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"No," said Felipe Scolari after the 4-0 thrashing of Portsmouth, "it wasn't like watching Brazil." And as a Brazilian who had enjoyed the ultimate honour of managing his country's national team, Scolari possesses the authority to make that the definitive verdict on the matter. But neither was this like watching Chelsea. Solidity was replaced by fluidity, defensive emphasis forgotten by two over-lapping full-backs. Functionality is out, and a playmaker, in the form of Deco, is in.
Welcome to the new Chelsea. You might even like watching them.
The comparison with Brazil shouldn't be discounted entirely because it is apparent that, while he has yet to acquire a single Brazilian in the tried-and-traditional way that managers tend to buy from their homeland, Scolari has implemented a very Brazilian system. Both Ashley Cole and Jose Bosingwa attacked as auxiliary wingers in the manner of Roberto Carlos and Cafu while Obi Mikel filled in as additional defender whenever possession was lost. Meanwhile, ahead of Deco's subtle promptings, Joe Cole and Frank Lampard provided the support for Nicolas Anelka, a lone striker who must have felt anything but lonely. Such was their fluidity that attempting to categorise the formation as either a 4-1-2-3, a 4-1-3-2 or a 4-1-4-1 would be misleading. It was all of those shapes and none of them.
The caveat in the acclaim must be that Chelsea are unlikely to encounter such complicit opponents again this season. If Scolari's design is to be faulted it will not be by a four-man midfield between an immobile set of defenders and a little-and-large combination up front. Premiership managers eager to avoid the embarrassment endured by Portsmouth would be wise to heed the tactical lesson learnt the hard way by Harry Redknapp: "I made a rod for my own back by bringing in two strikers. I don't think you can play 4-4-2 here. You get overloaded in midfield."
Fernando Torres
In a blink of an eye and two yards of space, Fernando Torres transformed an insipid performance into the sort of hard-fought away victory that can be summarised as a good day's work. It is Torres' capacity to affect such a dramatic alteration - even in a match in which he otherwise barely featured- that underlines his value to Liverpool and why he should be considered a bargain even at £23m.
Not that his strike excused the dross that had preceded it, however. While Liverpool's display was an improvement on Wednesday's showing against Liege then such praise is merely a reflection of the depths Benitez's team plunged in midweek. Creativity was stymied, once again, by a lack of width and any hope that the absence of wingers would be compensated by overlapping full-backs will never be realised if Andrea Dossena and Alvaro Arbeloa, both of whom appear to have an aversion to crossing the half-way line, remain first-choice selections.
The Vocal Element In The Away End At The Stadium Of Light
The internal machinations and politicking that destabilised Liverpool for most of last season has already re-emerged as a theme for the new campaign. Its seriousness shouldn't be underestimated and conspicuous in the statement released by Rafa Benitez over the weekend reiterating his commitment to Liverpool was a denial that he contemplated resigning last week in the wake of Rick Parry and at least one of the club's owners refusing to pay £18m for Gareth Barry. If Benitez is dismayed at the apparent lack of faith in his judgement then he is also entitled to ask why it has taken so long for such objections to be raised given that Villa's valuation has been public knowledge for two months.
However, aside from the salient issue of whether Barry is worth £18m, it is puzzling that Benitez considers effectively replacing Xabi Alonso with the Aston Villa captain worth another high-stakes public confrontation with his publicity-shy Anfield bosses. The suspicion is that the Spaniard requires little excuse to belittle Parry, the chief executive who he apparently cannot tolerate and his judgement may also have been clouded by a reputed falling-out with Alonso last year. Yet it is palpably evident that he regards Barry as representing value for money, even at £18m, highlighting both the player's nationality and left-foot this weekend. "Don't forget we will need eight British players - and the left-footer we were talking about can play in three positions too," he reminded reporters after the victory at Sunderland.
Yet one opinion that Benitez has apparently not factored into his calculations is that of the Liverpool support. Judging by the feedback F365 has received, they are far from convinced as to the wisdom of pursuing Barry and the travelling support at the Stadium of Light made their admiration for Alonso audible long before he was introduced. The second-half substitute duly responded by providing the guile that Liverpool were otherwise bereft of.
Until now, Benitez has always enjoyed the absolute support of the Liverpool support. Which makes his determination to land Barry no matter the cost - which may or may not include Alonso's exit - so risky and perhaps even, as far as his reputation and reign is concerned, defining.
Aston Villa
With all due respect to Gabriel Agbonlahor - whose hat-trick was the first to be scored on the opening day since Dion Dublin's triple for Coventry against Chelsea in 1997 and the second-fastest in Premiership history - the talking point at Villa Park remains Gareth Barry.
Those believing that Barry's appearances in claret this week signals the end of his transfer saga should note his subdued demeanour and the conspicuous absence of any statement committing his future to Villa. While the saga could yet culminate in the departure of either or both Rick Parry and Rafa Benitez from Liverpool, as well as Xabi Alonso, the stakes are also critically high at Villa. Shorn of Barry, Villa would have to reconsider their aspirations of breaking into the top four and the whereabouts of his future may also have a persuasive bearing on whether Ashley Young, the next best thing at the club, can be persuaded to sign a new contract.
Crunch time is fast approaching. By August 31, the day the transfer window slams shut, the saga must be resolved one way or the other. As coincidence would have it, Liverpool and Villa just happen to on-field opponents on that very day. For a device that is supposed to be random, the fixture-list computer has a strange tendency of regularly producing such political occasions.
Newcastle United
As effervescent and impressive as their hosts were flat and uninspiring.
Bolton Wanderers
Aside from enjoying a winning start, Bolton will also have been relieved at the size of the attendance at the Reebok on Saturday. Considering that Stoke City are arguably the least enticing side in the top-flight, 22,717 was a higher than expected gate - and exceeded last year's average attendance.
Amid fears that the credit crunch will adversely affect attendances, such statistics will be studied especially closely during the opening weeks of the new campaign.
Middlesbrough
It was just as well that Justin Hoyte did not complete his move to Middlesbrough in time to be eligible for the match against Tottenham. Had the paperwork for his transfer from Arsenal been filed before the 5pm deadline on Friday night, the new recruit would have probably taken the place of David Wheater at right-back and is unlikely to have scored either of the goals the 21-year-old scored - the first being incorrectly disallowed - or performed with such general aplomb. Even if Wheater's repositioning was the product of necessity rather than inspiration, Gareth Southgate deserves credit for convincing the youngster that he could thrive in an unfamiliar role. "We kept saying to him that good players can play anywhere and he's a good footballer. He didn't have any qualms about it and dealt with it no problem," observed the Boro boss.
Southgate should also be applauded for daring to deploy Jeremie Aliadiere on the right-wing in a side that also included Sanli Tuncay, Afonso Alves and Stewart Downing. Having promised to provide attacking football, Southgate's reward was a warranted victory and an attendance of 32,623. Last year's average was just 26,708.
Dean Ashton
Although sufficient to rule him out of contention for the England squad to face the Czech Republic this week, Ashton's injury is not believed to be particularly serious.
Paul Ince's Blackburn Rovers
What else can be said when all their talking that was required was expressed loud and clear on the Goodison Park pitch? It was as deserved as it was silencing.
Samir Nasri
During his time at Arsenal, Arsene Wenger has recruited almost twenty of his countrymen. Samir Nasri, this summer's Gallic recruit, is the latest in a long line of Frenchmen arriving in North London but his immediate eligibility for first-team action is unusual. Not even Thierry Henry was considered ready for Premiership action when he first joined Arsenal, nor Patrick Vieira or Robert Pires. With a match-winning goal and a man-of-the-match performance, Nasri justified Wenger's faith as well as the expectation that he will provide greater penetration than the unmourned Alex Hleb.
Hull City
As many wins after one game as Derby County, the previous play-off champions, managed in 38 last season.
Chelsea
"No," said Felipe Scolari after the 4-0 thrashing of Portsmouth, "it wasn't like watching Brazil." And as a Brazilian who had enjoyed the ultimate honour of managing his country's national team, Scolari possesses the authority to make that the definitive verdict on the matter. But neither was this like watching Chelsea. Solidity was replaced by fluidity, defensive emphasis forgotten by two over-lapping full-backs. Functionality is out, and a playmaker, in the form of Deco, is in.
Welcome to the new Chelsea. You might even like watching them.
The comparison with Brazil shouldn't be discounted entirely because it is apparent that, while he has yet to acquire a single Brazilian in the tried-and-traditional way that managers tend to buy from their homeland, Scolari has implemented a very Brazilian system. Both Ashley Cole and Jose Bosingwa attacked as auxiliary wingers in the manner of Roberto Carlos and Cafu while Obi Mikel filled in as additional defender whenever possession was lost. Meanwhile, ahead of Deco's subtle promptings, Joe Cole and Frank Lampard provided the support for Nicolas Anelka, a lone striker who must have felt anything but lonely. Such was their fluidity that attempting to categorise the formation as either a 4-1-2-3, a 4-1-3-2 or a 4-1-4-1 would be misleading. It was all of those shapes and none of them.
The caveat in the acclaim must be that Chelsea are unlikely to encounter such complicit opponents again this season. If Scolari's design is to be faulted it will not be by a four-man midfield between an immobile set of defenders and a little-and-large combination up front. Premiership managers eager to avoid the embarrassment endured by Portsmouth would be wise to heed the tactical lesson learnt the hard way by Harry Redknapp: "I made a rod for my own back by bringing in two strikers. I don't think you can play 4-4-2 here. You get overloaded in midfield."
Fernando Torres
In a blink of an eye and two yards of space, Fernando Torres transformed an insipid performance into the sort of hard-fought away victory that can be summarised as a good day's work. It is Torres' capacity to affect such a dramatic alteration - even in a match in which he otherwise barely featured- that underlines his value to Liverpool and why he should be considered a bargain even at £23m.
Not that his strike excused the dross that had preceded it, however. While Liverpool's display was an improvement on Wednesday's showing against Liege then such praise is merely a reflection of the depths Benitez's team plunged in midweek. Creativity was stymied, once again, by a lack of width and any hope that the absence of wingers would be compensated by overlapping full-backs will never be realised if Andrea Dossena and Alvaro Arbeloa, both of whom appear to have an aversion to crossing the half-way line, remain first-choice selections.
The Vocal Element In The Away End At The Stadium Of Light
The internal machinations and politicking that destabilised Liverpool for most of last season has already re-emerged as a theme for the new campaign. Its seriousness shouldn't be underestimated and conspicuous in the statement released by Rafa Benitez over the weekend reiterating his commitment to Liverpool was a denial that he contemplated resigning last week in the wake of Rick Parry and at least one of the club's owners refusing to pay £18m for Gareth Barry. If Benitez is dismayed at the apparent lack of faith in his judgement then he is also entitled to ask why it has taken so long for such objections to be raised given that Villa's valuation has been public knowledge for two months.
However, aside from the salient issue of whether Barry is worth £18m, it is puzzling that Benitez considers effectively replacing Xabi Alonso with the Aston Villa captain worth another high-stakes public confrontation with his publicity-shy Anfield bosses. The suspicion is that the Spaniard requires little excuse to belittle Parry, the chief executive who he apparently cannot tolerate and his judgement may also have been clouded by a reputed falling-out with Alonso last year. Yet it is palpably evident that he regards Barry as representing value for money, even at £18m, highlighting both the player's nationality and left-foot this weekend. "Don't forget we will need eight British players - and the left-footer we were talking about can play in three positions too," he reminded reporters after the victory at Sunderland.
Yet one opinion that Benitez has apparently not factored into his calculations is that of the Liverpool support. Judging by the feedback F365 has received, they are far from convinced as to the wisdom of pursuing Barry and the travelling support at the Stadium of Light made their admiration for Alonso audible long before he was introduced. The second-half substitute duly responded by providing the guile that Liverpool were otherwise bereft of.
Until now, Benitez has always enjoyed the absolute support of the Liverpool support. Which makes his determination to land Barry no matter the cost - which may or may not include Alonso's exit - so risky and perhaps even, as far as his reputation and reign is concerned, defining.
Aston Villa
With all due respect to Gabriel Agbonlahor - whose hat-trick was the first to be scored on the opening day since Dion Dublin's triple for Coventry against Chelsea in 1997 and the second-fastest in Premiership history - the talking point at Villa Park remains Gareth Barry.
Those believing that Barry's appearances in claret this week signals the end of his transfer saga should note his subdued demeanour and the conspicuous absence of any statement committing his future to Villa. While the saga could yet culminate in the departure of either or both Rick Parry and Rafa Benitez from Liverpool, as well as Xabi Alonso, the stakes are also critically high at Villa. Shorn of Barry, Villa would have to reconsider their aspirations of breaking into the top four and the whereabouts of his future may also have a persuasive bearing on whether Ashley Young, the next best thing at the club, can be persuaded to sign a new contract.
Crunch time is fast approaching. By August 31, the day the transfer window slams shut, the saga must be resolved one way or the other. As coincidence would have it, Liverpool and Villa just happen to on-field opponents on that very day. For a device that is supposed to be random, the fixture-list computer has a strange tendency of regularly producing such political occasions.
Newcastle United
As effervescent and impressive as their hosts were flat and uninspiring.
Bolton Wanderers
Aside from enjoying a winning start, Bolton will also have been relieved at the size of the attendance at the Reebok on Saturday. Considering that Stoke City are arguably the least enticing side in the top-flight, 22,717 was a higher than expected gate - and exceeded last year's average attendance.
Amid fears that the credit crunch will adversely affect attendances, such statistics will be studied especially closely during the opening weeks of the new campaign.
Middlesbrough
It was just as well that Justin Hoyte did not complete his move to Middlesbrough in time to be eligible for the match against Tottenham. Had the paperwork for his transfer from Arsenal been filed before the 5pm deadline on Friday night, the new recruit would have probably taken the place of David Wheater at right-back and is unlikely to have scored either of the goals the 21-year-old scored - the first being incorrectly disallowed - or performed with such general aplomb. Even if Wheater's repositioning was the product of necessity rather than inspiration, Gareth Southgate deserves credit for convincing the youngster that he could thrive in an unfamiliar role. "We kept saying to him that good players can play anywhere and he's a good footballer. He didn't have any qualms about it and dealt with it no problem," observed the Boro boss.
Southgate should also be applauded for daring to deploy Jeremie Aliadiere on the right-wing in a side that also included Sanli Tuncay, Afonso Alves and Stewart Downing. Having promised to provide attacking football, Southgate's reward was a warranted victory and an attendance of 32,623. Last year's average was just 26,708.
Dean Ashton
Although sufficient to rule him out of contention for the England squad to face the Czech Republic this week, Ashton's injury is not believed to be particularly serious.
Paul Ince's Blackburn Rovers
What else can be said when all their talking that was required was expressed loud and clear on the Goodison Park pitch? It was as deserved as it was silencing.
Samir Nasri
During his time at Arsenal, Arsene Wenger has recruited almost twenty of his countrymen. Samir Nasri, this summer's Gallic recruit, is the latest in a long line of Frenchmen arriving in North London but his immediate eligibility for first-team action is unusual. Not even Thierry Henry was considered ready for Premiership action when he first joined Arsenal, nor Patrick Vieira or Robert Pires. With a match-winning goal and a man-of-the-match performance, Nasri justified Wenger's faith as well as the expectation that he will provide greater penetration than the unmourned Alex Hleb.
Hull City
As many wins after one game as Derby County, the previous play-off champions, managed in 38 last season.
