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Thursday, 3 April 2014

Is this what Mourinho's Chelsea team will look like next season after he's ripped into the squad and made it his own?

If Chelsea had reason to smile about anything that happened on Wednesday then maybe it was a FIFA ruling that involved another team altogether. After all, at least Barcelona are unable to poach any of their players, as it stands. 
That’s half the battle in what is likely to be a transitional summer for Jose Mourinho, a summer in which he must do what is necessary to ensure his squad is robust enough for his ambitions. At the moment, they fall just a little bit short.
Scroll down to see how Chelsea are likely to line up next season
Sneak peek: Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho before the defeat in Paris - he is expected to rip apart his squad
Sneak peek: Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho before the defeat in Paris - he is expected to rip apart his squad
Frustration: Mourinho laid into his team after their disappointing Champions League 3-1 defeat to PSG in Paris
Frustration: Mourinho laid into his team after their disappointing Champions League 3-1 defeat to PSG in Paris

Money needs to be spent, ‘balls’ acquired and the prize elements kept.
His comments about Samuel Eto’o’s age, regardless of whether they were spoken in jest, rightly highlighted a wider concern about his striking options. That is the most significant area to address.
The fact Chelsea have mounted such a creditable and ongoing challenge for the Barclays Premier League title is all the more impressive when you consider not a single recognised striker has scored more than eight league goals (Eto’o).
Eden Hazard has picked up the slack and both man and manager have been making noises about him aspiring to the levels of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. PSG’s reported interest is likely to bug Mourinho during the summer because he is the player they cannot afford to lose, a man impossible to replace. 
Time up: Samuel Eto'o has done well this season but the Cameroonian striker is 33 and his impact is waning
Time up: Samuel Eto'o has done well this season but the Cameroonian striker is 33 and his impact is waning
The main target: Many believe Atletico Madrid striker Diego Costa is likely to arrive at Chelsea this summer
The main target: Many believe Atletico Madrid striker Diego Costa is likely to arrive at Chelsea this summer
Hitman: The Brazilian-born striker, now representing Spain, has most of Europe after him due to his good form
Hitman: The Brazilian-born striker, now representing Spain, has most of Europe after him due to his good form
Then there is the age concern. John Terry, 33, has found a second wind, but can Eto’o thrive in a diminished role?
It is clear that Atletico Madrid’s Diego Costa is on Mourinho’s mind. What then for Eto’o? One of the great strikers of his generation - and most others - is in the twilight of his career, as he well knows. But it is worth noting that in seven appearances from the bench in all competitions he has not scored.
What of Frank Lampard? A Chelsea hero, for sure, but he’s 35. Ashley Cole, 33, has rarely been seen.
Running out of time: Club captain John Terry is 33 now and doesn't have long left at the top level
Running out of time: Club captain John Terry is 33 now and doesn't have long left at the top level
Chelsea's Frank Lampard doesn't get much pitch time these days
Chelsea's Frank Lampard doesn't get much pitch time these days
Ashley Cole also spends most of his time warming the bench
Ashley Cole also spends most of his time warming the bench
Of course, much of the transition has started already. Lampard has been conspicuously absent from numerous big games. He was an unused substitute against Arsenal, likewise in both the league and FA Cup ties against Manchester City.
He was also left on the bench against Manchester United and managed only 45 minutes in games against Liverpool and Tottenham. In fact, he has not played a full match against a top-four side since the 0-0 draw against Arsenal on December 23.
Cole’s place has gone to Cesar Azpilicueta and Mourinho has eyes on Luke Shaw for the left-back role. The Southampton player is destined for a big move, most likely this summer, and he may be the only addition to a defence that has the best record in the Premier League, with only 24 conceded.
New man: Southampton's Luke Shaw is seen by many as being the long-term replacement for Cole
New man: Southampton's Luke Shaw is seen by many as being the long-term replacement for Cole
Flying high: The Saints left-back has impressed this season with his marauding runs from defence
Flying high: The Saints left-back has impressed this season with his marauding runs from defence
They may have been labelled ‘ridiculous’ by Mourinho in the aftermath of their PSG defeat, but on the whole it is a very good unit, protected brilliantly by deep-lying midfielder Nemanja Matic.
An important part of the side’s evolution may also come from internal promotions. Questions about the decision to let Romelu Lukaku go to Everton on loan have mithered Mourinho all season. His 12 Premier League goals have made him impossible to ignore. But if he returns, will he get more than a bench spot, considering Mourinho’s plans for Costa?
Then there’s the goalkeeping situation. Petr Cech is rightly regarded as one of the great goalkeepers of the Premier League era. After 10 years at Chelsea, it is perhaps surprising to think he is only 31. Clearly there are more miles to be had, but this week his long-distance understudy, Thibault Courtois, drew yet more gushing praise. 
Imposing: Chelsea's Belgian keeper Thibault Courtois - on loan at Atletico Madrid - has seen his reputation soar
Imposing: Chelsea's Belgian keeper Thibault Courtois - on loan at Atletico Madrid - has seen his reputation soar
Ready to take over? Petr Cech is still only 31 - young for goalkeeper - but Courtois looks ready to become No 1
Ready to take over? Petr Cech is still only 31 - young for goalkeeper - but Courtois looks ready to become No 1
The Belgian has been on loan at Atletico Madrid from parent club Chelsea for two-and-a-half years and there are some strong suggestions that he will spend another season in Spain. But Chelsea rate the 21-year-old extremely highly and want him to sign a contract that will tie him to the club until 2019.
It is not beyond the realms of possibility, therefore, that the goalkeeper will be brought back inside the Chelsea tent this summer, not least because of his outstanding performance against Barcelona on Tuesday. It prompted Barca manager Gerardo Martino to call him ‘one of the best in the world’, though it still seems more likely that his Chelsea breakthrough will come another year down the line.
Of course, it is in attack where the biggest surgery will be performed. Demba Ba has looked out of place and Fernando Torres is surely about to get a fresh start elsewhere. Mourinho’s subtle digs against the Spaniard after losing against PSG on Wednesday did not go unnoticed.
Dejected: Fernando Torres hangs his head after PSG's third goal is scored in Chelsea's Champions League loss
Dejected: Fernando Torres hangs his head after PSG's third goal is scored in Chelsea's Champions League loss
Bench warmer: The familiar site of Torres on the substitute's bench for Chelsea's game against PSG last night
Bench warmer: The familiar site of Torres on the substitute's bench for Chelsea's game against PSG last night
The Chelsea first team for 2014/15? Here's how the Chelsea team is expected to line up next season
The Chelsea first team for 2014/15? Here's how the Chelsea team is expected to line up next season
Costa is the man Mourinho wants. His release clause at Atletico is £31.5m and with 25 goals in 30 La Liga games, the 25-year-old appears to be a bargain. His record of seven goals in six Champions League games makes him all the more appealing.
With him up front, Chelsea might suddenly look like a complete side.
Possible line up for next season: Courtois; Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Shaw; Matic, Ramires; Willian, Oscar, Hazard; Costa

Subs: Lukaku, Eto’o, Schurrle, Salah, Azpilicueta, Van Ginkel, Cech

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