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While it is uncommon for managers to return to the Premier League for a third stint, Jose Mourinho is not your typical manager.
After winning three Premier League titles during his two stints at Stamford Bridge, The Special One is now predicted by some to return to his former haunt.
The 51-year-old Pochettino came into the position with high hopes that he would turn around Chelsea’s dismal results from the previous season under Frank Lampard and Graham Potter.
However, Poch has shown to be among Chelsea’s worst Premier League managers; his team’s point total is hardly higher than Potter’s.
With an expensively built group, Potter’s calm management style did not sit well with the players, and now there are rumors that Pochettino’s training methods are upsetting the players.
He still works his magic outside of the Premier League, though, as the Blues are through to the Carabao Cup final and recently defeated Aston Villa 3-1 in the FA Cup, putting on their greatest performance of the year.
They confirmed that with a 3-1 victory at Crystal Palace, but consistency has been a major issue under Pochettino’s leadership, with encouraging victories frequently being followed by disheartening defeats.
You need only consider defeating Tottenham and drawing with City, only to lose 4-1 to Newcastle afterwards.
And after winning a thrilling 3-2 match against Brighton, they lost the next two games against Manchester United and Everton.
If not, Jose is waiting in the wings, as former technical advisor Petr Cech stated, “you never know,” in response to a question regarding his possible comeback. Pochettino will be hoping that the Villa victory proves to be a turning point.
With one of the biggest personalities in sport, Mourinho, 61, would undoubtedly cause a stir if he decides to return to West London.
SunSport examines the tactical adjustments Mourinho would probably make to improve the team’s dismal performance.
Three in the back?
Mourinho, who has a preference for a 3-5-2 formation, opted to play nearly exclusively with a back three system while at Roma. He would probably implement the same system at Chelsea.
Chelsea would have the personnel to play with three central defenders given the way they have assembled their roster and how they have spent in recent seasons.
Chelsea now has the players to play three at the back, with Levi Colwill and Thiago Silva as backup options. The club has made significant defensive acquisitions in recent windows, bringing in players like Wesley Fofana, Benoit Badiashile, and Axel Disasi.
If Mourinho stuck to his formula of playing a 3-5-2 formation, Chelsea’s midfield would be intriguing.
In order to control the center of the pitch, he usually tried to maintain two midfielders in deeper positions by double pivoting.
Enzo Fernandez has the skills necessary to play deeper as one of two deep midfielders, even though there is a valid case that he would be better served as a more advanced midfielder.
Moises Caiceido, a former Brighton player, would then be the second deep midfield player. Under Potter, the two played well together in a similar setup on occasion.
The more advanced or free midfielder would then be the true question.
Would Mourinho prefer to go with the more attacking option and give Cole Palmer a somewhat deeper role than he has been employed in, or would he look to deploy Conor Gallagher in this role?
Both can fill this position, however their profiles are a little different.
Palmer would undoubtedly have the upper hand in the offensive phase of the game, even if Gallagher is better against the ball and has excellent intensity both with and without the ball.
Which players comprise the attacking positions in a possible 3-5-2 system is a matter of debate as well.
First of all, there isn’t room in this type of play for an all-around winger, which means players like Mykhalyko Mudryk and Noni Madueke would have a smaller role.
But, Mourinho wants one of the two strikers to be more physically strong and the other to be more agile.
This would imply that Raheem Sterling and Christopher Nkunku, together with Nicholas Jackson, would probably be in favor.
Attacking positions
Roma had a fairly particular set of responsibilities for their attacking players under Mourinho, and he may apply a similar strategy at Blues.
The two attackers typically have contrasting characteristics; Romelu Lukaku at Roma was the more physically built player who plays the most forward to provide his team with a platform to play from.
Roma used Paulo Dybala as their second striker, a more creative and dynamic player who will drop back from the front line and link with the midfield.
Once more, Chelsea potentially has the players to meet this group of characteristics, but Jackson hasn’t quite lived up to expectations in the Premier League, so the jury is still very much out.
Though Nkunku, Sterling, or perhaps Palmer might feel at ease in this role in a 3-5-2, the second striker position is fully covered.
This is an example of the kind of moves we may anticipate from Chelsea’s strikers in Mourinho’s 3-5-2 formation.
The primary striker advances up the field to provide a forward option when the ball is played forward, and the backup striker retreats to receive in the area between the midfield and the defense. The more aggressive central midfielder will advance to assist in these circumstances.
Due to their deficiency of wingers, Roma’s attacks under Mourinho were typically centered when they attacked more directly.
When Roma was in a more controlled build-up, the two wing-backs would keep their wide positions and remain wide, giving the ball an opportunity to travel wide.
Generally speaking, though, Roma’s initial pass would be crucial.
At this point, they require their strikers to feel at ease going into space to receive the ball, playing with their back to the goal, or seizing the ball while the opposition defenders are directly putting pressure on them.
Although Jackson appears to have the profile to receive well under pressure with his back to goal, there is some uncertainty that Chelsea has a sufficient number of strikers to cover the second position.
Once more, we observe Roma moving long from the back line and playing the ball into the second striker, who then retreats to receive in open space.
The two wing-backs, who both remain wide, will advance to offer assistance when this pass is made.
Nkunku is better when allowed more freedom to operate than when he is expected to be the center of attention for the attack, yet there is some debate regarding his ability to play as the more advanced of the two strikers.
Thus, Chelsea may concentrate their summer transfer efforts on acquiring a striker to start at the front of the team.
Not wingers, nor wingbacks
Some of the wide players Chelsea has bought in the last year or two may be concerned about the absence of wingers in the 3-5-2 formation, as we have already highlighted.
True wingers like Madueke and Mudryk will fight for playing time, but certain wide players like Nkunku, Palmer, or Sterling may be able to fill a function elsewhere in the system.
However, the 3-5-2 will also imply that full-backs or wing-backs who can fill that job will be crucial.
Reece James, an England star, suffered an injury that is expected to keep him out until at least the end of March. This is a huge blow because James has been one of Chelsea’s best players when healthy.
Malo Gusto filled in for him, although at times the Frenchman found it difficult to make an impression on the English game.
Reverting to a wing-back-based formation might bring Ben Chilwell back into the picture as Marc Cucurella’s backup on the left flank.
Under Pochettino, Colwill has been deployed as a left-back, but the position of wing-back is not one for him.
Undoubtedly, James and Chilwell, among the present Chelsea players, has the ability to function as the wing-backs in Mourinho’s style in Rome.
Both of them are strong ball users when they enter the final third and possess the physical ability to move up and down the wing on a regular basis.
Chelsea will have a problem, though, if these players are unavailable because players like Gusto and Cucurella haven’t proven themselves in these roles or positions.
If Mourinho were to join the team, he would have to work with the players who are already there because the transfer window is closed until the conclusion of the season.
Given that Madueke’s physical attributes would probably suit him well as a right-sided wing-back, Mourinho might try to mold him into that position. This would provide, at the very least, a temporary fix for the role while James is away.
In summary
The possibility of Mourinho coming back to Chelsea is causing conjecture and excitement among Premier League supporters.
Expect pyrotechnics in the Portuguese manager’s interactions with the media if he does return to Chelsea for a third time.
However, we should also anticipate a tactical strategy that is well-considered and balanced and that may help make the most of this pricey Chelsea team.
