Eddie Howe: Tactics, Chelsea 0 Bournemouth 3 – Masterclass

So we played Josie at Stamford Bridge and we were able to win three that day. I think we would add a couple of injuries so we were missing Adam Smith who normally plays right back for us so I think that was definitely the best. My mind going into this game, what do we know, what do we do without him and also Chelsea, very unique back then under Antonio Conte, the way they organized themselves with their back five and were religious with the fact that they never changed or very rarely did they change. and we had had several games against them before in that system and we didn't get a result against them so we tried different ways to go back because we went back five so we did different things that we put pressure on them, we left them and nothing would work so we went into this game, we really had to feel like we were doing something different, something we hadn't done before, so that's why we set it up this way so that our team would be like me. a beggar pitching target, he was doing well for us at the time and then we decided to go with the back five really to do with our press, but the problem we had was on the wing, so the right back without Adam Smith, so we played with a winger there.

Pedro and Fraser, this is one of the first times he played right back for us, so it was a slight risk, but we were confident that he would do a very good job. Simon Francis on the right and middle sides. Steve Cook in the center. half Nathan, okay, the former Chelsea player on the left side sends a half and Charlie Daniels, who was our normal left back, and going into midfield we had Louis Cook and we hit Gosselin and then we looked at Jordan's front three , eye of Kalin Wilson and juniors. Dallas, every time we played them, we had a big problem with Eden Hazard, like most teams, and well, I think, looking back on the game, I think we expected him to play on the left like he always had, but in Actually in this game he played as a nine, so it was a slight change, but it didn't really change anything we had planned for him.

The most important thing was dealing with his system. Now Alonso was doing very well on the left, they were very powerful players in the wide areas and then of course you had Hazard and Pedro playing in these pockets, like I said he has a nice 9:00 in this game but These are really destructive players too, so it was a challenge trying to stop those two players from getting the ball. prevent their full-backs from enjoying themselves in the wide areas and trying to get enough of the ball to cause them a problem, so we decided to be very, very brave with our approach, we wanted to throw caution to the wind and think that attack is the best form of defense and I think every time we go into these occasions that's what we try and think, we try to think well, it's them, how can we impose ourselves on them?

So what we decided to do was when they put the ball deep. areas of their three defenses we wanted to go almost man for man, so we lined up Callum with the central player, the center half, the two right players, the players on the left and right side had to protect the central area of ​​​​the field when the middle man had the ball and then as soon as the ball went to one of the center halves we started our press with the respective man almost in a man to man line now if this was say the right side then I will write it down. our left side upon returning would be blocked on its rear wing.

I sent Harford to block his pocket player, as the midfielder would block his midfielder, so the midfielder would block the midfielder with the 90 of him was danger, now this is where you need the swing. from the opposite side and that gives us our numerical strength with the opposite wing moving back, so it is a very aggressive way of playing, if the ball with him came back to the intermediary, he would then go towards it and return to the goalkeeper at any time. At that point, Kalin would go and pressure him if he went to the center, so the same process happens and this is where you need the defenders swing and then this guy has a lot of work to do to then come back and give you a defense.

Solidity with the back four, so it was very, very brave because you know that a mistake in your defensive pressing phase can make your attacking players with technical quality and pace hurt you, so we didn't really need to be all necessary. commit to it and I think that's always the challenge when you play this way, it's easy to go through this and train and go through that to say this is what we're going to do, but then when the players are out there, they can feel They need comfort dropping to feel comfortable with the numbers and we wanted to try to get that into the players' heads, so that was probably the key and then how to start the game, if you're able to get the ball back up the field .

They press the first times they get the ball, I think it encourages everyone on the team, it gives them confidence to know that the game plans are going to work and fortunately in the game, I think we did, we started very well and everyone from there just when we have no words on his performance without the ball, I think we got to the 1/2 half in a good place and added a couple of chances on the counterattack, so with the ball we looked we knew we weren't going to go there and dominate the ball, but we knew, as always, that we would, we would split up to play when we had the ball again, we would be very brave in our approach, which would push our full-backs and I think that's where I probably have to mention Ryan Fraser, so that one of the beauties that he is playing as a winger in the side is when the balls are built into positions, he won't be too deep, you know he will be brave and he has the technical quality to find really smart passes, so that was probably a very good thing. of the game, but the first goal actually came in a pretty basic format.

I think it's a long goal kick, so if I understand their form and they It's very difficult to score against Chelsea at that time because they had all five defenders, so I think it's a long goal kick, he's a bit rough. and it gets to a point where we are right behind their midfield line and their defensive lines. a little stretched because the balls are in transition and then these two players do it very well, so Jordan just got a little tight. I think Kalin picks up the ball and plays towards Jordan makes a run from the back of his center half and this is probably the key part about the ghost is not a great build up but just the quick exchange that goes on between these two players as Jordan's pass weight is excellent.

Kalin timed his run very well, he stays on the side, he was the last defender and then he is. We had to beat one of the best goalkeepers in the world and you know he hid it very well, he came up the field and we retained a second ball just like that and then we allowed two players to execute a good goal to score the second. I think we are defending deep, as you know we had gone 1 to nil. Chelsea had put a bit of pressure on us and I think we would get back to our defensive form and I think Charlie Daniels recovers.

The ball was quite deep and Chelsea had spread quite a bit at that point because they were chasing quite high full-backs, so again I don't think they got the defensive shape they wanted and I think the interesting part is Charlie. He could have cleared a play, but he didn't. He had the courage to try and find a clever pass as he released the pressure and I think the key part of the goal is Callum's ability to retain the ball. I think without this platform to build on. this attack wouldn't have happened and that's when you're up front alone, so probably as the game developed Callum was alone and isolated a little more than we would have liked, his simple pass then means that junior who had a very good game This day I was able to carry the ball.

Chelsea are still in transition and stretched and then you see a very good exchange of positions and technical delivery from Junior and Calormen. I think the key final part of the goal is really Calas. the weight of the past and the disguise of the past, sucks the defender by disguising his past as a junior and you know that the juniors have a lot to do. He is coming in at a very tight angle and is once again facing one of the best goalkeepers in the world. It's not a great opportunity. a good chance, but it's not a great chance, he just manages to get his foot across the court.

Wiles' legs. I think the second goal was huge. You know you have a one-goal cushion and it's still very tight. The two golden cushions seem to relieve the pressure. We were feeling it at the time and then we were able to get a third of that. I think we really struggled to beat Chelsea in their Antonia Conti like most teams did back then. I think they were one of the innovators of the Premier. League or was one of the innovators of the Premier League where he introduced his system with world class players and I think it was a tactical challenge for anyone who faced them.

They were very, very good defensively because they are the five defenders and They were very good in transitions with the pace they had in the team and they had a world class player and Hazard won them a lot of games when things were tight, so I think that the tactical challenge of this was really good. It's actually something I can learn from as a coach. I think I developed a lot from these battles and I wish I remember this match fondly, but there were a lot of matches we played against them that didn't go so well and I think that's where you have to adapt and try to learn for the next one.