:2, GET OVER IT!!!
Aj

typical liverpool supporters, is that what the club has been reduced to. the 5 time european winners and 18 league title winners celebrating winning against chelsea rather than winning any cup or league. Do you really think you can take the 4th position in the CL??? enjoy mediocracy for god knows how many more years.
YNWalkA

If we can slaughter you with, and as you say, with our mediocre team?, just think of what we can do to you, when we're in FULL FLOW..........Oops
Max

Honestly you must be really insecure about yourself and your club if you're coming here to attack us.
Aj

so whats your point, dont forget you have been beaten by blackpool twice , does that make them better than you???

FULL FLOW, you think chelsea have been in full flow?? just count yourself lucky playing chelsea in a bad time.
Barz

Sit back, for just a moment, imagine the following, and try to grasp the nearly surreal irony, and ultimate poetic justice involved if Chelsea FC , and their newest rent-boy, "El Foldo", were to finish in fifth place this season. Unless you are completely devoid of any sense of humor, you HAVE to admit...THAT would be funny!
Aj

in your dreams, tottenham and chelsea will end up ahead of you.
matt smash

it wouldn't be funny and it won't happen.
Yann

Oh yes it might and it would be a laugh fuckin riot.
Aj

what will be funny is liverpool missing out on CL football for another season and losing more stars like reina etc
Yann

We'll be sure to wave (goodbye) to Chelski as LFC pass them on the way up and remind them to wear a crash helmet on their way down.
Jack

You might want to sit down and, instead of worrying about us, actually focus on securing Europa League football first. Then you can move on from there. And, yeah, tying up Reina might be on the to-do list as well.
Yann

Sorted. And you guys might like to think about shedding all the dead weight that's going to sink you.
Jack

See, there you go again. Worried about us. How hilarious is it that we've been nothing but commendable when speaking about Liverpool since the match, yet their supporters have been more inclined to troll it up on our boards rather than have constructive debate on their own. Sad really.
MarkhahArmsDan

One swallow does not a summer make! Glass half empty or half full? There is a certain type of supporter who think they know more about football (the game) than those who actually run and play it. Perhaps young Devin here believes that by watching a favourite television station, he could run it better and get immediate gratification from his programming?
Its a game you twat! We win some we lose some - as always.
Maybe we didn't play well, were nervous, had an off day, the ref was against us, the scousers wanted it more, the Special One isn't back yet, it was fixed, etc etc. Do you seriously think that any Chelsea player in the First team, on the day, doesn't want to win, isn't trying, or is just going through the motions"?
Twat!
Aj

your wrong, football is more important than life and death itself.

also Devins points are all valid. any passionate supporter would aire his views about his own team, whether positive or negative, its called being a fan. I think your the twat if you think nobody is allowed to have their own opinions. I like to know what team you support as i doubt your a chelsea supporter.
Neutralsupportor

Just pointing it out. You realize you just quoted Shankly, right?
Max

Dude, not cool. Jack, Jamie, and Devin take a lot of time to write blog posts for us to read and comment on, and they're all very accessible too. I've commented on a bunch of posts recently, and most of the time they have all taken the time to read what I've said and either answer my question (if it was a question) or respond to what I've said. Do I always agree with them? No, of course not. But I respect that they are taking their own free time to write for us, and you really should respect that too. If you don't like what they're writing, don't read this blog! It is a blog after all, not a sports section of a newspaper.
MarkhahArmsDan

Mea culpa! Apologies to Devin and the blog.
Adyatama

Chelsea fan unite!
Jack

Disagree, fine. But to harshly attack a fellow supporter? Why?
Aj

i doubt if he is a chelsea supporter, im guessing hes a liverpool one
Devin

Hysterical stuff. Tell me, are you therefore not inclined to have an opinion on any subject provided someone else performs the task in question? At what point did I suggest I could do a better job than Carlo? I didn't. If you'd read what I wrote instead of mouthing off and calling me a twat you'd realize that I was commenting on what I saw as a dismal performance. Nothing more.

Also, twat? Seriously? A contrarian opinion to your clearly superior notions earns me the label of a twat? Child please.
Jules

At what point you thought your statement would amount to hyperbole, I don't know. Nonetheless, Ancelotti is not up to the task and it would appear from the core players' performances, they are aging and disinterested.

As you rightly say, you hope players will be bought who play for the shirt, however, huge money players - such as all but the longest in the tooth of Chelsea's players, are mercenary, and will jump ship should Chelsea fail to compete at the very highest level - despite the fact that it is the big money players who lose interest first and in turn, add to the decline of the team, whom they then slate for lack of ambition as a passing shot on their way out of the club (e.g. Torres).

If I were you, by which I mean a Chelsea fan, I'd be very concerned about the future. The heart of the team are past their peak and the lure of Barca, the money of Man City and the continued success of Man Utd will get first pick of the best young talent. The situation is exacerbated further still by the new UEFA financial rules. Look what happened to Arsenal since the last of their "Invincibles" retired - they've won nothing in six years.

There's an enormous rebuild required at Chelsea, and I don't think Torres is going to kick start it, or Ancelotti is going to make it happen.
Devin

All good points Jules. I'd agree the long-term concern is our aging core. But the short-term focus is going to be on getting results with this nucleus, and whether or not Carlo is the man that can make it happen.
Sharinganfx

I noticed that Terry didn't bomb forward like he has done in previous games against Liverpool. He took responsibility and made the team charge forward against Sunderland but it seemed he wanted to just sit back on Sunday, much like the rest of the team. I know this is probably due to the overcrowded midfield impeding his runs, but it seems that we tend to press harder when Terry makes his run...I want to see some anger and rage when we're losing to push us forward.
Jack

I think it had a lot to do with our formation, and the fact that Liverpool's made easy work of it. When we went 4-3-3 during the second half, it was Luiz not Terry who was allowed to do all that forward work.
Devin

Agreed, he wasn't getting up the pitch as we've come to expect. I think a lot of that had to due with the defensive responsibilities and clearly the cluster in the midfield. But I agree that we seem to play with more of a chip on our shoulder when the skip is leading from the back.