Five things Chelsea fans can expect this season

Jose Mourinho is not one to shy away from the spotlight and after talking his team down over and over again last season, claiming that the little horses needed milk, the eggs needed a daddy hen, he has no where to hide this time around.

The Special One has now had three transfer windows to get his squad in the shape he requires and even he has declared the Blues ready to fight for the title.

After an unprecedented two seasons without a trophy, with Real Madrid and Chelsea, Mourinho now needs to get back to winning ways.

With that in mind, here are five things Chelsea fans have to look forward to this season.

The spotlight to be on the forwards…again

They could be epic and net 50 goals between them. They could quite as easily be complete and utter flops.

Either way, Chelsea’s three front men of Didier Drogba, Fernando Torres and Diego Costa will dominate the headlines.

The Blues’ forward issues were highlighted last season time and time again – and used as an excuse for the lack of silverware.

Now Mourinho has got his man in Costa, there will be no room for complaints, and should the former Atletico Madrid man get injured or do a Torres, Chelsea will be in very big trouble indeed.

Mass competition for places

Not everyone can be kept happy and Jose Mourinho will have to pull his very best man management out of the bag this season.

From picking between Petr Cech and Thibaut Courtois to Filipe Luis and Cesar Azpilicueta – or even Branislav Ivanovic and Azpi, there are choices to be made all over the field, and bar the ones right at the tip of the team, they are top quality ones as well.

The most complete squad in the league? If their forward issues can be rectified, without a doubt.

A major trophy or a new manager

Roman Abromovich is not known for his patience as an owner and the scrapheap of failed Chelsea managers can attest to that.

Jose Mourinho was afforded a season without any success – but that will not be happening again. The Blues boss simply has to win a trophy of note this season – and that is not going by the Arsenal definitions.

Nothing less than the Premier League title or the Champions League will do – otherwise Mourinho might as well start looking for a new job.

Some eCESCually special football

The former Barcelona player has spent a fair bit of time watching the masters of the pass, Xavi and Andres Iniesta and it has paid off in spades.

Pre-season has shown just how easily Cesc has slotted into the Chelsea midfield and just how well Jose Mourinho did in convincing the Spaniard to come to Stamford Bridge.

Able to play as a false nine (which could well come in handy given the forward issues Chelsea have) and also as a deeper lying playmaker, Cesc oozes class.

It takes a very special player to bring sexy football to a Jose Mourinho side, but Cesc has managed to do it and give the Arsenal fans a meltdown to boot.

At least a Champions League semi-final

And probably facing Barcelona along the way at some point given Chelsea haven’t come into contact with them in Europe for two whole seasons now – and that must be some kind of record for the Blues.

Mourinho earnt himself the tag of the ‘semi-final one’ after crashing out right before the final for the fourth time of asking, after winning it with Inter Milan before then, and whilst it was intended as an insult, the fact that he manages to get to that stage of the most prestigious club competition around is quite a feat indeed.

Chelsea fans. What do you think the season has in store for you? How do you think pre-season has gone so far? Let us know your thoughts below or tweet us @LaFoootyettes.