He’s clearly worried that his team just don’t look special
JOSE MOURINHO doesn’t look happy. My guess is that he was hoping that he had the squad to retain the Premier League. And that what he’s seen in the last few weeks has left him with major doubts.
You can see he is man on edge and that is why he reacted so emotionally last weekend in blaming club doctor Eva Carneiro and physio Jon Fearn for running on to treat Eden Hazard, meaning the player had to go off.
It was an over-reaction which has given them a political problem off the pitch in the first week of the season. That is exactly what you wouldn’t want in the week running up to such a difficult game as Manchester City away, the team I believe will be their biggest challengers.
Chelsea came back a week later than most clubs for preseason training. They flew straight off to Canada, and played three games in the US, none of which was particularly impressive.
They got back only a few days before the Community Shield and Arsene Wenger managed to win against Mourinho for the first time in that match. They looked some way short against Fiorentina in their last pre-season game and again against Swansea on Saturday.
They haven’t managed to sign John Stones yet, though they may get Abdul Rahman Baba from Wolfsburg. Then Diego Costa’s hamstrings started to become a worry when he came off against Barcelona in Washington DC and missed the Community Shield.
And if you’re going into the season worrying about Costa, you would also have to have doubts about Radamel Falcao as your No2 striker.
I suspect all these factors are con- tributing to Mourinho’s unease and explain why he snapped at what seemed a relatively small issue with the medical team.
It looks as though he has pounced on it as an issue, perhaps because he wanted to change things anyway. But if he had a problem with the medical team, why not change it in the summer? It’s not as if he doesn’t get rid of players he’s not happy with quick enough. Think of Kevin de Bruyne and Andre Schurrle. This is an issue which should have been dealt with internally.
It’s hard not to make unfavourable comparisons with last season when Chelsea strengthened in all departments, started the season with an added zest and led the Premier League almost from start to finish. Now they face the possibility of being five points behind Manchester City after two games.
This summer they simply haven’t strengthened. Asmir Begovic for Petr Cech and Falcao for Didier Drogba are like-forlike replacements and though Rahman will be an interesting addition, he won’t immediately be replacing Cesar Azpilicueta at left-back.
The team are not functioning as Mourinho would expect them to. He knows what he’s seeing on the pitch, and that his squad need an injection of something. And he will be hoping that the powers-that-be back him.
But Chelsea are not the club they once were where an indif- ferent start to the season might prompt a £50million spending spree. Books have to be balanced these days so this may be, by and large, the squad he has to work with. And he’s probably already worrying that it isn’t good enough.
Chelsea will of course be title contenders. I predicted them to win it and I still think they can do. But ideally I would like them to sign another striker before the transfer window closes to add that degree of energy which is required to freshen up a titlewinning side. Then they would have cover for Costa and it would provide an impetus for the whole squad, as would adding Stones.
Winning successive titles is an enormous challenge. Manchester City have shown over the past four seasons that sides tend to ease back after they win a title. City did that in the seasons following their title triumphs of 2011-12 and 2013-14.
Mourinho will be determined that his players do not to fall into the same trap. They will be contenders and there is every chance they will win the League if Costa stays fit. But no team ever improved resting on their laurels, and Mourinho knows it. If it’s not going to come from outside in the form of new players, then somehow Mourinho will have to provide it with his motivational skills. And it’s going to be tough to do so against improved City, Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool squads. If he can’t manage it, expect more confrontations. He’s not a manager who copes very well when the team isn’t performing or the board aren’t delivering the squad he feels he needs.