Chelsea 1-2 Basel: Shell shocker for Mourinho as his 'beautiful young eggs' crack in Champions League

The look on Roman Abramovich’s face told the story, even more than the jeers that cascaded around Stamford Bridge.
A short, rueful grin, but eyes as hard as stone. Unimpressed. Deeply unimpressed.
Six years ago, the Russian peered down on a side that could not beat Rosenborg and decided enough was enough.
At least - you would think - Abramovich will not be calling Jose Mourinho to demand a summit meeting on Thursday, will not be signing another mutual non-disclosure severance pact.
Both Abramovich and Mourinho have grown up since then. Mended the broken bridges. Agreed on the path forward.
But when Chelsea fail to win four on the spin, it represents an issue, if not a crisis.
When they lose two on the bounce, managers start to develop an anxiety rash.
The actions of the past, especially from a man as impulsive as Abramovich, condition the way you anticipate the future.

Just ask AVB, Roberto Di Matteo and Big Phil.
And while Mourinho has prepared the ground for a transition season, arguing that he is building for the longer term and  nurturing a squad full of "beautiful young eggs", he also acknowledges that winning remains an absolute priority.
Losing to Basel, a side conquered by Rafa Benitez’s men in the Europa League last May, was definitely not in the equation.
Mourinho, famously, lost just once at home in his first three-year spell, and defeat to Barcelona is not a badge of shame.
Now, though, he has tasted SW6 defeat, deserved defeat, after just 270 minutes of his return and to a side that should not be in Chelsea’s class, despite their feats against Manchester United and Spurs in recent years.

Marco Streller’s header, pulling away from Samuel Eto’o - whose contribution at his own end matched, for all the wrong reasons, the one he made at the other - consigned Chelsea to their first group stage home reverse since Claudio Ranieri’s team subsided against Besiktas in 2003.
But arguably more worrying, more damaging than the result, as Chelsea never got to grips with jet-heeled Mohamed Salah, was the lack of cohesion, drive, purpose and imagination.
This was reminiscent of the sort of displays that saw the Russian’s rift with Mourinho explode so damagingly last time round - and then they just WON too boringly for the owner.
Even when Oscar, slipped in on goal by skipper Frank Lampard after David Luiz stepped out from the back in the last minute of the first half, smashed them ahead, Chelsea were unable to settle or really impose themselves.
Having monopolised possession in the first half to no real effect.
Willian making little impact, Marco Van Ginkel offering far more physicality than finesse, it should have been a belated platform.
This was where Eden Hazard should have shone, rather than shrunk.
Where the experience and instincts of Eto’o were supposed to make a difference.
Where another summer of expensive imports was designed to ensure no repeat of last term’s group stage debacle.

Instead, to the consternation of the fans, the disbelief and frustration of Abramovich and the angst of the - still? - Special One, they capitulated.Yes, only the woodwork denied Oscar a second, from 25 yards, Branislav Ivanovic headed straight at the keeper, Hazard blazed over when he should have done better.
But even before that, Salah’s pace had unhinged Chelsea far too easily, Streller should have converted Behrang Safari’s low cross.
And for the second time in less than a week, Mourinho’s changes served to confuse rather than improve, the arrival of Juan Mata sparking the leveller, the departure of Frank Lampard as he went with two up top leaving them exposed to the sucker punch.
Basle’s equaliser came from a move of infinitely better quality than anything Chelsea could put together.
Safari sauntered down the left to play into the danger area, where a one-touch interchange between substitute Matias Delgado and Streller presented Salah the opportunity to sweep home.
Worse was to come, eight minutes from time, when Chelsea - Ivanovic was suffering as badly as Cole - left themselves horribly unbalanced.
Only a terrific block by Luiz prevented Streller firing home when Salah escaped behind Ivanovic.
But when Delgado played the resulting corner in to the near post, the Basle skipper was far more purposeful and determined than anybody in a Blue shirt as he got the touch that befuddled Petr Cech.
Some huffing and puffing followed, but no way back.
Not good enough Jose. Not by a long chalk.