The Special One hints at Chelsea return, but what should José do differently if there is a second time round?

When it comes to José Mourinho, I think it is fair to say that there is a place in all Chelsea fans’ hearts for the Portuguese mastermind, who worked wonders for Chelsea during his time in charge from June 2004 to September 2007, winning six trophies including two Premier League titles, an FA Cup, two League Cups, and a Community Shield.

Recently, after increasing pressure at the Santiago Bernabéu, there has been much speculation over Mourinho’s next move, which many expect to happen this summer. Real Madrid are currently second in La Liga – one point above Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid, and thirteen points behind major rivals FC Barcelona – however their recent progression into the Champions League Quarter-finals will leave many wondering why Real Madrid, if rumours are to be believed, want to offload one of, if not the, best manager in the world.

Nonetheless, more recently, the Special One has been up to his usual shenanigans by teasing onlooking Chelsea fans after admitting he could return to a club he has already managed, at an exhibition in Setubal.

It’s not easy to choose a new destination after working in England, Portugal, Italy and Spain. Maybe I could return to somewhere I’ve already been. Watch out for surprises.

Now, I must move on to the hypothetical situation in which José Mourinho does return to Stamford Bridge in the summer, a situation which would delight Chelsea fans all over the globe. The Special One would be welcomed back with open arms, and with the rebuilding of our club’s hierarchical structure, it could be a huge step forward in the reshaping of Chelsea FC as it moves forward into a new era, however there are important issues in which the 50-year-old must be careful in dealing with.

First of all, I believe Mourinho would help the club ease the beloved Blues old guard from on the pitch, to a place in the club off the pitch, whether that be in the back-room staff, or even in the coaching team. The ongoing contract saga with Frank Lampard seems unfinished and if Mourinho was to return I believe he would appreciate having a character like Frank, who he built a strong relationship with after his move here in 2004, in his squad. Not only Frank Lampard, but John Terry, who’s contract expires at the end of 2014, must be involved with the club post-retirement or even if his contract is extended (which I see as unlikely to happen).

On the other side of the spectrum, the current Real Madrid manager would have to put a significant focus on the youngsters, as our abundance of upcoming talent must be delicately nurtured, something which Mourinho is somewhat unaccustomed to doing at his previous clubs. The new focus on youth has been reflected in our recent success at youth level in the NextGen series, with notably a 2-0 vs Barcelona and a 4-1 win vs Juventus, and in the FA Youth Cup, which Chelsea won last year and are now set to play Liverpool in the Semi-Final this year.

Not only have the likes of Islam Feruz, George Saville, Alex Kiwomya, Nathan Aké, and Jeremie Boga (The list goes on), been impressive domestically, but many of our young players out on loan have also been particularly impressive, with the likes of Romelu Lukaku, Kevin De Bruyne, Thorgan Hazard, and Nathaniel Chalobah all taking vital roles in their respective clubs.

To conclude, although The Special One would be welcomed back with open arms at Stamford Bridge, unlike before, he must put a huge focus on our youth, and hopefully if he does come back, he will take us forward into a new era of success.