Chelsea: Impossible dream XI’s under Erik Ten Hag, Mourinho, Diego Simeone
2. Jose Mourinho: Third time is even more charming
Look at every Twitter, Reddit or Facebook poll and it’s no secret Blues fans want The Special One back at Stamford Bridge. Mourinho has had a wildly successful managerial career, but many of the most memorable moments came with Chelsea. The Portuguese manager has enjoyed two successful stints at Chelsea which has seen him rack up many awards, most notably three Premier League trophies.
However, Mourinho’s recent stints at clubs don’t necessarily call to mind many successful moments. Mourinho’s last year at Manchester United was filled with disappointment.
The 56-year-old has a unique personality that comes off as abrasive. It’s certainly unique. Mourinho is the epitome of hot and cold. When he’s hot, his teams are amongst the best in the world. But, when his teams are having bad seasons, he’s a volatile captain driving a sinking ship.
The question isn’t whether or not Mourinho would succeed at Chelsea in a potential third stint. Instead, the question is how much further the ship would sink with Mourinho at the helm at this pivotal time, despite inevitable first year success. It’s a question the club cannot take a chance on answering, so it’s extremely likely they’ll look at him, but here’s a sneak peak into what a current Chelsea XI under Mourinho would look like.
Defending the goal for Mourinho would be Kepa Arrizabalaga. Across the back of Mourinho’s famous 4-2-3-1, Cesar Azpilicueta would start at left back. Azpilicueta famously started at left back under Mourinho in his previous stint with Chelsea. Mourinho loves Azpilicueta more than just about anyone at Chelsea. In fact, he once said he could win the Champions League with a team of Azpilicueta’s.
In central defense, Andreas Christensen and David Luiz would start. Christensen is too good to be kept out of the XI any longer. If anybody knows that, it’s Mourinho. Christensen made his professional debut under the Portuguese manager in the 2014/15 season and has constantly been praised. In addition, Mourinho loves to throw in one veteran who may be slightly past it into his lineups. Enter Luiz. Luiz is still a capable defender, but his mistakes often lead to goals.
At right back, it’d be hard to ignore Reece James. James’ stint at Wigan was wildly successful and with a transfer ban in place, there is no better time to give the youngster some minutes.
Chelsea would field N’Golo Kante and Tiemoue Bakayoko in defensive midfield. Mourinho’s style of play puts an emphasis on defensive stability and counter-attacking football. If Bakayoko can find his footing in the Premier League, he and Kante could become the most successful defensive midfield in the country. Kante is already the best defensive midfielder in the world and Bakayoko has all the talent to be successful under Mourinho.
In central attacking midfield Mourinho would likely turn to another player he debuted: Ruben Loftus-Cheek. Loftus-Cheek is Chelsea’s best attacking midfielder, largely due to his goalscoring ability. While Ross Barkley certainly offers a threat in front of goal, Loftus-Cheek is more lethal and creative with his chances.
Ethan Ampadu had no 'role,' so he had no place under Maurizio Sarri. light. More
Alongside Loftus-Cheek would be Callum Hudson-Odoi and Christian Pulisic. Since Mourinho loves to play a counter-attacking style, he needs speed up front. Hudson-Odoi and Pulisic are incredibly quick in open field and have adept passing minds. Further, if they need to track back, both can defend rather well for wingers.
Finally, Olivier Giroud would round out the XI. Giroud is the ideal Mourinho striker. He’s strong, he can hold possession and he can score from almost anywhere. Similar to Diego Costa, Giroud has a striker’s adept mind, always leading him to the right place at the right time.