Difficult decisions await Mourinho

By David Lee Wheatley

Chelsea old guard must shape up or ship out

José Mourinho repeatedly proclaimed his contentment with returning to his spiritual home during the first official press conference since confirmation of his appointment as manager of Chelsea. His laid-back demeanour won't last long, though, once he gets down to the nitty-gritty of dealing with the players at his disposal.

The Portuguese coach made it crystal clear that the on-field protagonists of his previous successes at Stamford Bridge shouldn't expect any special treatment. However, the problems run much deeper than first meets the eye and there's no doubting several of the elder statesman in the squad aren't as important to the team as they once were.

The second coming of the über confident Mourinho began in earnest with the release of Yossi Benayoun, Paulo Ferreira, Hilário and Florent Malouda. The decision to jettison Ferreira was surely painful for the charismatic leader, as it was he that won the Champions League with the dependable right-back at FC Porto before bringing him along with him on his first switch to Chelsea in 2004. There will be many more awkward situations waiting to meet Mourinho head-on during the summer, including the start of the shiny new football season in August when he picks his first line-up.

Frank Lampard is still a top-class performer and will undoubtedly contribute heavily in the new season for his beloved boss, but others are waning and can no longer be relied upon to play week-in, week-out.

Ashley Cole has long been one of the best left-backs in Europe, but is beginning to lose some of his lightning pace, which he uses to great effect in getting forward along that left flank. Ryan Bertrand has shown great potential and waits patiently in the wings to take over in that position.

John Terry became increasingly injury-prone during the last campaign and others such as Cahill, David Luiz and Ivanovic offer more in that position these days. When he did play, Terry looked fallible under pressure unlike the dominant presence he presented previously. Revered by Chelsea fans, the club captain is expected to take on a peripheral role next season.

Meanwhile, Mourinho had Michael Essien on loan with him at Real Madrid last season, but he is now over the 30-year barrier and could be classed as no more than a back-up player for the younger men in the midfield department. The present day starters such as Hazard, Oscar, Mata and Ramires have fresh legs and boundless energy to offer in the middle of the park, possibly pushing the likes of Essien on to the sidelines.

Of course, the 'Special One' will want to add more quality to the side and that could hasten the demise of the older guys in the team. It would be excruciatingly difficult for a lot of managers to banish club heroes to the bench, especially considering the history between Mourinho and his men, but if anyone can do it without sentiment then it's the two-time Champions League-winning coach; he simply won't tolerate personal feelings getting in the way of trophy success at the Bridge.

It's a new era at Chelsea and the experienced members of the squad must up their game or expect to be unceremoniously dumped out of the future of the club.

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