Remember the time Mourinho dazzled the League with an uncharacteristic display of humility and bashfulness when he claimed Roman Abramovich’s pride and joy, Chelsea FC, was a little horse that was merely glad to be on the same race course as the big boys? Some believed he was giving himself wiggle room if he failed to land any major trophies (a smart move in retrospect), while others – yours truly included – were pretty sure it was all a devious mind-games hatched in the deepest, darkest recesses of his mind.
When Chelsea did end last season trophyless, True Blues did take a few positives into account. Chelsea did the double on both Liverpool and Manchester City – the only 2 teams to eventually end up above the Blues in the domestic league standings. Where the Blues were incredibly shoddy were against smaller teams they should have swept aside with abandon. Instead a series of draws, and surprising losses to teams in the lesser half of the table, was enough to see Chelsea sit on the sidelines – as even Arsenal went on to win a trophy.
There are few strikers in the world of the same caliber as Diego Costa – the Blues themselves will attest to that – and it’s terrific news for Chelsea supporters that the Spanish star is now among their ranks. Costa’s introduction in pre-season has come as a godsend, with him scoring some spectacular goals as Torres missed one from 2 yards out. No, seriously.
With Drogba back too, it might be tempting to see Chelsea’s striker woes as being settled but that would be jumping the gun. Drogba is only back because he wants another season under Mourinho, and because he sees it as a stepping stone to what he eventually wants to be – a member of the coaching staff at Chelsea. It’s also likely an ambition of Frank Lampard’s and John Terry’s, so Drogba’s return is more of a head-start than a step back into the past. Expect the Ivorian to only make an Eto’o like impact this season; that leaves the Blues with only Torres as a backup option for Costa. If this pre-season has proven anything it’s that Torres isn’t nearly as good enough to even stand-in for a club like Chelsea. And if Costa were to lose form or miss a couple of games due to injury or suspension, Chelsea could be in for a rough ride as the likes of City and Arsenal catch up.
Chelsea’s midfield has always been a veritable treasure trove of talent, and in the past couple of years they’ve had to chip in with goals too as the front line faltered. However, as impressive as having Hazard, Oscar and Fabregas to call upon seems, Chelsea lack a decisive general – for now – in the mold of Lampard. Oscar may very well prove his detractors wrong and refrain from switching off when he’s needed the most this season. Hazard had a forgettable World Cup and might very well return to form, but hasn’t begun to drive the team agenda forward like Lampard could. Fabregas is still very new to the team, and expecting him to appoint himself midfield general would be a tough ask.
Matic has impressed, and Ramires is quite the workhorse but the onus on leadership has fallen back on Terry’s broad shoulders. While those are as reliable pair as any, Terry himself has seen his star fade. Cahill has more than proven himself on multiple occasions and may one day be tapped to lead the team. Add in Branislav Ivanovic, Zouma and Azpilicueta, and the defense has never looked as imposing in many years.
Which brings us to Petr Cech. Once considered indispensable to the side, Cech is now effectively Chelsea’s second-choice keeper. It remains to be seen if he’ll be flogged off to the highest bidder – a fate far preferable to serving as Courtois’ underling – as Chelsea put all their eggs in the Belgian’s basket. If Cech leaves, Mourinho will have managed the complete overhaul of Chelsea’s backbone. The fearsome spine of Drogba-Lampard-Terry-Cech is no longer to be seen, but the masterful fingerprints of Mourinho are everywhere.
Does Chelsea have the team to win the Premier League this season? They certainly could, considering they spent quite a lot of time last season atop the perch. But Chelsea is a team that’s still in transition; a body with a series of organ transplants that have been conducted successfully enough, but one where the surgeon still nervously watches for signs of rejection.
Chelsea and Mourinho would do well to keep the celebrations to a minimum. The season hasn’t begun yet, and the burden of expectations could lead to a tumultuous time at Christmas – the Blues’ traditional period of dismay and disorder.
Save the champagne for later.
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