It seems that our midfield, which was once our strongest asset when we played the midfield three of Essien-Lampard-Other, has degenerated into one hell of a weakness. What used to be a powerhouse now seems to exist simply to gift possession to the other team and hopelessly drift shots over the bar. Lampard and Joey Cole in particular have been completely off-colour, and while Ballack has done his unspectacular part, it still doesn't excuse the likes of Deco and Mikel from consistently underperforming.

This season I think Michael Essien has been our main source of attacking impetus and inspiration, and now we're missing him and Ashley Cole has dropped off form, we're really seeing the results.

Zhirkov proved again today that he can be lethal as an attacking threat, so should we consider switching back to the 4-3-3, or at least a different midfield tactic that can get these underachieving millionaires into the worldbeaters they once were?

Mikel turned up almost 100 times for Chelsea at 22, it's a huge experience really but he doesn't often make a difference although he is reliable most of the time.

I think Joe Cole is yet to find his form, and with a wayward Ballack it just cannot work. Zhirkov should be given a few runs in the starting 11 as he really is something else, as he showed today. Matic has been impressive at training according to Ray Wilkins so perhaps he'll get a chance when Essien and Mikel leave for the African Nations Cup.

Edited December 20, 200916 yr by nani

It's not all Carlo. It is the fact that all of our midfielders are old and washed up. They can't go by anybody. KAKUTA PLEASE. They need to buy someone young and exciting for the wing.

For which wing? We don't play wingers.

Good summary, Plok. I don't think 4-3-3 is the way to go however, maybe lose the diamond or the christmas tree and just go the normal 4-4-2? Something like:

--Ivanovic---Alex----JT----Ashley

--Joey----Lampard---Essien (when fit)--Zhirkov/Malouda

---------Drogba----Anelka

That'll free up Lamps to do what he does best, we keep Drogs and Anelka playing together and gives us more width.

I want a 4-4-2 - Diamond is starting to fade.

-Bosingwa----Alex----JT----A. Cole

-Kakuta--Lampard--Essien--Zhirkov

-----------Anelka

---------------------Drogba

Buy some younger faster players to add to the squad, Aguero, Silva,, something like that.

Why cant Ancelotti just try this one?

Edited December 20, 200916 yr by AndyCFC

The problems aren't major and they can be solved quite easily.

The midfield is only a problem because once we have injuries and loss of form we don't have enough throughout the team to step up.

Lets be honest here; Kalou, Joe Cole and Deco are just not good enough for the type of things we're trying to achieve as a football club. That's three players who should be contributing a hell of a lot more. You can't keep relying on Drogba, Lampard, Anelka, Essien...somebody else has to pop up every now and again and show their worth.

Only Malouda has proven to be a good enough player to step up and I can't think of any others. Sturridge hopefully keeps improving following a promising 45mins and takes over as 3rd choice because he is so much better than Kalou technically (touch, technique) and physically (strength and speed). I find it funny that we expect to win games when we effectively play with 10 men because Kalou cannot and does not compete and we're basically a man down from the beginning.

The problems aren't major and they can be solved quite easily.

The midfield is only a problem because once we have injuries and loss of form we don't have enough throughout the team to step up.

Lets be honest here; Kalou, Joe Cole and Deco are just not good enough for the type of things we're trying to achieve as a football club. That's three players who should be contributing a hell of a lot more. You can't keep relying on Drogba, Lampard, Anelka, Essien...somebody else has to pop up every now and again and show their worth.

Only Malouda has proven to be a good enough player to step up and I can't think of any others. Sturridge hopefully keeps improving following a promising 45mins and takes over as 3rd choice because he is so much better than Kalou technically (touch, technique) and physically (strength and speed). I find it funny that we expect to win games when we effectively play with 10 men because Kalou cannot and does not compete and we're basically a man down from the beginning.

Agree with that Kalou is just not performing on the pitch better Kakuta or Borini

The problems aren't major and they can be solved quite easily.

The midfield is only a problem because once we have injuries and loss of form we don't have enough throughout the team to step up.

Lets be honest here; Kalou, Joe Cole and Deco are just not good enough for the type of things we're trying to achieve as a football club. That's three players who should be contributing a hell of a lot more. You can't keep relying on Drogba, Lampard, Anelka, Essien...somebody else has to pop up every now and again and show their worth.

Only Malouda has proven to be a good enough player to step up and I can't think of any others. Sturridge hopefully keeps improving following a promising 45mins and takes over as 3rd choice because he is so much better than Kalou technically (touch, technique) and physically (strength and speed). I find it funny that we expect to win games when we effectively play with 10 men because Kalou cannot and does not compete and we're basically a man down from the beginning.

Good post.

Wasnt just Kalou though today. Malouda was invisible and Joe and Ballack both piss poor. Was really like playing with 9 men in that first half.

Well I never liked the diamond. I just prefer wingers over 4 midfielders. As we dont have the players to play a 4-3-3 we could try a flat 4-4-2 as written above. Zhirkov and Joe Cole on the wings and Lampard and Essien in the middle.

The only problem with our formation at the moment is that we lack that guy to play behind the strikers, Lampard can't do it because it doesn't suit him. Deco would of thrived in it a couple of years a go, Joe just hasen't hit form at all and looks jaded.

We just haven't got that Kaka or Rui Costa to play behind the strikers and Kakuta is too young and he's not strong enough in my opinion.

We need to sign a player for that role in January and i think Carlo knows it because he is rotating it so much.

For which wing? We don't play wingers.

Maybe that is the problem?

Today I realized something when I watched the game. When we used to play with wingers then the winger and the defender on each side helped eachother and sometimes even got help from the defensive midfielder. This let the central defenders take care of what happened down the middle and they could get help from 1-2 midfielders. In other words, our defence could be all across the pitch, and not only focus on one side.

Now I sometimes see JT and Riccy/Alex drift out to one side to take care of a threat and then we're left with perhaps Mikel and Ivan/Ashley to do the work down the middle, which gives the opponents lots of space on the other side.

Even when either Terry OR Riccy/Alex drifts out it still causes troubles.

Maybe we just need time to settle in using the diamond midfield and maybe Carlo has the defensive plays all figured out but we haven't learned to implement it completely just yet. But maybe the diamond just doesn't work for us.

I'm not a manager so I might be wrong, but that's the way I see it anyway.

Our midfield looks really old and slow without Essien. And the diamond system requires quick movement and passing the ball quickly from our central players. I think that IF we´ll play with wingers, the ball will be more in the flanks and thus our midfielders can play better and the pace factor is not that important then. That´s why we played better against Portsmouth after we changed the formation. I hope Carlo will change something because without fast players, our midfield really is quite a dead end with Ballack, Lampard and Mikel. Ballack wasn´t the best in the holding midfielder role and as you can remember, there were quite many counter-attacks in the first half particulary and Ballack has to take some blame for that he couldn´t close them down enough. So to sum up, we either need new formation to get the best out of our under-performing midfielders or have to buy some fresh legs in January.

Edited December 20, 200916 yr by disillusion

A change of formation mid game wouldnt go a miss , when plan A isnt working , this is were intelligent picking of substitutes comes into play, again today why did we need 2 right backs on the bench?

A change of formation mid game wouldnt go a miss , when plan A isnt working , this is were intelligent picking of substitutes comes into play, again today why did we need 2 right backs on the bench?

I think we didn´t have other options. I don´t think Ancelotti wanted to put 4 defender on the bench we just didn´t have anyone else to put there.

We have changed formation in the middle of game, though. Against pompey I'm pretty sure that we finished playing a flat 4-4-2.

Anyway, it is the diamond formation, and our width comes from the full backs, so when we play wide it means that the player at the tip of the diamond is often by-passed.

Also, if we switch to a 4-3-3 then we are breaking up the strike partnership of Nico and Drogba, and probably playing Nico out wide, and out of position. If Carlo were to do that, I'm sure some folk would be on here complaining that we're not playing to our striker's strengths!

Joe Cole looks out of sorts, as does Deco, and then you take Essien out of the equation and that leaves a lot asking in our midfield. however, I don't think any of that is a result of what Carlo is doing.

I would like to see us play with a wide player tucked into the left side of the diamond, but then I also don't like seeing Essien in the holding role so our midfield will forever have to change and adapt. However, I do like when Malouda or Yuri are tucked in on the left as they overlap very well with Ashley and allow us to attack heavily down the left. Case in point, the Arsenal game.

Scott

Did I miss something? Ballack played a number of amazing through balls that the forwards lost control of. Did anyone see any of the forwards even take a shot? The midfield might not be meshing well, but I thought they looked much better than the forwards or defense as a unit. Joe might be off form but at least he was shooting, Drogba and Kalou were a mess up front.

The one player that we have missed badly in midfield is Essien. He adds so much to the team whenever he plays. I think it was a massive mistake by Carlo Ancelotti to have played him in the home game against APOEL. He should not have played Essien and should have rested him. Also I think Ancelotti has found it difficult to form a Essien-less midfield.

If I was Ancelotti I would play these four: J Cole, F Lampard, JO Mikel, Y Zhirkov

I think the four above would proved width, a player who would be able to support the back four, and a midfielder who can score goals from midfield.

I think the diamond Ancelotti seems to be in love with only works if you have the right players for it. We don't have Kaka or Seedorf, our midield relies on strength and size rather than technique. Also, a very important position behind the strikers is occupied by either Deco who's completely washed up or Joe Cole who's still looks off form.

The last but not least is the width problem. In diamond the width is supposed to come from the fullbacks. Ivanovic a great defender but he's not as effective going forward and Ashley's early season form seems to have taken a change for the worse. Plus, our current midfield is not mobile enough to support the fullbacks anyway.

Ancelotti seems to be a very slow learner because we have been encountering the same problems for a while now yet there's no improvement or change on the horizon. This team is underperforming, it's quite obvious and the points we're dropping now may very well come back and bite us in the ass down the road.

I think we didn´t have other options. I don´t think Ancelotti wanted to put 4 defender on the bench we just didn´t have anyone else to put there.

unless someone can enlighten me , neither Kakuta or Borini are injured. Even with a fuller squad compliment Carlo has been ultra cautious in his substitute selections

We have changed formation in the middle of game, though. Against pompey I'm pretty sure that we finished playing a flat 4-4-2.

Anyway, it is the diamond formation, and our width comes from the full backs, so when we play wide it means that the player at the tip of the diamond is often by-passed.

Also, if we switch to a 4-3-3 then we are breaking up the strike partnership of Nico and Drogba, and probably playing Nico out wide, and out of position. If Carlo were to do that, I'm sure some folk would be on here complaining that we're not playing to our striker's strengths!

Joe Cole looks out of sorts, as does Deco, and then you take Essien out of the equation and that leaves a lot asking in our midfield. however, I don't think any of that is a result of what Carlo is doing.

I would like to see us play with a wide player tucked into the left side of the diamond, but then I also don't like seeing Essien in the holding role so our midfield will forever have to change and adapt. However, I do like when Malouda or Yuri are tucked in on the left as they overlap very well with Ashley and allow us to attack heavily down the left. Case in point, the Arsenal game.

Scott

good players adapt to whatever formation the coach throws at them, similarly good coaches adapt within game when things arent going well,at present we are doing neither and persist on trying to go through the centre even when the door is firmly bolted. I'm not saying ditch the diamond just be prepared to change things around when games like today occur.

. I'm not saying ditch the diamond...

I am: ditch the diamond

Deco seems to get a lot of stick he does not deserve. He has been oneof our better midfields this season IMHO.

Lamps, Joey and even Essien at times have gone missing.

Ballack had a good start to the season but then got injured and has not looked the same.

Malouda lets be honest has been up and down.

Deco has been up and down but IMHO better than Joey who seems only to manage 10 minutes.

Mikel steadies the ship but does not allow us to create in attack as he is too slow. This is where IMHO we should be looking for deco to fill this role, I really do not understand why everyone still sees him as an attacking midfield player this is what he was before he went to barca but Frank R turned him into a successful defensive midfielder using his amazing one touch passing ability to get attacks going quickly. and when pressing he has a better shot on him for goal than Mikel.

I knew from day one as soon as results turned against us there'd be choruses of "ditch the diamond" on here.

Time for a reality check guys.......

Sun 20th 16:00 Premier League Chelsea 3 - 0 Tottenham

Sun 4th 16:00 Premier League Chelsea 2 - 0 Liverpool

Wed 21st 19:45 Champions League Chelsea 4 - 0 Atletico Madrid

Sat 24th 17:30 Premier League Chelsea 5 - 0 Blackburn

Wed 28th 19:45 Carling Cup Chelsea 4 - 0 Bolton

Sat 31st 15:00 Premier League Bolton 0 - 4 Chelsea

Sun 8th 16:00 Premier League Chelsea 1 - 0 Man Utd

Sat 21st 15:00 Premier League Chelsea 4 - 0 Wolverhampton

Sun 29th 16:00 Premier League Arsenal 0 - 3 Chelsea

Our record against the rest of the "big four" this season is 3 wins, 0 draws, 0 losses and this isn't counting the charity shield against Man Utd which we won on penalties.

We played a 4-4-2 midfield diamond (or similar xmas tree formation) in all of these games. Which is why I say the formation ain't broke, its the players who aren't doing their jobs within it.

I agree with Qaz...If we can go from dominating some games with one system, to failing to beat the lowest teams we face, it probably isn't the system, but the personnel's efforts, and selection (if the right combination isn't selected, it won't gel).

The system works when the right combination of players (which early results proved we had) is available and selected, and the players perform to their ability.