Even Jesus Christ can’t seem to get Premier League players and managers a break
The snow’s falling down, kids are enjoying their holidays, offices take an extended break and homes swell with festive cheer and celebration as Europe looks forward to Christmas and the impending New Year. Footballers too get a break, to put their feet up a bit and get some rest and relaxation while also getting time to spend with family and friends. After all, when the rest of the world’s celebrating, why shouldn’t they? However, Diego Costa, Filipe Luis, Alexis Sanchez, Angel di Maria and the rest of the players in England’s top flight – are not sharing the same sentiments as they find themselves embroiled in the yearly rigmarole that is the ‘bonus’ fixture pile-up that the Premier League is associated with usually at this point in the season. Unlike during their time in Spain in the last few years, the above quartet is not going to be enjoying a winter break this time around. A cluster of games are the presents that the league throws up to its teams, and their players and managers, who must curse their luck when they look at what their pals in the other leagues are up to. It’s been a long-running debate on whether the Football Association (FA) should cease with this annual fixture congestion in keeping with what Spain, Germany, Italy and the rest of Europe’s top leagues do in order to aid English teams in the long run. So far though, it hasn’t cut any slack with the powers to be as profit, viewership and cash, continue to ensure that players will be in their team strips four times in a span of 10 days between December 26 and January 5. The rest of Europe In contrast, the winter break is on after this weekend’s round of matches in the other leagues. The La Liga will resume on January 3rd, the Serie A on January 5th and the Ligue 1 on January 7th. That’s 14 days off for those teams at the minimum. The Bundesliga is even better, and reopens only on January 30th, resulting in a month of rest and recuperation for the likes of Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund. Of course, Germany has only 18 teams and as a result has 40 matches lesser in its calendar, due to which they can afford a whole month off. But the other three big leagues have the same number of teams as the Premier League and get 14 days off. Ironically, despite that, the La Liga, Bundesliga, Ligue 1 and Premier League all conclude on the weekend of May 23/24; Serie A closes a week later. So, the situation in England is great for television, great for some sections of fans who do enjoy the added football during the holidays, but how about the players and what effect does it have in the longer run, say for teams in the UEFA Champions League? English teams in the Champions League knockout rounds One trend that has been observed on an almost annual basis is that teams from the other leagues seem to almost fare better in the Champions League than those from England. Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund seem to be able to find another gear as the competition moves into March and April. Last year Manchester City, the eventual champions, were eliminated in the first knockout round by Barcelona, Arsenal likewise by Bayern Munich. Chelsea got to the semi-finals before being beaten by Atletico Madrid. Last year’s Chelsea are in fact a classic case; they were going well in the Premier League and looking likely for a title run until their resources got stretched with a deep run in Europe. Manchester City benefited from having a deeper squad as well as bowing out early, allowing them to fully concentrate on the league. This explains how they became champions last year despite being top of the table for a mere 14 days. And Liverpool had no distractions from the get go, a challenge they could not cope with this year, not being able to get past the group stage even.
The top three teams in England over the past five seasons (based on how they finished that season)
Looking at how the top English teams (in reference to order of finish that season) have gone in Europe in the last five years, it doesn’t make for good reading. Of the eventual champions, Manchester United went the furthest in 2010-11 finishing runners-up to Barcelona. No runner-up has gone beyond the quarter-finals and likewise for the third-best team. The top Spanish and German teams are however, constantly making the quarters and the semis in Europe’s premier club competition. Last year, it was an all-Spanish affair in the final and the year before that, an all-German one. Each of the top three Spanish teams last year made the quarter-finals while two German teams did. Chelsea were England’s only representative. You might say that those stats merely state the obvious, which is that the Premier League isn’t ‘the best in the world’ as those ‘pundits’ would have you believe and that the players in Spain and Germany are so much better than the ones in England. While that isn’t entirely a faulty line of debate, all players, including the very best ones, need their rest and time to recuperate and when viewed in that context a 14-day period of no competitive action is gold dust. Chelsea may be amongst the best in Europe this term, but the lack of time off could hurt them when they take on Europe’s big boys. World Cup exertions Like those layers of cake that you get around Christmas when you step into feasts, certain footballers this year had to deal with the exertions of playing at the quadrennial showpiece before returning to their clubs. It wasn’t for no reason that players such as Eden Hazard, Robin van Persie and Pablo Zabaleta took some time to get going this season. Also, players associated with the Brazil team, the World Cup hosts, seem to suffering from a serious dip in form after their underwhelming campaign that ended in a humiliating exit at the hands of eventual winners Germany. Fernandinho is a prime example of a player whose form has dipped this year over last season, while Oscar and Willian looked to be carrying a hangover for some time as well. What would really irk the players is that even during such years, there is no exception made by the FA. Is there any respite? The fact that the Premier League is an extremely profitable money-spinning offering now probably means that the end to this hectic schedule is nowhere in sight in the near future. When Premier Leagues can charge upto £600 for children to become mascots, you know that its money over anything else. Also, the fact that as a product it is being lapped up by audiences outside of England who are in fact the main drivers of television revenue probably means that the Christmas festivities for the players will continue to remain on the pitch.
Louis van Gaal is the latest manager to criticize the Christmas scheduling
As Louis van Gaal said recently critiquing this, "I am not happy - but I cannot change it - because I don't think it is good for the players that they play within two days of a (previous) match - two matches in two days.” "In December it shall be like that. We also have family. I have a wife and kids, and grandchildren, and I cannot see them this Christmas. But I want to work in the Premier League, so I have to adapt, and I shall adapt. But I don't think it is good. It is not good for the players, nor for the family." Perhaps it’s about time ‘the best league in the world’ lent a caring ear to its primary stakeholders in order to further the interests of its clubs in the long run and not just its coffers.
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 midfieldWhen 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!
A few newspaper headlines after Spain’s heavy loss to the Dutch in their opening game
The word out on the streets (not just those in Brazil) is that World Cup 2014 is turning out to be the best ever in the history of the event. We’re just six days in and there have already been so many memorable moments that it has outshone some of its predecessors. There has been the notable emphasis on attack by almost all teams, with caution being thrown to the wind and teams not settling for comfortable draws early on, England not lumping long balls forward for a change...
That in turn has led to a glut of goals, the key fuel that keeps interest levels going at such a massive event, especially when fans have to stay up long into the night in most parts of the world. But, over and above those, there have been the upsets, the results that send audiences into a frenzy and those that initiate arguments and counter-arguments that run for days after the actual result. And unfortunately for Spain and Uruguay, they have been the victims of those upsets at Brazil 2014.
How did this happen? Both of the results were inconceivable before the tournament began. However, a closer look suggests that perhaps we shouldn’t be so surprised at what transpired in Salvador and Fortaleza last week. Perhaps Spain’s drubbing at the hands of the Dutch and Uruguay’s insipid display against a spirited Costa Rica side was in the works even before they stepped onto the pitch?
Spain and Uruguay were two of the final four at the last edition in South Africa in 2010; Spain the victors while Uruguay finished a very impressive fourth. But both these teams seem to have overlooked a key aspect in their preparations for this World Cup, something that the other two from the final four in South Africa (Netherlands and Germany) seem to have taken note of and duly addressed.
Both of these teams have carried with them excess baggage from the previous World Cup and it is hurting them. Spain
World and European champions Spain were spoilt for choice in terms of talent, not just in picking a 23-man squad, but also a provisional 30-man squad for that matter. The squad has some visible new faces, but the team that took to the field against the Netherlands resembled much the same to the one from four years ago.
There were four notable changes from the team that started the final at the previous edition – Diego Costa was employed as the lone striker up front in place of David Villa, Jordi Alba took up the left-back role, previously donned by the ultra-solid Joan Capdevila, David Silva came into the starting line-up in place of Pedro Rodriguez and Sergio Ramos moved to centre-back, from his erstwhile right-back position, taking over from Carles Puyol.
The old adage is to not fix something that isn’t broke, but while the Spanish squad and system wasn’t exactly broken, there were some tweaks that were necessary. One important thing to always look at is the stage at which a particular player’s career lifecycle lies.
Xavi and Xabi Alonso together in midfield was problem number one for Spain. While Xavi’s short-passing keeps things ticking over and Alonso’s ranging aerials open the game up when it becomes congested in midfield, the duo together are slow and as such, liable to be neutralized by a midfield high on energy and industry. Xavi is into the twilight years of a very successful career and Alonso too cannot hold a midfield on his own.
Diego Costa, after his fantastic season and allegiance switch to Spain, was going to be the first-choice striker. Plus, he offered something different from their previous two forward line leaders in good heading ability along with a knack for hassling opposing defenders.
However, Costa hasn’t exactly had the best of time in the last one-and-a-half months or so prior to the tournament, with the injury he suffered and the resultant rustiness. He looked very off the pace against the Dutch despite winning the penalty for Spain’s goal. But playing him was the right thing to do; what wasn’t was picking able alternatives.
Villa showed this season that he still has plenty of game left in him, but he is the kind of striker known more for his runs behind the defence and predatory instincts. Torres, a favourite of Coach Vicente Del Bosque, expectedly made the plane to Brazil, but in terms of his career graph, he is a player who has fallen way off the charts; his glaring miss during the game, further evidence of this.
Fernando Llorente, picked for South Africa, was overlooked this time, largely due to his marginalized role at Juventus. But he should have ideally made the trip for he offers something different to Torres and Villa.
Arjen Robben (centre) of the Netherlands attacking with the ball, watched by Spain defenders Sergio Ramos (left) and Gerard Pique
In defence, the combination of Sergio Ramos and Gerard Pique at the back was run ragged by the Dutch offense. Pique is a defender who gets more credit than necessary; while he may be good in the air and at set pieces, he struggles mightily against pacy forwards for he can’t keep up with them in foot-speed. He has the turning radius of a truck which allows attackers to twist him one way and then the other, eventually putting him off balance and leaving him out of position. And him going up against one of the world’s premier attackers in Arjen Robben was always going to yield only one result – disaster.
Watching Robben go at him was like watching a hot knife cut through butter, like a nightmarish re-run for Spanish fans of when Bayern Munich dismantled Barcelona, when Robben had put Pique to the sword as in Salvador. Having seen how this particular matchup played out in the past, it was surprising that Del Bosque didn’t opt for more cover, perhaps with the use of Javi Martinez.
Ramos to his credit was often found making some last ditch interceptions, without which, the score-line could have been worse for the champs. But Ramos too in the past couple of seasons has been undone when the opponents have attacked him with high pace and a bullish centre forward. Jürgen Klopp’s Borussia Dortmund, twice in two seasons, took Ramos’ Real Madrid defence to the cleaners. But the difference lay in that Ramos had Pepe, a mobile central defensive partner, to help him out at Real, which isn’t the case at national level.
The decline has continued with captain and keeper Iker Casillas as well, one noticed by Jose Mourinho, enough to convince him to drop Casillas. For all the ire that he earned at the hands of the Spanish press for that, he must feel vindicated now.
Spain keeper Iker Casillas after his calamitous error led to Robin van Persie’s second goal
To go with that, Spain’s phenomenal run in world football also coincided with a successful period for Barcelona domestically and in Europe, a team whose players have come to form the core of the Spanish side. But since their second Euro success, the Catalan giants have found their dominance challenged and a system to combat their effective “tiki-taka” has been unearthed by more than one manager.
And that system has been beaten with the use of a directness in attack coupled with pace and shackling of the midfield engine room, where Xavi, Iniesta and Sergio Busquets operate; the very same elements that Louis Van Gaal employed with his Dutch side. Spain’s midfield quartet are no longer the all-conquering force that they used to be and with the defeats they’ve suffered in the last few years, so has their confidence. Uruguay
Shifting the spotlight to South America and a very similar situation prevails with Uruguay. The squad almost resembles a carbon copy of the one that travelled to South Africa four years ago with a few exceptions. Oscar Tabarez and the Uruguayans have again erred along the same lines, much like Spain have. Diego Forlan is no longer the force he once was; going into the 2010 edition, Forlan was at the peak of his powers, amongst the top forwards in the game, plundering and setting up goals for Atletico Madrid. And he led the line beautifully for the South Americans, proving to be a key cog in their fourth place finish.
He is now 35 years old, and while age doesn’t necessarily always diminish a player’s capabilities, as exemplified by the peerless Andrea Pirlo, in Forlan’s case it has. He now plays for Cerezo Osaka and is nowhere near the levels he was at previously.
Luis Suarez watched on from the bench as Uruguay lost their opener 1-3 to Costa Rica in Fortaleza
Edinson Cavani found himself isolated and frustrated with a lack of service from his midfield and the second striker in Forlan. The midfield that started the game, as Tabarez played a 4-4-2, comprised of Arevalo Rios, Walter Gargano, Cristian Rodriguez and Christian Stuani, and they were utterly listless, offering hardly any incisiveness in attack.
And with forwards who struggled to create openings by themselves, the absence of Luis Suarez was all the more debilitating. In their previous campaign, despite the three-pronged attack up front it was the solidity of their midfield and defence that propelled a good portion of their success, as Cavani and Suarez at the time had still not peaked.
Their midfield was held together by the veteran Diego Perez while Alvaro Pereira provided some much needed thrust with his runs from midfield. And in defence, the two Diegos – Godin and Lugano – were watertight. Lugano, another one who is now 35, is no longer the rock in defence he once was and while Godin is right up there among the top three central defenders in the world, his captain and partner in that area makes far too many mistakes these days.
These problems just didn’t explode in their faces in the first match against Costa Rica. They plagued the team right through its qualification campaign, one of the reasons why they struggled before eventually finishing fifth and making it through the playoffs. Uruguay relied heavily on Suarez’s proficiency in front of goal and the striker’s 11 goals (he was top-scorer in the CONMEBOL qualifiers) got his team into fifth place.
Another key stat was that while Uruguay scored 25 goals, they conceded an equal number, making for a goal difference of zero; the lowest among all qualifiers from South America.
Oscar Tabarez has some tough decisions to make
No one knows why Tabarez didn’t employ either of Alvaro Pereira or Gaston Ramirez in the opener against Costa Rica. Was he resting his key players ahead of the clashes against England and Italy? If that was the case, was Tabarez underestimating the Costa Ricans? The most damning stat from that game was that a defender had the most number of passes (67); that happened to be their left-back Martin Caceres, who to his credit, was the most hardworking player on the day for the South American giants and did his best to spark his team’s attack. Maxi Pereira had the second-highest (65) indicating Uruguay’s reliance on their full-backs when in possession. There are still two games to go – Chile and England loom
While things didn’t exactly go right for these two teams, there is still time for them to set it right. Spain take on Chile in their second game later tonight, in what is a must-win encounter, with Chile having won their opener. It is a rematch from the last World Cup where the two teams met in the group stage with Spain coming out 2-1 winners. The defending champions have the personnel necessary to give their team a different look.
Del Bosque might consider switching to his forward-less line-up that worked so well at the Euros, employing Cesc Fabregas as the advanced man. Also Juanfran for Azpilicueta at right-back may be a move worth considering for the Atletico Madrid man is sounder defensively and is a smart operator in being able to bomb forward in support of his teammates. Also, the younger Koke to partner Xabi Alonso in midfield while withdrawing Xavi, is a move that could be on the cards as Del Bosque has not shied away from making changes in the past.
Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque has not been afraid to change things up in the past
For Uruguay, Suarez in all likelihood will take to the field against England tomorrow night and that should give his compatriots a huge shot in the arm along with some much needed motivation. Elsewhere, Tabarez has to consider making a change in his midfield too. Either of Stuani or Rodriguez will make way for Suarez, but the coach might as well replace the remaining one also with someone like Ramirez or Alvaro Pereira.
It has been one loss only for both these teams; just three points surrendered. Both have two matches remaining to right their ship in time before the opportunity to get to the knockout rounds slips away from their grasp. They have made similar mistakes to past champions in France (2002) and Italy (2010) in failing to refresh their squads and believing that continuity will ensure success.
However, they must not continue with that beaten path but rather make smart adjustments because otherwise they will suffer the same fate as France and Italy and be heading home by the time the Round of 16 comes along. They will both face opponents playing a brand of football suited to exploiting their weaknesses, but with the right adjustments, they can overcome the challenge.
All of the footballing world’s eyes will be on them to see if they can do just that and pick themselves up from the early punches that they have taken at Brazil 2014. Two nations in particular will watch on with expectant eyes.
