If a poll had been thrown open to Chelsea fans after the United game about how confident they were going into today’s game against Sheffield United, over 70% would certainly have voiced how nervous and unsure about the team they were, and rightly so.
Remembering the joy and celebrations at the aftermath of the game on Thursday, it was the stark opposite of those emotions that everyone connected to Chelsea experienced at Bramall Lane this evening.
Happening time and time again, it has become embarrassing for Chelsea faithful to witness their team falter to deceive with terrible performances against “weaker” opponents.
This time against the league’s “whipping” boys Sheffield United, Chelsea once again conceded 2+ goals for the 5th consecutive game (Leicester, Newcastle, Burnley, Manchester United and now Sheffield).
A team that barely got shots on target against some oppositions ( No shots on target against Arsenal), Sheffield mustered 6 attempts on target and created a whopping 3 big chances as Chris Wilder’s men looked the better side of both teams.
Always engaging in end-to-end games and failure to control teams by keeping possession of the ball have meant Chelsea give chances away to even the smallest of teams and that further aids their belief whenever the Blues’ come to town.
In a time where the best teams ‘suffocate’ the lesser teams by keeping the ball and ‘boxing’ them into a ‘jail’ with their counter-pressing, it has become barbaric to play football in a carefree manner with little to no structure on/off the ball.
As much as the players are the main antagonists, it has become impossible to apportion blames to the manager.
Asking for the team to be direct anytime they have the ball means there is a higher chance of a turnover and with the technical level of even the ‘smallest’ of teams in the league at this moment, every team has the tendency to hurt you on the break or through set-pieces.
Considering the team presently has a crop of players best suited to a more structured and controlled environment tactically, it remains to be seen what the club’s hierarchies think of Mauricio Pochettino’s work come the end of the season.
