Mourinho's Chelsea Tasklist

Jose Mourinho, with his eccentric demeanor and win-at-all-costs mentality, is a man who divides many football fans. Some love him for his ability to win 20 trophies in 11 years at the top level, whilst some scorn him for the way in which he has done so. I for one, am in the first category. Whilst the ethical side of his managerial career has been far from perfect, it's not as if it's the only factor in his success and as I have argued recently, ethics plays very little part in modern football. Mourinho is a great psychologist, and as his track record proves, everywhere he's been he's been able to motivate and bring the best out of his players. A man who has the talent to do this must only be admired.

So what needs to be done in Mourinho's latest task: to bring the glory days back to Stamford Bridge? I'm going to run through the Chelsea squad, and analyse what he must do before the Blues have a team that can win the title next season.

1- Hand Courtois the no.1 jersey

Deserves a chance - Courtois

To give Courtois a start in the team is a no-brainer. The Belgian won the Zamora (least goals per game conceded) Trophy and set a new all-time defensive record with a successful Atletico Madrid team in La Liga, keeping 20 clean sheets, Cech played most games for a Chelsea team that conceded 81 goals last season, in all competitions. Unfortunately, Cech hasn't been quite the same goalkeeper since his nasty collision in 2007, and his shot stopping seems to be getting worse with age, rather than better. This incredible season Courtois has had with Atletico, at the age of just 21, tells you his potential, and he is clearly worthy of a first team role.

2- Offload David Luiz

A misfit - Luiz

A controversial decision this would be, yet an essential one nonetheless. The number of quality attacking midfielders Chelsea have, dictates that it would suit them to play 4-2-3-1, to make enough space for the 'three magicians'. Having an attacking quartet of players means that the rest of the team, except for fullbacks providing width, must bear a responsibility to be roundly defensive minded. If one of the sitting midfielders (a role recently suggested for Luiz) started getting forward, not only would that disrupt the pattern of the more creative player's play, but also the team won't be able to retain control of the midfield, when attacks are broken down.

The departure of the Brazilian would suit all parties, and I include any club who buys him in that. He would be perfect as a roaming libero in an Italian team, such as Juventus. A player that starts off technically as a sweeper, but who is given a free role to drive forward as and when to dictate play. To be able to do this though, Luiz needs a team that is built around him, he's not a good enough player for Chelsea to opt to do that. Mourinho must therefore cash in on this unfortunate product of Villas-Boas's plans which didn't materialise, and bring in more team-orientated defensive players.

3- Sign a centre-back

Varane - Chelsea target?

For central defence, Chelsea currently have Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry (and Luiz) on their books. Given that Terry has lost a yard of pace over the past couple of years, and Cahill is hardly a world-class defender, investment in the central defence department will be necessary. Seeing as Internazionale fell away from the Serie A title race so spectacularly last season, perhaps a move for Andrea Ranocchia would prove fruitful. Mourinho has been linked with a move for young Madrid defender Raphael Varane, who would provide a long-term solution, if lacking in experience. Either way, Chelsea's central defence is in definite need of a revamp.

4- Find a long-term replacement for Ashley Cole

The task to replace the arguably best left-back in the world over the past 5 years, is easier said than done.

Shaw - long-term Cole replacement?

My solution though, would be Southampton's teenage prodigy Luke Shaw. 25 Premiership games last season is an impressive feat for a 17-year-old, and he is known to have good technical ability, which will fit Chelsea's system. The one downside of having 3 attacking midfielders, is that occassionally, the play becomes too narrow and defences find ways of forcing congestion. When Chelsea find they need that extra width to variate play, Shaw would come in useful. Furthermore, he would be joining Chelsea at the perfect time. Cole, at 32, has a couple more seasons left in him, but can be gradually faded out of the team and become a tutor for Shaw, to be gradually introduced. An £8 million punt on this kid would be well worth Mourinho's time.

5- Sign a new Makelele

Bender - holding midfielder needed?

When they have the ball, there's no better team out there than Chelsea. The missing ingredient in their midfield, is having someone who does the job when the team hasn't got the ball. They need a player who is naturally pessimistic, selfless, will never break from the halfway line, and prepared to do the dirty work to enable the flair players to grab the headlines. Going back to Mourinho's first stint in charge, I thought Makelele was Chelsea's best player. His mere presence in the midfield gave the likes of Lampard, Cole, Duff and Robben, the mental freedom to get forward and interchange at will, knowing that if they lost the ball, Makelele would be there to provide cover and buy time until the others got back into position. Having him in the side released all pressure.

Defensive midfielders are indirectly multi-functional. When teams attack you, a good defensive midfielder can provide that extra numerical advantage needed to break down the attacks. What's more, they can pass the ball short for the more creative players to start an attack, with the opposition defence caught unprepared. Either Daniele de Rossi of Roma, or Leverkusen's Lars Bender may want the pay rise a move to West London could offer, whilst this Chelsea midfield would greatly benefit from their defensive mindset.

6- Keep the attacking midfielders happy

Pointless buy - Schurrle

Mourinho must get his rotation policy right this season. With Mata, Oscar, Hazard, Marin, De Bruyne and Moses all vying for a similar role, the confirmed signing of Andre Schurrle may well make life harder for Mourinho, rather than easier. It seems as though Chelsea have 4 players who are carbon copies of themselves: attacking midfielders who have good first touch, are able to beat a man, and effective on the counter attack. It may be a wise move for Mourinho to offload Moses and either De Bruyne or Marin, to reduce the intensity of the competition, and give these developing prospects the consistency of gametime required to fullfil their potential. Whilst competition for places can be healthy in places, too much of it can be cause for an unsettled dressing room, which Mourinho will be keen to avoid.

7- Sign Edinson Cavani at all costs

A goalscorer - Cavani

Europe's top striker outside Spain would complete this Chelsea team. The creativity is there for all to see, they just need a player who can stick the chances away consistently. The prolific Uruguayan has scored an excellent 29 goals in 34 games for Napoli last season, almost a goal per game in a more defensive league, and in a team that doesn't create as many chances as Chelsea. Selling the disappointing Demba Ba would be a good start to further increase funds, and perhaps Chelsea could knock off some of Cavani's price tag by offering a swap deal with Fernando Torres re-uniting with Benitez at Napoli. The task for Mourinho is simple here: do what you have to do to bring Cavani in.

If Mourinho can do each of these things successfully, Chelsea are my pick for the title. Whereas Moyes and Pellegrini will have the pressure on them from the off at Chelsea's title competitors, Mourinho already has the respect of the players and fans. If he can use his contacts to bring in some world-class defensive players and Cavani, it's difficult to see anyone in the Premiership stopping Chelsea.