Chelsea vs West Brom - 5 Changes Mourinho Must Make After Newcastle Defeat

3. Use John Obi Mikel As The Holding Midfielder

A significant trait of Mourinho's first spell at Stamford Bridge was a holding midfielder, usually Claude Makelele, but he seems reluctant to repeat this successful role second time round. Even at Real Madrid, he relied heavily on the central midfield partnership of Sami Khedira and Xabi Alonso, and particularly the former, who was used to break up opposition attacks and quickly beginning a counter. The only player in the Blues squad this season that comes close to replicating a Khedira or a Makelele is Mikel, with his powerful and energetic style the very thing Mourinho's side were crying out for against Newcastle. The Nigeria captain was played against Schalke and proved his worth sitting in front of the back four, allowing Ramires a freer role further up the pitch. The 26-year-old was reportedly close to being sold in the summer, but has shown that he has unique defensive abilities in a very attacking Chelsea midfield.