Mourinho has rediscovered his ruthless edge at last, Hazard Dropped

After weeks of blaming everyone but himself for Chelsea’s current predicament Jose Mourinho’s team selection for the visit of Aston Villa confirmed the Special One has finally rediscovered the ruthless edge that has made him such a serial winner.

Arsene Wenger, the Football Association, petrified referees who are too scared to award decisions in favour of the Premier League champions and television companies have all borne the brunt of Mourinho’s ire this season.

But the Chelsea manager appears to have belatedly acted upon what has been staring the majority of the club’s puzzled and beleaguered fans in the face for weeks – namely several key players have been letting him down and badly.

Branislav Ivanovic, once a bastion of reliability, has been rendered a liability this season with Premier League wingers up and down the land feasting on his battered reputation. The injury he suffered on international duty made Mourinho’s decision to offer Baba Raham a chance in his place an easy one but elsewhere there were shocks aplenty.

Eden Hazard, peerless last term listless this, has been dropped to the bench after a run of 11 games without a goal for his club. Two goals for Belgium during the international break hinted at a turning of the corner but Mourinho has made a headline statement by dropping last season’s double player of the year to the bench. 

It is a decision that could galvanise both Hazard and Cesc Fabregas who is likely to operate in a more advanced position against Villa. Certainly it represents a pretty seismic gamble, but one Mourinho simply had to take, even at this early stage of the season. 

The Special One has shown no mercy to Nemanja Matic, the sub who suffered the ignominy of being subbed against Southampton a fortnight ago, with youth in the formidable shape of Ruben Loftus-Cheek finally afforded an opportunity stamp his authority on this Chelsea side. 

Mourinho’s treatment of Matic against the Saints in that unforgettable 3-1 defeat a fortnight ago, a loss which sparked a seven-minute post-match monologue, characterised his clouded and muddled thinking this season. His team selection against Villa indicated the international break may well have done him the world of good.