Posts Tagged ‘Ramires’

2011/2012 Premier League Review – The Good

For this year’s season review we will start with the positive points that can be taken from a difficult and painful Premier League campaign.

Juan Mata

The signing of the season he has been a revelation in his debut season in the Premier League his creativity was a breath of fresh air, even if in some games he was underutilised due to the heavy handed tactics of the opposition.

A travesty that he was not nominated for Premier League accolades, particular the team of the year,  at least Chelsea fans appreciated his performances, as he became a debut season fans player of the year.

At just 24 he has plenty of seasons left in him and has the potential to be a Chelsea great and a deserving fans player of the year.

Mata Stats

PL Games: 34

Goals: 6

Assists: 13

Ramires

It took him six months to settle but his form this term has been exemplary bringing strength and style to the right hand side of our midfield.

An injury meant he missed a couple of months of the season but he came back with a bang.

He has been a beacon of light in a disappointing season and he could not have been far away in the fans player of the year awards.

Ramires Stats

PL Games: 30

Goals: 5

Assists:1

Branislav Ivanovic

An established Chelsea hero since his Champions League brace against Liverpool a couple of years ago, versatile as ever he has been a rock this season.

A no-nonsense player he has been consistently brilliant for Chelsea and is in my mind the first name on the defensive teamsheet these days, dare I say it ahead of John Terry.

Ivanovic Stats

Games: 29

Goals: 3

Assists: 1

Petr Cech

He has simply been back to his best this season, with some match winning performances that often get lost in the other game action.

A brilliant shot stopper he has improved the other areas of his game and the confidence seems to be well and truly back.

Next season will be his 8^th for Chelsea and with Thibaut Courtois waiting in the wings he will have to be at his best again next season.

Petr Cech Stats

Games: 34

Saves: 84

Clean Sheets: 10

Benfica v Chelsea – First Leg Tactical Analysis

An over-used cliché following last Tuesday’s win is that Chelsea pulled off a “perfect away result”. This of course refers to the fact that we kept a clean sheet, while also nicking a goal to give us a firm footing going into the second leg this Wednesday.

Chelsea in control:

What was more pleasing and went slightly unnoticed was the fact that we controlled the whole game from start to finish. Now, there are different ways of controlling a game. Chelsea under Jose Mourinho controlled matches keeping possession in our own half and looking to attack with deadly direct play involving quick forward-pressed wingers.

Also, you can defensively control a game like Guus Hiddink did when we traveled to Barcelona in 2009. Pundits may have called us “enemies of football” back then, but it was a master-class in how to play at the Nou Camp, with men behind the ball and a very stringent zonal marking system.

In some periods of the double-winning season, Carlo Ancelotti’s Chelsea would keep the ball for long periods, moving it around and testing the concentration of the opposition. But under Andre Villas-Boas, although we secured some excellent results early in the season, there was never an impression that Chelsea were really controlling the football match.

Team selection:

It was a surprising selection put out by Di Matteo, with non-regulars Salomon Kalou and Paulo Ferreira making it into the starting eleven. Although Ferreira had not played for Chelsea since New Year’s Eve, most Chelsea fans would have been pleased to see him, rather than Jose Bosingwa, replace Branislav Ivanovic at right back.

Like Chelsea, our opponents had lined up in their traditional 4-2-3-1 system, with Pablo Aimar supporting Oscar Cardozo in attack. The midfield dual pivot included the deeper Javi Garcia and the poetically named Axel Witsel, slightly more advanced. Chelsea had John Obi Mikel and Raul Meireles in equivalent positions.

Battle of the Wings:

Their wide players, Nicolas Gaitan on the right and Bruno Cesar on the left, are both left footed and both initially struggled against Ashley Cole and Ferreira respectively. Both of Chelsea’s wing selections, Kalou and Ramires, were made keeping in mind the threat posed by these two players.

The wingers became frustrated by around the 27^th minute and Benfica manager Jorge Jesus asked them to switch. This did result in some better play from Cesar against Cole on Chelsea’s left wing. Kalou was having to track back to defend Benfica’s more attacking full-back Maxi Pereira.

On the other side, Gaitan was still being picked off by Ferreira and with him reluctant to track back, Ramires was having a field day against left-back Emerson, who was not advancing as much as Pereira on the other wing, possibly fearful of bursts of counter-attacking pace from the turbo-charged Brazilian.

Ramires the Unfatigue-able:

The crucial element on the night was Ramires. The Brazilian, with his amazing speed and stamina, is a tactical delight for any manager. Firstly, because he can cover two or three positions simultaneously and secondly, because he follows the manager’s instructions in detail.

The interesting thing about Ramires’s positioning was he was effectively playing the “shuttle” role that made Chelsea buy him from Benfica. With their left-back wary of venturing forward, Ramires took up a more central position when Chelsea lost the ball, and it became a pseudo 3-man midfield. He was still energetic enough to shift positions quickly if the need arose to double-team Gaitan.

Extra man in midfield:

This allowed Chelsea an extra man in the middle of the park, with Garcia sitting deep in order to keep Juan Mata quiet. John Obi Mikel as the Blues’ most defensive-minded midfielder was doing well to pick up second balls whenever Benfica looked to use balls into Cardozo, with John Terry winning the aerial battle against the forward.

This meant Benfica’s only threatening mode of attack was with the 2-on-2 situation on their right wing, and Cesar was able to use Pereira’s runs to cut inside and get a couple of shots away. On a couple of occasions, he also mixed it up with taking on Cole on the outside before crossing, but Chelsea’s central defenders were winning all the headers.

Terry and David Luiz were complementing each other well, with the captain dealing with the lanky and strong Cardozo, while David Luiz often stepped out to make crucial interceptions and tackles, which effectively nullified the influence of the tricky Argentine Aimar.

The importance of being earnest:

Up front, Di Matteo had preferred to use Fernando Torres instead of Didier Drogba, and it turned out to be an excellent choice. The Spaniard had done a good job in a similar role against Manchester City the week before.

Similar to the City game, the primary aim was to defend, so Torres often found himself having no one for company up front, with Mata being well-marked by Javi Garcia. But he played the lone furrow extremely well, keeping the Benfica central defenders busy with his industry and pace.

His hold-up play was also excellent and this often allowed Kalou and Ramires to advance while the ball was at the striker’s feet. He tends to drift to the wings a lot, which is sometimes a reason for his lack of goals, but in this game it was a genuine strategy to get him to run in behind Benfica’s full backs.

The goal:

The only goal of the game, in fact, came out of a combination of Ramires and Torres. On a rare forward push from the left-back Emerson, Ramires intercepted the ball before easily beating him for pace. This led to Javi Garcia being pulled out of position, but just as he got close to Ramires, Torres made a fantastic run into the channel on the right. His marker Jardel was no match for Torres in terms of pace.

With the Benfica shape being skewed by the quick counter-attack and their defensive midfielder being eliminated from the game, there was all the space in the world for Kalou and Mata to make their way into the box. Torres found Kalou beautifully with his measured cross, and the Ivorian made no mistake.

Closing notes:

The interesting tactical points of this game were the influence of Ramires’s immense pace and stamina, and the isolated striker role played extremely well by Torres. Another factor was that we did not give the ball away as much as in some previous games.

John Obi Mikel is extremely important in this regard, with his excellent touch and ability to hold off players. Although Meireles did not have a great game alongside him, he did not do anything ultra-rubbish either.

Of course, the second leg will be a totally different story in terms of tactics from the managers. To be fair, better was expected from Benfica as a side which made their way into the Champions League quarterfinals.

It will not come as a surprise if they up their game as they come to the Bridge with no pressure and not much to lose. Chelsea will have to be extremely wary of letting them into the game. Di Matteo will hope we can control the game like we did in Lisbon.

I can be found on Twitter @Celeryphile

Ramires Signs New Contract – Good News With Worrying Undertones

The best news in a confusing couple of days is that despite the chaos the club have completed a piece of sensible business by tying down Ramires to a five year contract.

The Brazilian has been one of the bright spots in an otherwise disappointing season and is an early candidate for our player of the season award.

He took a couple of months to settle in but since January last year he has been a consistent performer and should be one of the first names on Roberto Di Matteo’s teamsheets.

Traditionally it would be worrying that the club is giving long contracts to players when we are without a long term manager, but it has been clear for a while now that the manager is just a minor detail to the club with some kind of long-term strategy in place.

Whilst it is reassuring that the club sees Ramires in their long term plans it would be nice if they would share it with the fan or at least give us a few clues about what it is.

We never got a real feel of what the AVB project was and it is clear the club have their own idea of where the club should be, let’s hope that those that do not speak have suddenly developed a footballing brain.

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Queen’s Park Rangers Vs Chelsea F.C FA Cup 4th Round – LINE UPS

This is set to be a highly contested derby. With matters of alleged racist abuse gaining all the attention, the focus will be fully on John Terry and Anton Ferdinand.

Chelsea lost on their last visit to Loftus Road, with the Blues having two men sent off in the first half; by a ref who has came under question all season.

Both chairmen have issued statements warning fans not to engage in behaviour that will be deemed as unacceptable. The fans will be hyped up all throughout the match and both clubs are hoping to avoid any confrontation outside the stadium.

Chelsea will be touted as favourites for this match, but this does not mean QPR will not threaten throughout. Joey Barton will look to dominate the midfield and possibly try to wind up our players. It is our players job not to react to his mind games.

Gary Cahill looks likely to make his début in this game and with Salomon Kalou and Didier Drogba still on Africa Cup of Nations duty, it again leaves Romelu Lukaku and Fernando Torres in a battle for the centre forward position with Juan Mata and Daniel Sturridge set to provide support on the wings.

Confirmed Chelsea XI-

Cech, Ivanovic, Luiz, Terry, Cole, Ramires, Meireles, Malouda, Sturridge, Torres, Mata.

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Why Chelsea Fans Should Keep Faith In Ramires After Tough Start!

When Ramires joined the club, Chelsea fans with an eye for continental and Brazilian football were elated with his capture following a prolonged chase. The midfielder however has not had a great start to his Chelsea career; he is not quick enough on or off the ball and this robs him of time and leads to him being dispossessed far too frequently and in dangerous positions.

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