Big Decisions For Mourinho
Happy One?
By Gary Watton
May 22 2014
Transfer speculation is irritatingly rife all year round, but it really rushes to the surface when the football season has concluded and each club conducts its own self-assessment of its playing staff. There is always an illusion that each club will make progress when they introduce apparently better players into the fold. That however does not always become the reality.
The challenge therefore presented to Jose Mourinho now is how he can take the nearly men of 2014 and transform them into the glory men of 2015. God knows, the previously downtrodden Gooners will be reminding us for the next year that lo and behold they have more silverware than us. We can stomach their temporary condescension if we were convinced that normal service will resume shortly. However, like I said, I must caution against those naive enough to think that a raft of fresh faces and new signings represents a new golden dawn. One only has to look at how our lovely neighbours of Tottensham went and squandered the proceeds from their sale of Gareth Bale on a number of turkeys, with the notable exception of Christian Eriksen. Furthermore, I am filled with foreboding when Chelsea prepare to dip their toes in the transfer shopping arcade as we have been more accomplished than most at purchasing three-legged turkeys. Names such as Bogarde, Boulahrouz, Ben Haim, Pizarro, Sutton, and more recently Marin are but six examples of poor acquisitions.
Dilemma number one for Jose and his brains trust is to decide whether they should move for their selected targets ahead of the World Cup. By opting for someone before he auditions himself on the biggest stage of all is both potentially a smart move and a disastrous one. A player's transfer value can escalate or depreciate, according to his performances in the World Cup. Is it best to make a quick move for someone rated at about forty million pounds, before his World Cup heroics would lead to a rise in the asking price? Or is it dangerous to move too soon for someone who flops at the World Cup and you find yourself paying silly money for someone who doesn't live up to his price tag? Either way, the decision to stick or twist is a huge gamble. Personally, I think it is wise to wait and see which players emerge in the World Cup, so that we don't acquire too many players prior to the hostilities. One or two investments can be made on those who excel in Brazil. Buying too many players in advance of the tournament is possibly premature.
As for conundrum number two, we need one or two lethal strikers. I would wish for someone who spends the large majority of the match loitering with intent around the penalty area, even if he is frequently a passenger, watching the unfolding action with hands on hips, but whose predatory instincts come to the surface when a chance is presented. For me this scenario is infinitely more preferable than the desire to buy a hard-working attacker who puts himself about the park with a great shift of energy and industry. However, players like Drogba are a one-off. Furthermore, even a notable link man like Mark Hughes was not a prolific scorer. I just hope that we don't look for someone in the mould of Rooney who goes hunting for the ball but who then takes himself too far away from the opposition's goal, in his pursuit of the little round object. I just want a centre forward who stays in the centre, in a forward position, ready to pounce. Give me someone who specialises in loads of ugly goals from inside the penalty area ahead of a fancy dan or work horse who is a great team player but who scores far less often.
My biggest concern about the centre forward vacancy is the press speculation that Abramovich is dead keen on Cavani. It sounds like Roman is looking for another Suarez. However, Suarez [like Drogba] is a one-off. Cavani is probably a lesser Suarez. I certainly don't want us trading Hazard for Cavani. That is a definite non-starter. The trouble with our Russian owner is that he likes to interfere and choose ill-fitting players. He did after all insist upon both Shevchenko and Torres. Surely, Roman might have learnt from these own goals that it is more prudent to leave the choice of striker to the manager. Unfortunately, the Russian oligarch likes to play fantasy football, and unlike the rest of us, his fantasy football is for real, because he has the funds to indulge his foolish fantasies. Talk about having more money than sense! The Siberian might have a great track record at growing money [perhaps by unfairly ripping other people off], but he is not the expert at selecting football players that he likes to think he is. Do us all a favour Roman and let the professionals select the players best-suited to take us forward.
Of course, Mourinho is far from blameless as he has bought a few duds in his time, including Boulahrouz and Ben Haim. I also question the insistence upon obtaining Diego Costa. Apparently Costa and Mourinho share the same agent. Therefore, one wonders if this self-interested agent is bending Jose's ears about the merits of the Atletico frontman, who in recent weeks has shown that he may be injury-prone. I just hope that the reasons for buying Costa are good ones, and not just conditioned by dubious motives.
Also, what of the left back berth? Does the players' favourite, the admirable Azpilicueta get another extended run in the team next season on the left flank, or does Mourinho regard him as a stopgap, filling in until a left flank specialist is drafted in? Will Bertrand or Van Anholt be recalled from loan and act as understudy to Azpilicueta? Well, from what I can gather, Bertrand is not prepared to play second fiddle to anyone any more.
Furthermore, perhaps the manager's biggest headache this summer is trying to negotiate his way through the minefield of which loaned players can be integrated into the squad, which current squad players maybe should be shoved out on loan in order to get regular first-team football, and which loaned players just ain't going to make the grade. Well, I think that we can safely say that misfit Marin will be sold to the first bidder as he cannot even command a starting place at Seville. It's funny but there was an expert on German football who was adamant that the purchase of the once-named 'German Messi' would indeed prove to be messy. How right was he! Regrettably, Marko was signed during that interim [that word again] between the Champions League success and the confirmed appointment of Di Matteo. Consequently no manager actually signed Marin from what I can gather. Certainly Di Matteo didn't seem to rate him at all.
Finally, Jose will be pondering if/how he can accommodate the highly-rated Courtois in our squad. From the noises that the Belgian prodigy has been making, he feels that it is unrealistic to expect either he or Petr Cech to spend much of the subsequent season on the bench. It's difficult to disagree with this. Courtois has earned the right to be included in the starting line-up of virtually any team in the world, and by the same token, Petr Cech is equally too good to be left to sit amongst the substitutes week after week. Well, pop pickers, I like to think outside of the box, and here is my solution. I reckon that Courtois should be promised all Capital One Cup matches, all FA Cup outings, AND all Champions League group fixtures. Cech should start the season as the preferred choice in the Premiership, but at Christmas an evaluation can take place as to whether to persevere with Cech in the Premiership. This situation at least guarantees Courtois at least about a dozen matches next year. This is far from ideal, but then the trouble with compromises is that they rarely suit either party in a 'dispute'. One other option would be for Cech to be the 'weekend goalkeeper' and Courtois the 'midweek stopper'. After all, the British and Irish Lions rugby touring sides used to have what they called a 'weekend team' and a 'midweek team'. Given the fact that there will be a whole host of midweek matches, including the occasional Premiership foray, in a sixty-match season, there is ample scope for each Mr C to see first team activity.
Perhaps, this is one circumstance where one cannot envy Mourinho's conundrums and dilemmas. One thing is for sure. Amidst the predictable early-season optimism, the Portuguese maverick knows that his future as Chelsea manager hinges on whether he can make the right calls during June, July, and August. This is a pivotal time during the second coming of the special one. We'll see just how special or non-special he is after he has re-arranged the furniture at Stamford Bridge. After two trophy-less seasons, Jose needs to deliver something next year before Monsieur Wenger retorts that his adversary is fast becoming a "specialist in failure."
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Buy Lazar Markovic with a loan-back clause and give Lucus Piazon a chance. Personally I think Marin should be given a proper shot instead of a last 10 minutes player. Sell Atsu. Obviously Hazard, Willian and Schurrle shouldn't be sold and looked at as the main combination while still building Salah up and dropping Oscar deeper.
Go all in for Luke Shaw and if Mourinho feels he needs a CB then perhaps Ryan Shawcross. Recall Van Anholt as back-up to the left back position with Azpillicueta rotating around the RB and LB position giving Ivanovic a few more CB Appearances. Sell Bertrand and give Kalas more games. (he was solid) With Zouma either loaned to perhaps Athletico for a season or kept in place of buying someone.
Midfield is pretty much sorted with Lampard, Matic and Ramires (if he gets his attitude right), and Josh Mc Earchren and Chaloba given a shot. Plus Oscar play that position more regularly as I thought he looked stronger there last season. Mikel and Luiz to be sold as helps for FFP.
No idea for the GK dilemma as my heart and brain are colliding. If one is sold/loaned out the sufficient cover in Schwarzer and Delac or perhaps give Cudicini a third place spot if his contract expires with New York.
Excited for the future
Great article
