5 Talking Points About Chelsea’s New Striker

With Samuel Eto’o joining Jose Mourinho’s revolution at Chelsea last week, Prasanna Mainkar looks at what the Cameroonian international will bring.

Chelsea have a redundant battalion of world class midfielders; half of whom are battling for a spot in the starting XI, some are set to be loaned out while others are destined to be bench warmers. However, the ones who end up playing have one thing in common; they’re all going to be looking for a striker to finish what they create.

Torres over the course of his Chelsea career has only looked a paler shadow of his Liverpool-self. He has never really looked confident enough to lead the Blues’ attack. Once one of the most feared strikers in the league, he has now become a laughing stock.

Lukaku “The Drogba in the making”, showed glimpses of his ability in the pre-season but failed to capitalize on the starts when it mattered the most. The Super Cup debacle wasn’t too helpful either. Ba too has been mis-firing. And Mourinho never seemed to have confidence in any of the three.

The search for a dependable striker got stuck with Rooney from the beginning of the transfer period. It reached a dead end and it looked like the Blues’ would have to scrape through with the available resources till January.

Yes, Abramovich does not permit signing of players aged over-30. Only Mourinho could make it happen. Without splashing out a large fee, a player who he has already worked with in the past and won many titles with; Samuel Eto’o was welcomed to the Bridge on Friday. Here are five talking points about the striker:

His accolades speaks for themselves

He needs no introduction. He had very successful stints at Barcelona and Inter Milan winning back-to-back Continental trebles; making him the only player to achieve this feat with two different teams! He has been declared African Player of the year a record four times! He is definitely no short of recognition for his ability on-field.

Will suit the Premier League

Many strikers have come to these shores and struggled to cope with the pace and physical nature of the game here. Eto’o doesn’t lack physical ability. He is strong, fast and powerful, and will be able to handle the physical side of the game in England.

A complete striker

Eto’o performs the lone striker role perfectly. Lacks the quality to make crosses but can do magic on the other end of it. Sets up goals with key passes, assists, free-kicks and when all this becomes too mainstream, he simply shoots from distance. He has everything required to be a top striker.

Already Mourinho groomed

Having been a part of Mourinho’s Inter Milan set up, Eto’o is already familiar with his tactics and coaching techniques; which is probably what made his decision to come here easier. Eto’o would hope for another Champions League title under the Special One this season.

Experience

The experience card always unfolds when signing any player over 30. Well, in this case the card is very crucial. Having played in the top flight in Spain and Italy, he is no stranger to playing in multiple competitions throughout the year. His experience comes as a bonus to a side which is practically new school.

The big question is whether Eto’o can continue his overseas scoring here and make his way into the XI on a regular basis with three other strikers in the background. Will any of the current forward’s leave Stamford Bridge before the window closes? Will Eto’o be a success? Share your views below.

This article was originally published on The Blitzkrieg Within.