CHELSEA PAY THE FINES IN THE CONGESTION ZONE
With the clock ticking at St Mary’s stadium, Didier Drogba comes on for Mikel Obi. Call it a tactical switch, game management or squad management, Chelsea were playing their third game in six days and the scores remained 1-1. Jose looked ruffled on the sidelines as his Chelsea team was starring at another two dropped points during the congestion fixture schedule. Yes Chelsea dominated play, and yes they dominated possession, but 73 minutes into the game and for all their possession, Chelsea had only fired one shot at Keeper Forster and had only hit the target once. The handwriting was on the wall, was this going to be another Newcastle game? Sunderland or Shalke at the bridge?
After the game, Jose groaned and moaned about the scandal of Cesc Fabregas’ yellow card, but I couldn’t help but notice that Chelsea have now dropped altogether 11 points during the fixture congestion zone and 7 points on the road in 3 games, in the last 4 weeks.
That Chelsea’s 9 point lead at the top of the premiership have been reduced to almost nothing during the congestion zone, thanks to Burnley, they still have 3 points to hold on to.
In September Chelsea played 4 games in 11 days and dropped 4 points.
In November Chelsea played 4 games in 11 days and dropped 5 points.
We are in the congestion zone again and Chelsea have dropped 2 points in 3 games, they play Tottenham in a few days time, the third time they are playing 4 games in 11 days.
As for me I can’t ignore the facts: Fact is that Chelsea have struggled anytime they enter the congestion zone this season. Fact is that whenever the team has had to play three or four games in as many days, they have struggled to win games. Fact is each time Jose rotates the team, the quality of service on offer has been diluted. Fact is that each time he leaves the team unchanged in fixture congestion, the wheels come off the bridge again and again.
Should he rotate or should he keep his team? Only the special one can make that call, but a look at the upcoming fixture schedule means Jose needs to quickly analyse his team and go into the transfer market if Chelsea are going to build on the phenomenal construction he has started at the bridge.
Jose may have found the ‘13th man’ in Mikel and Drogba, (even though Mikel is a supplement and not a substitute for Matic and Drogba does not have the legs to go the distance and let’s not forget that Ramirez is still coming back from injury) but I worry that he may not go the distance with Man City and even Man Utd with the squad he has now. The worry is the quality of players in the squad. Can Shurrle step in effectively for Willian and Hazard? Can Felipe do the work of Azpilicueta? Can Mikel step in for Matic? Yet Jose has had to make these big calls during the congestion fixtures; ‘Should I? Or should I not?’
Jose played the September games rotating the team and the quality of service was affected, Chelsea dropped 4 points.
In November, he decided not to rotate his team so as to maintain quality of service, but fatigue got the better of the team and he dropped 5 points.
Jose must be scratching his head after rotating his team again yesterday at St. Mary’s.
How he must be wishing he has the depth of City’s squad: Imagine having an attacking pool of David Silva, Nasri, Yaya Toure, Milner, Jesus Navas, Lampard, Fernandinho, Fernando, Aguero, Jovetic, Dzeko, and even Scott Sinclair to pick from? Bacary Sagna for Zabaleta, Kolarov for Clichy, Kompany, Mangala, Demichelis in the middle. With Joe Hart and even Caballero you have a proper 21man squad who can do a marathon, go the distance and leave the ring as undisputed heavyweights.
History has shown that the best managers and/or the best teams win championships. But to win the championship, you must be able to avoid the landmines of the congestion zone, especially in the winter months;
Dec 26 – Dec 28 – Jan 1 – Jan 3 (FA Cup) – Jan 10 – Jan 17 – Jan 20 (Capial one cup) – Jan 24 (FA cup) – Jan 27 (capital one cup) – Jan 31 – Feb 7 – Feb 10 – Feb 14 (FA cup) – Feb 17 (champions league) – Feb 21 – Feb 28 – Mar 1 (Capital one final) – Mar 3 – Mar 7 –Mar 10 (champions league) – Mar 14
ManCity have no capital one cup games to play, and Man United have no capital One and Champions League to play.
City have enough depth to manoeuvre the congestion charging zone, at this moment Chelsea don’t.
Chelsea have 13, maybe 15 men. City have 21 men, but Chelsea have THE SPECIAL ONE, and he is truly special.
Thanks to Burnley, Chelsea continue to hold on to a slim advantage at the top of the league, but for how long with the hectic schedule coming up? As I have repeatedly said, Chelsea still need to get one or two world class players to complete the jigsaw at the Bridge, otherwise on prize giving day, the blues of Chelsea would only be applauding from their seats as the blues of Manchester collect the prize for the best throughout the season, except of course the Special One can produce another magic as he has done everywhere he has gone.