Chelsea by all accounts had a horrible English Premier League campaign last year. While the deficiencies might have been papered out by incredible triumphs in the Champions League and the FA Cup, everybody knew going into the new season, changes were in order.
A sixth-place finish is unacceptable by the extremely high standards expected at Chelsea. The talisman of the side, the man that always seems to provide that moment of inspiration, has left the club. Didier Drogba will be missed by Chelsea fans for sure, but the Ivory Coast international, who signed for Shanghai Shenhua after scoring the winning penalty in the Champions League final against Bayern Munich, will be missed even more by Chelsea manager Roberto di Matteo and the rest of the coaching staff and players.
That onus of providing the inspiration will now fall upon Fernando Torres, who, ever since making his £50 million move from Liverpool, has been living under the considerable shadow of Drogba. If the Community Shield and Euro 2012 are taken as signs, Torres might just be ready to finally repay the faith shown by Roman Abramovich, when the billionaire paid all that money to bring in the Spanish international striker.
Torres will be supported no doubt by a trio of extremely talented attacking midfielders. Di Matteo will have the luxury of choosing from Eden Hazard, Marko Marin, Juan Mata, Oscar and if confirmed Victor Moses, with further options in Frank Lampard, Ramires and Raul Meireles, all capable of creating chances for the frontman, or chipping in with goals.
The spotlight will be definitely on Hazard, who chose Chelsea over the likes of Manchester United and Manchester City. Carrying a huge price tag -- £32 million ($50.2 million) in the Belgian's case - is a burden that is sometimes too hard to play down, something that Torres will definitely attest to. The 21-year-old definitely has the talent and the technical attributes to succeed in the Premier League; how Di Matteo plays him and handles his temperament will play a huge role in the playmaker's success in the upcoming season.
Hazard will be complemented by the tangible talents of Mata and Oscar, who also made a switch to Stamford Bridge this summer for £25 million ($39 million), no mean price tag either. Oscar is your typically talented Brazilian No 10, comfortable playing just behind the striker, and blessed with an eye for a pass.
While Brazilians have rarely been able to cut their teeth in the Premier League in the past, all signs point to the 20-year-old making a big impact. The only thing that might go against Chelsea is if Oscar fails to settle in London. If his head is not in the game, then Chelsea will struggle to get the best out of the undoubtedly gifted playmaker.
The Blues, however, do still need a striker to help ease the burden on Torres. Romelu Lukaku has already gone out on loan to West Brom, and buying a forward with experience and scoring ability will be a priority in the final weeks of the transfer window for Di Matteo.
Edinson Cavani, Robert Lewandowski and Radamel Falcao have been linked this summer; the key will be to bring in a player capable of playing the way Di Matteo wants and also someone who will not ideally disrupt Torres' progress in the blue shirt of Chelsea. A right-back also seems necessary, with Cesar Azpilicueta reportedly close to agreeing a move.
The current mindset of captain John Terry might be a slight concern, but knowing the central defender, those problems off the pitch should not affect him too much on it, although he is expected to receive a lot of stick from opposing fans.
How Di Matteo manages expectations created by his own success from last season, and turns that into results in the league, which will be his priority, will be the most interesting sub-plot in what promises to be another crazy rip-roaring season for Chelsea fans.
