During the match against Southampton, something that really stood out to me was how effective we were in attack when Filip Jorgensen chose to lob short passes forward or send ground passes directly to Pedro Neto. This approach yielded more success than our routine of cycling the ball back and forth to Enzo Fernandez, trying to thread a pass through an intense press.
Now, navigating a high press can pay off handsomely, but there’s a significant risk. If you’re up against skilled attackers and a team with a well-coordinated press, trying to work through it can backfire, leading to a big chance or even conceding a goal directly from our own possession. That’s as bad as handing the opposition an own goal.
Although conceding goals in this manner isn’t frequent, it definitely heaps pressure on the team, putting us on edge. I actually felt for Filip Jorgensen during the Southampton game. Just days earlier, he had a costly mishap against Aston Villa which was weighing on him, and you could tell he was under pressure. When tasked with playing out from the back, he seemed like a bundle of nerves. This tension was palpable throughout the stadium; everyone, from his teammates to the fans, could sense it. Expecting fans not to groan under such circumstances seems a bit unrealistic, doesn’t it?
What really frustrated me was watching Fernandez repeatedly send the ball back to Jorgensen in tight spots, only for Jorgensen to pass to Levi Colwill or Tosin Adarabioyo at times when they were under even more pressure. This played right into the hands of the press, increasing our vulnerability as we got closer and closer to our own goal.
The main issue was that Southampton had man-marked effectively, leaving Jorgensen with few viable passing options. Playing out from the back through the press was our only strategy. But should it have been? Or is this rigid approach just what Maresca insists on sticking to? Unfortunately, it seems to be the latter.
Maresca’s comments about fans booing Jorgensen for short passing illustrate this: “My message to Filip was if you play a long ball, I will change you. I am very happy. It is difficult for all the keepers [when that happens], but they just need to follow the plan.”
Reading this, I’m baffled. The insistence on sticking strictly to short passes — why not mix it up sometimes? I get that teams have their playing styles, but the lack of flexibility is perplexing. Yes, it’s trendy these days to maintain a particular style, but adaptability should be part of the game plan. Circumstances like consistent man-marking, which leaves no clear options, should demand a shift in tactics. This rigidness is my biggest criticism of Maresca and those who brought him in, reflecting a lack in tactical adaptability and pragmatism. Top-level managers need to be able to adjust. Modern football is evolving past the possession-heavy style popularized by Pep Guardiola. Teams are learning to counter it effectively. I’m not against playing from the back and recognize its benefits, but successful teams now blend this style, looking for adventurous passes forward when possible. Some even use a traditional target man.
Looking back to the start of this discussion, Chelsea found the most success moving up the field not by sticking to plan, but when Jorgensen audaciously opted for longer passes, defying his manager’s directives. He accessed Pedro Neto, who was exceptional, holding up play well despite the high press. Operating outside the set pattern worked because Neto, with his sharp movements, managed to evade his markers effectively.
I even noticed some smart lobbed passes by Jorgensen that breezed past the first line of press. These strategies might seem obvious, but they were working, and even the commentators highlighted this during the match.
It seems obvious to me: why not utilize unpredictable plays instead of always opting for short passes? Being able to diversify our play, adapt to our opponents’ setups, and outsmart them when possible seems like common sense, right?
Sticking blindly to a failing tactic — like during those first 25 dreary minutes — was frustrating. Watching Jorgensen exchange short passes with Fernandez while waiting for Southampton’s forwards to intercept had my heart racing. We got out of that mess by sheer luck. A more formidable team would have punished us.
I’m not advocating for a return to aimlessly booting it upfield, but a balanced approach is my goal, valuing versatility in our play when the short game falls short. Being predictable shouldn’t be the norm.
Yet, here we are, with a manager wedded to a single philosophy. Remember this: this kind of inflexible thinking might soon prove costly. We may have moments when playing through a press works beautifully, but do we currently have the top-tier keepers and defenders to execute this consistently? I don’t think so.
