As a Chelsea fan, I love Jose Mourinho. I still do. His return to the club was supposed to set up a period of stability for a club that, although successful, has experienced turbulence and a great amount of turnover in personnel.
Well.. not so much. Mourinho’s departure paves the way for yet another interim manager, Guus Hiddink, and yet another period of uncertainty for the club. This time, the interim manager has a legitimate hole to dig out of, as opposed to other managers, whom were simply the next man up when owner Roman Abramovich became impatient.
Chelsea are in 15th place. They are just three points above the relegation zone. The team probably overachieved last year when it won the Premier League, but this is a disgrace. I feel for Mourinho because he tried everything. Perhaps it was the success from last year, the issues with the team doctors, or the poor early results – but what transpired was a swooning spiral into 15th place.
I place a large amount of blame on Cesc Fabregas. It is clear that Fabregas has a problem with Mourinho, and although he was typically matter-of-fact with the press, and publically paid tribute to the manager after his departure, I don’t believe him. He’s lying.
When Mourinho was at Real Madrid, he benched Iker Casillas, the famed Spanish goalkeeper and poster boy of Real Madrid. He benched Casillas because he wasn’t the best goalkeeper on the team. It did not go well. Casillas was visibly upset, and Mourinho eventually left the club. Casillas did as well, because Mourinho was right – Casillas no longer should be starting for a club that is aspiring to win all trophies like Real Madrid. As a club legend, Casillas felt he was owed something, something that was not given to him when Mourinho put him on the bench.
Fabregas was taken off at halftime after a poor showing against West Ham, and subsequently benched against Liverpool. Chelsea lost both games. He was taken off, and benched, because he was playing pathetically and with little effort. If there is one thing Mourinho will not put up with, it's a lack of effort on the defensive side. Rumors started to surface of locker room tensions, and many were tied to Fabregas. He denied them, and although his words were direct, the tone was not. At this point, things at Chelsea started to take a real turn for the worse. More recently, rumors spread that Chelsea team information was leaked before their crucial tie against FC Porto. Guess who was sitting on the bench – Fabregas. Hmm..
It really seems like Fabregas, and the other Spanish players in the squad, decided they’d had enough of Mourinho. Spain won three international tournaments in a row – they did so by playing possession football and playing through the midfield. Mourinho’s style of play could not be more opposite – he demands you cover as a winger, and the general style is counterattacking, not possession. What you have here is a classic case of the players believing they are better than the manager.
Fabregas has been terrible all year. His typically smooth passing has been non-existent, which has rendered him a liability in midfield because he’s never been a good defender. Diego Costa came into training overweight, by his own admission, and has spent more time this season trying to instigate opposing defenders than actually getting around them. Yeah, it was funny when he got Gabriel to bite against Arsenal, but it’s not funny when you’re losing more than half of the games you play because the striker isn’t in the right position. His spoiled demeanor was evident when, although being the last member of the squad to be dropped, he threw his warmup bib at Mourinho after not being played against Tottenham. Costa has scored three goals this season – I don’t think anyone can see the crying as justified.
The two other Spanish members of the squad are different stories. Pedro came over from Barcelona over the summer and he just hasn’t been very good. I don’t question his effort, but his overall play has been poor. I thought he was a good bargain but it just hasn't worked out. It happens. Azpilicueta, on the other hand, has been horrible. The goal he gave up to Riyad Mahrez last Monday was laughable. Yeah, it was a nice move by Mahrez, but if you basically get out of the way of an in-form striker when he shoots from six yards out, what do you think will happen? I’ve always thought Azpilicueta was a hard worker, and that makes his recent lack of effort that much more noticeable. He isn’t trying, and neither are Fabregas and Costa. When three members of an eleven-man team, with one in each line of the formation, aren’t giving their full effort, what you get is a 15th placed team.
It isn’t only on the Spanish players. Eden Hazard has yet to score in the Premier League after legitimate comparisons were made between him and Cristiano Ronaldo last year. I think he just got sick of Mourinho telling him to track back, and when Fabregas started the trouble, he joined in. Hazard’s hip injury exit from Monday’s game in Leicester was dubious – you could tell by Mourinho’s tone that he didn’t really believe him. I doubt he’s really injured. When Mourinho said he was “betrayed” – look no further.
Mourinho is not without blame. Clearly, his style is to be authoritative, and he has a “my way or the highway” personality. In a lot of ways, this is a good characteristic for a football manager, because the squad must believe in the game plan or it will fail. He’s arrogant. He berates officials, managers, players, everyone he can. But who doesn’t? He’s always been in the spotlight because of his straight-shooting philosophy and his great successes. Mourinho is a top manager whether the Chelsea players see it that way or not.
It’s hard to believe, but this Chelsea squad has too many primadonnas – more than Real Madrid – to succeed under Mourinho. The Spanish players are too arrogant from all of their international successes. Hazard does not want to defend like a winger, only attack. No matter how talented, a disjointed team cannot win a tough league like the Premier League. They can’t even beat a dreadful team like AFC Bournemouth. Although neither could Manchester United..
What should Chelsea do? It’s going to be difficult to attract a top manager before the end of the year, but Guus Hiddink isn’t a bad option for an interim coach. In January, they need to sign a striker who is a poacher – someone who is going to run into the six-yard box and finish from close. They will not get relegated, but a top-four finish is nearly impossible, so the season is lost. If they can somehow gather form by February, PSG awaits in the Champions League. It’s unlikely they will win that matchup – so it’s time to rebuild.
Step 1 – Remove Fabregas, Costa and Azpilicueta from the team. Sell Eden Hazard to Real Madrid.
Step 2 – Find a coach with an established pedigree at a top club, but also one that fits English football. While I would not be upset if Chelsea wound up with Pep Guardiola next year, I don’t think his style really fits the Premier League. Diego Simeone would be a great coach for the team. They need a motivator.
Step 3 – Give the youth players time to play. Once Chelsea are in a safer position in the table, bench all of the above players and play some of the promising youth players, such as Bertrand Traore and Ruben Loftus-Cheek. Show the players that they are not bigger than the club, and allow the talented youth to shine on the big stage.
Jose Mourinho does not have a reputation to rebuild. These players do. Clearly, they will play better after his departure because they decided they were sick of him. In football, it’s much easier to fire one coach versus eleven players. Cesc Fabregas is impossible to root for as a Chelsea fan. He needs to go immediately. The rest of the players – their pride (in Mou’s words) is on the line for the rest of the year – to prove they are the world class players they pretended to be last year. Until some change occurs, the Chelsea players are right where they belong – 15th place.
