Scott Parker says Chelsea are ‘one or two years’ from challenging on all fronts, identifies where club should strengthen & reveals Jose Mourinho’s most powerful trait

Speaking exclusively with Ladbrokes Fanzone, Scott Parker says Chelsea are ‘one or two years’ from challenging on all fronts, identifies where club should strengthen & reveals Jose Mourinho’s most powerful trait

• “I do think that’s possibly the area in which Chelsea could strengthen, though; they’ve invested heavily with the future in mind, but the dynamics of a football team are so much more than that…”
• “Mauricio will understand the task at hand; this is a hugely talented squad, and I think they’re very much going to be bearing their fruits in a year or two from now. You’ll be looking at an incredible team there, and I still think Mauricio will be in charge because he’ll know how to get the best out of those youngsters.”
• “There’s probably a mindset change, fan-wise, as well; it may look a little bit different to what they’ve been used to in the last 20 years or so, but you have to go through these muddy waters at times, to get to the point where you’re looking at an outfit capable of challenging on all fronts again.”
• “I do think that’s possibly the area in which Chelsea could strengthen, though; bringing in more experience to help these younger players in getting over the line; that’s key for Chelsea now. They’ve invested heavily with the future in mind, but the dynamics of a football team are so much more than that…”
• [On Jose Mourinho] “He’d slam the ball down, look at us and tell us to get out. They were the most powerful moments, for me. You need to be authentic in those moments, and you need to be believable. And when you’re a manager, and you’ve got a group of 30 men in front of you, all with big egos, you have to be credible, for one. But you’ve got to be believable, too.”
• “I wouldn’t rule out a return to the Premier League for Jose. When you’re a manager of his calibre with the experience and credentials that he has, then you tend not to be out of a job for long. He’s got far too much experience and know-how. He gets teams to win so, I expect to see him back in management soon. Whether that’s in the Premier League or abroad, I suspect is up to him.”

Chelsea will be challenging on all fronts in a year or two from now…

When I look at Chelsea in recent times, it feels that there’s definitely been a change in terms of how things have gone. They’ve invested heavily in a very young squad, and what comes with that is a lot of talent, but also a lot of inconsistencies. There’s possibly just a lack of know-how there, as well, when it comes to getting over the line in certain matches.

I do think they have someone in Mauricio [Pochettino], who I spent a little bit of time with as a coach of the under-18s at Tottenham, who has got a real track record when it comes to developing younger players. The proof of that comes in the jobs he did at Spurs and Southampton. I think it’s going to be a difficult season for him and Chelsea, especially when you compare it to where we’ve perhaps been traditionally used to seeing Chelsea in the table in recent years.

Chelsea have always been ruthless and clinical when it comes to expectations; they’ve always had their eye on every title, and winning every football match. And while I don’t think that’s drastically changed, there’s certainly been a shift in how they’re developing things over there. Mauricio will understand the task at hand; this is a hugely talented squad, and I think they’re very much going to be bearing their fruits in a year or two from now. You’ll be looking at an incredible team there, and I still think Mauricio will be in charge because he’ll know how to get the best out of those youngsters.

I think Mauricio’s track record mirrors up with how Chelsea went about their business in the summer, which tells me the owners do very much see him being in charge for the foreseeable. They’ve got a guy sat in that chair at this moment in time, who is extremely good when it comes to developing young players, and developing teams. I’m sure the ownership and the manager are in line when it comes to understanding how the team is going to look this year. There’s probably a mindset change, fan-wise, as well; it may look a little bit different to what they’ve been used to in the last 20 years or so, but you have to go through these muddy waters at times, to get to the point where you’re looking at an outfit capable of challenging on all fronts again.

Thiago Silva is extraordinary… here’s how Chelsea should strengthen

Thiago Silva’s longevity is extraordinary. I was only having this conversation with my son the other day; the fact that, one, he’s still playing, but two, the fact he’s playing at the top end of Premier League football, at the level he’s at. It’s pretty special, and it shows the quality of the man.

I do think that’s possibly the area in which Chelsea could strengthen, though; bringing in more experience to help these younger players in getting over the line; that’s key for Chelsea now. They’ve invested heavily with the future in mind, but the dynamics of a football team are so much more than that; it’s not just about the talent or the individual quality of one player. When you’re developing football teams that need to be winning more often than not, there’s a dynamic that’s needed in that kind of squad, which varies in every asset. You see it in teams that go and win leagues; whether it’s the Manchester United teams of old, Liverpool a few years back or this Manchester City side… there’s a real mix and balance of different talents, and different qualities which you need throughout a starting eleven.

Mourinho’s most powerful moments came when he said very little… 

Jose Mourinho arrived at the club having just won the Champions League with Porto which, in itself, was an incredible feat. To do what he did with that Porto side was hugely massive. Everyone knew what they’d be getting from Jose from the first minute he stepped foot in this country as manager of Chelsea and he sat confidently in front of the cameras. His personality shone through instantaneously; massive charisma, he brought something new to our game which we hadn’t seen for some time.

He had a real confidence about him. He made you feel like you could go and win leagues and that you were the best team in the division… and he constantly drilled that into the players. We had some real quality within the team when he arrived, but he brought with him a raised level of belief, and a mindset of ‘we are going to be the best team in this league’, and he brought that across from day one, really.

Generally, though, when I think of Jose, I think his most powerful moments came when he didn’t say a lot. In team meetings, you’d be preparing for a game, or just before kick-off when as players we might have expected a big speech, or a rundown of what we needed to do and how we needed to do it. But in those moments, he’d often come in with a real confidence about him, and not use many words.

“We win today, for sure. These aren’t as good as us.”

He’d slam the ball down, look at us and tell us to get out. They were the most powerful moments, for me. You need to be authentic in those moments, and you need to be believable. And when you’re a manager, and you’ve got a group of 30 men in front of you, all with big egos, you have to be credible, for one. But you’ve got to be believable, too. And certainly, in those moments, when Jose spoke, however mad his suggestions may have been… I don’t think there was one person who would leave that dressing room doubting what he’d said. He had a real talent of galvanising a group of men, who would do anything for him, really.

I wouldn’t rule out a Prem return for Mourinho

I think I came up against Jose twice as a manager. With my Fulham team, when we had a year in the Premier League and he’d have been at Tottenham. He beat me in one, and then we got a draw away from home. With Jose, you know what you’re going to get.

There’s certainly a really caring and nurturing side to him and over the course of me being a manager, there have been messages from him, and whenever I’ve seen him in person, there’s been a genuine tendency to want to help, or certainly encourage. But, at the same time, there’s a real game face. When you’re up against him, he really wants to win. And more often than not, over the years, he’s got the better over other managers.

I wouldn’t rule out a return to the Premier League for Jose. When you’re a manager of his calibre with the experience and credentials that he has, then you tend not to be out of a job for long. He’s got far too much experience and know-how. He gets teams to win so, I expect to see him back in management soon. Whether that’s in the Premier League or abroad, I suspect is up to him.

I left Chelsea too early; I should’ve given myself another year and a fair crack

Playing for Chelsea was a great experience for me, of course. I was a young lad coming in from Charlton, where I broke into the first-team, did very well, and got that move at a time where Roman Abramovich came in and was spending a lot of money.

I had an amazing time and some fantastic experiences, of course I would have loved to make more of an impression, but there are things I learned along the way, being around that squad, sharing a dressing room with so many talented players which meant I was able to learn a lot.

I probably left too early; maybe a season early, looking back. Perhaps I should have held on for another season; I got injured towards the back end of that second season and then moved on in the summer, and maybe that was me just being an impatient young boy wanting to play football. I probably should have just held on because when you’re at a top club like that, fighting for trophies, the competition is right up there, and I probably should have given myself another year and a fair crack.