Manchester United travel to Chelsea for a FA Cup quarterfinal, and you know that Stamford Bridge will be the focus of the football world Monday night. The top story line centers around Jose Mourinho, who won a title in his very first year on the job at Chelsea, 2004-05. It was the first of Mourinho’s two stints at Chelsea, the second of which ended in another league title in 2014-15.
In ’15-’16 Chelsea returned from a title winning season to have one of the worst championship defenses of all time.
Mourinho returned mostly the same team, but stumbled out the gates so badly that they were honestly in the relegation zone. Mourinho was sacked in December, and replaced by interim boss Guus Hiddink, who then guided the Blues to a 10th place finish.
This year as Conte took over he noticed issues with team work and team chemistry in the preseason, problems that lingered from the previous campaign. He certainly fixed those issues, and then made a tactical switch, going to a 3-4-3, which then prompted Chelsea on a record setting run. The Blues shot up to the table, and currently have a sizable lead of 10 points with only 11 matches remaining.
They have the title wrapped up, with still an outside chance of breaking the records for single season points and victories.
Last month Conte said of the team’s turnaround this season: “We have this situation because of last season, not because someone invented it. Last season was very bad.”
Conte will inevitably match the accomplishment of Mourinho- a title in his very season at Stamford Bridge.
Mourinho on how difficult it is to a win a title in your very first season on the job:
“The most difficult thing to have is time to work and they have time to work.”
“I know that Conte told a couple of days ago or a couple of weeks ago that it’s not his fault that they are not in the European competitions, it’s my fault and the players’ fault. But the reality is that he got in his hands a situation where they have time to work, time to rest, time to relax, time to disconnect, time to travel, time to have holidays, time to go to America [Thibaut Courtois] and enjoy America for a couple of days.”
“They have time for all of these things, so they are in a position of privilege, the same privilege that Liverpool had a couple of years ago and they almost won the Premier League [2013-14]. But I don’t want to say that they don’t deserve credit for it. They choose a certain style of play that is very adapted to the qualities of these players, they defend a lot and well, and they counter attack and kill opponents on the counter attack similar to my Chelsea.”
“The difference is they play with five at the back and I played four at the back, but the same criteria, a very strong team to defend and a team that kills on the counter attack, and they are doing very well and that is why they are going to be champions easily.”
He’s made some fascinating comments about what kind of motivation Chelsea might, or at least should, have for this contest. The Portugese also said that the Blues success this season doesn’t surprise him, but their style does.
Relevant match info and links: Man United injury report, MUFC starting XI prediction, Chelsea starting 11 prediction
Odds via Odds Checker: Man United 24/5, draw 27/10, Chelsea 3/4
Prediction: Chelsea 2, United 0
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. and News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times and NBC Chicago.com, contributes to Chicago Tribune.com, Bold, WGN CLTV and KOZN.
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