Part of the price ‘big clubs’ pay for their status is greater scrutiny of every win, loss, piece of individual genius and mistake.
Up until recently, Chelsea experienced a very specific type of scrutiny. A huge 2010 saw Chelsea not only win the double, but also become utterly ruthless in front of goal. A high scoring second half of 2009/10 continued into August.
Chelsea started getting uncommon praise from all comers: Ancelotti had added style to the substance. Chelsea could pass it like Arsenal, score more than Utd and rack up more points than anyone along the way. The squabbling and turmoil that had become the norm at Chelsea disappeared, and journalists discovered Chelsea as their new second favourite team. Chelsea had cut its mammoth and expensive squad to size but were even better than last season. Winning the league at a canter was a certainty, and younger players were finally getting their chance. Alex gave an interview in the Chelsea magazine saying the team played like Brazil.
Rumours that Chelsea were considering a big money move to a new stadium at Earl’s Court only fed a general belief that Chelsea were once again on an relentless forward march.
Us fans? Well we probably bought into the hype a little bit too. I think Chelsea fans, unlike maybe Utd supporters, still harbour a fundamental pessimism on the whole: we don’t typically consider ourselves heirs to every trophy or assume success. But, almost like never before, I reckon crowds at the Bridge started to expect big wins every time they turned up.
Even the disappointment at Eastlands didn’t dampen spirits. Man City played a negative game, Chelsea didn’t really turn up and Tevez did what he has it in him to do: win a game on his own. It wasn’t a fluke, but these things happen.
But the tide started to turn after the Liverpool match, with fans bemoaning a slothful first half showing and pretty much everyone picking up on some very inconsistent away form. Then, last week against Sunderland, a mauling reversed opinion entirely.
Now the hype has lurched from one extreme to another. Chelsea’s wheels are either falling off or, having fallen off somewhere between Liverpool and West London on 7th November, are lying splintered in a roadside ditch somewhere between Birmingham and Watford. A very real injury crisis is fuelling a general expectation that the attempt to recover those wheels is doomed to failure.
Talk now isn’t of Ancelotti’s genius at having dominated the league, bringing youth through and cutting the wage bill. What was once a virtue is now a sin: the media – and fans - now attack the club for not spending money in the summer. Why wasn’t Carvalho replaced? Why was a recognised forward bought to supplement – or ultimately replace - Drogba or Anelka? Perhaps the ludicrous transfer gossip they spewed all over their back pages throughout the summer was less journalist gossip to sell papers, and more the media helpfully putting forward a strategic proposition to Abramovich and Gourlay.
And, as if on-the pitch issues weren’t enough, Ray Wilkins’ controversial departure fuelled a very Chelsea-like sense of behind-the-scenes turmoil (no crisis at this club would be complete without it), and Drogba’s malaria added to the sense of ludicrous melodrama that seems to follow Chelsea in its darker days.
The truth, of course, is that neither sets of hype should be believed. Chelsea were in a rich vein of form, but that did not make them Brazil or Barcelona. The club is in a bit of a mess at the moment, but that doesn’t make them Bolton or Blackburn (or Liverpool). Injured players will return, results will improve – there’s too much talent in the squad for that not to happen.
Winning the league isn’t a foregone conclusion – but it never was. But neither the loss at Anfield or to Sunderland was terminal. More draws and losses will certainly follow, and probably in December – but that’s the nature of the beast.
I’m as pessimistic as the next fan (actually, more so) but this time, despite the obvious issues Carlo is undeniably facing, I’m preaching patience. Today, at least…
I'm just hoping that Bruma starts instead of Ferreira. I don't know if he is any good, but at least he's a natural CB and won't look lost. I'd also like to see Malouda play in the midfield and Zhirkov on the wing. He's bigger and stronger than Zhirkov and he played their all last season. Zhirkov is good going forward, but he's no midfielder and it hasn't worked against Liverpool or Sunderland. I don't think we are in crisis and I think we will win the next game, but we are paying the cost for not blooding our younger players sooner as part of a first team instead of some ad hoc thrown together team. You can't win the league with 15 players and either our young players are good enough or they shouldn't be in our first team squad.
Posted by: J Spencer | 18 November 2010 at 19:16
Nice to know we still have calm Chelsea heads out there. Yes, we're having a bad run but the fact that we're still on top means the opposition haven't been any better. Chelsea will probably still drop points, but so will the rest. End of story.
Posted by: Ortiv | 18 November 2010 at 20:13
nice article...good sermon on the patience thing but that is going to be hard to exercise because u have a coach u plays a bad right-back in the CB position when u have a natural on the bench.he meeses up and he gets to play 90mins.a coach who loses to a team we have beaten in the past 12matches by a 3-0 scoreline. on home ground! STAMFORD BRIDGE! WHAT A HUMILIATION.i hate that guy for this.
Posted by: nana | 19 November 2010 at 02:52
I agree with j Spencer regarding the youngsters. If Bruma doesn't start against Brum he will wonder what needs to happen for him to get a game and if Kakuta doesnt start playing we will lose him to a pre-contract in january. Our 1st eleven is good enough to win the league, we can cope with one or two injuries but to have 4 genuine 1st team players out, no club can cope with that. By the time they all come back from injury and suspension it will be too late for this season i'm afraid.
Posted by: Mark | 19 November 2010 at 13:03
I think Chelsea is an older team. Drogba, Lampard, Anelka, Malouda, and Terry are (or will be soon) 30+. You add in all the games this team has played in the last year adding up Barclays Season (38), UEFA (8), Carling Cup (3), FA Cup (6), the Community Shield AND the World Cup plus all qualification games and this team must be exhausted. I think that explains a lot of the injuries this season and I don't think injuries will go away all year. In addition, Chelsea has some players who are under 30 who are more injury prone than most like Cole, Essien, Benayon, Zhirkov, and Ferreira.
I really think this team needs to sign some young players but they don't need to be $20M signings like Essien and Drogba where. Chelsea now is much more established and they can bring young players in slowly. That's why the Ramires deal makes no sense im my opinion, Chelsea could have gotten another MF for 1/2 the cost who is equal in skill, like Jack Rodwell (who is also English which helps with the English player requirements). Signing young guys like Lukaku, Muniain, Javi Martinez, Ganso, Ninis, Elia, or Santon would cost the team approximately about $15M a piece and by signing 3 of them Chelsea could make their team much, much stronger. Signing Lukaku, Muniain and Santon would be my top choice and give Chelsea a ST, CF, and WB for the future. I'd much rather sign some of these guys then splash $30M at Neymar.
Also, the Sunderland game showed us Cech's value but if he suffered a serious injury this team would be in bad shape. While most games we don't allow many goals we do normally allow 2 or 3 really good chances and I think we need a better backup keeper than Turnull or Hilario.
Posted by: Kman23b | 19 November 2010 at 14:51
I'm agreeing with Kman23b, but I honestly think the days we spend more than 20M on a player will be rare. I'd love to see Lukaku, but honestly I don't think we need any other young player. Maybe a right back and a young CB if Bruma isn't good enough. I'd rather develop our young players than bring in Neymar and the like.
Posted by: J Spencer | 19 November 2010 at 16:27
Remember last season, Chelsea had a pretty weak winter with poor results and dropped points. Maybe the players suffer from winter depressions? Anyway, maybe I'm just naive, but I'm actually staying positive about Chelsea, which is quite strange since I'm an eternal pessimist about everything. It also looks like Alex will, against all odds, be ready against Birmingham so the situation isn't all bleak at all.
Posted by: JS. | 19 November 2010 at 21:56