CaughtOffside’s preview of Chelsea’s season.
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Last Season
2013/14 fizzled out into a surprisingly disappointing, empty conclusion for Chelsea – who didn’t even make it to a final, let alone lift a trophy, something that wasn’t supposed to be on the agenda when Jose Mourinho triumphantly waltzed back into the club ten months earlier. Chelsea’s record in six-pointers against the teams around them at the top of the league was second to none, but an inability to beat teams lower down the table – whether a struggle to break them down or a mental issue of taking their eye off the ball – cost them a genuine tilt at the title. The ease with which they were dismantled by Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, meanwhile, showed how much work Mourinho had to do this summer.
With Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole both having left at the end of last season, there is a feeling that Mourinho is ushering in a new era at Stamford Bridge, and that last season was an audition for those who wanted to come along for the ride. New signing Nemanja Matic added a physicality to central midfield that was severely lacking, whilst Mourinho’s selection of attacking midfielders all showed that they were capable of creating chances. It was largely that pesking centre forward position that held them back…
Transfer Business
Mourinho largely solved the problems that were so ruthlessly exposed by Atletico by going out and raiding the Vicente Calderon, with three players who featured against the Blues in that semi-final set to start at Turf Moor on Monday evening. Diego Costa is perhaps the most significant capture, arriving on the back of a stunning season for Diego Simeone’s side – he should provide the physical presence and clinical finishing that Fernando Torres isn’t capable of. Left back Filipe Luis is a solid replacement for Ashley Cole, whilst goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois’ return to the club after three years out on loan is genuinely exciting.
Cesc Fabregas is also a huge capture for Mourinho, with his creativity alongside Matic giving him a midfield with far more balance and thrust than it had at any time last season. Overall, it is hard to pick fault with either Mourinho’s summer business or find a weakness within the squad that he has built, which is ever so slightly ominous for the other title contenders.
Season Expectations
Quite simply, Chelsea must lift a major trophy this season or Mourinho’s second spell at the club will have to go down as a failure, putting a second black mark next to the name of a manager who previously seemed to be infallible. Roman Abramovich has invested heavily enough to expect the few flaws that cost Chelsea the chance of winning both the Premier League and Champions League last season to have been ironed out, meaning that nothing less than winning one of them will be considered as a success.
Potential First Choice XI
The Verdict
It is a brave man who bets against Jose Mourinho once he’s been given the funds to build a squad to his exact specifications, as is now the case at Stamford Bridge. The signing of Diego Costa should solve their big issue from last season, whilst Gary Cahill and John Terry are one of the strongest partnerships in the Premier League. With Cesc Fabregas also adding creativity to compliment Nemanja Matic’s destructive midfield energy, there is no clear stick with which to beat Chelsea. We would make them favourites for the title.