What did we learn from the Community Sheild?
Posted by David Fox in Alex Ferguson, Chelsea, Man United, Premiership | 9 August 2009
So the event everyone is contractually obliged to refer to as the season's curtain raiser ended with Chelsea's players cavorting around the Wembley turf as though the minor trophy meant something, and Manchester United's trying their best to convince themselves it didn't. The truth, as ever, is somewhere in between. While Ancelotti will lose his job if this is the only trophy he ends the season with and Ferguson doesn't count Charity/Community Shield victories as official trophy victories; the showpiece game was important because it gave us pointers for the season ahead.
With that in mind, what did we learn? Well, for thing, that United would a much more rigid outfit playing a straight 4-4-2, rather than the more fluid 4-3-2-1 concoction of past seasons. While this could be seen as a regression to a more simplistic style of play, it should get the best out of Rooney, who should now get to play as a more traditional centre forward, and Berbatov, who played in a 4-4-2 during his Leverkusen and Spurs peak. This formation puts more pressure on the central midfield, and with Owen Hargreaves seemingly no closer to making any kind of a comeback, the jury is out on whether a combination of Carrick and Fletcher will be able to dominate in the middle of the park. More will be expected, also, of the bustling but limited Park Ji-Sung and the frustrating show-pony Nani now that Ronaldo has sashayed out of Manchester, though the fleet-footed Valencia made an encouraging cameo. Rooney and Berbatov should score more than last season, and Owen may well chip in with a few, fitness permitting, but how many goals United score from midfield will be the key to them retaining their title.
Talking of formations, as we were, Chelsea have ditched their Mourinho-inspired 4-2-3-1 for a 4-1-2-1-2 (or 4-4-2 diamond, if you prefer) a favoured formation of their new manager during his Milan days. It's stylistically similar to the style adopted during the early days of Luis Felipe Scolari's ill-fated reign and its usage could see Ancelotti suffer a similar fate to the avuncular Brazilian. While an attempt to change the playing style of Chelsea's arch-pragmatists is no bad thing, one gets the impression that Ancelotti decided on this formation before appraising his playing staff and is now having to shoe-horn players into unfamiliar roles. Malouda is a left-winger who loves to get chalk on his boots and looked much less comfortable having to come inside to make way for Cole's shuttling runs from left back (his subdued performance was a shame, given that towards the end of last season under Hiddink he looked rejuvenated, back to his inspired Lyon pomp) and with Anelka's natural instinct also being to drift out to the left channel, that side of the pitch could get somewhat congested. By contrast, Chelsea's right flank was a no-man's land in the first half, with both Essien and the uncomfortable right back Ivanovic unwilling to surge forward down that flank. It took the introduction of the galloping Jose Boswinga at half-time to give some semblance of balance. It remains to be seen whether Chelsea's players can adapt to the new style, or whether it will be as easily stifled as Scolari's system was. However, if Ancelotti can coax yet another goalscoring season from the irrepressible Lampard and get Drogba back to his battering ram best, there will be another title challenge from the Londerners' ageing squad.
What we learnt from the Community Sheild was scant, in all honesty. Ahead of a new season, more questions than answers remain for these sides. Can they both adapt to their new styles of play? Do either side have plan B if and when things go wrong? Do the ageing figureheads of Chelsea's squad have one more title push in them? Will United's midfielders score enough goals? Does Petr Cech realise that the combination of his black and fluorescent green shirt and headgear makes him look like a character from Tron?
We'll have to wait a while for answers, but what's undoubted is that these two sides will be in the scramble for the title again. Much will depend, though, on how long it takes them to adjust to the new formations and the upheavals of the summer. In a title fight with a dangerous looking Liverpool side, a zesty, underrated Arsenal and possibly even big spenders Manchester City, both of these sides are going to have to hit the ground running starting next weekend. Thankfully, their dress rehearsal today showed plenty of promise.
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