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Just as Chelsea are about to open their 2014/2015 Barclays Premier League campaign against newly promoted Burnley on Monday night, manager Jose Mourinho has insisted that his side is ready to plant their flag on the summits of English and European football for the foreseeable future. But is right to be so confident?
The blues Boss is more than happy with his refurbished squad ahead of the new season, a squad that now includes the marquee signings of Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa. Mourinho claims that is squad is ready to dominate on all fronts with his new-look outfit and it’s hard to disagree. He has also reiterated that this crop of players are in it for the long haul. He said, “We have the squad that we want to have.” He then added “It is a squad for tomorrow, for next season and also a squad with big possibilities for the next five or 10 years with so many young people. So I like my squad very much.”
Chelsea bid farewells to iconic players such as Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole this season as they reach the latter stages of their careers, but the west London club are far from short of youthful talent to replace the likes as they look towards the future. The blues’ squad boasts young stars in the form of Kurt Zouma, Nathan Ake and Marco van Ginkel and many more exciting young prospects. These players featured heavily in Chelsea’s successful pre-season campaign, contributing some very promising individual performances, justifying Mourinho’s claim that his troops are also looking towards sustaining long-term dominance as well as the short-term. The depth of Chelsea’s first team squad is frightening with well established international players facing a real struggle to retain their places in the starting XI. For this very reason, I make Chelsea my overwhelming favourites to regain the Premier League title.
While his squad is rich in accomplished and proven footballers, the now self-proclaimed ‘happy one’ has suggested that there is also room for improvement within his star-studded team.
The squad improves, for sure, and the team can show qualities on the pitch that in the past we didn’t,” he said.
“But obviously this is the Premier League and every team tries to be better, especially at the top. Are we ready for that? Yes, we are but this is England.
“In other countries the title race is between two teams and sometimes only one. Here it is between five or six.”
Therefore, the message is very clear, Chelsea are no longer the ‘little horses’ in the race for the Premier League title as they begin their pursuit of footballing glory for the season ahead. There are no more excuses for Mourinho and his men, they are now ready to conquer world football.
Do you agree with Jose Mourinho’s comments and feel that Chelsea will be a fixture at the top of the Premier League for the next decade? Or will factors such as Financial Fair Play inhibit their chances? Let us know in the comments or on twitter @TBRFootball .