Having watched Dortmund last night, it really hit home how far we are away from the top level.

 

I watch them play, and every time they have the ball there are runners. They are bright, inventive, and play like they are living to be on the football field. When they lose the ball, they hunt it down, and are organised and structured so that every player knows how and when to close down, what angles to show the opposition, and exactly where to be. The back 4 come up as a unit and they work like a TEAM. 

 

People say this style is very hard fitness wise. But they may expend energy for 30secs to get the ball back then they are on the front foot again. They are not doing bundles of defensive work so it affords them to be able put max effort into attacking. When we play it looks like certain players are having to run literally side to side, up and down full length to try and keep up. Then when we have the ball we dont keep it long enough for a breather. 

 

This style takes plenty of work on the training pitch but ive said before, its a clear style, and itll soon become second nature. We seem a team without a PLAN. It looks like we hope for the best on the field without clear patterns of play, or instruction. This illustrated no more with PSGs first goal. Part of the defence holding a line, Kenedy not being up Di Marias A**e  and then Cahill going off on a wander.

 

The Intensity they show is amazing. We look like were going through the motions and only liven up in certain areas, situations (mainly Counter Attacks). Also helps when there is a clear and stark quality difference with there play compared to ours but i feel the biggest difference is a clear dictate in terms of a plan and style.

 

To conclude this, they had 63% possession and 20 shots against a Tottenham team who play a similar style. The same(ish) Spurs team who had 70% away at City after 40 mins of the first half. 

 

Id love to see Chelsea dominate games against good teams like that. We had LESS possession at HOME v STOKE. The gulf is huge.

Edited March 11, 201610 yr by jamie#8

It helps when a team has a long term manager and the team buy into his tactics. They had Klopp for 7 or 8 years and bonded with him and the team. Now they know they have Tuchel for the foreseeable future. Sadly we chop and change managers so often the players don't really have time to learn what the manager expects from them. Mourinho wanted the team to sit back, Ancelotti wanted them to be expansive and attack etc. it can't be easy for the players. Hopefully we make a proper investment into a coach that will stay with us in the long run in the summer and let him build the team he wants and apply the exact style of football he wants. 

It helps when a team has a long term manager and the team buy into his tactics. They had Klopp for 7 or 8 years and bonded with him and the team. Now they know they have Tuchel for the foreseeable future. Sadly we chop and change managers so often the players don't really have time to learn what the manager expects from them. Mourinho wanted the team to sit back, Ancelotti wanted them to be expansive and attack etc. it can't be easy for the players. Hopefully we make a proper investment into a coach that will stay with us in the long run in the summer and let him build the team he wants and apply the exact style of football he wants. 

 

I'm not sure necessarily you need a consistent manager. More so to employ managers who enforce similar styles.

 

I agree that you cant chop and change Jose and Carlo and then Guus and expect a clear plan.

 

However Jose was working towards a plan of playing a more attacking game, but then ditched it halfway through the season after our 5-3 defeat. Thats not good enough. You have to stick by your guns.

We're closer to it than dortmund were themselves last year

We're closer to it than dortmund were themselves last year

 

They didnt sacrifice the style for results last year though. And now they are back as good as ever.

Nice post, Jamie.

I have believed for some time now that the missing link to the top table has been tactical, an issue of style of play and attitude. I believe the siege, counter attack mentality that brought us initial dominance in the mid 00s is fast becoming a liability in the contemporary era.

Dortmund fans are great

Nice post, Jamie.

I have believed for some time now that the missing link to the top table has been tactical, an issue of style of play and attitude. I believe the siege, counter attack mentality that brought us initial dominance in the mid 00s is fast becoming a liability in the contemporary era.

I agree with this, although I saw a stat earlier in the season, which said for the first time in a long time, more games were being win in the prem by teams who had less possession.

We just don't have the personnel to soak up pressure anymore, and we also struggle to pen teams in, and when we do, we can't break them down!

My favorite visit team in Germany!  

Sadly, almost cheaper to fly to Germany and see a game than train to SB and see a game!

I agree with this, although I saw a stat earlier in the season, which said for the first time in a long time, more games were being win in the prem by teams who had less possession.

We just don't have the personnel to soak up pressure anymore, and we also struggle to pen teams in, and when we do, we can't break them down!

 

Yeah Leicester are a prime example of a team who don't play a possession game. Its far easier to play a Counter attacking game, especially with less talented players.