Chelsea: Rating the potential influence of Jose Mourinho’s ex-Blues at Man U

Chelsea not only welcome an ex-manager back to Stamford Bridge on Saturday in Jose Mourinho. His Manchester United side could potentially number three ex-Chelsea stars within its ranks, but only one who could have a significant effect on the outcome.

Returning Chelsea players rarely do well when they come up against their former team. There must be something tugging away at their heartstrings that prevents them from putting in a decent performance. It’s easy to understand, really. After all, Chelsea are a great club.

The last few weeks have been filled with talk of how Mourinho’s time at Old Trafford could be running out. As Chelsea fans, we all know how the press can hound the Special One and his teams. We also know how personally he can take it. His reaction is usually petulant, sometimes sarcastic, but most definitely well-calculated. His verbal expertise lies in deflecting criticism away from the media’s focal point by spouting empty but always intriguing nothings.

Plenty of Chelsea fans would take great delight in seeing Jose fired after losing at the Bridge. Likewise, there will be those who still believe Mourinho to be Chelsea’s greatest manager ever.

When Jose’s days as a manager are numbered and he sits back and relaxes into retirement, you can’t help but feel his season ticket will be in the director’s box at Chelsea. His three Premier League titles, an FA Cup and three League Cup wins will surely seal his place in the hall of fame. Those supporters that doubt Mourinho’s blue blood would do well to remember his quotes ahead of last season’s FA Cup final between United and Chelsea,

"The only thing I say in relation to Chelsea supporters is since my first day in 2004 until my last day when I was sacked a couple of years ago they were with me unconditionally. They were with me every day, even on the two days I was sacked. That I will never forget. They did what I think great supporters do, they support their manager unconditionally until the last day. [Y]ou don’t have any [negative] quotes from me about Chelsea supporters, not one word. – The National"

With Mourinho’s job on the line, it will be United’s eleven players on the pitch that could make or break him. Should any of the ex-Chelsea boys make the team, how likely are they to influence the game?

Nemanja Matic – Potential Influence Factor: 6

Matic has been out injured but could feature on Saturday. The Serb moved to United in a flurry of negative press for Chelsea’s transfer gurus last summer. Selling to a rival never plays out well with fans, but the move was instigated by Matic himself, so there was ultimately little Chelsea could do.

Since that social media-led fury died down, Matic’s performances at Old Trafford have been OK, but he’s not been instrumental in bringing about the revival that some (Phil Neville) so joyfully predicted. That’s not necessarily his fault. It comes down to the players he has around him. The most expensive players don’t always make the greatest team, and United do like an expensive player.

The partnership Matic briefly formed with N’golo Kante during Antonio Conte’s first season was formidable. So much so it made his desire to leave incomprehensible.

Should he play on Saturday, though, he may be in for a tricky afternoon. He was fortunate to have missed Conte’s “suffering without the ball” period, but he will certainly get a taste of what it was like as Chelsea’s midfield trio literally bypass him.

Juan Mata – Potential Influence Factor: 5

It’s difficult not to love Juan Mata. You could almost forgive him a stellar performance on Saturday. Should all three returnees be at Stamford Bridge for the game, the Spaniard will receive the biggest welcome of all.

Mata picked up the Chelsea fans’ player of the year award two seasons running in 2012 and 2013. He achieved legendary status when he played in the corner that Didier Drogba headed into Bayern Munich’s goal to level up the 2012 Champions League final.

The end times for Mata at Chelsea began when Jose Mourinho arrived back at Stamford Bridge in 2014. The Portuguese One was adept to playing the Spanish Juan out of position. Although he tried, Mata was never quite the same player. It was a sad day for Chelsea fans after Mourinho effectively ended Mata’s tenure in SW6, sadder still for the player himself when Jose rocked up as the boss six months later.

During the United years, his career has had highs on the pitch, quickly followed by lows on the bench. Mata scored in United’s last game against Newcastle. However, he’s never scored against Chelsea. Hopefully, his heart won’t want to inflict any pain on Chelsea’s supporters this weekend.

Romelu Lukaku – Potential influence factor: 8

The Belgian’s arrival at United was, at best, messy. There appeared to be some kind of conspiracy to prevent him from going back to Chelsea. Everton were reluctant to sell him to the Blues after their botched attempt to poach John Stones the previous year. United saw Lukaku as a must-have, marquee signing and no amount of money would prevent them from getting their man at Chelsea’s cost.

Looking back at the stats, it’s amazing how little game time the Belgian had at Stamford Bridge. He was barely a Chelsea player. He made the starting XI just four times, and three of those were in the League Cup. During his 15 appearances, his total input to Chelsea’s output was one assist (for a John Terry goal against Blackburn Rovers the weekend before the Champions League triumph in 2012).

Since leaving Chelsea he’s averaged out at a goal every two games. He has scored against Chelsea: two goals in the 2015/16 FA Cup quarter-finals for Everton, both ably assisted by one Ross Barkley.

Lukaku is a goalscorer, and he won’t be worried about putting one over his old club. That makes him the biggest threat of all three Chelsea old-boys.