Since turn of the New Year, Chelsea and Jose Mourinho have been heavily criticized for not playing the attractive brand of football. Many quarters of the Arsenal fans shouted “boring boring” during Chelsea’s 0-0 draw at the Emirates.
I find that amusing as well as childish by those Arsenal fans. Remember these are the same people who were calling for Arsene Wenger’s head earlier in the season when the club was stuttering at 4th and 5th place. Suddenly with 8 win in a row and being a bit higher up the table, they have the audacity of questioning Chelsea’s style of play who have been the Premier League leaders since Week 1.
Earlier this month, I read a piece done by Guardian titled Just Champions, where they highlighted how Chelsea are doing just enough to ensure they finish as this season’s Premier League champions.
As far as I recall, isn’t that the entire purpose for every team playing in the Premier League – to win it? Since when playing with flair was added as one of the criteria of being called as the worthy champions?
Frankly I see no harm in how Chelsea have shaped their title march this season, rather I would ask all those questioning Chelsea’s performance lately to answer this one simple question: “Had it been your team in place of Chelsea, would you have not accepted the title or would you be still moaning about their displays on the pitch?”
I think, much of the Chelsea’s sluggish performances lately has been down to fatigue and Jose Mourinho’s preference of using a bunch of his trusted 13-14 players to see out the season. Mourinho has never been a fan of squad rotation and due to Chelsea’s involvement on multiple fronts, their squad has suffered from the demands of English football.
Add to that injury to their leading goal scorer Diego Costa has not helped their case as well. Earlier in the season, the combination play of Diego Costa, Cesc Fabregas and Eden Hazard left everyone stunned and fearing the inevitability of Chelsea winning the league.
Football always gives every team enough chance for improvements and Chelsea surely would like to add more to their play but in my view they have done nothing wrong to face the heavy criticism which they have to deal with in recent weeks.
Despite being at their worse (as many are claiming to be), Chelsea could not be beaten by the two inform sides in the league, Manchester United and Arsenal who came with an impressive 6-game and 8-game winning streak respectively. Despite all of their attacking potential, United and Arsenal could not get pass Chelsea’s well drilled defense. Mourinho thrives on building a strong defense which has always acted as the base of his success.
People, who are demanding the improvement in Chelsea’s playing style must realize that, Football is a simple game where winning carries the utmost importance and concerns with the simple task of putting the ball in your opponent’s goal and defending your own goal and currently in world football, nobody does this simple task better than Jose Mourinho.
Mourinho is a proven winner, he won’t care how he wins the Premier League title this season. All it matters is that in next 2-3 weeks, Mourinho and Chelsea will be crowned as the Premier League champions and all this nonsense of not being the worthy champions would be put to bed.
Last I checked, I did not see any team get extra points for playing expansive and attractive brand of football, not even the Invincibles of Arsenal in 2003-04 and neither the treble winning Manchester United in 1999.
To end this, I would like to use one of Johan Cryuff’s most apt lines. Cryuff said: “Quality without results is pointless but results without Quality is boring but effective”.