Constant evolution: the key to McGuinness model

The night Chelsea defeated Barcelona in the Champions’ League semi-final second leg, Jim McGuinness watched on TV from his home in Creeslough with a grin on his face as Roberto Di Matteo’s unorthodox tactics unfolded.

Chelsea pulled off one of the most effective strokes in club football history. By showing extreme discipline and faith in their system, they utterly frustrated the European champions before drawing blood.

They forced Barcelona to play in front of them, won possession and scampered upfield with decisive breaks, none so clinical as the injury-time forage that concluded with Fernando Torres rounding Victor Valdes to strike the final nail in Barcelona’s coffin.