In the semi-finals of the Premier League Cup, Chelsea played at home against Tottenham Hotspur, which was a highly anticipated "peak" showdown, the Premier League's most successful manager of the three-centre-back system this season, Against the "originator" of the three-centre-back system, Conte, to be precise, the "originator" of Chelsea's three-centre-back system (in the 2016-2017 season, Conte led Chelsea to win the Premier League championship).
It sounds like a very gimmicky contest.
However, the course of the game was a bit of a disappointment to us, Chelsea beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-0, almost did not give their opponents any chance, and beat Tottenham Hotspur with a dark face.
Chelsea, who are not the strongest form, two main wing-backs Zilweil and Rees James are both hanging free cards due to injury reasons, and midfielder No. 7 iron gate and the sea god needle Thiago Silva in the back line are also unable to participate due to the new crown.
However, it is such a remnant of Chelsea, still playing Tottenham Hotspur almost no way back, why?
If you have seen the red and blue battle between Chelsea and Liverpool a few days ago, I believe it is not difficult to think through the joints, although Chelsea played a three-centre-back system, but the style of play is not conservative, the overall formation of the whole team is very dare to press forward, and it is a line of defense against a line of defense, full of pressure, the formation is relatively compact.
Logically, when Chelsea's formation is heavily preconceived, which is very conducive to Tottenham's counterattack, one of the prerequisites for Sun Kai to be able to exert his power is that there must be enough space in the opposing backcourt, which is exactly how Tottenham Like to play the ball.
However, as we said, several of Chelsea's "defensive lines" are almost "one person against one person" against Tottenham's players, this way of playing, so that every Spurs player from the moment they receive the ball or even before receiving the ball, they are in a state of compulsion, Spurs players have encountered great difficulties in handling the ball, Kane is even more trapped in the siege, how to connect?
The ability of Tottenham's players to handle the ball in a compulsive state has been a problem that the team has been slow to solve since last season, and it seems unlikely that Conte will solve this problem in a short period of time.
First, because the ability to handle the ball in a compulsed state depends on the individual ability of the player, it is not realistic to expect professional players to suddenly open up in adulthood; second, Tottenham's continuous decline in running ability is the category of exercise physiology, and for professional athletes, it is a sad moment that can no longer be reversed once it occurs.
From the tactical concept, Conte, as the leader of the Italian coach, pursues a tactical philosophy, relatively speaking, it is also more one-sided, although his three-centre-back system is flexible and changeable, but in essence, the defense still emphasizes the placement of the midfield and the coordinated protection between each other, emphasizing the blockade of space rather than active oppression.
And Tuchel's German coach is very different, oppression seems to have become an obsession in their bones, such as Southampton's Hasenschüttle, the main 4-4-2 balance formation, can play like passion; Tuchel's 5-2-3 system, but also subverted many people's perception of the three-centre-back system.
In this battle for the godfather of the three-centre-back system, Tuchel temporarily has the upper hand, after all, Tuchel has been in charge of Chelsea for a long time, and the overall quality of Chelsea players is better than that of Tottenham Hotspur players.
However, I believe that such a contest is only the beginning, the premise is that Tottenham Really have ambitions, if one day, when Spurs improve the squad, Conte's one-sided three-centre-back system is completely in full shape to meet Tuchel's radical three-centre-back system.
It is worth looking forward to and looking forward to.