When you’re 1-0 down against a team who are likely to be one of your biggest title rivals this season, common sense and logic often goes out of the window. Chelsea’s 86-match unbeaten run involved a few instances where the opposition took the lead, only for the Blues to work their way back into the match, although they were unable to do this against Liverpool on Sunday. Their manager claims this was down to the fact that they didn’t pass the ball enough.
It’s all very well to look sublime when you’re coasting 5-0 at the Riverside, although it’s a much different proposition to try and stay composed on the ball when the opposition are 1-0 and soaking up pressure like a very absorbent sponge. The Daily Mail reports that Phil Scolari became frustrated by the way that his players didn’t listen to his instructions during the second half of the match, something which seemingly contributed to their downfall.
‘In the first half we dominated the game. In the second half we had more possession and we crossed the ball many times but they have good defenders and won every ball.
‘We did not play as Chelsea usually play. There was no space to work the ball, only to cross and we didn’t win one cross.
‘We need to play and touch the ball as we do not have big strikers. I don’t like to lose but if we lose we need to touch the ball, not put the ball in the box every time.
‘We were running out of time and the players did not have the confidence to pass the ball. I tried to tell them to play but they didn’t listen.’
Where’s Didier Drogba when you need him? The Ivorian has been a thorn in Liverpool’s side on many occasions and it appears as though Chelsea could have benefitted from his presence at the weekend, especially with Carragher and Agger stopping the supply lines on the deck. Will the Blues bounce back from their first league defeat of the season by out-passing Hull on Wednesday night?
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