Ever wonder why Chelsea has had as much success even with the “instability” at the club over the last 16 years? It is because Chelsea actually did have stability that whole time, just not in the department people expected.
At no point in the last 16 years did Chelsea have the best team in Europe, but somehow they were always able to take on any team and win. The Blues had players like Frank Lampard, John Terry and Didier Drogba amongst other icons like Michael Essien, Ashley Cole, Petr Cech and Michael Ballack. I could go on, as could you.
The stability was in the players, and it was with the players. There were figures in the dressing room who were constant even while various managers kept saying “hello” and then “goodbye.”
It all started when Jose Mourinho created the us-against-the-world mentality in his Stamford Bridge locker room. Chelsea had players who always felt they had something to prove, not just to the world, the manager or the fans, but to themselves. This personal responsibility fueled the high standard they set for themselves, and drove them to keep going and keep improving.
One of the factors that contributed to this attitude was competition amongst teammates. They understood that football is a team sport, the goal is to win and the team won together and lost together.
Everyone who saw game time knew they had to do enough to convince the manager to earn more playing time, while at the same time playing for their teammates. Nobody could be too selfish and try to do it alone just to show the manager that he deserved to play. As a result of this healthy and fierce competition, the boys were separated from the men. Those who were not willing to put in the work required to outdo those higher in the pecking order eventually found themselves out the door.
When Chelsea players played, they played for their pride. This often transcended tactics and game plans. They put their professional pride above game plans. They followed these plans, as long as they worked.
Chelsea had players who commanded the highest standard of performance from their teammates, meaning that before anybody looked to the manager for another plan when things were not going well in a match, they made sure that they themselves were not the reason things were going poorly. Even when the tactics were not spot on, the players took the responsibility to solve the match. They did what was required to get the result.
Yes, the result. All the players knew that the point of kicking a round object for 90+ minutes was the result.
Chelsea played for their pride when they were paired against teams that looked better on paper, even when the bookies and the media didn’t give them a chance. The players promised themselves that they would put on performances that they would look back upon and pat themselves on the back knowing that they gave it their all and there was nothing else they could have done.
Just look at Barcelona 2012. Roberto di Matteo’s men were already getting tossed around by Barcelona’s football. Down by a goal, the captain and organizer of the defense was sent off. One goal down became two goals down. Players began to realize that if things continued as they were, they were in for a very long game.
They fought back and scored a goal before the half-time whistle. Level on points and ahead on away goals, they came to the second half with a purpose: lock up shop and throw the key away.
Pep Guardiola will remember that day differently. Neutral fans would remember that day as the day Chelsea played disgusting football. Not Blues fans, though. For them, it was the most beautiful sight. Barcelona ran out of options. Chelsea played as though their players were all centrebacks. Everyone took on John Terry’s role.
Everyone involved knew that the possession stats would look ugly, they knew that the whole football community would call them all sorts of names with the approach they adopted in the second half, but they were unbothered, because they knew the objective: the result.
But even that was not enough for them, because if there was anything Jose Mourinho taught them, it was winning. That was the aim of every match, not just the aggregate. So with Barcelona throwing everything they had at a tired, hopeful, densely-packed back line and Chelsea clearing the ball to anywhere that was not towards their goal, Ashley Cole hoofed the ball up field.
With hope in Chelsea fans’ hearts, freshness and energy in Fernando Torres’s legs, and acres of space in front of Torres, he put his club, ahead on aggregate via away goals, into the Champions League final.
Then, Munich 2012. Chelsea travelled to Bayern’s habitat and made themselves at home. It was a difficult game, of course. Chelsea conceded in the 83’ and everyone was all but sure Chelsea were going to be runners-up. Everyone but the Blues that is. They won the UEFA Champions League against a team everyone expected would steamroll them.
For most of the 2018/19 season, the fans felt like they could get taken apart by any team. It really didn’t matter who the team was.
Cardiff City had a comfortable game. Manchester City ate Chelsea for lunch. Bournemouth did the same. Tottenham Hotspur went through the Blues like water.
Every opponent knew what Chelsea was going to do. Chelsea still did it, and the opponents were glad they did. Whenever Chelsea went a goal down, it was almost a certainty that they were not getting back into the game. They could not break down opponents. There was no competition within the squad. It was bleak.
All that has changed this season. Frank Lampard has shown that healthy competition only helps everyone improve. Everyone plays for the team and on-pitch competitors are still supportive of each other off-pitch. Just take a look at Tammy Abraham’s reaction when Michy Batshuayi scored.
Even those who end up leaving will have the mentality that nothing is given to you at the top level. You have to earn it. Substitutes understand why they’re not starting and therefore know what they need to do when they get game time. Starters know that they have to remain on their toes, even when they perform well, because there are willing legs ready to step in should there be a drop in performance.
Most importantly, Lampard has taught Chelsea to play for their pride. Wednesday night in Amsterdam was a perfect example . Everyone recognized the Ajax team as semifinalists and regarded them that way. Everyone also recognized the Chelsea team as mainly debutants and also regarded them that way.
The Chelsea players could have looked at social media and seen all the posts and tweets (from Chelsea fans) expressing their lack of faith in the team, and used that to take responsibility and make sure they put on a performance for themselves.
They did just that. The substitutes came on and showed Lampard that they know what is required to play for a club like Chelsea.
Do we want to pick holes at the team’s performance? We can do that. Or we can acknowledge that they set their sight on the objective and achieved it, regardless of who believed they could.
This pride is what drove John Terry’s Chelsea and it is what is driving Cesar Azpilicueta’s Chelsea. Azpilicueta led by example against Ajax, setting the standard for the other defenders. He showed why he is undroppable and why he is captain, and embodying this next generation of a winning Chelsea FC.