Impact of Kante should be appreciated. He was everywhere yesterday. Also Pep's football philosophy has not evolved since his Barca days and it looks pretty boring and predictable now a days.
Agree on NG Kante . He is ever-present in mid-field and he is one of the reason KDB couldn't able to move freely. PSG tried to sign him last season. Even I thought Chelsea would sell him due to his injury & limited involved in last season. Somehow he stayed and made an impact through-out the champions league.
Would love to have similar kind of player in Liverpool.
Manchester City is predictable. But they are not boring. Somehow Tuchel found a way to hold City mid-field & attack. I guess Pep lost first time in 3 successive games against same opponent. Most of them thought, Pep team would struggle in EPL. Yet, he won 3 league titles in his 5 EPL seasons.
But hope Harry Kane ditch them & their struggle continues. Kane expressed his desire to stay in England, only City, United & Chelsea could afford his transfer fee.
Rudiger Azpilcueta They were so clinical in Defense. Chelsea Goalkeeper hardly made any impossible saves. Chelsea beat Man City in all departments. And the ease and pace with which Werner and Kai Havertz entered City Box was a treat to watch
Even Christensen & Thiago did well in defense. Tuchel used 3-4-2-1 formation very well and in last 15-20 mins, they played with 5 defenders switching the formation, looks like 5-3-2 for me.
Also Full backs Reece James & Chilwell played very well in defense & initiated lot of attacks.
Meet Vinay Menon, the Indian behind Chelsea's rise to the top of Europe
An MPhil in Sports Psychology, Menon has been working as a wellness consultant and mind strategist for the London-based club since 2008. His work took him to the Blue side of London via places like Rishikesh to Dubai where he had already made a name for himself. He then found himself in West London, to visit a Russian family and teach them his breathing techniques, without realizing that the Russian in question was none other than Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich himself. Having never been into football that much, taking on the job at Chelsea was a giant leap of faith for the judo enthusiast, but one that turned out to be one of the best decisions of his life.
The first couple of years were hectic, as he had to travel around the world with Abramovich as his personal health consultant. But then, he was given a role with the first team and he hasn't had to look back since. Today, he has worked with almost all the big names who have been at the club in the last 12-13 years including the likes of John Terry, Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard as well as managers like Jose Mourinho, Antonio Conte and so on.
"Sometimes we do yoga. Sometimes, I observe the players and talk to them for a long time. My work doesn't have a regular pattern. I help them remain calm and it doesn't matter how we do it or what we do," Menon had told New Indian Express a while back, further underlining the importance of mental health in a profession as demanding as top-level football. That is even more obvious after the year that the entire world has had to endure, but for Menon, ensuring that the players are in the right frame of mind is the biggest challenge amidst all the racism, abuse and off-field distractions that is a part of a modern footballer's life.
What is even more commendable is that he is one of the very few Asians working in European football, and that too for a behemoth like Chelsea. Speaking about how the players must have viewed him initially, Menon had this to say to The New York Times, ""In this world of European football they would have been thinking, who is this guy? Initially, they thought I was doing voodoo or something."
Today, however, his sessions on 'Adhyatma Vidya' or the science of the self, have become an integral part of the players' behind-the-scenes routine. He has also developed a programme called ARFA - Awareness, Recovery, Focus and Achievement, which helps channelize his subjects' negative thoughts and worries through a positive outlet. In the hyper-competitive world of European football, that makes a world of difference for a player who might be struggling for form or consistency.
So I ask the same question once again, what is the secret behind Chelsea's Champions League victory this term? The answer to that may involve a lot of footballing arguments, analyses and eventually, judgements, but at the core of it all, the impact that Menon and his methods of alleviating stress have had on Chelsea's players is an undeniable factor in their rise to the top of Europe, that too for a significant number of years.
Seems like Girona haven't utilized their striker(Cristhian Stuani) properly. He played only 25 games in regular despite being their top scorer in last 4 seasons (including current season)
They are lacking quality attacking players (apart from Cristhian Stuani & Mamadou Sylla) after selling players like Choco Lozano & Borja Garcia. Also seems like they have compromised on their promotion by signing Manchester reserve/youth players on loan.
Lionel Messi set to sign new 5 year deal with Barcelona. He is willing to take significant pay-cut (around 20%). At 34 years, even for Messi , 5 year contract is tough to turn-down.
Seems like only City Football Group offered him a contract, 2 years with Manchester City & 3 years with New York City.
PSG never offered a contract to Messi. Seems like holding Mbappe is top priority for them.
Comments
Would love to have similar kind of player in Liverpool.
Manchester City is predictable. But they are not boring. Somehow Tuchel found a way to hold City mid-field & attack. I guess Pep lost first time in 3 successive games against same opponent. Most of them thought, Pep team would struggle in EPL. Yet, he won 3 league titles in his 5 EPL seasons.
But hope Harry Kane ditch them & their struggle continues. Kane expressed his desire to stay in England, only City, United & Chelsea could afford his transfer fee.
Azpilcueta
They were so clinical in Defense.
Chelsea Goalkeeper hardly made any impossible saves.
Chelsea beat Man City in all departments.
And the ease and pace with which Werner and Kai Havertz entered City Box was a treat to watch
Also Full backs Reece James & Chilwell played very well in defense & initiated lot of attacks.
An MPhil in Sports Psychology, Menon has been working as a wellness consultant and mind strategist for the London-based club since 2008. His work took him to the Blue side of London via places like Rishikesh to Dubai where he had already made a name for himself. He then found himself in West London, to visit a Russian family and teach them his breathing techniques, without realizing that the Russian in question was none other than Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich himself. Having never been into football that much, taking on the job at Chelsea was a giant leap of faith for the judo enthusiast, but one that turned out to be one of the best decisions of his life.
The first couple of years were hectic, as he had to travel around the world with Abramovich as his personal health consultant. But then, he was given a role with the first team and he hasn't had to look back since. Today, he has worked with almost all the big names who have been at the club in the last 12-13 years including the likes of John Terry, Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard as well as managers like Jose Mourinho, Antonio Conte and so on.
"Sometimes we do yoga. Sometimes, I observe the players and talk to them for a long time. My work doesn't have a regular pattern. I help them remain calm and it doesn't matter how we do it or what we do," Menon had told New Indian Express a while back, further underlining the importance of mental health in a profession as demanding as top-level football. That is even more obvious after the year that the entire world has had to endure, but for Menon, ensuring that the players are in the right frame of mind is the biggest challenge amidst all the racism, abuse and off-field distractions that is a part of a modern footballer's life.
What is even more commendable is that he is one of the very few Asians working in European football, and that too for a behemoth like Chelsea. Speaking about how the players must have viewed him initially, Menon had this to say to The New York Times, ""In this world of European football they would have been thinking, who is this guy? Initially, they thought I was doing voodoo or something."
Today, however, his sessions on 'Adhyatma Vidya' or the science of the self, have become an integral part of the players' behind-the-scenes routine. He has also developed a programme called ARFA - Awareness, Recovery, Focus and Achievement, which helps channelize his subjects' negative thoughts and worries through a positive outlet. In the hyper-competitive world of European football, that makes a world of difference for a player who might be struggling for form or consistency.
So I ask the same question once again, what is the secret behind Chelsea's Champions League victory this term? The answer to that may involve a lot of footballing arguments, analyses and eventually, judgements, but at the core of it all, the impact that Menon and his methods of alleviating stress have had on Chelsea's players is an undeniable factor in their rise to the top of Europe, that too for a significant number of years.
https://thebridge.in/football/vinay-menon-chelsea-europe-champions-league-21762?infinitescroll=1
Some earlier reports on Vinay Menon
The Yoga Master Who Might Be Chelsea’s Secret Weapon
Kochi tasker a Chelsea mastermind
https://www.newindianexpress.com/sport/other/2017/nov/16/kochi-tasker-a-chelsea-mastermind-1702532.html
They are lacking quality attacking players (apart from Cristhian Stuani & Mamadou Sylla) after selling players like Choco Lozano & Borja Garcia. Also seems like they have compromised on their promotion by signing Manchester reserve/youth players on loan.
At 34 years, even for Messi , 5 year contract is tough to turn-down.
Seems like only City Football Group offered him a contract, 2 years with Manchester City & 3 years with New York City.
PSG never offered a contract to Messi. Seems like holding Mbappe is top priority for them.