A dueling mentor with students between Jose Mourinho vs Frank Lampard will occur in the Tottenham Hotspur fight against Chelsea in Week 18 of the English League at Tottenham Stadium on Sunday (12/22).
Mourinho was a former Lampard coach at Chelsea, from 2004 to 2014. The collaboration between the two successfully brought six trophies for the London club, two of which were English League titles.
Lampard and Mourinho have a number of things in common, like students and teachers. Quoted by The Pride of London, Lampard imitated Mourinho’s style of designing a team ahead of a match by watching the opponent’s game and tactics for hours.
Transfermarkt also noted, both Lampard and Morinho both have a 4-2-3-1 formation that can change in each match depending on the composition of the squad and the opponent.
This season where Chelsea could not make a transfer because of FIFA sanctions, Lampard relied on the flexibility of tactics and the players. Lampard claimed to use three different formations in seven matches: 3-4-3, 4-3-3, and 4-2-3-1.
To have balance in the game when facing a strong team with a fierce front-line trio like Liverpool, Lampard uses 4-3-3. The goal is to reduce the Reds attack line.
When in need of a solid defense and can count on effective counterattacks, Lampard will play 3-4-3. That happened when against Wolverhampton and Valencia.
In such a scheme, Lampard is very relied on Marcos Alonso in the wing back sector, while Cesar Azpilicueta who used to be a wing back is placed as one of three central defenders.
This 3-4-3 pattern can be played by Lampard when they travel to Tottenham’s headquarters. The host has a main striker, Harry Kane, who is assisted by a number of creative midfielders and winger such as Son Heung Min, Lucas Moura, and Dele Alli.
Against Tottenham, Chelsea need a solid defense. Three defenders can be assisted by two wing backs when pressed by The Lilywhites.
When it is time to attack, the two wing backs need to move quickly to pass the ball to the two winger, Willian and Christian Pulisic to create goal opportunities or provide a mature pass for Tammy Abraham.
Meanwhile, Mourinho has again shown his class as top coach at Tottenham. Beyond the negative views of many parties towards Mourinho because he is known to often play negative football with bus parking, the Portuguese coach could win 3-2 over West Ham United on his debut with Tottenham on a 3-2-5 scheme, according to Mirror.
With this unusual scheme, Mourinho puts left-back Ben Davies at center-back, while Serge Aurier joins attacking players: Lucas Moura, Harry Kane, Dele Alli, and Heung Min.
Despite Mourinho’s strange tactics, the former Real Madrid coach has remained faithful using two anchor players or pivots in midfield. In that position Harry Winks and Eric Dier became the mainstay of The Special One.
Two anchor players in the midfield sector make it easy for Mourinho to maintain a balance in attack and defense.
Mirror said the two pivots made Mourinho split Tottenham into two teams in one match: five defenders and five others purely attacking. These five attacking players are given the freedom to show skill when dismantling the opponent’s defense.
The results of such a game made Mourinho collect five wins and swallow two defeats without even drawing in all competitions. Jan Vertonghen and his colleagues also scored 17 goals conceding 16 goals in seven matches.
According to Transfermarkt, Mourinho has played four different schemes from the seven matches: 4-3-3, 4-2-3-1, 4-4-2, and 4-1-4-1. Whatever scheme Mourinho plays later, two anchor midfielders will be played when Tottenham host Chelsea.
In this match Lampard can play with 3-4-3 and rely on Willian, Abraham, and Pulisic on the front lines, while in the middle there are N’Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic, and Jorginho.
The first two names in midfield Chelsea have qualified attacking qualities, with Kante becoming a box to box midfielder.
To reduce the three attacking players plus the midfielder, Tottenham need a solid defense through the 3-2-5 scheme.
Three defenders can be revealed by Mourinho to overcome the Chelsea scheme. Two midfielders will be required to work hard when attacking and defending. Its function is to solidify the defense and quickly flow the ball during the attacking transition.
In suppressing opponents or counterattacks, Tottenham has a line of players who can work in text books. Heung Min, Kane, Alli, and Moura have good chemistry when dismantling the opponent’s defense.
Beyond the tactics of the two coaches in the London Derby, this fight will also again remind the public of their emotions because Mourinho also made Lampard sacked from the Blues after recruiting Cesc Fabregas in 2014, until deciding to join New York City FC.
Mourinho vs Lampard meeting is not the first. The two coaches faced each other in the third round of the English League Cup on 26 September 2018.
At that time, Lampard successfully embarrassed ‘the teacher’ after the team he coached, Derby County, stepped into the fourth round after an 8-7 penalty shootout over Manchester United at Old Trafford.
The defeat of Lampard was one of the factors Mourinho was fired by the Red Devils management three months later.
Indirectly, Lampard successfully took revenge on Mourinho who let him go after 13 years as a Chelsea player.
This match could be a real test for Mourinho and Lampard who will clash tactics in a duel of mentors vs. students.
