Mourinho is back, but once all of the bubbles have been bursted and the back slapping is over, what does it really mean and what will he actually bring to Chelsea in his second stint? Will he bring instant success, will he he bring championships? What is definitely notable is things are a lot different today compared to when he first walked into Chelsea back in 2004.

Chelsea’s Jose Mourinho back in familiar surroundings

Firstly the squad he inherited then was a veteran unit on the verge of turning the corner, they were men, as Mourinho recently described them. Where as the squad at Chelsea today, can be described as “boys”, talented but very young and very un-Mourinho like.

In the first coming of Jose Mourinho, we as fans of the English game marveled at Mourinho’s antics, we delighted in his charm and movie star looks and we loved his at his success in his first stint as Chelsea manager. From his opening press conference where he announced himself as the “special One” he brought something special to the English game while at the same time backing up his brash words with success.

But as with most things especially on a reuniting of sorts, we only remember the good things, we seldom remember the bad things, and it is those bad things that made them part ways the first time.

By the time Mourinho left, he had pretty much wore out his welcome. The relationship between Mourinho, the Chelsea billionaire Russian owner Roman Abramovich, the fans and also some of the players, had become pretty rocky.

Owner Abramovich, after finally achieving that much desired success, not only did he want to continue that success, but he now wanted to do it with style.

He and a large portion of the fan base had become disillusioned, bored even, with Mourinho’s pragmatic, but yet, highly effective football. They had become bored with the 1-0 results and grinding it out they wanted more. So after an incredible run of success which included two league Championships, one of which being Chelsea’s first, the relationship between coach and owner had become unworkable, so Mourinho packed his bags and left.

Between then and now, Mourinho has experienced success and failure. In Italy as manager of Inter Milan, the Inter players and staff bought into Mourinho, hook line and sinker and found instant success as a result of it, winning league title and even the Champions league.

In his recent stop at Real Madrid however, proved to be a much harder task. His first impression was not a very favorable one, as he faced rivals Barcelona and chose to play with a very physical and very un- Real Madrid like style of play. As a result he was criticized from all corners and accused of playing anti-soccer and bringing shame to the great name of Real Madrid. From that point on he never really won them over.

In his stay at Real Madrid, he could never get the players to by in the system. Things had gotten so bad at Real, at times he felt as though there were figures within the dressing room plotting his downfall. Ultimately like at Chelsea the job at Real had become untenable.

And now he is back at Chelsea. But what can we expect the product on the field to be like. Expansive attractive football or Mourinho ball? The players that have been brought in over the last few years have been flair players, with skill and fantastic technique. The likes of Oscar, Juan Mata and Eden Hazard all possess these qualities and Chelsea have been definitely moving in the direction attractive football. Unfortunately the signs are beginning to show already. On monday, night in the Chelsea – Manchester United, it was there for all to see. Mourinho ball. Tight and Non expansive, 10 men behind the ball, look for the counter. To add to matters, for the second game in a row, last years players and fans player of the year Juan Mata, started the game on the bench and on this occasion Mata, Chelsea’s playmaker and pass master did not even get off the bench. Mourinho insists that Mata is in his plan, but it remains to be seen.

Ultimately, Mourinho ball is undoubtedly a ticket to success, once he has the right players in place, but he has a short shelf life. This week’s signing of Samuel E’to, a Mourinho disciple who earned his stripes with Inter Milan, is a move that definitely makes the squad more Mourinho like. Only time will tell how it all plays out.