Soccer Premier League

Jose Mourinho Has An Issue To Address In Chelsea Midfield

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Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho

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A win was what Chelsea and Jose Mourinho would have been aiming for from their game against Southampton, but a draw at St. Mary’s is perfectly acceptable for any team nonetheless. The game finished 1-1, and although the result is positive and the season overall has been positive to this point, there are still areas for the Premier League leaders to improve upon.

The most prominent of those being the central midfield partner for Nemanja Matic. John Obi Mikel played in the position against Southampton, but the Nigerian has yet to make a really telling contribution in the role. Both Mikel and Matic are defensive players, and in games against some of the very best teams, playing both would be a smart move. But when playing inferior teams, Mourinho has the opportunity to be more adventurous than he has been.

The problem for Mourinho, though, is that the team lacks some offensive spark when Mikel plays in the position and then some defensive ability when Cesc Fabregas does. There is no in between for Mourinho, and after having 61 percent possession against Southampton but only managing to muster one single shot on target, it perfectly illustrates the issue as Chelsea failed to create the kind of chances you would expect from an elite team with that amount of possession.

If Mourinho’s team were creating the sufficient quality of chances, then there is no way they would only get one shot on target all game after having that much possession. Mourinho does also have Ramires to call upon, but the Portuguese manager tends to use either Fabregas or Mikel on most occasions.

In hindsight, Fabregas may well have been the better option for the role in the game against Southampton, but then the Saints would have had more space in midfield and, potentially, more control of the game. What Mourinho ideally needs is a box-to-box player who can adequately defend and help to control the midfield but who also has the offensive attributes to contribute to the team’s attacks and not be a passenger as Mikel often is.

A move for that kind of player is unlikely to come in January, however, and much more likely to instead be pursued in the summer. Mourinho will just have to manage the position between now and the end of this season. It’s not an issue that will severely undermine the EPL championship ambitions of the Blues by any means, but it is an issue that Mourinho will have to give careful consideration to in both the short and the long term.

Related:

Every EPL Team’s Player Most Likely To Be Dealt In January

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