Chelsea Title favourites: Is it Justified?

Sitting here by the pool in Rhodes on my Honeymoon, I can't help but notice the general opinion that ahead of the new season, Chelsea are already favourites for the title! The question I am asking you the Chelsea fan reading this post is whether or not it's justified?

Let's face it, it's because of Jose Mourinho and nothing else!

 It's the same players more or less with some additions and players returning from their Loans. The same players who have struggled to get anywhere near a title challenge so you have to question the sudden jump from a team that had a goal of finishing inside the top four for two season to favourites for the title.

 I have said it many times on here recently, being a football manager these days is as much about man managing your players as it is being tactically aware and this is where Chelsea have got things wrong with AVB and Rafa Benitez. Both had their supporters in the dressing room but also their detractors. That was their problem and I cannot say 100% that they ever managed to rectify it, rather work with it and hope for the best.

 Look at the impact Robbie Di Matteo had almost instantly. He man managed his squad, got them all on side for the most part and look what happened. I still believe before people say it that this season the players did a professional job and not because of Benitez.

Chelsea have had their success based on a dressing room full of winners. Players that know what it has taken to get the job done domestically and now in Europe. As each big name left the club, those players became more and more scarce. Of course in the last two years we have won both European competitions but still lack the drive and stamina to see out a league campaign.

This season the "Happy One" is back and brings some stability with him based on his press conference. Not many people in life are give a second chance and you already have the feeling that this is his biggest challenge of all and one he will work twice as hard to get right.

With him comes the winning mentality we are lacking domestically. He like us has won it all but more often than not cleaned up domestically in addition to Europe or Cup competitions in the same season. It's about treating each game as important as the other and sending his team out tactically prepared to win the game at all costs. This is what has been our downfall in recent seasons and as to why we have been so far off of the pace.

So getting back to the question I have asked in this post, I feel that it'S 50/50as to whether or not already being installed as title favourites goes. Our second game at Old Trafford will establish a marker to see just how far we have come in the short time that Jose would have been here.

What do you people think? Are we justified title favourites or do the bookies and pundits have it wrong?