No Diego Costa, No Loic Remy: No Problem for Chelsea After QPR Win

LOFTUS ROAD, LONDON—Jose Mourinho made an interesting point ahead of Chelsea's match with QPR on Sunday.

The Chelsea manager explained that all he was interested in right now is putting points on the board to keep the chasing pack at bay.

"[Playing QPR ] is a three points game. We need points, we need victories," he said.

So far as statements go, it was simple, to the point; it was as concise as his team's performance at Loftus Road where just one shot on target from Chelsea over the 90 minutes produced the game's only goal.

It was evident the Chelsea players had heard the manager's call, marking Roman Abramovich's 700th game as owner with a vital victory over their west London neighbours.

It wasn't pretty, it was far from dominant and without Loic Remy or Diego Costa, it wasn't totally convincing, either. Nonetheless, it was three more points to restore Chelsea's seven-point lead at the top of the table.

"They gave us a very difficult game," Mourinho said of his opponents at the final whistle.

"0-0 is a very typical game. I'm very happy with my team because we kept a good emotional control, we never lost balance and we were never under pressure."

Mourinho 's doing Rangers a disservice by suggesting they didn't cause Chelsea problems given the opportunities Matt Phillips carved out for himself, but he was right about his team's emotional control.

Games such as these are always frustrating for teams chasing the title.

QPR were never going to be as open as they had been in the recent matches with West Bromwich Albion and Aston Villa.

They were must-win games against teams around them, and the 11 goals we saw were in stark contrast to how Chris Ramsey set his team up against a team chasing the title.

QPR had 10 men behind the ball for long periods. They were adamant Chelsea would have to play through them if they were going to get what they came for.

Did Chelsea panic? Did Mourinho 's players lose their focus?

The scoreboard gives us the answer to those questions. It confirms Mourinho 's assertions.

It took Cesc Fabregas 88 minutes to find a way through, but find a way through he and Chelsea did.

"The [Loftus Road] pitch is short, it is not wide, it is slow—130 metres is not the best to develop the game with intensity," Mourinho continued.

"It was a very defensive game by that point of view, so it was difficult to create, not just for Cesc, but for Eden [Hazard], for Willian .

"We played with a striker that is the best one as a target one, but [Loic ] Remy and Diego [Costa] are more dangerous at attacking spaces and running behind defenders, so we have to adapt our game."

Systems and tactics played their part in this win, but the overriding quality was that characteristic no coach can instill in his players—that will to win.

It's typical of a Mourinho side, because it's a quality he identifies in every player he picks. When it isn't forthcoming, they're often made surplus and disappear from his thoughts rather quickly.

Winning trophies is about turning up for every game, not picking and choosing when to perform.

Had this game ended any other way, it would have been easy to criticise this Chelsea team for a subpar display. For the reasons Mourinho mentioned, they were not the dominant team we have seen this season.

They had to adapt, to adjust to playing a crunch game with a 37-year-old Didier Drogba leading the line.

Like a league campaign, success doesn't come in the opening stages of game. It doesn't come at the interval or on the hour mark, either.

Victories come at the final whistle, regardless of how a team has played. It's about maintaining belief, keeping up the pressure and taking the opportunities that are presented.

QPR had the fight to match Chelsea. When it came to that one moment of quality, they were lacking, however.

Chelsea weren't, Hazard capitalising on a poor clearance from Rob Green before teeing up Fabregas to punish the home side at the death.

Everything before mattered for little. It was about those three points Mourinho was chasing on Friday.

That's what wins titles. It's what will make Chelsea the 2014/15 Premier League champions.

To lose Remy and Costa when they have has been a bitter blow to Chelsea's end-of-season plans. What they haven't lost is their know-how when it comes to winning games, and that's all that mattered at Loftus Road.

Garry Hayes is Bleacher Report's lead Chelsea correspondent. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter @garryhayes .

//



from Bleacher Report http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Bleacherreport/~3/YKxVeU55Ejo/2428288-no-diego-costa-no-loic-remy-no-problem-for-chelsea-after-qpr-win

via IFTTT April 12, 2015 at 09:24AM