Wouldn’t it be a logical conclusion to make, that Chelsea have enough in their squad to get the job done next season, whatever their ambition is?
Three strikers, of which only one will be used at a time; an abundance of extremely high-end midfield talents, of whom some can operate further forward as a second striker; and a midfield and defence that could do with another body but a lack of action on those fronts won’t spell doom.
Jose Mourinho, however, is a manager who will never lose his ability to draw top players. The storm of hate and aggression last season at Real Madrid has in no way chipped away at his managerial status. Sure, there were legitimate criticisms and he was largely painted as public enemy number one in Madrid, but that didn’t stop a recent Champions League winner from re-signing their old manager, knowing full well that a man of his capabilities and track records sees him comfortably in the top three or four managers in Europe.
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So is there ever a thought that maybe Mourinho is satisfied with what he has? How many times have Chelsea tried to “fix” Fernando Torres? Juan Mata, Rafa Benitez. Jose Mourinho could be the man to finally reinvigorate the Spaniard and bring about a new level of consistency and confidence. Maybe that’s his personal challenge.
From a creative standpoint, and whether Mourinho wants to go for a Real Madrid-esque counterattacking game or a possession-based approach, he is well-stocked for talent in the midfield. Oscar, Mata, Eden Hazard, and Andre Schurrle can rotate in and out of the side and not cause a decline in quality. And then that’s completely ignoring the other players available who are capable of playing in those advanced midfield roles.
But the questioning of Mourinho’s drawing power also indirectly questions Roman Abramovich. Chelsea have been there and done it: Champions League, Premier League, smashing English transfer records; why would the club as a whole not be a draw for some of the biggest names on the continent? If Chelsea did indeed lose out of Edinson Cavani – and I don’t believe they made as much noise towards Napoli as PSG did – then it was only because Abramovich or Mourinho saw their needs best served elsewhere. Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been linked in recent weeks, and there’s no reason why Stamford Bridge isn’t a realistic destination.
It boils down to what the manager wants, and if he doesn’t want to spend then so be it. This is a team who won the Europa League last season amid plenty of scorn thrown at their then manager Benitez; imagine what Mourinho, with the full backing of fans and the board can do.
This also tries to ignore the very obvious and public pursuit of Wayne Rooney. Like with many other players around Europe, you feel the Rooney deal with force a domino effect, both for Chelsea and Manchester United. Or maybe he’s the last piece to fall. The point is that deals like that can go right down to the wire, and the fact that Chelsea usually get what they want is enough to completely dismiss any idea of Mourinho lacking as a manager.
Has Mourinho lost his pulling power at Chelsea?
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