Chelsea’s new pre-match ritual is causing quite the stir, and one journalist has had a look at where it’s come from.
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Simon Johnson’s piece this morning is on a funny topic – Chelsea’s new pre-match (and mid-match) huddles on the pitch.
The last couple of months have seen the Blues come together just before kick off to get a motivational speech from their captain.
It’s not exactly new, but to see it before every half of every game is unusual. In his press conference last week Liam Rosenior denied he was behind the idea, and there’s been some claim that club culture coach Willie Isa was part of the thinking.
Chelsea’s new plan is deliberately provocative
What is notable about these huddles is that they take place (very deliberately) in the middle of the pitch, standing over the ball in the centre circle meaning half the group are in the opposition half. It also keeps the other team waiting, and frustrates the crowd.
All of that means that there’s a very deliberately provocative element to the action. It gets under the skin of the other team, and their fans, and the referees probably don’t love it either. But perhaps that’s the whole point?
Johnson runs through the details of each time it’s been deployed. He notes that the Blues have a won 6, drawn 2, lost 2 record since they started huddling. “Not bad, but not great either.”
In other news…
Romeo Lavia struggled a little in his first start since November – it’s going to take him a while to be at his best.
Wayne Rooney was at the Chelsea – Wrexham FA Cup game and he’s made some huge claims about what he made of it.
Check out the latest edition of Simon Phillips’ SPTC podcast here:
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Chelsea team preparing for extra time against Wrexham.
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Liam Rosenior on the touchline against Wrexham.