The Harding Perspective: Thoughts on Manchester City
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Loading ...Joe takes a look at an emphatic statement made by José Mourinho’s Chelsea at the Etihad on Monday night.
The scene had been set and the narrative written. It was the time for the obscenely smug and pompous media to serve Mourinho his just desserts days after lambasting West Ham for parking the bus. Predictions of Manchester City sieging the Chelsea goal while Mourinho clung to his bus driver seat like an image from a post-apocalypse film were aplenty. The Sun, in particular, outdid themselves with some outrageous predictions. What transpired went against every script and highlighted why José Mourinho is a world class football manager. José, take a bow.
To paraphrase Mourinho it is not who we play, but how we play. The ‘who’ in this case being a selection deemed defensive on paper and the ‘how’ being a presumption that Chelsea would ‘park the bus’. Manchester City were outclassed for the majority of the game and despite some decent chances, Chelsea created more and were unlucky to not win by three or four goals. The scoreline suggested a tight affair and the possession statistics intimated Manchester City were on top. Nevertheless, Jamie Carragher summed it up perfectly last night when he called some statistics misleading. “There is no way you would look at that match and say Chelsea were not the better team”.
There was a natural caution earlier in the season when Mourinho’s team were picking up results with little sense of a cohesive style or philosophy. It is a results business, but there were doubts even in the most ardent of Mourinho supporters that we did not look that convincing. Fast forward to Monday night and there is no question that this side has an extremely bright future under José’s expert stewardship. Mourinho arrived under denunciations of him losing his spark; every media outlet salivated at the prospect of him failing. Now the realities of Mourinho’s words are becoming tangible – he is in the best moment of his career and unquestionably a better manager than when he first arrived. Wiser, more astute and tactically superlative – we may be a little horse, but we are certainly making a late charge this season.
Gary Cahill, John Terry, Gary Cahill, John Terry…
John Terry is rightfully getting the plaudits for what is an absolutely magnificent season. His adaptation to play the covering defender has been remarkable. Terry has replaced his aggressive attacking instincts with those of a cultured sweeper. As Cahill attacks the man Terry uses his exceptional football brain to position himself astutely for any second ball or to deal with a threat from deep. This transformation from the aggressor to an almost Carvalho-esque role is letting Terry play at a level we have not seen for years. He is the outstanding defender in the Premier League and England’s best centre-back by an absolute mile.
If Terry’s return to form has been a welcome surprise then Gary Cahill’s ascension must also be noted. He is quite frankly playing magnificently at the moment. Mourinho appears to have taken his entire game onto a level that I certainly did not feel was there previously. Cahill has always been a brilliant instinctual defender – he may well be the best centre back in world football at blocking shots inside his area. Nevertheless, there were questions concerning his positional sense and defending against top quality opposition.
Cahill’s development under Mourinho has been weekly and exponential. He looks far more comfortable as the aggressor in a centre back partnership and this in turn has allowed him to use his instinctive ability more frequently. José has seemingly encouraged him to become more proactive in his work. Cahill is contesting, challenging and forcing the issue whenever he engages the ball or the forward he is marking. Contrast this to when he would sit slightly back and allow his striker to turn and drive at him. The difference in the way he defends the Benteke goal last season, the Agüero goal earlier this season and how he is playing currently is tangible. He is a microcosm of Chelsea’s development under Mourinho and long may it continue. The combination of his passion grit and Mourinho’s technical refinement is making him a significantly better player.
Terry and Cahill helped marshal a defence that reduced the Premier League’s best attack to half chances and very few clear cut opportunities. Negredo, such a handful this year, in particular looked lost against Cahill. Terry defended everything in the air with aplomb and made several key blocks to prevent scoring chances occurring. Cahill made a phenomenal sixteen clearances and blocked two shots in a display that elevated him to the front of England’s central defensive queue for the World Cup. He really is blossoming into a quality central defender and his presence at set pieces should make him an automatic feature.
David Luiz Is A Midfield General
I make no apologies for being an absolutely huge David Luiz fan. There must be a place on the pitch for him in every game we play because his drive and ability are not something easily replicated. His move to midfield is not something new but his actual instructions certainly are. I was never a fan of playing him as a pure holding midfielder. It made no sense to play someone that aggressive in the most tactically disciplined role on the pitch . Luiz’s tendency to hunt the ball was actually a weakness as he had no one behind him to patrol the area in front of the centre backs.
I refer back to Mourinho’s “how not who” point and Luiz certainly sits well within this mantra. He is absolutely worth persisting with in a box-to-box midfield capacity, not as a holding midfielder. Some of his aggression and play on Monday night was brilliant to watch. There was one instance in particular where he crashed through several challenges before unleashing Hazard down the left. As he grew into the game City’s midfield and Touré in particular looked out of ideas. A swashbuckling display that Mourinho should be credited for as he let Nemanja sit deeper than Luiz, allowing the Brazilian to press and hunt to great effect.
David Luiz may very well be a world class international centre back, but in the Premier League and perhaps at club level as a whole he is entirely suited to this box-to-box dynamo role. His aggression, passing ability, comfort on the ball and overall strength are the very basis of a dominant central midfielder. I would love to see Mourinho persist and work with him to fully develop some subtlety and his decision making because he would be a monster if everything clicked. He tackles, intercepts and drives forward with the ball when the opportunity arises. These are natural traits within his game and eerily similar to Juventus’ Arutro Vidal.
The next sentence is incredible however – David Luiz’s discipline in midfield was exceptional. Yes. That is correct. How many times did David Silva move into the pocket and expose Chelsea? How many times did the commentary team mention that Silva could not escape Luiz’s attention? Luiz’s ability to close down passing lanes and stick to Mourinho’s rigid instructions were phenomenal. While perhaps not quite at the level of Essien on Gerrard in the Champions League, his nullifying effort was stellar.
I want David Luiz in my midfield under Mourinho. I want him kicking people, barging people, smashing through Touré and looking to play the ball quickly when he gets it. I want him to continue to form what looks like an exceptional understanding with Matić and grow into a dominant midfield pairing. I want Luiz to continue showing that drive, aggression and tactical understanding and become Mourinho’s midfield general. He has everything in his game to become a world class central midfielder - it is now up to Mourinho to see whether he persists with Luiz there and sees through this brilliantly nuanced deployment.
Just one thing. Can someone make sure he’s at least trebling his free-kick practice for the time being?
Has Willian Stopped Running?
There are football players who work hard and there is Willian. There are football players who press and there is Willian. There are football players who appear like they will run through walls for their manager and there is Willian. What these football players do not have is Willian’s ability. Have you ever seen a player who is that good on the ball work so hard? Willian was meant to be a signing to spite Spurs, a luxury attacking midfielder that we did not need. Conversely, he has become an integral part of Mourinho’s little horse and continues to sparkle.
Willian was everywhere on Monday night. He even managed to chase down Yaya Touré and take the ball away from him on one occasion. Willian provides so much to this team that it is quite hard to summarise it in the space of a few paragraphs. He is constantly moving and providing an angle or outlet for his teammates in possession. We are seeing him break into the area more frequently now in an attempt to score. His blistering pace on the counterattack and his reactions to when we recover the ball are incredible. All of this is added onto a quite simply humbling work rate.
The most exciting thing is that there is still so much improvement that Willian can make to his game. In possession I want to see more decisiveness and him to back himself more in shooting opportunities. We are just scratching the surface with what the Brazilian can achieve at the club. His energy and attacking quality will prove pivotal in this title chase. Neville and Carragher summed up his contribution superbly on Monday Night Football. Wingers can no longer simply attack, they have to be able to do it all. Willian exemplifies this modern trend and Mourinho’s attitude towards the team ethic. A little bit more composure on his final ball will make him something else.
Eden, Eden, Eden, Eden, Eden, Eden, Eden Hazard…
What more is there to say about the development of Eden Hazard under José Mourinho? He is maturing into an absolute superstar. Hazard is now impacting every game he plays in – creating chances, scoring and more importantly working himself into the ground for the cause. As the 90th minute approached he chased 20 yards to knock Zabaleta out of the way and to win a throw in for his team. The difference in him this season is amazing. Last season he seemed capable of turning it on when he wanted. This season he has the drive and ambition to seemingly want to destroy teams at every opportunity. World class players are consistently great and there is not a better player in the Premier League currently. Hazard is doing it against every opponent.
The way he skips past opponents is magical – I have never seen a player at Chelsea with his kind of balance, quickness or close control. He has a natural flair that is simply devastating and we are seeing it on a weekly basis now. The sheer volume of City fans opining that they have never seen Zabaleta made to look so ordinary is a testament to his performance. Mourinho’s trust in him and coaching has coaxed Hazard out of his shell and moulded him into the best young footballer in world football. He has put Lahm and Zabaleta to shame at times this season – how many people can say that?
It was a tormenting display that really signalled his arrival as a top tier performer. Matić took the plaudits from the Sky team but Hazard cannot have been far behind with his pace, trickery and sumptuous skill. He is getting better and better with each passing week and the more he works with Mourinho the more complete he will become. He could be a little greedier when it comes to taking a shot and is sometimes guilty of a little over-elaboration, but he is a magnificent player who I feel privileged to watch.
The below was a frequent example of his genius. A clip on YouTube from a content creator called EgzonShaqiri also provides great viewing.
Hazard destroys City from an impossibly tight angle on the touchline.
La Aranha Makes His Mark
Nemanja Matić was known as The Spider in Benfica. His extraordinary frame and defensive acumen appeared to give him eight limbs as he broke up play with ease and became a dominant figure in Benfica’s midfield. Matić was starting his first game for Chelsea in arguably the toughest location in the country against the media’s darling Yaya Touré. There is no doubt that since Chelsea’s decline in power Touré’s form against us has been a telling factor in each match. We have seen him run over our midfield and outmuscle us frequently. On Monday night Nemanja Matić changed that.
Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher were almost in disbelief as they viewed clip after clip of Matić bullying Touré. Yes, Touré still triumphed in a few battles but the war was unequivocally won by the Serbian. His power, reading of the game, tackling and drive with the ball rendered City’s powerhouse almost obsolete after an early settling in period. Matić showed he is capable of quickly regaining possession and pinging passes forward quickly and it was a welcome change of pace to both Ramires and Obi Mikel.
The fact that Matić played this well in such a competitive fixture so early into this return at the club is encouraging. Perhaps even more pleasing is that he has dispelled this myth that he is purely a holding midfielder with one performance. Matić is part of a new breed of central midfielders who are equally capable of defending and attacking, whilst playing an integral part in tactical shape. At £21m he represents an absolute steal and could prove pivotal in our title run-in. He was not content to sit and simply screen his back four - instead he decided to drive with the ball and press high into City’s half when the opportunity arose.
What impressed me most about his performance was his decision making. It is such an underrated facet of play and when combined with someone as physically imposing at Matić is hard to deal with. His decisions regarding when to press, when to hold, when to dribble, when to pass and when to simply clear were almost always right. They are such simple concepts that so many footballers overcomplicate regularly. He already appears to provide that technically excellent physical edge that we have missed since Ballack’s departure.
A few examples of Matić’s decision making:
Matic makes a perfect attacking choice to step into the space before unleashing a hellish strike.
These next clips come from @cfc_92’s Matić compilation, which is an excellent view of his performance:
Matic expertly powers past Touré to drive Chelsea forward.
Ultimately this was the best Chelsea performance for some years. A perfect blend of attacking skill, tactical nous and power that should be the blueprint for the future of Chelsea under Mourinho. We may or may not win the title this season but I echo Gary Neville’s thoughts on our chances next season. If you add an elite striker to this Chelsea side, what kind of problems are we going to cause teams? We have a way of playing against top sides that works - now we need to add the final few jigsaw pieces to overcome stubborn performances and we could be a beastly force next year.
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