Chelsea: Is Jose Mourinho Really "The Special One"?

It's My Way No 'Mata' What!

Frequent arguments with Chelsea owner, Roman Abramovich, were sited by Mourinho as contributing factors as he made the decision to leave the club back in 2008. Upon his return he has made it clear that he is going to do things his way, without any outside interference. Using Chelsea's vast amounts of money he brought in numerous talented players in the transfer window, and also loaned out some of the clubs lesser used players, including Victor Moses (Liverpool), and Romelu Lukaku (Everton). By his own admission Chelsea are lacking a goalscoring threat, so many fans have been left wondering why Lukaku has once again been loaned out, despite proving his goalscoring worth last season at West Brom. Unlike most managers, Jose has been quick to come out and defend his actions, claiming Lukaku doesn't fit Chelsea's new style of play. During his first stint as manager, Mourinho relied heavily on the use of wide play and delivering the ball to Didier Drogba. He now feels that this is no longer Chelsea's way of playing, so cannot see what role Lukaku can currently play at his club. Managers often change a club's style of play and players are forced to adapt and change on a regular basis. However, what makes this situation so perplexing is that Chelsea lack a goalscorer. They simply do not have a world class striker that can churn out 20 plus goals a season. Fernando Torres has completely flopped at Chelsea and appears to be drowning in self-doubt and negativity. This leaves a gaping hole in the starting eleven, one which Mourinho is clearly aware of. He made the panic signing on Samuel Eto'o late in the summer transfer window, hoping to fill this void. But an ageing Eto'o, who has been playing in a far less competitive league in Russia, is simply not the answer. I for one find it strange that "The Special One" would readily sign Eto'o rather than keep hold of Lukaku or Moses. Granted these players have not been sold, but they are also no longer currently available at a time when Chelsea seemingly need them the most. The treatment of Moses and Lukaku clearly highlights Mourinho's belief that it is his way or no way, but there is no greater example than the currently ongoing saga with Juan Mata. The Spanish midfielder has been a godsend for Chelsea since making the move from Valencia in 2011, scoring numerous goals and creating even more assists. He was just the creative spark that the squad was lacking. His efforts did not go unnoticed, as he won player of the year for Chelsea in 2012 and 2013. Surely then, this season would be his best yet? Not according to Jose Mourinho! Mata has made just three competitive appearances for Chelsea this season and in their most recent game against Fulham, he did not even make the bench. I must admit, at the start of the season when I saw Mata on the bench, I thought he must be carrying an injury, but as the weeks have progressed it has become clear that this is not the case, and he simply does not fit into Mourinho's plans. This decision has left Chelsea fans stunned. They did not expect their adored manager to come back into the fold and instantly snub the club's best player over the last two seasons. No one could have foreseen that except Mourinho himself. Fortunately for fans, "The Special One" has deemed it fit to justify himself and has claimed in a recent post-match interview that Mata needs to "adapt" if he is to once again feature in Chelsea's (nay Mourinho's) plans. That may well be a justified comment if Mourinho has certain plans for the club and needs his players to adapt accordingly. But if that is the case then it begs the question why has he spent so much money in the transfer window buying more midfielders such as Schurrle, van Ginkel and Willian if he needs his current players to adapt? Although these are good players, they do not have the proven track record of Juan Mata and in the minds of many of the fans they should not take his place on the team sheet.

Many pundits are questioning whether Mourinho is spoilt for choice in midfield and if he even knows what the best midfield combination is. It is highly doubtful that he can possibly know if he is rotating players so frequently. The one name that seems to be a permanent fixture is Oscar. The young Brazilian is clearly favoured by Mourinho and he wants the rest of his team to play through him and create chances through play-making rather than by feeding balls into a lone striker. It is blindingly obvious that Mourinho will not change his mind and will not alter his vision for Chelsea, which leads me to fear for players such as Mata. A very similar thing happened with a young Joe Cole during his time at Chelsea. The promising English midfielder did not play Mourinho's way so was frequently left on the bench and then pushed out of the door. It is the same with Shaun Wright-Pillips. The list goes on. I worry that things will go the same way for Juan Mata and that would be a tragic shame for the player and his fans alike. There is a long way to go this season and Mourinho is yet to be proven right or wrong. He needs time to mould his squad and get them to gel together so they can challenge for the league title. Time is something that is not given to enough premier league managers but I get the feeling that Mourinho will be allocated a great deal more than most at Chelsea. However it remains to be seen whether he uses this time productively or whether he continues to confuse and aggravate loyal fans. The shine is already wearing off and I wouldn't be surprised if by the end of the season Chelsea are without any silverware and instead have thousands of fans left wondering if "The Special One" has lost his powers.