Mourinho and Chelsea: Ready for war
Jose Mourinho insisted all the way through last season that his ‘little horse’ was not ready to challenge for the title, insinuating to the football world that they were a few players short of being a championship winning team. So far this term, he has unleashed a war horse, ready to do battle on all fronts.
The Chelsea boss has a minimum of two high class players in every single position in his team, all the way back to the goalkeepers, Petr Cech and Thibaut Courtois. This will ensure that Mourinho can juggle his team around as and when he wants, in the four competitions they are in this season. Up to now there are no weak links and Chelsea look very strong all over the park.
The summer of recruitment and handing P45’s out at Stamford Bridge was the most successful of all the Premier League in my opinion. Anyone who can get a team to write a cheque out to pay £50 million for David Luiz and re-invest the money in world class signings like Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa deserves a gold medal. Jose knew where he needed to strengthen, knew where he needed squad depth and pounced to get his men in.
Fabregas and Costa have started life at The Bridge like a house on fire. In Cesc Fabregas, Mourinho has traded in Frank Lampard for a younger model. He is exciting to watch, gets in all the right positions around the box and is putting balls on a plate for his fellow countryman Costa to find the net. Firing home eight goals in his first six Premier League appearances. And Jose says he isn’t fully fit yet. Of the other summer signings, full back Felipe Luis has settled in well, Chelsea legend Didier Drogba looks a nuisance to defences, as ever, and Loic Remy could be another secret weapon for Chelsea. His finishing is top drawer and I cannot understand why Liverpool wouldn’t take a chance on him, but pay almost double the price for the inconstant and loose cannon, Mario Ballotelli.
The tactical nous of the Chelsea’s Portuguese manager means that this season, he will take his team to tough Premier League opponents and come away with a point, minimum. As he showed when Chelsea went to Manchester City, and almost snatched a 1-0 win, if it wasn’t for Blues legend, Frank Lampard coming back to haunt his former club. John Terry and Gary Cahill have a fantastic understanding of each other’s game at centre half and last year’s Chelsea player of the year Cesar Azpilicueta, has turned into one of the best full backs in the Premier League.
It is really the attacking side of things where Chelsea are putting distance between themselves and others though, with 19 goals scored this season. The next team down in the scoring charts are Manchester City with 12, a huge gap after just eight games gone. But with attacking midfielders such as Willian, Oscar, Eden Hazard, Andre Schurrle, and Fabregas creating all the time, there are going to be goals on all fronts for Chelsea. Nemanja Matic was fetched back to the club in January and looks like he has played the holding role all his life, very solid and dependable which is vitally important when Chelsea have them tough away games domestically and if they progress, which I’m sure they will, to the later stages of the Champions League.
Although we are only one month into the season, it is looking like Chelsea are going to be the team to beat and could well be looking at a Cup Final as well come May. Keep Costa wrapped in cotton wool, get him fully fit and Chelsea could be invading Europe as well.
