Source: Daily_Mail
Aston Villa 0 Chelsea 1: Blues bores slot back into an old routine
Much more of this and Roman Abramovich will be demanding another change in the manager's office. It was, as Frank Lampard observed, a return to the Chelsea[LNB]of old. [LNB]Two defensively-minded full-backs; a compact midfield that made devastatingly effective use of the 'extra' man; and an early goal that Chelsea decided would be quite enough to secure what amounted to a hugely significant victory. [LNB]In short, exactly the kind of performance that so offended the club's Russian owner when Jose Mourinho was in charge. One nil to the Chelsea. How terribly dull. [LNB]Unless, that is, Abramovich has now witnessed enough mediocrity to appreciate the sheer joy of winning while also recognising the finer points of what make a good performance. What Guus Hiddink calls 'the modern football'. [LNB][LNB] Saint Nicolas: Anelka celebrates his winner, which got Hiddink off to a flier[LNB]As Hiddink tried to explain, this was actually an intelligent victory. They passed the ball with speed and precision, used that third man to dominate Aston Villa[LNB]in the midfield battle zone and instructed their full-backs to stay tight on Martin O'Neill's wingers and so destroy their attacking threat. [LNB]It worked beautifully in the first half, less so once O'Neill had given his half-time instructions, but still proved enough to win a game that, three weeks ago, they almost certainly would have lost.[LNB] Aston Villa 0 Chelsea 1: How the action unfolded[LNB]He has tinkered in Turin, mixed it with Mourinho. . .now it's back to the Bridge [LNB]ASTON VILLA FC NEWS FROM ACROSS THE WEB[LNB]CHELSEA FC NEWS ACROSS THE WEB[LNB] [LNB]The goal, scored in the 19th minute and Nicolas Anelka's 21st this season, was a beauty. From the manner in which Lampard left Curtis Davies and Stiliyan Petrov in his wake to the sheer quality of the pass that followed. From the angle and timing of Anelka's run to what amounted to a super finish from a Frenchman finally making the most of his considerable talent. [LNB]After that, though, shutdown. A controlled, confident and ultimately classy display from a Chelsea side who remembered how to crush opponents with a combination of strength and skill. [LNB]They had to endure one anxious moment when Ashley Young rattled Petr Cech's crossbar with a beautifully executed free-kick, but had little else to worry about beyond that. Hiddink says he just kept it simple and will continue to do so when Claudio Ranieri's Juventus roll into Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night.[LNB] Talking tactics: Villa boss Martin O'Neill looks on as his Chelsea counterpart Guus Hiddink issues his tactical orders on the touchline[LNB] [LNB]'Sometimes with players, you must restrict them to what their job is on the pitch,' said the Dutchman. [LNB]'Sometimes players are overdoing or over-acting. And when you tell them their basic jobs and get them to focus on their qualities, you are making one step ahead. We focused on everyone's job as an individual but also as a team.' [LNB]Under Luiz Felipe Scolari, Jose Bosingwa and Paulo Ferreira would have been encouraged to get forward and that, in turn, might have presented Young and James Milner with the space to inflict some serious damage down the flanks. [LNB]But rather like Mourinho, Hiddink told his full backs to focus on defending and, my, how well it worked. [LNB]'We can improve but today there were parts I enjoyed very much,' added Hiddink. 'We played in a very intelligent way.'[LNB] Bar nothing: Ashley Young beats the Chelsea wall and goalkeeper Petr Cech but his free-kick eventually crashes off of the crossbar[LNB] [LNB]Lampard agreed. 'This is just the start,' he said. [LNB]'We can't say we're back. But this was a little bit of the old Chelsea, the old spirit and the way we used to play. You could see the commitment of the lads, the never-say-die attitude. We need to keep that going. We've got huge games coming up, not least on Wednesday, and we can't relax. The manager won't let us relax and, as players, we can't relax. [LNB]'We worked hard in the week. The new manager's put some new ideas into us and we came into the game with a lot of confidence. It's a big lift ahead of Juventus and we need that. [LNB]'The manager is too wise simply to attack all the time. He wants to play a good type of football, but he has worked very hard on our defence and organisation as well. He's certainly not going to play with just goals in mind. He wants us to win games.'[LNB] Too close for comfort: Chelsea attacker Salomon Kalou holds off a challenge from Villa full-back Luke Young (R) with a close control as Gareth Barry looks on[LNB] [LNB]On Saturday it did help that Villa were playing their third game in six days and clearly lacking their usual verve and energy. [LNB]The UEFA Cup and that midweek encounter with CSKA Moscow was, O'Neill admitted afterwards, something they needed like a hole in the head - a competition that could actually damage their chances of what he considers 'the holy grail'. A top four Barclays Premier League finish and with it an opportunity to play in the Champions League. [LNB]This defeat, their second to Chelsea this season, did not give Villa's manager huge cause for alarm, however. Not when their victory at Arsenal as well as draws with Manchester United and Liverpool tell him they have every right to be six points clear of Arsene Wenger's fifth-placed side. [LNB]'The people in the dressing room are disappointed and they think it's a setback,' he said.[LNB] Test drive: Villa midfielder Gareth Barry drills in a testing shot on the Chelsea goal[LNB] [LNB]'But it is not catastrophic and I will make sure they believe that. [LNB]'What the players have to do is look back at other games, like the two against Arsenal. We were beaten by a fine side but I don't think the players think that, because it's Chelsea, we're not up to it. I honestly think we will come back. We have 12 games to go and I am excited by that.' [LNB]As for Hiddink, much more of this and leaving Chelsea in the summer could actually prove impossible. [LNB]What would he do, he was asked, if the players, the fans, even the owner, have fallen in love with him by May? 'What a lot of love,' he said with a smile. [LNB]MATCH FACTS [LNB]ASTON VILLA (4-4-2): Friedel 7; Cuellar 6, Knight 6, Davies 5 (Carew 70 min, 6), L Young 6; Milner 6, Petrov 5, Barry 6, A Young 6; Agbonlahor 5, Heskey 6. Booked: Cuellar. [LNB]CHELSEA (4-1-3-2): Cech 7; Bosingwa 6, Alex 7, Terry 7, Ferreira 7; Mikel 7; Kalou 6 (Deco 55, 6), Ballack 7, Lampard 8; Anelka 8, Drogba 6 (Belletti 90). Booked: Ballack, Bosingwa, Terry. [LNB]Man of the match: Frank Lampard. Referee: Mark Halsey[LNB] Aston Villa 0 Chelsea 1: How the action unfolded[LNB]He has tinkered in Turin, mixed it with Mourinho. . .now it's back to the Bridge [LNB]ASTON VILLA FC NEWS FROM ACROSS THE WEB[LNB]CHELSEA FC NEWS ACROSS THE WEB[LNB] [LNB] [LNB]
