Chelsea enjoyed a fantastic past 12 months nabbing last season’s Premier League and FA Cup double, and when manager Carlo Ancelotti’s Stamford Bridge All-Stars came out firing sixes against West Bromwich Albion and Wigan Athletic to start the season, more success was a foregone conclusion.
Some claimed, including Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, that Chelsea’s early success was almost like cherry picking with the weakest teams up for the taking. November has brought Russian owner Roman Abramovich a winter of discontent with one win in five Premier League matches.
They gained 4 points from a possible 15 in the 11th month, with December tightening its grip promising no let up to date with two more draws.
When the assistant manager goes missing (fired) at the beginning of a slump in a team’s performance, the gap widens between players and management with player confidence taking a knock. Nov. 7 heralded a surprising and what can now be called a dramatic dive in Chelsea’s fortunes with the 2–0 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield.
Assistant manager Ray Wilkins’s Nov. 11 parting from Stamford Bridge with immediate effect had eyes rolling, considering that only the month prior, the Blues used their website to host a lengthy two-part compliment to Wilkins’s Chelsea career.
Further adding to the shifting structure was Ancelotti making no comment at Wilkins’s departure, another pointer that all was not well at the bridge of sighs.
The iron men of Chelsea were in danger of becoming a soft touch with captain John Terry and Michael Essien absent with injuries.
Striker Didier Drogba’s buoyancy had been seriously subdued by debilitating bouts of malaria, and the continuing absence of Frank Lampard approaching four months further heightened Abramovich’s alarm at the sudden reversal of winning that he had become accustomed to.
His decision to give Wilkins the push and not even give him the chance to remain for the season’s end, gave rise to undermine Ancelotti’s authority and loosen the bond with the English members of the squad.
With the present rapid entrance and exit of managers in the Premiership through the money-soiled swinging doors of success and failure, was it but a whisper that Ancelotti, a little dizzy with the speed of the descent, be capable of a soft landing and save his job?
Reports have it Ancelotti and Abramovich enjoy a close relationship, but that could mean close to parting in the present climate of the unexpected. Nevertheless, Abramovich gave a public show of confidence in Ancelotti and has been somewhat rewarded by a spirited display against Tottenham in last Sunday’s London Derby.
It was a game that showed some promise of a return to better times with Chelsea coming from a goal behind with Drogba leveling the scores.
The arrival of Frank Lampard in the final 12 minutes was greeted almost like the cavalry arriving by the Chelsea fans, but Drogba took the shine off things by fluffing a penalty in injury time.
That winning goal would have given them a well-charged boost in confidence by briefly heading the league table, but instead they now sit a surprising fourth, three points back of leaders Manchester United.
It remains to be seen if the encouraging display against Tottenham that held semblance of the old Chelsea is in fact the breakthrough that’s necessary when they host United on Sunday, followed by a visit to Arsenal on Monday the Dec. 27.
By then Chelsea will know whether Father Christmas called or not.
Some claimed, including Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, that Chelsea’s early success was almost like cherry picking with the weakest teams up for the taking. November has brought Russian owner Roman Abramovich a winter of discontent with one win in five Premier League matches.
They gained 4 points from a possible 15 in the 11th month, with December tightening its grip promising no let up to date with two more draws.
When the assistant manager goes missing (fired) at the beginning of a slump in a team’s performance, the gap widens between players and management with player confidence taking a knock. Nov. 7 heralded a surprising and what can now be called a dramatic dive in Chelsea’s fortunes with the 2–0 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield.
Assistant manager Ray Wilkins’s Nov. 11 parting from Stamford Bridge with immediate effect had eyes rolling, considering that only the month prior, the Blues used their website to host a lengthy two-part compliment to Wilkins’s Chelsea career.
Further adding to the shifting structure was Ancelotti making no comment at Wilkins’s departure, another pointer that all was not well at the bridge of sighs.
The iron men of Chelsea were in danger of becoming a soft touch with captain John Terry and Michael Essien absent with injuries.
Striker Didier Drogba’s buoyancy had been seriously subdued by debilitating bouts of malaria, and the continuing absence of Frank Lampard approaching four months further heightened Abramovich’s alarm at the sudden reversal of winning that he had become accustomed to.
His decision to give Wilkins the push and not even give him the chance to remain for the season’s end, gave rise to undermine Ancelotti’s authority and loosen the bond with the English members of the squad.
With the present rapid entrance and exit of managers in the Premiership through the money-soiled swinging doors of success and failure, was it but a whisper that Ancelotti, a little dizzy with the speed of the descent, be capable of a soft landing and save his job?
Reports have it Ancelotti and Abramovich enjoy a close relationship, but that could mean close to parting in the present climate of the unexpected. Nevertheless, Abramovich gave a public show of confidence in Ancelotti and has been somewhat rewarded by a spirited display against Tottenham in last Sunday’s London Derby.
It was a game that showed some promise of a return to better times with Chelsea coming from a goal behind with Drogba leveling the scores.
The arrival of Frank Lampard in the final 12 minutes was greeted almost like the cavalry arriving by the Chelsea fans, but Drogba took the shine off things by fluffing a penalty in injury time.
That winning goal would have given them a well-charged boost in confidence by briefly heading the league table, but instead they now sit a surprising fourth, three points back of leaders Manchester United.
It remains to be seen if the encouraging display against Tottenham that held semblance of the old Chelsea is in fact the breakthrough that’s necessary when they host United on Sunday, followed by a visit to Arsenal on Monday the Dec. 27.
By then Chelsea will know whether Father Christmas called or not.
