Diego Costa and Didier Drogba: Birds of the same feather that will not fly together

Diego Costa is the new Didier Drogba

Right through Atletico Madrid’s title-winning season last year in the Spanish La Liga, Diego Costa was front and centre as far as their attacking ambitions went. He scored 36 goals in all competitions including 8 in Europe as Los Colchoneros also made their way to the showpiece final of the UEFA Champions League against Real Madrid in Lisbon.

Even before the Spanish season could end, there were murmurings that Chelsea were reportedly lining up a bid for Costa in an attempt to get over their weakness in the striking department (read Fernando Torres and Demba Ba). And he did eventually make his way across the English Channel from Atletico after the Blues met his £32 million release clause.

Considered by many to be the missing piece of Chelsea’s jigsaw in their quest for glory, Costa has been a revelation so far having racked up 10 goals already, all of them in the Premier League. He seems to be a perfect fit for Jose Mourinho and his team in every way and he has the fans plush with excitement at the possibilities this current season holds for them.

So much so that he is already being compared to another striker who plied his trade at Stamford Bridge for many, many years, one of a similar mould, a club legend who guided Chelsea to possibly their greatest night ever two years ago in the summer of 2012.

Didier Drogba spent 9 seasons at Chelsea before signing off on an absolute high as a Champions League winner after that magical night in Munich. In that time he established himself as one of the top true centre-forwards of the decade and made it a habit of manhandling opposition defences. He’s back this year for a second stint, revelling in almost a god-like status amongst the Chelsea faithful who never get tired of chanting his name when he’s on the pitch.

Drogba probably sees a lot of himself in Costa and with good reason. Their styles of play are very identical, both tough, physical players very good in the air and at muscling defenders around. They make sure that the opposition’s centre-backs have their hands full whenever they’re around. Their ability to keep possession under pressure with their backs to goal is another trait that the two share.

So far this season, barring the game at Goodison Park, when Costa’s been on the pitch, Drogba hasn’t and vice-versa. And that looks to be the definitive pattern as far as Chelsea are concerned despite some sections of fans wanting to see the two marauders play in tandem more. The truth is, it just wouldn’t help Chelsea any better if they did, not under Mourinho.

Trademarks of Mourinho teams

Over the years, from Benfica and FC Porto to Chelsea to Inter Milan to Real Madrid and back to Chelsea again, Mourinho’s teams have borne some common trademarks. Almost all of his teams have players who are strong, powerful, organised and disciplined. Amongst other things, all of these teams also had a strong, powerful centre-forward in the mould of Costa and Drogba in their ranks.

The other is defence. Mourinho builds his teams on strong defences, and that’s not necessarily a negative thing as some people may make it out to be. He knows that good defences win championships and he has been consistent with that approach throughout his career. And as he builds his sides up from the back, the midfielders and forwards are an extension of that style in the forward areas of the pitch.

Diego Milito was the lone forward for Jose at Inter Milan

There are certain requirements that Mourinho has of these centre-forwards. He uses them as focal points, and hence the necessity for them to be physically strong and be able to hold their own against opposing centre-backs. As a focal point, the forwards are the target of long diagonals from defence and midfield and that’s where ability in the air comes into play.

The other aspect of their role as a focal point is to help relieve pressure when they are under attack by holding up possession in forward areas, thereby a) helping to keep opposition defences who push up at bay, and b) allowing his teammates time to get back into their positions since his teams traditionally defend deep. Drogba’s excellence at this was one of the reasons that helped Chelsea grind out results in tough situations.

Set pieces is another long-running element. Every time Chelsea win a corner or a free-kick, the opposition is immediately on their heels for they know the danger that they pose with the likes of powerful headers such as John Terry, Gary Cahill, Branislav Ivanovic, Nemanja Matic and, of course Costa, at their disposal. Not only is the centre-forward integral in attacking set pieces, but also in defending them as we’ve seen countless times when Drogba and Costa have headed away the threat.

Five midfielders

Mourinho also prefers attacking by creating width with the use of quick and skilled wide players. Two players playing either side of the forward wide on the flanks is a necessity – Eden Hazard, André Schürrle, Willian and sometimes Oscar play those roles in this new Chelsea linking up with Costa just like how Arjen Robben, Joe Cole and Adrian Mutu used to do with Drogba. That combined with Mourinho’s desire to play with a double pivot in midfield ensures that he has to play five midfielders at the least. Matic and Cesc Fabregas sit in that deeper role today with Oscar playing ahead of them.

Cesc Fabregas (left) and Nemanja Matic play the double-pivot in midfield

When he feels the need for added protection, he brings on John Obi Mikel or Ramires to go alongside Matic, pushing Fabregas further forward while shifting Oscar wide right.

Retaining control of that central zone whether in possession or not is one of the keys to Mourinho’s strategy and that’s why playing the extra forward is not an option save as a desperation move when in need of a goal.

The presence of a physical centre-forward usually means that he will not be as quick as some of the other forward players (unless you’re Cristiano Ronaldo) and that’s another reason Mourinho never plays two such identical players together for then his team’s quickness takes a hit.

‘The Special One’ is a big fan of the counter-attack and it is the quick players who help him make that transition from defence to attack in a flash.

Why get Drogba then?

Drogba was sensational in the fact that most of the time he required the attention of both centre-backs, consequently helping in dragging them out of position so that the others would have space to run into.

Costa’s been doing something similar so far, in continuation from his body of work while with Atletico. With both opposition centre-backs already being engaged by just one player, Mourinho gains a huge tactical advantage, negating the need for another front man.

Which actually brings us to the acquisition of Drogba. While many considered the move to be nothing more than a goodwill placebo, Mourinho actually got in a suitable back-up for Costa, one who knows the system inside out and who comes with a wealth of experience behind him.

The frugal minutes is a given, but then again, it suits a veteran perfectly. Which is why you’re more likely to see Loic Remy being thrown on in support of Costa when Chelsea are gunning for a goal than Drogba. Remy is the supplement, Drogba is back-up.

“Look, if I have a triangle in midfield—Claude Makelele behind and two others just in front—I will always have an advantage against a pure 4-4-2 where the central midfielders are side by side.

 because I will always have an extra man. It starts with Makelele, who is between the lines. If nobody comes to him he can see the whole pitch and has time. If he gets closed down it means one of the two other central midfielders is open.

If they are closed down and the other team’s wingers come inside to help, it means there is space now for us on the flank, either for our own wingers or for our full-backs.

There is nothing a pure 4-4-2 can do to stop things.” – A quote from Mourinho during his first stint as Chelsea manager

In short there’s another term for when you play two such centre-forwards, it’s called 4-4-2 – the system he exploited and annihilated when he first arrived in England.

Fantasies are one thing and while it certainly would be quite a sight to witness Costa and Drogba making life hell for defenders at the same time, the reality is that Mourinho’s machinations will not allow for it. Jose doesn’t do 4-4-2!

ISL: Peter Reid on a mission to set right Mumbai City FC’s course

Mumbai FC City coach Peter Reid

A simple umbrella is often all you need to protect yourself from the rain. It will keep the droplets away, ensuring that you stay nice and dry under it, unaffected enough to carry on with your work. But sometimes, when it rains, it pours, and there is simply nowhere to go as you are washed away in a deluge once the skies have opened.

For Mumbai City FC, the first four games of the Hero Indian Super League have gone something like that. They currently sit in seventh place in the table with three points, having lost three of their four games, with only FC Goa below them.

They were part of the inaugural match of the tournament inside the famous Salt Lake Stadium against Atletico de Kolkata, which ended in a 0-3 defeat. They came home for their next game and rebounded in fine fashion with a sparkling display against FC Pune City, winning 5-0. But just when it looked like the win would kick-start their campaign in a major way, NorthEast United FC rained on their parade when they came to Mumbai and beat them 2-0.

Another away fixture lay in wait for Mumbai after that as they travelled to the east coast for their fourth game. Unfortunately for them, the result was another loss as they returned after getting beaten 5-1 by Chennai.

In the eye of the storm is Head Coach Peter Reid, of Sunderland and Leeds United fame. The former England midfielder has been witness to the action from the sidelines as he’s watched his team suffer early setbacks in the campaign.

However, he is a man on a mission. And he is keen to set right his team’s course and get them back into the thick of things.

Reid has the experience of managing in the top flight of English football and has been in situations before where he’s had to get his team out of a pickle. As interim manager of Leeds, he oversaw a difficult period trying to avoid the drop in the 2002-03 season. With Sunderland, he guided the team to promotion into the Premier League twice.

The ISL presents Reid with new challenges in a new territory, but he is determined to make his mark.

Injury problems

Mumbai, of course, have not had the best of times with injuries, resulting in an unsettled team. Their marquee player, Freddie Ljungberg, was not match fit for the first game and came on for a brief 25 minutes in the second game at home. He once again started on the bench in game three, but was introduced at half-time with his team needing a boost. Sadly, about 15 minutes later, he pulled up in agony with a torn hamstring and was forced off. It is very unlikely we will see him again this season for Mumbai.

Injuries to key players like Freddie Ljungberg has not helped their cause

“Freddie’s hamstring is gone and with my experience in football, tears in hamstrings are very difficult injuries and I don’t think it is good for us”, said Reid after the game against NorthEast United.
To go with that, the player he named as captain of his team, India international Syed Rahim Nabi, picked up an injury inside 20 minutes of the opener against Kolkata and had to be taken off. Brazil’s Andre Moritz, who netted the first hat-trick of the tournament in their 5-0 win over Pune and who has been one of the most impressive players so far for Mumbai, played with a bandaged head against NorthEast United after suffering a fall in the bathroom; he didn’t last beyond the first half.

And of course, French striker Nicolas Anelka was forced to miss the first three games owing to his suspension following a controversial celebration last season while playing for West Bromwich Albion.
All in all, there’s been a lot for Reid to contend with as far as player availability is concerned.

Discipline and concentration

Another front on which Reid has been forced to do a lot of firefighting is on the disciplinary front. That is not in reference to any misconduct on the part of the players, but merely alludes to their on-field discipline and concession of fouls and bookings.

“I am an optimist by nature, but if there is a worrying factor that I have, it is that we are putting ourselves under tremendous pressure by conceding stupid free kicks,” bemoaned Reid in a press conference before his side took on Chennai.

Mumbai have failed to maintain consistent levels of concentration

In the 0-2 reverse match against NorthEast United, Mumbai lost Ljungberg to a hamstring injury after Reid had made all his substitutions, thus rendering them down to 10 men. To make matters worse, central defender Pavel Cmovs went in for a rash challenge just minutes later to pick up his second yellow and he was given his marching orders, taking them down to nine men. And once that happened, they were well and truly out of the game.

“Going down to nine men against NorthEast United was the team’s own fault. We must be more disciplined in terms of not committing the fouls,” Reid said.

He has also been attempting to get his team to keep up their concentration levels throughout the course of a game; they have suffered several mid-match lapses which have cost them points.