Talking tactics: Chelsea should be careful of a Jose Mourinho masterclass

Jose Mourinho takes his thin ice show to Stamford Bridge. What tactics will he use to show off (or be shown up) at Chelsea?

Some newer fans may be surprised to know that Jose Mourinho used to be the measuring stick by which all other managers stood. His first years in the Premier League were dominated by tactical brilliance and the game had to play catch up to him.

But then Pep Guardiola happened and Mourinho slowly but surely became the antithesis to Guardiola’s thesis. As more and more teams attempted to copy Guardiola, Mourinho’s tactics became less about innovation and more about countering Guardiola. This was crystallized when Mourinho’s Inter Milan won the Champions League.

A stint at Real Madrid that broke him and a return to Chelsea that started well but ended in tragedy followed. Mourinho became more and more erratic as his tactics became caricatures of themselves. Now, his tenure at Manchester United is coming to a close one way or another for the same reasons. He does have brilliance in him still, but it rarely shows through all the bitterness.

Given Sarrismo’s similarity to Guardiola’s tactics, Mourinho is likely to employ his usual tactics for that type of opponent. Formationally, it could be a 4-3-3, a 4-4-2, or a 3-5-2. Mourinho started using the latter two shapes during his Manchester United tenure to stifle opponents and “park the bus”. The 4-4-2 quickly becomes a 6-2-2 and the 3-5-2 becomes a 5-3-2 as United look to counter.

Counters will remain the feature of Mourinho’s attack against Chelsea. He will not be afraid to let the Blues have the ball as his team picks their moments. Whoever is left up top will likely be very wide as they look to latch on to a long ball and be through on goal. Romelu Lukaku played a similar role in the World Cup a few times so is likely to do so again. He will also be used to flick on to teammates joining the attack.

Defensively, they will pack it in at the back and wait. To facilitate this, they will likely target key playmakers and players involved in the buildup by man marking them. Expect Eden Hazard and Jorginho to be marked heavily and the fullbacks harassed constantly. Mourinho’s main tactic will be to either render Chelsea’s possession worthless or to upset the flow of it often.

When Mourinho’s teams buy into his tactics, they can be very effective. Chelsea has already been on the losing end of those tactics when the players back them. And of course Mourinho is a master of knowing just which substitute to bring on to disrupt the opponent or turn the tide of the game. Despite everything else, there is almost no manager better at using his bench to change things.

But then there are the other times when the team does not buy into Mourinho’s tactics. They will then look disinterested or confused by the demands the manager is putting on them. Furthermore, the defensive line he has at United is perhaps the poorest he has ever managed. They simply do not look like a traditional Mourinho defense.

It is entirely possible Mourinho throws a curve ball and comes out to play against Maurizio Sarri and Chelsea. Mourinho often flirts with that notion until the team is scored upon and he reverts to what worked for him before. Sarri will likely prepare for park the bus Mourinho, which is exactly why Mourinho might try to throw a curveball.

But it will largely depend on the players at Manchester United. They more likely than not want the manager gone, but they will still want to win. But they will have to find the medium that works to defeat Chelsea.