5 Issues Chelsea Need to Work on During International Break

Chelsea head into the international break with their unbeaten run extended to 17 games in all competitions in 2014-15. The Blues have come through some tough challenges in the last few weeks, and their strength has even led Arsene Wenger to admit that they are clear favourites for the Premier League title, per Sky Sports.

However, there are still a few niggling issues that the club need to address over the two-week break. 

Defence

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The one major issue that will be causing concern for Mourinho is the leaky defence. Despite their unbeaten run so far this season, the Blues have only kept five clean sheets in 17 games, per WhoScored.com.

This is a far cry from the record-setting 2004-05 season.

While the adjustment in tactics towards a more balanced attacking approach is easier on the eye than the 1-0, park-the-bus displays, it still needs work over the coming weeks. Much of the issue stems from the high defensive line that has allowed the Blues to break with such devastating effect so far. The unfamiliarity of this high line has left acres of space between the midfield and the centre-halves, space which has been exploited by several opponents.

Diego Costa’s scoring run and Oscar’s defensive diligence have papered over this problem thus far, but it is an issue that will need to be addressed sooner rather than later.

Rotation

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Mourinho seems to have worked out which players will comprise the spine of his team this season. A stable back four of Branislav Ivanovic, Gary Cahill, John Terry and Cesar Azpilicueta are joined by the midfield pairing of Nemanja Matic and Cesc Fabregas, while Eden Hazard and Oscar are virtually guaranteed to start behind Diego Costa.

Although changes have been made for the cup competitions, the remaining outfield place in the starting XI has been contested between Andre Schurrle and Willian so far.

The strength of Chelsea’s bench is one of the reasons that they are being tipped for the title, but Mourinho will need to find more minutes for players like Filipe Luis and Ramires if he is to keep everyone happy.

Youngsters

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One of the more surprising aspects of this season is that Mourinho has handed opportunities to several youngsters in the squad. Nathan Ake and Andreas Christensen have made fleeting appearances so far, while Dominic Solanke was handed his Champions League debut against Maribor at Stamford Bridge.

Of the three, Ake is by far the closest to being ready for the rigours of playing regularly at Chelsea, and he should be given more games after the international break.

Per Elliott Bretland of the Mail Online, Mourinho has made it a priority to bring the more talented youngsters through from the academy and into the first-team squad. However, as much as training with the senior players will give them a good idea of what their futures could hold, it is minutes on the pitch that really matter.

Injury Cover

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Chelsea coped remarkably well when Costa was ruled out injured after the last international break.

Didier Drogba destroyed any doubts that he could still score goals for Chelsea by netting three in three games, while Hazard also chipped in for the cause. However, Fabregas’ hamstring injury could cause more severe problems if he has not recovered by the end of the international break.

The Blues are not short of attacking talent, but the Spanish playmaker’s 11 assists so far suggest that he would be more difficult to replace than Costa turned out to be.

Supporter Engagement

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The issue of Stamford Bridge’s terrible atmosphere reared its ugly head again after the 2-1 win over QPR, per Matt Barlow at the Daily Mail. Now that the furore has died down somewhat, and with normal business on hold for the next two weeks, this is the perfect opportunity for Mourinho and the board to sit down and work out a plan of action to improve supporter engagement.