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Liverpool v Chelsea: "Game of buses"

Steven Gerrard is playing abroad, but is certainly no longer in his prime.
Roar Pro
28th April, 2014
56

Following Chelsea’s victory at Anfield, Liverpool’s manager Brendan Rodgers was in no mood to give credit to opposing manager Jose Mourinho.

In his post-match interview, Rodgers described Chelsea’s tactics as the equivalent of “parking two buses” in front of the Liverpool goal-line. He also claimed that Liverpool were the only team who played to win.

There were no untruths in Rodgers’ analysis, but Chelsea were entitled to adopt a defensive approach, an approach that Mourinho unflatteringly described as “19th century football” when West Ham played similar tactics against Chelsea earlier in the season.

But why did Mourinho adopt such a negative approach? If Chelsea were in Liverpool’s position before the game and five points ahead, his tactics were understandable. But from the first whistle Chelsea engaged in time-wasting and played with six defenders, hardly the most effective way to reel in a five point lead with three games to play.

Mourinho claimed earlier in the week that, due to involvement in the Champions League, Chelsea would field a weakened team. This eventuated, but a team containing Mohamed Salah, Andre Schurrle, Demba Ba and Frank Lampard are capable of playing football.

Mourinho will claim that the end justifies the means, Chelsea got the result and that’s all that the premiership table will recognise. But it was a low percentage play, which relied on Steven Gerard’s unfortunate slip at the wrong moment to gift Demba Ba the opening goal.

Chelsea defended valiantly and frustrated Liverpool’s normally slick attack throughout the game and for this he deserves credit. Mourinho has proven himself a master of the big occasion, but on this occasion he depended more on good fortune than his own tactical genius.

To alter a quote from Queen Cersei, “In the game of buses, you either win or die of boredom.”

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