Chelsea are riding high after beating Manchester City on their own patch this week. If anything, the game was symbolic of the reinstatement of The Special One – this game said Mourinho is back.
Because, while Chelsea have had a decent time of it in his absence – they won the league, Europa League and The Champions League between 2007 and 2013 – they haven’t been equipped to go to a place like Manchester City and get a win.
Chelsea pre-Mourinho (2nd stint) was lovely to watch but not that scary. They were capable of amazing passages of play but they weren’t physically intimidating. They looked easier to roll over than in their prime.
But Chelsea took giants to The Etihad on Monday. John Terry has been reinstated by Mourinho and is playing his best football in years. Nemanja Matic has come into the team and looks as if he’s been there for 5 seasons. He gave an imperious performance in front of the defence and also hit the bar with a 25 yard screamer.
And the goal that won the game came from the Serbian monster Branislav Ivanovic – the man with tree trunks for calfs.
Chelsea still have wonderful talent in Oscar and Hazard. But the squad is also getting beefed up Mourinho style. All they need now is a really stellar striker in his pomp. Three players have been linked today. The Guardian says:
(Diego) Costa and (Mario) Mandzukic are also believed to feature on José Mourinho’s summer wishlist, alongside PSG’s Uruguayan adonis Edinson Cavani.
You do feel that one of these guys could be the last piece in the jigsaw for a really serious tilt at The Champions League next season. Mandzukic is a top professional but perhaps lacks the pace of the other two. Costa is a top player who can do anything on the park.
But Cavani would have to be the dream signing. With his explosive power and pace, his positioning off the ball and his finishing ability (from all ranges) you feel that he would be the icing on the cake for an extremely good Chelsea side in need of a 30 goal a season man.
Cavani would be very expensive. But when Mourinho said this last week he may well have had the Uruguayan in mind.
“We did other things, not the striker. I’ve said that for a couple of months. Nothing in January [for a forward]. For many people, you and our fans, people don’t understand why we didn’t do anything. But in the summer you will understand why we didn’t do anything.”
Chelsea fans, who would you sign of the three?
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