Chelsea FC’s Club Culture On The Line This Season
Every time a club is struggling for form, the fans begin clamoring for the manager to be sacked. Chelsea FC are no strangers to that concept as the club has gone through nine managers in ten years if those with the interim tags are included. New managers are brought in to struggling clubs to shake things up, change the club culture, and usually to save the club from relegation.
In Chelsea’s case, the managers brought in have lived in the shadow of Jose Mourinho and only one has truly tried to change the culture without failing miserably. Carlo Ancelotti took the stifling defense the Blues were known for and added an exciting element which lead to the Blues winning the league in 2009 and setting a club record with 103 goals scored in a season. Carlo proved that the Blues could be a dynamic and exciting side but even Ancelotti could not escape Mourinho’s shadow and was sacked following his record-setting season.
In Jose Mourinho’s second stint with the club, he has been unable to escape the shadow of his first stint with the club. In his first two seasons with the club, Chelsea FC intimidated and suffocated opponents on the pitch. His teams were known for their defensive solidity and he relished the string of 1-0 victories that helped the Blues win the title. The title was won in record-setting fashion as well, but in a vastly different way than Ancelotti’s as the Blues gave up the fewest ever goals in a season with 15 and finished with 95 points.
Despite the early hiccups last season as the Blues regularly conceded goals, especially apparent when giving up three and five goals respectively to Everton and Tottenham, the Blues eventually won the title because of their solid defensive efforts. When the title was on the line, the Blues grinded out another string of 1-0 and 2-0 victories to seal the deal. That 1-0 victory has become as much a part of the club’s culture and identity as the crest on the players’ chests.
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Every now and then we hear about owner Roman Abramovich wanting his side to play “exciting and attacking” football, but what is more exciting than lifting silverware? Chelsea’s greatest triumphs, both domestically and in Europe, have come due to excellent defensive work with a collective effort of all 11 men on the pitch. Even Ancelotti’s “PlayStation football” squad gave up less than a goal a game in their record-breaking season.
All the big clubs in world football have their respective identities. Manchester United was known for their fast-paced attack under Alex Ferguson, Barcelona will be forever linked with Guardiola’s Tiki-Taka, and Real Madrid for their intricate passing and offensive pressure. With Chelsea for the past decade or so, it has been defensive solidity with blistering counterattacks and a lethal cutting edge.
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The Blues have already conceded 19 goals this season through just 10 Premier League games and have clearly lost their identity as a club. They have had trouble scoring goals from open play but that would be less of an issue if the defense was not so leaky. Mourinho and the fans would be happy with scoring just 15 goals so far if they came in 1-0 victories or even a string of 1-1 draws.
If things continue as they have been this season, then there is much more on the line than just Mourinho’s job and a Champions League place. The rumors of Pep Guardiola coming to Stamford Bridge are certainly overstated but the club’s management may have to overhaul the entire squad to get the results they desire.
The days of building from the back may be over as the club will look to embrace their defensive fragilities and hope to outgun the competition. Many Chelsea FC fans will be pleased at the changes but as the old adage goes, defense wins championships and that has certainly been the case for the Blues.
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