A few years ago, Jose Mourinho led Chelsea to one of the finest seasons in Premier League history. However, the manager was never able to lead the Blues to a Champions League victory and parted for Inter Milan where he did just that. After a tough run with Madrid, "The Special One" returned to Stamford Bridge to help Chelsea reclaim its former glory. After a brief honeymoon that included two wins in their opening ties, Chelsea and Mourinho's relationship seems to be falling apart.
It all started this weekend with a tough loss against Everton and then a patronizing "egg" speech regarding his players.
"What are my eggs like now? Beautiful, young eggs. Eggs that need a mum, or in this case a dad, to take care of them, keep them warm during the winter, bring the blanket and work and improve them," he said, according to the Express. "One day the moment will arrive when the weather changes, the sun rises and you break the eggs and the eggs are ready to go for life at the top level."
On Wednesday, the eggs cracked and proved that they were unready for "life at the top level" as Chelsea blew a 1-0 lead and lost at home 2-1 against Basel. The loss represents the third straight game in the last four that's left Chelsea without a win. Chelsea drew 0-0 against Manchester United, lost to Bayern Munich in the European Super Cup, lost against Everton and was defeated by Basel. How is this possible?
Chelsea has looked tremendous defensively in the early going but has lacked offensive bite. The team is solid on the counterattack, but lacks the ability to retain possession and build up from the back. Many would argue that this is not Mourinho's style of soccer, but it is also clear that the team lacks the midfield organization it had under Rafa Benitez last season.
Moreover, a bunch of players seem to be struggling in the new system. Oscar, who scored the lone goal on Wednesday, seems out of sorts in his new position a bit further back. None of the forwards have taken well to playing under the new system and are often isolated from the play; few would argue that there is anyone of consistent quality on the side, but they should not be as bad as they have been this season. And if they truly are as bad as they've played, then the blame surely falls on Mourinho for not being more aggressive in the pursuit of a top striker this summer to help the ailing Fernando Torres and Demba Ba.
Some will point to the absence of Juan Mata this season; he was the top player for the club last season and was surprisingly benched due to injury concerns early on. Time will tell if he is the missing piece to get this machine started.
But ultimately, there is the question of whether Mourinho is the right man for the job as some fans have already started calling for his head after the poor spell. While it is early in the season and the team still needs time to adjust to its manager, it is becoming increasingly clear that the soccer that Mourinho plans to employ with Chelsea is not the organized attack of Benitez, but a swift counterstrike that he has specialized in at other clubs. If the team is unable to adapt well enough in coming weeks, then owner Roman Abramovich may have to resort to his usual tactics of firing a coach swiftly and finding a capable replacement.
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