The Premier League is getting ever closer to kicking off and 18 Yard Box finishes its previews by looking at the Blue side of London.
The blue half of London will remember
the 2013-14 season with one word to succinctly describe it: almost. They almost
won the League title, they almost made it to the semi-finals of the FA Cup, and
they were almost the finalists of the UEFA Champions League. What these
perceived failures obscure, however, is the fact that the Stamford Bridge
favourite, the tactical master Jose Mourinho, was taking over a side mired deep
in fan-trouble. He took over from the heavily scorned Rafa Benitez, renewing an
old bond with the stands and filled the supporters with hopes towards the
fulfilment of expectations they had from their team.
2013-14
Season review
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| The Special One had a mixed bag season |
While the forward triumvirate - Demba Ba, ‘old
man’ Samuel Eto’o and the still misfiring Fernando Torres- failed to work any
magic, the magical Eden Hazard left all and sundry mesmerised with his skills.
With the typical belligerence of the back four, the Pensioners looked on course
to a season of glory, displaying a proclivity towards falling short at the last
hurdle. The mid-season sale of Juan Mata laid the heavy onus of creativity to
sustain their challenge across various competitions on the Belgian with Willian
and Oscar chipping in. In spite of the situations, the Blues recorded record
decimations of London rivals Arsenal and Tottenham, to end the season on 82
points, albeit empty-handed.
Transfer
dealings
In
Diego Costa and Felipe Luis (Atletico Madrid £32m and £20m respectively), Francesco
Fabregas (FC Barcelona, £30m), Dider Drogba (Galatasary, free)
Out
Samuel Eto’o, Henrique Hilario, Frank
Lampard, Milan Lalkovic, Daniel Pappoe (Released); David Luiz (PSG, £40m);
Demba Ba (Besiktas, £8m), Cristian Cuevas (PSV Eindhoven, Loan expiry), Ashley
Cole (AS Roma, free)
Loaned
out
Thorgan Hazard (Borussia Monchengladbach),
Sam Hutchinson (Sheffield Wednesday), Tomas Kalas (Cologne), Bernard Traore and
Wallace (Vitesse Arnheim)
Mario Palisic was acquired from Hajduk
Split and was loaned of to Elche in Spain.
Style of play
If last season was about consolidation, expect Mourinho to amp up Chelsea’s
style quotient (a bit). The Chelsea
midfield left with a gaping Frank Lampard shaped hole- more in terms of
influence this past year- has been assuaged to an extent with the signing of
Fabregas who will add much more in the attacking third. While his history as an
ex-Arsenal player and vocal supporter of the North Londoners might be an ice
slab for some supporters, there is no denying the immense quality, a windfall
borne out of the Catalans’ foolishness and Arsenal’s inability to afford him a
starting place. What he lacks in pace, he fills up with his vision, creativity
and sheer footballing intelligence. Diego Costa’s acquisition was but an open secret.
Together with Hazard, Oscar and co., this Spanish duo could wreak havoc in the
League and on the Continent. Mourinho,
who prefers a counter-attacking game won’t abandon it for sure. He has made
peach attacking signings with considerable expertise in the area, with Costa’s
old team Atletico Madrid almost mirroring the style of play. Fabregas too has
some experience of the kind under the tutelage of Arsene Wenger who frugally,
but efficiently mixed the same with his version of passing play. With such signings, Mourinho could be seen opting for a more attacking brand of football rather than the blande one which he has so far opted at Chelsea. A team built around players who can provide quick, sharp passes alongwith an outlet of quick counter attacks could see the Chelsea side to play some exciting brand of football.
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| Mourinho's last season's tactics (image courtsey: Guardian) |
At the back Felipe Luis was
an obvious replacement for Ashley Cole, with Thibaut Curtois making a much
vaunted return from his loan spell at Atletico. The signing of the left-back
means that Azpelicueta could now ply his trade down the right where he is
comfortable too, with Branislav Ivanovic moving in to partner Gary Cahill. John
Terry, though a big name, could find his age an obstacle to sustained
first-team appearances.
Another signing which has come much to surprise and delight of the Chelsea fans is the acquistion of the club legend Dider Drogba. While certainly not the best transfer Chelsea have done so far, there is a certain enigma attached to the special relation the Ivorian shares with the Chelsea faithfuls. Never mind the minutes Mourinho gives Drogba on the pitch, this move, a continuation of his plan to recapture the fans, will resonate through and galvanize an already strong team. He will provided the much needed experience and also provide Chelsea with a plan B of 'thump it forward and score".
Expectations
this season
This season, the Chelsea squad is
well-balanced in terms of age and quality. While all rivals across the League
have strengthened considerably, this season certainly sees Chelsea, on paper as
the fore-runners to the title. Expect another semi-final appearance in the UCL,
at the very least, with at least some measure of success in the domestic Cup
competitions.
Players
to watch out for
1. Eden Hazard
 |
| The Belgian magician would look to weave his magic once again |
This man
drove Chelsea last season, and blues fan will expect nothing less again. His skills with the ball coupled with his link up play would provide Chelsea with threat from the flanks. Not only good with his feet, Hazard carries an excellent vision which sees him pull of some magical passes and earn himself a plethora of assists.
2. Francesc Fabregas
 |
| Fabregas wll have to win the hearts of the Chelsea supporters |
Fabregas is one with a point to prove to his two old teams. With no
time required for acclimatisation, he can be expected to hit the ground
running. His vision and his eye for surgeon-like incisive pass makes him a dangerous acquistion. He would be looking to hit the ground running.
3. Diego Costa
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| Have Chelsea found an answer to their striking woes? |
Diego Costa comes with a proven record as a goal-scorer in the La
Liga, to revive a sagging strike-force. He however will have to contend with
the vagaries of a first season in a new
league. Competing with the Chelsea legend Drogba wont be easy and Costa will have to perform consistently to guaranty himself a place in the starting XI. His goal poaching abilities is what the Blues would look to exploit.
Written By,
Abhishek Karandikar
Abhishek is a writer/contributor for 18 Yard Box.
Follow Abhishek on Twitter @GoonerAbhi
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