Did José Mourinho’s use of a back six show the best way to try to halt Chelsea? | Michael Cox

Mar 14, 2017

The Manchester United manager took a leaf from one of Sir Alex Ferguson’s old books but Ander Herrera’s red card changed the game and there are signs Antonio Conte has plans to counteract a back-six strategy

The problem with facing Antonio Conte’s Chelsea, as so many Premier League managers have discovered this season, is that their front three becomes a front five. In Monday night’s FA Cup tie at Stamford Bridge, José Mourinho responded by effectively deploying a back six.

Chelsea have overloaded the opposition frequently this season thanks to Eden Hazard and Pedro (or, in this case, Willian) drifting inside to positions close to Diego Costa, allowing Marcos Alonso and Victor Moses to push forward aggressively down the outside. Opponents are exposed when their back four is dragged to one side, leaving Alonso or Moses free at the far post, and the only response is for the opposition wingers to retreat, effectively forming a six-man defence.

Tags: Chelsea Football José Mourinho Manchester United Sport