The cries of Crisis...

It doesn't take a lot for many to cry "crisis" while talking about Chelsea. Back to back defeats, injuries to 3-4 starters, shortage of sandwiches in the stadium cafeteria, global warming.. the media are super-quick to flash dramatic headlines about the Blues. Players are unhappy, the manager is under the pressure, Roman's about to pull the trigger, and what not. (Well, the last one does turn out to be true from time to time.) If the reports after the Basel game are to be believed, Jose's homecoming is already a disaster.

To be fair to the critics, Chelsea haven't exactly covered themselves in glory over the last 5 days. While it was erratic finishing that cost them against Everton, they were plain mediocre against a spirited Basel side on Wednesday. It's surprising, really. When it all began on a sunny afternoon on the opening day against Hull, Chelsea were magnificent for the first half an hour. There were talks of them storming away with the title, like in Jose's first season in England in 2004-05. And after that, they just disappeared. The aura around the Bridge because of Mourinho's second coming already seems to be evaporating, and the Blues have no one but themselves to blame.

The transfer dealings:

While most of the talk around Stamford Bridge has focused on the return of the "Happy One", Chelsea's transfers over the summer haven't been scrutinized too much. There's no doubt that the likes of Schurrle and Willian are top-class footballers, and van Ginkel can develop into a long-term midfield anchorman, the question is whether they are what Chelsea needed the most. The West Londoners haven't really managed to replace Didier Drogba ever since his departure. Fernando Torres huffed and puffed since then, along with Demba Ba to little avail. And after a prolonged public pursuit of Wayne Rooney, it was a kind of an anti-climax to end up with Samuel Eto'o. One of the most feared strikers in Europe a few years ago, Eto'o is hardly the same player these days though. And even though he may get better with match sharpness over the next few games, doubts remain on whether he really suits Chelsea's forward needs.

While Drogba was the focal point of all Chelsea's attacks, Eto'o seems to have the tendency to drift out wide often, which leaves the team with no target up front. With the Blues possessing an embarrassment of riches in terms of play-makers, it's vital for them to have a striker who just stays up front and scores goals rather than doing anything else. Romelu Lukaku would have been the most obvious solution. But the Belgian's desire to get regular playing time in a World Cup year means Chelsea are instead left with 3 big-name under-performing strikers. Based on comparative current forms, Chelsea's front-line does make an ominous reading for the fans.

The Mata Conundrum:

This is where even the hardcore supporters are feeling baffled. They love their "Special One" unconditionally. But benching the team's Player of the Year for last 2 consecutive seasons may prove to be too much. The Blues have sorely missed Mata, and the worst thing is, they have missed him while he's been available all along. Mourinho said that two years of continuous football has taken the toll on the Spaniard, and he'll take time to be fit again. But just how long can he afford to claim Mata as a vital part of his team, and continue to keep him away from the starting XI, that remains to be seen.

It's been claimed that Mata isn't a Mourinho type of player, because he doesn't always track back to help his defenders. True, Oscar offers much more with his relentless pressing in that position, but Mata's ability to create chances out of thin air is almost unparalleled. How many play-makers are out there really with finesse like his in world football? David Silva has been out injured. Fabregas perhaps. Ozil. Goetze maybe. That's about that. Chelsea just simply can't afford to not use someone of his stature and then moan about lack of creativity.

It might seem there's too much negativity around the Stamford Bridge right now, but it's too early to be panicking. The title challenges don't get over in September. Well, not unless you are Liverpool. (Even they seem to be extending their challenge-over moment a bit this season). So just a gentle reminder to all the restless Chelsea fans out there. Keep calm, and believe in the "Happy One". There might be plenty of crises around the world right now, but this ain't one of them. 

The Burning Boats...

There's an awe-inspiring story of the famed explorer Hernando Cortez that I can never forget. He reached the shores of Mexico in 1519. Wanted to conquer the land for the Spanish empire. But the hurdles were too big. A  mighty empire of Aztecs as enemies, deadly diseases, and scarce resources in a totally foreign land. As he marched with his army for the battle, he sent one of his captains back to the shore with a single order, "Burn our Boats." I love that attitude.

When Chelsea's famous Old Guard marched on to the Stamford Bridge turf on Wednesday night, they perfectly knew what future awaited them. They knew that, their boats were burning, and that there was no way back. Fight for survival, or die in the war.Simple. And they delivered. Sometimes, it's better to be under pressure, rather than coasting through everything.

John Terry said before the game it could be one of their greatest nights, and spot on he was. This was a performance that defined what Chelsea are all about. Simply refusing to die, refusing to give up on their long cherished dream of conquering Europe. Chelsea's golden generation knew this would be their last chance, a final onslaught in their quest for the Holy Grail, that is the Champions League. And they fought heroically, for the whole of those astonishing 120 minutes. John Terry, Mr Chelsea as he most certainly is, would lead the way majestically, miraculously just 3 weeks after a surgery on what had looked like a serious knee injury. Didier Drogba, who turned 34 days ago, battled like a monster for the whole of two hours, never allowing a moment's peace to all 3 defenders who formed Napoli's rearguard.

Let's give Napoli the credit they are due, though, for making this tie a memorable one. Any Italian team would try to sit on the two-goal lead they brought from Naples. But then, Napoli hardly play like an old-fashioned Italian team. They aren't afraid of the giants, and rightfully so. Their "Holy Trinity" is one of the best forward-lines in Europe, bettered perhaps only by Messi and Co. Napoli are quite an exceptional team, they move at a breakneck speed, they make the game thrilling, without doubt they went down fighting.

Walter Mazzari was right with his philosophy, despite the defeat. They knew they could score in London, leaving Chelsea to score atleast three. What he would not have thought, was that Chelsea would be up for the challenge. This was the Chelsea radically different from the one that fell lamely in Naples. Fired up for the occasion, ever since Terry put them ahead on aggregate, you could sense there would be no stopping them. Gokhan Inler's brilliantly taken goal, even though easily the finest of the night, merely delayed the inevitable. Chelsea would not be beaten on the night. There was far too much determination in them to be knocked out.

These are the nights that make football fans' lives worth living for. These are the nights that make Football the "Beatiful Game" that it is. Every club has their own, and this one perhaps, was Chelsea's greatest. There's far too much work yet to be done, all the hullabaloo will count for nothing if Chelsea can't get their faltering season back on track at the end. But this was a night, that galvanized the club, which days ago, looked a broken unit. Stamford Bridge erupted like never before, and it's likely to keep roaring again. The writing on the wall is there for all to see. Chelsea's Golden Generation are out on their final assault. They might not be around for long now, but they're far from finished. Not by a long way.

Is this the start of a revival for the Men from the Bridge?

Landing The Big Fish : Juan Mata

           
              It was all turning out to be so familiar. Trying to somehow scrape past a minnow, with that straight-line passing and the slow and mundane build-up play, that seemed to have become a characteristic. Ever since that infamous collapse against Sunderland last season, Chelsea fans had been craving for something exciting. And then, he arrived. In just the 26 minutes of his debut, Juan Mata showed the Blues what they had been missing. It was that finesse, that trickery, that magic that hadn't been seen at Stamford Bridge, perhaps since the days of legendary Gianfranco Zola. It might be precocious to say this, but Mata could just turn out to be the missing piece in Chelsea's jigsaw.
              It's been no secret that Roman Abramovic wants Chelsea to play with flair. As fortunes had it, Zola had left Chelsea for his native Caligari just a week before Roman bought the club. Abramovich did his best to get him back to London. Legends even say, Roman tried to buy the entire Caligari club to facilitate Zola's transfer back to Chelsea, but Zola would not budge on his promise given to his home club. Whatever might be the truth, Zola didn't return, and Chelsea have never had such an artist to thrill the crowds ever since.

Juan Mata has had an instant impact at Cheslea!

                Not that Chelsea's game has been boring and dull. When on song, they play football to mechanical perfection. But, organisation has always been prioritized to a free-roaming approach. Yes, they are a joy to watch when on fire. Didier Drogba bulldozing through the entire defenses, the famed long-rangers from Lamps or Essien, the relentless runs by Ashley Cole. But when the opposition decides to  park their bus  in front of goal, Chelsea don't have a Special player, who can pick the locks, or at least they didn't have one till now. Scolari moaned about his failure in pursuit of Robinho, or not having retained Arjen Robben, precisely for the same reason.

             Let's face it, almost every big club has one. Barcelona have Messi. Period. Real have Ronaldo, Manchester City have David Silva. Manchester United may not have one such in particular, but their ever-revolving front-line of Young, Rooney, Chicharito and Nani more than compensates for it, as some EPL clubs have already witnessed to their own peril. Chelsea didn't even need one till two seasons back, when Drogba was literally bullying every defense into submission, and Lampard was popping up from anywhere to slot in goal-after-goal. But cracks appeared in the Armour last season, when Drogba was hit by  malaria, and Lampard was lost to injuries. Both haven't yet looked the same, even after returning. Villas Boas had spotted the over-dependence on the few personnel, which has been the downfall of so many Chelsea managers. And, it's been evident in his transfer policy. Apart from Mata, Romelu Lukaku, Oriol Romeu and Thiabaut Courtois, all regarded to be  the best of upcoming talents were signed. Best part was, Romeu and Lukaku weren't loaned out straightaway to some un-pronounceable foreign clubs, a fate incurred by so many  of Chelsea's young signings.

Mata has already impressed the Blues faithfuls, with some classy football..

           
         Focusing on Mata, the diminutive Spaniard looked to pretty-much home right from the start. He ran, he dribbled, he chipped, he crossed, he tricked and Stamford Bridge was on it's feet in no time. Chelsea have got a real superstar in the making. Even David Silva, arguably the play-maker in the league at the moment, took almost half-a-season to adjust to the English game. It might not be widely known, but Juan Mata was a product of Real Madrid's youth setup (Yes, they Do have a youth system! ) . But, after shining for their B team, Mata and his parents demanded a contract with the senior team. Real refused, choosing to sign Royston Drenthe (yeah, the same one who was struggling to find a club few days ago!) instead. Valencia were waiting in the wings to pounce, and Mata hasn't disappointed since. He was the sole reason Valencia weren't plunged into an unknown darkness of failure, even after departures of two majestic Davids to Barcelona and Manchester City. It was a writing on the wall that he'd follow them to bigger clubs. Within days of signing for Chelsea, he looks to have upstaged Malouda, the French veteran, for the role on the left flank.

               If given proper time to gel, Mata could just be the man to unlock Fernando Torres's 50-million-pounds-worth potential. El Nino is still craving for the defence-splitting through balls that Gerrard and Benayoun could provide him, as Chelsea try to break from their routine of launching the ball to Drogba and let him do the rest. Early signs suggest AVB will stick to the 4-3-3 formation, which means Mata will be playing out wide on the left, rather than centrally, although a prospect of a super-fast Mata-Torres-Sturridge forward-line is fascinating for the Blue supporters.


                     The era appears to be changing at Chelsea. The veterans like Drogba, Malouda and Anelka are no longer guaranteed starters, and with the emergence of McEachran and Romeu, Frank Lampard could find himself added to that list soon.And Juan Mata promises to be the star of Chelsea's attempt at a revolution. Even with a huge clash against a rampant-looking defending Champions looming large, times have hardly been more exciting to be a Chelsea fan !

Looking back with a Blue Eye...

               With no decent Footballing action, boredom has just started to sink in.For the last few days, I have been dwelling on the season just gone by, and all those what-ifs and could-have-beens.Talking about us Chelsea fans in general, the season could be termed,well,mediocre, at the best.Well,I do agree we don't have those little pieces of history to magnify the failures,like "We were the English Champions in 1925" or "We won the European Cup in 1647" (In short,the kind of things Liverpool fans would tell you,when you have asked them why they just lost to a Northampton!).But then, Chelsea have set themselves quite high standards in the recent years.So much so, that even a 2nd place finish looks a failure big enough to sack One of the Best managers in Europe.Honestly speaking , Chelsea were terrible at times, and if Arsenal hadn't had an even worse season, things could really have turned nasty!

Chelsea's Big Three were badly off-colour this season!

          

"The Merchants of Dreams"....

                  It has all boiled down to the same! Manchester United host Chelsea in a Title-decider on Sunday, that will define their respective seasons.It's been the same last year,and the year before last, in fact straight back from 2003! Ever since Roman Abramovich took over Chelsea that year, the Blues have installed themselves as the firm challengers to United's long run of success.

Finally it had to come to this....the "English Classico" will decide who rules England!

            

Welcome Back, Roman!

Roman Abrahimovic is back in business

           Cost-cutting, Michel Platini, UEFA's Financial Restrictions....If anyone thought these words governed the happenings at Chelsea these days,then Roman Abrahimovic just showed who is in control at Stamford Bridge.Almost 75 million pounds spent on New Recruits,one of them a reigning Euro and World Cup Winner,while the other hailed as the Future of the Ultimate Footballing nation.Chelsea are back in Business.
           Not since the Massive investment in 2006,that saw the likes of Shevchenko,Michael Ballack, and Kalou land in London,have Chelsea made a big-name signing.The last 3 or 4 years have been relatively quiet,with just the likes of Zhirkov and Ramires and Sturridge coming in,all good players no doubt,but not the superstars who win you the Titles.There were talks of Self-sufficiency at the Club,but with the Champions faltering badly this season,Roman has been forced to open his chequebook again.

            The signings of Torres and David Luiz are highly significant in many ways.First and foremost,it shows that the Owner is firmly backing Carlo Ancelotti,by trusting him with the big signings.It's particularly important at a Club like Chelsea,for whom Stability could be working wonders.Also,it gives them a fresh impetus,in a campaign which threatened to deteriorate even further.Suddenly,there is a spring in their steps now.The arrival of Torres immediately puts pressure on Chelsea's big-name, yet misfiring strikers.It was all so evident against Sunderland.Nicolas Anelka,who looked no more than just an ordinary guy so far this season,was suddenly cutting inside three or four defenders effortlessly.That's what competition can do to you.Chelsea now have much-needed cover in the defense too,which now means all of us will be spared of watching Paulo Ferreira haplessly struggling in the Central defensive role,when Terry or Alex gets injured.
              Although one team feeling the brunt of Chelsea's sudden spree is Manchester City.They have tried to establish themselves among the Elite by throwing obscene amounts of money at half-decent players.But,even then,they remain unable to attract the very Best talent.People like Adebayor,and Edin Dzeko will come,but there will be no Kakas or Rooneys or Torreses.City would have been hoping to become the sole destination for big-money signings,but with Chelsea getting back to their Spending ways,it's a massive blow to the Blue-half of Manchester.

Fernando Torres after signing for Chelsea

               Lots of things are being said about Torres' massive transfer.Some say 50 millions is too much,then let me ask you differently.Is Torres worth 30 millions less than Ronaldo? No.Is he worth 6 millions less than Ibrahimovic? No. Is he worth 15 millions more than Caroll? Certainly.And then let's not forget Torres is already one of the most feared strikers in the World,has already netted in the Euro Final,and aged 26,arguably has his best years ahead of him.As far as Torres is concerned,for all the flak he's facing from Liverpool,his decision only seems logical.He may have loved Liverpool very much,but the fact is Liverpool are not up there with the Rest of the big Clubs.Biggest reason for Torres leaving Atletico,his boyhood club,was his desire to play in Champions League,to test himself against the Best in the world.We all know Liverpool aren't going to play Champions League next year,and maybe even in the year after that.And if the timing of the move is to be questioned,it was Torres' best chance really.Had he waited till the summer,Manchester City would come in with another massive bid,and Liverpool would rather sell to them,in the hope of earning a few more millions,than Chelsea.As a World Cup winning player,you would hardly want to go to City,when the Big teams are interested (Unless,you are stupid enough to be Carlos Tevez, of course!).
             Well,there have been too many discussions about Chelsea's massive spendings (which seem to overshadow the 35 millions Liverpool paid for a striker who is yet to play a Full-season in EPL,and was outscored by 4 players in the Second Division last year.Cunning piece of business,anyone? ) One thing is Crystal clear,Roman Abrahimovic has made Chelsea an even better destination than ever before.With that massive transfer of Torres,it's going to be much more easy for Chelsea to convince the big names to come to Stamford Bridge. Neymar, Kaka,Pato, Marek Hamsik,take your pick.
            Anyone thought Chelsea were a Club on the way down, not good enough for Steven Pienaar to choose over Tottenham?? You can forget all that now.The Russian Oligarch's actions in this January Transfer window promise a huge impact on the European Football for the seasons to come.

Welcome Back, Roman!

The Bridge is Falling....

               Come May,Chelsea will not be lifting the Barclays Premier League Title.Period. Now, some cynics (Read United Fans) may even say it was always likely to happen with the "Old" Squad and Chelsea are now not good enough to even finish in Top 4,while some may think it's just a tragic reaction to a Dip in form.Well,it's not.It's just the hard cold reality.Just go and check the recordbooks.Champions don't lose to Sunderland 0-3 at home,Champions don't dominate the whole games versus the likes of Newcastles and Birminghams and Wolves,and still manage to lose.And the Champions most certainly don't play Paulo Ferreira and Ramires,when they have the talented Brumas and Sturridges,in absolutely must-win games.True,there might still be a fightback,I am almost sure there will be a late surge to derail United's title charge,but well,It's just not gonna be good enough.

Dejected Chelsea players after another Defeat

               Having said that,it's not that United are playing so well to lead the League so easily,they are nowhere near the "Invincible" tag they are trying to claim.Go and watch their game vs WestBrom.They were all over the place.Westbrom dominated almost the entire game,should have had a penalty and red card to Neville,which they didn't get (Even Fergie accepted that.Now how many are ready to bet that a 10-men ,dejected United would come back from 1-2 down against an inform West Brom team.But,after that,Baggies did get a Penalty,which they just fluffed away.Now,you just don't do it against United.It was clear from that point,that United would make them cry.And they did.That's where they are so good,United,winning the games even after playing badly for the large chunks of the game.And that's what Chelsea have precisely lacked in last 3 months.United were outplayed at West Brom,and even Wolves,and still got the maximum points.Chelsea,on the other hand,wasted needless points at Birmingham and Newcastle,and Aston Villa.That's the reason that while United are way clear at the Top,while Chelsea languish in the Fifth place,even below City and Spurs.
               There are calls already to sack the Manager,the same one who was hailed as "One of the Best-Ever" after leading Chelsea to a Historic Double.The So-called "Football Pundits" are already claiming Chelsea won't even finish in Top 4.Nonsense. The same people were writing United off at the start of the season,after Chelsea had driven into a 5-point lead at the top.Now,suddenly,Chelsea are No-goers,right? Yes,there have been some Self-destructing decisions,like sacking Ray Wilkins,or not investing in New players to cover up for those who were drafted out.But,let's not forget they have missed their Big players big time.Injuries to Drogba,Lampard (that guy was out for 3 months,for God's sake,the World's best scoring Midfielder.You're bound to miss him,right? ) and Terry,not to mention the long-term layoffs of Alex,Benayoun,Zhirkov have all hurt Chelsea's cause.
                And then there is the problem of in fact HAVING players like Ferreira and Ramires.What it does is that it dents the chances of youngsters like McEachran and Bruma and Sturridge.Just imagine,Vidic and Ferdinand getting injured for United,and Johnny Evans will automatically come in to fill,Ferguson won't try to put Neville or Carrick in that role.But at Chelsea,there will be long discussions about whether to trust Bruma,or to put the "Experienced" Ferreira in that role.In the end,Ferreira will be picked to play in a position he just can't play,Chelsea will get drubbed (remember 0-3 vs Sunderland, don't you?) ,and after all this tragedy,next time similar injury crisis happens,Bruma will be given the task,as if he's being done a huge favour! And after all this,that 18-year old kid is still expected to go and play like John Terry!
Same thing with Ramires.Well,we were trying to cut the costs.So,we let all the Ballacks and Decos and Joe Coles ( don't you think anyone of them would have come in handy in these times?) were all allowed to leave for Free. Apparently,this decreased Chelsea's wage bill by 20 millions.And then they go and spend 18 millions on Ramires.Not a very smart piece of business,is it? When he arrived,we all were made to believe he is the Future of Brazil.That guy is supposed to be a Midfield-enforcer.But,seriously,he can't keep the ball himself,Forget winning it from the Oppositions.I just can't get why Carlo played Ramires and Ferreira vs Aston Villa,when he had Sturridge and Bosingwa.Don't tell me he "Rested" them.You just can't do that in such situations.It's like being stuck in a House on Fire,and saying "oh no,we're tired now.We'll have some rest first,and then try to get out".
               Chelsea's midfield has never looked so fragile.Few years ago,they could claim to have the Best Midfield Unit in the World.Free scoring Lampard,German captain Ballack,the African Superstar in Essien,the Invincible Makelele,all backed up by Deco and Joe Cole.Look at the situation now,with Lampard and Benayoun gone,we're straight into Mikel and Ramires,and there's this thing as well with Young McEachran not being trusted enough.They say he has the talents to match the Messis and Ronaldos,and still fear to put him against Aston Villa!
               But,even having had so many problems,it's still ridiculous to say they won't finish in Top 4.They still have the team to beat Uniteds and Arsenals.The big players are starting to return,The Blues will rise again,with same personnel,I still believe.For they are the men with Courage,the Terrys and Lampards and the Drogbas, they are the team who got heartbroken in Moscow in Champions League Final,and they still returned to win the Premier League in 2 years time,breaking all kinds of records on the way.

Carlo Ancelotii with Malouda in happier times,after winning the Premier League

                 I'll will leave you by refreshing our memories to a similar situation 2 years ago.Chelsea were playing badly( eve worse than they are now),people said they won't finish in Champions League places.Well we all remember what they did,winning the FA Cup,and even though they were beaten in Champions League semis,Don't you remember how they made the Mighty Barcelona,the Best footballing team ever and all that, look like an Impotent Unit at Stamford Bridge?

"Month from Hell"??

Another agonising game to watch,playing just one-half of good Football, well,and then just giving up in the second,Chelsea fans aren't really used to this....But,really these troubled times make you understand what Arsenal and Liverpool fans have to suffer week in week out!!! From 5 points clear at the top,the Champions have plunged downwards in November,seeing Blackpool's home record,we can consider ourselves 4 points off the pace already,and the December fixture list doesn't make it any easier.Tottenham,Manutd,Arsenal all lined up alongside resurgent Bolton Wanderers,Chelsea couldn't have chosen worse times to have got the Lampards and Terrys and Benayouns injured,could they??

Watching the Everton game on Saturday,I couldn't really believe how light-weight Chelsea's midfield looked.Essien looked rusty from injury,Mikel was wasteful,and why Malouda is trying to play in the Centre-midfield more when he excels so well on the wings???

If there was one area,that Chelsea could boast of as being arguably the"World's Best",till last year,it would be their midfield.Lampard,Ballack,Essien,not to mention Makelele,these guys would get into any team in the World,and then we had Joe Coles and Decos and Mikels as cover-ups,couldn't get any better,could it? And suddenly this season,it's all collapsed!! Mikel looks a lost man,the creative force of Benayoun was lost to injury,and Ramires hasn't managed to settle in English Football yet.Chelsea are missing Lampard like hell!!! He gets them those 20-25 invaluable goals each season from Midfield,but its not just the goals,but his forward drive,his ability to get into shooting positions.Watching Mikel and Ramires on Saturday,I really missed Lamps there! Of course,Chelsea wouldn't have missed him so much last season,when Michael Ballack could fill that role efficiently,But this season,with Benayoun out inured,Chelsea have lost that authority in midfield.It was same vs Everton,same vs Sunderland,and same vs Birmingham.They just put the extra guys in midfield,and Mikel and Ramires were simply overwhelmed,Malouda tried to bridge the gap by getting more Central,and it took out Chelsea's sting on that left flank! At the moment,there looks to be no solution other than getting Lampard back as quickly as possible,and with the quality of the teams they're about to face,they have got to do it fast!!!

Manchester Utd are getting back to their normal Fiery "Christmas period form"(not taking into account that dreadful 0-4 to West Ham,of course!!!),Arsenal also look strong,and Spurs seem to be in great spirits following their adventures in European Football,but all the talk of Chelsea's title challenge falling apart still seems far-fetched.Your title challenges are not wiped out in November,guys,well,not unless you are Liverpool fans! But,for the rest of the normal World,it takes April or May for the title challenge to fade off.So let this "Month from Hell" be upon us,we won't give up Hope.

December,here WE come !!!

Doomed in Crisis??? ...Not really!!!

All of a sudden,everyone believes Chelsea are on the way to disaster.Two bad performances in a week,and it's suddenly a crisis,isn't it?? Arsenal have lost 3 times at home already,including twice against Newly-promoted teams,and still Chelsea,after first home defeat of the season are suddenly doomed,aren't they??However convincing the defeat maybe,I should just point out,it came in the absence of Terry,Lampard,Essien and and Alex (Can anyone imagine Liverpool missing Gerrard,Torres and Carragher and even beating Northampton???Not really..)

Same thing with United,those guys have won just 1 game away from home so far,just ONE in one-thirds of the season,and still just a couple of away defeats at Liverpool and Birmingham suddenly mean Chelsea are just not good enough for the title?? Nonsense.

Yes,the sacking of Ray Wilkins came as a rude shock,which wasn't really necessary,with all going so smoothly,but does anyone doubt they are not up for the fight after watching them vs Birmingham?? I don't certainly.It was just a bad day,where nothing seemed to go in for them,and their opponents scored from the only Chance they created in 90 mins (Still,horrible goal to concede,though,watching the replays,I felt John Terry even on a wheelchair,would position himself better!! But,that's the reason he's John Terry though,you can't suddenly expect Ferreira to be like him)

Say anything you want,but Chelsea have badly missed Frank Lampard (All those thinking we're just making excuses,just remember what Manutd or Liverpool keep crying about when Rooney or Gerrard is missing) .Not just his consistent flow of goals,but his ability to drive forward relentlessly,creating more space for the attackers.I should point out,Chelsea were hammering goals for fun,early in the season,when he was playing,they just seemed to have dried now he's missing.We're supposed to have signed the "Future of Brazilian Midfield" for 18 millions,but his attacking skills make Lucas look like Xabi Alonso! And you just can't afford to put 4 fullbacks in defence,not even vs Sunderland,as we found out.But,still there will be better days to come,no?

Huge games coming up for Chelsea now,with Spurs,Arsenal and ManUtd all to be faced,but with the return of Inspirational skipper Terry,along with Super Frank and Essien,talk of whatever crisis as long as you want,Chelsea are still the team to beat if you want that Title !!!!

Stuck in Second Gear???

I'll be honest,it was a total disaster at Stamford Bridge on Sunday!! First home defeat since March,3 goals conceded after not conceding a single one for 9 games at home,and it could've been much worse! What does this do to Chelsea's title challenge?? Huge damage,if you ask me...

When the season began,with the 6-0 thumping of Wigan and West Brom (For all those Man Utd fans dancing with delight,same WestBrom that came to OldTrafford and drew 2-2!!) ,it all looked so good,there didn't seem to be anyone even close to challenging the Champions,another title just seemed a formality,and so even when they were not so dazzling versus Man City and Villa,people always said they still had the upper gears in reserve,to up the ante against the big guns.But apart from versus Arsenal,that doesn't seem to be happening,does it??

Points dropped against Villa and City were ok,but the defeats versus Liverpool and Sunderland were bad,for they were so convincing,even die hard Chelsea fans couldn't say they didn't deserve to lose!! They were plain mediocre ,it never looked like they were coming back,and thoroughly deserved the defeats.

Having said that,picture is not so dark as it's made out to be,ManUtd are still struggling (They were plain lucky to win vs Wolves,and even though draw at Villa Park was good,don't forget they have won only once on the road this season!) ,City don't look good enough,Arsenal can be threatening,but don't forget Chelsea had Lmapard, Terry, Alex and Essien missing on Sunday,yes that can't be an excuse against someone like Sunderland,but you won't say they wouldn't make a difference once they're back!!!

We're heading for an exciting Winter now,with many big games coming up,it starts this weekend itself with the London Derby of the Gunners and the Spurs,so I really hope the Reigning Champions finally switch to the Higher gears!!!