Football Season Guide

Rafa Benitez was certainly not liked by the majority of Chelsea fans, but it is hard to ignore the fact that all in all he probably exceeded expectations last season and under the circumstances did a fine job. Chelsea got stronger and stronger as the season progressed as the players became more comfortable with what he asked from them. Results after Easter in particular were impressive. The Champions League has always been important to Chelsea, but with that not possible in 2012/13, Benitez secured success in the Europa League. The return of Jose Mourinho has brought about a huge buzz. His overall track record is obviously second to none and big things are expected at Stamford Bridge this season. Goals were well spread out last season, with eleven players scoring at least two league goals, but the flip side of that was that only two, Fernando Torres and Juan Mata, hit double figures. Given the Blue's quality and depth in defense and their star studded midfield, it should not take much for Mourinho to have Chelsea genuinely challenging on a number of fronts this season.