Jose Mourinho might have got a little more grey-haired since the last time he was managing Chelsea but his tactics seem very similar.
He loves the 4-2-3-1 formation with two defensive midfielders shielding the defence.
During his first stint as Chelsea manager those two defensive midfielders were Essien and Mikel – both commanding and mobile presences in front of the back five who made it almost impossible to break Chelsea down.
Both are now on the wane and Mikel has been linked of late with a move away to Valencia. The Daily Mail reckons:
Valencia have now made enquiries about Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel.
It’s crazy to think that the guy is still only 27 years of age.
When he joined Chelsea he was hyped as one of the future greats of world football. And while he did an excellent job, in Mourinho’s all-conquering team of the middle of the last decade, he’s never quite lived up to the most lofty expectations.
He’s now being overlooked for a place in the first team and Chelsea might even go for another defensive midfielder to play alongside Matic next season.
We definitely think it’s of mutual benefit to the player and club that he does go and Valencia is an excellent club to move to. La Liga might suit the better suit the player who has lost some of his physical prowess over the last couple of years and peaked quite early in his career.
Let’s remind ourselves of his highlights. Chelsea fans: sad to see him go?
