IN a game which felt like a throwback to a decade ago, what a contest between two very modern football teams.
Back in those days it was Rafa Benitez and Jose Mourinho locked in enthralling tactical battles, with players of supreme quality all over the pitch.
Chelsea were the side Liverpool seemed to constantly come up against, and that in itself was a sign of how good those two sides were, complemented by two of the world’s best managers at the time.
However, that’s where the comparisons between those days and today end.
Despite some pre-season doubts about Chelsea’s ability to challenge for the title, the way their players have adapted to Maurizio Sarri’s system is nothing short of a miracle. They have a team of very good players and a manager who is quickly establishing himself among the world’s best.
What may let them down over the course of the season, particularly in games like today’s, is their strength in depth.
It was an issue that plagued Rafa’s Reds a decade ago. They had the quality on the pitch and a manager with the ability to take on anybody in the world on their day, and challenge right at the top end of the Premier League and the Champions League.
Fucking get in Daniel Sturridge ❤ pic.twitter.com/mt2t8zbySi
— The Anfield Wrap (@TheAnfieldWrap) 29 September 2018
What caused them to fall short at the last hurdle, more often than not, was the drop off between those who occupied the starting roles and those in reserve.
That was never an issue at Stamford Bridge. The quality Mourinho boasted back then were the kind of riches Rafa could only dream of — backed by an owner who put his money where his mouth is, in contrast to a couple of cowboys who very much did not.
Fast forward to present day, Liverpool have the quality to match Chelsea every step of the way on the pitch, and a manager in Jürgen Klopp who is right up there with the very best in the world, but crucially they have options in reserve with the quality to make a difference.
While Chelsea brought on Alvaro Morata, Victor Moses and Ross Barkley to sustain their momentum, Liverpool introduced Xherdan Shaqiri, Naby Keita and Daniel Sturridge into the fold to flip the game on its head.
It was Sturridge who made the difference in the end — and, good lord, what a difference it was — but Shaqiri and Keita were also bright when they were introduced, though the former will be thinking he should have had his own name in lights with a chance earlier in the game.
By contrast, Morata toiled, Moses gave energy but little else, and Barkley gave the ball away.
That will hopefully be the difference between the two sides when the medals are handed out in May. While you can guarantee Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City won’t be far away from any and all honours, Liverpool’s squad should take them right to the wire.
Chelsea’s might not but they are definitely set for an exciting season and a title challenge to boot. That says a lot about the job Sarri has done in a short space of time, and you can be sure it won’t be long before they are running City and Liverpool a lot closer.
That three-horse race would guarantee the most excitement.
The styles of Rafa and Mourinho no longer strike fear into sides around the world. What we saw today was a battle between two great modern teams, with two great modern managers, whose styles will be adopted, and adapted, by managers across the globe.
The former Liverpool and Chelsea managers find themselves at clubs, in Newcastle and Manchester United, with huge question marks hanging over them. The days of their tactical battles are long gone, and have been replaced by complete uncertainty.
For Klopp and Sarri, the future is much more certain and it is bright.
Let’s just hope The Reds’ is a little brighter, a lot sooner.
SUBSCRIBE to TAW Player to listen to our post-match show…
Recent Posts:
[rpfc_recent_posts_from_category meta=”true”]
Pics: David Rawcliffe-Propaganda Photo
A great piece of writing, and a pleasure to read. Balanced and intelligent. Thanks Josh.
Nice write up Josh, but let’s not make too much of Rafa’s time and comparison.
Rafa at Newcastle is not backed like Mourinho at Manchester United, Sarri at Chelsea, or Klopp at LFC.
Mourinho has galacticos, world cup winners, but he is still doing his third year meltdown act, and long may United keep him.
Sarri has inherited a side that are seasoned winners. And for me it is still the honeymoon period with a new manager. The bumps will come soon and we will see how he handles it over the season.
Pep, well, we know City’s gold and oil reserves are plenty.
City are still the team to beat. However they also have only played Arsenal who seem to be improving under Emery.
LFC today showed me that we have progressed, though Klopp could have done his subs a bit earlier and is too reliant on Henderson in the middle of the park.
For me, we looked like title contenders even after we went down a goal.
More telling is that last season we would’ve had to bring on Solanke, Ings, Lallana to try to change the game.
This season we can bring on Shaqiri, Keita & Sturridge.
If we can draw or win against Napoli and beat City we will have survived the tough run of fixtures and maybe get some rest.
I personally think it’s an insult comparing klopp to mourinho. Klopp trains his players whilst mourinho buys them ready made. He is also a nice person, which shows in his team. Mourinho comes across as spiteful and sounds as if he,s lost it. I think it is wise to remember that exactly the same thing happened at Chelsea that is now happening at man. U. It will probably only be a matter of time before he is shown the door again.
Calm down, brother. The comparison is between Rafa and Mourinho, and Klopp and Sarri.
Nice one Josh.
I said something similar during the match to my mate – The plastics remind me of a Rafa side. The work rate and reshaping on the fly (organised by Azpilicueta)
I think it’s a huge credit to Sarri that he has had such a buy in so quickly. I’d suggest it’s similar to our own players response to Klopp. The two managers mutual respect was apparent in their reaction on the final whistle. No bullshit or artifice. Just two men who looked each other in the eye and said – fuck me you’re good.
I suspect Chelsea’s title credentials rest entirely on Sarri’s attitude to the Europa League.
I still struggle with this concept that the Europa League derails everything. In terms of scheduling, you’d think Thursday/Sunday every round is more settled than Sat/Weds/Sun/ Tues etc.
Chelsea should be strong enough to rest and rotate deep into the knockout stages, and the EL is only 2 games more than the CL for Chelsea.
I know history for PL sides seems to go against this and teams do get distracted – I just don’t get why this is.