Alan Hansen: Jose Mourinho knows how tough Chelsea will be in Champions League

By Alan Hansen Published: 8:00AM GMT twenty-two February 2010

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Crossing swords: Jose Mourinho has in-depth believe of Chelsea strengths Photo: GETTY IMAGES

Chelsea will have been increased by examination Manchester United"s improved at Everton on Saturday lunchtime, and afterwards they took limit value by violence Wolves to settle a four-point lead in the Premier League.

But Ancelotti knows he contingency move his players behind down to earth forward of the Champions League last-16 tie with Jose Mourinho"s Inter Milan on Wednesday. The word we regularly used in the sauce room was that, right up until the point where the prize is secured, you have won zero yet. That is the genius the Italian contingency instil in his players.

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His charge is done simpler by the actuality that their subsequent tie is in a opposite competition, whilst Ancelotti has a serve advantage, too, in the form of his reflection at the San Siro.

Rather than mending Inter"s chances of course in to the quarter-finals, the actuality that it is Mourinho confronting the bar he led to dual Premier League titles plays in to Chelsea"s hands.

Yes, he will know only how to fool around opposite Chelsea, all of their weaknesses and idiosyncrasies. The spinal mainstay of the side Petr Cech, John Terry, Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba all blossomed underneath Mourinho. They are his players, his bequest to the bar even after his depart in 2007. The 3 managers who have followed have combined usually border players, with the difference of Nicolas Anelka, but the players who are the hint of Chelsea are Mourinho"s.

While that might appear to foster the Inter Milan manager, it creates for a really formidable group talk. No doubt, being Jose, he will be really positive, instructing his players they contingency go out to win the game. But, in his heart of hearts, he will know how clever his antithesis is, how couple of areas there are for him to exploit.

The majority viewable of those Chelsea weaknesses is set pieces, that comment for an strenuous commission of their goals-against mainstay this season. Most teams would take that as a cue, in the initial 10 minutes, to torpedo the area, to put vigour on Cech and see how he copes.

That, though, is not the Italian style, where teams suffer a studious rave on the floor. The crossed round does not underline so heavily as it does in the English game.

At Chelsea, Mourinho regularly carefully thought about his opponents, identified areas where he could distinction and set up his side to do only that. It will be erotically appealing to see if he does the same on Wednesday, as Chelsea"s weaknesses are not expected to fool around to Inter"s strengths.

While it is the Premier League side who contingency be favourites to swell if Chelsea fool around well, they will win, that is a smashing incident to be in for the Champions League and not one they would suffer had they faced, say, Barcelona it will be great to have Mourinho back, despite briefly.

There is no subject that he altered the face of English football. It was with Mourinho"s Chelsea that we initial saw that, to win the league, a group need extensive strength in depth. He roughly built dual teams at Stamford Bridge, with a second XI who could have accomplished in the tip six.

Cynics would indicate that he had a unfounded well of money, but copiousness of alternative teams have outlayed income and not enjoyed anything similar to the same success, at the same speed, as Jose did. You can be an vast impression and spin out really badly, or you can be outrageous, regularly interesting and be really good. Mourinho is really in the latter camp.