Going into their match against Manchester United, Carlo Ancelotti's possible squad selection is the biggest story coming out of the Chelsea camp. The Blues' formation and team selection has changed considerably under Ancelotti, and their recent transfers have further complicated that selection. Previewing a game and making an educated prediction is almost impossible when one has no idea how two teams are going to line up. There is some serious mystery associated with both teams, but Chelsea present considerably more questions than the Red Devils.
Chelsea FC Vs. Manchester United: Walking Through The Blues’ Squad Selection
Fernando Torres is a must-start
While the Spaniard has yet to look like a £50 million man, he has shown some flashes of the skill that made his price so high. It was almost comical that he was unable to score against FC Copenhagen in the UEFA Champions League; I can’t recall seeing a player get so unlucky.
While Torres hasn’t scored in a Chelsea shirt yet, there are a couple of undeniable truths here: Torres has a great scoring record against United, and he’s absurdly talented. He can play as the central striker in a 4-3-3 formation or with a partner in a 4-4-2 diamond setup easily. He might even work as the wide right forward in a 4-3-3 cutting inside, if Ancelotti feels like getting really adventurous. He’s not scoring right now, but he’s still Torres. He’s going to start scoring eventually, and he scores against United.
Is there a place for John Obi Mikel?
This depends on how much emphasis Ancelotti puts on athleticism, shutting down counter-attacks through the middle, and the need for a ball-winner in the center of midfield. Considering United's probable team selection and style of play, it seems like the answer will be "not much." Mikel is often misrepresented as nothing but a tough tackling bully when he's actually a pretty versatile midfielder, but he doesn't seem like the kind of player that Ancelotti will play against United if he feels like he has to win the game. At this point in their respective careers, Mikel arguably gives his team more than Frank Lampard does. But, in a must-win game against a team that isn't particularly focused on countering through the middle, Mikel probably doesn't have a place.
4-3-3 or a narrow 4-4-2 diamond?
Whether Manchester United are going to be playing a flat 4-4-2 with Dimitar Berbatov and Wayne Rooney up top, a 4-3-3 with Nani and Rooney on either side of Berbatov, or a 4-3-3/4-5-1 hybrid, Chelsea's narrow 4-4-2 diamond seems like a good idea. From Graham MacAree of SBNation's Chelsea FC blog, We Ain't Got No History:
If Chelsea midfield doesn't simply opt to collapse (always a possibility) they should pretty comfortably outclass United in the centre, even one on one. But I don't expect them to be one on one - if United are playing a 4-4-2 or 4-3-3 and Ancelotti wants to deploy two strikers, the obvious response is the 4-4-2 diamond, potentially with Nicolas Anelka as the trequarista.
That last point is an important one, and it needs to be touched on further.
Shall we re-visit Nicolas Anelka as a trequarista?
The 4-4-2 diamond setup with Nicolas Anelka playing behind Torres and Didier Drogba worked well against Sunderland and then got creamed against Liverpool. However, the Liverpool match was not about the failings of the system as a whole or Anelka, but rather, the fact that it's a really awful match-up for Liverpool's five at the back setup. Against Manchester United, it's a completely different story. They don't ever play tactics that inherently hamper a 4-4-2 diamond with a striker/attacking midfielder hybrid at the tip of said diamond. It seems highly likely that Ancelotti could do this again.
But what if we get crazy? A compromise that I would love to see, but that is highly unlikely.
Bare with me for a second. Can Chelsea have their cake and eat it to? A solid midfield, width, and Nicolas Anelka as a trequarista? Well, sort of. How's this for a bold idea? A 4-4-2/4-2-3-1 hybrid (people will debate the shape, despite it being largely irrelevant) where Anelka stays high when Chelsea do not have the ball, but drops off Torres into an attacking midfield position during long spells of possession. Florent Malouda and Ramires provide the width on either side, and both would be asked to do some pinching in on defense, and additionally would be given the freedom to come inside when Chelsea are attacking. Michael Essien and John Obi Mikel sit in the middle, providing athleticism and tough tackling, as well as some solid passing ability. Am I the only one who loves this idea? Yes? (Editor's note: Yes.) Moving on.
In the end, sticking with the hot hand is a good idea, too
If you didn’t get an opportunity to watch Chelsea’s Champions League match against Copenhagen, they played very well. They were very unlucky to not get more than two goals, and the passing exchanges were brilliant. Anelka and Torres formed an absolutely brilliant partnership. So, why not stick with the hot hand? There’s no inherent tactical flaw in playing the same team that out-classed Copenhagen, so it would be a good idea for Chelsea to stick with what’s working.
Finally, a prediction
Because of Chelsea’s numerous options, Ancelotti could make a selection completely different than the one I predicted without making me look stupid, which is pretty rare. In this case, I’m guessing that Ancelotti liked what he saw in Denmark and that he won’t tinker with it too much.
Projected Chelsea Lineup (4-4-2 narrow diamond): Cech; A. Cole, Terry, Luiz, Ivanovic; Essien, Ramires, Malouda, Lampard; Anelka, Torres
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