Azonto Epistle 36: The Season is Young but Mourinho’s Chelsea wait for No One

10 matches played, 26 goals scored, 10 goals conceded and have racked up a 26 points out of a possible 30. That represents an 86.7% win ratio and if it were any exam score anywhere in the world, it would be called EXCELENT. How quick the “Little Horses” have transformed to become giant and fully grown horses, only Mr. Mourinho can tell. If you had this as a dream, you will say leave me in my dreams to die; but it’s the reality. The reality that after playing 10 EPL matches including visiting both Manchester Clubs, Chelsea come out unscathed and unbeaten. Rather we leave both clubs who are supposed to be our serious title contenders going on rampage in jubilation after managing draws in their stadium. Its true Chelsea was destined to improve upon their performance last year under Mourinho but little did I know that Chelsea would be so feared by such clubs in Manchester.

He cried for a striker he got Costa, he needed a midfielder “who will understand and identify with our style of play”, he got Fabregas. Filipe Luis was slotted in alongside Remy and young Zouma, with Thibaut Courtois brought back to where he belongs. Now, after just 10 EPL matches it’s the doubting Thomases who have started associating Chelsea with invincibility, the Jamie Redknapp of this world have now become the praise singers. We refuse to be flattered and become complacent, knowing they are all hoping for a day we will lose to bury us with all their dirty facts and articles in their shelves and documents.

The Need to Kill off Matches

If Chelsea will want to win the League before May, then we must learn to kill off matches. As for winning the league title, tell any other team to forget it because it is surely going to be the latest trophy in the cabinet after the Champions League for Chelsea. However, if Chelsea would want to win it in style, the team must learn to be ruthless and the manager must back that up through are substitutions and tactics especially when we lead by just a lone goal like in both Manchester matches. On Sunday when City was leading by a goal, Manuel Pellegrini took off Milner and Jovetic and brought on Nasri and Dzeko and the pressure on Manchester United became unbearable. They had a man advantage but Chelsea also had same against City at Etihad but brought on Mikel and took off an attacking player. We started defending deeply and inevitably we conceded. Against Manchester United, same thing happened and the outcome was the same. I believe Chelsea have enough men to attack and play their natural game for 90 minutes without resorting to defending deep which this team can’t do it any better than attacking. Last week Gary Neville talked of how Chelsea can move from a 70% possession in matches before scoring to as little as 20% after scoring. That’s what we are talking about and must seize with immediate effect if we want to really play up to our hype and strength.

A Look At The Opposition

Right from the time Luis Van Gaal was appointed through to the world cup penalty miracle by Tim Krul and the preseason blistering form where Ashley Young proved to be better than Cristiano Ronaldo to the capture of Angel Di Maria and finally Radamel Falcao on the deadline day, Manchester United have been tipped as such a formidable contender for the title. Who wouldn’t tip them after all the expenditure parading the most expensive EPL team in history? Well after 10 matches they lie 13 points, closer to the bottom team Burnley with 4 points than to Chelsea with 26 points. They said money cannot buy success, how true they are proving their own statement. After their match with Chelsea, we heard of their title challenge noise again, maybe now it’s all getting quiet because they wouldn’t want to become the new “noisy neighbours” in the City of Manchester. How ironic Mr Ferguson. However, we wish them well knowing that Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea wait for no one.

Brendan Rogers is finding it difficult to combine Champions League fixtures with EPL. That’s the life of a top manager and if he finds it difficult, he should begin to show more respect to the young Chelsea team of last season and Jose Mourinho and not boast that he was second and Chelsea were 3rd, forgetting what we did even to Liverpool whiles having Champions League semi final fixture which sandwiched their home match billed as a title decider. Let’s see how Liverpool was not a one man team. We wish them well knowing Mourinho’s Chelsea wait for no one.

Maurichio Pochetino is finding it tough managing Spurs than managing Southampton. That’s why Jose Mourinho was right to say managing a top team is no easier than managing a smaller team with low ambition. After all, we saw what Manchester United did to David Moyes, what Chelsea did to Villas Boas and what Liverpool are about to do to Brendan Rogers. The ability to keep yourself managing at the top must be commended, with huge demands on your shoulders every day. Even the almighty Jose Mourinho had some bruises after going to Real Madrid. So it’s not so easy as Mr Harry Redknapp had suggested prior to QPR’s match against Chelsea. We wish him well knowing that he will continue to know the trick to solving their defensive problems as he keeps Rio Ferdinand far from first team.

And finally somebody should tell Manuel Pellegrini to stop heaping pressure onto his team by focusing on their matches instead of Chelsea’s. I know he will learn from their West Ham experience when we had Manchester United to play.

The League might have started with 6 title contenders, but it might end soon in April with one unstoppable winner.

KTBFFH!

By Seth Aborah Adusei (twitter @sethaadusei)