After all the drama this summer, Chelsea finally got the left back they wanted when they signed Ashley Cole from Arsenal. But over on the other side, Khalid Boulahrouz has been made to look like a chump twice in two games now.
Ronaldinho absolutely roasted him for Barcelona’s second goal last Wednesday, and though Aaron Lennon will get the headlines for scoring Tottenham’s winner on Sunday – the opportunity came after Robbie Keane had turned Boulahrouz inside out down the left wing with a few stepovers, leaving The Cannibal literally sitting on his arse. Fair enough, Keane and Ronaldinho are two talented players with more than their fair share of tricks, but it’s still rare to see a full back left for dead and facing the wrong direction (like that poor guy on the receiving end of the original Cruyff turn.)
And it’s not that Boulahrouz is a bad player. He shut down Ronaldinho in the earlier Champions League game, but seems that like Gallas he’s a lot more comfortable playing in the centre. Mourinho also has Paulo Ferreira to call on of course, who was subbed against Tottenham at half time, but there isn’t really a marquee name at the position as there is elsewhere in the squad.
The other option is to put faith in young Glen Johnson. The move from West Ham to Stamford Bridge too probably too much too young for the occasional England international, but Portsmouth fans have been loving his performances down on the South coast this season. Maybe he’ll come back to Chelsea stronger and wiser next year and when Gary Neville does a Paul Scholes and hangs up his international boots to concentrate on life at Manchester United then Chelsea can boast having three of England’s back four in their starting line up.
Otherwise it’s back to the chequebook. Chelsea’s right backs aren’t bad, but in a team where money is not an option it’s difficult to see Mourinho being happy with just ten world class players in his starting eleven.