Mourinho has to work hard to keep his star-studded squad happy

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho

One of Chelsea‘s biggest problems last season was a lack of squad depth. Given the number of players they had, one could easily name their best XI. Interim manager Rafael Benitez, who is known for favouring squad rotation, did his best to keep his best players fresh but one could see how much the team struggled when players like Eden Hazard and Juan Mata were rested.

By the looks of things, that most certainly won’t be a problem for them this season. The retention of loanees Kevin De Bruyne, Tomas Kalas and Michael Essien, as well as signing players like Andre Schurrle, Marco van Ginkel, Mark Schwarzer, Willian and Samuel Eto’o means Chelsea now have one of the biggest squads in the Premier League. Not only is the squad big, but it’s also teeming with quality players.

However, managing a big squad filled with talented players isn’t an easy job. They all want to be playing on a regular basis and at the end of the day, Jose Mourinho can only pick eleven of them to start in a game. No one likes to be benched for long periods of time, especially the quality players. Therefore, it’s safe to say that the self-professed ‘Happy One’ has quite a job in his hands as far as keeping his squad happy is concerned.

One of the first things Mourinho has to do is bring about a definitive style of play. Last season, Chelsea rarely seemed to have a proper game-plan. The result of the match depended solely on how well or how badly some of their key players performed. If those players played well, they would do enough to ensure the Blues a win or even a draw on a slightly bad day. However, whenever these players failed to weave their magic, the results weren’t satisfactory.

Installing a signature style of play will no doubt take some time, but it has to be done. This way, Mourinho can ensure proper squad rotation without entirely disrupting the cohesion among the starting XI. This has to be done mainly because not every player that Chelsea has is of similar type.

Take Chelsea’s options on the left-wing for instance: Eden Hazard and Andre Schurrle. Both are right-footed attacking wingers who like to take the shot on but both are very different from one another. While Hazard is more intricate and can be a match-winner on his day, Schurrle is a more direct option who depends on his blistering pace and ability to beat defenders to do the job for him.

It’s no different in other positions. On the right wing, Mourinho could choose to play either Mata, Willian or De Bruyne. Each of these players offer something different in that position, or in any position for that matter. De Bruyne likes to take on defenders but has a silky passing range; the same could be said about Mata, who can also score a few. Willian, like Schurrle, is a more direct option and looks to take on players with his pace and natural ability.

As if Chelsea’s attacking squad depth isn’t good enough, they are more than well-accounted for in defence as well. Branislav Ivanovic, who has played at right-back so far this season, offers defensive solidity and the ability to get goals from advanced positions. Conversely, Cesar Azpilicueta isn’t exactly a renowned goal-scorer but has the ability to make runs down the wing and get in a few crosses once he gets to the bye-line.

Such comparisons can go on, but the above examples are proof of what was mentioned earlier; no two players in the current Chelsea squad are 100% similar. Therefore, the way Chelsea play will naturally differ if, for instance, Willian starts instead of Mata on the right-wing. These differences in style aren’t exactly a bad thing (it’s why Mourinho keeps such a varied squad in the first place) but it can be problematic if there is no set style of play employed.

The best example of a set style of play not disrupting the flow of the game is Barcelona. They are managed in such a way that even when they rotate their squad, players are able to express themselves individually as well as play for the team. For example, Neymar‘s individual style differs from that of Pedro’s; yet when one plays in place of another, the overall flow of the team is not disrupted.

Once a style of play is installed, Mourinho can choose to rotate his players more freely. Given the large squad he has, it’s imperative he gives everyone a decent amount of game time or run the risk of alienating them. One can argue that squad rotation can be done without installing a style of play. However, a quick look at the way Chelsea performed when their key players were rested is enough to show that a manager cannot simply choose to rely on individual talent to win matches. Rather he has to ensure that the team plays in a certain way that is best suited to the players he has.

As mentioned before, it won’t be an easy task. But Mourinho isn’t called the Special One for nothing. If anyone can pull of this herculean task, it is him.