Mourinho facing big calls ahead of Man Utd tie

After 180 minutes of football on his return as the Chelsea manager, Jose Mourinho must have learnt the work at his disposal is much more than a Wayne Rooney solution.

The Blues boss confirmed that his club won’t make another bid for the Manchester United striker before his side’s crunch tie at Old Trafford on Monday night. But the indications emerging from the the Hull City game and Wednesday night’s hard-fought win over Aston Villa suggest that the Portuguese has a pretty huge task as he attempts to build another formidable team. Chelsea are European contenders, not just a Premier League club.

Thirty minutes of frenetic attacking football saw Mourinho’s men dominate at Stamford Bridge as Hull adopted a cautious start to the game at Stamford Bridge on Sunday as the home side ran rings around them with many missed opportunities.

But once the Tigers settled into the game and started playing with courage, it limited the power of the midfield duo of Ramires and Lampard to dictate proceedings. Hence the attacking trio of Oscar, Kevin De Bruyne and Eden Hazard struggled to create chances for Fernando Torres, and Lukaku, who later replaced the Spaniard.  From then on, it was about being solid and compact.

Aston Villa, who beat Arsenal at the Emirates last weekend, must have drawn inspiration from Hull’s bravery in the second half at Stamford Bridge. They therefore stopped the freedom enjoyed by Chelsea’s pivot men, pressing them high and forcing them to face their goal quite often. Paul Lambert's men sometimes had four men hassling into their opponents’ half to distort their rhythm.

It made Ramires and Lampard less effective and rendered the trio of Hazard, Oscar and Juan Mata ineffective. Then as Chelsea attempted to beat the freeze, Villa played a great high line defensive to frustrate their hosts.

These are areas that would interest David Moyes and United. The former Everton manager could employ the pace and work ethic of Danny Welbeck to lead the shutdown in Chelsea’s central midfield while hoping that Michael Carrick could do a great job affecting play when the Blues lose possession. Carrick could also be the danger man to release the on-form Robin Van Persie should Mourinho ask his defenders to squeeze play by playing highline.

Ramires, a mobile player, has understandably, played the standing midfielder role in the two games as Lampard loves going forward to bang the goals, but it could be more difficult to isolate the centre backs against the great movement and devastating finishing of Van Persie.

Mourinho will have to decide whether to leave the club’s record scorer out in a big game. Lampard featured in last season’s victory at Old Trafford, albeit the title had virtually been decided at that the time. The manager has at his disposal Dutch youngster, Marco Van Ginkel who did a tactically impressive job in a pre-season loss to Real Madrid, while his Mr reliable, Michael Essien is also in contention for a place in the side.

Van Ginkel could be an interesting risk as it means he would be making his first start at the 75,000 capacity. His motivation to impress his new boss could lead him into edgy decisions and make him vulnerable to mistakes. Yet starting the Dutchman against United could be a masterstroke- many would recall Oscar’s first start against Juventus at Stamford Bridge in the Champions League last season remains arguably his most memorable match for the Blues.

 Essien’s experience could be important against United, especially playing in his natural position, unlike Lampard. The Ghanaian who enjoys tremendous trust from his manager can be deployed for ‘special job’ and Mourinho is a man of surprises-he played centre-back Pepe in the midfield to thwart Messi and Barcelona during his spell as the Real Madrid manager.  Essien’s choice though looks a distant decision having not featured at all in the first two games.

Another obvious concern remains the choice of the three players behind the striker. Kevin De Bruyne who was named man-of-the-match against Hull was left on the bench for 90minutes to accommodate Chelsea’s best player over the last two seasons, Juan Mata who returned from injury. The Spaniard was largely quiet playing on the right while Oscar is preferred in the hole behind the striker.

Oscar seems certain to retain his place, being a big away game, because of the tenacity he combines with inventiveness, while Hazard looks the most dangerous of the team’s abundant pool of creative talents. So will the boss recall the intelligent De Bruyne or reunite the trio who already have the experience of playing the Red Devils several times last season? Big decision to make and it could be interesting as the UEFA Super Cup comes on Friday.

Mourinho will also have to decide whether to recall his £50million striker, Fernando Torres after leaving him out of the squad for the Villa game or select the young Romelu Lukaku who featured as substitutes in the first two games. After replacing Torres against Hull on Sunday, the Belgian, again, came on for the misfiring Demba Ba, troubled Paul Lambert’s backline. He came close to scoring, firing just inches away from goal. He also held the ball up, with purpose, better than his Senegalese counterpart.

Lukaku scored a hat trick against United on the last day of last season while on loan at West Bromwich Albion where he plundered 17 league goals. Considering claims has been assured of a key role in the team this season, perhaps his performance against the champions at the Hawthorns could earn him a start at Old Trafford tomorrow.

The Chelsea manager should also be worried by the performance of the duo of John Terry and Gary Cahill, who both looked unconvincing against Villa. Terry failed to close down Christian Benteke for Villa’s goal while it took two brilliant saves from Petr Cech to prevent Andreas Weimann from punishing the Blues. Gabriel Agbonlahor also came close with a curling strike that went just wide.

And considering the chances manufactured by Villa who had only 39 percent of possession all game, Mourinho and his Chelsea side must be concerned against the ruthless Van Persie who would fancy himself against such porosity.

Clearly the Blues have suffered from the absence of a much more mobile David Luiz who is still recovering from injury. Cesar Azpilicueta could be a good option at right back, allowing Mourinho to move Ivanovic into central defence in place of the struggling Cahill.

These are interesting calls to be made to get results and sustain team harmony. But then, Mourinho has the pedigree of being one of the best managers capable of navigating these tasks with efficiency.

Let the shows begin

The wait is over and the boredom is set to be replaced by the excitement of the new Premier League season which gets underway today.

For Chelsea fans, it’s a refreshing feeling that was triggered by the arrival of the Jose Mourinho in June and now is the time when that bubbly buzz will be tested, beginning from the visit of Hull City Tigers to Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

The arrival of Felipe Scolari in July 2008 comes to mind with similar feeling of optimism ahead of the new Premier League season. He had won the with Brazil in style in 2002 and guided Portugal to the semi-finals of the 2006 World Cup in Germany before leading them to the quarter finals of 2008 European Championship.

Though Avram Grant led the Blues to the UEFA Champions League final, the Israeli coach never really won over the fans who were still peeved at the treatment meted out to Mourinho , his predecessor who won back-to-back league titles among other other trophies.

Scolari’s arrival thus became a huge lift, particularly as the fans expected him to bring flair to the side following criticisms of Mourinho’s style of play which was considered less expansive. The rest is history.

Carlo Ancelotti, who eventually won the domestic double, came in with scepticisms concerning his poor domestic championship record-he had just one Scudetto title in a decade both as Juventus and AC Milan manager. His successor Andre Villas-Boas’s appointment, though signed with a huge release clause, was seen a long-term project rather than immediate expectation of triumph.

So the return of The Special One has brought back the declining feel-good factor among the Blues faithful and everyone is looking forward to a remarkable challenge for the league title last won by the team in 2010.

Mourinho has tried to play down the expectations from his team this season, insisting he would be working with a talented group of young players whose best years are still ahead of them. Yet we know the Portuguese will be determined to go for every available honour beginning from this season. Such is his spirit of competitiveness, an attitude he has started inculcating in the current Chelsea team.

Real Madrid was their biggest challenge during their pre-season games yet the manner they fought back to level scores at 1-1 gave the glimpses of the fighting spirit typical of Mourinho’s teams. They however succumbed to the genius of Cristiano Ronaldo before stepping up their resilience to record a victory over Roma, again after being a goal down.

Ahead of the Blues kick off tomorrow, here is the XI  I believe could be the strongest side for the season and why:

PETR CECH: Remains the undisputed first choice for the team, and certainly one of the best goalkeepers of his generation. Cech took the reign from Carlo Cudicini at the start of Mourinho’s first spell and was hugely influential to the back-to-back EPL title success. The Czech goalkeeper will still be crucial to a great campaign this season.

CESAR AZPILICUETA: He gradually came into the team last season after arriving from Olympic Marseille and later took the right back mantle from Branislav Ivanovic. Azpi, like other players who took part in this year's FIFA Confederations Cup, hasn't enjoyed good a pre-season, but his defensive tenacity and ability to move swiftly into attacking positions still give him the edge. He only turns 24 later this month, he's got plenty of time to improve, especially on his crosses.

DAVID LUIZ: Mourinho insists he is key to his plans amidst interest from Barcelona and it is no surprise as Luiz remains one of the best modern day centre backs in Europe, with great personality on the pitch and ability to dictate play from the defence. Prone to occasional ill-timed enthusiasm on or off  the ball, he can be decisive at both ends of the pitch during games.

JOHN TERRY: Injuries troubled his performances last season and consequently lost confidence in his game. The skipper has been pumped up in pre-season but he will have to stay fit and perform to keep his place. Terry is still a leader to have in the team, especially for this young Chelsea team.

ASHLEY COLE: His performance dropped a bit last season but he is undoubtedly still the best in the team and among the best in the country. Cole’s energy has not actually waned with age and he is wary of Ryan Bertrand’s determination to take the spot off him. Still a great player.

MARCO VAN GINKEL: One of the team’s top performers in pre-season, he is an energetic midfielder who offers tremendous support on and off the ball, with huge prowess in helping the team’s transition. The former Vitesse star will have to learn fast in the EPL, but he already looks a shrewd acquisition in the midfield with his tidy passing and his desire to get the tackles in. One to watch.

RAMIRES: He is great asset in counter attack with his athleticism. Ramires, though not impressively endowed with passing finesse, scores goals and graft well defensively. Two qualities that could make him a Mourinho man in this season.

EDEN HAZARD: Clearly one of the most intelligent players in the team, his creativity and sheer class are evident. The Belgian star's maturity, after an impressive first season in England, will really play a crucial part in the team’s campaign this season. Hazard will need to brush up his scoring boots. His main strength lies on the left side of the attack and the freedom to rove around as well.

JUAN MATA: He has had a busy yet successful last two years and hopefully he is not hampered by injuries. Oscar has enjoyed the number 10 role in pre-season but Mata remains the brain of the team. His touches are sublime and his decision making is second to none as a traditional playmaker. Always a delight to watch.

KEVIN DE BRUYNE: One of the most exciting young talents in the team. De Bruyne exudes confidence and maturity beyound his age. His crosses are excellent and his decision making very good. He really improved his game while on loan at Werder Bremen last season and he looks ready to play a big part this season. His versatility-can play in central midfield and across the three spots behind the striker- will be of great importance to the squad.

ROMELU LUKAKU: The striking position is a tough call but among the options currently available (Wayne Rooney still a big target for the club), Lukaku seems to me the most motivated ahead the new season. His spell at West Brom last season, where he scored 17 goals has boosted his belief  and I won't be surprised to see him ahead of Fernando Torres in the pecking order.