Chelsea's ideal Starting XI for the 2014/15 season

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has a strong squad to choose fromThe 2013/14 Premier League campaign saw the return of Jose Mourinho and his ultimately doomed attempt to land the League title. Instead of focusing on the task at hand, Mourinho spent most of last season moaning about the fact that he didn't have a “real striker” at the club. He was hell bent on proving to the owner that the current lot wasn't good enough and that he needed some additions up front.So it was no surprise to see the Blues splurge heavily on a striker this summer. The arrival of Diego Costa from Atletico Madrid meant that the Portuguese manager finally had a striker who fit into his style of play. But he wasn't the only one to come to Stamford Bridge from the club as the summer saw the return of Thibaut Courtois from his loan spell and the arrival of a left back in Filipe Luis, also from Atletico Madrid.The transfer window also saw the return of a former fan-favourite in Didier Drogba and a player that Mourinho has always admired in Cesc Fabregas. While the former was brought in to provide cover for Costa, the latter was bought to provide some creativity from central midfield, something that the Blues sorely lacked last season. Add in a late acquisition of Loic Remy from QPR and you see a highly successful transfer window for the Blues, not just in terms of the players coming in but also going out as Mourinho also shipped out players he didn't fancy in Romelu Lukaku and David Luiz.While the summer was no doubt a resounding success in terms of transfers, the opening three games have shown that the players have understood how the manager wants them to play. Mourinho's biggest problem this season will be picking his best XI as he has a squad full of first-team players to choose from. Here is my ideal line up for Chelsea this season.Formation: 4-2-3-1

#1 Goalkeeper: Thibaut Courtois

One of the cornerstones of Chelsea's success over the last decade has undoubtedly been Petr Cech. The Czech shot-stopper has arguably been the one of the best keepers in the world during his decade long stint between the sticks for Chelsea. But in the past few years, chinks have started to emerge in the keeper's once impregnable armour. Mistakes have been made more often and although only 32, it looked as though a change was required.

The return of Thibaut Courtois from Atletico Madrid has certainly provided that. In just three games, the Belgian keeper has already justified his manager's faith in him on numerous occasions. His performances so far have well and truly put aside the question of who the club's number one is.

Still only 22, Courtois already has a glowing reputation, which will only get better in the years to come. Tall, quick, agile, possessing razor-sharp reflexes and a commanding presence in the area, the Belgian has all the makings of becoming one of the finest goalkeepers of not just his generation, but all-time as well. When he puts pen to paper on a new contract, Chelsea will have someone who will, in all likelihood be the number one for the next decade at the very least.

#2 Right Back: Branislav Ivanovic

The arrival of Filipe Luis was supposed to signal the end of Branislav Ivanovic's tenure as the side's first-choice right back. Instead, the 30-year-old Serbian international has merely shown just why he is rightly regarded as one of the best full backs in the League. Ivanovic has already scored two goals in the opening three games and averages more shots per game than anyone in the team bar Diego Costa and Andre Schurrle.

Brought in as a centre back to be a long-term replacement for John Terry, the Serbian has acquitted himself quite well to playing on the right flank. Strong, powerful and penetrative with his runs, he has transformed himself from being a rock-solid centre half to a rampaging right back. His ability to always provide an outlet on the right flank means that the side have some much needed width to their play and an out-ball at all times.

Although Luis is now back to full fitness, Mourinho should avoid the temptation to drop the Serbian and switch Azpilicueta to the right flank. As good as the Spaniard is, he is nowhere near as productive as the Serbian, either offensively or defensively, and the club would be better placed if Ivanovic continued his rampaging runs from the right side of defence providing them some much needed balance and stability.

#3 Centre Back: Gary Cahill

Ever since signing for Chelsea from Bolton Wanderers in January 2012, Gary Cahill has gone from strength to strength. Whether it was filling in for the injured John Terry in the 2012 Champions League Final and helping his side to victory or making a last-ditch tackle the following season in dying minutes of the Europa League final to seal a 2-1 victory for the side, Cahill has demonstrated plenty of character and resolve.

Question marks were asked about the club's acquisition of the 28-year-old from Bolton and whether he is the right man to take the Blues defence forward. In the two and a half seasons since, he has proved all of his doubters wrong with his performances on the pitch. The Englishman's pace and technical ability means that he is highly capable of playing from the back and his penchant for scoring crucial headers cannot be overstated.

Being in the right place at the right time is a crucial quality to have for any defender and Cahill has shown on plenty of occasions that his reading of the game and his positional awareness is second to none.

Strong in the air in both boxes and capable of playing the ball out of defence with ease, Cahill has developed into the quintessential modern centre back.

#4 Centre Back: John Terry

If there is one player in the current Chelsea dressing room that is irreplaceable, that is John Terry. While there might be more talented centre backs in the team, there is no denying the fact that the Englishman is the most influential defender at the club. Having retired from international football in 2012, Terry has been devoting all his attention to the Blues for the past couple of years and that is very visible on the pitch.

A captain and a leader, Terry possesses the qualities that every manager would want in his centre back. Combining strength, aerial ability and defensive discipline with the ability to organise the defence and be the last man standing when all else fails, Terry has demonstrated his commitment to the club on several occasions.

Although the Englishman is now entering the twilight of his career, he still has plenty to offer for the club and will also prove to be an able mentor for young Kurt Zouma, who will be looking to break in and take his place.

#5 Left Back: Filipe Luis

During Mourinho's first reign at Chelsea, Ashley Cole was one of the premier defenders, someone he could count on in both defence and attack. The Englishman could not only hold his own against world class wingers, but also pose a threat going forward. But last season, the Englishman's age and declining pace meant that Mourinho had to rely on Cesar Azpilicueta to fill in at left back.

Although the Spaniard took to his role like a duck to water, Mourinho was still in need of a natural left full-back. The arrival of Filipe Luis certainly addressed that and added a player with plenty of experience and quality. Although he has only come back to full fitness, there is no doubt about whether he can be the club's first-choice or not.

For all of Azpilicueta's qualities, he is essentially a defender who is playing on the wrong flank. Luis will not only be a natural on the left side, but will also provide the defence some balance, when Ivanovic goes on one of his rampaging runs.

The Brazilian's link-up play with Costa from his time at Atletico Madrid is another thing he has going for him and one that should tilt the position in his favour.

#6 Central Midfielder: Nemanja Matic

Not since the departure of Claude Makelele have the Blues had a world-class defensive midfielder in their ranks. Although there have been many who have tried their luck, nobody has been successful so far. The club's acquisition of Nemanja Matic in January was an attempt to address just that and provide the defence with a much needed shield in the centre of the park.

On the evidence of his performances last season and his start to the current campaign, the Blues seem to have got a lot more than what they bargained for. At 6'4”, the Serbian is an imposing presence in the centre of the park and is someone who has shown that he has the brain to go with his brawn. The 26-year-old's reading of the game and the timing of his tackles and interceptions have been second to none.

What makes Matic such a threat is not just his defensive work, but also his ability to bulldoze his way past opposing defenders and provide a telling through ball. With Cesc Fabregas alongside him, the duo look like they have what it takes to overtake Fernandinho and Yaya Toure as the League's best central midfield pairing.

#7 Central Midfielder: Cesc Fabregas

One of the areas where Chelsea struggled last season was in central midfield. While the club scored plenty of goals, much of it was down to fantastic work on the wings. The club's lack of a creative central midfielder hurt them dear, as they were unable to dominate games and as a result relied too often on individuals to take them home.

Ramires, John Obi Mikel and Frank Lampard struggled to provide the impetus from the centre of the park and that was one of the reasons why the Blues didn't go on to win the League, despite having plenty of quality in attack.

The arrival of Cesc Fabregas from Barcelona certainly addresses the concern about creativity in central midfield. Four assists in his opening three Premier League games for the Blues, including a sublime first-time ball for Schurrle in the opener against Burnley, is a testament to his creativity, vision and his eye for a pass.

In Fabregas, Mourinho seems to have finally found an answer to their central midfield problems from last season. The Spaniard's partnership with Matic has slowly started to blossom and it wouldn't be a surprise to see Fabregas at the top of the assists charts at the end of the season.

With some fabulous finishers in attack, the Spaniard's passes will be key in creating chances for the forwards who are likely to flourish with the Spaniard orchestrating the attack from the centre of the park.

#8 Right Midfield: Andre Schurrle

There are mainly three types of wingers. The first type is those who take defenders on and create opportunities for his team mates and chip in with some goals when possible. The second type is those whose first instinct is to shoot and then think about passing. The third type is someone who has the stamina to run down the flanks for the entire 90 minutes, use his pace and score goals, while at the same time provide cover for the full back.

When Chelsea signed Schürrle last season, they knew that they were getting a winger of the third type. Although technically gifted, the 23-year-old German's biggest strength was his pace and ability to stretch defences on the counter-attack. His work-rate, fitness and his raw pace were always his biggest strengths and his ability to finish expertly was merely an add-on advantage.

Although he made over 40 appearances last season, he was never a first-choice winger for a prolonged period. That is likely to change this time around as the World Cup winner looks like being an integral part of a Chelsea line up that looks to conquer on all frontiers.

The winger's direct running and ability to finish will be of great advantage to a Chelsea side that now has a genuine playmaker in Fabregas.

#9 Attacking Midfielder: Oscar

One of the few players to emerge with some credit from Brazil's disappointing World Cup performance was Chelsea's Oscar. The attacking midfielder displayed a sense of determination and grit even in the face of defeat, which was absent in the rest of his teammates. Now back at Chelsea, with a team that is much better than his national side, the Brazilian will be looking to shine.

One of the main reasons why Mourinho took to Oscar was the midfielder's work-ethic and never-say-die attitude. The Brazilian's willingness to work for the team and sacrifice himself was one of the main reasons why he stayed, while another talented playmaker in Mata, left the club. Apart from Hazard, he was arguably the side's most creative player and one that could both score and create.

With Matic and Fabregas behind him taking care of the defensive work in midfield, the Brazilian can finally concentrate on doing what he does best, attacking opposing defenders and scoring goals.

This will be a key season for Oscar, who is looking to bounce back from the disappointment of the World Cup and win some silverware with Chelsea.

#10 Left Midfield: Eden Hazard

Although Chelsea have had some of the finest attacking players that the Premier League has ever seen, most of them have either been central midfielders or strikers. Aside from perhaps Arjen Robben, the club haven't been blessed with too many world-class wingers, partially due to the fact that the club rarely play with out-and-out wingers. Eden Hazard's performances last season showed that the club might have finally found an heir to Robben's throne on the wings.

The Belgian winger was a revelation last season as he went on to score 14 League goals and bag seven assists. Not only that, the Belgian created 92 chances for his team-mates and demonstrated his ability to take defenders on and beat them almost at will. Hazard was the club's standout performer last season and with another season under his belt, he is only going to get better.

Coming on the back of a disappointing World Cup, the Belgian will be keen to show that last season was no fluke. With an even stronger midfield this time around, Hazard will have much lesser pressure on him to do it all on his own and the Belgian will be looking to strengthen his reputation as one of the best wingers in the world right now.

#11 Striker: Diego Costa

One of Mourinho's biggest problems last season wasn't the fact that he didn't have any strikers at his disposal, but the fact that he didn't trust any of them. Undermining each of them at every opportunity isn't the way to go if you want them to score 15-20 goals a season. Having got rid of all of his strikers from last season, Mourinho was very keen on adding a pure striker to his ranks.

In Diego Costa, he got just that. Fast, physical and possessing an extremely good eye for goal, Costa is Mourinho's dream striker. Not since the departure of Drogba in 2012 have the Blues had a striker who had the pace and power to stretch opposing defenders and score goals. In Costa, not only do they have someone who can score goals, but also a player who is very good at linking up with his midfielders and bringing others into the game.

While his feisty attitude has already drawn some criticism from opposing managers, that is something that Mourinho will love. Costa not only talks the talk, but also walks the walk. The physical nature of his play is something that will make him a success in the Premier League.

Four goals in three League games is a great start, considering the fact that his predecessor Torres took 29 games to achieve that feat. As long as he stays fit, Costa will be a threat and might be the missing piece in the Chelsea jigsaw that guides them towards the title.