Last season, when Chelsea finally lifted the trophy in May, they were 16 points ahead of their nearest competitors. Here we explain why the Blues are overwhelming favourites to recapture the Premier League crown in 2016.
The Mourinho factor
It’s 11 years since Jose Mourinho gave his first press conference at Stamford Bridge. Many people scoffed at his remarks at the time, but the divisive Portuguese maestro was right then and he’s right now. He is indisputably a ‘special one’.
Mourinho’s ability to build winning squads and maintain their motivation season-in-season-out has earned him the highest win percentage of any manager in the history of the Premier League (70%), eclipsing the record of Manchester United legend, Alex Ferguson (65%).
More pertinently, he has won three out of the five Premier League trophies contested during his time at Chelsea and his closest rival, Arsene Wenger, hasn’t won a single title since Jose first arrived on these shores in 2004. So how does he do it?
If you ask his players, Mourinho’s victories are a natural byproduct of his intrinsic thirst for success. Diego Costa recently told Turkish Newspaper, Bugun, that the Portuguese manager’s professionalism and love for the job set him apart from the competition.
Even Cesc Fabregas is a disciple now. Just a year ago, it would have seemed unfeasible due to their previous run-ins, but he recently described Mourinho as ‘the best manager’ he has ever worked under.
The Spanish playmaker said: ‘(Mourinho) just loves winning. He has some edge that goes above anyone else I have ever been with. The mentality he shows in every single training session, or game, I now understand why he has won what he has won in his career.’
Superior flexibility
Chelsea are currently the only side in England which can flip from creativity to containment at a moments notice. While this may not sound like the most exciting of attributes, it makes them an incredibly complicated team to prepare for and deal with.
Chelsea played at the polar extremes of attacking and defensive football at times last season. When the situation allowed it, they went for the throat from minute one and eviscerated sides.
However, when they had key players out injured or the the team were facing a particularly treacherous looking fixture pile-up, they started games cautiously, aiming to contain and probe until good opportunities presented themselves.
The conservative tactics Mourinho employed in the last two months of the season depended heavily on the quality of Chelsea’s battle hardened backline. He took full advantage of their combative qualities and, in the end, it paid dividends.
A title win achieved through 28 weeks of exhilarating attacking football followed by 10 weeks of assured defensive performances is nothing to be sniffed at. Unless you’re Arsene Wenger and sniffing at things is your favourite thing in the universe.
It’s fair to say the current champions don’t have the explosive clinical potential or the oppressive doggedness or of the 04/05 league winning team. They also don’t have the serene, assured confidence and maturity of Ancelotti’s record-breaking double winning side. However, they do have a superior sense of youthful adaptability which makes them an incredibly difficult team to compete with over 38 games.
Conversely, Man City always set out to bulldoze and mesmerise, but when an opposing team manages to stifle their attacking play, the Citizens begin to look disinterested and ponderous.
Arsenal’s problems are deeply ingrained and their rigidity was most aptly emphasised by Wenger’s uncharacteristic defensive masterclass in their 0-2 win against City. His tactics caught many people off guard on that day, leaving Arsenal fans dreaming of a new era of pragmatism at the Emirates. Unfortunately for them he soon reverted to type, allowing his side to quietly fade away in the last months of the season.
Ongoing development of key players
Before Jose’s return, Chelsea had become something of a ‘project’ club. There was a definite shift toward buying younger players and trying to change the style of play, even if it came at the expense of top-line competitiveness. There were certainly high points during this tempestuous transitional phase, including our first Champions League win. Tellingly though, that famous victory was achieved against the odds during a brief revival for our old guard.
In many different ways, the top brass at Stamford Bridge and Mourinho’s recent predecessors laid strong foundations for his return. Astute signings of young, talented players and gradual, subtle changes in the ethos of the club allowed Jose to make some big moves in the transfer market early on, while keeping a talented squad together.
Last summer, when Mourinho signed Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas, there was a sense of inevitability about their impact. Predictably, these seasoned professionals linked up perfectly and turned a nearly side into the real deal.
At the same time, the young footballers whose arrivals predated the latin duo are now one year wiser and two trophies better off. Eden Hazard came on leaps and bounds in 2015, winning numerous personal accolades, while players like Matic and Willian also reached new heights.
If there was one complaint about the squad last season, it had nothing to do with performances. Instead the biggest problem was a lack of numbers.
Making astute signings
After Mourinho clinched the title, he stated that he was looking to add 2-3 players to the squad in the off-season. With the incredible surge of TV cash occurring next year, this could be the last transfer window in a long time where Premier League teams manage to get any real value for money.
Falcao’s move to Chelsea has now been confirmed and, due to a massive reduction in his wage demands, it currently looks like a good piece of business. Eyebrows would have been raised if Chelsea had signed another injury prone striker on a permanent deal, so a loan with an option to buy at the end of the season makes perfect sense. Despite his poor form at Manchester United last season, Falcao is still an incredible gifted footballer.
Begovic would be a strong replacement for Petr Cech and even though Courtois looks immovable between the sticks, anything can happen in football. If he suffers a poor run of form or one of Europe’s big spenders come in with an obscene offer for the Belgian, Begovic has the quality to replace him.
There are a number of other potential Chelsea targets being discussed in the press. A move for Raheem Sterling could be on the cards and his arrival would certainly inspire increased competition for places on the wings and in attacking midfield.
A swap deal for Juventus’ Paul Pogba with Oscar going the other way is a possibility, though Pogba doesn’t seem like a stereotypical Mourinho player and Jose has denied that the Brazilian will leave this summer.
A move for Varane has been on the cards for a while, but whether or not Rafa Benitez will be keen to allow his arch nemesis grab one of Madrid’s best young players remains to be seen.
The youth cavalry
As well at trying to bring in some experienced players to push for places in the first team, Mourinho has suggested that there will be an increased emphasis on youth next season.
One of the criticisms frequently levelled at Chelsea is based around their apparent refusal to give youngsters a chance, however, their problems in this area centre around the fact that the first XI has been full of established, reliable internationals for the last 18 years.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Dominic Solanke certainly impressed in their brief cameos last season, demonstrating the obvious difference between the current crop of young starlets and their unsuccessful predecessors.
The return of Bertrand Traore from his enforced loan period at Vitesse Arnhem will also provide some extra competition. The Burkina Faso international has already proven himself in the Dutch league and there are suggestions that he could be ready to compete for a starting berth immediately if he manages to reproduce his form from last season.
In summary…
The other sides have not yet strengthened enough in key areas to cause Chelsea any genuine concern and even if they do, the Blues will also be looking to bolster their current squad. If Jose manages to keep his squad together and adds a few big names to the roster, all signs point towards another clear run at the title for the Blues.
