Ever since Roman Abramovich landed in West London, seldom have Chelsea been considered to be underdogs in the title race, and quite rightly so. After all, most of the players signed by the club were for the present, rather than for the future, and were led by few of the most iconic managers in the game. Even when a manager faltered and was shown the door, a high-profile replacement was ushered in to take the ship to safer shores. The club, more often than not, led the table from the start; thus, favorites was always a more likely title than that of an underdog, even though Chelsea had to fearfully look over their shoulders for a charge from the red half of Manchester.
This season is different. Yes, the West London club have a new manager and have signed players, but the similarity ends there. The manager, Andre Villas-Boas, is merely 33 years old and has his whole career in front of him, rather than behind him. The true influence of new signings, other than perhaps of Juan Mata and Raul Meireles, will only be felt in subsequent seasons, rather than in the current campaign since they all are very young and will take time to get acclimatized to their new surroundings.
Villas-Boas – Has he got time on his hands? We think, he does.
Time is something one hardly gets at Chelsea – the rule of the land has always been now or never. However, the managerial appointment, restructuring of the coaching staff and scouting network, the nature of signings, especially on the back of the fact that both Manchester United and Manchester City have never looked any stronger before, gives an indication that Roman Abramovich is finally ready to offer something at Chelsea which no one has previously enjoyed – and that is, time.
If Chelsea are the underdogs, who are the favorites?
Manchester City
Primary Weapon: First team comprising of Hart-Clichy-Kompany-Lescott-Richards-Toure-Barry-Nasri-Silva-Aguero-Dzeko in a 4-2-3-1 formation.
The first team line-up of Manchester City is not just the strongest on paper, but thus far in the campaign, there has been enough indication that they can play exceptionally well as a unit. Hart, with his reflexes and stunning acrobatic saves, is already one of the best keepers in the league, and Vincent Kompany in front of him provides some much needed stability to their defense. From deploying De Jong, Barry and Toure together in the midfield last season, Mancini has added a certain attacking edge in the middle by dropping one of them to the bench, while playing the troika of Nasri-Silva-Aguero just behind Edin Dzeko. Although Nasri starts from the left, Silva from the middle and Aguero on the right, their versatility enables them to switch positions, and combine with the center forward to produce some scintillating display of attacking football. Dzeko, after a slow start at Eastlands, has started to justify his price tag. In the game against Tottenham, he scored off his right foot, head and left foot, before scoring a scorcher from distance – thus underlining his ability as a complete striker.
Secondary Weapon: Squad depth
When the likes of Carlos Tevez, Mario Balotelli, James Milner, Adam Johnson, and Alexander Koralov, amongst others, can only make the bench, you know what you are up against. The impact that each of these players can make on the pitch is unquestionable; however, it remains to be seen whether Roberto Mancini can keep each of them happy and in a positive frame of mind, so that they are mentally ready to influence proceedings, whenever they are called upon by the manager. Considering the volatile nature of names on this list, this will be the biggest challenge for Mancini, as there’s a gaping danger that Man City will prove to be Man City’s biggest nemesis, and not any other team.
Will Tevez be satisfied with a peripheral role?
Achilles’ heel: Roberto Mancini
Mancini, inherently, is not an attacking coach. Like most Italians, he values organisation and discipline more than flair. However, the sheer quality of talent at his disposal doesn’t give him an option to remain in his comfort zone anymore. What we saw at City last season, was Mancini at his best, without challenging himself. The team was organised and efficient. This season, with the addition of Samir Nasri and Kun Aguero, the former Inter coach will have no option but to step out of his circle of comfort and play attacking football. The early signs have, of course, been good. Man City’s season rests on his shoulders – if he is able to mould himself to play to his team’s strengths, and keep all his superstars happy, City will definitely be the team to beat this season.
Another problem lies in the center of defense, as only Kompany is a truly world-class center-back. Discerning opposition managers will look at Lescott, Toure and Savic and see a possible chink in the armor.
Manchester United
Primary Weapon: Sir Alex Ferguson
In his 25-year reign at Old Trafford, the irrepressible Scott has built as many as five teams at United. The arsenal at his disposal has always changed, but the desire and fighting spirit shown by his teams has never died down. It was believed that Ferguson would resign once he knocks Liverpool off their perch by claiming the 19th title. However, those who believed that Ferguson will finally hang his enormous boots, were in for a disappointment. It was not in his character to walk away, when the enemy was at its strongest. What did he do? He laid the foundation of yet another team. Ferguson’s knowledge of the league, his tactical acumen, his ability to bring the best out of his men – week-in, week-out – will be Man United’s most potent weapon again this season.
Sir Alex Ferguson’s new team is a joy to watch!
Secondary Weapon: Freshness in the team
After the 8-2 demolition of injury-hit Arsenal, the predominant talking point was the absence of key players such as Vermaelen, Sagna, Song, Wilshere, Girvinho, leaving the Arsenal team bereft of experience and quality. However, what most didn’t touch upon was the fact that the United team had started with Evans, Jones, Smalling, Cleverley, Welbeck – players who were not just young but also in-experienced. Yet, they rose to the challenge and repaid the faith their manager had shown in them. This United team, especially the chemistry between the front four of Young, Rooney, Welback and Nani, is delightful to watch, especially for neutral observers. The freshness that Ferguson has managed to instill in his ranks is unbelievable. The kind of fluid, attacking play that’s been witnessed at Old Trafford this season is already threatening to surpass the exploits of the days when Ronaldo wore the red shirt.
Achilles’ heel: Midfield
With Anderson enjoying a rich vein of form and Cleverley grabbing the opportunity with both hand, things are all looking rosy. However, once either of them gets injured or there’s a dip in from, Carrick, Fletcher, and Giggs will come into the equation. Despite his disciplined game, Carrick lacks a certain creative edge, while Fletcher has been out of action for a long time, and Giggs, at 37, is not someone Ferguson can depend on week after week. This was the reason why United were in the market for a central midfielder, and were heavily linked to Wesley Sneijder. However, with the Dutchman not lowering his wage demands and United beginning the new season in bombastic fashion, the manager decided against a midfield signing. This can hurt the team, especially in big games. The first test is in two weeks time, when Villas-Boas will lead his team to Old Trafford.
Another position which can come back to haunt Ferguson is that of a goal-keeper. For all his ball-distribution qualities, David de Gea far from settled in his new role as United’s number one. His ball-handling and reflexes remain susceptible, and managers will encourage their players to put the reputation that the young keeper had built in Spain to test.
Chelsea are underdogs of the race, but it doesn’t mean that they can’t win the race – just that as things stand, they are less likely to win the league this season, as compared to the teams from Manchester.
Hereafter, The Blues have to accept the fact that they have to chase the leaders, and try to remain as close to them as possible, chipping away at their lead at every available opportunity. They are well accustomed to seeing their lead evaporate into thin air over the seasons; the roles are just reversed now. Consistency leads to confidence, and self-confidence has the potential to bring out panic in the competition, irrespective of how good they may be. With Villas-Boas in-charge, Chelsea will, at least, be well-prepared for each test. They have to remain consistent against the other teams, fight till the last second while playing in Manchester, and beat them at home. The target should be to remain in the hunt for the title till March, and then the strategy can be re-evaluated depending upon the position the team is in.
There’s a possibility that Fernando Torres will start banging in goals, that Frank Lampard will recapture his form of old, that Juan Mata will become a cult hero in his debut season, that Daniel Sturridge will make the position of right-forward his own, that Jose Bosingwa will deliver his best season in a blue shirt, and that Josh McEachran will make Chelsea’s pursuit of Modric look stupid. However, unless all this happens together, Chelsea will remain the underdogs this season, and that’s not so bad after all, as nothing brings more unadulterated joy than winning when no one expects you to win.