A key improvement that Chelsea FC and Jose Mourinho need to make in time for the next campaign is to deepen the squad. While the team had a great starting 11 this past season, it did not go much beyond that and this will need to be rectified should the Blues want to carry on winning.
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The problem with only being 11 strong is that it makes it difficult to compete in multiple tournaments let alone progress far in any of them. Chelsea winning 2 out of the 4 trophies they contested was an incredible and very impressive achievement. The main reason they failed in the other two was the lack of depth in their first team squad. They were simply not able to rotate the team like they should have throughout the dog days of the season.
This is a big issue especially with regard to the Champions League. Should Chelsea want to compete in Europe seriously over the next few years the deepening of the squad is a must. Whether it be through transfers or the youth system, there is no doubt that being able to rotate players without feeling that the team is being weakened is key.
However, one of the criticisms of Jose and the way in which he manages is that he stays a few years, doesn’t develop the squad and then leaves. He has, though, made it seem like he wants to stay at Stamford Bridge for an extended period this time around. If this is the case he will have to start nurturing a culture of growth and development.
Should Chelsea want to compete in Europe the deepening of the squad is a must
This will be hard for Mourinho as it will be much different to what he is used to. He hasn’t had to manage in such a environment since he was at Porto. Although if Jose is successful, and the team buys into it, the atmosphere around the club could be one of the best out there.
How the team should go about this in a step by step process is up to the Chelsea management. There are a few different directions that the team can be taken in with one option being to promote from within. Young talent can be developed and brought up from the Chelsea youth squad (currently an expectation given the success the academy has enjoyed).
An alternative route is to scout young talent in the transfer market. However, to do that you have to ensure that your front office and manager are all on the same page. The last thing you want is for there to be a disagreement over transfers within your organization.
It is rare that a team can continue winning both domestically and in Europe without having squad depth. Barcelona are an example of a team that have, but they do possess Lionel Messi. Messi played nearly all of the Catalans’ games this season, appearing in 57 out of the 60. When you have a player of his calibre staying fit and delivering over a goal per game, this example can be tossed out as an exception.
For the others, though, it is nigh on impossible to perform under those expectations without having an ability to rotate. For Chelsea to challenge in Europe in the long-term the changes have to made within the mindset of the club. Done are the days of being able to be patient. The era of the super club is here to stay and it is the teams who invest, either in the transfer market or in the native youth set-up, that will compete on a yearly basis.
The Blues have had a great year but with the Chelsea brass and the players wanting to see the club competing and pushing for a second Champions League, a much larger squad is needed.
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