Chelsea's unity will be more severely tested but Willian keeps Jose Mourinho afloat





It was by no means a comfortable night for Jose Moruinho





JOHN TERRY'S pre-match rallying call set a defiant tone but the Chelsea captain knew his declaration of unity would only go so far in silencing reports of dressing-room unrest

 

After the search for an explanation for Chelsea's dramatic decline settled on the question of whether Jose Mourinho had lost his players, the reaction at Stamford Bridge was always was going to provide a more telling response.

And while Mourinho's side remained a pale shadow of the side that battled their way to the Premier League title last season, their failings last night appeared more a result of being disjointed rather than disunited.

And in the case of Asmir Begovic, a disastrous loss of concentration that allowed Dynamo Kiev to equalize.

 

Chelsea's plight is such that even an emphatic victory right now would not be enough convince anyone their problems are behind them.

But last night Mourinho at least needed his players to show some character and evidence of commitment and in Ramires and Willian the manager at least has two players who can be relied upon to lead by example.

The two Brazilians have provided the few bright spots in a season littered with disappointments.

And the drive of the two midfielders helped drive their more timid team-mates forward during a nervous opening when the fear of another failure appeared to grip Mourinho's side.

 

Willian's brilliant free kick got Chelsea out of jail in a trick tie

Willian in particular set the standard for the rest of his team-mates to follow with his energy on the right hand flank providing a constant outlet.

With Eden Hazard paying the price for his uninterested display against Liverpool, Oscar was stationed on the left and offered a similar, if less effective, threat.

Cesc Fabregas, meanwhile, was handed the main playmaker role, behind Diego Costa.

The Spain international had tweeted his support of Mourinho this week, denying a report he was the leader of a players' revolt

 

And while he struggled to re-establish the link with Costa that proved so fruitful last season, his efforts to link midfield and attack at least gave Chelsea forward momentum.

Yet Mourinho's side lacked conviction and too often a home player found himself in a good position yet painfully lacking in support.

And when Costa and Willian drilled crosses into the box midway through the opening half, the absence of a blue short battling to get on the end of it raised concerns this was going to be another long night for Mourinho's side.

The slice of luck that led to the opening goal clearly came as a huge relief - but that was not enough to inject confidence into this faltering group of players.

And when Dynamo Kiev in ramped up the pressure, in the second half, the fragile protection offered the back-four by the out of form Nemanja Matic was severely tested.

There is no doubt Mourinho's side is lacking confidence and belief. Further tests of unity lie ahead..