Width has been a perennial issue at Chelsea since the days of Jose Mourinho’s all-conquering, disciplined teams. In Mourinho’s all conquering teams he instructed the full-backs not to cross the halfway line. His predecessor Avram Grant carried on Mourinho’s legacy, choosing not to make any drastic changes. In contrast, Luiz Felipe Scolari’s reign was characterised with marauding full-backs, akin to wingers in the sense they provided the width very high up the pitch, but this came at the cost of defensive cohesion and his dismissal. Critics claimed Scolari was out of touch with the league and had to adapt.

Under Ancelotti’s tenure, there was a return to the days of Mourinho with the full-backs primarily focusing on their defensive duties as the more robust Branislav Ivanovic was preferred at right-back ahead of the attack-minded Jose Bosingwa. Width was regularly provided by Ashley Cole who, whilst primarily focusing on his defensive duties, chose his runs forward very carefully, finishing the season with 4 goals and 4 assists. Chelsea simply destroyed teams scoring 103 goals on the road to a historic domestic double. This aura of destruction disappeared in Ancelotti’s second and final season in charge with Chelsea lacking fluidity, movement and originality through the middle, sparking the issue of width to arise once again in the final months of Ancelott’s spell.

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