Chelsea FC - Di Matteo Is Readying A New Guard Led By Juan Mata

Didier Drogbaai??i??s departure was a watershed moment in the history of Chelsea Football Club. ai???Big Manai??i??, as he was affectionately called, left the club on an incredible high, winning the most coveted trophy for Chelsea with his final kick Ai??for the club. His departure also meant that the four ai???Elder Statesmenai??i?? of the club would never again take to the pitch in a Chelsea shirt together, in a way signalling the start of what must be the inevitable dismantling of the fabled Old Guard, Chelseaai??i??s spine for Ai??the better part of the last decade.

Ai??ai???Didierai??i??s gone then, eh? Blimey! Itai??i??s been 8 years.ai???- Fan reactions on the morning that followed Drogbaai??i??s farewell.

After the glorious night in Munich, the days that followed were as exciting as they were nervy. Will the club get to have a centre forward like Didier again? The answer was always going to be a No. Passion, skill and strength donai??i??t just come combined everyday as was the case with him. After all, who could be expected to come up with the most unexpected goals, big performances in the games that mattered, stupid dramatics thrown here and there and most importantly do an impromptu rap at the end of a highly tense game?

With Frank Lampard putting in a string of less than impressive performances, it became clear that he would need to adapt to the fact that he was no longer indispensable at Chelsea. Creativity has not been Chelseaai??i??s partner, not since the days of Gianfranco Zola and Ruud Gullitai??i??s sexy football. Strength and Determination, those were the traits that defined the clubai??i??s style of play and in a matter of months, Chelsea were doing away with two of their biggest stalwarts and champions of this philosophy.

And yet, with the club deciding to put their faith in Fernando Torres as the main man up front and the arrival of young creative players in Eden Hazard, Oscar, Marin and co., the shift in the style of play was inevitable. Consequently, the most immediate concern was to ensure that it did not become a case of too much too soon, to ensure that the transition was smooth and the winning mentality was not lost in a haste to adapt the ai???Holier than thouai??i?? Beautiful football.

The Stamford Bridge faithful waited with baited breath as Di Matteo began to oversee the biggest tactical overhaul since the Jose Mourinho days with patience and time being the words mentioned in reference to the development of a new team. It was widely expected that Di Matteo would look towards building a team for the future with the club looking to secure Champions League qualification, and having a good run in the domestic cups while the premiership was considered out of bounds. These were to be exciting and jittery times.

And it is therefore that it has come as a major surprise that Chelseaai??i??s start to the season has been anything but jittery. Going out all guns blazing, they have picked up valuable points on the road against tough opponents in Arsenal and Tottenham and have made themselves possible title contenders. It had seemed initially that at worst Mata, Hazard and Oscar might not be able to play together, considering the three of them show many similar attributes and skills, and at best may take a long time to gel together as a unit. By contrast, a little over a couple of months doesnai??i??t seem too bad, for in this period they have fitted in together seamlessly. And the credit for this must go to two fine gents of the game.

Robbie Di Matteo

ai???Something happened with him coming in, and Robbie deserves an awful lot of creditai??? -John Terry

Now when you see an Englishman (usually a stiff necked lot, as Agatha Christie might like to tell you) getting emotional and giving someone an ai???awfulai??i?? lot of credit, rest assured, something worthwhile has truly been done. And if anyone deserves that credit, it is Di Matteo. He was every bit the reason for Chelseaai??i??s incredible success last season as any other of those big game players, perhaps even more.Ai??He brought the club together when everything threatened to go awry and as the west Londoners like to call him, ai???Heai??i??s one of us.ai???

This season again he has shown his managerial masterclass by adapting to the rigours of the premier league, something he wasnai??i??t thought to be capable of doing after his tactical exploits in Europe were conveniently dubbed as ai???Parking the Busai??i??. And yet, Chelsea have taken to free flowing football almost naturally, without the hiccups that were expected.Ai??

Surprisingly, he has been found out more than once in Europe, but that can be put down to the defence still finding their feet in a new expansive style of football. But given the progress he has achieved at Chelsea so far, it is only likely that he will sort it out sooner than later. Needless to say, the club needs to continue to put their faith in him, because if it wasnai??i??t for him, it probably might have been ai???Thursday Nights, Channel five.ai??i??

Juan Mata

The man who stood out as a lone spark in many a dismal performance last season is now shining the brightest in a team full of gems. He has become a bit like Didier Drogba, who effortlessly lifted the game of those around him. In a midfield comprising of tireless Ramires and immensely talented Oscar and Eden Hazard, he continues to stamp his authority as the deserved No. 10.

Chelsea still have enough quality in the ranks without him, but look somehow jaded and somewhat lacking without him. Case in point being the games against Wigan and Newcastle early on when Mata was almost burnt out after a long season and the recent game against Swansea, when he was out injured.

And it is in this stark difference that a new team is emerging. From a team that led from the back is fast becoming a team that likes to lead from the front. Only a year back or so a team without either of Lampard, Drogba or Terry could not have been imagined, let alone without any single one of them. Yet such a team was able to pick up three points against a Tottenham who were stung and bitter to get back at them. This is a team that almost mounted a memorable comeback against Manchester United, a team that managed to pick up all three points against Shakhtar, whence a draw might have been disastrous, at the very death.

Ai??You simply cannot write off Chelsea. You can outplay them, outwit them, batter them, bewilder them even. But you will find it very hard to beat them.-Daily Express

Under Jose Mourinho, Chelsea were always described as team that were very hard to beat. It is increasingly becoming a feature of this new look team as well. Shakhtar were made to find that out the hard way. Chelsea may yet not win the premiership this season, but there has never been a more optimistic time for the Stamford Bridge faithful as Chelseaai??i??s new charges led by Di Matteo are ready to step up on the big stage. Jose Mourinhoai??i??s Old Guard might just begin to take their long walk towards sunset. But itai??i??s been a glorious day, and it looks like tomorrow might be pretty bright as well.

Tags: Chelsea FC Di Matteo Juan Mata

Chelsea FC – Di Matteo Is Readying A New Guard Led By Juan Mata

Recommended

How Manchester United could line up under Ruben Amorim

Five players Ruben Amorim should look to sign for Manchester United

Real Madrid and a defence that needs an immediate overhaul

Three potential January Real Madrid targets to cover for Eder Militao

Welcome Back!

Retrieve your password