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Can you name Jose Mourinho’s first XI in Chelsea return?

By Tom Bogert

Jose Mourinho the head coach / manager of Chelsea speaks with Fernando Torres of Chelsea (Photo by AMA/Corbis via Getty Images)
Jose Mourinho the head coach / manager of Chelsea speaks with Fernando Torres of Chelsea (Photo by AMA/Corbis via Getty Images) /
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Chelsea’s Spanish striker Fernando Torres (L) is challenged by Hull City’s English defender James Chester during the English Premier League football match between Chelsea and Hull City at Stamford Bridge in London on August 18, 2013. AFP PHOTO/CARL COURT== RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. NO USE WITH UNAUTHORIZED AUDIO, VIDEO, DATA, FIXTURE LISTS, CLUB/LEAGUE LOGOS OR LIVE SERVICES. ONLINE IN-MATCH USE LIMITED TO 45 IMAGES, NO VIDEO EMULATION. NO USE IN BETTING, GAMES OR SINGLE CLUB/LEAGUE/PLAYER PUBLICATIONS. (Photo credit should read CARL COURT/AFP/Getty Images)
Chelsea’s Spanish striker Fernando Torres (L) is challenged by Hull City’s English defender James Chester during the English Premier League football match between Chelsea and Hull City at Stamford Bridge in London on August 18, 2013. AFP PHOTO/CARL COURT== RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. NO USE WITH UNAUTHORIZED AUDIO, VIDEO, DATA, FIXTURE LISTS, CLUB/LEAGUE LOGOS OR LIVE SERVICES. ONLINE IN-MATCH USE LIMITED TO 45 IMAGES, NO VIDEO EMULATION. NO USE IN BETTING, GAMES OR SINGLE CLUB/LEAGUE/PLAYER PUBLICATIONS. (Photo credit should read CARL COURT/AFP/Getty Images) /

ST Fernando Torres

Yep. Fernando Torres was the lone striker in Mourinho’s return to Stamford Bridge. Weird to think, isn’t it?

This would be the infamous Chelsea flop’s last season at the club, scoring just 5 goals in 28 Premier League appearances. The £50million striker from Liverpool changed his hairstyle seemingly more than he scored (I’m not complaining, to be fair) which didn’t help his case. Nothing would have, though, for a striker with his pedigree to just simply forget how to score goals for a few years.

As Chelsea won the title the season after they had a competent, goal scoring center forward in Diego Costa. Could they have had different fortunes in Mourinho’s first season had Torres not been misfiring?

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Torres wasn’t the only striker on the books that day at Stamford Bridge as Romelu Lukaku entered the fray for the Spaniard. Another fun ‘what if’: what if Mourinho didn’t handcuff himself to Torres’ price tag and continue to give an uninspiring striker more chances and let young Lukaku on the loose? Would he still be at Chelsea, not Everton?

Lukaku had reportedly been the subject of interest from Chelsea earlier in the summer transfer window before the club signed Michy Batshuayi, or that’d have been the most Chelsea thing ever to continue their odd trend of selling players and buying them back for more a few years later.

See: Matic, Nemanja.

Naturally in a Chelsea shirt, Torres didn’t score on the day. He was the one, however, who won the penalty that Lampard put wide. Counts for something, right?

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