3 things Chelsea must do to stay in the title race

Tis the season to be jolly yet festive cheer may be in short supply at Stamford Bridge. It’s obvious that all Chelsea want for Christmas is a new frontman, but they’ll need more than a bit of tinsel and some new baubles if they’re to wrap up the title.

While John Terry and co. were able navigate through their Champions League group into the knockout stages they are now out of the Capital One Cup following defeat to Sunderland on Tuesday night and so far have looked rather unconvincing in the league.

Yet this year’s title race remains fairly fragile, and if Chelsea can make things click before February, they could soon replace the Gunners and overtake Manchester City as the champions-elect come Spring.

Here’s a short wish list of what Jose Mourinho needs to find under his tree this year. Feel free to check it twice. Much could depend on whether Santa (or Roman Abramovich) is feeling naughty or nice.

A Rudolf to find a way up front

Andre Schurrle and Eden Hazard have enjoyed promising starts to the season, yet the thought of seeing them playing off a striker able to hold up the ball may well make Chelsea fans giddy with more than just festive spirit.

With Romelu Lukaku on loan at Everton, and Samuel Eto’o and Fernando Torres unsuited to such a role, much depends on whether Demba Ba can step up in the New Year, which seems unlikely.

Therefore the January sales will be key, but is Radamel Falcao really a realistic target? Let’s assume that transfer to be too complicated and expensive for the time being, but who else fits the bill? Forget emerging prospects, Chelsea need the finished article now.

While he may lack glamour, with nine goals, three assists and 23 key passes in the Bundesliga, Bayer Leverkusen’s Stefan Kiessling may be the cheapest, off-the-shelf option available. Yet he could well be more than a mere compromise.

Bringing in plenty of experience playing as a target man in a system reliant on support strikers and attacking midfielders, he could well suit Chelsea and Mourinho to a tee.

Last season he was the Bundesliga’s top scorer too with 25 goals, and his presence in the area would help the Blues to close the gap on their top four rivals, at least in terms of the proportion of shots taken inside the box.

Some may be underwhelmed by the idea of a player such as Kiessling joining Chelsea, but chasing stars doesn’t always make you a wise man—just ask David Moyes. With a squad packed with attacking midfielders, a more robust option up-front could do wonders for the Blues.

Get the midfield elves working overtime

Even Mourinho would think twice before letting down an old friend at Christmas—especially one performing well even as his athleticism fades—and so Frank Lampard looks set to remain as Chelsea’s senior midfielder for the time being.

The question must then turn to which of Jose’s other little helpers should be paired alongside his trusted head elf.

The Blues have made the fewest interceptions this season with 147 compared to Manchester United’s 277, and while the Red Devil’s prolific numbers may be due to a lack of control from their midfield, Chelsea’s high possession stats shouldn’t excuse their lowly tally.

Ramshackle results such as the 4-3 away win against Sunderland, the 2-2 draw against West Bromwich Albion and the 3-2 loss to Stoke were an aberration to the controlling ideals of the Special One.

For that reason it’s hard to look past Ramires—the third best performing midfield dueller in the league—being taken off winger duty and deployed as a central midfielder whenever possible. Meanwhile, the underperforming pair Michael Essien and Jon Obi Mikel should be relegated into becoming rotational players at best.

Alternatively, a rather radical three-man midfield could offer them games in place of Lampard or Ramires.

It may sound too much like Rafael Benitez’s idea but with David Luiz looking weak at the back, pushing the Brazilian up into a holding role could unleash Ramires and support Lampard, sweeping up threats in front of Chelsea’s defence.

Roman’s New Year’s resolution: Treat Mourinho’s second stint as Plan A – not a ploy for control

It remains strange to see Mourinho back at the Bridge, with some pundits going as far to suggest that Abramovich had accepted he made a mistake by rehiring his former title-winning manager.

But what if the Special One had been brought back as a power ploy to quell the dissenting calls for his return once and for all?

Should he fail at matching his former achievements, Abramovich’s sack-happy yet trophy-winning governance would be harder to knock.