Chelsea - is Jose really the new special one? Or is it right back to where we started?

There was a rumour flashing around Spain that Chelsea were going to pay €50million  euros for Real Madrid right back Sergio Ramos. This was not a rumour, it was a joke. Chelsea’s right back position has become the most vexed and agitated position in Premiership football transfers. If you play right back and you have not had a trial for Chelsea, you might want to think about another career.

You would not want to bet on who Felipe Scolari might start the season with. He even played Paulo Ferreira at left back for Portugal, so by that logic Chelsea have three lefts backs. Also it seems plain that shelling out £16million on the lightning fast Portugese right back Jose Boswinga - right - may have been an introducer for Scolari and Kenyon some months before the deal was done for the Brazilian to come to Stamford Bridge. Bosinga is going to have to be pretty special. Chelsea also bought a mysterious Serbian in the January window Branislav Ivanovic from Moscow who has not surfaced despite nearly £10million of cash swapping hands. But is he a right back? For that matter is Micheal Essien who played there at the end of the season a right back – not when Cristian Ronaldo is playing he should not be. And not when Chelsea value his strength in midfield.

In all over the last couple of years Chelsea have been through more than 10 players all of whom most other teams in the world would be quite relaxed about. But not Chelsea. Nor is it that right back is the most glamorous position in the team. Nor is it that the Chelsea defence is so leaky that it needs urgent plugging.

Khaled Boularhouz was good enough to play right back for Holland in their scintillating team and where he looked a shade clumsy he held his own in a down to earth sort of guy way. Chelsea are still paying his wages in Spain. Another ex-Chelsea full back who turned up for national duty with Italy was Cristian Panucci who played under Ranieri, although he never settled and scuttled back to Rome sharpish.  Juliano Belletti was good enough for Barcelona, and good enough to score the goal that beat Liverpool in the Champions League Final. Admittedly, he is on the old side and so was probably a short term bet, but if they had wanted youth why sell Glen Johnson to Portsmouth. He was exciting to watch going forward and there were more fullbacks to teach him how to defend at this club than anywhere else.

.And then the current incumbent or not is Paolo Ferreira about whom Jose Mourinho once said no one could tackle better, true enough when tackled. Less so when he misses. But he has been given a long term five year contract. And he likes to have an easy life.