FookLai Posted July 25, 2007 Posted July 25, 2007 On 4-4-2 or 4-3-3: 'I think the way Chelsea defend so well, if we use a more compact defensive system like we did last season with 4-4-2 and the diamond, at the end of the day normally we win. I don't think there'll be a difference in how many points we got, because over the last three years Chelsea was the team in the Premiership with more points, more victories, more clean sheets. If you put the three years together Chelsea was the best team in the Premiership. 'But I want more. It's good for the club that we play different. A big team like we are the tendency is for our opponents to close, so if the tendency is for our opponents to close our tendency must be to open. I feel width is important in a team like ours, and with the quality of the wingers we have we have to use them, unless something dramatic happens again and we have none to play. 'We have four or five wingers plus the kid Sinclair, and the kid for me is a good kid because every time he plays he brings something different to the game. He is a dribbler, he is a runner and I like the kid. 'We have to play with wingers. 4-3-3 is the system which the players are most comfortable with, no doubts. I know that and feel there is a big understanding with the system and their positions. 'But 4-4-2 with wingers is something we're working on. We're going to play Rangers with that system and have been working tactically on it in training for the players to build the same confidence they have in 4-3-3. '4-4-2 in a diamond is something we have in the pocket, as we have a good understanding and dynamic. With so many good central midfield players that we have if one day I decide to use it then it's easy to do it. It's one of the good things about four consecutive seasons with not many changes in the group. Year after year, experience after experience, the players are ready for it. 'I want to get better results and be more entertaining. I don't agree when people say "this team played fantastic and didn't win." I don't agree. For me that's the speech of the loser. I don't agree also when people say, "this team played very bad and won." That happens once in a lifetime, you play very badly and win because you're lucky. 'Normally the results are balanced. If you get results it's because you have positive things in the team, if you don't get results it's because you have negative things in the team. 'The beauty of the game is a concept, you like this shot or you don't like. What is beauty? It is a controversial concept in football. But for me beauty has a lot to do with having control of the game through possession, the speed of the game and changes of pace, the creative players being on top in a collective context. I feel in our squad the wingers are important to bring that. 'In our first season it was not the best season for Joe Cole as we were still in a fight at the time, but it was a superb season for Duff and Robben. In the second season Joe Cole came into the best football of his life and between Joe and the other two we played very, very well. 'Last year we had no Joe Cole, no Robben, Duff was not here anymore and Shaun was in a similar process to Joe Cole the year before. Last season we played very well as a team with the resources available, but not with the same flair and the same speed and dynamic in previous years. This season with the players we have available we have to go for it.' 'We had not other options last year. We had no more wingers to play, no players to change. I kept saying last season we survived. 'In the last game of the season, a very important game for us, we have to play 4-3-3 against Man United at Wembley - we have to do that with Joe Cole limping, with Robben coming later limping and Ashley Cole coming later limping. We have to do that, it was a very difficult season to do something positive for the game. So last season was about "survive", even the last game was about "win, go home with the Cup, make history, goodbye". On his intentions for using strikers: I have a double intention: 4-3-3 and 4-4-2. Depends on the way we are playing, depends on the form of my players, depends on the opponents, depends on the opponents' system, which way I think is the best. This morning we have a meeting about the positive things and the negative things of 4-4-2 - we know the two systems well, I think it is very important to know the fragility of the system you are playing. 'You know the fragility, you know better how to compensate and to hide the fragility, because there is no perfect system. So I want to study that with the players. 'The 4-3-3 leaves Sheva in a fight with Drogba and Pizarro for a position - one position for one of them, that's clear, obvious. 'The 4-4-2 is Sheva, Pizarro, Drogba for two positions... [with Kalou wide?] He's more of a wide player. In 4-4-2 he can play as a striker, against Galaxy Pizarro is not here so the two strikers are between Kalou, Sheva and Didier. And Salomon can do it, especially getting into the space... to hold the ball, to be a target man with the ball at his feet. 'I don't want to speak about individuals, because it's not fair at this time. I think in this moment of the season it depends a lot on the "biotype" of the players - some players get in form after two days, some take a long time. 'In this moment I think the best player in Chelsea is Shaun - he starts the first days like he has been training for two months. Depends on players. You know, Lamps takes time to go to his best, Joe Cole takes time... Carvalho easy, I know first of the season he is ready to play a game. Making judgments on players at this moment I don't think is fair - next week, playing proper matches... Feyenoord, Rangers, proper teams, experienced teams... it's time to start making more...' On keeping his players, in particular Shaun Wright-Phillips: 'I want to keep all my players. [Does he want to stay?] Yes, I think the way he works, the way he behaves, I believe he's motivated for that. And he's playing so well. I want to keep every player - the market is open for somebody to go or to come, but in this moment he's here, I want to keep him. We have not one single reaction from one single player, saying that he is interested in leaving.'
FookLai Posted July 25, 2007 Author Posted July 25, 2007 Full interview can be read here: http://www.chelseafc.com/page/NewsHomePage/0,,10268~1077613,00.html
Darthfunk Posted July 25, 2007 Posted July 25, 2007 Cant wait to see them play. Hopefully Robben is still a Chelsea player hate to see him go to Real.
FookLai Posted July 25, 2007 Author Posted July 25, 2007 He didnt mention about the midfield player... Lampard, Ballack, Makalele, Essien, Mikel and Sidwell has to fight for 2 positions if they play 4-4-2, 3 positions if they play 4-3-3. Drogba, Sheva, Pizarro, Kalou fight for 2 position if they play 4-4-2, 1 position if they play 4-3-3. Robben, Malouda, Joe Cole, Wright Philips have to fight for 2 wing positions. The competition for starting line up is unbelievable this season. Actually even split the team into 2 also have no problem at all. Fook Lai
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