er reading some of the Chelsea end of year review pieces within the media

ruck me how basic and obvious they were. For such a tumultuous season
ps and downs would a summary of a few paragraphs with some hidden
bs about the c|ub rea||y suffce? Persona||y, l wou|d ||ke to read someth|ng
t|e more |n depth. Not on|y cover|ng the p|ay|ng s|de, but some of the
re memorab|e tr|ps of that season as we||. ln part, th|s |s where the |dea to
together a season preview came from.
are potentially entering an extremely exciting phase of Chelsea's history: a
ng side who will be guided and shaped by our greatest ever manager.
return of Jos Mourinho seemed a remote prospect at the beginning of
season. When the wh|spers emerged we a|| hoped, but |t sure|y wou|d
er rea||st|ca||y transp|re. Neverthe|ess, even w|th the c|ub confrm|ng the
ointment on its website it still did not sink in. Only during the Hull game
en the Special One walks out of the tunnel is it likely to even begin to
onate.
The fo||ow|ng prev|ew out||nes th|ngs from the academy up unt|| the frst te
We have sought the op|n|on of footba|| ana|ysts, journa||sts, ed|tors, b|ogge
podcasters, and stat|st|c|ans to prov|de a pub||cat|on wr|tten by Ohe|sea fa
for Chelsea fans. Things are naturally written with a Chelsea perspective in
m|nd, but we have attempted to be as reasonab|e as poss|b|e. No one wa
to read someth|ng that wou|d s|t comfortab|y |n the ||verpoo| PR manua|. l
am hoping this well-balanced preview entertains as it certainly has been
enjoyab|e p|ec|ng |t a|| together.
Persona||y, l wou|d ||ke to thank everyone who has promoted, contr|buted,
ed|ted, comp||ed and he|ped |n any way w|th the prev|ew. lt cou|d not have
been ach|eved w|thout a |ot of hard work and l certa|n|y th|nk |t was worth
l do hope you enjoy read|ng the prev|ew - |et us hope for an exc|t|ng seaso
ahead.
Carefree.
The Second Coming has a bad reputation. Kevin Keegan at Newcas-
tle, Dirty Dens return from the dead in Eastenders, the Stone Roses
follow up to their iconic debut, all bywords for failure and unmet
expectation. Never go back they say, apparently, and predictably this
has been the press reaction to Jose Mourinhos return to Chelsea
following his departure from Real Madrid.
Furthermore, the Portugueses perceived lack of success in Spain (despite
wrestling the La Liga title back to the Bernebau from perhaps the best club
side in history and gaining over 100 points in the process) has been high-
lighted by detractors to highlight why hell fail at Chelsea and in extreme
cases to suggest that he is the managerial equivalent of fools gold, while
he may appear to embody success on the surface, but if you examine more
closely hes actually worthless.
Of course, this is mainly bollocks, even if you buy the failure in Spain
argument. Mourinho had a particularly fraught relationship with the
media, sections of the support and the clubs hierarchy in the Spanish
Capital and has spoke of his desire to be adored as integral to his return to
Chelsea. Despite the nose tapping from those in the know that hed
actually have preferred a move to either of the Manchester clubs, adored
he most certainly is, as fans this is the one weve been waiting for.
For the frst time since his departure in 2007, there seems to be a perfect
managerial ft for the players, board and fans. Whilst Di Matteo was (right-
ly) hugely popular with the supporters there always seemed to be a
behind the scenes issue with his permanent appointment. Equally whilst
we remain eternally grateful to Carlo Ancelotti for delivering the frst
double in the clubs long and distinguished history and empathise with
him following the disgraceful way the board handled his dismissal, his
tenure never felt like it was going to be for the long term.
Now the supporters have the man whose name they have sung continu-
ously for the previous six years and there is a foundation at the club of
talented young players like Mata, Hazard and Oscar that could make up the
back bone of the side for the majority of the next decade. Although the
received wisdom with Mourinho is that he burns bright and fast and
doesnt hang around, this time around he seems old and wise enough to
have the desire to settle in one place and young enough to build the
legacy he has referenced in interviews.
Welcome home Mourinho.
Mourinho
The Second Coming
Mour|nho m|ght just|fab|y ca||ed The Spec|a|
e cannot manage, cond|t|on and coach a
m a|| by h|mse|f. ln order to he|p h|m ach|eve the
|e resu|ts he needs to surround h|mse|f w|th a
ec|a||st coaches, each of whom he must have
er's utmost fa|th so that the common goa| of
d g|ory can be ach|eved.
nho there was much conjecture about whether he wou|d
ent management personne| or mere|y transp|ant the team
h|m at Rea| Madr|d. ln the end, a m|xture was dec|ded
u|d g|ve the p|ayers a sense of cont|nu|ty but comp|ement-
esh |deas to keep them on the|r toes.
ob Title: Assistant First Team Coach
|d has been a confdante of Mour|nho's s|nce the|r days at
en S|r Bobby Robson br|efy he|d the manager's pos|t|on.
ec|a||s|ng |n ftness and cond|t|on|ng, |n rea||ty Far|a |s
an that. He has fo||owed h|s mentor on every step of h|s
ourney and |s the c|osest person to Mour|nho, profes-
|ng. Far|a w||| be gett|ng the p|ayers |nto shape and
e|r ftness |eve|s and endurance though he w||| a|so have
s ear on tact|ca| matters. F|erce|y |oya| to h|s master,
otor|ous moment came when he was thought to be
g |||ega||y w|th Mour|nho dur|ng Ohe|sea's 2005 Ohamp|-
uarter fna| aga|nst Bayern Mun|ch wh||e the Spec|a| One
touch||ne ban. Noth|ng was subsequent|y proven but |t
engths to wh|ch Far|a was prepared to go to serve both
|s boss.
d Job Title: Assistant First Team Coach
e fam|||ar|ty to the current crop of p|ayers |s Steve Ho||and
work|ng at Oobham s|nce 2009. ln|t|a||y the reserve team
and's ta|ents ||e |n p|ayer deve|opment and h|s ro|e now |s
s extract the most from the|r obv|ous ab|||ty. Ho||and a|so
h|s academy work at both Orewe A|exandra and Stoke O|ty pr|or to
jo|n|ng Ohe|sea. H|s stock |s st||| h|gh at the Br|tann|a Stad|um who had
been keen to br|ng h|m back to the Potter|es as part of the manage-
ment team that wou|d rep|ace Tony Pu||s w|th the |dea on|y be|ng
she|ved once Mark Hughes was appo|nted as manager.
Silvino Louro Job Title: Assistant First Team Coach
|ouro's appo|ntment |s perhaps the most |ntr|gu|ng of them a|| cons|d-
er|ng that he |s a goa|keep|ng coach by trade. However, |n Ohr|stophe
|o|||chon Ohe|sea a|ready have that pos|t|on very ab|y covered so |t |s
not |mmed|ate|y c|ear what the 54-year-o|d's prec|se dut|es w||| be |n the
|ong-term. Hav|ng p|ayed |n two European Oup fna|s for Benfca and
hav|ng coached at the h|ghest |eve| for over a decade, |ouro |s h|gh|y
exper|enced and w||| command the respect of the p|ayers. The on|y
poss|b|e b|ot on h|s copybook are accusat|ons from some p|ayers v|a
Marca newspaper that he was a dress|ng room spy for Mour|nho |n h|s
acr|mon|ous fna| days at Rea| Madr|d. That has been vehement|y
den|ed by |ouro and judg|ng by the po||t|ca| |ntr|gue that surrounds the
Bernabeu and Marca's ro|e as the Span|sh c|ub's propaganda veh|c|e,
there |s no reason not to be||eve h|m. However, he |s one of Mour|nho's
trusted ||eutenants and w||| not be afra|d to crack the wh|p on h|s boss's
beha|f shou|d the need ar|se
Jose Morais Job Title: Assistant First Team Coach
The 48-year-o|d Mora|s |s the on|y tota||y fresh face on the management
team hav|ng never prev|ous|y he|d a ro|e at Ohe|sea Footba|| O|ub.
Another that ha||s from Portuga|, he has |ed a nomad|c profess|ona|
ex|stence hav|ng g|obe-trotted from Sweden to Tun|s|a v|a Germany,
Saud| Arab|a and Yemen. Mora|s' pr|mary ro|e w||| be to scout the
oppos|t|on and to present ana|yt|ca| reports for Mour|nho so that he can
prepare the team accord|ng|y. lt was a ro|e that was prev|ous|y he|d by
Andre v|||as-Boas and |s one that |s v|ta||y |mportant to the methodo|ogy
of Mour|nho's management w|th Mora|s hav|ng a|so f||ed the ro|e at
lnter M||an and Rea| Madr|d
Christophe Lollichon Job Title: Goalkeeping Coach
S|nce jo|n|ng Ohe|sea a|most s|x years ago |n the wake of M
|n|t|a| departure, the Frenchman has become an |ntegra| pa
c|ub's management set up. A recogn|sab|e face on the s|d
renowned for h|s fery temper and can often be seen |aunc
bench wh||e |ssu|ng a verba| t|rade aga|nst a content|ous re
dec|s|on or |n the d|rect|on of an over|y phys|ca| oppos|t|on
|o|||chon has a c|ose profess|ona| re|at|onsh|p w|th Petr Oe
worked w|th h|m when they were both together at Rennes
acqua|ntance has ma|nta|ned B|g Pete's except|ona||y h|gh
and h|s cont|nu|ng presence was one of the cond|t|ons |a|d
Mour|nho pr|or to h|m s|gn|ng on the dotted ||ne. As ment|o
how |o|||chon w||| doveta|| w|th |ouro w||| be |nterest|ng to
though the Portuguese cont|ngent are un||ke|y to upset the
as far as Oech's form and coach|ng rout|nes are concerne
Chris Jones Job Title: First Team Fitness Coach
Jones has been |n charge of the ftness and cond|t|on|ng o
sen|or squad s|nce Andre v|||as-Boas' unschedu|ed depart
2012. S|nce then he has had h|s hands fu|| espec|a||y |n the
season wh|ch saw the c|ub part|c|pate |n an unprecedente
|t|ve matches. The re|at|ve|y sma|| amount of |engthy absen
the p|ay|ng staff dur|ng that exhaust|ng and arduous camp
testament to Jones' expert|se and profess|ona||sm so |t |s
that Mour|nho has reta|ned h|s serv|ces upon h|s return to
Br|dge. He w||| work c|ose|y w|th Ru| Far|a - Mour|nho's |on
ftness spec|a||st - |n an attempt make Ohe|sea the most d
squads |n the Prem|er |eague.
MOURINHO AND HIS TECHNICAL STAFF
o you start?
n is not a means to the end but instead a broad
r Mourinhos system. The obsession over numbers
has reached tipping point, something Mourinho
recently. Some guys say we play 4-2-3-1, blah blah
d sometimes the attackers have a defensive job so it
-5-1.
he is spot on. The temptation with Mourinho has
him with the brush that suggests that he is wedded
when the reality is that he has adjusted his systems
ell to the players he has at his disposal. The very
rs arent tied to one philosophy, and Mourinhos time
lsea, Inter and Real Madrid have all been character-
different personnel and very different approaches.
not Frank Lampard anymore than Samuel Etoo is
aldo, yet Mourinho has been happy to chop and
ystem to get the best out of his players. Therefore,
on he plays wont be tied to any particular piece of
ad, itll be the shape he deems best suited to maxi-
tential of his players.
4-2-3-1 |n the frst game, my favour|te system,
times I change the triangle and play with one in front
ers and two players up, he said before Chelseas
||ke very much to be a No10: [Kev|n| De Bruyne ||kes |t, Oscar
||kes |t, Mata ||kes |t, [Eden| Hazard ||kes |t. lt |s a natura| system
for all these players to play."
That suggests 4-2-3-1 may be his preferred formation for the
season ahead, "but, he elaborates in another match I could
change it, as he did in the third friendly of the Asian tour against
the Indonesian All-Stars, switching to a 4-3-3.
If we are losing, we might need to have two pure strikers. It is
something we will work on because I would like to have this
capacity to have it ready to play, independent of the players we
have. Natura||y, we w||| have four at the back and |n my team, the
attackers are attackers.
Stylistically speaking, there will be no going back to the heady
days of 2004-06. Back then, D|d|er Drogba and M|chae| Ess|en
were the fgureheads for a phys|ca|, powerfu| system, where Frank
|ampard`s goa|s from m|dfe|d |||ustrated Mour|nho`s emphas|s on
strength and running, rather than craft and guile.
"lf you remember, the Ohe|sea team of 2004 [to 2006| was an
absolutely deadly machine of football but in a different way ...
great, great counter-attacking football and one of the great teams
|n the country," says Andre v|||as-Boas, h|s former ass|stant and
one-time Chelsea manager.
Eden Hazard are fr|ghten|ng|y d|rect, wh||e Kev|n De
Victor Moses and Juan Mata are all capable of attac
speed.
Its not unfeasible to think Mourinho will alternate bet
two styles a more counter-attacking approach in b
seems likely, and will contrast with a more domineeri
against smaller teams. One of the most oft-repeated
Mourinho originally departed Chelsea was supposed
Abramovich wasnt happy with his style of play, and
might suggest that his re-appointment is at odds wit
suggestion.
But there are two pr|mary factors that den|grate th|s
frst |s that t|me has d||uted the memory of the Ohe|s
2004-06 that thr|||ed w|th breathtak|ng counter-attac
fact, ranked e|ther frst or second |n the |eague for go
goals are a simple way of measuring attacking footb
hos style would seem actually gung-ho but of cou
are not always everything and there always was a me
method to the way Chelsea used to close out games
Mourinho.
However, |t |s arguab|e that a return to th|s caut|on |s
the squad needs. Recent defensive displays, both u
to D| Matteo and Rafae| Ben|tez, have stunk of desp
arguab|e that a return to th|s caut|on |s exact|y what
eds. Recent defensive displays, both under Rober-
and Rafae| Ben|tez, have stunk of desperat|on and
rather than organisation and discipline, which is the
ourinho. The way in which Mourinho sides defend
more contro||ed than the Ben|tez/D| Matteo
here what was lacking in structure was made up for
etermination.
y will be to summarise the new Chelsea into a
ty, or style, but that will probably betray the variety
Mour|nho w||| tra|n |nto h|s p|ayers. They certa|n|y
signed to one particular approach, and will instead
from game to game, something that will certainly
ed squad.
roborated as much whilst in America. I want my
w how to react, he says. Some teams they have this
osophy and when they come, by the circumstances
defensive they are in big trouble and they collapse.
e some in your country.
e in trouble, when the opponent is better than you at
od of the game, you have to understand that and be
s|ve team. But our ph||osophy |s c|ear. We want to
options, giving Mourinho a staggering amount of potential combi-
nations. All six can play across the three positions behind a main
striker, except for Schrrle and Moses, who can play on either
fank - such fex|b|||ty and versat|||ty |s unmatched across Europe`s
major clubs. That unpredictability will serve as Chelseas greatest
weapon.
It could be exaggerated further by the arrival of Wayne Rooney.
What makes Rooney different from other mooted targets like
Gonza|o H|gua|n, W||fred Bony and Radame| Fa|cao |s h|s ab|||ty
to p|ay both on the w|ng and as a no.10, offer|ng Ohe|sea the sort
of versatility that isnt present both in the centre forwards on the
market and those in their current squad.
"I would want to improve them, but that quality they don't have. I
will work on it with them, said Mourinho, referring to the relative
|ack of 'fu|d|ty` |n movement amongst Ohe|sea`s str|kers. |ater, |n
early August, he expanded, saying the qualities of our strikers,
they are not really the people to play with the ball at their feet,
they are not p|ayers to drop back and go |nto m|dfe|d ||ke Mess|
does, ||ke Benzema does, Rooney does, Eto`o does, M|||to does."
In potentially adding Rooney, Chelsea add an extra degree of
fex|b|||ty to a squad a|ready burgeon|ng w|th the qua||ty. Rooney |s
capab|e of dropp|ng deep and spread|ng the p|ay to the fanks,
and being able to perform a disciplined defensive role tracking a
part|cu|ar opponent, as we|| as fn|sh off goa|s. The |atter |s a
"Fernando is a striker, says Mourinho, but I think he
more comfortab|e when he has space beh|nd defend
|t more d|ffcu|t when opponents are very c|ose, whe
are compact and when he has to p|ay |n sma|| space
doesn`t reference Ba d|rect|y, but the Senega|ese |s v
a similar vein to the Spaniard.
Mourinho goes on. "Against teams who compress th
close you have to play him in small spaces, and he w
||tt|e b|t more d|ffcu|ty. At ||verpoo| they p|ayed much
low block, and he had balls to attack behind defend
aspect he was a lot more comfortable.
Mour|nho has obv|ous|y |dent|fed break|ng down dee
as a key part of his challenge this season, and his co
about Torres speak volumes of where he sees the m
str|ker ftt|ng |nto the squad. 'He [Torres| |s more a p|
into a space than to play with the ball at his feet. Tha
thing easy to understand about Fernando, so I will tr
best. I think when Chelsea plays with that philosophy
Furthermore, his post-match conference after facing
XI in pre-season revealed what the focus is for Lukak
season. 'He p|ayed the ro|e [centre-forward| w|th the
ment. We dont want the striker just aiming between
defenders, but making movements, sometimes betw
MATA
OSCAR
H
A
Z
A
R
D
TORRES
shoot on sight!
LAMPS
aving a striker willing to and be capable of dragging
ers and opening up space for forward runs from
thing that is vital for new signing Schrrle, whose
Bayer |everkusen owed much to the work of Stefan
ragg|ng away centre-backs, and thus open|ng up
of goal.
occupy defenders was an underrated element to
a, whose sheer phys|ca||ty often meant centre-backs
ght to him and thus neglected their defensive
s w|th other attackers. Where Drogba`s strength |n
as due to his muscle, Mourinho obviously wants it be
ment this time round, with the idea of unpredictable
ay |n the fna| th|rd obv|ous|y too much of a tempta-
own.
me back to the |dea of fex|b|||ty and var|ety. Mour|n-
s valued multi-faceted players who are able to
ple roles, and with this Chelsea squad, the possibili-
ss. Beh|nd a ma|n str|ker, Mour|nho cou|d ro|| w|th
gers in Schrrle and Oscar, or even Ramires (as we
nter M||an} and Ryan Bertrand, then change h|s tact
or the fo||ow|ng match by us|ng Hazard and Mata on
creat|ve opt|ons. De Bruyne and Moses can prov|de
right. Oscar can organise a team defensively in a
|th h|s tact|ca| awareness and |nte|||gence. Hazard
philosophy in his time away from Chelsea, with Wesley Sneijder
and zil becoming the heartbeat of Inter Milan and Real Madrid
respectively whilst Mourinho was in charge.
With Mata, I need to get to know him better, he says. I like
sometimes to play with what I call 'wingers with the wrong foot'
r|ght-footed men on the |eft and |eft-footed men on the r|ght. He |s
the only left-footed player we have when we want to play with a
winger on the right side
It has been easy to forget how effective Mata can be on the wing,
both on the |eft under v|||as-Boas and the r|ght under Roberto D|
Matteo. H|s prosperous run of goa|s and ass|sts as a c|ass|c
no.10 under Rafa Ben|tez d||utes those memor|es, but h|s c|ever-
ness and creativity in tight spaces is practically undiminished
when shifted out to the sides, with the freedom to drift inside.
Mourinho has touched upon this. I've always liked a right-sided
player to be left-footed, he stated in July. I started with Robben
and Duff, then [Goran| Pandev at lnter, and D| Mar|a and Oz||.
Many clubs do it. It's more than a tendency. I like wingers coming
in on the inside for the penetrative movement, for the pass, for the
shot. And Juan is the only player we have to do that on the right.
The by-effect is of course that Chelsea then lose protection for
the full-backs in wide areas, an oft-repeated weakness of Roberto
this regard, a switch to 4-3-3 makes sense, as the p
three centra| m|dfe|ders a||ows one the freedom to s
and cover in behind Mata.
lndeed, Mour|nho has a|so spoken about a former O
who became a hard-working winger Joe Cole. We
his game together because he accepted what I want
turned a No10, who wou|d come up w|th two or thre
actions, into an inside-winger, left or right, who was s
s|ve|y. He was fantast|c."
Therefore, it is easy to see why Mourinho is keeping
open when it comes to the debate between 4-2-3-1
Both offer var|ous strengths and weaknesses, as any
does, and the key difference between the two is the
the extra man |n m|dfe|d. ln a 4-2-3-1, |t becomes a
4-3-3, it becomes a lone holder.
Of the current m|dfe|d stock on|y John Ob| M|ke| and
Essien are really capable of playing the latter role now
Romeu has departed on loan to Valencia, and Chalo
played in that position against the Indonesian All-Sta
out on loan.
The arrival of Marco van Ginkel from Vitesse offers ev
|ntr|gu|ng poss|b|||t|es. H|s team-mate |n the Nether|a
F
I
R
S
T
TERRY
LUIZ
COLE
AZPI
ESSIEN
KDB
MATA
HAZARD
TORRES
4-2-3-1
MIKEL
goa|s |ast season and for a No. 6 that |s rea||y
can play offensively as well. van Ginkels passing is
ck perfect for facilitating quick counter-attacks, but
long periods of possession when Chelsea need to
around as to drag opposition defenders out of
s a|so pos|t|ona||y |nte|||gent, and covers neat|y for
whenever they move forward in attack, so that
not exposed in wide areas when the ball is turned
the returning Essien who spent last season at
Mourinhos charge. The bond between the two is
at times, insufferable with Mourinho clearly prizing
that the Ghanaian offers. Essien played both
t|ons and centra| m|dfe|d at Rea| Madr|d and cou|d
m||ar capac|ty at Ohe|sea th|s season. H|s phys|ca||ty
t asset which is why the recurring knee injuries are
rn but Essien is at great pains to emphasise that
nt changed. Im still the same. When you bump into
e|| l am st||| as strong and keep|ng ft."
f Ohe|sea`s m|dfe|ders - ||ke the attack|ng m|dfe|d-
hey are varied in their abilities, giving Mourinho the
p and change according to needs. It is arguable that
s short on qua||ty, but |t |s certa|n|y not |n fex|b|||ty -
rd, Ramires, Essien, van Ginkel and Mikel are all
Ramires, meanwhile, would thrive as the second-function
m|dfe|der |n a 4-3-3, |n that box-to-box ro|e that he |s often
described as the prototype for. Again, the one certainty is that
Ramires will not be assigned to one particular role instead,
Mourinho will relish his ability to cover multiple positions and, of
course, his sheer energy.
In particular, the idea of him playing on the right-hand side of a
4-3-3 m|dfe|d, |n that 'box-to-box` so many fee| he |s the arche-
type for, cou|d see h|m become a key goa|scor|ng fgure. Mour|n-
ho has spoken at length at the idea of breaking lines, and the
way |n wh|ch Ram|res bursts forward from m|dfe|d |nto attack|ng
positions will certainly be appreciated.
There is a further wildcard in Mourinhos plans Oscar. The skinny
Braz|||an |s a remarkab|y |nte|||gent p|ayer, as h|s ro|e |n the nat|on-
al side reveals: on paper, he is the central playmaker, but in reality
h|s ro|e |s about g|v|ng the w|de p|ayers, Neymar and Hu|k, the
freedom to move inside. Oscars defensive abilities (he is a
surprisingly good tackler, and a diligent marker), along with his
creative and goalscoring threat, make him perhaps the
well-rounded player in Chelseas squad.
While others will almost certainly score and assist more goals, it
seems entirely possible that Oscar will become the key player of
Mourinhos Chelsea whether that is at the tip of a 4-2-3-1 or
ln the past, Ohe|sea have negated th|s |ssue by ask|n
to step out from the back. Like his compatriot, and b
Oscar, Dav|d |u|z |s remarkab|y we||-rounded: not on
exceptional defender, he also boasts a sensational p
and the sort of |nc|s|ve creat|v|ty that m|ght be more
playmaker.
It is why Mourinho says for me, Luiz is a central defe
he has an important quality for the football we want t
|s to bu||d. He's comfortab|e us|ng the ba|| from the b
In this aspect, he's very important and different from
centra| defenders. He can |mprove, everybody can. F
defensive point of view, he can be much more effect
more so||d. But, for me, the potent|a| |s |ncred|b|e, am
has to play always.
H|s comments were not on|y reassur|ng |n ||ght of the
rumours ||nk|ng Dav|d |u|z away from the c|ub but a|
put an end to the fanc|fu| suggest|ons that the Braz||
Mourinhos type of player. That line of thinking igno
that the Portuguese has often encouraged his centra
to step out from the back and create attacks, as |s D
trademark.
LUIZ - ATTACK NEAR POST
y p p
ttack|ng moves, wh||e Dav|d P|eat suggests that
excellent reader of the game and is prepared to
the ball.
-backs tend not to do that but it is a great way to
e of space. When a defender steps up, it allows you
on-one or three-on-two situations what we call
ts w|th |u|z as m|dfe|der under Rafae| Ben|tez
e is far more comfortable in the centre of defence
|n a deeper pos|t|on, he can see more of the fe|d |n
d therefore a greater scope for his passing.
that Luiz remains positionally rash, as he was often
en moving high up the pitch (and thus opening up
en the lines). That is what Mourinho refers to when
he potential to be much more effective, and the
working alongside Luiz is a hugely exciting proposi-
partner? lt seemed |ast season that Bran|s|av
be the best partner for Luiz, but Mourinho has said
that I think more of using as a right-back. Then
glish duo of John Terry and Gary Cahill, who are
ferent reasons. With the former, the fact is physically
cline as evidenced by his ongoing injury problems
|though he rema|ns a fne capta|n, and exce||ent at
efence.
hether this leadership ability can be paired with his
ilities where Terry would be comfortable setting a
p inside his own half, Mourinho might want his side
up the pitch, which is of course at odds with Terrys
ce and ability to defend on the turn.
, Cahill has a similar problem hes a very reactive
ends to back off defenders and jockey them deep
alf. Furthermore, he tends to always be the deepest
Chelsea try and set an offside trap, and is often the
n attacker gets through one-on-one because hes
ame line as his teammates.
explains why he records such a high number of
ks and stunning interceptions, because as the last
en closest to the attacker and in the best position to
footba||. Ka|as came |nto |ncreas|ng prom|nence |ast season as he
deve|oped |nto a fne r|ght-back, but |t seems Mour|nho prefers
him as a central defender which makes sense, because his pace
makes h|m a fne opt|on to p|ay |n a h|gh ||ne.
However, Ka|as suffers from the exuberance and na|vety that
strikes all youthful centre-backs, and it is up to the twenty year old
to develop further as a player, a challenge he has clearly risen to.
'Every day training with Jos Mourinho is like a high school for
me, he says. I am enjoying learning in every training session and
trying to develop myself.
It is surprising that Mourinho doesnt see the Czech as an option
at right-back, having gone on record as saying I see Ivanovic and
Csar Azpilicueta as our two right-backs. Presumably, Mourinho
wants to rotate between the Serbian and the Spaniard, on a
situational, game-by-game basis.
In basic terms, its easy to paint Azpilicueta as more attacking, and
Ivanovic as more defensive, but that neglects the latters improve-
ments going forward (with a rising number of accurate
outs|de-of-the-foot crosses an |nterest|ng deve|opment}. However,
Ivanovic is certainly more secure defensively due to his height and
size advantage over Azpilicueta, and it seems likely that he will
play there as circumstances demand.
Meanwh||e, on the |eft, Ash|ey Oo|e w||| defn|te|y be frst cho|ce -
he remains defensively strong and able to get forward to provide
w|dth. Natura||y, as he ages, he`s |ncreas|ng|y needed more
protect|on further forward, wh|ch |s why Ram|res, Sa|omon Ka|ou
and most memorab|y |n the Ohamp|ons |eague fna|, Ryan
Bertrand, came |nto favour under D| Matteo. Eden Hazard`s
tracking became more disciplined as last season wore on, but the
suspicion is that Mourinho may prefer Schurrles greater defensive
capabilities in games where an opponents right hand side is
strong.
We come back, then, to that |dea of fex|b|||ty - how versat||e the
Chelsea squad is, the endless possibilities Mourinho has at his
disposal. The importance of a squad has never been stronger in
the modern game, as the number of matches teams must play
rises exponentially, something Chelsea have found in the past two
seasons.
Playing in upwards of sixty games over the course of eight months
g y g g
make you see what he wants you to see," ech says
his team, is careful how he manages his players, and
feels part of it. The work he puts in, all the small deta
preparation for the individual players he is so dem
everyone is on top of his game whether he is playing
makes people want to work.
What he does is he gets the best out of players, sa
Lampard, and gets this togetherness that Id never
came to the club and I havent seen it again since th
Wes|ey Sne|jder echoes the Eng||shman`s thoughts.
the other coaches, he |s spec|a|," says the Dutchman
ence lies in how he persuades you, how he helps yo
on form. He pays attent|on to everyth|ng and a|ways
to come to the ass|stance of the p|ayers." When he w
Ba||on D`Or the award was ded|cated to h|s coach. S
teammate, Marco Materazzi, broke down on public t
emotional goodbye to Mourinho.
That was because the Portuguese was moving onto
cha||enge |n Madr|d. However, whereas every prev|ou
felt like a short-term project for Mourinho, this time th
that the Chelsea reunion is the start of a long and pro
relationship, something corroborated by Mourinhos
bringing through the young players and introducing
the club.
By
Tim Palmer
layer
rofiles
EPER LOOK IN TO OUR SQUAD
What's left to say about Petr Cech? Chelsea's No 1
has been at the club since 2004 and is closing in on
a decade in blue. The Czech stopper (all 6ft 5in of
him) is a consummate professional and has never
stepped out of line in his time at Stamford Bridge.
He has played a key part in every trophy Chelsea
have won since his arrival from Rennes, most nota-
b|y the Ohamp|ons |eague fna|.
Stopping Arjen Robben's spot kick in extra-time
earned Chelsea their chance to topple the Germans
in a penalty shoot-out and he stepped up again to
save two more. It was the cherry on the cake of a
strong season and a return to the form he displayed
before THAT injury he suffered at the hands (knee)
of Stephen Hunt back in October 2006. His form
gave Jose Mour|nho an extreme|y d|ffcu|t dec|s|on
to make upon his return to Chelsea.
Having spent the year at Real Madrid admiring the
form of rivals Atletico's goalkeeper Thibaut Cour-
tois, he had to decide whether to keep the Belgian
at Chelsea or retain his faith in Cech. Mourinho
With Mark Schwarzer brought in as back-up - a
decent reserve for the frst t|me s|nce Oar|o Oud|c|n|
left - Cech knows his place will be under scrutiny.
So there's no reason his form should not be as
good as ever - at 31 he is in his prime. Under
Mour|nho he was faw|ess and an |nstant h|t. Jose's
insistence on detailed preparation will be again be a
big help.
Cech admits doing his homework was what helped
h|m |n the Ohamp|ons |eague fna| and ass|stant
coach Jose Morais will be looking at some of the
fner deta||s ahead of each game. But h|s frst port
of call is his goalkeeping coach, friend, and mentor
- Christophe Lollichon. He stays at the club despite
not working under Mourinho previously and even
though Silvino Louro returns.
Louro, another goalkeeping coach, was the man
that helped Cech become his imperious self in
Jose's frst spe|| at Ohe|sea. Here's to hop|ng he
can help the big man continue his recent form and
remain the best goalkeeper in the Premier League.
made his name and also picked up the only club
honour of his career, helping the Teesiders beat
Bo|ton 2-1 |n the 2004 |eague Oup fna|.
For a goalkeeper who has always ranked among the
best in the top tier - albeit not in the elite bracket
where a select few (Schmeichel, Seaman, Cech)
reside - to only have that to his name is a wrong that
should be righted. And with Jose Mourinho at the
helm, Schwarzer knows his best chance of adding to
his collection is at Stamford Bridge.

At 40, he is coming to the end of his career and
taking a role as back-up to Cech is no bad thing. The
one issue Schwarzer will have at Chelsea is that he
has his heart set on playing for Australia at the 2014
World Cup. He rejected a new deal at Fulham
because they signed Dutch stopper Maarten
Steke|enburg and he sa|d he needed to be frst
choice - which he won't be here. You can expect him
to start FA and League Cup ties, as well as a handful
of Champions League and Premier League games.
adjust it saves him the upheaval of a move abroad
or to another part of the country. So that's how the
move works out for Mark. But what about for us?
Finally we have a reserve goalkeeper that we can be
confdent about p|ay|ng |n Oech's stead. The depart-
ed Ross Turnbull and Henrique Hilario (who has
recently signed a 1-year contract extension) always
applied themselves but with decidedly mixed results.
No Chelsea fans feel entirely comfortable with either
of those two between the sticks, but Schwarzer is a
reliable, trustworthy option.
He will also continue to push Cech, whereas Turnbull
and Hilario could but dream of usurping Chelsea's
No 1. Mourinho had no qualms in replacing Iker
Casillas with Diego Lopez at Real Madrid last season
and, although he is unlikely to do the same to Cech,
he now has that option on the table.
job.
By Rik Sharma
EADER.
EGEND.
st serv|ng p|ayer enters h|s 16th season as a frst
n Terrys career had seemingly mirrored the rapid
the club has undertaken. A promising youth player
is star really shone following Mourinhos arrival to
ade him the teams captain following the departure
y. He has overseen and been a part of the transfor-
eng|ng for European qua||fcat|on to cha||eng|ng for
prizes. In his time with Chelsea the club has won
ut one has come under his guidance and captain-
aps for a club is an impressive feat alone, but to
e of Europes elite sides in recent times is testament
nd consistency over the years. Not graced with the
ysique around, Terrys understanding of the game
d not need to be the fastest centre back to be the
. It is his positioning that has seen Terry excel over
er it is a striker bearing down on goal and forcing
nack of being on the end of opposition crosses to
anger.
nt|fc ana|ys|s, Terry`s pass|on and des|re has been
measurable traits that have contributed to his world
unger to get to the ball ahead of the striker and
t himself in harms way to prevent the opposing
m instantly to fans of the club. Perhaps, the most
mple of this was against Arsenal as he headed the
pite of the very likely nature that he would be on the
a boot to his face from Diaby, which is what trans-
enting of a goal ensured a Chelsea victory. It is that
eam that has meant h|s capta|ncy has been one of
ple, that his teammates have found it easy to play
dship as they strive to replicate the same commit-
that he has shown.
be use|ess |f he cou|dn`t fnd a pass but aga|n, John Terry has
throughout his career been a very assured passer of the ball wheth-
er try|ng to squeeze a pass |nto the m|dfe|ders or a search|ng |ong
ball to set the forwards in the team, more often than not it had been
Didier Drogba, free. One other, often forgotten aspect (to the oppo-
sition sides detriment) is Terrys ability in the other box when hes
scoring goals. 55 goals for Chelsea represent a tally higher than
even Barcelona star duo, Xavi and Iniesta, a remarkable accom-
plishment for a centre half.
His partnership with William Gallas was one of the most solid centre
back pairings in recent European history. The blend of strength and
speed that was on offer meant that the two complimented each
other perfectly, similarly with Carvalho, Terry seemed to have a
natural understanding with his fellow centre back. In his prime Chel-
sea had the best defensive record in England and hold many of the
major defensive achievements by a club following that 2004-2005
season. However It is clear that Terry doesnt have the same
connection with the current defenders as he once did with Carvalho
and Gallas, his injuries have prevented him from establishing a part-
nership with David Luiz at the heart of the defence which is required
when playing with someone as adventurous as Luiz.
Individually, Terrys talents have always been recognised not only by
the 78 caps that he has won for England but Terry also remains the
last defender to have won the PFA Player of the year in 2005 and
made it to 5 consecutive World XI teams.
Captain, Leader, Legend. It is proudly strewn across Stamford
Bridge on a banner for John Terry. The latter will always remain but
Terrys time at Chelsea, at least in a playing capacity, may be near-
ing an end. As he enters the last year of a lucrative contract, Terrys
aforementioned injury problems and lack of consistency mean that
he is unlikely to be offered a new contract barring a strong come-
back but h|s t|me on the fe|d |s ||ke|y to be ||m|ted s|m||ar|y to that of
Frank Lampard. The club will also be wary of giving an extension on
the same wages as Terry is currently on. His performances have
decreased over the years and an extension will likely be on a much
smaller wage, continuing the clubs policy on trimming down the
wage bill and rejuvenating the squads age.
Terrys involvement this season will be heavily dependent on what
sort of style Mourinho chooses to play. In a high-line, John Terry has
struggled as his lack of pace has been exploited by strikers, he has
found |t d|ffcu|t to adapt to a d|fferent sty|e and h|s pos|t|on|ng has
been left wanting on occasions. However, should Mourinho choose
to play a defence with a deeper line, the lack of space in behind the
defenders means that strikers cant simply run into the open area
and expose the slowness of his game.
This next season is one of the most important
years, he himself will strive to better his cont
seasons and it may well be that the player decid
his playing career and focusing on life as a coac
manager whilst Jose Mourinho is still at the club
thing is for certain though, no matter how John T
will forever be remembered in Chelsea history as t
ful captain to date.
The Untouchables are long gone, Mourinho has, if
anything, made that abundantly clear to the new
squad. Nonetheless, in the case of David Luiz, the
new (and old) Chelsea manager has highlighted the
swashbuckling Brazilian as a player with exceptional
ability, a judgement that anyone who has seen Luiz
play wont take him long to deduce. Perhaps more
importantly, Mourinho has highlighted what the
three previous Chelsea managers have - David Luiz
is a centre back and that is the position he has the
potential to become one of the very best at.
Since he arrived in the January transfer window in
2010, |u|z has frst and foremost, prov|ded an
except|ona| amount of enterta|nment. H|s frst start
against Fulham was the epitome of what was to
follow. A marauding defender that looked more
comfortable up front than most of the Chelsea front
men as he hit an overhead kick cross into the box
after fnd|ng h|mse|f doub||ng up as a |eft w|nger. ln a
season of little joy, David Luiz lifted the crowd with
h|s enthus|asm and pass|on on the fe|d; a tra|t that
no one can deny the Brazilian international.
lt says a great dea| about the man when one of the
biggest criticisms labelled against him was the
amount of time it took him to get to grips with the
Premier League, the very same player, who in his
frst month |n the |eague won the award for P|ayer of
the Month. There is no denying, he made a number
of h|gh prof|e errors, but the|r frequency had been
largely exaggerated and a barrage of comments
were made about Luizs game and his (lack of) ability
as a defender. Whilst some of the criticism lobbed
h|s way was more than just|fed, the major|ty of |t
seemed to target Luiz without merit, after all he
represents a break from the traditional, the culture of
a ball-playing centre back has yet to be accepted on
these shores and thus Luiz has throughout his time
been misunderstood and criticised for not being the
accepted norm.
Luiz is often seen as a mercurial footballer, from the
outlandish hair reminiscent of Sideshow Bob, an
enterta|n|ng persona||ty on and off the fe|d that
captures the love of fans and neutrals alike to his
unpredictability on the ball, there is method howev-
er, in the madness. Few will deny that whilst being
on the edge of their seat whenever Luiz is involved,
th l hi lf hibit th it h
Similarities are drawn with previous Chelsea defend-
ers; R|cardo Oarva|ho and Frank |ebouef but |u|z |s
an entirely different breed of the attacking minded
defenders. Capable of the same surging runs and
long range strikes that his predecessors are fondly
remembered for, it is the apparent ease at which all
this comes to him that leaves people thinking that
there is a very special player developing at Stamford
Br|dge. ln an era |n wh|ch managers are try|ng to
mou|d techn|ca||y capab|e m|dfe|ders |nto defend-
ers to give them the creativity and ability to build
from the back, Chelsea already have a defender that
f||s the vo|d.
Throughout his spell at Chelsea, Luiz has exhibited
excellent vision on the ball with either foot whether
p|ay|ng a |ong rak|ng ba|| across fe|d or s||d|ng the
ball through defences along the ground. This pene-
tration from the back means that the opposition
have to be wary when hes on the ball, especially
when not pressured and given time. The issue this
causes for opposing defences is that in order to
st|fe |u|z`s forward p|ay |t creates more room for the
plethora of attacking options Chelsea have in their
squad, which is when players like Mata, Hazard and
Oscar are at their most dangerous.
When a player possesses the natural talent
that Luiz has, there is often a number of strings
attached to that bow. To Chelseas delight, Luiz
is no different, capable of stunning long range
strikes as well as being a dead ball specialist;
his goal tally is a welcome bonus.
lt |s easy to get caught up |n what |u|z can offer a
side going forward from defence and for this reason
his defensive contribution often tend to be
overlooked. A quick and physical footballer gives
Luiz the edge against most strikers, his tendency to
get too tight which can lead to him left stranded is
also a source of his great strength, as a defender he
makes a very high number of interceptions which
disrupt opposition attacks and frustrate strikers by
strangling (not literally, unless we are talking about
the occasional forearm smash) their possession on
the ball.
His speed and understanding of an attackers
intentions make him a very tough target to get round
ith th b ll till t th i f t B k t i
There is no doubting Luiz has
improvements as a defender in
Chelsea, there is now a concerte
lines when the team is boxed
trying to force the ball out by pass
positions or attempting to dribble
A Luiz hoof is often one of the
moments around the ground. Ye
the fn|shed product, he suffers f
of focus that Oarva|ho exh|b|ted
the c|ub, |u|z has the beneft o
manager who oversaw Carvalho
one of the worlds best centre ba
that Mourinho will be able to do t
Luiz and more.
The other noticeable area in w
excel as much as his peers is wh
air, this is however harsh as the
notorious in having numerous st
the a|r, |t |s a part of h|s game tha
like to improve.
A centre back by nature but
d|sp|ayed a competency to p|ay
the few positives to arise from
was the experiment that many h
was neither a total failure nor suc
Mour|nho to p|ay Dav|d |u|z furt
the situation arise and call for
previously, Mourinho sees Luiz
centre back but his versatility giv
options and enables them to ke
adaptab|e w|th fu|d tact|cs on the
that fts |nto every system |n the
to be one of the cornerstones t
built upon.

Arguably, the area in which Lui
since arriving at the club has be
the fe|d w|th h|s teammates. |u
before by fans as a successor to
clubs captain, it was last season
absence of Terry and Lampard,
noticeable leader on the pitch as
defence and looked to motivate
him. As a Vice-Captain of Brazil t
characteristic of a leader, his prid
country and club is evident and
f t t ith th l
g g g
on 16th January 2012, the former Aston v|||a youngster has p|ayed a
p|vota| ro|e |n two major European fna|s and w||| start the new season
p|ay|ng under h|s fourth d|fferent manager. Arr|v|ng under Andre
v|||as-Boas` watch, Oah||| has a|so seen Roberto D| Matteo and
Rafae| Ben|tez come and go and |s current|y seek|ng to |mpress Jose
Mour|nho on the Portuguese`s return to the c|ub.
ln that t|me Oah||| has become a fam|||ar |f not a permanent member
of the start|ng e|even and w||| be hop|ng to w|n over the new manager
to fna||y secure a regu|ar start|ng berth. H|s rotat|on |n and out of the
team has not s|mp|y been a refect|on of h|s ab|||t|es but |nstead has
been borne out of a hea|thy compet|t|on for p|aces |n centra| defence
w|th the Eng|and |nternat|ona| compet|ng aga|nst John Terry, Dav|d
|u|z and Bran|s|av lvanov|c for se|ect|on.
Oah||| now faces the most |mportant campa|gn of h|s Ohe|sea career
w|th the cha||enge for h|m be|ng to make h|mse|f |nd|spensab|e to the
team. Thankfu||y for h|m, the stars are a||gn|ng to make |t eas|er for
h|m to ach|eve that goa|. Mour|nho has a|ready |nt|mated that he
current|y sees Bran|s|av lvanov|c as one of h|s r|ght back`s a|ong w|th
Oesar Azp|||cueta, remov|ng a potent|a| obstac|e to the frst team |n
the process. ln the Serb|an`s p|ace, the manager |s ||ke|y to promote
the c|ub`s 20-year-o|d Ozech defender Toms Ka|as to the sen|or
squad though he w||| s|t beh|nd Oah||| |n the peck|ng order.
ln add|t|on, the uncerta|nty surround|ng the future of John Terry w|||
be an extra mot|vat|on for Oah|||. The Ohe|sea c|ub capta|n w||| see h|s
current contract exp|re at the end of th|s com|ng season and as yet
there has been ||tt|e movement from the board about extend|ng h|s
dea|. Shou|d th|s |ndeed be Terry`s swansong at Stamford Br|dge
then there w||| be a huge vo|d |eft |n h|s p|ace and wh||e there |s
a|ways the opt|on to spend |av|sh|y |n the transfer market to f|| |t, the
preferab|e opt|on for a|| concerned wou|d be to have a ready-made
rep|acement to step |nto h|s boots so that the money can be spent
e|sewhere.
The |ncent|ve |s c|ear|y there for Oah||| to step up a |eve| - even before
you cons|der h|s |nternat|ona| amb|t|ons and the poss|b|||ty of p|ay|ng
|n next year`s Wor|d Oup |n Braz|| - though |f he |s to rea||se h|s poten-
t|a| then he w||| need to t|ghten up certa|n aspects of h|s game. The
most v|ta| of these be|ng h|s pos|t|ona| awareness.
A|though he |s not prone to mak|ng rash dec|s|ons or |eap|ng |njud|-
c|ous|y |nto tack|es, the 27-year-o|d has a tendency to be caught
napp|ng by spr|te|y forwards. There |s noth|ng scanda|ous |n be|ng
tr|cked by a wor|d c|ass str|ker though |t does he|p |f you can keep
those |nd|scret|ons to a m|n|mum.
Oah||| often fnds h|mse|f on the wrong s|de of the man that he |s
supposed to be mark|ng mean|ng that a decent ba|| can |eave h|m
stranded and the goa| exposed. Not a tra|t that Mour|nho w||| |ook too
k|nd|y upon.
|uck||y for Oah||| one of h|s greatest attr|butes |s h|s pace wh|ch has
got both h|m and h|s team mates out of troub|e on severa| occas|ons.
H|s speed coup|ed w|th h|s profess|ona| determ|nat|on has been of
enormous beneft to both h|mse|f and the team |n genera| not |east |n
, g
ab|e to ca|| upon h|s natura| sw|ftness to avert
cou|d te|| h|m, a keen footba|| bra|n and soun
assets that are just as va|uab|e - and prob
speed a|one.
Where Oah||| a|ready emu|ates Terry |s |n
foo|hardy, |nst|nct to put h|mse|f between the b
net. H|s |njury t|me rescue act |n Amsterdam
|ong ||ne of goa|-sav|ng |ntervent|ons and he |s
body on the ||ne |f |t means prevent|ng the op
That k|nd of att|tude w||| cont|nue to serve
we|comed by a manager who great|y adm
sacr|fce for the good of the team
Shou|d he feature more often |n the com|ng se
|ng w|th h|s centre back partner w||| be cruc|
been hard to see who Oah||| natura||y fts a|ong
spend s|gn|fcant p|ay|ng t|me next to Dav|d |u
w||| need to work |ntens|ve|y on the tra|n|ng
hero|cs |n the 2012 Ohamp|ons |eague fna| a
everyth|ng that Bayern Mun|ch threw at them
rare|y f||ed watch|ng supporters w|th a huge
when p|ayed |n tandem w|th the defeat at Nap
be|ng a case |n po|nt. |u|z`s propens|ty to d|v
of |os|ng str|kers |s not the |dea| comb|nat|on a
|an has s||ght|y curbed h|s natura| |nst|ncts
c|rcumspect|on |s grow|ng, ne|ther of them qu
the defens|ve rock upon wh|ch a m|ser|y back
Neverthe|ess, Oah||| |s st||| an exce||ent a||-rou
p|ck a pass and has a fabu|ous eye for goa|
|mpos|ng enough to g|ve any str|ker a tough
ho|es |n h|s game though none are so gap|n
p|ugged through Mour|nho`s mastery. lt`s a
Oah|||, one that he w||| be desperate to make c
Iva ovic
Its often said in football that pre-season matches
should never be used to judge players. After all, the main
aim of pre-season is for players to get back into full
match ftness |n order to prepare for the new season.
Gett|ng a few w|ns under the be|t |s certa|n|y |mportant,
but |f a few m|stakes are made |n pre-season, |t shou|dn`t
be seen as a cause for concern. After all, its better to
make a few s|||y m|stakes |n pre-season aga|nst an
Indonesia All-Star XI side rather than in a crunch League
match against Manchester United.
Having said that, pre-season can occasionally be seen
as a pre-cursor for th|ngs to come. That certa|n|y was the
case for Ohe|sea`s own Bran|s|av lvanov|c, who wasn`t
exactly at his solid best during Chelseas 2012/13
pre-season tour. He started all 4 of Chelseas games and
was even named capta|n of the s|de for the frst match
aga|nst the Seatt|e Sounders, a game that Ohe|sea went
on to w|n 4-2. However, h|s red card aga|nst Manchester
O|ty |n the Oommun|ty Sh|e|d match for a two-footed
cha||enge on A|eksander Ko|arov wasn`t someth|ng he
wou|d have wanted just one week before the start of the
new Prem|er |eague season.
His poor outing against Manchester City in the Commu-
n|ty Sh|e|d notw|thstand|ng, lvanov|c put |n a decent
performance |n the frst |eague match aga|nst W|gan just
a week |ater. He started the game at r|ght-back and
netted Ohe|sea`s frst goa| |n a 2-0 w|n. Just three days
|ater lvanov|c managed to fnd the back of the net once
again, this time against Reading in a match that Chelsea
wou|d eventua||y go on to w|n 4-2. He started the game
against Atletico Madrid in the European Super Cup, but
fa||ed to make h|s mark on the game |n any way poss|b|e
(to be fa|r, the ent|re team went m|ss|ng that n|ght}.
lvanov|c managed to fnd the back of the net once aga|n
dur|ng Ohe|sea`s 4-1 v|ctory aga|nst Norw|ch O|ty, tak|ng
h|s goa| ta||y for the season to 3. However, he was sent
off for the frst t|me dur|ng the 2012/13 Prem|er |eague
aga|nst Manchester n|ted when he was g|ven march|ng
orders for a foul on Ashley Young. Chelsea eventually lost
that match 2-3 but |t wasn`t w|thout |ts share of contro-
versy. The red card resulted in a one match ban for the
Serb and he sat out Chelseas Capital One Cup victory
aga|nst Manchester n|ted on|y a few days |ater.
He made h|s return to the s|de aga|nst Swansea, where
he was dep|oyed as a centre-back. The match ended |n
a 1-1 draw. Due to Oesar Azp|||cueta`s ste||ar perfor-
mances at r|ght-back, he was preferred to the Serb and
lvanov|c was used most|y as a centre-back for the rest of
the season. He d|d p|ay a few matches at r|ght back but
that was on|y when Azp|||cueta was rested. He cont|nued
h|s |mpress|ve form |n front of goa| afterwards, nett|ng
during Chelseas 1-5 victory against Leeds in the Capital
One Oup as we|| as grabb|ng a goa| dur|ng Ohe|sea`s 8-0
thrashing of Aston Villa.
He managed to grab yet another goa| when he scored
during Chelseas 1-5 victory against Southampton in the
FA Oup. However, the turn|ng po|nt of lvanov|c`s season
came a few days |ater dur|ng the frst |eg sem|-fna| of the
Oap|ta| One Oup aga|nst Swansea. Ohe|sea |ost the
match 0-2 and both goa|s were a resu|t of defens|ve
errors made by Ivanovic. That particular game seemed to
shake h|s confdence as after that match, he put |n qu|te
a few |ess-than-assured performances |n the heart of
defence and was regu|ar|y rotated by |nter|m manager
Ben|tez.
In spite of losing some form last season, Ivanovic
managed to score the w|nner aga|nst Sunder|and on
Apr|| 7th. The match aga|nst ||verpoo| 2 weeks |ater saw
Ivanovic grab the headlines yet again, although this time
|t wasn`t for footba|||ng reasons. Dur|ng the course of the
game, the Serb was b|tten on the arm by ||verpoo|`s |u|s
Suarez. The referee d|dn`t see the |nc|dent and Suarez
was not sent off. He scored a |ast-m|nute equa||zer to
deny Ohe|sea a|| 3 po|nts |n that game. However, the
ruguayan was subsequent|y banned for 10 games by
the FA. Suarez apo|og|zed to lvanov|c after the |nc|dent,
and Ivanovic eventually accepted his apology.
A|though he endured what cou|d be cons|dered a m|xed
season, Ivanovic ended the season in style. He scored
the w|nn|ng goa| |n the Europa |eague fna| aga|nst Benf-
ca, a goa| that ensured Ohe|sea ended the season w|th
some s||verware. He was named Man of the Match for h|s
so||d performance |n defence and h|s |ast-gasp w|nn|ng
goa|. He started Ohe|sea`s fna| |eague game of the
season at r|ght-back, a game that Ohe|sea went on to
w|n 2-1, thus secur|ng th|rd p|ace and a spot |n the
2013/14 Champions League.
Bran|s|av lvanov|c m|ght have endured
average season by his standards, but
defender is very much a part of Mourinhos
com|ng season. He sa|d, 'l know lvano
comfortab|e |n the center but l see h|m and
cueta as our two r|ght backs". G|ven that
enjoyed some of his best moments in a C
wh||e p|ay|ng as a r|ght back, |t seems |og|ca|
ho wou|d dep|oy h|m there. The fact that h
qu|te as composed as a centre-back |ast se
the decision seem even better.
Desp|te h|s form dropp|ng towards the secon
season, lvanov|c w||| no doubt want to st
season the way he ended the |ast one. lt`s
that he won`t be guaranteed a p|ace |n the st
w||| have to compete w|th Azp|||cueta to get
However, a ||tt|e hea|thy compet|t|on never
Who knows, |t m|ght just serve to br|ng ou
Bran|s|av lvanov|c once aga|n.
lvanov|c a|ways has and probab|y a|ways w
dependable and versatile defender at th
commitment and consistency, despite som
average form, tend to be assets that his m
teammates value alike. He provides the opti
so||d|ty out w|de and a countermeasure t
bombardment. A more than capable centra
wou|d not be surpr|s|ng to see lvanov|c f|| |
backline this season.
The last player to be sent off twi
In August 2006 Ashley Cole made arguably the best decision
of his career as he moved to Chelsea from Arsenal. With William
Gallas going in the opposite direction there were naturally
questions about who had received the better value from the
deal. Seven years down the line that question has been
answered categorically. While Arsenal have not won a trophy for
over eight years, Cole has won nine. While William Gallas has
bounced between clubs, Cole has cemented himself as
Chelseas greatest ever full-back.
Last season was certainly a mixed bag for the England
left-back. Typically and perhaps predictably the talk amongst
pundits and journalists moved to looking at Coles age. Howev-
er, this really glazed over the main structural changes within the
team. Cole was probably more exposed in the 2012/13 season
than in any other of his career at Chelsea.
A comb|nat|on of an |mmob||e unba|anced m|dfe|d and a |ack of
cover from his wide man often left Cole isolated. Any full-back in
world football has little chance of continually stopping a 2-on-1
situation. Cole, more often than not, was left exposed continual-
ly as teams took advantage of Chelseas lopsided shape.
This is an extremely important season for Cole in more ways
than one. Despite the ridiculous stick from England fans, he
remains the number one full-back in the country. If you take this
new obsession of fantasy football points to judge a players
worth out of the equation, then watching Leighton Baines
actually defend is quite the horror show. Cole needs to re-es-
tablish himself as Englands dominant left-back as he will
certainly wish to be a part of the World Cup in Brazil.
If there are pressures externally then are certainly pressures
internally now. Given a run of games in the side, Ryan Bertrand
grew into the role and showed that he certainly has what it takes
to feature prominently this season. Bertrands preseason has
been understated, solid and impressive he certainly looks as if
he is going to compete for the starting spot this season.
Further afe|d the |ncreas|ng|y |mpress|ve Patr|ck van Aanho|t
continues to impress in Holland. Currently an outside shot at
mak|ng the Dutch Wor|d Oup squad, van Aanho|t |ooks every a
Cole replica from his Arsenal days. Without question there
remains a lot of work for him to do defensively to elevate his
game to Coles level, but the raw tools are certainly there. I
expect van Aanho|t to return to the c|ub one day, but present|y
keeping three left-backs in the squad is probably one too many.
If the competition for places does not drive Cole forward, then
perhaps having a more robust team shape will. Although
preseason rarely translates into something you can apply to the
full season, there has been a noticeable change in shape
without the ball. Eden Hazard, as an example, is now seen
tracking back and allowing Cole to simply keep an eye on his
w|nger. ||kew|se, the two centra| m|dfe|ders seem to be p|ay|ng
far more responsibly and are more alert to danger.
Cole already looks much more at home this preseason. Roberto
Di Matteos gung-ho cavalier brand of football was certainly
exciting, encapsulated by that swashbuckling result at White
Hart Lane last season, but it rarely translated into a defensive
shape. S|m||ar|y, under Ben|tez the Ohe|sea m|dfe|d seemed to
be non-existent at times. Teams of the calibre of Southampton
and Reading cut through us at will, overloading wide areas and
generally causing us far too many problems.
Things under Mourinho will no doubt be different this season.
Wh||e we are un||ke|y to p|ay a defence frst strategy, |t h|s
deployment and attention to detail in every player that ultimately
sees the shape of the team beneft those w|th|n |t. Oo|e, more
than most, w||| beneft from Mour|nho`s greater organ|sat|ona|
capacity. I fully expect him to return to his exceptional world
class self this season.
Coles production in terms of assists and goals dropped off
markedly last campaign. Never really known as a player who
gets to the byline to whip crosses into the box, Coles strength
has always been in his technical ability. Cast your mind back to
the goal of the season he scored against Sunderland and that is
where Coles class shines through. His ability to link play, keep
up with the speed of thought and intricacy of our attacking
maestros is what Cole brings to the table.
With the reinforcement of Mourinhos structure I expect Coles
experience and obvious talent to shine through once again.
While direct assists are unlikely to be his forte, we should expect
around fve goa|s from Oo|e th|s season. However, l w||| be more
than happy with Cole returning to his brilliant best and providing
an outlet on the left hand side to combine with the exceptional
talents of those ahead of him.
The only fullback to play over 200 Premier League games for CFC.
It might have been Juan Matas masterly
playmaking, Eden Hazards twinkle-toed
wizardry or Frank Lampards record-break-
ing goal haul that stole the spotlight,
though for some the most pleasing and
surprising aspect of last season was the
performance of a player that few knew a lot
about 12 months ago.
Csar Azpilicueta arrived for 7m last August from
Marseille in a transfer that did not generate too much in
the way of headlines and his slow start to life at Stam-
ford Bridge gave few signs of the impact he would have
on the squad. By the end of the campaign he had
established himself as a regular and dependable
member of the frst team and |n the process forced
Ohe|sea fans everywhere to fna||y be ab|e to pronounce
his name.
The perfect season for the 23-year-old was made even
better when he was invited by Vicente Del Bosque to
join up with the Spanish national squad, which is no
mean feat considering that they are the reigning World
and European champions. His rise did not just catch
fans by surprise but also some of the media pack as
ric Di Meco will testify. Former Marseille defender
turned French football pundit ric Di Meco thought so
little of Azpilicueta during his time at the Stade
Velodrome that he vowed to eat a rat if the object of his
derision was ever capped by Spain. Proving as good as
his word, Di Meco duly tucked into some freshly
prepared rodent live on French radio earlier this year
after he was proved spectacularly wrong.
Azpilicuetas rise is all the more eye-catching seeing as
he d|d not start h|s frst Prem|er |eague game for Ohe|-
sea until the trip to Swansea City at the beginning of
November with injuries and a lack of faith from manager
Roberto Di Matteo keeping him on the sidelines.
Although he did start to feature towards the end of the
Italians reign, the person who should take full credit for
Azpilicuetas upturn in fortunes is Rafael Benitez. There
are many legitimate sticks to beat Benitez with though
his development of the young right back is a small
legacy for which Chelsea fans should be grateful,
however grudgingly.
If it seems hyperbolic to heap this much praise on a
player that is yet to score a competitive goal for the club
and is hardly the doppelganger of a marauding Roberto
Carlos, then that is because he is currently the solution
to what has been Chelseas problem position for what
feels like an eternity. After a couple of top class cam-
paigns and despite a career of loyal servitude to the
club, Paolo Ferreira slipped from prominence and Glen
Johnson never reached the heights expected of him.
Juliano Belletti was an aesthetically glorious footballer
though was far better going forward than backwards
and although Branislav Ivanovic is highly competent in
that position, his full frame and inability to explode over
the frst few yards s||ght|y underm|ne h|s other |mpres-
sive qualities.
In contrast, Azpilicueta is a natural full back. Slight in
build, initial impressions were that he would struggle to
cope w|th the phys|ca| demands of the Prem|er |eague
though regular football under Benitez saw him grow in
confdence and stature as he |earned to use h|s speed,
ba|ance and footba|| bra|n to pos|t|ve effect. ||ke many
modern full backs, he started life as a winger before
being converted into his current position. Y
than merely masquerading as a defender and
most of h|s t|me try|ng to get |nto the fna| th
showcased a genuine understanding of
responsibilities and refreshingly demonstrate
backs primary role is to keep it tight at the b
While Azpilicueta can be praised for getting
balance right, he can also be legitimately cr
not being as effective as he should be w
forward. He is not afraid to push on to help t
ers but h|s fna| ba|| often |ets h|m down, thou
as if he lacks the ability as he has shown
capable of delivering dangerous crosses into
ty box. The problem is that they are a little erra
too few hit their intended mark. Is it troubling
that it is an area in which Branislav Ivanovic i
with Jos Mourinho hinting that the Serb w
peting for the right back berth with Azpili
Spaniard will be keen to improve that part of
As impressive as last season was for Azpilicu
sea has seen many p|ayers sh|ne br|ght|y a||
before fzz||ng away. The cha||enge for h|m
back up that campaign with an even bette
time around. Assuming he wins the manage
he w||| get h|s frst proper taste of Ohamp|o
football in a blue shirt (his only previous expe
the heavy defeat at Juventus |n one of h|s
and that will be a true test of how far he ha
has been a fairy-tale so far for Azpilicueta and
hoping to write another happy ending next s
AZPI
His surname is worth 24 points in Scrabble.
Bertrand
Imagine making your European debut in your clubs greatest moment
in its history and, whats more, doing so in your breakthrough
season, becoming a trusted member of the most solid defence in
recent history. Of course Chelsea fans will not forget the incredible
run to Munich but neither will academy success story Ryan Bertrand.
Riding the quest of a wave, Ryan is presently the undisputed under-
study to Ashley Cole and has on occasions been almost indistin-
guishable from his illustrious inspiration surely no greater praise
can be offered. However, it was not always so easy for this
hard-working youth and loan-system survivor.
Signed in 2005 from Gillingham, the pacy, hard-working full-back turned pro the following
year, joining Mourinhos second preseason in the USA. Moving initially from AFC
Bournemouth through League Ones Oldham, to the Championship and Norwich, Reading
and fna||y Nott|ngham Forest, Ryan had managed 150 appearances at second-t|er |eve| by
January 2011 and h|s return to Ohe|sea. A ded|cated profess|ona|, Ryan had wasted no
time in getting to grips with the greater workload required to reach a higher level and was
just|y rewarded. Watch|ng another young b|ue, fy|ng fu|| back Patr|ck van Aanho|t, |t was
clear that both youngsters were at similar levels. So when the Dutchman was farmed out
to Newcastle the chance for Ryan to assert his talent was there.
A series of substitute league and cup starts for Ryan saw his star rise he even chipped in
w|th a coup|e of goa|s from |eft back. By the end of 2011, the young fu||back had become
the undisputed back up and even, in some cases under Andre Villas-Boas, preference. The
diligence he has shown in training since his debut against Birmingham, coming on as sub
for Oo|e, has come to ep|tom|se the young fu|| back |n h|s Ohe|sea career. Scor|ng h|s frst
competitive goal against Man City in Community Shield defeat to City last season, Ryan is
on his way to emulating his mentor and inspiration Cole - though the incumbent has set a
truly daunting standard. He has also been used as a second defender in front of Cole and
in behind the attacking trio, helping to shore up the left side often doubling up as a second
left back. It was in this guise that Bertrand helped nullify Robben in Munich with a clean
sheet until his eventual departure for Florent Malouda.
With above average pace and athletic ability, Bertrand is a very useful member of the
squad. Hes a hard working wide man with solid defensive instincts and positive attacking
p|ay, hav|ng worked on h|s fna| ba|| to |mpress|ve effect.
On his future, Ryan is the type of player that Mourinho really values, in the same bracket as
Salomon Kalou, Victor Moses a player who not only works very hard for the team but also
carries out positional and tactical commands to the letter. It is such unsung heroes who
can be a vital cog in teams, providing invaluable reliability and variation in tactics. In this
case, Bertrand is an excellent squad player and an interesting opposition to Chelseas new
breed of rap|er counter attacks, a|though he |s perfect|y ab|e to ft |n, |n such moves.
From here we come to the most important question aimed at Bertrand, whether or not he
|s rea||y ready to make the step up to frst team regu|ar |eft back and attempt to f|| Ash|ey
Coles shoes. But there is a good deal of work yet for the young Englishman as his opposi-
tion for the role continues to be bolstered. The signing of Christian Cuevas and the impres-
s|ve show|ngs of Patr|ck van Aanho|t |n Ho||and put renewed pressure on the youngster, |n
a year that could prove to be one of the last regular seasons for Ashley Cole as the club
pursue a youth focus. Van Aanholt in particular, having recently renewed his contract until
2015 |s a key oppos|t|on to Ryan, w|nn|ng acco|ades for h|s attack|ng and defens|ve
displays this is likely to be his last year out on loan. Similarly Cuevass stirring performances
for Chile at under-20 international level, had marked him out as a long-term target for
Chelsea scouts.
It is to this backdrop that Ryan prepares for the upcoming season, one in after improving
so much and taking his chances, he must once again show why he is the most viable
option at left full back for a demanding Chelsea schedule, where so much is expected of
those yet to reach their potential.
Youngest person to play in a Champions League fnal.
THE BI SON
phenomenon that Chelsea fans are more used to calling
M|chae| Ess|en. lt |s h|s frst game back from a |oan spe|| at
Real Madrid and the infectious smile remains as he
|mpressed on h|s return. ln th|s new |ook s|de, Ess|en
remains one of the longest serving players left in the team
a|ong w|th Oech, |ampard and Terry.
Essien joined Chelsea in the summer of 2005 after making a
name for h|mse|f |n Europe at |yon, part of the|r m|dfe|d
tr|umv|rate that |nc|uded Jun|nho and D|arra, Ess|en sh|ned
and h|s performances tempted Jose Mour|nho |nto br|ng|ng
the m|dfe|d powerhouse to Ohe|sea. A fee of 24.4m was
too good for |yon to turn down and the c|ub beat Manches-
ter n|ted to h|s s|gnature. A transfer very few have ever
regretted. No |onger dep|oyed as the attack|ng m|dfe|der he
was |n France, Ess|en adapted |nto a deeper ro|e, an eventu-
a| successor to O|aude Make|e|e but a more comp|ete p|ayer.
A box-to-box m|dfe|der that had the ab|||ty to do everyth|ng
asked of him.
M|chae| Ess|en estab||shed h|mse|f as one of the wor|d`s best
m|dfe|ders |n h|s frst three seasons at the c|ub. H|s natura|
ta|ent meant that he was versat||e enough to f|| |n at r|ght and
centre back when needed. Jose Mour|nho c|a|med that he
could play in every position apart from in goal or up front.
Ess|en was a force to be reckoned w|th |n the centre of
m|dfe|d: an area |n wh|ch Ohe|sea became renowned and
famous for dominating their opposition. It wasnt a one man
show as he was playing alongside the likes of Ballack and
|ampard but Ess|en cou|d p|ay the ro|e of beauty and the
beast by h|mse|f. H|s wonder str|ke aga|nst Arsena| a fond
rem|nder for most, of the wonderfu| ab|||ty he possesses.
A|ways tenac|ous and at t|mes over zea|ous, Ess|en`s eager-
ness to w|n the ba|| back has |anded h|m h|s cr|t|cs and got
h|m |nto a b|t of bother at t|mes, but |t seems an ||| judged t|t|e
to suggest that he is a reckless or dirty player. Perhaps a
more ftt|ng descr|pt|on |s over the top (||ke some of h|s
challenges) enthusiasm.
campa|gns both domest|ca||y and |n Europe. At an |nterna
t|ona| stage, M|chae| Ess|en was beg|nn|ng to dom|nate for
an ever |mprov|ng Ghana team but |t was wh||st away on
|nternat|ona| duty for 'The B|ack Stars` when the B|son`s
career began to stumb|e. A knee ||gament |njury suffered |n a
game aga|nst ||bya kept h|m out for the major|ty of the
season. At the t|me |t was feared the |njury wou|d ru|e out
Ess|en for the ent|re season but he came back |n the |atter
half to great effect as he provided the impetus for a league
w|n aga|nst Manchester O|ty and a Ohamp|ons |eague
v|ctory over va|enc|a. Ess|en, v|rtua||y s|ng|e hand||y shut
down the Barcelona pairing of Xavi and Iniesta in the Cham-
p|ons |eague sem|-fna| t|e for the better part of 179 m|nutes.
The return was short ||ved, the knee had never fu||y hea|ed
and another ||gament |njury saw Ess|en s|de||ned aga|n, but
h|s next comeback was far |ess effect|ve. St||| regarded h|gh|y
by then manager Oar|o Ance|ott| who saw Ess|en as pract|-
ca||y a new s|gn|ng, Ess|en over compensated |n h|s
phys|que by bu|k|ng up to account for h|s |oss of ath|et|c|sm.
A monster |n m|dfe|d that cou|d no |onger keep up w|th the
pace of the e||te |eve|, h|s ag|||ty deserted h|m and the exp|o-
s|ve nature |n h|s game faded as he became a shadow of h|s
former self.
ln the |ast season, Ess|en spent h|s t|me on |oan at Rea|
Madr|d w|th the man he affect|onate|y ca||s h|s 'Daddy`, the
man that Chelsea hope can once again lead them to glory.
Dur|ng h|s t|me |n Spa|n, Ess|en |ooked to have rek|nd|ed h|s
joy for the game, the sm||e on the fe|d return and w|th |t
came h|s ftness. Ohe|sea`s answer to Samson. The |oan
spe|| prov|ded Ess|en w|th va|uab|e game t|me, wh|ch was
not be|ng afforded to h|m at Ohe|sea. Now back w|th the
squad, Ess|en has |mpressed th|s pre-season, pr|or to wh|ch
many Ohe|sea fans, |nc|ud|ng h|s staunchest of supporters
wondered what wou|d ||e ahead. He appears to have
Mour|nho`s back|ng and that reassurance |ooks to have
g|ven h|m the boost he desperate|y needed. Tr|mmed down
and no |onger |ook|ng ||ke a body bu||der, the box-to-box
capab|||t|es have once aga|n been ev|dent.
we|| have been known as the wor|ds b
defn|te|y st||| offer a |ot for the c|ub, es
m|dfe|d area that |acked depth and a tou
of |ast season. As ment|oned ear||er, M|c
t|||ty as a centra| m|dfe|der w||| be |nva
s|de that w||| need to be fex|b|e and fu|d
performances.
Most comfortab|e |n a m|dfe|d three,
centra| m|dfe|ders |n the c|ub, Ess|en
support for the defence as the anchor of
a|so be the |n|t|ator of attacks w|th h|s
peop|e or h|s ab|||ty to keep the ba|| mov
an attr|bute that w||| come |n handy as the
ture themselves around the creative att
constant|y want the ba|| |n and around
can equa||y be dep|oyed ahead of the ho
w||| a||ow h|m eas|er trans|t|on|ng betw
attack as he |s equa||y capab|e |n as
position.
Ess|en`s ro|e wou|d m|rror that of Arturo v
an a||-purpose m|dfe|der. lf Mour|nho |s t
man m|dfe|d, Ess|en |s perhaps the m
format|on g|ven h|s phys|ca| presence
cover the m|dfe|d area we||, comb|ned w
read the game, |earnt from the great O
knack of d|srupt|ng oppos|t|on p|ay w|||
bonus comes |n that, |f a s|tuat|on requ|r
menta||ty or set up, Ess|en can be dep|o
or centre back as h|s defens|ve qua||t|es
for h|m to perform the task but |t w||| a
p|ayer capab|e of start|ng attacks from
|nto the edge of the box on a t|me|y |ate
At the very |east, Ess|en w||| serve as O
However, Shou|d Ess|en return to h|s g
again feel like Chelsea have made a
perhaps may turn out to be the mos
anyone |n the |eague makes. He has, a
very few peop|e to cons|stent|y outp|a
units.
Mikel remains at Chelsea this transfer window then a lot needs to
him this season. While I remain someone who rates him highly, this
very well determine the long-term future of Chelseas number
gs have come full circle for the Nigerian as Jos Mourinho returns,
r who initially signed him in that most peculiar of transfer sagas.
certainly been some ups and downs for Mikel during that period,
now hope that he can fna||y fnd some cons|stency |n h|s game.
ever remain a conundrum. People either rate him or seem to think
orst Chelsea player at the club. While, personally, no one can
nfuence and performances |n our b|ggest games and moments,
ency that has a|ways baffed. Th|nk back to h|s br||||ant perfor-
White Hart Lane under Di Matteo last season. Mikel showed not
ensive side of his game, but some attacking intent that we have
It looked like the penny was dropping and Chelsea were getting
hey thought he might become when signing him. Fast forward to
regime and Mikels performances were unacceptable.
confus|ng |s h|s ab|||ty to act as a box-to-box m|dfe|der for N|ger|a.
ance against Spain in this role in the recent Confederations Cup
. He even scored (yes, you read that correctly) a rather brilliant
. Why does there appear to be so many versions of the same
ten spoken about his instructions while in a Chelsea shirt. While a
e see the value in a player who retains possession and keeps
g, others want a more open ho|d|ng m|dfe|der capab|e of p|ay|ng
passes. In several interviews Mikel has essentially stated that his
de is to always be available, play very low risk passes and act as
the back four. He is dictated to about what types of passes he
should not be attempting.
hen juxtapose his style at Chelsea with Nigeria they are like com-
d|fferent footba||ers. M|ke| |s the |ynchp|n of the N|ger|a m|dfe|d
to see his full range of skills. His passing becomes more adven-
attack|ng; he str|des confdent|y w|th the ba|| past oppos|t|on and
product; he still wins the ball and has that physical presence.
e looks like this is his natural game.
sc|p||ned ro|e |s often d|ffcu|t |f |t goes aga|nst your natura| game.
g|na||y s|gned M|ke| as a more attack m|nded m|dfe|der, w|th
onverting him to a more traditional holding one. What I will never
d is the erratic spats of form. Almost the complete opposite of a
fat track bu||y he seems to save h|s best performances for the b|gg
Even his biggest detractors will probable concede he was excelle
His inability, or perhaps instructions, to impose himself against sm
sition is always what concerns me the most. Whether it is an issue
tration or just familiarity of keeping things simple, seeing what Mik
international level often leaves you frustrated.
H|s ro|e th|s season w||| c|ass|ca||y come as the anchor man of t
against bigger sides. However, if there is to be a role for Mikel b
season we need to start seeing some consistency and preferably
attacking play. He has all the physical tools and the experience to
game; it really is down to him to see this come to fruition.
His lack of preseason will be alarming as he looks quite a way dow
ing order to begin with. Van Ginkel and Ramires have both impr
the former |ook|ng ||ke the m|dfe|der Ohe|sea have needed for
Ramires returning to form. Essien, while perhaps no longer th
engine he once was, has shown a refreshing return to a dec
m|dfe|d.
What Mikel needs in a Chelsea shirt is arguably some freedom. W
instil terror within a large section of support it is a role he has played
brilliantly over the past 18 months. He was probably the best play
tournament and his performance against Yaya Tour the s
contribution. His best position is no longer purely as a def
m|dfe|der and |n h|nds|ght th|s convers|on to Make|e|e wa
from the start.
Until the club relinquish the reins on Mikel we will n
know |f that fantast|c ear|y prom|se w||| be fu|f||ed. At the a
having played for the club for 8 years, maybe it is time to r
some of that ab|||ty that |ed us to purchase h|m |n the frst
is far from perfect and I expect him to start the season som
the frst team. Neverthe|ess, l am buoyed by h|s recent out|ngs at
tional level. If Chelsea can capture that level of performance then
fna||y w|n round the doubters.
es is a divisive mide|der. Whi|e a|| of us appreciate his wi||ing-
to run through wa||s for the shirt, others chastise him for his
passing and errant decision making.
very g|orious vignette - and who cou|d forget that chip which
mere centimetres over the outstretched arm of Victor Va|des,
e nest|ing sweet|y in Barce|ona's net? - there is a head-in-hands
nt waiting to happen.
s's entire performance against Aston Villa away last season (all 44 minutes
fore he was sent off) verged on unwatchable. Late tackles, high feet, being
sessed too easily, it highlighted his worst traits. Indeed, for months after his
many Chelsea fans were unsure of him. His passing in particular stood out
k, for a centre-m|dfe|der, and even h|s energy seemed dampened by the
of trying to adjust to the English game.
estion is: Will Jose Mourinho believe Ramires's strengths outweigh his
esses?
at shaky start he found his feet and began to shine. Although he has a
build, he goes into tackles like a runaway freight train and is game for a
His determination and work-rate is second to none - the Brazilian harries
stles opponents and is a true box-to-box player.
Ramires picks up the ball and drives at defenders he is hard to handle.
ng quick, he is a useful attacking tool as well as a defensive breaker. His
o transition from defence to attack will appeal to Mourinho. He is also
e - we've seen h|m dep|oyed on the r|ght fank too. Adm|tted|y, th|s |s not a
n he is wholly comfortable in, particularly when Chelsea have a lot of the
he Blues are up against it and the opposition have a particularly dangerous
ger, he can be relied upon to track back and do a defensive role from higher
pitch. He is not currently in the Brazil set-up, but that's due to red-tape
you be||eve Ram|res's w|fe, the mafa-||ke nature of the Braz|||an FA} rather
refect|on on h|s ta|ent.
enough, Ram|res wou|d have been a perfect ft for the 4-3-3 Mour|nho
used to dep|oy at Ohe|sea. But |n the 4-2-3-1 wh|ch we p|ayed |ast season,
Mour|nho often used at Madr|d and we've ||ned up |n dur|ng the frst few pre-sea-
son fr|end||es, Ram|res w||| fnd |t harder to ho|d down a regu|ar spot.
Unless he becomes more consistent when passing the ball, he will need to be
played alongside a more technically adroit partner, which would make him the
more defensive of the pair. And to be deployed strictly as an enforcer would
partially prevent him from surging forward and joining attacks.
In Chelsea's squad - and even in the Premier League - he is a unique option who
offers something a bit different to the rest. Ramires is the sort of player who can
turn a game |n a fash and at h|s best wou|d be an |nstant frst cho|ce.
If he can play at a high level, he will be given and will deserve one of the two central
m|dfe|d ro|es. But |f h|s game rema|ns errat|c, don't be surpr|sed to see M|chae|
Essien picked ahead of him on occasion, or Ramires shunted out to the right. Like
so many other players in this squad, Ramires's fate remains in his own hands.
First Brazilian to score for Chelsea in an FA Cup fnal.
Marco van Ginkel
While preseason rarely gives us a concrete insight into actual
qua||ty, |t |s probab|y fa|r to say that Marco van G|nke|`s frst |mpres-
s|ons |n a Ohe|sea sh|rt have opened more than a few eyes.
Oompar|sons to a young M|chae| Ba||ack and that c|ass|est of
operators Fernando Redondo are made frequent|y, re|nforc|ng
sty||st|ca||y the type of p|ayer Ohe|sea have s|gned.
Th|s may be an extreme|y ear|y shout, because Marko Mar|n a|so
had an |mpress|ve preseason, but Marco van G|nke| cou|d become
one of our most astute s|gn|ngs. To put th|ngs |nto the|r proper
perspect|ve Ohe|sea w||| pay at the most 8m for the Dutch
|nternat|ona|. That |s ha|f of what Manchester n|ted pa|d for
W||fr|ed Zaha, |ess than what B|ackpoo| va|ue Tom lnce at and 2.5
t|mes cheaper than Jordan Henderson. van G|nke| |s an abso|ute
stea| by any defn|t|on of va|ue.
Marco van G|nke| |s probab|y best descr|bed as a modern centra|
m|dfe|der. As the game moves away from d|m|nut|ve m|dfe|ders |n
the Span|sh mou|d, to a||-round techn|ca| powerhouses, van G|nke|
|s we|| pos|t|oned. He |s aggress|ve |n the tack|e, p|ays box-to-box
w|th ease, pos|t|ons h|mse|f we|| to rece|ve the ba||, sh|e|ds h|s back
four effect|ve|y and h|s d|str|but|on |s h|t w|th cr|sp prec|s|on.
Modern footba|| |s mov|ng towards a mode| where m|dfe|ders are
expected to be mu|t|funct|ona|. You are no |onger expected to
e|ther just defend or create, but prov|de both aspects of the game
at a s|m||ar |eve|. You on|y need to |ook at the ba|ance w|th|n Juven-
tus` m|dfe|d to not|ce how d|ffcu|t a we||-rounded m|dfe|d |s to
p|ay aga|nst. ln Marco van G|nke| Ohe|sea have taken the|r frst
steps |n jo|n|ng th|s evo|ut|on.
The beauty of van G|nke|`s capture not on|y stems from the |ncred|-
b|e va|ue for money but the versat|||ty that he br|ngs the s|de. He |s
equa||y comfortab|e operat|ng |n a 4231 or 433, be|ng ab|e to s|t,
destroy, create and c|rcu|ate the ba|| br||||ant|y under pressure.
Mour|nho |s ||ke|y to sw|tch between us|ng the two systems as
oppos|t|on and |n game s|tuat|ons mer|t. ln van G|nke| he has a
Sw|ss army kn|fe who he can entrust to carry out a number of
pos|t|ons.
For anyone who has caught the Ered|v|s|e |ast season van G|nke|
was a prom|nent name amongst commentators and ana|ysts. He
went on to w|n the Johan Oru|jff Pr|js (equ|va|ent of the young
footba||er of the year award} ahead of a |ot of noted ta|ent |n
Ho||and. He fn|shed the season w|th 41 appearances scor|ng 12
goa|s and 8 ass|sts.
Marco van G|nke| has spoken about h|s adm|rat|on for Frank
|ampard on severa| occas|ons s|nce arr|v|ng at the c|ub. Natura||y,
the compar|sons between the two p|ayers began. van G|nke| |s not
go|ng to rep||cate the sheer vo|ume of goa|s that |ampard cont|n-
ues to br|ng to the s|de, even |n the |atter stages of h|s career. A
more rea||st|c compar|son s|ts somewhere between Arturo v|da| at
Juventus and |kay Gndoan at Boruss|a Dortmund. There are
shades of Steven Gerrard about his play, but van Ginkel is less
||ke|y to concede possess|on w|th an a|m|ess 50-yard Ho||ywood
pass.
ln terms of h|s dep|oyment at Ohe|sea th|s season |t cou|d be a
perfect|y t|med p|ece of bus|ness. Had he rema|ned at v|tesse,
starred in the World Cup and subsequently built on his sterling
performances |ast season we wou|d ||ke|y have pa|d 2-3 t|mes
what we have for h|m. The c|ub shou|d be commended for fna||y
gett|ng a p|ayer one step before the eventua| move
made h|m a 20m m|dfe|der.
l expect van G|nke| to p|ay a |ot th|s season. O
opt|ons are |oose|y cut |nto two very d|st|nct stran
defens|ve cont|ngent (M|ke|, Ess|en and Ram|res
and you have the attack|ng opt|ons (|ampa
Ram|res}. The ba|ance between any of those opt|o
r|ght, a|though there have been moments of br||||a
fa|r to say that Ohe|sea |ack a p|ayer w|th the ab||
defend and yet kn|t th|ngs together when |n pos
where van G|nke| steps |n.
lf Ohe|sea are to pers|st w|th a doub|e-p|vot
assumed|y Mour|nho wants a p|ayer who can ad
areas of the p|tch. van G|nke| therefore |s at a d|st|n
his colleagues in that he has the genuine technic
forward and keep the ba|| mov|ng; wh||e a|so prov
s|ve cover and ath|et|c|sm that was m|ss|ng at t|m
l expect van G|nke| to h|t the ground runn|ng and p
from h|s th|s season. lf the Ohe|sea b|as |n the
(p|ease do not ho|d your breath on th|s!} then h
outs|de shot to be named as the PFA Young P|ay
fu||y expect h|m to show the potent|a| to be a
Ohe|sea m|dfe|d for years to come.
Chelsea have seen mixed results in their use of the loan system down
the years. Theres always an element of risk with farming out a highly
talented young player. Sometimes the player doesnt seize the oppor-
tunity; sometimes the manager of the club the player is joining
doesnt quite fancy them as much at closer inspection. You then get
an endless cycle of sending the player out on loan season after
season, hoping, praying that this kid will prove to be good enough to
be given a chance with the rst team. Thankfu||y, what Kevin De
Bruyne did last season was show exactly what hes made of and that
hes now more than ready for that big chance at a big club.

Watching him in almost every one of his games last season you couldnt help but
have mixed emotions when witnessing some of his marvellous performances for
Werder Bremen. On the one hand, you knew Chelsea would eventually be getting
a player back who would undoubtedly have an impact. But on the other hand, it
was quite frustrating knowing he could have been part of last seasons squad,
which was lacking in a bit of depth and was over reliant on the attacking trio of
Mata, Hazard and Oscar. Undoubtedly though, in the long term De Bruynes loan
move was the best thing for him and allowed him to play every week in a side that
looked to him for attacking inspiration and to make something happen.
Despite some early reports of homesickness and being unhappy off the pitch his
performances were excellent from day 1. In his debut against Borussia Dortmund
he was fe|ded as a fa|se 9 and th|s was an ear|y s|gn of th|ngs to come as he was
re||ed upon |n a number of pos|t|ons. E|ther w|ng, deeper |n m|dfe|d, as a number
10 or as one of the box to box m|dfe|ders |n a m|dfe|d 3, De Bruyne |ooked
comfortable wherever he was on the pitch.
There are very few weaknesses to De Bruyne`s game as an attack|ng m|dfe|der. He
has a fantastic change of pace, can drive with the ball, plays with his head up, has
a wonderful range of passing and strikes the ball from distance superbly. Like most
Belgian players of his generation, hes technically gifted and has the ability to
produce something out of nothing. Hes also adept in the art of pressing without
the ball much in the same way as Oscar, which is bound to go down well with Jose
Mourinho.
His versatility, work rate and ability to change a game with a moment of genius will
see h|m get p|enty of game t|me under the Spec|a| One and he may even fnd
himself as a regular starter. Mourinhos never been afraid to use a variety of
systems and make tactical tweaks game to game, the best philosophy being the
w|nn|ng ph||osophy and th|s |s where De Bruyne w||| beneft from Mour|nho.
lf we cont|nue to pers|st w|th a 4-2-3-1 shape then De Bruyne`s presence |n the
squad allows for rotation to any of the big three without decreasing the quality of
the s|de a great dea| and l`d expect h|m to push those 3 for a start|ng p|ace |f he
plays to his potential. However, based on what Mourinho had to say about Mata
recently and how he sees him playing quite a bit as an inverted winger from the
r|ght hand s|de |t seems the o|d 4-3-3 of 2004/2005 w||| be used qu|te a b|t too. De
Bruyne wou|d ft br||||ant|y |nto th|s system and a|ongs|de Oscar |n front of the
underrated M|ke| the Ohe|sea m|dfe|d wou|d conta|n a b|t of everyth|ng and be ab|e
to press teams high up the pitch with Oscar and De Bruynes energy and tenacity.

Desp|te the 4-2-3-1 gett|ng the best from Mata |n an attack|ng sense |ast season |t
was often clear in games against the likes of Man City that we needed more of an
energetic presence in the middle of the park. When out of possession little was
stopping teams from getting out of their own half and taking the game to us. Mata
played well under Villas-Boas on the left wing and was also brilliant starting from
the r|ght |n D| Matteo`s fu|d 3 beh|nd the str|ker w|th Oscar p|ay|ng through the
middle often negating the threat of a deep lying playmaker, notably Andrea Pirlo.

It wouldnt be a surprise to see Mata start the majority of games from the right next
season with license to cut in and slip between the lines allowing for De Bruyne and
Oscar to play through the centre, taking it in turns to drop deeper and use their
passing ability to initiate attacks along with Mikel. Youd also expect them to
intelligently rotate the duty of get in and around the oppositions box where they
can both be so decisive and dangerous.
Its clear that De Bruynes return gives the squad a massive boost and will give the
manager more options than Robbie Di Matteo and the Interim One had last
season. One of Mourinhos biggest strengths as a manager is clearly identifying the
prof|e of h|s squad and |ts ma|n strengths and weaknesses. R|ght now, Ohe|sea
are b|essed w|th extreme|y ta|ented attack|ng m|dfe|ders who wou|d a|| |dea||y want
to occupy the no.10 ro|e. Mour|nho w||| fnd a way of gett|ng the best from a|| of
them and making them all feel involved. Whatever the system, whatever the
instructions, expect De Bruyne to shine this season and become one of Mourinhos
favourites within the squad.
t M
The only Nigerian to score a League Cup goal for Chelsea.
Victor Moses must be pinching himself. His 2013
ended spectacularly as he won the Europa League
and African Cup of Nations. He was arguably one
of the standout performers in both competitions
and showed ashes of exce||ence. His versati|ity
has seen him dep|oyed in various positions at the
club and this might be a clue as to where his future
lies.
Consistency is a word that also pops up when discussing
Chelsea's other Nigerian international. Moses, likewise,
seems to suffer from an inability to consistently deliver.
While his form and performances in Europe were regularly
very good, h|s domest|c form f|tted between two extremes.
Moses in many ways is a current incarnation of a certain
Salomon Kalou. Similarities between his style and squad
role are obvious, while the ability to pop up with a goal are
a|so defn|ng features. The d|fference ||es |n the|r potent|a|
upsides. Kalou, for all his application, never really seemed
to progress from the player we bought.
Moses, however, does seem to have a higher ceiling. While
the old adage of not reading too much into preseason rings
true for anyone, the difference (or development) of Moses
under Mourinho was great to see. Playing with the pace and
power we have come to recognise we began to see an end
product and better decisions being made.
Moses inherent worth to the squad undoubtedly comes
from his physical skill set. He brings directness and pace to
an area of the pitch we have been guilty of over elaborating
in over the past year or so. His role this season is likely to be
as an impact substitute or in situations where his size and
defensive capabilities are required.
Interestingly enough his future might lie in an area we are
lacking the most quality. As things stand our options at
centre forward remain fairly light. Moses possesses many
attributes that you would naturally hope sits in a striker and
could certainly be moulded by Mourinho if he too felt that
the potential was there.
Th|s season shou|d be |nterest|ng for Moses. H|s preseason
development has surprised many people, as if somehow
Mourinho has switched on his footballing brain and made
him instantly a much better player. On form he is in with a
shout of starting the Hull game. Nevertheless, that might be
unlikely.
What we need to see from Moses this season is a contin-
ued ab|||ty to fnd the net marr|ed w|th an |ncreas|ng|y more
|nfuent|a| end product. When he has opportun|t|es |n what
will be a hotly contested area for Chelsea, he must take
them. His delivery must continue to improve, his ball reten-
tion and link up play as well.
Moses could surprise under Mourinho. If his form is
anything to go by then his transformation to important
squad member is well under way. More goals and more
assists must be the order of the day and we hope that he
breaks through the ceiling that seemed to stagnate Kalou
for so long.
Schrrl
The signing of Andre Schurrle for around 18 million
seems to have split Chelsea fans right down the middle.
Those not keen on the signing appear to cite a lack of
necessity, poor scoring record and too high a price tag as
their reasons for being uncertain on the 22 year old whos
already earned 24 international caps. I tend to sit on the
other side of the fence and having seen a great deal of
him last season for Leverkusen, Chelseas long pursuit of
the player makes a great deal of sense.
The not needing him argument seems to be based on a fear
that Chelsea are now overloaded for the 3 spots behind the
main striker in a 4-2-3-1 system which has become the
primary formation in the last couple of seasons. While Mata,
Hazard, Oscar and even new arrival Kevin De Bruyne are more
in the classy playmaker, no.10 mould, Schurrle brings some-
thing very different to the party and this is key as to why
Ohe|sea have been chas|ng h|m. He a|so fts |n w|th the some-
what recent transfer policy of buying young players with world
class potential and resale value.
Having variation in the squad and being able to call on different
types of players for different types of games is essential for a
Jose Mourinho squad. The special ones teams have all had
one glaring thing in common down the years, theyve won.
This is obviously due to a number of factors, one crucial one
being that his squads tend to be comprised of a vast number
of world class players. However, there are few managers
better at recognising what is required to beat the opponent at
hand. A squad with attacking variety is crucial to a manager
like Mourinho who doesnt favour one philosophy but adapts
to the situation, using a variety of systems with a variety of
instructions to exploit the opponents weaknesses.
Primarily a player of Schurrles type gives Chelsea the option
a rocket its probably fair to say hes a scorer of great
rather than a great goa|-scorer and |s defn|te|y better
playing wide and cutting inside from the left.
Hes able to play up front as he did in a 4-3-1-2 shape
Mainz, who he was with for 2 seasons before joining L
sen in 2011, but wouldnt be a great option playing up
h|s own. H|s fn|sh|ng has been cr|t|c|sed and he can s
times be guilty of squandering easier chances but at 2
plenty of time to improve upon that. Criticism of his sc
record seems to come from a misunderstanding as to
best position is. Hes not an out and out striker but a w
inside forward and considering this his goal ratio is ac
pretty good with 14 in all competitions last season.
Leverkusen rotated between a 4-3-3 with two wingers
tended to play very high up the pitch and wait to coun
a 4-2-3-1 shape. These are the two formations that w
likely be used with regularity by Mourinho and in game
counter attack is the best weapon, Hazard and Schur
probably be the best two players to go with. If you we
picking your strongest Chelsea 11 right now Schurrle
probably not be in it. However, with Mourinhos adapt
a manager and the number of games Chelsea hope to
playing in, the German should see plenty of opportuni
throughout the season and hope to be part of a winni
squad.
The 18 million price tag seems about right for a 22 y
with good experience in both the Champions League
International level. Those that have seen him play con
will be looking forward to watching him terrorise team
f|ght th|s season. For those that rema|n scept|ca|, pre
eat some humble pie as Schurrle will undoubtedly hav
impact on this season
Juan Mata
been nothing short of seismic. It couldn t have
started any better for the 23.5 million signing
from Valencia, netting on his debut in front of a
packed Stamford Bridge crowd in a 3-1 win
against Norwich. He has barely paused for
breath after that. The Spaniards bare statistics
alone from that season tell half the story.
ln h|s frst season for the B|ues he p|ayed 54 games,
scoring 12 goals and created 23 assists for his teammates
in a season that ended with FA Cup and of course glorious
Champions League success on that remarkable night in
Munich (in fact the only blot in his otherwise near perfect
copy book is a spot kick miss in that decisive shoot out, but
given how that panned out, I think we can gloss over it
here). That he did this in his debut season in a team that
underwent managerial upheaval and more off and on the
fe|d turbu|ence than ever before |s sensat|ona|.
That he did all this quietly and professionally and with a
smile on his face is again something to be applauded and
speaks volumes about why the man is so highly regarded
by those in the dressing room and the terraces of Stamford
Bridge.
After a summer playing for both Spains victorious Euro
2012 s|de (he a|so scored |n the fna|} and youthfu| O|ymp|c
team, Mata returned to Chelsea perhaps unsurprisingly
burnt out but again, he was to prove instrumental.
64 appearances, 20 goa|s and a frank|y stagger|ng 35
assists bought the plaudits in for the impeccably bearded
maestro and Mata ended the campaign with a Europa
League winners medal in his pocket after his searching ball
found Branislav Ivanovic to head home the winner. A PFA
Player of the Year nomination and both Chelsea FCs Player
of the Year (a consecutive win) and Players Player of the
Year awards followed alongside a place in the PFA Team of
the Year. Crucial goals against Manchester United and
Arsenal in the run in helped Chelsea to secure Champions
League football for the coming campaign and in a team that
underperformed during spells of the season, Mata shone
and his contribution dragged the team over the line at
times.
Under Roberto Di Mateo his blossoming partnership with
Stunning goals and plaudits came in as the Blues topped
the league in the autumn but an alarmingly customary
winter collapse arrived.
The system that a||owed attack|ng tr|o`s creat|v|ty to four|sh
had its defensive frailties exposed and after Di Mateo was
incredulously dismissed, the arrival of the maligned Rafael
Benitez saw the break of The Holy Trinity with a slightly
more defensive approach added to the Blues. Regardless
Mata was at h|s effc|ent best.
Its not just the goals and assists that Mata brings to the
team, its his attitude, his mannerisms and simply the way
he plays the game that his endeared him to the fans. A
regular sight on the Kings Road (I myself was fortunate
enough to get the chance to talk to the man himself there
after the draw with Liverpool) and around Londons cultural
landmarks as regular readers of his blog will testify. A man
of fne mus|c taste, Be|rut, N|rvana and Rad|ohead are
regu|ar|y amongst h|s shared p|ay||sts. H|s magn|fcent
beard is also something that deserves a more than honour-
able mention. A recent debate amongst Blues fans on
twitter led to many calling him the spiritual successor to
Mickey Droy, perhaps wide of the mark on that one but
could he be a spiritual successor to Gianfranco Zola? It
seems a more suitable match up.
Few could hope to cement the same legacy at Stamford
Bridge that the diminutive, mercurial Italian has but Mata
seems the perfect ft. Dubbed by some as 'The Spec|a|
Juan he is fast building himself a legacy at the club beyond
the cult following that the more blog and twitter friendly fan
base had built around him.
Pre-season has thus far been a thankfully quiet affair for
Mata. After again featuring for the Spanish national team in
their Confederations Cup campaign, the No.10 has been
on a much deserved rest whilst the younger members of
the squad jetted off for a successful tour of the Far East -
the frst under the stewardsh|p of return|ng manager Jose
Mourinho. As is ever the case with the worlds sporting
press, ludicrous speculation had begun to circulate in the
press that Mourinho was not a believer in Matas abilities
and the player was linked with moves to FC Barcelona and
Paris Saint-Germain.
his new manager at Cobham. His performances have thus
far been limited as he embarks on a pre-season tour of the
United States that has seen wins over Italian giants Inter
Milan and AC Milan with Mata performing well, despite the
cameo nature of his appearances. Speaking after the 2-0
victory against AC Milan at the Metlife Stadium in New
Jersey, Mata was re|axed and confrmed h|s comm|tment to
the Blues.
'l met w|th Jose on my frst day |n tra|n|ng. l th|nk he's a
great manager who did a really great job the last time he
was here.
The break was really good for me. I had time to rest and
disconnect from football - but now I am back at Chelsea
and really looking forward to the new season.
l'm rea||y exc|ted about |t and l'm very happy to be here."
The focus for Mata this season will surely depend on where
Mour|nho sees h|m ftt|ng |nto the team. The manager has
spoken at length about his desire to play with his usual
wingers using their opposite foot, cutting inside and linking
w|th m|dfe|d for attacks. W|th h|s most natura| ro|e be|ng a
No.10 it was interesting that Mourinho singled out Mata in
reference to his inverted winger philosophy, especially with
the acquisition of Andre Schrrle and the return of Kevin De
Bruyne.
The clubs very public courting of Wayne Rooney adds
another level of intrigue to the situation but in any case it is
hard to env|sage a Ohe|sea s|de |n wh|ch the |nfuent|a|
Mata |s not amongst the frst names on the team sheet.
Aside from the second tier League Cup, a Premier League
w|nner`s meda| w||| ensure Mata has the fu|| sweep of frst
class domestic and European honours in three seasons at
the club. A remarkable feat and another season of consis-
tency from the Spaniard and you wouldnt bet against him
doing it.
Regardless of how the campaign plays out, for many of the
Stamford Bridge faithful the site of the cultured man from
Burgos, gliding across the turf, beard radiating under the
food||ghts w||| be enough. He`s Juan Mata. He`s The
Special Juan.
Oscar
blend of naivete and curiousity. Can I do this? Let s
fnd out! lt's a spec|a| k|nd of fear|essness, and |t's
what makes Oscar so spec|a|.
There's nobody e|se |n th|s Ohe|sea team who can
match what Oscar does. Juan Mata and Eden
Hazard are magicians, of course, but there's the
fee||ng that they refuse to exper|ment on the same
sca|e as Oscar does, favour|ng ruth|ess effc|ency
over famboyance.
Wh|ch |s why most of the most |ncred|b|e,
what-just-happened?! moments of |ast season came
v|a Oscar. When Mata bends a free k|ck past the wa||
and just |ns|de the post, there's no fee||ng of surpr|se.
Juan Mata's |s br||||ant and w||| do br||||ant th|ngs. Nor
|s |t a shock when Hazard dashes through a c|oud of
befuddled defenders and slots past the keeper.
That's what Eden Hazards do.
Oscar's trademark, on the other hand, is having the
temer|ty to try the bare|y-p|aus|b|e, to test the very
limits of his skill at the drop of a hat. It seems as
though the |dea that what he's about to attempt
m|ght not work never crosses h|s m|nd. Oscar's
moments of magic, in fact, are reminiscent of a
certa|n Stamford Br|dge |egend. More than a decade
ago, after one of the remarkable goals in Chelsea
history, Claudio Raneiri said of Gianfranco Zola [he]
tr|es everyth|ng because he |s a w|zard and the
w|zard must try." lt wou|d be foo||sh to suggest that
Oscar w||| fo||ow |n Zo|a's footsteps - he has a |ong
way to go to even get near h|m - but |t's unden|ab|e
that the Braz|||an too has a knack for w|zardry.
Nobody e|se |n the squad wou|d even try what Oscar
d|d |n November aga|nst Shakhtar Donetsk. H|s
contro| and fn|sh were remarkab|e not just for the|r
qua||ty but for the |nst|nct|ve way Oscar went for goa|
desp|te be|ng v|rtua||y |n h|s own ha|f when Andr|y
Pyatov's headed c|earance reached h|m. Nor wou|d
many dream, when presented w|th the ba|| |n the|r
own defens|ve th|rd, of suck|ng three p|ayers |nto
challenging for it only to chip it over the lot of them to
release Ramires on the counterattack, as Oscar did
at St. James' Park.
And then there was that goa| aga|nst Juventus. Few
full debut.
lt's not just h|s w|zard|ng hab|ts that set Oscar apart,
however. That home game aga|nst Juventus was
notab|e not just for h|s goa|s but for the defens|ve
effort he put |n. Roberto d| Matteo asked h|m to nu|||fy
P|r|o at the base of the v|s|t|ng m|dfe|d; P|r|o was du|y
nu|||fed. The v|s|tors had to wa|t unt|| Oscar was
forced off the p|tch w|th an |njury |n order to come |nto
that game.
The Braz|||an repeated that same tr|ck aga|nst M|ke|
Arteta dur|ng the B|ues' 2-1 w|n at the Em|rates
short|y thereafter, fnd|ng h|mse|f permanent|y
installed as Chelsea's number ten, his ability to harry
oppos|ng m|dfe|ders ensur|ng he rema|ned centra|
wh||e Mata and Hazard contented themse|ves w|th
spots on the w|ngs.
nfortunate|y for Oscar, h|s t|me as a starter was cut
short by the arr|va| of Rafa Ben|tez, who - not w|thout
good reason - dec|ded that the ed|fce d| Matteo had
constructed didn't have the defensive stability
requ|red |n the |ong term. nw||||ng to sacr|fce Mata
or Hazard, Benitez shifted Oscar to the bench as he
attempted to shore up the side.
The youngster still got plenty of playing time, and
eventua||y fought h|s way back |nto the ||neup, but
never aga|n was he trusted w|th the number ten s|ot,
wh|ch Mata had made h|s own. lnstead, he was
forced out to the fanks. lt's note a pos|t|on that su|ts
h|m; a|though he's qu|et|y effect|ve as a w|de forward,
he's further away from the act|on and therefore |ess
|nfuent|a|. He cou|d dr|ft centra||y, wh|ch |s what Mata
does when p|aced w|de, but h|s comm|tment to
protect|ng h|s fu||back (one wh|ch Mata does not
share} prevents h|m from wander|ng too far.
One of the b|g quest|ons fac|ng Jose Mour|nho as he
comes |nto the new season |s how to get the most
out of both Oscar and Mata. Oscar's mag|c |s |arge|y
untapped on the w|ng; Mata's c|ear|y at h|s best as a
number ten. One potential solution is to convert
Oscar |nto a box-to-box m|dfe|der, wh|ch wou|d take
advantage of h|s defens|ve capab|||t|es wh||e a|so
a||ow|ng h|m to ch|p |n on the attack.
Both d| Matteo and Ben|tez d|d some exper|menta-
M|chae| Ess|ens of the wor|d he doe
near|y as we||, and, more |mportant|y
deep means that although he'll get so
dangerous areas, they won't com
frequent|y.
A better so|ut|on, so far as Oscar |s con
be to invert the triangle and play him a
forward centra| m|dfe|der |n a 4-3-3.
defens|ve work wou|d be a comp|emen
partners w|thout becom|ng a burden p
from |nfuenc|ng p|ay wh||e Ohe|sea a
But even that's not |dea|, because
Mata w|de, where he's |ess comfortab
But even if the positioning problem loo
there are p|enty of reasons to hope fo
forward from Oscar th|s year. The pres
de Bruyne w||| a||ow Mour|nho to rota
p|ayers more often w|thout |os|ng muc
qua||ty, and a|though norma||y we wo
young, prom|s|ng p|ayer to get fewer m
a major pos|t|ve |n Oscar's case.
lt's unusua| that a 20-year-p|ayer cou
of gett|ng too much footba||, but that'
happened w|th Oscar. Between
Ohe|sea and h|s dut|es w|th Braz||, Os
a phenomenal number of matches las
was c|ear|y wear|ng down as ear|y as Fe
games means that we'|| get to see mo
his peak.
Add the |nev|tab|e adjustments to En
age-re|ated deve|opment and the ab|||t
a wor|d-c|ass coach, and |t's easy to |m
br|ghter future for Oscar. lf Ohe|sea c
un|que ab|||ty to p|ay w|th that b|en
genius and responsibility, it's by no me
quest|on that he can deve|op |nto one
And even |f he doesn't reach the d|zzy|n
h|s ta|ent suggests |s poss|b|e, watch|n
w||| a|ways be a joy.
Played more games (64) in his debut season than any C
g g y y g
Eden Hazard is not just any old player.
The 22-year-old arrived at Chelsea last summer amid much
fanfare and with a 32m price tag, the reason behind such lofty
expectations. Despite some being of the opinion that he failed
to scale the heights that they felt he was capable of reaching,
Hazard was undoubtedly one of the brightest lights in the
2012/13 Premier League season, as emphasised by his being
shortlisted for the PFA Player of the Year Award.
With Europes biggest clubs all seeking his signature, and with
his talents endorsed by none other than that most glorious of
modern day playmakers, Zinedine Zidane, Hazards acquisition
was something of a coup for the Blues, even factoring in the
material wealth on ofer via Roman Abramovichs largesse. He
started the season in explosive fashion and, in conjunction
with Juan Mata, was orchestrating Chelseas fnal surge to a
third place fnish and UEFA Europa League victory before
injury curtailed his involvement. During those fruitful periods
he made a pleasant habit of leaving defenders trailing in his
wake while serving the ball up on a plate for his strikers. The
boys ability to astound seemingly held no bounds.
Hazards mesmerising frst year at Chelsea was hampered by a
mid-season blip that saw his form dip while also fnding
himself unavailable for selection through a bizarre incident at
the Liberty Stadium. Perhaps it was unfair to expect a young
man in his frst campaign in a new country to maintain the
heroics of his initial appearances through the congested
winter fxture list, even if there were still glimpses of genius
such as his lacerating drive into the roof of Brad Guzans net
during the Christmas time massacre of Aston Villa.
Even so, his all-round infuence did diminish slightly and he will
need to ensure his level is kept at the high standard that he has
already set in order for him to fully deliver on his tremendous
promise. Fitness did not seem to be problem, though the
Premier Leagues notoriously unrelenting pace might well
have taken him by surprise. That will not be the case next time
round and so cannot be used as an excuse.
Hazards sending of at the hands of that chubby, obnoxious
Swansea City ball boy in January did not help either, though
the Belgians ft of pique appears to have been more of an
aberration than the
There can be no denying the immensely positive infuence of
Mata upon the team his consecutive player of the year
awards are a testament to that though on the occasions that
Hazard has been allowed to assume the Spaniards central
starting role behind the strikers he has added even more verve
and directness to the attack. He adds real pace and thrust
when deployed there and were he to be aforded a decent run
in the middle of the attacking midfeld triumvirate, there is
every chance that he would demonstrate that the playmaking
role is his most efective position. For now Mata is the king, and
rightly so, though it might only be a matter of time until the
young pretender assumes the throne
Having said all that, nobody yet knows what Jose Mourinho
will use as his principal formation, which might make that
debate moot, though it was instructive to hear him say that he
saw the potential for Mata to start in a diferent position from
the one he currently occupies.
Luckily for Hazard, he fts into pretty much any system. To re
stretch the Messi analogy he could even be used as a false
should Chelseas arsenal of strikers remain sparse (or cont
to misfre), though in his only outing in the role the fat
3-0 defeat to Juventus in the Champions League the exp
ment failed to bear fruit. In any case, it is a tactic that app
contrary to Mourinhos philosophy. The Portuguese has alw
shown a preference for the totemic target man.
Starting from a more withdrawn area of the pitch, Haza
equally adept centrally as he is on the fanks, and it is a ra
safe bet that the little Belgian with endless magic in his bo
will be one of the very frst names on the managers team sh
as the season endures. If he is deployed efectively and
maximum is extracted from his wondrous skill-set then the
every chance that he can be the key component in a victor
Premier League campaign - while sweeping up all the pers
accolades in the process.
Hazard has the best manager in the world to guide him
the whole footballing world at his feet. It is now up to him
decide what to do with it.
on practically namely, his goalscoring. Nine league goals
not a bad return from an attacking midfeld role, but when yo
take into account the dangerous positions that he constant
takes up you cant help feeling that he should be well int
double fgures at the end of every season. Most of his goals ar
of the spectacular variety; the kind that lift the stadium roo
and have supporters rushing to renew their season tickets. Th
thunderbolt at Stoke City, the delightful curler at Old Trafor
or the rasping drive against Sparta Prague would all grace th
greatest of stages. Yet it is the simpler fnishes that he als
needs to add to his game: the tap-ins and the sidefoots from 1
yards out. Theyre certainly less glamorous, but they all coun
the same.
With his incomparable ability to take on and beat opposin
defenders, his electric change of pace, his surprising strengt
borne out of a low centre of gravity and his composure to pic
the right pass at the right time, the comparisons with Mes
might not seem so outlandish were he to add goals and consi
tency to his game. However, one reason why he might not b
able to breathe such rarefed air as the Argentina number 10
due to the presence of Juan Mata in the same squad.
With Mata, I need to get to know him
better, the Special One stated. I like
sometimes to play with what I call 'wing-
ers with the wrong foot' right footed
The only Belgian to score for the Blues.
Super Frankie Lampard
last season's Chelsea team securing European glory through
av Ivanovic's header against Benca, one has to suspect that
k of the campaign will rapidly and mercifully fade from
y. But buried in the mire, never to be forgotten is a gem of a
t that will endure long in Chelsea history: Frank Lampard's
against Aston Villa.
was, of course, the 203rd in Lampard's Chelsea career, and it saw him
e legendary Bobby Tambling as the Blues' all-time leading scorer. Weeks
his contract winding down and fans worried that said goal would be his
he c|ub, the m|dfe|der s|gned a one-year contract extens|on.
s powers have faded over the past few years it's fair to say that the days
was frst on the team sheet for every match have past - but desp|te that
wo seasons have been a time of personal triumph. He's completed his
llection by captaining the Blues to two European titles in two years, and
to overhaul Tambling has come to a successful close.
t to say they've been un|form|y pos|t|ve. S|nce h|s frst brush w|th ser|ous
he 2010/11 season, Lampard's value has been increasingly called into
by elements of the Chelsea support, who believe his contributions fail to
to his wages. His much publicised confrontation with Andre Villas-Boas
h|ngs to a head. For the frst t|me, |t's been poss|b|e to hear |ampard
d as se|fsh.
to get caught up d|scuss|ng the superfc|a||t|es of |ampard's p|ay - h|s
goa| |s, after a||, h|s defn|ng feature. But there's a hab|t of neg|ect|ng h|s
y |n favour of a car|cature of a m|dfe|der so |nterested |n scor|ng goa|s that
possibly be competent elsewhere, which is deeply unfair to a player so
the club's recent success.
oring his legendary status, Lampard deserves more credit than he's given.
over the past e|ghteen months has been exemp|ary, and nowhere has that
re obv|ous than |n the run to the Ohamp|ons |eague fna|, when he was
sw|tch from h|s favoured pos|t|on |n a three-man m|dfe|d to the doub|e
Frank |ampard as a ho|d|ng m|dfe|der |s, accord|ng to most popu|ar narrat|ves, a
insane idea. And yet it worked. It wasn't perfect, but Lampard didn't embarras
himself either. His positioning was solid, his tackling secure and his ability to quick
spray passes to both fanks was v|ta| to promote Roberto d| Matteo's countera
tacking game.
No, he's not |dea| as a p|vot m|dfe|der, but |ampard has showed that he's far mor
capable and versatile than he gets given credit for and he's still able to scor
important goals, even while playing deep. Cast aside his glittering history and you
fnd that |ampard |s st||| a p|ayer most teams wou|d k||| to possess.
Even if he has problems recovering from the knocks that he might have playe
through in years past, Lampard is still a vital cog in this Chelsea side. And when yo
incorporate his status as perhaps the face of the club over the last decade, w
should be very, very thankful that he'll be around for at least one more.
203 won't be the record for very long.
Th|s com|ng season w||| be one for |ampard to sh|ne as a mentor to a fedg||ng cro
of young m|dfe|ders. lmbu|ng h|s |eve| of profess|ona||sm, ded|cat|on and exper
ence |n the ||kes of Marco van G|nke|, Oscar et a|. w||| be cruc|a| to the deve|opmen
of this young side. Eden Hazard may be the most naturally gifted footballer this clu
has seen, but if he picks up on some of Lampards better habits then the potenti
is frightening.
In his limited minutes in pre-season Lampard showed what we as fans have know
about him for many years. He scores goals. We could even see an Indian summe
with a return to 433 on the cards. Lampard, though, is likely to transition to the ro
of the exper|enced campa|gner. He w||| ||ke|y feature |n |mportant matches, st
p|ay|ng a number of games. W|th Mour|nho, the man who rea||y started everyth|n
for Lampard, Frank has the perfect manager to help translate the latter part of h
career into the best possible ending imaginable.
Its often said that football is a game of two halves. While
that might seem like an extremely rhetorical statement, its
certainly true. In order to win a football game a team must
perform well for the whole game and not just a particular
half. Giving anything less than a 100% at any point of the
game can prove to be costly.
Metaphorically speaking, the 2012/13 season was a game of two
halves for Demba Ba. The Senegalese international enjoyed an
amazing start to the season while he was still at Newcastle United
and managed to score an impressive return of 13 goals in 22 games
for the club. His spectacular run of form saw him Chelsea meet his
7 million release clause and sign him as a replacement for Daniel
Sturridge, who had been sold to Liverpool. However, his goal return
for Chelsea was relatively less impressive. In 22 appearances for the
B|ues, he on|y managed to fnd the back of the net 6 t|mes.
Demba Ba signing was seen as a step in the right direction for the
Blues, who had been struggling for goals throughout the season
because of Fernando Torres mixed form in front of goal. Prior to
signing Ba, Chelsea sold Daniel Sturridge to Liverpool for a fee of
12 million. The signing of Ba for a measly 7M was seen as good
business, not only because the club had gotten hold of a proven
goal-scorer for such a low sum, but also because they had pocketed
a n|ce ||tt|e proft of 5M due to the sa|e of Sturr|dge.
Ba made his debut for Chelsea in the third round FA Cup tie against
Southampton. His debut was a fruitful one as he netted a brace as
Ohe|sea hammered the Sa|nts 1-5. He scored h|s frst Prem|er
League goal for the club just a few days later against the same oppo-
sition. However, the game ended in a 2-2 draw.
Ba started the game against his former club Newcastle on February
2nd. However, his return to the Sports Direct Arena didnt quite go
as planned. A collision with Fabricio Collicini resulted in a broken
nose and he had to be taken off. The injury didnt rule him out for too
long as he wore a protective mask in games. However, he did endure
a bit of a goal-less run thereafter. His next goal came against West
Bromwich Albion in the Premier League, a goal which ensured Chel-
sea beat the Bagg|es 1-0. That was h|s frst goa| |n 7 games s|nce h|s
League goal against Southampton.
H|s next goa| for Ohe|sea came |n the FA Oup qu
against Manchester United, a stunning goal that en
passage into the next round of the tournament. He d
next appearance but did manage to score a late co
FA Oup sem|-fna| aga|nst Wemb|ey. That was the |as
during the season.
Demba Ba`s frst season at Ohe|sea (wh|ch wasn`t e
to begin with) didnt go as expected, mainly because
many goals as he or anyone would have anticipated
cause that some of his performances in a Chels
exactly up to par which in turn ensured that he d
settle in as well as he would have wanted to. It will
see how he fts |nto Jose Mour|nho`s p|ans for nex
that the returning manager hasnt really mentioned
how he intends using the striker next season. One t
he manages to rediscover his touch, he can be an
Chelseas squad next season.
An eye for the spectacular must in truth be ba
cons|stent fn|sh|ng. He certa|n|y often fnds h|mse|f
tions, but there is an added pressure of playing in a C
he has seemingly failed to adapt to at present. Ba
improve with a full preseason schedule under his b
marks remain over his deployment within the Chelse
DembaBa
The last person to score o
Another of the hoard of Belgian recruits at Chelsea, Lukaku
returns to the club a changed player from the one that left.
After a personally frustrating 2011/12 season in which he
was only afforded one league start, the 20-year-old was
farmed out on loan to Steve Clarkes new Blue and White
Army West Brom. The degree of success in what followed
may even have surprise his most fervent of supporters: 17
goals in 20 league starts.
Only Robin van Persie, Luis Suarez, Gareth Bale, Christian Benteke
and M|chu managed to score more than the young Be|g|an who fna||y
got to show off his powerful style after departing his home countrys
league two years ago.
Now, Mourinho has put his faith in him as a potential line-leader on
Chelseas title charge for this season, having offered his praise by
saying the kid is good. Didier Drogba comparisons have been, and
will be, inevitable, despite the managers attempts to dispel them.
Hav|ng turned 20 |n May, desp|te a stunn|ng frst 'proper` season |n
the Premier League, Lukaku has a lot to prove in order to lead the line
of a title-chasing side, particularly up against established Premier
League forwards in the form of Fernando Torres, Demba Ba and
(potentially) Wayne Rooney.
There are obvious questions over whether a man of just 20 years old
will have the character to lead the line for a club chasing honours on
four fronts - up against the world's best and more often than not up
against sides who pack the defence and attempt will attempt to
frustrate Chelsea's young attack. Mourinho will look to utilise and
develop on what the young forward did so well at West Bro
year, bullying defenders and creating chances for himself.
His development in other areas was on show out in Asia on tou
clever runs that Chelsea were lacking last year to unlock def
and another side to his play rather than the battering ram style t
was used to employing upfront for West Brom.
If Lukaku has his eyes set on being Chelsea's number one strik
ma|n area he w||| have to |mprove on |s h|s fn|sh|ng. The B
creates chances out of nothing for himself, and will no doub
opportunities provided on a plate by the likes of Mata and Haza
he needs to be more clinical with taking these chances. Far too
|ast year he cou|d fnd h|mse|f through on goa| |eav|ng def
trailing in his wake - only to fail to convert.
That sort of attribute is only going to come from experienc
whilst it may not be something that is immediately obvious, Luk
sure to develop and improve around some of the best attackin
ers available.
This season, at times for fans and the manager, he could
frustrat|ng fgure: b|essed w|th ab|||ty but st||| such a raw ta|ent.
year ebbs on though, that raw aspect should become to
refned, and depend|ng on the speed of h|s deve|opment, the
forward cou|d fnd h|mse|f as one of the stars of th|s emerg|ng
sea side.
The only person to score a Premier League hattrick against Man Utd as a
Fernando Torres remains something of an
oddity at Chelsea. The required 20 goals
a season seemed to be breached last
season, but yet still questions persisted
regarding his quality. Delve a little deeper
and his return of eight league goals proba-
bly says a lot more about his actual cam-
paign. While his exploits in the Europa
League campaign helped steer the club to
completing the grand slam of European
trophies, is that the hallmark of a Chelsea
calibre striker?
I promised myself that I would try to be as fair as possi-
ble when writing this season preview piece. It is now
beyond the point where his price tag bears any
relevance to the discussion. I think we as a club need to
move on from constantly bemoaning the initial outlay.
Yes, we paid an exorbitant sum of money for him and
no, it has not panned out how we had intended. I think
that message is understood loud and clear.
We need to accept that the version of Torres we thought
we were buying no longer exists. Moreover, that the
occas|ona| fash of greatness he exh|b|ts |s not a s|gn
that a return to form is around the corner. Instead we
should really be focussing on what Torres currently is
and fna||y try|ng to get someth|ng out of h|m.
As I write this any move for Wayne Rooney is currently
on hold. Therefore, we must assume that we will be
starting the season with Torres, Ba and Lukaku as our
main strike force. Hardly awe inspiring and it pales in
comparison when looking at our rivals, but this is the
hand we current have to play.
Over the course of his career Torres was often the striker
who played on the shoulder of defenders. He would use
an electric initial burst to win the footrace and more
often than not fn|sh w|th ap|omb. W|th the chang|ng
nature of football and a succession of injuries removing
Torres main attribute, he has needed to reshape his
game.
Torres has never been the most technical of forwards.
Therefore, much of his recent struggles have come from
attempting to reinvent himself as a deeper forward. The
reality is that unless Torres is playing well his effective-
ness in the role does not warrant a starting spot. At
times he links up well and provides a willing outlet, but
others it just seems like he cannot push through this rut.
Mour|nho shou|d be the defn|t|ve answer surround|ng
Torres Chelsea career. He will have some of Europes
elite attacking talent dropping in behind him this season.
Hazard, Mata, Oscar and the additions of Schrrle and
Kevin De Bruyne should provide plenty of options for the
Spaniard this season. However, the overriding point is
that he has to take those chances when they come.
I, like probably everyone reading this preview, still live
with a shred of hope that Torres can transform himself
into a decent forward once again. The big question
really remains as to how this is achieved. An element of
se|fshness needs to creep back |nto h|s game. A|| too
often he seems to put in a tonne of effort working for the
team, perhaps to overcompensate for his lack of goals.
While that mentality is something that certainly endears
him to supporters, I would much rather that change this
season.
Torres needs to go back to playing on the shoulder of
defenders, gambling at every opportunity and always
putting himself in the right situations. Frank Lampard
has scored so many goals throughout his career
because he has always gambled in terms of his forward
runs. If Torres continually changes his game to someone
who simply looks to get on the end of moves, rather
than someone looking to be involved in the build-up
things could be different.
I lost track of the number of times that Torres would
|nterrupt the fow of a move by |os|ng the ba|| or mak|ng
the wrong decision. Yes, his link-up play has improved
s|gn|fcant|y, but |t |s not at the |eve| of a forward
comfortable at dropping and linking play effectively.
Torres st||| can fn|sh. Th|s |s where confdence creeps
into the equation. The dithering when in possession in
the penalty area needs to stop. He is still capable of
|nst|nct|ve fn|shes, but seems to |ose confdence when
presented with a modicum of time and space to make
his decision. Mourinho needs to encourage him to stop
dropping so deep. Even in preseason it was a feature of
his play against Real Madrid.
This may well be the last season for Torres to turn things
around at Chelsea. While his trophy haul has increased
and he has provided several moments of joy, the linger-
ing doubts over his legacy remain. If he focuses on
merely scoring goals for the team, I think we could see
a rejuvenated Fernando Torres. If his attempts at turning
into a deep lying forward persist, then I can only see an
underwhelming season from our number nine. I truly
hope he turns things around though.
Th l l i 7 dif i i i
Courtois
sible that the best goalkeeper currently contracted to a Premier League team doesnt actu-
y in the Premier League?
stion which, on the face of it at least, sounds ridiculous and one to which we should immediately know the
but in the case of Thibaut Courtois there is a situation unlike much weve come to know from the standard
hings.
system is a well-trodden path utilised largely to accelerate the development of young prospects, whilst
ally providing a suitable home for players either unwanted by their parent club or a place for them to play
ey decide what to do with them.
gly, however, bigger clubs are beginning to stockpile talent, paying what might seem a premium early on in
get a jump-start on their rivals for a player who may some day be worth three or four times as much. Its an
hich Chelsea have been particularly active and in Courtois, theyve struck gold.
xcess of 7m for a then teenager with barely one season of Belgian professional football to his name might
med odd; another example of the transfer market largesse often exhibited by the Blues, but there were
aits visible in the giant Belgian from day one. They were traits which would not only mark him out for great-
as the perfect successor to Petr Cech.
ward two wonderful seasons with Atltico Madrid and we have a situation where you may easily consider
the better of the two options. By far and away the best goalkeeper in Spain last season, he is already a
the EFA Europa |eague and Super Oup, |ed h|s team to a frst Oopa de| Rey t|t|e |n a|most two decades,
the rock on which the club successfully returned to the Champions League after a four-year absence.
ew marks for the |ongest t|me w|thout conced|ng a |eague goa| frst at home and then away, and asserted
s the und|sputed frst cho|ce for a Be|g|um team who, barr|ng a catastrophe of ep|c proport|ons, w||| be many
t|ps to surpr|se at next summer`s Wor|d Oup |n Braz||. He |s, even at th|s fedg||ng stage of h|s career, wor|d
ous conundrum facing Stamford Bridge brass, though, is that Cech has shown no sign of slowing down. The
seasons of his legendary career have been his best; from an impossibly high level of performance en route to
g Champions of Europe to a 2012-13 campaign where he was a consistent match-winner and point-clincher.
often g|v|ng up the head||nes to the dazz||ng fa|r of Eden Hazard or the begu|||ng w|zardry of Juan Mata, he
mportant as anyone to the club.
fans have often been told that since being assaulted by Stephen Hunt that hes not the same player or that
hes not as good as he was, and some have fallen into the same trap themselves. Its a lazy assertion creat
back of smatterings of television highlights, and although the latter point is misplaced in its direction, it has an
of truth. Hes not the same; hes better.
Courtois, though, is not far away at all. He could quite conceivably have come into the team this summer and
ately been amongst the four best in the country. Only David De Gea and Hugo Lloris outside of SW6 would
in the conversation and, regardless of the impracticalities of such an idea, a battle between Cech and Courto
genuinely be a battle between the two best Premier League goalkeepers. At the same club.
The similarities are startling. They each possess commanding height, play off their left feet, and have remarka
and aerial dominance. Courtois in particular has a gigantic wingspan which allows him to impose himself on
ball; swooping to conquer with astonishing ease. They are both also cut from the same mental cloth; Cec
advantage of a decade at the very top and the subtle nuances of his craft have been honed accordingly, b
few 21 year-olds are as mature and level-headed as Courtois.
He imparts authority and a calmness amongst his defenders, playing in such an assured manner that the re
team can be confdent that he w||| a|ways ho|d up h|s end of the barga|n. He`s shown |n a short per|od of t|m
can be decisive in the biggest of games and this coming season will showcase his wares on the biggest c
on Tuesday and Wednesday nights.
There will come a time when a painful decision will need to be made. Cech is the greatest custodian Che
ever had, and even |f h|s |eve| of p|ay drops off |n 13-14, he`|| st||| be better than most. Rep|ac|ng h|m w||| be a
a parting at least on par with that of another European Champion in Didier Drogba.
However, it may prove necessary. Another upwardly mobile year for Courtois and a strong showing in Brazil
see him ascent to a position whereby he is considered the best in the world by the majority. With little left to
with Atlti at that point, he will look to take the next step and compete for major honours on a regular basis. T
be at Ohe|sea; |t w||| not be good enough to make a 15m proft on h|m and watch as he competes aga|nst
for a Barce|ona or a Rea| Madr|d or whoever |t m|ght be.
Oech cou|d have another fve e||te years |n h|m, perhaps more. Oourto|s has the potent|a| for ffteen to twenty.
for change is not now, and all parties are aware of that, hence a third year agreement being struck with Atl
time next year, however, things could be very different. It could be the end of one era of dominance but th
another.
First world problems you say?
ON LO
CHALOBAH
y self-respecting English football journalist about the most exciting prospects in the
l leagues right now and Nathaniel Chalobah will be rather high up on the list. A dual
lity of Sierra Leonean and English, Chalobah, born in Freetown, chose to work towards a
the English national team, which he has represented with aplomb, captaining at each
to his current under-21 role.
evel, Nathaniel played above his age year on year, proving a very important asset to each team.
h |s a g|fted ath|ete, at 6"1` he |s an |mpos|ng m|dfe|der, possess|ng good pace and techn|que.
hese terms he stands out as a Ohe|sea youth product |n that many of our most recent ta|ents |n
t|on are sma||er. Now e|ghteen, Nathan|e| has comp|eted h|s frst year out on |oan under the
e of Ohe|sea |egend G|anfranco Zo|a at Watford, and just as the young m|dfe|der`s youth career
ut, he was an instant hit.
a cons|stent ro|e at a new c|ub, 38 Ohamp|onsh|p games |n a season of great changes - owner-
d p|ay|ng staff - |s no mean feat. Scor|ng fve goa|s and starr|ng |n one of the most dynam|c
the d|v|s|on |s equa||y as |mpress|ve. That th|s was h|s frst profess|ona| compet|t|ve season |n
ball league is a mark of his talent.
a withdrawn playmaking and destroying role for the Hertfordshire side, he quickly became
l to their success, although other signings stole the headlines with goals he ensured the side
ck in the way that Zola had intended. A stunning goal on the way to securing playoff football for
a|so grabbed head||nes, but Oha|obah though confdent, reama|ns frm|y grounded. Such
at 18 |s a s|gn that he w||| go far and natura||y compar|sons are made w|th p|ayers back at h|s
ater.
eg|nn|ng of th|s year, Oha|obah`s form was fna||y be|ng recogn|sed and w|th antagon|st|c
surrounding Frank Lampards potential new contract, Zola was posed the question of who he
was a natural successor. A ringing endorsement of his young protg followed suggesting that
his more defensive capabilities, he could certainly play in the position that Frank plays his
uite the claim. Those who know him however, can tell you that Nathaniels capability to magiste-
tate play when he is on his game, while also packing the ability to run and drive with the ball to
hances in offensive areas.
Nathaniel Chalobahs career thus far has then been a non-stop rise, with impressive assurance, h
to achieve and a clear path of improvement. However, returning to Chelsea this summer he is fac
rea| oppos|t|on for the frst t|me s|nce h|s arr|va| to the Ohe|sea academy. Marco van G|nke|`s equ
impressive engine and calmness on the ball, which he has started to show in pre-season, shows
sort of natura| ath|ete that w||| threaten Nathan|e|. Equa||y Ruben |oftus-Oheek`s cont|nua| |mprov
through the youth ranks implies a similar degree of natural talent that will only get better with age
Chalobahs position then is under threat, however he has the temparement and talent to suggest
only push him on to better himself once more.
One not|ceab|e po|nt |n pre season was the ease |n wh|ch Oha|obah ftted |nto the fedg||ng mour
system. While others such as McEachran and Lucas Piazon were struggling to really dictate play
Nathaniel was very much at home taking on the role of deep lying playmaker, and allowing Marco
Ginkel to travel forward. A partnership for the future perhaps, but his immediate return to under-2
after the Asia tour raises a couple of important questions.
Who and where wou|d be a good |oan move for the young m|dfe|der as he a|ms to |mpress once
Before what w||| sure|y be an |ncreas|ng vo|ume of frst team chances, w|th the departure of hous
names this question is vital. The Championship was a happy hunting ground for the youngster, b
having proved himself absolutely at that level, surely a premiership move would be the way forwa
list of former Chelsea employees at the helm at top level clubs is long and fruitful, but one name j
out. Steve Clarkes treatment of Lukakus hugely important loan spell was very impressive, and a
right noises are emanating from the Hawthorns about other blue talents being welcomed. Clarke
the c|ub`s |nterests at heart and a|though a m|dfe|d duo of Yussuf Mu|umbu and O|aud|o Yacob |
very useful last season, the size and ability of Nathaniel would be very useful addition to the Bagg
arsenal.
There is no doubt Chalobah is an exceptional talent and as long as the club makes the right dec
regarding loans and the player himself retains his hunger to succeed, Chelsea will have a very im
m|dfe|d genera| for years to come, perhaps even a future capta|n.
ON LO
Courtois
sible that the best goalkeeper currently contracted to a Premier League team doesnt actu-
y in the Premier League?
stion which, on the face of it at least, sounds ridiculous and one to which we should immediately know the
but in the case of Thibaut Courtois there is a situation unlike much weve come to know from the standard
hings.
system is a well-trodden path utilised largely to accelerate the development of young prospects, whilst
ally providing a suitable home for players either unwanted by their parent club or a place for them to play
ey decide what to do with them.
gly, however, bigger clubs are beginning to stockpile talent, paying what might seem a premium early on in
get a jump-start on their rivals for a player who may some day be worth three or four times as much. Its an
hich Chelsea have been particularly active and in Courtois, theyve struck gold.
xcess of 7m for a then teenager with barely one season of Belgian professional football to his name might
med odd; another example of the transfer market largesse often exhibited by the Blues, but there were
aits visible in the giant Belgian from day one. They were traits which would not only mark him out for great-
as the perfect successor to Petr Cech.
ward two wonderful seasons with Atltico Madrid and we have a situation where you may easily consider
the better of the two options. By far and away the best goalkeeper in Spain last season, he is already a
the EFA Europa |eague and Super Oup, |ed h|s team to a frst Oopa de| Rey t|t|e |n a|most two decades,
the rock on which the club successfully returned to the Champions League after a four-year absence.
ew marks for the |ongest t|me w|thout conced|ng a |eague goa| frst at home and then away, and asserted
s the und|sputed frst cho|ce for a Be|g|um team who, barr|ng a catastrophe of ep|c proport|ons, w||| be many
t|ps to surpr|se at next summer`s Wor|d Oup |n Braz||. He |s, even at th|s fedg||ng stage of h|s career, wor|d
ous conundrum facing Stamford Bridge brass, though, is that Cech has shown no sign of slowing down. The
seasons of his legendary career have been his best; from an impossibly high level of performance en route to
g Champions of Europe to a 2012-13 campaign where he was a consistent match-winner and point-clincher.
often g|v|ng up the head||nes to the dazz||ng fa|r of Eden Hazard or the begu|||ng w|zardry of Juan Mata, he
mportant as anyone to the club.
fans have often been told that since being assaulted by Stephen Hunt that hes not the same player or that
hes not as good as he was, and some have fallen into the same trap themselves. Its a lazy assertion creat
back of smatterings of television highlights, and although the latter point is misplaced in its direction, it has an
of truth. Hes not the same; hes better.
Courtois, though, is not far away at all. He could quite conceivably have come into the team this summer and
ately been amongst the four best in the country. Only David De Gea and Hugo Lloris outside of SW6 would
in the conversation and, regardless of the impracticalities of such an idea, a battle between Cech and Courto
genuinely be a battle between the two best Premier League goalkeepers. At the same club.
The similarities are startling. They each possess commanding height, play off their left feet, and have remarka
and aerial dominance. Courtois in particular has a gigantic wingspan which allows him to impose himself on
ball; swooping to conquer with astonishing ease. They are both also cut from the same mental cloth; Cec
advantage of a decade at the very top and the subtle nuances of his craft have been honed accordingly, b
few 21 year-olds are as mature and level-headed as Courtois.
He imparts authority and a calmness amongst his defenders, playing in such an assured manner that the re
team can be confdent that he w||| a|ways ho|d up h|s end of the barga|n. He`s shown |n a short per|od of t|m
can be decisive in the biggest of games and this coming season will showcase his wares on the biggest c
on Tuesday and Wednesday nights.
There will come a time when a painful decision will need to be made. Cech is the greatest custodian Che
ever had, and even |f h|s |eve| of p|ay drops off |n 13-14, he`|| st||| be better than most. Rep|ac|ng h|m w||| be a
a parting at least on par with that of another European Champion in Didier Drogba.
However, it may prove necessary. Another upwardly mobile year for Courtois and a strong showing in Brazil
see him ascent to a position whereby he is considered the best in the world by the majority. With little left to
with Atlti at that point, he will look to take the next step and compete for major honours on a regular basis. T
be at Ohe|sea; |t w||| not be good enough to make a 15m proft on h|m and watch as he competes aga|nst
for a Barce|ona or a Rea| Madr|d or whoever |t m|ght be.
Oech cou|d have another fve e||te years |n h|m, perhaps more. Oourto|s has the potent|a| for ffteen to twenty.
for change is not now, and all parties are aware of that, hence a third year agreement being struck with Atl
time next year, however, things could be very different. It could be the end of one era of dominance but th
another.
First world problems you say?
ON LO
McEachran
the most promising youngsters produced in the Abramovich era, Josh McEachran
an enviable position as a young player at a leading European club. A supporters
vourite, having already inspired a poorly thought-out tribute ditty, hes very highly
mong English academy enthusiasts and even so-called experts in the mass media,
long ago listed alongside Jack Wilshere as the standard bearers of the newest
tion of English football. However, with the inclusion of new signings such as Marco
nkel and the emergence of young talents such as Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Lewis
and Isaiah Brown, there are increasing doubts growing over the future of this
head boy.
enty years o|d and no |onger a|| prom|se, Josh must once aga|n prove why h|s except|ona| fna|
umen deserves a permanent p|ace |n a ruth|ess|y unforg|v|ng frst team structure. Josh spent the
3 season at Middlesbrough, the latest of a rather frustrating set of loans. Having initially impressed
r Tony Mowbray, proving integral to the championship sides early drive up the table, by Decem-
n|ngs emerged - just as M|dd|esbrough`s fortunes ebbed. Mowbray suggested that a|though Josh
t|ed |n we||` he was not yet a 'superstar` and |t was t|me for h|m to 'push on and |nfuence the
ore.
as though he |acked a ||tt|e confdence and p|ay|ng a much more reserved defens|ve m|dfe|d ro|e,
at|ve m|dfe|der was often subst|tuted around the hour mark. Mowbray favour|ng s||ght|y more
ced c|ub p|ayers rather than a||ow|ng Josh to push on to h|s natura| 'number 8-and-a-ha|f` ro|e. A
of minor niggles towards the end of the season further limited his playing time and ruled him out of
two.
ran started so well, yet this trait of inconsistency married with speculation about his professional-
h|s performances ta|| off. Hav|ng fo||owed Josh s|nce h|s emergence onto the youth scene, l hope
s|stent pattern of frustrat|ng |oans are not an u|t|mate s|gn|fer of h|s career |n the game. After a||, |f
ot set a mid-table Championship team alight, how can he be expected to take on one of the most
ntested positions at a team dining at Europes top table?
ma|ns an except|ona| ta|ent on the ba||. However h|s |ack of a dr|v|ng runs or phys|ca| presence |s
he must address or work around. There are very few academy products that can see and play a
through ba|| w|th as much natura| v|s|on and ab|||ty as Josh. However, off the ba|| he needs to
being more of an obstacle to opposition in his vital middle third.
P|ay|ng 38 t|mes at the R|vers|de w|th three subst|tute appearances, produc|ng four ass|sts, Mc
showed fashes of exce||ence but |n no great cons|stency, fad|ng |n games |n wh|ch adm|tted|y, h
had ||tt|e possess|on. On the ba||, McEachran`s footba|| |nte|||gence |s very c|ear, just as when he f
on to the scene his passing and quick thinking can slice through the best defences. However,
develop the same incisiveness off the ball in order to become a more well-rounded and effective
The new breed at Ohe|sea under Mour|nho, w|th |ts free fow|ng, counter-attack|ng sty|e and exc
young ta|ents |s both a cata|yst and a curse to Josh`s frst team chances. A cata|yst |n that ou
method has had a fue| |nject|on w|th a new group of fur|ous paced attack|ng m|dfe|ders and a
but solid back six. Of course McEachran is perfectly adept in such a formation, taking it under con
using the ball effectively and quickly. Nevertheless, the jury is still out on his multi-functionality, ess
any m|dfe|der under Jose.
Having come through frustrating loans at Swansea and the back half of the season at Middlesboro
upcom|ng year |s very |mportant |n th|s young ta|ent`s career. Rumours of Ohamp|onsh|p, Prem|ers
Span|sh ||ga (Rea| Soc|edad} |oans have emerged. Many see the ||ga opportun|ty as the perfe
McEachran. Oonverse|y, th|s m|ght mere|y accentuate h|s best qua||t|es but fa|| to address h|s faw
ideal world a lower, perhaps newly promoted Premier League club would offer a consistent ru
team, the r|ght tests and force Josh out of h|s comfort zone. The potent|a|, as we have known s
one, |s there for Josh; now |t |s up to the c|ub to organ|se the r|ght opportun|ty and far more |mp
for him to take it.
ON LO
he right man for the job?
k he is anymore. Defeats to Blackburn and Brad-
were the fna| straws for me. lt |s qu|te c|ear that
to spend, yet he refuses to take us to the next
ne extreme|y we|| at t|mes to get us to fn|sh |n the
he fnances were part|cu|ar|y t|ght but he appears to
went this could be our biggest opportunity to
elves as a contender for the title.
un of form last season to seal a top four place
|. Does this run of form give you condence for
ed tit|e cha||enge this season?
after we lost the north London derby in early
pretty much in a no lose situation and for a few
d without pressure before the jitters set in. I was
ssed with the character shown by the side but from
nd of the season we only played United at home
ree and they had already won the title. Out of our
op three last season we gained two points, with is
We can take parts of the season in isolation and
|t|p|e |t by four because the squad |ack depth.
need to strengthen this summer?
he following:
ablished)
k up)
der
o forge a challenge, as we'll need another four or
s contenders.
on where he plays Cazorla, we may need a signing
n the left wing. Rosicky is currently our attacking
e doesn't create or score anywhere near as much
an Arsena| p|ayer come the end of the window?
fortunately I can't think of a player I detest more
didn't stop the move in the end and I can't see Liverpool keeping
h|m. Surez has had enough opportun|t|es to quash the rumours
but he's elected not to. It reminds me a lot of the Nasri & RVP
transfers, so I think it'll be later in the month. Probably after we've
qua||fed (l hope} for the O|
In terms of modern day riva|ries, which is bigger? Tottenham
or Chelsea?
It's Tottenham for me. This didn't used to be a big concern a few
years ago, as it was always a walk in the park. We are obviously
closer in terms of league position and their last two capitulations in
the league, it has given more relevance to the rivalry. When it
comes to Chelsea, I don't consider it a rivalry as such, you weren't
a rivalry before Roman's millions turned up, you were probably on
the same level as Charlton in terms of local rivalries. I tend to
discount your achievements as anyone can splash hundreds of
millions, there's no sense of achievement in that.

What have you made of the Financia| Fair P|ay era?
I think it's a waste of everyone's time. We have pinned our hopes
on this for a long time but Real are looking to spend 100m on one
player, Falcao & Cavani are costing sides 50m a piece and even we
are considering smashing our transfer record by 30m or so. That
time says this isn't really working.
Has it merely kept the established elite where they are? Or is it
complete tosh given City, PSG and Monacos sustained level of
spending?
l can't wa|t for the frst case to end up w|th court of arb|trat|on for
sport and the walls will come tumbling down.

Roman Abramovich or Ivan Gazidis?
As a person, Gaz|d|s. A s||ght|y unfa|r quest|on as |t's owner v ch|ef
exec. On a footballing level, I prefer neither.
If you cou|d take one p|ayer from Che|sea, who wou|d it be?
This is easier than I thought it would be, Juan Mata. I used to
always think we craved a player like Michael Essien to toughen us
up but clearly his career is in wind down mode.
Who do you be|ieve wou|d get in the Arsena| XI in the Che|sea
squad?
Who do you think wou|d get in the Che|sea XI fro
Koscielny, Sagna, Wilshere, Cazorla & Walcott. I thin
desperate for a proper right winger. So why not save
hassle and whack in a 160m mega bid and be done

Fina||y, how do you see this season panning out
and a sett|ed Arsena| team?
As it stands, we could fall out of the top 4. Tottenham
strengthened and we have not, so based on last sea
to say they are in a better position at present, espec
they may have a qua||ty str|ker for the frst t|me |n a |o
next few weeks will shape our season and I'm just h
come up trumps but I fear I already know the outcom
Wenger will leave when his contract expires at the en
season and he'll manage either PSG or the French n
from 2014.
By Aidan Sweeney
A LOOK AT THE OPPOSITION - ARSENAL
ason, I interviewed Rob Pollard, the founder of Man City blog
mend you go follow him on twitter.
ni was surely the right thing to do, was it not?
o. I love Mancini and always will but things had gone stale
y lost the dressing room. Hes a great man who delivered
year we won the title we played some truly wonderful football)
never going to accept anything other than progression, and
e regressed. Expectations are, quite rightly, very high at City,
ctim of that.
it was very nice, in a strange way, to lose a manager we all
agers leave in a cloud of negativity, but Mancini was loved
ound that really refreshing and enjoyable.
that Mancini should have done better with the squad he
available to him. Why do you think you didn't win the
gh goals and we didnt have a Plan B. 4-2-3-1 can be a
on, wh|ch |s fne |f you`re p|ay|ng we|| and dom|nat|ng
ms fgure you out and defend we|| |t can be d|ffcu|t to break
no option to bring a wide player on to spread the play
r blatantly wasnt up to it, and, consequently, we dropped
uldnt have. Classic example was the 0-0 at Loftus Road.
three at the back but it never really worked.
we at least had the option of bringing De Jong on and
orward, a move which had a lot of success considering how
ason, we were bereft of ideas if things didnt go well early on.
s (and rather unlucky) European campaigns, do you think
ou go further in Europe?
ucky; the second one d|sastrous. F|rst t|me we went out w|th
containing Napoli, Bayern and Villareal. I can accept going out
es because at least we gave it a go. Last season was
with Dortmund and Real Madrid in the group. To not win a
ainst Ajax who arent a great side, was unforgivable.
ord in Europe suggests he should do much better. Lets hope
p this time.
t quite a lot this summer but where else do you think you
?
ov and replace him as a matter of urgency. I have no idea
other than a scary lack of positional sense and almost zero
. He looks lost, hes slow, he shoots when he shouldnt, and
ff him completely. He has to go. Maybe Coentrao from
ood move but we have Clichy whos been excellent and just
How does it feel to support the other oil-rich, anti-fair play team with no
history?
I hate football fans notion of history. Every team has history. Our recent history
isnt littered with big prizes but it was still fantastic to be part of it. The 99 play-off
fna|; the fo||ow|ng year`s unexpected promot|on under Joe Roy|e; Keegan`s a||-out
attack Ohamp|onsh|p w|nners - they were a|| fantast|c years. Footba|| fans need to
start understanding the difference between success and history. Theres a great
chapter in one of Howard Hockins City books that looks at this.
To answer the question, it feels great. Anyone who says they preferred the days of
Laurent Charvet or Georgios Samaras is a liar. I get to watch David Silva now and
its an absolute joy.
Financia| Fair P|ay, wi|| it make it a |eve| p|aying e|d for everyone or make it
impossible to clubs like us to compete with Bayern, Man United and Real
Madrid etc?
Personally, I think all it does is further consolidate the dominance of the best
teams. Those clubs who are dominating now will continue to do so almost
unchallenged. People used to complain about the Top 4 in England being predict-
able, yet when City invested heavily in an attempt to change that, people didnt like
that either. Its that sort if ridiculous hypocrisy that make football fans such a
loathsome breed.
l a|so th|nk |t f|es |n the face of E |aw. By say|ng a c|ub cannot run at a |oss, you
are restricting investment into teams that need it to progress. To my knowledge,
no other sector restricts businesses in that way, so I cant understand how its
even legal.
Roman Abramovich or Sheikh Mansour?
Mansour. He and Khaldoon Al Mubarak have modernised and improved the
aspects of the club that needed it, and kept other traditions that are important to
City fans intact. Its been a good mix. Mansour and his team are also seemingly
less likely to change manager or, indeed, appoint a man like Benitez when all and
sundry could see it was a stupid idea.
Were you a bit gutted to not get Mourinho? Or do you think he was never a
target?
I was delighted, I cant stand the man. The reaction from Chelsea fans upon his
return was great - it was genuinely an incredible thing to see such a positive
consensus from a set of fans and |t shows you what a great job he d|d frst t|me
and also the impression he left there. That said, I dont like how he conducts
himself. I think hes a self-absorbed ego maniac, and the eye gouging incident and
the nauseat|ng arse ||ck|ng of n|ted and Ferguson dur|ng the Ohamp|ons |eague
|ast-16 th|s season were the fna| straws for me.
l don`t be||eve, g|ven Sor|ano and Beg|r|sta|n`s |nfuence at O|ty, that he was ever a
target for us, and Im glad about that.
I've never had a problem with City since Craig Bellamy left b
Agero tackle on Luiz at Wembley all about!?
Totally out of character and, quite frankly, shocking. I couldnt bel
has been a breath of fresh air since day one at City: he barely goe
challenge, even when he potentially could do, and he plays the g
way. That was a total one off. Soz.
If you could take one player from Chelsea, who would it be?
Mata. Hes a genius.
Who do you believe would get in the City XI in the Chelsea s
Mata and...Im struggling after that.
Who do you think would get in the Chelsea XI from City?
Hart, Zabaleta, Richards, Kompany, Nastasic, Yaya, Aguero and S
Finally, how do you see this season panning out for Pellegrin
City team?
Its going to be very interesting. Traditionally, hes often employed
know the owners eventually want us to go 4-3-3 across the club.
Jesus Navas who plays very wide, and we also have the players
4-2-3-1, so I currently have little idea how we will line up, which is
I like Pellegrini a lot, and have done for years - the job he did at V
phenomenal - so I am very much looking forward to seeing him w
changes at Ohe|sea and n|ted, too, |t w||| be very |nterest|ng to s
out.
By Aidan Sweeney
ew season, I've spoke to Scott, the founder of
anchester United blog The Republik Of Man-
ht have noticed the eye catching Republik Of
er at Old Trafford on your travels.
ht man to replace Fergie?
ourinho was going to get the job after the way he
when we played Real Madrid in the Champions
obably the only manager out there who could
ophy or two. So in the short term, over the next
s, he would be the right man for the job. But then
king for success just over the next few years, but
of hacks claim Moyes is "cut from the same cloth"
not sure where that comes from. Ferguson has
every level. He was beating Real Madrid and the
ions to win trophies in Europe with Aberdeen!
a cracking job at Everton, so if I was the fan of a
be over the moon. When Fergie got the job we
ation zone and his CV was for more impressive
eems odd we would opt for a man who hasn't
en we're champions. I honestly can't tell you
right man for the job or not, but Sir Alex Ferguson
l just have to hope he's right.
u think he'll be given in charge if things aren't
ix year contract for a reason. As long as we're in
therefore getting Champions League money) then
e'll get rid of him. Things aren't the same now as
Ferguson got the job, obviously, but I'd hate to see
manager every year, so I hope he's given time to
hink you need to strengthen the squad this
y and on the w|ngs. lf Nan| p|ays ||ke he d|d |n
Valencia like 2011-2012, and Zaha becomes as
, we're fne on the w|ngs. But chances of a|| three
slim to none, unfortunately.
forgave him after he did this in 2010 and, if he stays, there will be
people who forgive him again, but there's no way he can go down
in our history books as a "legend" now. I don't know how much of
|t |s h|m or how much of |t |s the overbear|ng |nfuence of Pau|
Stretford, but either way, he's not a popular man. I think it would be
an awfu| |dea to se|| h|m to a Prem|er |eague r|va|, but l wou|d be
more than happy to see us fog h|m abroad.
Financia| Fair P|ay, wi|| it make it a |eve| p|aying e|d for every-
one or allow clubs such as yourself, Bayern, Madrid etc to
dominate without challenge?
United's net spend per season in the transfer market since
Abramovich bought Chelsea is around 12m. To give that some
context, Aston Villa's is 10m, Liverpool's is 16m, and Chelsea's
is 50m. Since Abramovich came, United have won the league
more than anyone else. Let's not forget we are hundreds of million
|n debt eh? So |f FFP makes c|ubs ||ke Ohe|sea br|ng through the|r
own youth team players and not spunk 50m on donkeys like
Fernando Torres, then I think it's a positive thing. United have had
to be creative in the way they've spent and sold in the transfer
market. Maybe now is the time for City and Chelsea to appoint a
manager who is capable of doing the same.
Roman Abramovich or The Glazers?
Is that a serious question? An owner who steals from the club and
fans, or an owner who buys you trophies? It's fairly obvious, isn't it?
But the fact that Abramovich hasn't managed to match the
success United have had, despite us being in ridiculous debt and
Chelsea having money to burn, suggests he hasn't done anywhere
near as well as he should have done. He has made ridiculous
decisions that have cost the club and prevented Chelsea from
achieving what they should have done, with the players bought and
money spent. Chelsea should have dominated English football
|ndefn|te|y, unt|| O|ty's new owners came around at |east. And l'm
amazed he didn't get more stick from you lot for appointing a
manager who slagged you all off and said you were shit fans. So if I
could choose neither Abramovich or the Glazers, that would be my
pick.
Were you a bit gutted to not get Mourinho? Or do you think he
was never a target?
He was never a target, much to his disappointment. I think we'd
win the league for the next three years if he was our manager but
gutted. I think it's pretty funny that the best two team
didn't even contact him about their vacated manager
bet that hurt his ego, but I may feel differently in a few
If you could take one player from Chelsea, who would
Juan Mata. He is quality.
Who do you believe would get in the MUFC XI in
squad?
The obvious ones would be Ashley Cole, Juan Mata,
Oscar.
Who do you think would get in the Chelsea XI from M
Based on last season's form... De Gea, Rafael, Rio, C
Rooney (despite having a poor season by his standa
better than a|| of your str|kers} and van Pers|e.
Finally, how do you see this season panning out f
his new team?
Ferguson is the best manager this country has ever s
able to compensate for the inadequacies of the squa
won't be able to bridge the gap in the same way, so
|n a wor|d c|ass m|dfe|der then l w||| be a |ot more co
defence and attack are good. We've got a team of w
plenty of experienced players who can help guide the
squad needs strengthening.
By Aidan Sweeney
ew season, I've asked full time Spurs tweeter
questions.
Billy at @ScroobiusMac.
st season, you must have been very disappoint-
pointing but at the same time compared with recent
a mild disappointment. There was no mind the gap
was nothing compared to last year. We didnt even
was more that Arsenal just went on an insane run
merely had good form.
of the season were also relatively low. At the end of
|eague fna| l thought th|s was the end of our good
ric and Bale would leave and wed return to medi-
t happen and Im now more optimistic about this
.
o stay, you've signed Pau|inho, Chad|i is on his
|ent summer so far. Where e|se do you need to
Defoe says you need a striker you really need a
ansitioning towards 4-3-3 then said striker needs to
r. Soldado is todays rumour but who knows what
e.
nk we need a left-back but I dont know who. It
at AVB rates Assou-Ekotto and whilst hes a great
nderstand why AVB isnt keen on him as a footbal-
nny Rose who had a cracking season last year for
d st||| be caut|ous about h|m be|ng our frst cho|ce
on outgoings. If Defoe or Adebayor leave then we
n - a top qua||ty frst cho|ce one and preferab|y a
ou|d p|ay frst-team |n cup games. lf a|| of Parker,
uddlestone leave then were maybe one man short
fe|d.
e the right man from the [ob, do you agree?
he made a few errors in line-up selection last year and hopefully
with the squad being shaped more by him now this will be less of an
issue. One thing I was impressed by AVB was how he could focus
on one spec|fc |ssue and seem|ng|y so|ve |t. We spent the open|ng
ha|f of the season |os|ng po|nts |n the fna| 5 m|nutes but the second
ha|f w|nn|ng po|nts |n the fna| 5 wh|ch l put down to AvB`s coach|ng.
With this season set to be the most competitive ever for a top
four spot, do you reckon Spurs have got it in them?
Yes but I think 6 teams all have it in them and 4 of those 6 also have
it in them to screw it up and miss out. Its easy to say now that we
look good but Arsenal still have some top-notch players to come in
you would imagine so well have to assess again on September 3rd.
How have it been watching Che|sea win the Champions League
and the Europa League within 12 months of each other?
We|| the frst was crush|ng, espec|a||y the manner of |t where you had
no right winning that game. It was us losing out on CL spot than you
winning it that hurt though. I still have a policy of wanting English
teams to win in the CL (unless its very funny if they lose) so if it hadnt
meant us missing out I probably would have been cheering you on.
Europa League barely registered, I was out so didnt watch the
match. In a way Im glad you won for Rafa who didnt deserve the
stick he got from your fans or the scepticism from the press.
Financia| Fair P|ay, wi|| it make it a |eve| p|aying e|d for every-
one or make it impossib|e for c|ubs |ike us to compete with
Bayern, Man United and Rea| Madrid etc?
l`|| be honest l don`t know the spec|fcs of FFP enough to comment.
If/when it gets enforced Ill learn about it then but I couldnt tell you
the implications enough for you guys. I imagine well be in a good
position however due to being relatively frugal.
Roman Abramovich or Danie| Levy?
Levy. He may be frustrating but hes got a lot of progress out of our
club in a very sensible manner. Im not sure Id want to be a fan of a
c|ub owned by a cr|m|na| and wh|ch h|res and fres the way the way
yours does The large amount of money you have itself doesnt
Who wou|d get in the Spurs XI from the Che|sea s
Luiz, Cole, Mata, Hazard, Torres.
Who wou|d get in the Che|sea XI from the Spurs s
Sandro, Dembele, Bale, Vertonghen.
(I wouldnt say theres much between Azpi/Walker an
How far can AvB take Spurs?
In my opinion, 2 more excellent signings and I see
capable of challenging for the title. I still think were a w
and Chelsea and probably United unless Moyes make
tal cock-up. Id say 3rd would be our absolute upp
would still be fantastic in the current climate.
Fina||y, how do you see this season working out f
I can see us winning a cup this year we have a squa
more rotatable so should be able to compete on
front. In the league I think it will depend on who Arse
sign. At the moment Id probably give us the edge b
weve close to shown our hand whilst Arsenal still ha
to p|ay |n the transfer market. Opt|m|st|c 4th - rea||st|
By Aidan Sweeney
of Sir Alex Ferguson has rendered the Premier League landscape
e|y new |ight. There is no |onger that air of assured condence at
United, an absence of the previous guarantee that come the end of
United would be challenging for the title.
is a new face, but not necessarily a new team. There are many parallels
between David Moyes and Ferguson: their nationality, their path to the
upbringing, and in broader terms, stylistically the two are fairly similar. On
at might seem a ludicrous accusation: United have, of course, devel-
at|on for four|sh|ng attack|ng p|ay, wh||e Everton was bu||t on a founda-
defensiveness and at times, an overwhelming negativity.
nagers prefer the same bu||d|ng b|ocks: two banks of four, and some
o up front. Just whether the latter will also include Wayne Rooney
e seen, but nevertheless Uniteds style feels it will remain fairly familiar.
g over|y comp||cated to |t, and Moyes w||| not make sweep|ng changes.
bly introduce more pragmatism, even at a club where the expectation is
inate the play. However, it would be remiss to ignore Uniteds strategy in
hat have recently gone by, where Ferguson has often instructed his side
h|nd the ba|| before break|ng qu|ck|y down one part|cu|ar fank.
of over|oad|ng down the s|des - w|th the fu||-backs gett|ng forward and
er dr|ft|ng towards a spec|fc zone - has a|ready been |ntroduced at n|t-
on tra|n|ng sess|ons, w|th Moyes keen to encourage h|s p|ayers to qu|ck-
play from side to side in drills tailored towards this particular phase of
chae| Oarr|ck w||| rema|n a key p|ayer, a|though h|s partner |n m|dfe|d
est|on. n|ted cont|nue to be ||nked w|th Marouane Fe||a|n| and Oesc
ose differing styles broadly, the former is physical, the latter technical
|on about what exact|y n|ted want from th|s zone, a|though Moyes has
ey want someone who can provide goals from deep.
uest|on surround|ng n|ted |s whether Moyes` negat|ve sty|e at Everton
philosophy or circumstance. Whether he will become more open in an
boast|ng greater qua||ty rema|ns to be seen. He speaks of an |nfuence
ca||s 'the best attack|ng team ever, G|asgow Oe|t|c" and says that 'l
ms to p|ay that sort of attack|ng footba||, but somet|mes you have to fnd
ing even when youre not playing well. You can only do the job with the
ot."
The sacking of Roberto Mancini cannot be properly assessed
acknowledgment of Manchester Citys espoused ideals for the f
football club. The arrivals of Fernando Soriano and Txiki Begiristain
the start of last season seemed to end Mancinis time there and then
vious work at Barcelona and the much derided vision of a holistic
seemed at odds with Mancinis abrupt and aggressive style of mana
was, in effect, a dead man walking.
Manuel Pellegrini seems a calmer operator, one more willing to discuss tr
gy and tactical decisions than to be at odds with his boss. He has the e
work|ng |n tumu|tuous workp|aces both at Rea| Madr|d and Ma|aga, b
opposite of the point City want him to encourage the antithesis of th
and to have h|m work|ng harmon|ous|y w|th a|| |eve|s of the O|ty h|erarch
Therefore, the suggestion that Citys sporting director, Begiristain, will dem
format|on, seems fanc|fu|: |nstead, O|ty w||| ||ke|y p|ay w|th great fex|b|||ty
in line with Pellegrinis elastic approach. 4-2-3-1, 4-4-2 and the diam
appeared in some measure during his time in South America and Spain,
now boast|ng a squad fu|| of versat||e, techn|ca| attack|ng p|ayers, |t`s ||k
manager w||| t|nker w|th h|s s|de`s format|on from game to game.
He w||| be |ook|ng part|cu|ar|y to get the best out of new s|gn|ngs Jesu
Stefan Jovetic. Both echo with Pellegrinis love of technical players, as
the four|sh|ng of Sant| Oazor|a, Joaqu|n, Joan Roman R|que|me and An
sandro under h|s watchfu| eye. Dav|d S||va w||| a|most certa|n|y be a key f
thought of h|m ||nk|ng up w|th Navas and Jovet|c on e|ther s|de |s tanta||
ways, Pellegrinis approach might not be too dissimilar to that of his pred
often encouraged S||va and Sam|r Nasr| to dr|ft |ns|de from the fanks |nto
mak|ng pos|t|ons.
However, whereas Mancinis strategy always felt a bit chaotic, Pellegrin
s|de met|cu|ous|y |n certa|n phases of p|ay, and broad|y speak|ng, O|ty
attack w|th greater structure. F|nd|ng that ba|ance between d|sc|p||ne
shou|dn`t be too d|ffcu|t for Pe||egr|n|, who often coaxed more coun
displays from his players at Villareal and Malaga whilst leading them to e
in the latter stages of the Champions League.
Pellegrini wont necessarily get his players playing beyond their ability, but
a| qua||ty of O|ty`s p|ayers |sn`t |n doubt - |t`s the|r ab|||ty to p|ay as a team
Tim Palmer Looks at Arsenal & Spurs
difcu|t to think of a scenario where a side's prospects for the new season
ges so much on one p|ayer, or a certain transfer. When it comes to preview-
Tottenham and Arsena| for the 2013/14 campaign, you a|ways come frus-
ing|y back to one issue. for Spurs, the question of whether Gareth Ba|e wi||
y or go, and for Arsena|, whether Arsene Wenger wi|| open the
equebook?
oth cases, |t |s d|ffcu|t to pred|ct how th|ngs w||| turn out - but there |s ||tt|e doubt
ch h|nges on the outcome. For Spurs, they |ose the|r key attack|ng weapon, the
yer they came a|arm|ng|y re||ant upon towards the ta|| end of 2012/13. Ba|e`s
sformat|on from |eft-back, |eft-w|nger and now to pract|ca||y as a pure goa|
rer has been we||-documented, and |t w||| be extraord|nar||y d|ffcu|t for Andre
as-Boas to rep|ace h|s sheer |nfuence upon the s|de.
as the Ba|e saga ro||s on, the Portuguese has added some |ntr|gu|ng new p|eces
|s squad. Tw|ce he was broken Tottenham`s transfer record, frst|y for the Braz||-
m|dfe|der Pau||nho, who |s both strong and phys|ca| but c|ever and creat|ve.
re was ||tt|e of the |atter and far more of the former |n Sco|ar|`s system at the Oon-
erat|ons Oup, where Pau||nho was asked to p|ay a very reserved, ho|d|ng ro|e |n
t of the defence - but even so, there was a h|nt at what the add|t|ona| goa|-scor-
threat he w||| prov|de for Tottenham, what w|th h|s two v|ta| goa|s aga|nst Japan
ruguay. H|s Frank |ampard-||ke knack for break|ng forward |nto pena|ty box
|t|ons, ev|dent throughout h|s t|me at Oor|nth|ans, w||| prove a usefu| fo|| for fe||ow
a| poacher Roberto So|dado, who has s|gned for 26 m||||on euros from va|enc|a.
dado |s the end to Tottenham`s perenn|a| search for a str|ker but there rema|ns
meth|ng unconv|nc|ng about h|s arr|va|: |n an age where |t |s not enough for str|k-
to s|mp|y score goa|s, there are quest|ons about h|s ab|||ty to ||nk up p|ay and
mb|ne w|th h|s fe||ow attackers.
ose concerns are probab|y exaggerated, a|though the dynam|c of Tottenham`s
ack w||| certa|n|y change. There |s the fee||ng that a move towards 4-3-3 rather
n the 4-4-2/4-2-3-1 favoured |ast year |s ||ke|y as to accommodate a Pau||n-
Dembe|e-Sandro m|dfe|d, and so the w|de p|ayers w||| p|ay h|gher up the p|tch,
ected to prov|de extra goa|-scor|ng thrust: someth|ng that m|ght be more beft-
of Nacer Ohad|| rather than Aaron |ennon. |ennon has a|ways fe|t perfect for a
-2, w|th h|s w||||ngness to dr|ve down the outs|de and wh|p |n crosses as we|| as
However, Ohad|| |mpressed for Twente on the |eft of a 4-3-3, dr|ft|ng |ns|de qu|ck
towards goa| - wh|ch wou|d accommodate Ba|e`s tendency to do the same on th
oppos|te fank. Then aga|n, though, we come back to that perpetua| quest|on - w
Ba|e even be |n North |ondon?
lt |s s|m||ar|y d|ffcu|t to pred|ct |f |u|s Suarez w||| too be |n the cap|ta| by the t|me th
new season ro||s around. H|s mooted transfer to Arsena|, and subsequent departu
from ||verpoo|, under||nes the fee||ng that Brendan Rodgers`s s|de w||| once aga|n b
compet|ng for Europe rather than the t|t|e. lt wou|d have oppos|te ram|fcat|ons fo
Arsena|, though - Suarez wou|d prov|de an aston|sh|ng upgrade |n attack that cou
potent|a||y catapu|t Arsene Wenger`s team |nto the t|t|e contenders.
But wh||e that does not happen, Arsena| w||| cont|nue to stagnate. There |s ||tt
doubt |nvestment |s needed - a d|sma| cha||enge for the domest|c cups and anoth
|eague season spent chas|ng fourth p|ace rather than frst |||ustrates as much - b
|t need not necessar||y be a s|zeab|e out|ay. Arsena|`s squad |s stronger than
appears, boast|ng a number of versat||e p|ayers capab|e of fu|f|||ng mu|t|p|e ro|e
but w|thout a true ho|d|ng m|dfe|der to accommodate Jack W||shere`s burs
forward, or a str|ker to fn|sh the chances created by Sant| Oazor|a, the ||ke||hood
Arsena| founder|ng rather than four|sh|ng rema|ns strong.
For wh||e Wenger`s approach rema|ns adm|rab|e, the rea||ty |s that Arsena| hav
begun to |ose the |ure of be|ng beaut|fu| that was often passed over as the reaso
as to why they were no |onger t|t|e contenders. They no |onger p|ay w|th the |ntr|cac
or exc|tement that earned them the mon|ker of be|ng the best team to watch
Eng|and: the s||de towards med|ocr|ty has been s|ow but obv|ous. W|thout a
upgrade |n the squad th|s summer, whether |t come at the cost of 40 m||||on pound
or not, |t rema|ns d|ffcu|t to see them tru|y push|ng onto the upper eche|ons of th
Prem|er |eague.
And so, to tru|y see where Arsena| are at, we w|||, ||ke w|th Tottenham, have to wa
and see.
cademy
iew
licable standard on the pitch, Chelseas academy have been amongst the best in
he past few years. Two FA Youth Cup titles (and a runners-up tag alongside them),
eries Finalists, Reserve League Champions; these are merely the headlines of a
n setup from Under-21 level all the way down to the most formative age groups
h primary school kids. Not only are they incredibly successful, theyre extremely
g, with even the most casual observer of their games able to testify to their exhila-
of quick, dynamic football.
ach the 2013-14 campaign, the promise of even more lies ahead. Revamped competitions are
nd new ones as the Under-21 and Under-18 teams prepare for a packed schedule at home and
the a|d of produc|ng p|ayers to jo|n Jose Mour|nho`s frst team squad; a not|on wh|ch may not be
as it has been at times during the Roman Abramovich era.
8) made half a dozen competitive appearances under Rafael Benitez last season whilst a pair of
n Andreas Christensen and Ruben Loftus-Cheek caught the eye in a post-season tour of the
.
man was also afforded an opportunity Stateside and continued his development under new man-
sia this pre-season, where he was joined by fellow budding professionals Bertrand Traore, Islam
e, and Tomas Kalas, plus the more seasoned youngsters Josh McEachran and Nathaniel Chalo-
Chelsea with world-class potential is emerging, and so in turn, excitement is growing at what
sible from a group of younger players who have had a very good summer indeed.
mys Under-21 team took in a brief stop of the East Coast of the United States where they picked
a draw against young Philadelphia Union and New York Red Bulls teams. Upon their return to
s, a series of friendlies against non-league opponents were lined up, and whilst in previous
nexperienced boys have sometimes found it tough against men, theyve simply swept them aside
nd.
from the imperious Alex Kiwomya, John Swift, and new singing Isaiah Brown, the Blues left their
on United, Colwyn Bay, Ilkeston, Wealdstone, and Hendon and go into a new-look Under-21
confdence.
16 year-o|d Brown, who made h|s top-f|ght debut |ast season and became the second-youngest
ue player ever in the process, caused no little controversy but even in just a few weeks he has
array of talents which forced Chelsea into moving for him. Devastating pace, sparkling footwork,
movement are all present in a player for whom the sky is the limit.
remie Boga, a Lewis Baker and an Alex Davey, and youve got the makings of a team which can
not on|y conquer a|| before them th|s season, but go on to b|gger and better th|ngs. Drummy w|
a 21-game domestic league schedule which also has an Under-21 cup for intrigue, whilst the Ne
moves up to Under-20 level and will involve those who reached the Final in Lake Como last term
With upwards of a dozen players already out on loan Billy Clifford, Todd Kane, George Saville, Pa
et al, the usual suspects opportunities are there to be taken for what will once again the young
in the country. The effect is felt further down the ladder as well, with Adi Viveash set to lead a
younger nder-18 squad |n what w||| be a very exc|t|ng campa|gn for them as we||.
Recapturing a Youth Cup lost in frustrating fashion to Norwich City will be high on the agenda, but
egory One league where everyone plays everyone else (and with more games than before too) and
of the UEFA Youth League mean theres even more to play for.
The c|ub are yet to fu||y confrm who w||| feature |n each compet|t|on but Academy Manager Ne|| Ba
that Viveash and company will take on the UEFA-led initiative, which mirrors the senior compe
stage draw and fxture dates. Were |t to have been |n operat|on |ast season, for examp|e, Ohe|se
faced Juventus, Shakhtar Donetsk and FC Nordsjaelland at youth level in the same match week
counterparts faced off.
Age e||g|b|||ty ru|es prec|ude a number of the ||ke|y NextGen squad from tak|ng part so |t make
sense for v|veash to |ead what |s a very |nexper|enced yet em|nent|y capab|e team |nto Europe fo
at this level. Much will be expected of Charlie Colkett, Charly Musonda and Ola Aina, all Youth C
at var|ous stages of |ast season, but new frst-year scho|ars George Brady and Kasey Pa|mer h
offer and in George Cole, Jordan Houghton and Jonathan Muleba the team has leadership an
abundance.
Its often been easy to point out the lack of progression through the ranks at Chelsea, and
Bertrand hav|ng graduated not on|y |nto the frst team but |nto fu|| |nternat|ona| recogn|t|on, cr|t|cs
John Terry is the last true product of the clubs academy. Regardless of the rights and wrongs of t
there is some truly superb work being done at Cobham to develop a host of prodigious talents
prove but even more to offer.
Mourinho has shown glimpses this summer that he may be at a point in his career where he wan
their potential like he never has before. With that in mind, it promises to be as important a season
as any in recent memory.
By Chelsea Youth
ADEMY
l the media scrutiny about Chelsea not producing academy players (like
e has recently, and well, if they are of the standard of Welbeck Im not sure Id
it) we seem to be producing a crop of very talented kids at the moment. The
ing is a list of players to keep an eye on this season as the Chelsea U21s strut
tuff amongst Europes elite.
Loftus-Cheek signed a professional deal back in January, and due to the money involved
as a lot of media coverage. A very positive sign for RLC is his ability to not let this affect him
ething which should keep him in good stead over his Chelsea career. He has, if anything,
better now he has the deal under wraps.
guilty of coasting through games in his own age category, his performances against Man-
r City in the United States were a sign of his potential. He took his chance to shine with both
and at t|mes outp|ayed the exper|ence Toure. R|O |s the archetypa| modern m|dfe|der, who
emingly grown even more this preseason. He is dominating games against men and is start-
ake centre stage.
s legitimate interest surrounding taking Loftus-Cheek on loan this season in the Champion-
here is a belief that it could have a similarly galvanising effect on him as it did with Nathaniel
ah. Perhaps s||ght|y more comfortab|e |n m|dfe|d than Nate, he cou|d s|ot |nto any Ohamp|-
side with an ambition to play football. Keep an eye on Watford as a potential destination.
currently seventeen and will turn eighteen halfway through the football season. A Rolls
of a m|dfe|der, you get the |mpress|on that he fts the modern centra| m|dfe|d prototype.
ourinho will no doubt be keeping a keen eye on RLC this preseason.
Baker |s often the understated man |n Ohe|sea`s m|dfe|d at academy |eve|. He w||| ||ke|y
the U21s next season and has recently signed a new deal at the club which will extend his
ere until 2016. Not the most vocal of players, but more of a leader by example. Watching
off the ball, particularly in aspects of pressing, is quite remarkable. He absolutely gets his
sibilities in any area of the pitch.
s abso|ute|y comm|tted to the sh|rt and |t |s refected |n the way Dermot Drummy regards
this level. Unusually, he is entirely two-footed, often seen taking set pieces with either foot.
You w||| get a performance out of Baker |n any m|dfe|d pos|t|on the c|ub current|y uses
anywhere |n a three man m|dfe|d, anywhere |n a p|vot and anywhere |n the three attack
ers |n a 4231. lmpress|ve|y scored 14 goa|s from m|dfe|d |n 35 appearances |ast se
could potentially feature in a cup game this season.
Jeremie Boga is a name that you should familiarise yourself with over the course of th
he is likely to star in the FA Youth Cup. While there are comparisons to an early Gal K
are hopes within the academy that Boga is more likely to come through. Kakuta rema
the most impressive player to represent Chelsea at U18 level in the Abramovich era. H
could change this season. Boga is eerily reminiscent of Eden Hazard at his best. W
operate as a number 10, he |s equa||y comfortab|e ghost|ng |n from e|ther fank an
game by the scruff of its neck.
Boga is blessed with superb trickery, pace, balance and close control that see him m
ery of opponents |n t|ght spaces. He can dr|bb|e through m|dfe|d, around fu||-backs a
cause chaos whenever he touches the ball. His performance against Barcelonas a
season was sensational and his goal a true testament to his quality. He is the X-Fact
academy setup, the difference maker and he has potential to make his mark this seas
Lastly, the familiar name of Nathan Ak is certainly someone to keep an eye on over t
this season. He is highly unlikely to go out on loan as it stands as he needs to have on
at the club to be deemed home grown for UEFA purposes. A centre back at age gr
Ake |s ||ke|y to end up p|ay|ng |n m|dfe|d due to h|s s|ze.
His performance against Marouane Fellaini on the last day of the season was particu
s|ve and a s|gn of th|ngs to come. Wh||e |t took the young Dutchman a wh||e to sett|
his second half performance was brilliant. A superb one-on-one tackler, his aggression
and awareness were brilliant in the holding role. He can pass the ball well enough and
out from the back.
Th|s year Ake may fnd more t|me p|ay|ng at the 21 |eve|, but there shou|d certa|n|y b
t|es |n the cup |f favourab|e draws are obta|ned. He may beneft by p|ay|ng |n a m|dfe
often and I would like to see him partner Ruben Loftus-Cheek to form a classy pair at
By Joe Tweeds
HINING LIGHTS
lsea fan is often many things, but it is certainly never dull. We exist as a club in
aos perilously balanced between the lines of self-destruction and harmony. The
gernaut has deed a|| convention under Roman Abramovich. At times derai|ment
on looked inevitable; yet things always seem to be wrestled back from oblivion to
ourse. The constant state of ux at the c|ub shou|d never have produced the
s. Nevertheless, the club appear to be moving to calmer waters by paradoxically
Special One Mk. II.
ntment of Jos Mourinho Chelsea return to essentially where it all began under Roman Abramov-
lution needs a focal point and the last vestiges of the Mourinho ideology could be seen in every
a won after his departure. He imbued within the squad an inner strength that is rarely matched by
n world football. The European Cup victory masterminded by Roberto Di Matteo leaned heavily
cy of the original Mourinho squad. There is little merit in explaining Munich 2012 Chelsea just
than Napo||, Benfca, Barce|ona and Mun|ch a|ong the way. That yen for success |s a c|ass|c tra|t
o side.
ming full circle Chelsea have a manager who by his own admission believes he is in the best
s] career in terms of knowledge and experience. Chelsea have signed a more mature manager
s new found calmness still bristles with an impudent swagger. With the departure of Sir Alex
sea have unquestionably the best manager in the Premier League.
rrival has produced all the headlines then it must be said that Chelseas greatest strength over the
has been to qu|et|y amass some of Europe`s fnest young ta|ent. The much ma||gned M|chae|
d take credit for his work here. While questions remain about his ability to effectively construct a
d, his forays into the European talent pool are proving far more successful.
n Hazard, were expensive. Nevertheless, if Gareth Bale is worth 100m then buying Eden Hazard
m was a stroke of genius. Others like Romelu Lukaku were certainly expensive punts, however
nt at West Bromwich Albion and subsequent improvements in preseason under Mourinho hope-
h|s was a barga|n fee. Oscar, ||kew|se, came w|th an exorb|tant pr|ce tag and h|s frst season
st he is worth every penny. It is prudent to note that none of this trio are older than 23.
signings like Thibaut Courtois, Marco van Ginkel and Kevin De Bruyne (all for under 25m) where
rves most credit. Chelsea have a direct world class replacement for Petr Cech in Thibaut Cour-
mances for Atltico Madrid have been sensational and consolidated his position as Europes top
per. Marco van Ginkel oozes class when in possession and is reminiscent of Fernando Redondo
ev|n De Bruyne m|ght we|| deve|op |nto one of the wor|d`s e||te m|dfe|ders and |s ||ke|y to feature
rongest XI.
cularly interesting to see how Mourinho utilises the prodigiously talented Oscar and Kevin De
Oscar has thrived playing both out wide and as a classic number 10, there is a school of thought
a deeper deployment might be where he eventually settles. He has the passing range, skill, vision
n to become a modern deep lying playmaker. Drifting past players with ease before unleashing a
m|dfe|d maestro that Ohe|sea have craved. W|th the d|rect|on that modern footba|| |s head|ng M
see the pa|r as potent|a| opt|ons |n h|s m|dfe|d p|vot or |n a 433 shape.
Perhaps the biggest cause of excitement for fans is the strides that the clubs academy has made
few seasons. The |eve| of |nvestment at the c|ub has been substant|a| and 10 years down the ||ne
see|ng the potent|a| returns. Ryan Bertrand |s now frm|y estab||shed |n the squad and g|ven a con
games in the side has looked impressive. Nathaniel Chalobah shone at Watford during his time ther
see a Premier League loan this season. Whether he ends up as a ball playing centre back or techn
p||shed centra| m|dfe|der rema|ns to be seen. Mour|nho rates h|m and seem|ng|y has h|m penc|||ed
for the 2014/15 season.
Slightly further down is the intriguing prospect of Ruben Loftus-Cheek. RLC picked up some me
over h|s contractua| s|tuat|on at the c|ub. Neverthe|ess, he |s a Ro||s Royce of a m|dfe|der b|essed
s|ze and techn|ca| ab|||ty that makes h|m the archetypa| modern (and Mour|nho} m|dfe|der. l am a
RLC and there are whispers that he could already be a potential loan target for the second half o
Wh||e many factors u|t|mate|y contr|bute to whether a p|ayer makes the grade at a c|ub, there
several who have the potential. Loftus-Cheek strolls around the park much like Michael Ballack on
|n the mou|d of Europe`s current e||te centra| m|dfe|ders.
Whether by chance or scrupu|ous p|ann|ng the s|tuat|on the c|ub current|y fnds themse|ves |n |s ext
|ng. A b|end of exper|ence, some of the best young ta|ent |n wor|d footba|| and an academy fna||y p
desired quality suggests the future is certainly bright. It actually feels a little too sensible for C
2013/14 Barc|ays Prem|er |eague season needs to be one of gent|e evo|ut|on at the c|ub. Mo
cultivate a team capable of challenging for the title, but more importantly provide the technical and
to extract the best from h|s p|ayers. Th|s |s a team that shou|d be seen as a two year project: frst
and second year to really impose themselves on the league.
Under the Benitez regime (I am delighted I no longer have to type that name on a regular basis) I t
naturally optimistic fan to one who resented going to games. There was a poisonous atmosphere
result of a board and fan base going in completely the opposite direction. Everything has changed
th|ng. After severa| tumu|tuous seasons defned by manager|a| sack|ngs and dream|ng of what m|g
the c|ub fna||y fee|s stab|e. Neverthe|ess, the quest|ons surround|ng the c|ub and |ts p|ayers w
persist. Will Mourinho stay? Can Chelsea keep the likes of Hazard, Mata, Luiz and Oscar away from
of Spains top clubs?
Maybe I am being slightly nave but I truly believe that Mourinho is here for the long haul. The way
London and how happy his family are when living here says everything. Mourinho will actively want
dynasty he has often spoken about. If the club continues to develop bonds with players in a sim
Didier Drogba, then there is hope that keeping hold of Hazard, Mata et al. If this crop of player
together for fve years l wou|d be happy to pred|ct at |east another European Oup and at |east one
title.
The future |s br|ght and |t |s defn|te|y b|ue.
mes seems a shame that after a particularly momentous
hink 19 May 2012 football does not announce a longer
n than the two months of summer. Chelseas victory
ern Munich was so epic that FIFA has announced no
mes shall be allowed to spoil the sensation until it has
or something.
all is a relentless treadmill and as we look back from 2013/14
anniversaries in the Pensioners history it soon becomes
y clear how soon silverware turns to fools gold. Some
ever change, though.
avy transfer fees have been paid this season and I should
hat Chelsea are the greatest culprits. But they can afford to
estments and, considering the revenue, their transactions
fairly described as gambling.
ing acknowledgement of Chelsea Football Clubs ambition is
but for the record the quotation is from one hundred years
ust 1913.
ad |av|shed a then-remarkab|e fve grand on Fa|k|rk`s gran|te
f Tommy Logan and lavishly-moustached Londoner Harry
ormer England forward recruited from Aston Villa the latter
rning capture.
had successful careers at the Bridge that straddled World
ch reminds us that the centenary of the start of that global
he is next year. Next season will usher in the anniversary of
FA Oup fna| - the 'Khak| fna|` of 24 Apr|| 1915, the on|y one
ring World War One. There will be plenty of events to com-
e the war, and Chelseas museum at Stamford Bridge has a
roviding context for football and the Great War that is well
ing.
plaint about Chelseas spending has, of course, rarely gone
are footba||`s perenn|a| moneybags. ln August 1953 there
spread indignation over the mooted 40,000 transfer of
r John Charles to Ted Drakes developing squad no player
can possibly worth such a price but it never came about,
t of Qatar-backed PSGs summer splashes it is interesting to
e|ghty years ago, |n 1933, there was a new fnanc|a| power
ck and it was the Franc that was doing the talking.
railway and tube stations by agents provocateurs of French clubs.
Alec Gay Cavalier Jackson, transfer-listed by Chelsea following an
incident at an away match in April 1932, joined OGC Nice; fellow Scot
Alec Cheyne had already been enticed to Nimes.
Clubs in England were scandalised by the cross-Channel drain of
talent but there appeared no limit to wages on the continent whereas
a salary cap operated in Blighty. The bubble soon burst and Cheyne
returned to the Bridge in 1934.
Many supporters list the 1983/84 season among their all-time favour-
ites, and understandably so. The Blues took an enormous following
everywhere from Swansea to Grimsby in a thrilling climb to the top
f|ght after fve seasons be|ow sta|rs. Powered by the D|v|s|on Two`s top
scorer, Kerry D|xon, Ohe|sea c||nched promot|on on 28 Apr|| 1984 w|th
a 5-0 |ash|ng for |eeds, whose fans reta||ated by smash|ng the north
stand scoreboard.
In early June the same year manager John Neal had major surgery on
h|s heart and frst team coach John Ho|||ns took on more respons|b|||ty,
eventua||y rep|ac|ng Nea| |n 1985. After a un|que re|egat|on by the
play-offs in 1987/88, another, record-breaking promotion campaign
restored the Blues status, helped by skipper Graham Roberts twelve
convers|ons from the spot. That was 25 years ago.
Ranging back half a century the atmosphere could not provide greater
contrast. The 1973/74 campa|gn was fssured by dress|ng room
scraps between Dave Sexton and terrace idols Peter Osgood and
Alan Hudson. When Hudson quit for Stoke in January 1974 and
Osgood moved to Southampton it felt like the decorations had come
down after a ten-year Christmas. The Blues were relegated the follow-
ing May.
Chelsea were also shown the exit in 1923/4. Despite winning the last
four matches |n conv|nc|ng sty|e the Pens|oners cou|d fn|sh above
on|y M|dd|esbrough, |os|ng out w|th a goa| average of 0.58 to Nott|ng-
ham Forests 0.66. The lowest away goals tally in our history just
eight didnt help.
The boot was on the other foot Mark Steins, to be precise seventy
years later in 1993/94 when the South African strikers 90th-minute
goa| gaped open the trap-door for v|s|tors Sheffe|d n|ted. Om|nous|y,
before kick-off Blades fans had seen dozens of red and white balloons
theyd let go in the north stand swept by a strong sideways wind
t i ht i t B t C t
A week later the funeral arrangements were Chelseas, taken
by an exper|enced n|ted s|de |n our frst FA Oup fna| app
almost a quarter of a century. Lest we forget, Gavin Peac
netted both winners in our league double over the champio
bar |n the frst ha|f w|th the score 0-0. Never the |ess G|enn H
board and Matthew Harding were laying the foundations fo
Chelsea that was to emerge later that decade.
Then, of course, ten years ago Roman Abramovich bough
secured its future and invested heavily. An instant impac
B|ues becom|ng the frst |ondon c|ub to reach the Ohamp|o
sem|-fna|s |n 2004 - by beat|ng Arsena|, too. There was a
passing of the baton in that match, and it might not be lo
Londons one-time grandees have passed a decade withou
The Gunners may consider the top four an aspiration, but
pursu|ng an e|ghteenth success|ve top s|x fn|sh ourse|
gamble of greater things for 2013/14. By gambling, you e
greater highs as well as lows.
New Manchester City boss Manuel Pelegrini is an unknown
the club, though in league and cup heads-to-head while a
the Argentinean has lost out to Jos Mourinhos Real with on
one draw and fve defeats, |nc|ud|ng a 0-7 and a 2-6 at the
Bernabeu. n|ted`s new man, Dav|d Moyes, has recorded t
eleven draws and nineteen defeats in all competitions.
We a|| hope for a fy|ng start |n August and September
Special II, but football seasons are like orchards. Sometime
the blossom and no fruit. Sometimes there is a surprisi
harvest after an unpromising start. On a few happy occasio
both.
Heres hoping.
Rick Glanvill
@RickGlanvill
Ricks latest book, The Chelsea FC Miscellany, is th
pre-season read and is available as an ebook: http://w
zon.co.uk/The-Chelsea-FC-Miscellany-ebook/dp/B009
easons Gone By
he call to pen an article built around a fond
Rafa Benitez I immediately presumed the
request and of course was not in the least
that the honour fell to me!
listened to me present the Chelsea FanCast
will have been privy to some rather unsavoury,
ic, borderline psychotic episodes aimed at the
m Chelsea manager. Ultimately this led to the
protest beard in the hope that he would go.
still here, but thankfully Roman Abramovich
d saw sense and Rafa is long gone! But the
my mouth still lingers.
lying on the Psychiatrists couch it is time to
or me was the horror of Rafa Benitez tenure as
ger, Chelsea FC
es not start on November 21st 2012, the day
appointed. No, it goes back to earlier in the
y and March to be precise, when Chelseas
under Andre Villas-Boas led to speculation on
survive and who the subsequent replacement
rumours seemed to indicate that the replace-
be Rafa Benitez. This was when the Rafa
re not wanted here" chants were frst heard |n
Chelsea faithful letting those that run the Club
e former Liverpool manager would not be
y the denizens of the Shed and Matthew
ds. I recall a conversation with someone high
b where I re-iterated the fact that Benitez was
No problem, we heard you loud and clear I was
air enough. Lets move on
we did as Robbie Di Matteos Blue and White
a historic double, beating the Scousers to lift
and then delivering the impossible by beating
ch in their own back yard to lift the European
he|ped by the confrmat|on that the popu|ar, d|gn|fed, art|cu-
late and debonair Chelsea Legend Robbie Di Matteo
was to be the permanent manager in reward for this historic
achievement on May 19th.
Never before have I looked forward to a new season quite
like I did that summer. We were European Champions and
we knew it. Robbie was in charge a manager with true
Chelsea credentials, a manager who got us the support-
ers, and some exciting new players like Hazard and Oscar
were recruited. Hey, we might even put in a title challenge.
If I am honest I was surprised by the excellent start we
made. I had accepted that this may be a season of transition
and after all Didier Drogba the ultimate man for the big
occas|on - had gone. Oh and we st||| had a m|sfr|ng Torres.
But the way we dispatched both Arsenal and Spurs away
from home gave me the belief that we might actually go on
and win the league. But like so many seasons experienced
in the dark and distant past, I should have known better.
Life, and in particular football, has a nasty habit of biting you
on the derriere.
What I didnt expect was the brutal dismissal of Robbie Di
Matteo in the early hours after a 3-0 defeat away to Juven-
tus in the Champions League. But considering the
treatment of another amiable Italian manager beloved by
Chelsea fans, perhaps I should have known. But to replace
Robbie with Benitez was, frankly, beyond the pale.
Immediately there was outrage by the majority of Chelsea
supporters, followed swiftly by the media backlash (already
in a frenzy due to the JT, and then Mikel racism affairs)
belittling us by claiming our ire was due to some misinter-
preted remarks made by Benitez whilst Liverpool manager.
It was misplaced tribal rivalry and anyway, we would forgive
and support this tactical genius and charming man once he
de||vered us the 'troffes` he prom|sed.
Benitez had been manager of one of our most hated rivals in
recent times, and had set out to deliberately rile us during
his tenure, but so what? Most of us had the sense to under-
stand that this is what modern managers do, especially
those who are a poor mans Sir Alex Ferguson.
The depth of antagonistic feeling towards Benitez was much
more than a history between us and Liverpool. It had just
as much to do with his track record as a poor man manager
i.e. falling out with key players at Liverpool. Then look at his
on-fe|d performance, tact|ca||y |nept at best, stubborn at
worst, abounding in negative football. Chelsea beat
Liverpool with Benitez in charge more times than Benitez
||verpoo| beat Ohe|sea and on|y once d|d they fn|sh above
us in the league with him at the helm. Once his huge ego got
the better of him and he tried to mount his own failed coup
at the club, Liverpool tailed off dramatically in the league,
fn|sh|ng outs|de the a||-|mportant top 4 - where they rema|n
to this day! More alarming was his tenure at Inter Milan,
taking a side that had just lifted a historic treble (European
Cup, Serie A and Scudetto) to mid-table within 6 months.
Impressive! Some of us asked why a man with a track-re-
cord of recent failure and a man who had been out of a job
for 2 years as a result had been appointed by the current
European Champions?
Chelsea supporters had plenty to be angry about, but there
were two stand out factors for me, one emotional and one
political. Never underestimate emotions in football. They are
what the game is about. If you want steely cold logic then go
and play chess (Benitez does apparently!) The emotions
said, for all his PR bluster, Benitez would never be accepted
by Chelsea supporters because he just simply was and
never wou|d be 'Ohe|sea`! Defne that at your |e|sure. The
second factor was perhaps more unsettling as it revealed
the dark paranoia that stalks supporters of all football clubs.
If the Club could appoint a manager reviled by most of the
hard-core support, and do so in full knowledge that he was
and megastore fodder. If you tolerate this
be next
And tolerate it we most certainly did
comm|ttee for Rafa Ben|tez` frst hom
against Man City on Saturday 25th No
rightly vitriolic and I have seldom heard s
unsettling booing of one man at a footba
Rafa claimed he didnt hear it.
This set the tone for most of the rest of t
with the applauding of the lamented Rob
minutes; the usual humorous as well as
the stands; a p|ethora of mock P45`s and
Apparently these were the reason for
lamentable performances in the early da
The players, according to the Club and
unsettled by the home supporters o
umbrage that Rafa was the manager
hav|ng a fe|d day, proc|a|m|ng Ohe|sea s
scum they had always said they were.
charm and turned a deaf ear to it all. Th
his dignity in the face of this maelstrom.
But as usual this was completely wide of
was that the home support quickly tone
for the 16th minute applause for Robb
Rafa Benitez, youre not wanted here
subsided, but of more concern, was s
general depression, almost helplessness
on. Supporters were staying away, man
come back. The media claimed it was t
atmosphere that was hindering the play
The reality was more a result of the total
and general disgruntlement. Or perhaps
of understanding being exhibited by th
under the management of Rafa Benitez?
DON T CRY FOR US RAFA
BENITEZ THE TRUTH IS WED
NEVER LOVE YOU!
manated from the most loyal and ardent
rs, the ones who travel far and wide, over
eek in week out to watch their beloved
support got behind the team as they
ared no opportunity in venting their spleen
nager. This was most apparent when the
ea supporters excited by the prospect of
the 3rd division terraces of Brentford FC
he most violent litany of abuse at a football
ver heard. I know because I was there and
t was so nasty, that it gave a few of us
the irony was that whilst the abuse was
m home, Chelseas results on the whole
ow the home support could be blamed for
s was beyond me?
head after we won 3-1 at Middlesbrough
mous Rafa rant. At the time, many of us
na||y got to h|m. He`d heard what we were
y cracked. lf a manager turns on the most
supporters who had travelled up to one of
|ocat|ons |n footba|| |n m|d-week at great
ort and expense then surely his days
Factor in his barbed comments to the
pointing him as an interim then surely he
the victim, never his fault!
v|ved th|s ep|sode wh|ch on refect|on was
heming and self-serving as any of Rafas
and we continued to endure his inepti-
until the end of the season.
for Chelsea supporters to be despondent
se who were bludgeoned by the constant
media proclaiming Rafas brilliance and
rned to the dark side, here is a reminder:
mes lost or drawn against poor opposition
Premier League challenge in the vein hope that a troffy
would bolster his CV and validate his greatness; playing at
times some appallingly clueless football with the players
appearing equally bewildered by it all; losing what might be
our only opportunity to win the Club Word Cup through
tact|ca| errors; |os|ng not one, but two Oup sem|-fna|s;
LOSING AT HOME TO QPR; bringing on defenders to
replace defenders when we were chasing a game; not
starting with one of our best players (Hazard) against Man
Utd in the FA Cup and then bringing him on to rescue us,
and then proclaiming his genius for doing so. I could go
on

Frankly I am amazed that my prediction on national radio in
November that Rafa would take us to mid-table mediocrity
did not happen. Ill admit it. I was wrong! The fact is that in
spite all of the above (and more) by the end of the season
Chelsea had won the Europa Cup and in the process
achieved a unique piece of history and secured 3rd spot in
the Premier League and with it the all-important Champions
|eague qua||fcat|on - and l for one don`t underest|mate
how important that was to the future of the Club.
But should we be grateful to Rafa Benitez? Should we love
him? No, not I! As far as I am concerned it was job done but
as a minimum and remember he earned a fortune and
bolstered his CV which lets face it is exactly what he came
here to do. Should we be disappointed that he can claim a
measure of success? No, any success he achieved, the
team as a whole achieved and we always want the team to
do well whoever is in charge.
And thats the point Id rather put the achievements of last
season down to the unbreakable spirit forged by the Master
Blacksmith that is Jose Mourinho. When push comes to
shove the players know how to win and hate to lose lets
face |t the performance |n the Europa Oup fna| was pretty
dreadful and we were outplayed, and yet the players came
Board were very clinical and calculating in getting what they
felt they needed out of him, giving him absolutely no power
and control and then getting rid of him as soon as they
cou|d. ln fact the cyn|ca| amongst us, on refect|on, m|ght
wonder whether his appointment was a brave and cunning
plan. Hire him, leave him hanging out to dry, alienate the
support only to replace him with his nemesis Jose Mourin-
ho get the support back on board and look like genius in
the process. Perhaps.
To be honest I dont think even the Board is that Machiavel-
lian! But they should not be proud of their actions and the
possible legacy. For many of us it was a terrible season to
endure the worst atmosphere experienced in modern
times at Stamford Bridge; terrible football to witness; a
shellacking from all sides in the media and from other clubs
fans (but who cares); and the most destructive and divisive
decision ever made by this club with the fans at each others
and the boards throats for much of it.
But what of Rafa Ben|tez Maudes? My fna| word on h|m |s
that he represents the worst kind of modern day football
manager its all about him; hes more a PR Manager than
a Football Manager. I mean, how many managers have their
own website highlighting their trophies? No credit given to
any of his players of course! As an exercise in pure unadul-
terated ego it is a must read. He is a manager who focusses
purely on getting the press and media on his side through
his select soirees and then uses them to perpetuate the
myth that he is one of the worlds greatest managers and
tacticians. In short it is a fraud as great as making out that
the winner of Big Brother or Britains Got Talent actually
has any!
I for one will not wish him well in his future career at Napoli
and I wait with baited breath to see his comeuppance there
another Inter Milan in waiting? No doubt we will meet him
glad to see the back of it and the fact th
manager at all leaves a very sour taste in my
Stamford Chidge
Stamford Chidge is a season ticket holde
the Matthew Harding Upper and will neve
Rafa Benitez again! He presents the a
Chelsea Football FanCast. Listen live eve
19.00 at mixlr.com/chelsea-fancast/ or do
ITunes. Follow us on twitter @Stamfo
@ChelseaFanCast
DON T CRY FOR US RAFA
BENITEZ THE TRUTH IS WED
NEVER LOVE YOU!
Yeah, Yeah, Yeah
often propose the theory that if there is one year that marked a
t-war society, that year was 1963. That summer seems particu-
erms of mark|ng the start of the 'Sw|ng|ng S|xt|es` (a phrase l
isable to most) to come. TV, music, cinema were all starting to
and to refect what young peop|e wanted, not what the|r e|ders
ed. lt must have been a great t|me to be a teenager |n |ondon,
opportun|ty and freedom, but w|thout the jaded sense of |nev|ta-
owed only a few years later.
ason started The Beat|es re|eased 'She |oves You` (wh|ch even
r-o|d ears seemed a thr||||ng|y upbeat p|ece of pop mus|c - and
ears |ater |t st||| does} and, hav|ng become very popu|ar over the
he band prompt|y became enormous, knock|ng as|de the o|d
and the rest. A very popu|ar f|m that |ong, hot summer was B|||y
or|ous Ju||e Ohr|st|e p|ayed the u|t|mate free sp|r|t, try|ng to
fantas|st B|||y to move to |ondon w|th her. ld|ot|ca||y, he doesn`t.
reas|ng|y c|ear that estab||shment mora|s weren`t a|| they were
and that adultery, hypocrisy and corruption were by no means
rnment spent the summer try|ng, and fa|||ng, to get over the fact
f War had had an affa|r w|th a '|ady of easy v|rtue` who was a|so
gent|eman, who was a||eged|y a spy. The med|a had a fe|d day,
med} cab|net m|n|sters and judges |n w||d org|es.
a|n Robbery, carr|ed out two weeks before the season started,
pport for the robbers, than wou|d have been poss|b|e even a few
tab|o|d coverage defn|te|y veered towards the 'good on them"
ntemporary Tv |nterv|ews w|th the pub||c re|nforce th|s. As an
o|ds, masterm|nd beh|nd the Great Tra|n Robbery, was appar-
. Sad|y, he was un||ke|y to have attended any games that season
run from the F|y|ng Squad, who were keen for h|m to he|p them
.
tart|ng to change rap|d|y. Young, fresh and new was defn|te|y on
ea supporter v|da| Sassoon was bu||d|ng a reputat|on as the ch|c
n was starting to be designed by youngsters for youngsters. Old,
as on the way out (or so |t was thought}.
erspect|ve the br|ght and brash new k|ds on the b|ock that
n|te|y new|y-promoted Ohe|sea, a young and effervescent team
ptimistic, belligerent young manager. The sky seemed the limit.
Docherty and coach Dave Sexton address|ng h|s squad that
m|ses th|s - re|axed and confdent. A team |n h|s |mage. v|brant,
o take on the wor|d - the p|ctures of the team exude pos|t|v|ty. l
mpt a Beatles analogy but The Doc as Brian Epstein was perhaps
delighted in making headlines. The Doc was in many ways more similar in person-
a||ty to B||| Shank|y, the brash and confdent ||verpoo| manager w|th a knack for
sound-b|tes, though Shank|y |arge|y, and w|se|y, managed to avo|d ongo|ng med|a
controvers|es and hab|tua||y fa|||ng out w|th h|s p|ayers.
There was no ta|k |n the press that heady summer of 'conso||dat|on` or 'avo|d|ng
re|egat|on`. Docherty c|ear|y thought h|s team cou|d cha||enge for honours stra|ght
away. ln the programme for the frst game of the season, aga|nst West Ham, Oha|r-
man Joe Mears noted that "no Ohe|sea team have ever tra|ned harder for a new
season" a po|nt Docherty re|terated to any journa||st who wou|d ||sten.
The squad returned to pre-season tra|n|ng boast|ng the youngest average age ever
for a promoted team. Of the squad of 31, 19 had come up through the jun|or
ranks, the major|ty of frst team regu|ars |n the promot|on season were home-grown
and very few p|ayers had cost a s|gn|fcant fee (Edd|e McOread|e for 5,000 ear||er
that year being a particularly good piece of business). The proportion of
home-grown talent was great testament to the talents of youth coaches Dickie
Foss and D|ck Spence.
There were no new s|gn|ngs over the summer of 1963, wh|ch was a mass|ve
statement of faith in his young team by Docherty. The only name mentioned
regu|ar|y |n the press that summer as a target was m|dfe|der Dave G|bson of
|e|cester, and that never came to anyth|ng. lt |s un||ke|y that the board were
persistently refusing Doc money he wanted to buy players as this fact would unerr-
|ng|y have found |ts way |nto the head||nes, g|ven h|s re|at|onsh|p w|th the press,
To put th|s po||cy |nto perspect|ve, |t |s |mposs|b|e to be||eve that any promoted
team these days would consider they had any chance of staying up, let alone
compet|ng, w|thout s|gn|fcant transfus|ons of new b|ood. By putt|ng h|s fa|th |n
youth Docherty was sav|ng on transfer fees and wages, as the Max|mum Wage
(where p|ayers, regard|ess of c|ub or ta|ent, cou|d on|y earn a max|mum of 20 per
week) had only been abolished two years ago and players were starting to earn
'decent` sa|ar|es. Pr|or to th|s, some major c|ubs must have been mak|ng a *|ot* of
money (dest|nat|on not a|ways c|ear}, as wages were capped and crowds h|gh.
After a short pre-season of only three friendlies the season started with a 0-0 draw
aga|nst West Ham. After that game, Docherty spent 30,000 on a defender he`d
been after for a wh||e who was comfortab|e at e|ther fu|| back or centre ha|f. Marv|n
H|nton, from Ohar|ton, was an |nvestment wh|ch was repa|d many t|mes over
dur|ng the next decade. Bought to p|ay '|n a tw|n defens|ve p|an w|th John Mort|-
more" accord|ng to regu|ar Docherty mouthp|ece the Da||y M|rror, H|nton was the
only signing that entire season, as Docherty gradually purged the remaining dead
wood to be replaced by further tranches of youngsters.
One odd|ty, and a poss|b|e ear|y |nd|cator of Docherty`s |nab|||ty to |eave we|| a|one,
was the |n|t|a| se|ect|on of J|mmy Mu|ho||and over estab||shed regu|ar and fans
favour|te Barry Br|dges, who was transfer ||sted and actua||y turned down a chance
to be the makewe|ght |n the H|nton dea|. 'Mu|ho||and w||| |ead the attack" Docherty
announced to the press before the West Ham game, w|thout actua||y exp|a|n|ng
proved regu|ar|y over the next four years, however, Docherty w
fa|||ng out w|th p|ayers. lndeed, most of the frst team were e|ther
asked for transfers, at some point.
Over the 1963/64 season, Docherty`s fa|th |n h|s squad was fu||y
the season started s|ow|y w|th three draws, and |n ear|y Novemb
were as |ow as 16th, there was no ta|k of Docherty`s job be|ng u
he had been |n charge for the 1961/62 re|egat|on, th|s |s to the c
and the Chelsea board.
Young p|ayers who had come through the Ohe|sea youth system
years - Peter Bonett|, Ron Harr|s, Terry venab|es, Bert Murray, Bo
Barry Br|dges - each made over 30 |eague appearances that
|njury that autumn to r|ght back Ken She|||to, who sad|y neve
meant that the s|gn|ng of H|nton was part|cu|ar|y opportune. O
pton, John Mort|more & |ong-t|me |oya||st Frank B|unstone a|| p|
|t |s for youth and v|gour that Docherty`s team th|s season |s r|g
The team fn|shed a h|gh|y cred|tab|e ffth and g|ven that the ||kes
man, Boyle, McCalliog and Osgood were coming through the s
seemed bright indeed.
lt |s worth not|ng, however, that other amb|t|ous c|ubs were bu
and weren`t so re||ant on home-grown ta|ent. Den|s |aw, J|mm
Kay, Peter Thompson and Joe Baker (a|| h|gh|y rated |nternat|o
the top p|ayers s|gned by the|r ma|n r|va|s around th|s t|me so
m|ssed a tr|ck. Gett|ng average |eague crowds of over 31,000
b|ggest crowd was a tru|y aston|sh|ng 70,123 for a 3rd round FA O
Spurs}, Ohe|sea must sure|y have accumu|ated cash they cou|d h
b|ood to take them to the next |eve|. The new West Stand |n 19
pa|d for, but |n retrospect, for a|| the youthfu| ta|ent, |t |s surpr|s|ng
the m|dfe|d wasn`t strengthened that summer.
As an as|de, |t |s somet|mes not rea||sed how progress|ve the c|ub
The best match day programme (by a m||e}, the frst fans ope
1964, attended by 3,000 fans}, exce||ent press re|at|ons (the Da||y
have a photographer based at the ground} and c|ub cha|rman J
as FA cha|rman were a|| pos|t|ve s|gns of a go-ahead set-up.
encouraged, or allowed, Docherty to spend real money who k
have happened on the p|tch.
ln the end, under Docherty`s contro| Ohe|sea probab|y under-d
trophy |n fve years} and read|ng footba|| books wr|tten at that t|
sh|nes through about Ohe|sea |s 'unpred|ctab|e`. Th|s may be
seems undeniable that the optimism generated that summer, a
years afterwards (probab|y unt|| the B|ackpoo| |nc|dent |n 1965
even from a d|stance of ffty years. lf Ohe|sea cou|d have k|cked o
Close season should be a time for optimism, for anticipation, with supporters looking forward to the new season and
a|| |t br|ngs. Gr|m rea||ty may be on|y weeks away, but dur|ng pre-season a|| teams are equa| (Arsena| even top the
Prem|er |eague, a|be|t on|y on the bas|s of a|phabet|ca| order} and there |s a|| to p|ay for, at |east |n theory.
The fo||ow|ng p|eces refect two very d|fferent h|stor|c Ohe|sea c|ose seasons, ten years apart. Two per|ods when the
mood |ns|de and around the c|ub |n some ways seemed to refect that of the nat|on.
he Dark Side
the heady opt|m|sm of 1963, Br|ta|n somehow went from an
and energy to what seemed to many to be that of a grey, defeat-
ent dec||ne by m|d 1973. Dubbed 'the s|ck man of Europe`, that
y seemed to be an endless litany of strikes, power cuts, states
bomb attacks, mass|ve o|| pr|ce r|ses, r|s|ng |nfat|on, |ncreas|ng
genera| doom and g|oom. Even the pop charts were part|cu-
& |ee, Gary G||tter and then Donny Osmond f|||ng the number
mer. Number One |P at the t|me? The pompous, overb|own,
f P|nk F|oyd`s 'The Dark S|de Of the Moon`, wh|ch d|sp|ayed
ack of zest and energy ev|dent |n the nat|ona| mood as a who|e.
r-emphas|se the fee||ng of g|oom and despa|r |n much of the
The opt|m|sm of the 60`s had qu|ck|y turned |nto negat|v|ty as
r from being something from the past, became headline news
bout the only thing in common with ten years earlier was the
|on of government m|n|sters to consort w|th prost|tutes and get
pers (|ord |ambton and Ear| Je|||coe be|ng the naughty boys |n
r bombs in West End pubs, which were occasionally lit by
xc|t|ng for me as a 16 year o|d but the nove|ty soon wore off.
y Oentra| |ondon} seemed a v|o|ent, unwe|com|ng, d|rty p|ace to
a| v|s|tor and, read|ng about those days now, |t seems p|enty of
in theory, is to act as a form of escapism for the masses. To
g exper|ence that takes supporters out of the|r day-to-day
e onto a h|gher p|ane of shared exper|ence. F|ne |n theory, but |t
Chelsea supporters felt like that in August 1973. The national
ded cheer|ng up but |t wasn`t at a|| c|ear that watch|ng Ohe|sea
ev|ng th|s.
mplete contrast to ten years earlier, Chelsea were a team, and
Worse, it was becoming increasingly apparent just how deep
he c|ub were |n the process of bu||d|ng a new East Stand, and
of many of their problems.
th Stand, c|ose to the East Stand, and under wh|ch away fans
, was c|osed |n the ear|y 1970`s after 'murmurs` were apparent-
e. |ook|ng back, |t |s aston|sh|ng that North Stand was a||owed
ng g|ven that |t a|ways |ooked as though a strong w|nd wou|d
own. Arguab|y the ground shou|d have been deve|oped years
ere |ssues regard|ng the freeho|d, wh|ch was owned by the J.T.
posed to the club, who were forced to lease the ground from the
e matters somewhat three of the J T Mears Trust benefc|ar|es
1967, wh|ch exacerbated the|r fna| fa|||ng out w|th Tommy Docherty, so the |ssue
had been a long running sore.
The freeho|d |ssue hav|ng fna||y been reso|ved, |n the ear|y 1970`s the board dec|d-
ed, or were persuaded, that the th|ng to do was rebu||d the ent|re ground (desp|te
hav|ng bu||t the West Stand on|y s|x years ear||er} over an e|ght year per|od, start|ng
w|th the East Stand. l have a |ot of affect|on for the o|d East Stand (my dad used to
take us |n the terraced enc|osure |n front of the seats |n the |ate 60`s} but |t was |n
need of rep|acement and, |t was rumoured, the G|O may we|| not have renewed |ts
safety ||cense so ground deve|opment was defn|te|y needed.
s|ng a frm of arch|tects |ntroduced by d|rector R|chard Attenborough, who were
exper|enced |n major pub||c hous|ng projects but had no prev|ous footba|| stad|um
exper|ence, was certa|n|y a bo|d move. s|ng a contract mode| that seem|ng|y put
the |mpact of cost and t|me overruns pr|mar||y on the c|ub and not the contractors
was also bold. Or possibly reckless.
The East Stand redeve|opment was the frst part of an extreme|y opt|m|st|c master
p|an to bu||d an 80,000 capac|ty stad|um by the end of the 1970`s. |ook|ng back,
|t was never c|ear where the money was go|ng to come from to a||ow th|s to
happen, but when the art|sts |mpress|on was shown |n var|ous pub||cat|ons |t
certa|n|y |ooked |mpress|ve.
Work on the East Stand began |n Summer 1972, mean|ng the ground was reduced
to 3 sides, the players changing in Portacabins. The capacity was dramatically
reduced from 51,000 to 36,000 after a chaotic opening match that August against
|eeds, and fences were erected (for the frst t|me |n Eng||sh footba||} after p|tch
|nvas|ons. The reduced capac|ty and s|gn|fcant reduct|on |n the number of seats
(on|y the West Stand had th|s fac|||ty} c|ear|y s|gn|fcant|y |mpacted on match-day
revenues, just at the t|me when the out|ay on the East Stand was heav||y eat|ng |nto
the c|ub fnances.
A |engthy construct|on str|ke caused s|gn|fcant de|ays |n bu||d|ng the stand (not
ent|re|y unforeseeab|e g|ven the state of |ndustr|a| re|at|ons across the |ndustry}, as
(a b|t |ater} d|d the three day week. ln the end, the East Stand took a r|d|cu|ous two
years to bu||d (|t was or|g|na||y supposed to open dur|ng the 1973/74 season} and
fna| costs esca|ated way beyond the 1.5m budget. Even |n the summer of 1973
c|ub fnances were |ook|ng anyth|ng but c|ever, as ev|denced by the a|most tota|
|ack of transfer act|v|ty.
Programme notes from the |ast home game of 1972/73 (v Manchester n|ted,
Bobby Ohar|ton`s |ast game} stated that a season where the c|ub cou|d on|y fn|sh
twe|fth, was as good as cou|d be expected. A |eague Oup sem| fna| defeat to
Norw|ch, who Ohe|sea were expected to beat eas||y, |s, |n retrospect, arguab|y an
ear|y man|festat|on of w|der prob|ems. That defeat seemed to knock the stuffng
out of the team. ln the FA Oup Ohe|sea had drawn 2-2 w|th Arsena| at Stamford
Br|dge (w|th Peter Osgood scor|ng the BBO goa| of the season} but |ost a fract|ous
Partly because of reduced capacity and partly because the team
perform |ncons|stent|y, average |eague crowds gates were down
1971/72 to 29,700 |n 1972/73 w|th a further fa|| to 26,000 |n 1973
crowds had fa||en by a|most a th|rd |n two seasons, a cr|s|s |n
without the torrent of money going on the new stand.
The East Stand was months |ate open|ng (eventua||y open|ng fo
1974/75 season}, and the negat|ve |mpact of the three s|ded gr
atmosphere was commented on by manager Dave Sexton. T
coup|ed w|th the |ncreased expend|ture, a|so |mpacted s|gn|fca
ab|||ty to manoeuvre |n the market p|ace and rebu||d the team, rep
jaded and reca|c|trant amongst h|s squad.
The 1973/74 frst-team squad was |n dec||ne and |n need of ma
on|y s|gn|ng that summer, Ken Swa|n, was a key member of the
t|on team but certa|n|y not ready for the frst team stra|ght aw
hav|ng ongo|ng prob|ems w|th the ||kes of Osgood and Hudson
sold in early 1974) and had probably allowed the 1970 side to c
w|thout reconstruct|on, There were prom|s|ng youngsters |n
W||k|ns, Garry Stan|ey, Steve F|nn|eston etc} but most were nowh
the frst team. The frst team squad photo taken |n August 1973
the twenty players shown, only three could be in reality describ
youngsters (M|ckey Droy, Gary |ocke, lan Br|tton} and most had
for years.
A|though unbeaten |n fve pre-season fr|end||es, the 1973/74 |eagu
w|th three defeats, |eav|ng Ohe|sea rock bottom and |ook|ng a
propos|t|on. Ohe|sea`s frst |eague match, a 1-0 defeat at Derb
punch-up between r|va| supporters on the p|tch, |n front of the
Th|ngs on the p|tch d|d |mprove s||ght|y as the season wore on
much, and a|though the team avo|ded re|egat|on |t was on|y by
team fn|shed a med|ocre 17th.
lt was a strange season a|| round. Manchester n|ted were re|eg
the t|t|e comfortab|y (as opposed to suffer|ng the|r usua| |ate
lpsw|ch, Stoke and Burn|ey a|| fn|shed |n the top s|x. F|n|sh|ng
be|ow these three c|ubs, whose p|ay|ng strength, revenue and
sure|y have been we|| be|ow that of Ohe|sea, was a c|ear |nd|cat|
c|ub had fa||en, and how qu|ck|y.
The writing seemed to be on the wall and, sure enough, Chelsea w
ed |n 1974/75 am|dst an |ncreas|ng|y d|re, and we|| pub||c|sed, fn
|s not c|ear at what po|nt the p|ans to deve|op the rest of the gr
doned, but c|ear|y the money to fund th|s was not ava||ab|e.
ln retrospect |t beggars be||ef how the c|ub created a perfect st
revenue, |ncreased cost and fad|ng team` - the ro|e of a board |
strateg|es to avo|d such a fasco The fact |s they d|dn`t or d|dn
Close season should be a time for optimism, for anticipation, with supporters looking forward to the new season and
a|| |t br|ngs. Gr|m rea||ty may be on|y weeks away, but dur|ng pre-season a|| teams are equa| (Arsena| even top the
Prem|er |eague, a|be|t on|y on the bas|s of a|phabet|ca| order} and there |s a|| to p|ay for, at |east |n theory.
The fo||ow|ng p|eces refect two very d|fferent h|stor|c Ohe|sea c|ose seasons, ten years apart. Two per|ods when the
mood |ns|de and around the c|ub |n some ways seemed to refect that of the nat|on.
te|||ng the postman about my tact|cs at ha|f-t|me of the 2005 Ohamp|ons |eague fna|.
erested. 'Stay compac, stop Kaka, be mucho |ucky" l say. He was exc|ted. He cou|dn`t
way from me and |ook|ng at h|s mob||e phone. l th|nk he was record|ng my speech.
tur|ng h|m, the phone rang |ns|de my house. l |et |t go to answer mach|ne, l no want to
f. Three hours |ater l went |n and check the message. lt was Ron`s Gourmet of Ohe|sea
me eat|ng.
Ron Gour|ay of Ohe|sea Footba|| O|ub who wanted a meet|ng. He offer me the job of
er. So l say 'OK, |t |s a chance for me to show my tact|ca| know|edge." l w||| work very
ours a day. But l cannot cont|nue my footba|| |ectures to the postman everyday about
|sed teams. Now l have new job. As one door c|ose, another opens.
2
n, one of the d|rectors, M|chae| Barry Eman||ow |s h|s name, ask me |f l want a buffet
ns and me. l say yes. l ||ke a buffet.
ow sa|d 'buffer`. Some person connected w|th Ohe|sea to be my ass|stant and keep fans
e Bo|o Zenden to add Ohe|sea h|story to my tact|cs and |nte|||gence. We are a good
work very hard. There was no buffet.
ay|ng n|ce and compac, |earn|ng from my know|edge. We are a|| work|ng very hard. ln
go to Japan for the Wor|d O|ub Oup. l have won th|s cup |n 2010 w|th lnter. So l say 'OK,
" l th|nk the fans, press and esquad respect that.
e me now, l have teach them to be compac at a|| t|mes. Some of them ca|| me 'Sumo"
k l am not ||sten|ng. Th|s |s what Eng||sh ca|| some 'banters."
| |n Japan, because some p|ayers do not fo||ow my tact|ca| |nstrucc|ones. So l say 'OK,
he fans cannot b|ame Rafa". Maybe |f l stay |onger at Ohe|sea l can br|ng |n some better
||ke Andrea Dossena, D|rk Kuyt, Ryan Babbe|, |ucas, Yoss| Benayoun.
February 2013
Th|s |s what the Eng||sh ca|| a 'water|ng shed` moment. After |gnor|ng mucho cr|t|c|sm from
don`t understand footba|| and pretend to be Ohe|sea fans, l |ose my ca|m. l had what the
Fans have the r|ght to not ||ke me. But they do not have the r|ght to doubt my tact|ca| |nte
|s true l was manaher of ||verpoo| and won the Ohamp|ons |eague |n 2005. But Ohe|sea fa
|ng the (compac} team |f they do not |ove and respect me. l am work|ng very hard, 12, 14
So l say 'OK, you concentrate on the cheer|ng the team. Not s|ng|ng and mak|ng banner
After my outburst, Mr. Gourmet doesn`t ta|k to me for two weeks. He agree that l have
bad|y by some bad fans (he doesn`t say th|s, but l know he agree}. We a|| keep work|ng h
May 2013
l w|n the Europa |eague. ls my e|eventh trophy as a tact|ca| coach. l th|nk the fans ||ke m
many messages from Ohe|sea fans who ||ke me. The messages and |etters come fro
borough of |ondon ca||ed 'Merseys|de".
My t|me as |nter|m-manaher has fn|shed. l made the team compac. l worked very hard. l c
|u|z |nto defens|ve m|dfe|der. Th|s |s a tact|ca| g|ft l |eave Ohe|sea. lgnore the fact Braz||
Fe||pe Sco|ar| (who cou|dn`t make Ohe|sea compac w|nners} has put |u|z back |nto centra
won the Oonfederat|ons Oup.
lt |s strange |eav|ng Ohe|sea. My re|at|onsh|p w|th Mr. Gourmet |s fantast|c, my re|at|on
Eman||ow |s fantast|c. My re|at|onsh|p w|th Mr. Abramov|ch |s fantast|c. My re|at|onsh|p w
|s d|fferent to fantast|c.
l worked very hard and won a European trophy w|th an esquad that was not ft before l c
used to mean 'short-term`. Now |t means 'tact|ca| gen|us`. So l say 'OK, Rafa, you d|d a
l am st||| wa|t|ng for my buffet.
END
By Sheridan Bird
Rafa Diaries
and Chelsea don't tend to mix recently. Adrian Mutu, Hernan
man, Salomon Kalou, Andriy Shevchenko, Claudio Pizarro and
all big name forwards brought in during the Abramovich era,
ey moving the other way, all considered, in one way or another,
do Torres or Demba Ba could be next to hit the scrapheap with
sibly on his way to the Bridge later this month again with big
cholas Anelka found himself in a more withdrawn role, whilst
ill young and has a lot to prove, leaving only one truly successful
ng during the Abramovich era: Didier Drogba.
helsea have been so devoid of luck - for lack of a better word -
gning talented centre-forwards?
since Mourinho took over in 2004, tended to favour systems
Whether that be supported by two fy|ng w|ngers |n a 4-3-3 or
a|ented attack|ng m|dfe|ders |n support |n the more recent|y
he system has tended to favour just one man |ead|ng the ||ne.
Drogba combined brilliantly as Chelsea won the double with a
oals scored under Carlo Ancelotti, the success in that came in
drawn role: it says a lot that Frank Lampard - admittedly in his
at Ohe|sea, scored 12 more than the Frenchman, wh||st F|orent
|s 15 goa| ta||y.
er of strikers brought in on big money have encountered one of
cles to success at Chelsea: the club's greatest ever centre-for-
lex
presented the most frustrating parts of supporting Chelsea
rguing with fans at Stoke away, the occasional feigning of injury
hat red card in Moscow. Equally those issues were counter-bal-
of magic so fresh in the mind that they neednt be repeated
omes, combined with Chelsea's obsession with a pacey striker
ifferent to Drogba's velvet-coated battering ram approach, saw
ght that would effectively have to drag Didi kicking and scream-
am.
ost remarkable about Drogba though was his ability to pull it out
Andriy Shevchenko was a prime example of this: given ample opportunities to
|mpress, mak|ng 50 appearances |n h|s frst season, before eventua||y hav|ng to
make way for Drogba when the big games came around. "The big man for the big
occas|on" wou|d a|ways, one way or another, fnd h|s way |nto the team when
Chelsea most needed a win, and of course, he would almost always deliver.
Effectively, Drogba's occasionally erratic nature left the club looking for a more
consistent striker, only for new recruits to be met with rebuttal in the form of classic
Drogba performances - pace, power, skill and determination all on show by the
bucketload.
Post-Munich
Of course, that all changed after the man who kept his cool to send Manuel Neuer
the wrong way left the club in a blaze of glory just over a year ago. The mantle of
being the club's top forward therefore fell to the much-maligned Fernando Torres,
w|th Dan|e| Sturr|dge as a second opt|on for the frst ha|f of the season, then to be
replaced by Demba Ba.
lt wou|d be wrong to say Torres's confdence was shot. G|ven the u|t|mate vote of
confdence by the c|ub and by h|s manager, even w|th an |mprov|ng goa| record he
was anonymous for far too many games throughout the season. Meanwhile
Sturr|dge - untrusted as a frst-team p|ayer - so|d h|mse|f w|th a str|ng of m|ssed
chances at The Hawthorn's against West Brom that proved to be the second-last
straw to break Robbie Di Matteo's back. The Champions League winning manager
was sacked just three days later in Turin: a game in which he felt that neither striker
could be trusted in.
Rafa Benitez's arrival saw Sturridge exit for Liverpool, whilst Chelsea's own former
Liverpool striker was put forward as one of the main reason's for the hiring of the
Fat Spanish Waiter.
Still, he toiled until the last few weeks of the season, perhaps looking at his best in
the Europa League which some cynically suggested was now his level. It ended
with Torres speaking at the close of the season, which now seems to be coming a
regular annoyance for the club - suggesting that "people linked the two of us
because of our past and I got caught up in the wave of antagonism towards him."
Another complaint to lay at Benitez's door.
Meanwh||e Demba Ba fattered to dece|ve. Wh||st he stood out w|th an exce||ent
fn|sh aga|nst n|ted |n the cup quarter-fna|s, equa||y, the Afr|can who "comes from
far away" scored just two |eague goa|s |n 14 appearances and fa||ed to step up to
the challenge.
The coming season
w||| have to get used to the poss|b|||ty of us|ng two str|kers |n a m
tion when chasing games. Of course, the wildcard option comes
- an expensive teenage recruit that many see as the answer to the
conundrum.
And yet the club seek one more forward. With Edinson Cavani an
long gone to the riches of club's across the channel, and Robert
allowed to leave Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea turn to Wayne Roon
a way out of Manchester n|ted.
What certainly needs to change is the outlook of our strikers - t
facing off against two/three others, arguably all at the same startin
benefc|a|. lt's someth|ng that Demba Ba has a|ready spoken ab
competition is going to make me better anyway. All players wan
centre forwards.
"We will all work in the same direction, for the club, to try and win
It's a refreshing outlook compared to that of Torres after a season
Drogba |n the frst part of h|s Ohe|sea career. ln terms of the Sp
arr|va| cou|d go one of two ways - a rev|ta||s|ng |nfuence an
partner, or someone that forces him out.
And ultimately, that is what should make the difference for Chelse
three, or possibly four, strikers, this season is make-or-break
Chelsea future. It is, in effect, the perfect scenario: if they are all as
as they tell the press, they won't want to be shown the door. With
wrong, th|s year cou|d see Ohe|sea fna||y stumb|e upon a rea| D
s|tuat|on, 10 years after Roman frst arr|ved at the c|ub.
By Oliver Todd
STRIKING FOOLS GOLD
Play has been cast as the bad guy in Chelsea's
esis that the club must overcome in order to
place in the footballing world. Since the Roman
keover, the media has always delighted in
bogeyman, and the idea that Michel Platini's little
ng doom to the club is a follow-up to the con-
about the owner 'inevitably' losing interest, a
000s chat.
FFP is being used by journalists as a stick with which to
sn't mean that there's no threat there. Chelsea are notori-
eir spending propped up by a rich owner rather than
ome, so there should be every reason to believe that the
ouble.
er look shows that there's not a whole lot to worry about.
e combining to ensure that Chelsea can survive thrive,
world.
e|sea have |ong been |n favour of fnanc|a| contro|s |n
d many, but the club's support of the FFP initiative is
Blues weren't pressured into backing it against their
ieve it's in their best interests. This is at least partially
endly the FFP regulations were to clubs that were already
ner to support them.
llotine ready to come crashing down on clubs that fail to
given year. There are several safety nets in place (some
opholes) for a team that fails to comply with the regula-
mate sanction of a European ban is unlikely to be applied
r relatively minor infractions.
with owners willing to cover losses (up to 35 million for
per|od, wh|ch covers the prev|ous two seasons} fnd
distinct advantage over their peers, who have to keep
5 million over that same period. The acceptable devia-
overed by an owner's largesse will shrink over time, but
me for a club that starts deeply in the red to comply. If they
helsea have taken. Even as early as the summer of 2010,
ng the double under Carlo Ancelotti, the club was taking
and over the past few seasons we've seen the club chasing younger,
cheaper players in hopes of developing them rather than pursuing expen-
sive stars*.
*The Fernando Torres deal being the obvious exception.
This approach has already paid dividends. Chelsea, powered by a certain
n|ght |n Mun|ch, were proftab|e for the 2011/12 season, wh|ch makes |t
essent|a||y |mposs|b|e to fa|| the frst FFP check. The c|ub appears to have
used the regu|at|ons as a mot|vat|ona| too| to sh|ft them towards fnanc|a|
stability, which has had the effect of making us far less reliant on the contin-
ued good will of Roman Abramovich than we were for most of the last
decade.
Chelsea's movement towards sustainability has been most pronounced in
their transfer deadlings. This summer, Kevin de Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku
and Tomas Ka|as have been added to the frst team - w|thout any new
money be|ng spent. That's a s|gn|fcant |nject|on of ta|ent, and the Ohe|sea
of years past might have spent 40 million on that collection. The new
model is a far more sensible way of doing things. Far better to buy a player
before he's become a star than to take after the Galacticos and drop crazy
money for what someone has done for a different club.
And so while the Chelsea of a few years ago would have to be worried
about FFP compliance, the current structure is in place to weather whatever
UEFA might throw at them. There's still the risk of non-compliance should
the team miss Champions League football for an extended period of time,
which seems unlikely but is at the very least possible, but even should that
happen, the club's steps towards sustainability was likely, under the current
rules, to curry favour when any punishments are handed out.
Chelsea have been working hard to increase revenues on top of that,
adding several new commercial partners and negotiating what is currently
the largest kit manufacturing agreement in English football with adidas, who
are currently paying 30 million per season for the privilege of designing our
kits. The club is also exploring less palatable means of increasing revenue
the push to retrieve the Stamford Bridge freeholding from the Chelsea Pitch
Owners was clearly a response to the Blues' relatively low match-day
income compared to their domestic rivals.
There's far less fear of falling behind the teams on the continent, however.
The new television deal with Sky provides an absolute absurd amount of
money for every team in the league, and Chelsea can expect a boost in the
region of 30 million per season over their previous revenues starting this
year The amount of money coming into the English game leaves the Blues
On top of that, there are legal challenges to the structure
Play. While teams like Chelsea, with everything to lose and
in maintaining the status quo under the guise of economic
than happy to live in a world where everyone complies w
tions, there are up-and-comers who have the freedom to p
Saint-Germain and Monaco are the two examples, spe
the|r means |n defance of FFP.
They're doing this not out of spite but because there's e
the rules could be struck down as illegal under Europea
already been at least one court challenge to the system, w
senting Belgian agent Daniel Striani alleging that, the
also infringes other EU fundamental freedoms: free movem
far as club owners are concerned), free movement of wor
free movement of services (player agents).
It's probably in Chelsea's best interests for these challeng
as they're so unlikely to be victimised by FFP sanctions a
ing out competition for major signings would be, from the
tive, a positive outcome, but the legal problems FFP will f
another safety net against getting in trouble.
Is Financial Fair Play toothless? No, and the club has
restructuring the way they do business to accommodate
tions. Ignoring the rules and going rogue is simply too mu
team of Chelsea's standing. But it's not a threat to the
growth, either. The steps the Blues have taken (and re
picked up talents like Eden Hazard and Juan Mata while w
spending, so it's not as though the team's been crip
certainly see them clear of any trouble in the future.
In other words, the FFP bogeyman is just that a scare t
convince readers that there's more drama at Chelsea F
there really is.
By Graham MacAree
t was initially received as pipedream, an unachievable utopia
attempt to redress the balance in the football world. It was an
o ensure fnanc|a| prudence and stem the fow of footba|| c|ubs
management in the boardroom by making it virtually impossible
e to accumulate.
e any notice? Could it work as a means to force clubs to live
Would UEFA make good on their threat to deny European
icense to compete on the international stage if they failed to
ly to know the answer to the second and third questions as yet
e to the frst |s a resound|ng yes w|th the notab|e except|ons of
ench clubs, PSG and Monaco. With the threat of being prevent-
g in the Champions League, the search for ever more lucrative
s pre-occup|ed c|ub execut|ves even more than they prev|ous|y
than most considering their recent reliance upon owner Roman
activity in the transfer market.
ship, television rights and overseas tours all bring in serious
the ab|||ty to max|m|se matchday revenue through t|cket sa|es,
od kiosks can make the difference between balancing the books
FA sanct|on. Accord|ng to the most recent fnanc|a| records
Chelsea currently sit third in the Premier League table for match-
a cred|tab|e 78m, dwarfng that of ||verpoo| (42m} and
22m), clubs whose stadia have a similar capacity to Stamford
being able to charge premium London prices for their wares.
pa|es |n compar|son to c|ty r|va|s Arsena| whose move to the
ates Stad|um saw them generate 92m though even that fgure
ster Uniteds 99m annual windfall thanks to the almost 78,000
uent Old Trafford.
ea to extract more from th|s revenue stream |s obv|ous though
an done considering that Stamford Bridge holds a shade under
pr|ces a|ready stretch|ng the pockets of the average supporter,
hange to be made is to increase the amount of people coming
s. But that raises still further questions. Particularly, can Stam-
veloped and, if not, what are the alternatives?
ub and Stamford Bridge have always endured the strongest and
lationships.
bvious given the innate connection between a team and its
xtens|on, the|r supporters - but the fortunes of the c|ub have
ab|y ||nked w|th the on|y home that |t has ever known, arguab|y
r club in the country. Traditionally, a football stadium had been
ant |n m|nd and |n ex|stence or, a|ternat|ve|y, a footba|| c|ub was
ent searching for a place to call home
football only entering into its thinking once ownership passed into the hands of Gus
Mears and h|s brother Joseph |n 1904. The s|b||ngs were |ntent on turn|ng the
ground into London's premier football venue and after Fulham rejected the chance
to become tenants the idea of forming a new club to become its permanent tenants
was mooted. Thus Chelsea Football Club was founded and West London had a new
sporting institution to boast about with the Cottagers left dreaming over a century
later about what might have been.
Since then, Stamford Bridge has enjoyed a rich and eventful history. It played host to
FA Oup fna|s pr|or to Wemb|ey's arr|va| and s|ts top of the a||-t|me ||st for Eng||sh
league attendance records for current stadia when 82,905 people came to watch
Chelsea take on Arsenal in 1935.
Since the Second World War, it has played an even more vital role, deciding the fate
and fnanc|a| trajectory of the c|ub on more than one occas|on. The c|ub approached
the brink of bankruptcy in the 1970s when foolhardy plans to redevelop the stadium
coincided with a major economic downturn, resulting in a hulking East Stand
glowering down on the rest of the dusty bowl as a permanent reminder of what
former Leeds United chairman might call 'living the dream'. To alleviate the club's
debt the freehold to Stamford Bridge was sold to property developers Marler Estates
precipitating a feud between them and incoming owner Ken Bates that took over a
decade to resolve until the ground passed back into Chelsea's hands in conjunction
with Chelsea Pitch Owners (CPO).
That was not the end of Stamford Br|dge's |nfuence over Ohe|sea's affa|rs w|th the
arrival of Matthew Harding a lifelong Chelsea fan on the club's board following his
26m investment. Although he was initially welcomed by Bates, relations soon
became frosty as a power struggle between the two fractured the boardroom.
Harding's premature death in a helicopter crash in 1996 settled the argument in the
most horrendous fashion though thankfully there was a moment of compassion and
clarity when the newly built North Stand was renamed in Harding's honour.
The Matthew Harding stand joined the new West Stand and the Shed End in rising
slowly from the old decrepit bowl to keep the greying East Stand company and it
was this shiny new stadium that initially attracted the attention of Roman Abramov-
|ch, or so fo|k|ore wou|d have |t. The fab|e te||s of the Russ|an b||||ona|re fy|ng over
West London in his helicopter and noticing Stamford Bridge gleaming in the glitz of
the most fashionable part of the capital. Any thoughts of purchasing Tottenham and
frequent|ng the s|gn|fcant|y |ess ent|c|ng env|rons of the Seven S|sters Road were
dismissed and life for Chelsea Football Club and English football changed forever.
THE OPTIONS
Stamford Bridge
W|th such an affn|ty |n ex|stence between c|ub and ground, by far the most
desirable option for those who have followed the team in the 108 years since
Chelsea FC was founded is for Stamford Bridge to be redeveloped. The logistics of
this option however are far less appealing
would almost certainly have to remain as it presently is as the s
upper tier built in the 1970s could not be replicated as mod
regulations would not permit such an incline. A shallower and th
stand would be insisted upon adding complications regarding t
London Overground line and Brompton Cemetery beyond it.
The more ambitious yet only practical alternative would be to ch
of Stamford Bridge and the only way to do this would be to pur
the surrounding area and demolish the current dwellings that si
having one of the highest property and land values of any in Lo
assoc|ated w|th th|s wou|d be proh|b|t|ve. A|though any fnanc|a
stad|um construct|on costs are exempt from FFP regu|at|ons, e
billionaire owner would raise his eyebrows at such an outlay.
Also, while the properties that sit between Fulham Road and th
private entities, the buildings of the Oswald Stoll Foundation tha
Stand be|ong to an upstand|ng char|ty that prov|des homes for
v|cemen and women. G|ven Ohe|sea`s ||tany of PR faux pas ove
any aggressive move to acquire that piece of land would be me
able opprobrium and the clubs image would be dragged throug
more. If proof were needed, Liverpool FCs deliberate running d
surround|ng Anfe|d by buy|ng up houses and then |eav|ng them
them lose local support from people who once worshipped the
it supposedly stood for.
Even assum|ng that Ohe|sea were ab|e to execute that dea| |n a
ble way, there is no guarantee that Hammersmith and Fulham c
compliant. The club have fought countless skirmishes with the
over the past few decades with stadium development one of th
grounds. Former chairman Ken Bates had a series of run-ins w
the stadium, as it is now, was being completed in the 1990s. T
lower tier of the newly built West Stand sit alone while the legal
cont|nued unt|| |t was fna||y topped by two further t|ers |n 2001
certainly had its roots in Bates pugnacious and confrontational
Hammersmith and Fulham were hardly an innocent party. As m
state their desire to retain Chelsea FC at their present location,
substance to reinforce the rhetoric.
e Bridge
ment of their historic home far from straightforward, it makes
o research other options however unthinkable that might be to
an attempt to ease the disgruntlement, Chelsea have been
locations relatively close to Stamford Bridge and the most likely
appeared to be the current site of Earls Court exhibition centre
y. The area is served by excellent transport links with six under-
ithin a 20 minute walk and cars and coaches are catered for by
stones throw away.
ption looks to be dead in the water with the Mayor of Londons
e go-ahead to an 8bn deve|opment of the area by Oap|ta| and
(CapCo) who have promised to regenerate the locality through
social housing. There have recently been rumours that part of
e|opment s|te had been w|thhe|d from OapOo - spec|fca||y the
ection - and could be sold separately to another bidder. The site
apt as it has a rich yet little know football heritage as a sports
amford Bridge once resided there and it even played host to the
p fna| |n 1873. The prob|em |s that |t |s doubtfu| that the p|ot
n|fcant|y |arger p|ot of |and for Ohe|sea to p|ay w|th than they
ulham Road. In any case the only evidence for this potential
in the Daily Mail a publication that has rarely proven itself to
thy of sources - and the smart money would be that Lillie Bridge
t of CapCos grand scheme.
ford Bridge than Earls Court is Imperial Wharf. The area is an
swathe of derelict land on the banks of the River Thames that
velopment decades ago with Chelsea Harbour having led the
mper|a| Wharf s|ts adjacent to th|s enc|ave of yacht owners and
many luxury apartments have been built, there remains an empty
al Road that has been mooted as a potential venue for Chelsea.
v|ous as the matchday r|tua|s for many supporters attend|ng a
emain the same as they do now, with the same transport links
dium and the regular pre-match watering holes still well within
ut unfortunately it is almost certainly a non-starter as it has the
|||||e Br|dge, name|y that |t |s not b|g enough to accommodate
In addition, one would also assume that there would be a large
s from those that that have she||ed out seven-fgure sums for
ouses only to see their weekend tranquillity disturbed by a
ns every other weekend.
n
ten part of West London is another that the authorities are keen to see dragged into
the 21st century fo||ow|ng a s|m||ar path to the makeovers app||ed to Dock|ands,
Kings Cross and the aforementioned Chelsea Harbour. In this instance, the idea is
for the area to act as a transport hub with HS2 (the proposed new high-speed rail
link connecting northern England to London and the continent via the Channel
Tunnel) and Crossrail (an immense trans-London railway project currently being
constructed |n the cap|ta|}. W|th the s|te be|ng over 100 acres (40.5 hectares} |n s|ze
there would still be plenty of room to build a new ground within its bounds and the
proposed new transport ||nks wou|d be of huge beneft to both home and away fans.
However, there is no guarantee that this project will go ahead with it only having just
been subm|tted for a pub||c consu|tat|on that w||| cont|nue unt|| September 2013.
Even |f |t |s u|t|mate|y rat|fed |t wou|d st||| be over a decade unt|| the frst of the new
stations was open for business though spectators would be well served by Willes-
den Junction and North Acton stations in the meantime. More concerning for
Chelsea supporters would be the re-location to a part of London more associated
w|th Oueens Park Rangers. lt |s |nev|tab|e that many wou|d fnd repugnant the |dea
of the c|ub mov|ng from the |uxur|ant a|r of SW6 to the heart|and of one of the|r ferce
local rivals and it is likely that QPR and their supporters would feel the same. It is a
c|ear bone of content|on that Ohe|sea wou|d have to dea| w|th shou|d O|d Oak
Common become the clubs preferred new home and the same applies to the next
contender.
White City
White City is even closer to QPRs Loftus Road ground but is also an area that is
undergoing much change. It has been the historic home of the BBC though the
public broadcaster has recently moved the bulk of its operations to Manchester
while other tracts of land nearby also sit fallow and ripe for development. The most
promising of these is the site of the old Dairy Crest bottling and distribution plant
wh|ch has been d|sused for over a decade. The benefts of th|s s|te for Ohe|sea are
that |t |s just 2.5 m||es from Stamford Br|dge and |s access|b|e by three underground
stat|ons on two d|fferent ||nes w|th Shepherd`s Bush Overground stat|on just s||ght|y
further away. The drawback - apart from the proximity to Loftus Road and the
familiar question mark over whether there is enough land to support a major football
stadium - is that there is already a redevelopment plan in progress that has under-
gone a public consultation. The relevant council committee has given its consent
and now the fna| dec|s|on rests |n the hands of the Mayor of |ondon`s offce mean-
ing that Chelseas interest in the site is likely to be over before it has begun.
The search will have to continue
CONCLUSION
As unpa|atab|e as |t |s to many supporters, |f Ohe|sea are to compete fnanc|a||y w|th
their domestic and European rivals without falling back on Roman Abramovichs
generosity then they will almost certainly have to leave their historic home. The
b l di b h l b d h d l f S f d B id
Realistically, the club will have to move though that will not be an
unorthodox nature of Stamford Bridges ownership that is share
and the OPO - the body set up |n the aftermath of the Mar|er
prevent the |and be|ng carved up by property specu|ators. Th
freehold and own the pitch, the turnstiles and the Chelsea Foot
the club itself retaining ownership of the stands and structures
any sa|e of Stamford Br|dge - a cruc|a| component |n fnanc|ng
any new stad|um - wou|d have to be agreed upon by the OP
shou|d the c|ub dec|de to move forward w|thout the OPO`s b|es
would have to compete under a different name with the club pre
to use it on the proviso that they play their home games at Stam
The frst shots have a|ready been fred |n th|s power strugg|e whe
al to redevelop the old Battersea Power Station site was made
Ohe|sea c|ums||y tr|ed to coerce the OPO |nto comp|y|ng w|t
attempt to buy up as many OPO shares as poss|b|e and thus
power. The intentions might have been honourable but the ex
certainly was not and it has had the misfortune of heightening
Ohe|sea execut|ves on the part of OPO shareho|ders. At |east o
to emerge from this affair was the artistic impression of what
Battersea might look like with it featuring a classic four-sided
distinct stands. It indicates that any future home will retain som
simply replicate the homogenous and characterless bowl-like a
modern football landscape
Whichever direction is chosen, there is clearly much work to d
parties to agree on a mutually acceptable plan though any co
could also cause Chelsea to miss out on potential sites due to
and fnanc|a| hoops |t has to jump through before mak|ng a conc
parties have a duty to do see the others points of view and to se
Tradition is vital but so is progress and a way has to be found th
By Phil Lythell
Mourinho myth - It has nothing to do with tales of dungeons and dragons
he platitude of Greek gods and their children. Rather it is the perceptions
have falsely been attributed to Mourinho and continued to linger despite
evidence suggest the complete opposite. One of the most popular being
Mourinho is by nature a defensive minded manager but a quick glance at
scoring records of his team suggest a different tale. His teams over the last
easons have never fai|ed to nish outside the top two with regards to goa|s
red in the respective league. Chants of Boring, boring Chelsea would ring
during his tenure at the club but, I suppose people will get tired of a team
systematically destroyed all before them on a domestic front in the league
wo consecutive seasons, winning the title well before May came round.
efciency of the successes appeared to c|oud Che|sea's counter-attacking
ance, that was almost a false defensive tactic that would lure teams to try
attack as opposed to trying and park the proverbial bus and it worked to
astating effect.
favour of the month on Mour|nho`s return happens to be a very d|fferent myth but based
e same fa|se percept|ons. Rumours and up to th|s date, that`s a|| they have been, have
d Dav|d |u|z and Juan Mata w|th moves away from the c|ub and the reason for wh|ch |s
they are not the trad|t|ona| Mour|nho p|ayer desp|te the manager`s |ns|stence that both
ers feature heav||y |n h|s p|ans. There |s obv|ous|y no smoke w|thout fre but |t appears
p|e have a m|sgu|ded be||ef on what a 'Mour|nho P|ayer` exact|y |s. lt |sn`t a phys|ca| dom-
ng presence, yes that |s how the Ohe|sea s|de were bu||t w|th a powerhouse m|dfe|d tr|o
nter had s|m||ar gr|tty defens|ve foundat|ons but Mour|nho has a|ways adm|red p|ayers
are express|ve on a footba|| p|tch. The |dea that th|s |s why |u|z and Mata face a poss|b|e
rom Mour|nho`s Ohe|sea |s |ud|crous.
r|nho has throughout the s|des he has managed predom|nant|y p|ayed w|th an exc|t|ng
|ve ta|ent |n beh|nd the str|ker, the on|y per|od |n wh|ch th|s wasn`t the case was at Ohe|-
Percept|ons have been |ngra|ned |n var|ous peop|e to th|nk that Mour|nho`s t|me at Ohe|-
was a representat|on of the way he sets out h|s teams but Mour|nho doesn`t have a repu-
n as the best manager |n the wor|d for be|ng one d|mens|ona|. S|m||ar|y, the not|on that
r|nho wou|d be opposed to |u|z`s 'best form of defence |s attack` approach |s upon
ect|on noth|ng more than a m|sgu|ded comment when observ|ng the p|ayers that
r|nho has fe|ded |n h|s teams over the past decade.
The most obv|ous ev|dence that can be prov|ded to suggest that the Ohe|sea pa|r are |n f
p|ayers that Mour|nho wou|d re||sh to work w|th |s to |ook back at the s|des he managed a
the p|ayers that he used. At Porto, Mour|nho had Deco and Oarva|ho, at lnter M||an, Wes
Sne|jder and |uc|o fu|f||ed the ro|es that Mata and |u|z w||| be expected to f|| and even m
recent|y Serg|o Ramos and Mezut Oz|| were the ba|| hawk|ng/ba|| p|ay|ng centre back a
sma|| creat|ve presence beh|nd the str|ker. To suggest that Mour|nho |s obsessed w|th phy
ca||ty over sk||| |s to be ob||v|ous to where a|| the facts actua||y po|nt to when a 'Mour|n
P|ayer` |s spoken about.
A 'Mour|nho P|ayer` |s not ||m|ted to a part|cu|ar type or sty|e of footba||er, over h|s tenure
manager, Mour|nho has fe|ded a vary|ng range of ta|ents |n h|s s|des but there has bee
few common themes that have ex|sted |n h|s s|des and that he expects to be |nst|||ed |nto
p|ayers. The frst |s that the p|ayers must be w||||ng to sacr|fce for the team and be w||||ng
put as|de persona| temptat|on for the greater good of the team. The other and perhaps m
|mportant character|st|c that Mour|nho demands of h|s p|ayers |s ||ke|y the secret to
success, p|ayers must have a w|nn|ng menta||ty, |t |s the dr|v|ng force beh|nd the Mour|n
aura. P|ayers can`t accept be|ng second best and there |s a|ways room for |mproveme
there has to be a constant str|ve for success, Mour|nho`s approach to footba|| |s as mu
menta| as |t |s tact|ca|. Arguab|y, the p|ayer that represented th|s most under h|m was Z|a
lbrah|mov|c, the perenn|a| w|nner, the two had a very c|ose re|at|onsh|p wh||st lbrah|mo
was a p|ayer at lnter M||an, ||sten|ng to the Swede when be|ng |nterv|ewed |t doesn`t take |o
to rea||se that noth|ng |s more |mportant to h|m than w|nn|ng and that |s the same menta
that Mour|nho carr|es around w|th h|m. Substances before sty|e, w|n and then enterta|n,
the ethos that has trave||ed w|th h|m and been absorbed by the p|ayers he has managed a
the success that has fo||owed h|m can be attr|buted to that w|n at a|| cost approach.
On h|s return to Ohe|sea, Mour|nho |nher|ts a squad that has won two European troph|es
as many years, a young squad w|th a hunger to w|n more, |t |s a match made |n heaven a
Mour|nho w||| use the youthfu| nature of h|s s|de to shape and mou|d them |nto the mach
that he created |n h|s frst spe|| at the c|ub, a|though the owner hopes |t can be a s||ght|y m
art|st|c and express|ve but equa||y effc|ent mach|ne.
By Ramon Isaac
k the media hate Chelsea. Thats not true; the media loves Chelsea, warts
sometimes, that should be loves to hate Chelsea. Neither are quite right.
l over the website or the back page its because we are INTERESTING.
manner of teams want to read about us.
ose back with open arms, crying: We want to be hated again. But the frst
were hated and it was refected in the media we complained about it.
ootball isnt a game dictated by logic. It runs on emotions. Love and hate.
ey on season tickets, not just to be entertained but because we feel part
n someone slights it, they slight us.
ove football; if youre reading this publication you already know. But I
are exasperated with the press. Hopefully after reading this youll see a bit
de of things.
o websites, are a swarming mass of opinion. Of course, among the
g on these across London, there are people who have problems with how
sea-supporting journalists around is not proportional to the amount of
about the club.
helsea havent historically had the biggest fan base (though times are
eet Street was still the hub of operations for most newspapers, its location
ound more supporters of teams based further east in the capital.
e of the morning meetings on sports desks across London tomorrow
editorial staf sitting around and plotting how to stick the boot in on
isappointed.
nd forth, and many of them start of in the minds of fans of other sides.
ctive. But everyone can have a say. If something seems ill-judged, you
rd Bridge, you cant keep your support of your club in the forefront of your
blishing a comment piece) is providing interesting analysis on a situation
t any-and-every team under the sun might end up reading.
idea you disagree with, you can ofer counter arguments. Sometimes
and/or contested) within the copy. You can write an opposing piece to be
icle. (I wont link to anything, but just ask if you want examples).
against it hard enough (and are widely perceived to be correct) the whole
s rarely possible you dont become a football writer by accident.
deeply and form your own opinions. Of course they will be tilted one
ess? That is far more attainable, regardless of your personal views.
riting personalities, operate under a diferent set of rules.
ter with his own regular column who takes unfair pot shots at Chelsea, it
e he doesnt like them.
the balance will tip another way.
ti d f tl ti t f t
signing David Luiz - or theres enough reason to believe thats the case.
Losing Luiz (to continue the example) would be a disaster from a journalistic point of view.
His constant stream of pictures, videos and tweets across various social networking sites are gold
for us. In a time where access to players is often restricted, when they provide us with anything
colourful its appreciated.
What leaves me uneasy about transfer stories is where the duty of a news organisation lies with
regards to reporting stories that are unlikely to come to fruition.
If an agent speaks about a players interest in a club, even if we dont think said player wants to
move there and is just angling for a new contract, do we report the story?
Were you to flter out stories which still harboured elements of doubt, you wouldnt be left with
much at all.
Many are published based on incomplete knowledge of the situation but its the only way. To
know exactly whats happening, the player and clubs would have to put all their cards face up on
the table and, of course, they never do.
This means it often makes sense to publish a transfer story frst and then dismiss it later when
more evidence comes to light. The advantages are many.
Firstly, if/when the transfer does go through, you had it right all along. Great success.
Secondly, the demand for transfer news is clear. Newspapers know what people are clicking on.
Readers (perhaps not you personally) want instantaneous updates of the most minute progres-
sion in any transfer deal. News providers do their best to give them that.
Thirdly, in the summer, football news is in short supply. So even fyers (those transfer stories that
are just SO unlikely to happen), are worth publishing. People are on sports news websites for
sports news. It may be far from concrete, but well serve up whatever weve got.
It didnt use to be like this, but football is growing bigger and bigger. It will, one day, eat itself.
Fourthly, often if youre shaking the right tree, a piece of fruit will fall loose, even if its not the one
you were looking at. As you will know, MailOnline broke the news that Chelsea had bid for Wayne
Rooney with Manchester United able to take one of Luiz or Juan Mata in exchange.
All other news outlets took up the story and eventually Chelsea revealed they HAD bid for the
striker, but Luiz and Mata were not part of any prospective deal.
The original story was published after the reporter had been given information from a good
source and Chelsea hit out at Manchester United for it with a thinly veiled statement about
briefng the press.
This takes us back to the dilemma of whether to report something youve been told, regardless of
whether you think its going to happen or not.
Some would demand a transfer story like that be placed under greater scrutiny. Why would
Mourinho sell one of his best players to a rival? Two of the fan favourites as well. But at the end of
the day, it satisfed the requirements of a transfer story (a good source, a new development).
And while Mata and Luiz being ofered up turned out to be false, its likely they had been
mentioned during discussions. United were almost certainly rebutted, but it would make the
sources story an exaggeration rather than an outright lie.
When something involves your club, it seems like the world. On Twitter Ive seen Chelsea fans
enjoying Arsenals 40m + 1 bid for Luis Suarez. But ask those of a Merseyside red persuasion,
and its part of the anti-Liverpool medias latest plot to unsettle their star player.
If another website published a story that, for example, Eden Hazard wa
Madrid, we would have the story checked out. Whichever senior reporters w
it, would investigate. The number of transfer stories we dont publish is
imagine.
One other comment on transfer stories: players change their minds. All. The
a deal is nearly done, but then the party in question will do an about-turn.
There are a few shards that crop up now and again.
Often people complain about overly dramatic and overblown headlines.
dont work. Lampard contract extension talks progress fractionally wo
Chelsea supporters, let alone fans of other clubs.
Some stories sports websites publish dont have much news to them at all, if
value. But delve a little deeper and its easy to understand the reasoning.
One heavily clicked-upon picture story, say, for example, Jose tucking into s
Heathrow airport (The Hungry One), buys someone else more time to s
feature.
The margins are thin you will probably know companies across journalism
right and centre. Nobody can aford to have too many days where the hits d
More people would rather look at photos of footballers on holiday tha
fnance, but we try to provide both.
News outlets are designed with these objectives: Entertain, inform. Stimula
Too much of the latter goes on, I agree. But its complicated.
By Rik Sharma
s evo|ved s|gn|fcant|y |n the s|xty-four years that have passed
ote, the r|se of the attack|ng fu||-back rema|ns a key part of the
ut|on and |ncreas|ng|y, the tact|ca| batt|e. lt |s eas|er to coach
good attack, and w|th defences becom|ng progress|ve|y t|ghter
h, an attack|ng threat |n a deep pos|t|on |s fast becom|ng the
break down a team defend|ng deep.
|aymakers ||ke Andrea P|r|o and M|chae| Oarr|ck are become the
ayer ||ke Dav|d |u|z, who can dr|bb|e forward w|th a remarkab|e
from centra| defence and have the sheer temer|ty to score
m forty yards out, |s such a key fgure for Ohe|sea.
akes sense: |t |s probab|y eas|er to mark a stat|c p|ayer than to
tance of th|rty or forty metres, as Frank |ampard`s remarkab|e
|d suggests. Ash|ey Oo|e on|y scored one goa| |ast season, but
|ast October |s a s|gn|fcant moment: 0-0 w|th a few m|nutes to
e, Ohe|sea`s creat|v|ty hav|ng been st|fed by Stoke`s narrow
m|dfe|d`s ab|||ty to track Eden Hazard, Juan Mata and Oscar
owhere, Oo|e popped up |ns|de the pena|ty area. He was
d |n the oppos|t|on box, and he dut|fu||y prov|ded the fn|sh to
- a s||ght nod to h|s ear|y days as a centre-forward |n Arsena|`s
y, Stoke`s r|ght w|nger, Matthew Ether|ngton, shou|d have been
but at what po|nt does defens|ve d|||gence become an outr|ght
threat?
what makes an attack|ng fu||-back so d|ffcu|t to defend aga|nst.
ager has the cha||enge of work|ng out how much he asks h|s
, or, |n th|s age of w|ng-|ess format|ons and dr|ft|ng p|aymakers,
assume the respons|b|||ty.
exp|a|ns |n the tact|ca| tome, lnvert|ng the Pyram|d, prev|ous|y,
ce of a W-M, or the two-man defence of a 2-3-5, had meant the
efender d|dn`t even ex|st, but by the 1950s Braz|| had d|scov-
a 4-2-4 and thus the fu||-backs began to fnd greater freedom
eoned by the protect|on afforded to them by the w|de attacker
e w|de attackers has changed - a s|de can have, at any g|ven
nger, a p|aymaker shoved w|de, or a w|de forward. The former
s|ng|y rare, on|y he|p|ng to accentuate the prom|nence of an
f w|de attackers are no |onger p|ay|ng out w|de, then |t |s on|y
w|de p|ayers |eft on the fe|d w||| |nvar|ab|y have to prov|de the
Joe Oo|e, now of West Ham. 'You see h|m com|ng up |n your
pp|ng you every t|me, g|v|ng you opt|ons, and the one th|ng
ever moans about not gett|ng the ba||, wh|ch was great for me.
e fna| th|rd |s br||||ant."
Oo|e`s ab|||ty to ||nk up w|th the attacker ahead of h|m has been a recurr|ng theme of
h|s career. He had a fne re|at|onsh|p w|th Robert P|res wh||e at Arsena|, wh||e a|so
||nked up we|| w|th F|orent Ma|ouda, Joe Oo|e, N|co|as Ane|ka and Sa|omon Ka|ou
as Ohe|sea`s squad evo|ved under d|fferent managers.
Furthermore, Oo|e h|mse|f has beneftted from these re|at|onsh|ps |n that a|| prov|ded
protect|on further up the p|tch from oppos|t|on attackers. Aga|nst s|des that boast a
r|ght-s|ded attack|ng fu||-back of the|r own, there |s a|ways the r|sk of Oo|e be|ng
exposed 2v1 - wh|ch |s where the |mportance of w|ngers track|ng back becomes
paramount.
There |s no greater |||ustrat|on of th|s than |n the two extremes of Roberto D| Matteo`s
tenure - or|g|na||y, he asked the w|ngers to p|ay very d|sc|p||ned ro|es ahead of Oo|e,
esca|at|ng to the po|nt where a |eft-back, Ryan Bertrand, started the Ohamp|ons
|eague fna| at |eft-w|ng. Oo|e reve||ed |n the system and exce||ed.
Then, the s|gn|ng of Eden Hazard necess|tated a change |n Ohe|sea`s sty|e, and Oo|e
foundered. He was often exposed by the fact that oppos|t|on p|ayers s|mp|y b|ew
past Hazard at attack|ng trans|t|ons, most notab|y when Manchester n|ted scored
tw|ce from r|ght-s|ded counter-attacks |n that |nfamous 3-2 defeat.
Hazard`s ab|||ty to defend and track |mproved great|y as the season wore on but the
susp|c|on |s that the s|gn|ng of Andre Schurr|e, a hard-work|ng, d|||gent p|ayer, |s so
Mour|nho has the opt|on of p|ay|ng a more defens|ve|y |nc||ned p|ayer on the |eft fank
|n tougher games.
Oo|e has a|ways four|shed more |n 4-3-3 systems rather than 4-2-3-1 - the three
man m|dfe|d preferred by Oar|o Ance|ott| and Jose Mour|nho mean that the w|de
p|ayers have s||ght|y |ess respons|b|||ty, w|th the tr|o |n the centre ab|e to spread
across the p|tch and move across to cover c|oser to the fanks. There |s, natura||y,
|ess scope to do so |n the doub|e p|vot of a 4-2-3-1 - as one m|dfe|der s|mp|y can`t
be |eft exposed |n the centre of the park |f the other dr|fts out w|de.
As Ohe|sea`s fortunes and format|on fuctuated, Oo|e`s over|app|ng runs rema|ned
omn|present. H|s |nfuence ran so deep oppos|t|on managers began enact|ng
spec|fc measures to counter h|s threat. There |s no greater examp|e of th|s than S|r
A|ex Ferguson, who frequent|y focused a|| of h|s tact|ca| tweaks on n|ted`s
r|ght-hand s|de as to p|n back Oo|e -the way |n wh|ch Park J|-Sung and Anton|o
va|enc|a effect|ve|y nu|||fed Ohe|sea on the|r own, by track|ng Oo|e d|||gent|y, |n the
per|od between 2010 and 2012 |s testament to the fu||-back`s |mportance to the
Ohe|sea attack.
There are numerous examp|es. lt was no co|nc|dence that Sunder|and`s shock 3-0
w|n |n 2010 came when K|eran R|chardson marked Oo|e |n a remarkab|y d|sc|p||ned
manner, wh||e the per||s of the contrary approach - not track|ng Oo|e at a|| - was
never better h|gh||ghted than |n Ohe|sea`s 3-0 defeat of Arsena| |n November 2009,
when Oo|e ass|sted the open|ng two goa|s w|th |ow crosses from the |eft, due |n part
to the fact that Sam|r Nasr| showed no des|re to track back |n defence.
Oo|e has a|ways been ever-present, as Jose Mour|nho suggested |n Ju|y. "He has
a|ways been the frst cho|ce of every manager, and they have had a |ot of them: for
me, for [|u|z Fe||pe| Sco|ar|, [Oar|o| Ance|ott|, [Andre| v|||as-Boas. That shows |t was
a fantast|c dea| Ohe|sea d|d when we bought h|m from Arsena| "
|eft-back |n the wor|d, and even |f h|s att|tude has not a|ways |m
tency and stam|na cannot be quest|oned. At any rate, h|s
goa|-||ne c|earances wou|d be enough to cement h|s p|ace as a
There |s the grow|ng temptat|on |n footba|||ng c|rc|es to categor
hard to p|npo|nt a part|cu|ar|y strong e|ement to Oo|e`s game. lns
very good, we||-rounded p|ayer. He |s strong defens|ve|y, ab|e to
crossers, str|kers. H|s attack|ng |s strong - h|s movement |s |nte
var|ed and effect|ve, and he can a|so, a|be|t rare|y, become a go
He`s p|ayed |n a var|ety of systems: somet|mes as a 'pure` def
Ohamp|ons |eague s|de spr|ngs to m|nd - somet|mes as the ke
as he and Jose Bos|ngwa were under Sco|ar| - and other t|me
good fu||-back. H|s cons|stency |s remarkab|e.
'He has been probab|y the most cons|stent p|ayer l`ve p|ayed w
capta|n Steven Gerrard. 'We are very much aware of h|s qua||t|es
need h|m down that |eft s|de," says Roy Hodgson.
There |s a story Oo|e rete||s |n h|s 2006 b|ography, My Defence
met |n Mour|nho. After exchang|ng p|easantr|es, the Ohe|sea m
Oo|e, 'we are go|ng to buy two more p|ayers - a m|dfe|der and
'We||, we are sat w|th the best |eft back |n the wor|d` sa|d P|n
agent present at the meet|ng. 'Yes, l agree," rep||es Mour|nho.
Our|ous|y, though, Oo|e doesn`t have an extens|ve h|story w|th
the Portuguese was respons|b|e for the remarkab|y cheap fee o
and W||||am Ga||as, wh|ch seems an even better dea| |n h|nd
surpr|se reve|at|on, but Oo|e actua||y d|dn`t feature a|| that muc
tenure, due to a comb|nat|on of |njury and Wayne Br|dge.
"l st||| fee| l owe h|m someth|ng," says Oo|e. "l d|dn't p|ay as we|| a
and as we|| as l have for Ohe|sea s|nce. l owe h|m a |ot, perso
doubt though that Oo|e w||| cont|nue to be Ohe|sea`s frst cho|ce
best |eft-backs |n the wor|d," sa|d Mour|nho back |n February
p|ayer who |t |s d|ffcu|t to choose h|s best performance, beca
stab|e."
'l |eft Eng|and |n 2007. At that t|me he was the best. S|x years |at
'
So the more th|ngs change, the more they stay the same. A co
cheapness and cons|stency g|ves Oo|e a |eg|t|mate c|a|m a
|mportant s|gn|ng - a|though Oo|e |s not pos|t|ona||y versat||e, he
game |n a number of d|fferent ways, wh|ch, |n ||ght of Ohe|sea`s
sty|e, has been huge|y |mportant. H|s ab|||ty to be both a defen
hybr|d of both has meant the mu|t|p|e managers he has p|ayed
counted on h|m for re||ab|||ty, and tact|ca| fex|b|||ty.
'l trust h|m a |ot because, defens|ve|y, he |s one of the best. W
forward and creates goa|s for the other guys, so l th|nk he
|eft-back. He |s a perfect p|ayer."
The attack|ng fu|| back |s perhaps the most cruc|a| tact|ca| d
ROMANS GREATEST SIGNING
SIDWELL - DEL HORNO - PIZZARO - DECO - KEZMAN - VERON - MUTU - ROBBEN - LAMPARD - DROGBA - CECH - HAZARD - MATA
Who are Chelseas greatest ever players? Who
would make it into the all time best eleven? If you
asked 100 Chelsea fans you would probably get 100
different line ups. This is due to peoples perception,
affection and memory of players. However, this
article forgets all about sentiment by looking at
tatistical factors based on different criteria.
Each player is ranked by comparing them to other players in
heir general position. For example, a right back is classed as
defender, outs|de |eft as a m|dfe|der, etc. Therefore, the
eam shape may be unbalanced in terms of strict positions.
On|y peop|e who p|ayed 50+ games are |nc|uded. The overa||
layer ranking is based on their ranking score for each
lement.
Goalkeeper
o he|p fnd Ohe|sea`s number one, th|s art|c|e |ooks at
nbeaten %, O|ean sheet % and the B|ues average Goa|
Difference per game.
Unbeaten %
One of the main reasons that a team is successful is down to
qua||ty goa|keeper. A decent keeper w||| often w|n you v|ta|
o|nts and games dur|ng the season, w|th dramat|c saves
e|p|ng the team avo|d defeat. The tab|e be|ow |ooks at the
eam`s unbeaten percentage.
Petr Oech has the best unbeaten rat|o of a|| the Ohe|sea
goalkeepers, only losing 15% of the games he played
n. Oar|o Oud|c|n| (80.6%} |s the on|y other keeper who
Clean Sheet %
O|ean sheets are someth|ng e|se that |s |mportant to a
goa|keeper`s cred|b|||ty. But, who keeps c|ean sheets the most
often?
Oar|o Oud|c|n| has kept c|ean sheets more often than any
other B|ues keeper. H|s 46.8% rat|o |s s||ght|y above the man
who rep|aced h|m as Ohe|sea`s number one, Petr Oech
(45.8%}. Ben Howard Baker |s the Eng||sh |eader, ranked 5th
overa|| w|th a c|ean sheet |n 38.7% of appearances. Peter
Bonett| has kept the most c|ean sheets ever for the c|ub,
however he on|y managed th|s 208 t|mes |n 729 games,
|eav|ng h|m ranked 13th overa||.
Goals Conceded Average
Although clean sheets are important, the number of goals
conceded |s equa||y v|ta|. The tab|e be|ow |ooks at the
average number of goa|s Ohe|sea concede per game for each
keeper.
When Petr Oech p|ays |n goa|, Ohe|sea concede 4 goa|s every
5 games. On|y Oar|o Oud|cn| and Ed De Goey have who jo|n
Petr Oech |n conced|ng fewer than once per game on
average.
Overall Ranking
So, who becomes the frst name on the greatest ever Ohe|sea
XI team sheet?
lt`s no surpr|se, but Petr Oech |s stat|st|ca||y the best
goa|keeper Ohe|sea have ever had, fo||owed by Oar|o Oud|c|n|
and Ed De Goey.
Defenders
o, how do you choose the greatest defenders? Th|s sect|on
ses the same criteria as the goalkeepers but also includes
heir personal goal scoring ratio too.
Unbeaten %
he table below shows Chelseas unbeaten percentage by
layer.
Braz|||an defender Ju||ano Be||ett| has the best unbeaten
ercentage of any Ohe|sea p|ayer, on|y |os|ng 1 |n 10 games on
verage (89.4%}. John Terry and Ash|ey Oo|e are the on|y two
members of the current squad to make it into the top 10. In
act, |t`s on|y ||tt|e A|bert Ferrer to make the ||st that never p|ayed
ur|ng the Roman Abramov|ch era.
Clean Sheet %
But wh|ch p|ayers he|p OFO keep c|ean sheets on the most
ccasions?
lt appears that |f Ohe|sea wanted to keep a c|ean sheet than
they needed to ca|| on Wayne Br|dge. H|s c|ean sheet rat|o of
58.5% puts h|m ahead of fe||ow fu|| backs Ju||ano Be||ett|
(55.3%}, Pau|o Ferre|ra (52.1%} and centre back A|ex (50.7%}.
These four defenders kept a c|ean sheet |n over ha|f the|r
games. A|bert Ferrer and Robert Huth have dropped out of th|s
||st |n p|ace of W||||am Ga||as and Oe|est|ne Babayaro.
Goals Conceded Average
The tab|e be|ow shows the average number of goa|s the B|ues
conceded by defender.
Unsurprisingly, the four best ranked defenders are also the
same as the c|ean sheets top four. Aga|n, Wayne Br|dge tops
the ||st (0.61 goa|s per game} wh||st John Terry |s |n 8th p|ace,
conced|ng 4 goa|s every 5 games.
Goal Scoring Ratio
However, defenders can often be a threat |n front of goa| and
so this must be taken into account as well.
Graham Roberts |s by far the most pro||fc defender that Ohe|-
sea have ever had. H|s record of scor|ng every 3.77 games |s
ma|n|y down to h|s pena|ty tak|ng prowess. ln 2nd p|ace |s Gary
Oah|||, scor|ng a goa| every 8 games. John terry |s the on|y
p|ayer |n the top 10 who has an average better than 10 games
per goa|. FA Oup hero Dav|d Webb |s |n 6th p|ace, however he
occas|ona||y p|ayed further up the fe|d g|v|ng h|m more oppor-
tun|t|es to score. The same cou|d a|so be sa|d for Dan Petres-
cu, Ruud Gu|||t and Dav|d |u|z.
Overall Ranking
So, who |s Ohe|sea`s best ever defender and wh|ch other
players would make your back line?
Stat|st|ca||y, A|ex |s the B|ues best ever defender, fo||owed by
fe||ow Braz|||an Ju||ano Be||ett|. John Terry |s |n 3rd p|ace,
although will be argued that he is the greatest defender in the
c|ub`s h|story.
Mide|ders
What makes the best m|dfe|der? Th|s |s a tr|cky quest|on to
nswer but this report takes into account attacking and defen-
ve data as we|| as the team`s overa|| performance due to the
nfuence that m|dfe|ders have.
Unbeaten %
ust ||ke goa|keepers and defenders, th|s sect|on |ooks at the
nbeaten percentage by each m|dfe|der.
M|chae| Ba||ack tops the ||st w|th 89.8%, mean|ng he on|y |ost
bout 1 |n 10 games wh||st p|ay|ng for Ohe|sea. He |s c|ose|y
o||owed by Arjen Robben (88.7%} and T|ago (88.5%}. Joe
Oo|e |s the h|ghest p|aced Eng||shman |n 5th p|ace, and Super
rank |ampard |s 10th overa||. lnterest|ng|y, |t |s on|y Deco from
he top 10 that d|d not p|ay for Jose Mour|nho.
Clean Sheet %
An |mportant job for m|dfe|ders |s to protect the back four and
o defens|ve dut|es are |mportant. Th|s part of the report |ooks
t the m|dfe|ders who kept c|ean sheets most often.
The man who has a pos|t|on named after h|m, O|aude
Make|e|e, |eads the way. Ohe|sea kept a c|ean sheet |n 55.8%
of games the 'Water Oarr|er` p|ayed |n. There are 8 p|ayers who
kept a c|ean sheet |n over ha|f the|r games. Aga|n, the major|ty
of these m|dfe|ders p|ayed under Jose Mour|nho dur|ng the
clubs most successful period.
Teams Average Goal Difference
Th|s 'team` stat|st|c |ooks at the average goa| d|fference. Th|s |s
due to the attack|ng and defens|ve dut|es the m|dfe|ders have
to p|ay |n order to support the team fu||y. The average GD has
been calculated by the following formula:
(Total Goals Scored Total Goals conceded)
Total Games Played
Ohe|sea`s average goa| d|fference |n games where Deco p|ayed
was +1.38. One |nterest|ng |nc|us|on |n the top 10 |s George
Key (+1.18}, a man who p|ayed |n the B|ues very frst game
Goal Scoring Ratio
Finally, this section looks at the goal scoring ratio of each
m|dfe|der, rather than the|r |nfuence on the team. lt |s based on
the number of games p|ayed d|v|ded by tota| goa|s scored.
You may not have heard of A|ex Jackson, but the Scott|sh
w|nger scored 30 goa|s |n 77 appearances for Ohe|sea
between 1930 and 1932. Th|s meant he scored a goa| every
2.57 games. ln comp|ete contrast to the team stats, the top 10
goa| scorers are not made up of Jose`s men. OFO`s a|| t|me
|ead|ng goa| scorer, Frank |ampard, |s |n 3rd p|ace, s||ght|y
beh|nd Gustavo Poyet (2.96}. 9 of the top 10 p|ayers average a
goa| every 4 games or better.
Overall Ranking
So, who |s Ohe|sea`s best ever m|dfe|der and who e|se wou|d
you put in your team?
ls anyone surpr|sed to see Frank |ampard top the charts?! lt |s
arguab|e that the top 4 m|dfe|ders cou|d a|| p|ay together |n the
Forwards
Ohe|sea have had so many great (and not so great} str|kers |n
he|r h|story. l`m sure you a|| have your own favour|te, but who
s the best statistically?
Goal Scoring Ratio
h|s stat|st|c |s used to fnd the most pro||fc. Th|s |s based on
he numbers of games p|ayed d|v|ded by the number of goa|s
cored.
immy Greaves is Che|sea's most pro|ic goa|scorer
nd averaged a goal every 1.28 games. George Gat-
ing Gun Hilsdon, who once scored 6 goals in one
ame, is in 4th place, just behind Bob Turnbull and
Tommy Lawton. Blues legend Bobby Tambling, who
etted over 200 times, is in 8th place (1.83). Jimmy
Floyd Hasselbaink is the most recent striker to join
he top 10, scoring once every other game on aver-
ge.
Team Goals Scored
Obv|ous|y, goa|s are |mportant for str|kers, but the|r attack|ng
tt|tude |s ||ke|y to |nfuence the rest of the team. Th|s stat|st|c |s
ased on the average number of goa|s that Ohe|sea scored
ach game.
Johnny Brooks tops the ||st as the B|ues scored 2.40 goa|s per
game with him in the team, despite him only netting 7 times in
52 games. A few more recent names such as N|co|as Ane|ka,
Dan|e| Sturr|dge, Andr|y Shevchenko and Sa|omon Ka|ou
he|ped ensure that OFO scored an average of 2 goa|s per
game.
Teams Average Goal Difference
The |ast 'team` stat|st|c |ooks at the average goa| d|fference.
Th|s |s due to the attack|ng and occas|ona| defens|ve dut|es the
str|kers have to p|ay |n order to support the team fu||y. lt uses
the same formu|a as the m|dfe|ders.
Andr|y Shevchenko tops the ||st, after the B|ues had an average
goa| d|fference of +1.25 per game. lt |s on|y the top 5 str|kers
that he|ped OFO have an average goa| d|fference greater than
+1.00. Ohe|sea`s current number n|ne, Fernando Torres, |s
Unbeaten %
F|na||y, |et`s |ook at the unbeaten percentage of each p|ayer.
Aga|n, Andr|y Shevchenko |eads th|s ||st. ln fact, he has the
best unbeaten percentage of any Ohe|sea p|ayer ever (92.2%}
that has made 50+ appearances. Six of the top 10 played
under Jose Mour|nho. M|kae| Forsse|| makes |t |nto 8th p|ace,
on|y |os|ng 1 |n 5 games on average.
Overall Ranking
So, who |s Ohe|sea`s best ever str|ker and who e|se wou|d you
put alongside him?
Th|s report has D|d|er Drogba as the best ever str|ker. Th|s |s a
cho|ce that was a|so echoed dur|ng a recent survey conducted
by Ohe|sea Footba|| O|ub. Some rather |nterest|ng |nc|us|ons
are George Graham |n 2nd p|ace and Barry Br|dges |n 8th.
Summary
The following team is arguably Chelseas best ever (based on team and individual statistics). It uses a
traditional 4-4-2 formation and may be unbalanced in real terms.
GK: Petr Cech
DEF: Alex
DEF: Juliano Belletti
DEF: John Terry
DEF: Glen Johnson
MID: Frank Lampard
MID: Arjen Robben
MID: Michael Ballack
MID: Damien Duff
ATT: Didier Drogba
ATT: George Graham
How does this team match up to your all time Chelsea team?
@ChelseaChadder
ho sat in front of some two hundred assembled journalists
Stamford Bridge back in June, harmony and stability were
the agenda he was evidently keen to drive home at the
pportunity.
l be quick to point out, of course, that the rather rapid succes-
the Chelsea hot seat over the past decade has hardly prevent-
g on an almost annual basis, but nonetheless, Mourinho recog-
c|ear|y defned, we||-o||ed team.
for stab|||ty. The prof|e of the sport |s ask|ng for what |s best for
stab|||ty. The c|ub |s stab|e, |t has a fantast|c structure. l fnd a
||ty, |mproved. The on|y way we can reach success aga|n |s w|th
e tree has been shaken with regularity in the Abramovich era
my setup at Cobham has been a bastion of progress under a
e|y rema|ned the same throughout. Ne|| Bath has worked w|th
rations since 1993, overseeing affairs for roughly half of his two
and wh||st the frst team are yet to tru|y reap the benefts of the
cal and patient approach, they have arguably never been in a
o just that.
d fn|shes w|th h|m and desp|te the presence of Frank Arnesen
chael Emenalo, he has been afforded the freedom to retain a
prospect|ve young p|ayers. He has r|sen up through the ranks
e an |nfuent|a| fgure at Ohe|sea, but a dr|v|ng force beh|nd
overdue changes |n coach|ng |n Eng|and.
nalo have both helped acquire a smattering of expensive
o help accelerate the on-pitch progress of the various junior
which in turn helps establish the club as a major player at devel-
the work put |n by Bath, ass|stant J|m Fraser and a cast of
r receive the attention they deserve is highly respected through-
r|se that hav|ng been g|ven t|me, resources and freedom to do
ecessary, they`ve made except|ona| progress. lnterest|ng|y, |t`s
nced by the coaching lineage in use on the other side of the
ver|tab|e product|on ||ne of Next B|g Th|ngs |n the management
ln 2004, Mour|nho p|ucked Steve O|arke from the nder-18 team to be h|s frst
team Ass|stant Manager, and rep|aced h|m w|th Brendan Rodgers. The two are
now amongst the br|ghter fedg||ng Prem|er |eague managers and spent a hefty
chunk of the|r apprent|cesh|ps work|ng for Ohe|sea.
When Rodgers moved up to coach the Reserve team two years after arriving, he
was succeeded as youth team coach by Pau| O|ement, who had |n turn stepped
up from the nder-16 ranks. O|ement can now be found as one of Oar|o Ance|ott|`s
trusted co||eagues; frst work|ng a|ongs|de h|m |n |ondon before jo|n|ng h|m |n Par|s
and now |n the g|amourous surround|ngs of Rea| Madr|d.
Dermot Drummy has s|nce made the same progress|on from 16s to 21s, and were
he ever to depart, Adi Viveash would be the favourite to take over and allow current
nder-16 ch|ef Joe Edwards to take charge at nder-18 |eve|. lt`s a we||-trodden
path, with opportunities to develop and work not only with players they might have
coached for three or four years, but an exposure to different challenges and greater
|eve|s of compet|t|on.
Edwards h|mse|f |s a fne examp|e of someth|ng e|se the academy has made a
po|nt of st|ck|ng too; former p|ayer aftercare. Hav|ng fa||ed to make the grade as a
p|ayer at Ohe|sea, he was |nv|ted back to work on h|s coach|ng qua||fcat|ons and
now, bare|y |nto h|s m|d-20s, |s mak|ng waves on the other s|de of the wh|te ||ne.
Watch any youth action at Cobham these days and theres a good chance youll
stumb|e across an ex-p|ayer of some denom|nat|on. Andy Myers has gone from a
part-t|me nder-15 coach to Drummy`s trusted ass|stant, wh||st Ed Brand and
James S|mmonds are mak|ng a good go of the|r second careers after the|r
attempts at p|ay|ng fa||ed to see them sca|e the he|ghts they once dreamed of.
They can be tomorrow`s O|arke or tomorrow`s Rodgers, and can be work|ng |n no
fner env|ronment at th|s stage of the|r ||ves.
Whilst weve established that those educating Chelseas starlets are more than up
to the task, |t`s u|t|mate|y about what happens on the green grass |n SW6, and that
u|t|mate|y comes back to the p|ayer. P|ay|ng t|me hasn`t qu|te been as forthcom|ng
as many of us would have liked to see in recent times, but its undeniable to anyone
who`s even stumb|ed across the odd FA Youth Oup t|e on lTv or an nder-21
out|ng on Ohe|sea Tv that the qua||ty |s there. lt s|mp|y needs the r|ght comb|nat|on
of chance and opportunity, which unfortunately isnt helped by an archaic English
footba|| mode|.
A year or so |nto the vaunted E||te P|ayer Performance P|an, |t`s hard to tru|y gauge
how effective some of the changes have been or will go on to be, but it was clear
than |n year one, the Barc|ays nder-21 Prem|er |eague d|d ||tt|e to so|ve the
gap|ng vo|d wh|ch greets e|ghteen year-o|ds |eav|ng Saturday
footba||.
lt`s at th|s stage of the|r careers - rough|y unt|| they h|t 21 - that the
in quality and a regular challenge, playing for tangible reward
|earn|ng the more subt|e nuances of the game. lnstead, they con
g|or|fed reserve |eague |n front of sparse crowds (|f they manage
training ground outings, an even more futile exercise) as far fr
exper|ence as poss|b|e.
Dav|d Moyes |ast season added h|s name to a |engthy ||st of h|gh-
(|nc|ud|ng S|r A|ex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger and our very own
ca||ed for the |mp|ementat|on of B Teams w|th|n the |eague structu
a very part|san footba|| |eague oppos|t|on and a Footba|| Assoc|at|o
to trad|t|on and h|story, |t`s an |dea wh|ch |s the very defn|t|on of a
B|-annua| ca||s are made to reform the game when the Three ||on
a major international tournament but so much as a discussion
cons of |ntegrat|ng a s|m||ar setup to that used |n Spa|n, Germa
com|ng season Ho||and - a|| countr|es wh|ch the powers that be a
emu|ate, l hasten to add - appears to be beyond those ca|||ng the
Clubs are therefore forced to turn to the loan system; and Chelsea
many a joke last season when people realised that as Rafael Benit
ing the lack of options in his squad, there were in excess of thirty p
|y p|ay|ng for other c|ubs. lt was a marked |ncrease from the dozen
prev|ous campa|gn and a|though Dan|e| Sturr|dge and Ryan Bert
the only players to make a real go of a regular berth upon their ret
much bigger network of plans being implemented at the club; s
they hope acts as a future-proofng mechan|sm to keep them ahe
At the start of pre-season tra|n|ng, there were 85 p|ayers contra
from frst-year scho|ars upwards. lt`s some twenty more than Ars
ten more than Manchester n|ted. lt`s a number unr|va||ed |n
perhaps more in keeping with the accumulation of players more o
Ser|e A, where c|ubs ||ke d|nese have deve|oped a w||d|y suc
model through creating a pipeline of players to constantly replac
cons|derab|e proft.
The Zebrette have made the|r name by cast|ng the|r net far a
prospective talent for a low price and leaving them at their origina
them out on loan until theyve fully matured, at which point they br
rep|ace an estab||shed star recent|y moved on for seven or e|
stability, not something we are used to
A Sw|ss Ramb|e study of the|r process |n 2011 revea|ed a net proft of t112m over
the previous decade, by far and away the most in Serie A.
They have a fancy for South American and African scouting, something which
Chelsea cant quite do in great volume due to UK Work Permit regulations, but the
concept behind the approach is clear. By acquiring talent before it matures, they
save money on much larger transfer fees somewhere down the road whilst arming
themselves with options to supplement the squad or replace a key name as and
when required.
Mourinho touched upon the area when sitting down with journalists back in June,
saying "Imagine if you bring back Lukaku, De Bruyne and perhaps Kalas. Bring
three guys back, that's zero (spent) because the investment was made before. We
want to go in this direction. The one or two we may buy are complements because
the structure and philosophy is this."
Its telling that he made a clear point of demonstrating the effect to those who have
the power to spread the word to the masses, and a sign that he arrives back at a
c|ub w|th a more c|ear|y defned operat|on than when he |eft. Messrs Emena|o, M|ke
Forde and the Football Board are charged with ensuring the long-term safeguard-
ing of the football team and have chosen to hedge their bets in terms of pure
numbers.
Lukaku and De Bruyne are amongst a new breed of successes; expensive signings
who werent considered ready for integration into the squad immediately, but are
more than ready to compete after a top-level spell away during 2012-13. Others,
like Ulises Dvila, Cristian Cuevas, Jhon Prez and Matej Delac may never see the
light of day in Chelsea blue, but they can be viewed as saleable assets in the same
way that Gkhan Tre, Scott Sinclair, Michael Mancienne and others made the club
a hea|thy proft on the|r serv|ces.
With Financial Fair Play acutely affecting every decision, the club have positioned
themselves in such a manner that they have a healthy combination of home-grown
academy ta|ent, overseas |mports |n the 17-21 age bracket, and bona fde qua||ty
players under 25 who are amongst the best in the world right now. In theory, the
table is set.
lt`s a|so a fne way of gett|ng around the B Team prob|em, at |east to an extent. lf
you cant control the next step of development for your own players in a preferred
manner, then a|ternat|ve arrangements have to be made, and fnd|ng a su|tab|e
p|ace for them to p|ay and refne the|r game |s as good as they have ava||ab|e r|ght
now.
Does it work? Dermot Drummy isnt sure: Yes and no. If you look at Nathaniel
(Chalobah), he played for the chance to put Watford in the Premier League, at
Wembley. Certainly, he'll have learned (a lot), you'll only know when he comes back
though." It brings us back to opportunity once again, and the Under-21 boss is
unequivocal in his feelings on the matter.
If I'm genuinely honest we've got the potential there; the opportunity has to come
sometime because you don't know until you ask someone to dance if you love
them. When you go abroad the take on Eng||sh footba|| |s that you're not techn|ca||y
good enough but we are technically good enough."
So whilst we might see Lewis Baker, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Islam Feruz and others
head out on the well-trodden loan trail next season, joining the hordes of now-fa-
miliar names once again facing an uncertain future, the bigger picture tells a
different story. As much as it might appear otherwise, theres a plan in place and a
setup be|ng adhered to. The fna| p|eces of the puzz|e aren`t yet |n p|ace and
arguab|y won`t be unt|| a frst team manager g|ves these young p|ayers the oppor-
tunities they crave; the opportunities we crave for them.
Mak|ng a decent fnanc|a| return on those who don`t qu|te come up to scratch |s
one thing, and every penny helps when it comes to the bottom line, but ultimately
success isnt measured on a spreadsheet; its on the pitch, its in the silverware
cabinet and its in the league standings. Stability breeds success and Chelsea have
one of the most successfu| deve|opment systems |n Europe as far as affa|rs pure|y
on the fe|d are concerned |n recent years.
lf they can fna||y so|ve the conundrum of the fna| push through the g|ass ce|||ng,
theres no telling how long they can maintain success for. The structure is there for
all to see; exciting times hopefully lie ahead.
By Chelsea Youth
stability, not something we are used to
r|y June, the footba|||ng wor|d's worst-kept secret was made offc|a|: Jose Mour|nho was
rmed as the new Ohe|sea manager. Amongst B|ues supporters, the joy |nsp|red by the
seemed second on|y to the fee||ng of the Ohamp|ons |eague w|n |ast May. A|though
eturn of the Special One was the cause of much of the elation, it wasn't the only aspect
e appo|ntment wh|ch ra|sed the sp|r|ts of the Stamford Br|dge fa|thfu|. The lnter|m One's
rture was a|so ce|ebrated.
report compares Ohe|sea's record under Jose Mour|nho w|th the|r record under Rafae|
ez. Due to the |ack of ||ke-for-||ke compar|sons, |t does not |ook at the troph|es won (and
under each manager.
ab|e above shows that Mour|nho has a huge edge over Ben|tez |n terms of raw resu|ts.
ugh both managers won over ha|f of the|r games, the Spec|a| One was undefeated |n
ercent of h|s games. Th|s means Ohe|sea on|y |ost one |n ten games w|th Jose as man-
compared to the one |n fve games that Rafa |ost.
|d be argued that s|nce Mour|nho was a||owed to bu||d h|s own team and spend m||||ons
ew p|ayers , he shou|d be expected to do better. However, Ben|tez |nher|ted a team that
won the Ohamp|ons |eague and were on|y four po|nts away from the top of the Prem|er
ue tab|e at the t|me of h|s appo|ntment. lt may take t|me to get a team to understand
pr|nc|p|es, but Jose managed to do th|s from day one.
tted|y, the team dynam|cs needed to be changed after D|d|er Drogba |eft, but the s|gn-
of Eden Hazard and Oscar certa|n|y a||owed the B|ues to be more creat|ve |n the fna|
Wh|ch manger oversaw the more attack|ng Ohe|sea team?
ab|e above suggests that Ohe|sea were more aggress|ve under the lnter|m One. The
s scored 2.1 goa|s per game under Rafa Ben|tez, compared to on|y 1.8 w|th Jose
|nho |n charge.
men have a s|m||ar percentage for fa|||ng to score |n games (Mour|nho at 15 percent
s Rafa at 17}. However, |t |s Ben|tez who had a h|gher rat|o of games where the team
ed two or more goa|s. Mour|nho accomp||shed th|s |n 53 percent; Ben|tez managed 65
ent of the t|me. Attack|ng, of course, |s on|y part of the game. How do the two stack up
ns|ve|y?
Both men have a s|m||ar percentage for fa|||ng to score |n games (Mour|nho at 15 perc
versus Rafa at 17}. However, |t |s Ben|tez who had a h|gher rat|o of games where the te
scored two or more goa|s. Mour|nho accomp||shed th|s |n 53 percent; Ben|tez managed
percent of the t|me. Attack|ng, of course, |s on|y part of the game. How do the two stack
defens|ve|y?
The tab|e c|ear|y shows that Mour|nho put a huge emphas|s on defens|ve qua||t|es. Ohe|s
conceded 0.6 goa|s per game under Jose compared to 1.00 w|th Ben|tez. The Spec|a| O
a|so kept a c|ean sheet |n over ha|f of h|s games (51 percent} whereas Rafa on|y acco
p||shed th|s 31 percent of the t|me, |ower than a one |n three rat|o.
When Ohe|sea d|d concede under Mour|nho they norma||y kept |t to just one the goa|. Th
on|y |et |n two or more goa|s once every e|ght games on average. lt appears that Raf
attack|ng approach meant the B|ues were correspond|ng|y vu|nerab|e at the back as th
were breached tw|ce or more |n a fu|| quarter of h|s games. Was th|s because he was chas
games after go|ng beh|nd?
When |ook|ng at wh|ch team scored frst |t shows that Ohe|sea got the frst goa| |n 66 perc
of Mour|nho`s games compared to on|y 56 percent of Rafa`s. A|so, the oppos|t|on on|y scor
frst |n one out of every four games under the Spec|a| One aga|nst a one |n three rate for Be
tez. Th|s suggests that Ohe|sea were more ||ke|y to be chas|ng games under the Span|a
and so wou|d be suscept|b|e to the counter attack.
Wh|ch manager was better at keep|ng |eads and turn|ng defeat |n v|ctory?
When w|nn|ng
The above shows that when Ohe|sea take a |ead dur|ng a game they a|most certa|n|y go on to w
However, th|s was more true of Mour|nho`s games (89 percent} than |t was for Ben|tez's (80 perce
Of the 139 games where the B|ues took a |ead under the Spec|a| One they on|y went on to |ose
games, an average of one |n 25 games. However, Rafa tasted defeat |n three of h|s 35 games |n wh
Ohe|sea he|d the |ead, mean|ng OFO |ost one |n ten games |n wh|ch they he|d a w|nn|ng pos|t|on. T
When losing
Rafa Ben|tez won s|x of the 19 games when Ohe|sea were |os|ng, g|v|ng h|m a one |n three
average. Th|s |s s||ght|y better than Mour|nho, who on|y managed |t |n dur|ng one |n four
games (27 percent}. However, |t |s worth not|ng that under Ben|tez the B|ues |ost over ha|f
the games (53 percent} |n wh|ch they went beh|nd. The Spec|a| One on|y |ost 21 of the 55
games |n wh|ch h|s Ohe|sea were |n a |os|ng pos|t|on, mean|ng they c|awed back a resu|t 62
percentof the t|me.
Summary
So, when looking at results, goals scored and conceded, clean sheets, holding on to leads
and turn|ng defeat |nto v|ctory who |s the better manager?
lt's no surpr|se that Ohe|sea performed much better under Jose Mour|nho than they d|d
under Ben|tez. However, they were marked|y more conservat|ve |n do|ng so. Desp|te
Roman Abramov|ch`s supposed expectat|on that h|s s|de p|ays enterta|n|ng, attack|ng foot-
ba||, |t appears that th|s may not be the pr|or|ty anymore. Mour|nho's appo|ntment |nd|cates
that domest|c and European dom|nat|on |s more |mportant.
On|y t|me w||| te|| to see |f the Spec|a| One cont|nues h|s Spec|a| record w|th the B|ues
oe Tweeds Joe is the editor of Plains of Almera and a season ticket holder in the Matthew
arding Upper. Can be found on Twitter - @JoeTweeds.
raham MacAree - Graham MacAree is the founder of Chelsea blog We Ain't Got No History
nd is the lead football editor for SB Nation. Follow him - @MacAree
m Palmer - Tim writes for a number of publications, including FourFourTwo Australia and
oal.com, and is looking towards a long-term career in coaching. He also maintains two blogs -
ustra||ascout.com, for Austra||an footba||, and mar|o-f|ho.com, for the Wor|d Oup. Fo||ow on
witter - @timhpal
ik Sharma - Sports journalist at MailOnline. MHL season ticket holder. Dedicated fantasy
otball player. Single. Twitter - @rbsfeatures
Will Dubey - Will works as a football analyst covering the Bundesliga for a company called
ootba|| Radar. He has supported Ohe|sea a|| h|s ||fe, h|s frst game was 1994, poss|b|y 1993,
here we drew with Wimbledon at Selhurt Park, Paul Furlong scored. On Twitter - @FRfussball-
Will.
ick Glanvill - R|ck |s Ohe|sea`s Offc|a| H|stor|an whose |atest book, The Ohe|sea FO M|sce||any,
the perfect pre-season read and |s ava||ab|e as an ebook. You w||| fnd an advert w|th|n that
ves you 30% of the RRP. F|nd h|m on Tw|tter - @R|ckG|anv|||.
avid Chidge - 'Stamford` Oh|dge |s a season t|cket ho|der |n Gate 17 |n the Matthew Hard|ng
pper and will never speak about Rafa Benitez again! He presents the award winning Chelsea Foot-
a|| FanOast. ||sten ||ve every Monday at 19.00 at m|x|r.com/che|sea-fancast/ or down|oad |t from
unes. Follow him on Twitter - @StamfordChidge and @ChelseaFanCast.
heridan Bird - Wr|ter for Ohamp|ons, Eng|and & FA Oup fna| programmes, M|rrorOn||ne, Wor|d
occer, B||zzard. lta||an rad|o RAl1. The Ba||ack D|ar|es~! v|ews & ha|r h|s own. F|nd h|m on
SheridanBird.
helsea Chadder - Ohad |s an offc|a| Ohe|sea FO b|ogger. He |s known for tweet|ng Ohe|sea
story and stats, daily CFC quizzes and Chelsea Fancast regular. Season ticket holder. Find him
n Twitter @ChelseaChadder.
ob Brown Rob is a freelance neutral and writes for various sites including Sabotage Times,
he Fa|se N|ne and the Oarva|ho Pen|nsu|a. You can fo||ow h|m on Tw|tter - @robbro7.
Tim Rolls Tim is a home and away season ticket owner, who can frequently be seen and heard
discussing Chelsea on the television and radio. Writer for cfcuk and interim Chair of the Support-
ers Trust. Twitter - @tim_rolls.

Aidan Sweeney A freelance writer who has interned at some of the UKs biggest newspapers.
Aidan frequently contributes to We Aint Got No History. Twitter @aidansweeney_.

Oliver Todd - A freelance journalist, Oliver has written about Chelsea for the likes of Sky Sports,
The Sun and The Metro. He can be followed on Twitter at: @oliver_todd.

Ramon Isaac Ramon is the editor of the Chelsea blog, MowingMeadows. He took to writing
about the club after his dream of playing for Chelsea failed to materialise. Twitter - @mowing-
meadows

Callum West - 26. West London. Season ticket holder home (MHL) and away. First game vs
O|dham 1991. Fo||ow on Tw|tter - @OFOOa||um.

Paul Wentworth - Ad |and execut|ve & wr|ter who has contr|buted to numerous OFO b|ogs and
the offc|a| s|te a|ongs|de work w|th The Da||y Ma|| & FourFourTwo among others. Fac|a| ha|r
afc|onado and so|e member of the M|cky Droy apprec|at|on soc|ety. Fo||ow on Tw|tter - @pau|t-
wentworth.

Phil Chelsea Youth, who goes by Phil to those who know him, is the editor of TheChels.net as
well as passionate follower of Chelsea across all age groups. Follow him on @chelseayouth.

Phil Lythell - Ohe|sea's ESPN b|ogger grew up |do||s|ng D|xon and Nev|n from the East Stand,
cheered on Wise and Peacock from The Shed and now worships Lampard and Hazard from the
Matthew Harding Lower. Twitter - @PhilLythell.

Ollie Glanvill - Gate 17 season t|cket ho|der, aged 22, ||fe|ong supporter, frst game Torquay
(away, pre-season), Medieval History graduate. Guitarist. Find him on @ollie_glanvill.

Shayne Dias - Shayne |s 19-year o|d Ohe|sea fan, extreme|y op|n|onated but |arge|y rat|ona|.
Always up for football and Chelsea-related discussions. He writes regularly and can be found on
@CFCRants.

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