Our usual scour of the post-match press conferences arrives this afternoon. Jose Mourinho admits he is happy to park the bus to ensure his side win the title, Nigel Pearson and Tim Sherwood discuss their recent tactical tinkering, Mauricio Pochettino offers a reason for Harry Kane’s mini-slump, whilst Roberto Martinez confirms Romelu Lukaku is now Everton’s main man for penalties.
Mourinho happy to go on the defensive
To the casual observer, Manchester United’s 70.5% domination of possession during their 1-0 loss to Chelsea might’ve implied that Louis van Gaal’s men dictated the flow of the tie. However, to Blues boss Jose Mourinho, it serves as further evidence that his plan was executed to the letter. In an attempt to limit the influence of Marouane Fellaini and Wayne Rooney in midfield, the Blues boss drafted in Kurt Zouma to play alongside Nemanja Matic in a double pivot and was happy to park the bus, allowing his side to chalk up a second successive clean sheet ahead of their double Gameweek 34. Speaking to the BBC, Mourinho conceded that, with his side closing in on the title, his tactical approach is more about limiting opponents’ opportunities right now:
“We prepared for the game to be like this. It was the game we wanted and expected. Control their direct football to [Marouane] Fellaini and control the wingers from making crosses on the inside foot. When we know [Wayne] Rooney plays in midfield we control his progression into the box. Control set-pieces and don’t give away direct free-kicks as they have three specialists. Wait for a mistake and score a goal. It was what we wanted it to be. We are happy because the work we did in the week was what happened here. I feel we are almost there but there are no almosts in football. We need eight points to be champions. It is pure mathematics.”
Monk unhappy with players’ lack of battle
After Swansea City equalled their record Premier League points haul with a 1-1 draw against Everton in Gameweek 32, Garry Monk is determined to rekindle his players’ focus ahead of a testing run-in (new, STO, ars, MCI, cry). The Swans succumbed to a 2-0 defeat away to Leicester City last time out and didn’t show enough tenacity in the manager’s eyes – as Monk admits, the fact that Leicester have more to play for proved crucial in the ned:
“It will be interesting over the next five games. I know the players and I know about all their commitment — they’ve been fantastic for me all season. But the Leicester game was a test for us. When you’ve achieved something early, it’s about that next bit — wanting more — and how you get to that and that mentality, which a lot of the players haven’t had to experience before. So it’s new for them. It’s one thing saying you are going to keep on pushing, but you have to show it — and we probably didn’t show it enough at Leicester.”
Pearson discusses his tactical tinkering
Leicester’s 2-0 victory over Swansea once again allowed Nigel Pearson to utilise more than one formation over the course of 90 minutes. The Foxes boss started with three at the back, with Jeffrey Schlupp and Marc Albrighton handed the wing-back berths, before a change in system from Swansea persuaded Pearson to switch to a more conventional approach – with Schlupp shifted back into defence – in order to secure the points.
“Tactically it was a very difficult game to get through. We started with a 3-5-2 and got ourselves in front. Swansea have played with a diamond in midfield for eight or nine games now, so for us to force them to change illustrates how well we were playing. Of course they changed to the formation that most people would recognise Swansea as playing, and that’s a 4-3-3, hence our decision to change to 4-4-2 [in the second half].”
Pearson hails Albrighton displays
The Foxes boss also took time out to praise the recent performances of Marc Albrighton. A bit-part player for much of the season, the winger has started each of the last two on the Foxes right and – as we pointed out in this week’s Big Numbers article – since emerging from the bench in Gameweek 31, has registered more cross and touches in the final third than any midfielder:
”We talk about it being a squad game and what is important is that players feel that they get a chance. Marc has had a difficult season and has probably felt frustrated at times, but the players playing in wide positions have been exceptionally good all year. What he has done is taken his chance once it’s come along. Throughout the side there’s a competitive spirit, but also a lot of support for the players who aren’t playing.
Sherwood on his “two number tens” system
With Gabriel Agbonlahor ruled out of Aston Villa’s FA Cup semi-final against Liverpool, head coach Tim Sherwood was forced to eschew the 4-3-3 formation adopted in the West Midlanders’ previous two league ties. The former Tottenham Hotspur head coach instead elected to employ a 4-3-2-1 set-up, with Jack Grealish and Charles N’Zogbia both operating behind central striker Christian Benteke, and the full-backs providing width. Whilst Sherwood was keen to reaffirm how effective the system proved to be, he admitted Liverpool’s own formation was a factor behind his switch:
“We looked at Liverpool and realised it might cause them a few problems if we played two number 10s – Grealish and N’Zogbia – and it turned out that way. They played in the pockets, they were hard to pick up, they got themselves on the turn, put them on the back foot and our width came from our full backs. We knew our midfield three would have the energy in there to cope, which they did and we needed to get players in support of Christian Benteke.”
Pochettino offers explanation for Kane’s mini slump
In recognition of an astonishing breakthrough season, Harry Kane earned a call-up to England’s senior squad during the recent international break. Spurs’ talismanic striker made a brief goal scoring cameo in the Three Lions’ 4-0 drubbing of Lithuania, before logging 72 minutes in a friendly against Italy. Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino proposed that Kane’s subsequent league form – which saw him blank in three of four appearances before netting at Newcastle – can be attributed to his international exertions:
“One thing people need to know is that when players get their first call-up you try to impress the national manager and, because you are over-motivated, you expend a lot of energy. When you come back to your club, it is normal that you are a little bit down. For two or three weeks, you are a little bit down…It’s psychological and physical. If you can run 10 metres, you try to run 11 and this is the consequence.”
Martinez reveals penalty hierarchy following Barkley miss
To the intense frustration of Leighton Baines’ 14% ownership, Ross Barkley stepped up to take – and miss – the penalty Everton were awarded in their home clash against Burnley. The left-back has now failed to take his side’s last two penalties and, to compound matters further, Toffees boss Roberto Martinez reiterated that Romelu Lukaku is now his number one choice – despite the fact that Baines has converted 14 of his 15 spot-kicks:
“If Romelu had been on the pitch, he would have taken it. He’s taken the last two and we don’t want to change that. To be a successful taker of penalties, you carry on doing that. But then we have Leighton Baines who is a specialist and Gareth Barry who has an incredible record in the way that he takes penalties. And then we have people who can control the big moments like Ross Barkley. It depends how you feel at that moment. Sometimes you are feeling good and want to take it and I think Ross showed incredible responsibility in wanting to take it and Leighton was happy for him to do so.
Allardyce prioritising clean sheets
West Have have been desperately short of form since Gameweek 18, recording just two wins in 16 outings. Chief among their shortcomings has been a glaring lack of attacking threat, as illuminated by a woeful 13-goal haul over that stretch. In light of strike duo Diafra Sakho (two goals in nine appearances) and Enner Valencia (one in 16) failing to deliver the goods, manager Sam Allardyce is calling upon his team to batten down the hatches and record clean sheets. The Irons boast only two shut-outs in the previous 11 encounters, yet Allardyce is adamant that his side need to improve on that tally if they are to succeed over the run-in:
“My focus is still on the team trying to achieve five clean sheets in the last five games. Unless we do that we’re going to find it tough to win a game of football because it’s simple maths that at the moment we rarely score more than one. Because of that it’s simple for the team to understand that if they want to win a game of football, they’ve got to not concede a goal. They’ve got to focus on making sure they keep a clean sheet and who knows what would have happened if we hadn’t made those two mistakes today. We may well have come off here with a 0-0 from how well we defended. We may well have come away, with Man City getting nervous, nicking the game. But until we keep a clean sheet we’re going to find it difficult to win a game of football.
