Chelsea are odds on favorites for the 2014/2015 Barclays Premier League, with good reason too it would seem. There are many reasons why Chelsea should go on to win the title this year, the master tactician that is Jose Mourinho, a fantastic in depth squad and new signings in key areas. Will things look rosy for Jose at the end of the season though? Only time will tell, but going into this season Chelsea fans have very good reason to be hopeful they will attain glory under Mourinho again.
Why Chelsea will win the Premier League
The strike force
A goal scoring striker is fundamentally important in challenging for the League. I’m fully aware this is an obvious ingredient for success but I mention it as it seems highly likely Chelsea’s 3 strikers will come under a lot of scrutiny, in particular the two Spaniards Fernando Torres and new signing Diego Costa. If you look at Luis Suarez last year, who near enough single handedly steered Liverpool back into the title race, you will see the significant difference a good striker can make. Former Liverpool man Fernando Torres might be unable to emulate the form shown by Suarez, but certainly isn’t being replaced by new boy Diego Costa. Here, I believe, Mourinho may have a plan to combine the two former Atletico Madrid players in an unlikely partnership.
Both Torres and Costa bear some similar comparisons, some good some bad. Both players found their best form at the same club and then went into high profile moves to the Premier League, of course. More importantly they have both felt the force of the cruel power of extremely high expectations, and not entirely fulfilling them. Costa, in more recent times at the World Cup, has been a vital part of the demise of the Spanish National side. He can by no means be labelled a flop after his poor showing at the World Cup but he can certainly relate to the situation Torres finds himself in, something Chelsea fans would hope can be turned into a positive between the two players. If both players play for each other and the team as a whole, rather than an individual starting spot, there is certainly the possibility of a formidable partnership being formed. Torres is certainly in the last chance saloon of his Chelsea career, but with Mourinho backing the pair in pre season it looks as though the 2014/2015 season distils yet another invaluable chance for him to make his mark again in the Premier League.
Just in case the pair doesn’t perform, who is waiting in the ranks? Oh yes, Chelsea legend Didier Drogba. There is no doubt Mourinho brought him back because he can make a real impact still and Chelsea have very few strikers so he is a logical addition. However it must have been in his mind that he can use Didier in two ways, one to motivate and perhaps even mentor a lost player like Torres. Secondly, if either of the pair fails to meet the high standards expected they can’t just get away with it, a Chelsea hero adored by the fans constantly lies in wait to take your place, even at 36 something he is still capable of doing.
The rivals
So it seems the strike force is something Jose has covered. What about the competition he will face? Certainly there is a lot of it, but most dangerous rivals should certainly be adjudged as Manchester City, last year’s champions. A direct battle between Moruhino and Pellegrini’s men looks likely, but not inevitable. An improved Arsenal, a new managerial regime at United and half of Southampton joining last year’s surprise package look the teams to be fellow contenders. For me, though, these teams are likely to be contenders and nothing more. If a team like Arsenal can avoid injuries, something which has often plagued them, they certainty could challenge. The same, of course, is true for both Liverpool and Manchester United, but for one key ingredient separates Chelsea from the rest, the small matter of Jose Mourinho.
The Mourinho factor
Mourinho prides his teams on their defensive stability. Last year a paradox of sorts was created between Mourinho the man and Mourinho and his team. He himself could never be labelled as “boring” like his team so often were last year, strangely enough by fairly bitter fans who’d just lost an important game to Chelsea, but never mind. Arrogant, controversial and even passion that verges on lunacy? Yes. But “boring”? No, never. His style of football clearly doesn’t reflect his character as a person then (admittedly the world would be a better place if it did, every game would be a 6-5 thriller). That’s not to say, however, the way his team plays doesn’t work or isn’t an effective system. The exit of David Luiz this summer also marks the abolition of a certain style of Chelsea play. His sporadic charges up field were admirable and often entertaining to watch but a managerial nightmare. They were ultimately dangerous for the team, demonstrated most effectively in Brazil’s 7-1 thrashing at the hands of Germany. Jose’s style might not be as attractive or entertaining consistently, but it does consistently produce results, something which is paramount in Premier League success. Mourinho isn’t the type of person who cares what people think anyway, if all 38 Premier League matches were to finish 1-0 next year would that stop him parading off down the touch line? Of course it wouldn’t.
The full time result
Manchester City, closest rivals, are having an unusually quiet summer thus far. The signing of Frank Lampard on a 6 month loan seemed to act as a reminder to football fans that they were still active as a club, at least in comparison with summers in the past few years. City, collectively have spent nearly £700m, £686.5m to be precise (source: transferleague.co.uk) from their takeover in the season of 07/08 through to the end of the summer of the 2013/2014 season. This summer they haven’t surpassed the £20m mark, this begs the question, is this a result of Financial Fair Play regulations or content with the title winning squad of last year? Probably a combination, but one thing is for sure, similarly to Chelsea, Manchester City have strength in depth. I expect to see players like Jovetic, who had a quiet season, make much more of an impact this year. Manchester City, at the turn of the millennium was celebrating a return to the top flight after back to back promotions. Could they be celebrating back to back titles come May 2015?
City certainly will put a challenge forward. The 2014/2015 season will be a fascinating battle to behold, a 2 horse race shouldn’t be expected throughout but as we creep into the latter stages of the season it would be very surprising not to see both teams somewhere near the top. For me, Chelsea just edge it. Mourinho’s masterful mind games are to be expected in the heat of battle and with the inevitability of a tight title race. If Stamford Bridge can be made into the fortress it has been under Mourinho, Costa and Torres form a strong partnership and Jose sticks to his guns with a defensive philosophy – there’s simply no stopping Chelsea this year.
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