Notes on Chelsea’s FA Youth Cup 5th round win on February 8
A couple of notes on Chelsea U18s win at Selhurst Park.
A trek in South London that weâll call âfootball herMitageâ
Note, Dujuan Richards made his first competitive appearance in a Chelsea shirt but I want to write something about him next, so he wonât be mentioned here.
Chelsea set up in 5212 with Golding ahead of two midfielders.
Mostly a game of throw-ins in the first half, with Chelsea failing to have a good grasp on the game with a number of technical mistakes in the damp, iconic Selhurst Park on an occasion to play in a âreal stadiumâ.
Put it differently, I felt inspired to get Jaffa Cakes in the Sainsburyâs next door, therefore would rather stuff myself than complain at the ball going out of play.
5212 is a complex system to have possession with, because it either forces you to play long passes on the deck forwards to identified options – for as long as these passes donât end up spiralling out of bounds like some of Samuels-Smith passes did.
âŠor carry the ball up and be quite open on turnovers; which were sweeped diligenly by Harrison Murray-Campbell or Ishe Samuels-Smith on several occasions, here composed to keep jockeying without biting in 1v2 to force a decision, delay and allow team mates to get back behind the ball.
Highlights of the first half revolved around Chelsea failing to get hold of the ball in attack via Jimmy Jay Morgan, nor find Tyrique George into feet; and consequently put players at the back under the spotlight.
Namely Ted Curd, with some good saves, as well as Harrison McMahon; epitomizing the âplayers are skillset, not positionsâ in that RWB role in the first half.
A triple save, and Harrison Murray Campbellâs organisational skills
Harrison McMahon (7) stands out with his composure and desire, which is something that rarely overlaps in these age groups; as the urgency can mean a player who doesnât channel his energy is guilty of the odd foul; whilst players who show composure arenât always the most adept at handling chaotic last chance saloon situations
Where youâd expect a high boot, you get a nippy interception in the air.
Selhurst Park under the light, so of course crosses are gonna end up on the smallest fullback at the far post.
Heading is about reading and timing, moreso than heading (even if thatâs materially more difficult to go through a larger player).
The whole route to goal open, no problem. Keep your eyes on the ball and win it back
Tyrique Georgeâs premonitory involvement (or just typical) manifested through that separation move, footwork to set himself get an effort from range in what looks increasingly like the kind of effort that would trouble any senior keeper.
It is obviously important to not draw un-necessary pressure with comparisons, but George is reminiscent of Ousmane Dembélé, especially when he has the game in front of him to spread the ball wide with mid-length passes.
RCB Acheampong overlapping the RWB? Things you love to see
The alternative to Chelseaâs relatively laboured connections with passes on the floor was to produce more carries to get past the midfield line and enter final third
One player who stood out is Reiss Russell-Denny.
Sport doesnât transform character, it reveals it.
Playersâ reaction to fires to put out outside their zones tell a lot.
LWB Boniface pinned, LCB Samuels-Smith commited, Russell-Denny was keen to pick up the runner but also pounce on the second ball to bring it forward.
Chelsea eventually started to get a grasp on the game in the ten minutes before half time, with that quality possession spell, brought to you by Josh Acheampong (obviously not troubled with using both feet heads up).
Donât cut corners with Reiss-Alexander Russell-Denny
That bout of pressure led to four consecutive corners, three of them expertly taken by Reiss Russell-Denny. Iâve added the ones in the second half, which makes 4 clear goalscoring chances straight from the double double-barelled England U17 international
If I had to draw a 100 (bullet) point memo, set piece taker would definitely be on top of the list, granted Iâd not fumble the bag.
SECOND HALF
Chelsea came back with better intentions in second half, to get a better grasp on the ball by:
Bringing more people into play with supporting runs
Matching Palaceâs attacking moves by picking up runners and second balls
And producing more carries to get past the midfield line and enter final third, as a alternative to Chelseaâs relatively laboured connections with passes on the floor.
Another Ousmane DembĂ©lĂ©-esque switch of play by Tyrique George (itâs key to underline that dribbly / shooting wingers arenât usually the ones to switch play a lot)
Florent Malouda developped his game, from skinny Chateauroux winger to dynamic Guingamp winger, to Ligue 1 top performer at OL, then good LW at Chelsea then tremendous bulky all-rounder when Ancelotti slotted him in midfield 3 to go box to box, shoot and switch play when approaching his 30s.
Football is evolving in the right direction, and hopefully Tyrique George will have central opportunities to create havoc
Goldingâs channel run and needle pass was a nice give and go movement with McMahon, driving into the box.
Tyrique George, gloves and short sleeves crashing the penalty spot
Jimmy Jay Morgan keen to pounce at the far post and Russell-Denny in the D to pick up any lose ball 18 yards away.
Ishe Samuels-Smith was replaced midway through the second half by Travis Akomeah, who did a good job at LCB, screening his goal and winning a couple of headers.
Somto Boniface had better games but contributed forward, with more quality in second half (so did Morgan with a quality flick round the corner)
Not much else to do there, George couldâve done the decoy run but wouldâve probably crossed Bonifaceâs path, so made sure he got away.
Going for the corners was fine, hitting the target from inside the box seems to be the minimal effort standard, but when this kind of shots goes in thatâs the goal he scored at Stevenage against Spurs U21 earlier this season.
The willingness to play on the floor will never compel the opposition to not put the ball up in the air for a set of 50/50 and subsequent rebounds.
Tacticos hate chaos, they like set patterns and soles on the ball.
Coaches rate players like McMahon, Russell-Denny but Tacticos donât know why
Therefore TacticosâŠ
The reason is simple: second balls. Who harvests the most will usually tilt the balance of whatever you want to include under the umbrella lousy concept of âcontrolâ his way.
Harrison MC wins the header there, and if the second ball is blue/red and not eton blue, thatâs an easy 4v2 for Palace. Russell-Denny flicking it.
Acheampong with a convincing header, and McMahon with the recovery.
The takeaway is: harvest second balls, and youâll generate transition situations you can take advantage of.
Donât, and youâll start moves with the entire opposing team behind the ball and you can then quibble about sole on the ball (or Saul Niguez).
Golding diagonal carry for a diagonal run inside the box?
Watch this space
Thatâs actually not a counter, but a quality sequence through the thirds.
Kiano Dyer with a creative way to dismantle Palaceâs midfield with that carry and turn, to release Russell-Denny whoâd carve through the remaining players
Empowered attackers can make decisions and read situations on their own.
This is a 3v2 (with a defender delayed), something easy to replicate in training.
Drive diagonally, stretch the pitch with options wide and right
Simply pick (and execute) the best option
CBs narrow: play the free man into feet
CB steps in: split and play the runner
CB streched: go through the middle and shoot
Georgeâs defender can get the ball back, CBs are narrow.
Then play Jimmy Jay Morgan to Chase the ball and open the scoring in front of an army of Chelsea tracksuits.
âit ittt!!!!!
Thatâs what he did.
Tyrique George with a hammer blow, in a similar fashion to the goal he scored at Luton. Quick free kick (too quick for my hands full of jaffa cake), getting possession at the edge of the box and unleashing a shot that the entire Whitehorse Lane Stand cheered before it even got in.
Tyrique George is at the funfair, and weâre past asking question why goalkeepers look all over the place, or enquire about the astrophysics of his shot trajectory
Long stride + one touch per stride equals hashtag baller
And creates a tremendous separation that opens up a shooting window that lots of players would not create for themselves; hence the uncanny feeling weâre left with witnessing his goals.
Joint most impressive George at the club, after ÄorÄe
SĂ©bastien Chapuis 