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Chelsea begin their 2013/14 EPL campaign at home to newly-promoted Hull City. We’ll have live scores and updates from 1.00am AEST.
With the artist formerly known as The Special One now back in charge under a new identity as the Happy One, Chelsea have been installed as second favourites for the EPL title they last won three years ago.
Jose Mourinho’s tenure at Real Madrid was a fractious affair. But in his low-key second coming he told us that he has learned and is now more mature. Whether it stays that way remains to be seen.
Blues fans won’t care much if he brings the success he won in his first spell, but they must play with enough width to frighten the opposing full backs this year.
Mourinho has already recruited Andre Schurrle from Leverkusen for £18 million. He has also recalled the impressive Kevin de Bruyne from his loan spell at Bremen.
Chelsea certainly appear well-stocked with creative midfielders: the mouth-watering trio of Oscar, Mata and Hazard will be looking to push on this term.
It’s frightening that the Belgian said he needs to improve – especially when his wonderful balance and quick feet provided the most assists from open play in the EPL last season.
It appears that David Luiz will be played at the back this year, instead of a deep-lying midfield role – even if Mikel John Obi, Frank Lampard and Ramires failed to convince in that position.
The real uncertainty is what Mourinho will do with Torres. The manager has been circumspect on plans for the £50 million signing. Of the 22 goals he scored last year only eight were in the league.
The subplot will be riveting to watch. As will Chelsea if they fire on all cylinders this year.
With Manchester United, Everton and Spurs away by the end of September they’re going to have to.
“Hull City is irrelevant, my dislike for the word’City’is because it is common. City is a lousy identity.” So said owner Assem Allan in an attempt to rebrand the name to Hull Tigers.
Yet many fans views are pragmatic, they still see Allan as the man who saved them from liquidation. It will be interesting to see if they remain as the season progresses.
Manager Steve Bruce has been diplomatic on the matter concentrating on pre-season.
Last year Bruce played a 3-5-2 formation with creative Robert Koren top-scoring with nine goals. The three centre-backs ensured sturdiness and the wing-backs, Ahmed Elmohamady and Robbie Brady, provided notable vigour and attacking threat.
This summer Bruce has alternated between 3-5-2 and a 4-3-3 to utilise the pace of fit-again Aluko and forward Yannick Sagbo, an Ivorian international, signed for £2m from Evian.
Purchasing Allan McGregor (who played in goal for Scotland at Wembley) for £1.5m from Besiktas is a good move, with experienced back-up in Steve Harper on a free from Newcastle with Tom Huddleston joining yesterday from Spurs for £5.5m.
Hull have never won at Chelsea. The overall head-to-head is 10 wins, 16 defeats with seven draws.
Nearly four years to the day Chelsea scored a last-minute winner as Hull lost 2-1 at the Bridge against a stubborn Tigers.
Something tells me there may be a similar result this time around.
Tweet us at @TheRoarSports or me @laythy29
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