Chelsea: Crisis? What Crisis?
Posted by Blue Champion in Chelsea, HOT Topics, Jose Mourinho, Premiership | 12 January 2007
We are in a spot of bother. Is that because we are on a losing streak? No, but it is because we are drawing ’some’ matches that we are expected to win and we are not able to score fluently as we used to. So is this a crisis? With my understanding of the game and life, it is certainly not.
Before we go to the reasons for the spot for this bother, let’s see where we are at this period of mid-january:
1. Second in the Premiership with just six points behind Man Utd.
2. In the round of 16 in the UEFA Champions League after topping a difficult group that had the defending champions
3. In the semi-finals of the League Cup with an advantageous home leg to be played
4. In the round of 16 in the FA Cup
5. An unbeaten streak of 13 matches
Same time last season when Man Utd were trailing us by 15 points, did you hear anyone say that Man Utd are in a crisis? With Arsenal consistently under-performing since we out-throned them, how many used the word ‘crisis’? The last time Liverpool won the league was 16 bloody years back. They have not won the FA Premier League since its inception. A decade of crisis? No. Why is that when Chelsea is in a 13-match unbeaten streak, this is being called a crisis? Believe it or not. The Press loves to write about Chelsea. They want to find some story or the other on Chelsea, or if they dont find one, they create one.
Now, what are the reasons why we are in a spot of bother? Many might disagree but I’m very clear that the points we have dropped were not because of the under-performance of the new signings. We have been dropping points not because we are unable to score but because we keep conceding. In fact, I would appreciate Jose’s astute signing of Hilario, when everyone thought it is a useless transfer. He is completely vindicated. A month after the closure of the transfer window, Cech and Cudicini are stretchered off in the same match and imagine there is no other goalkeeper in the squad. It would have been a disaster, we would be in a bigger deficit by this time.
Hilario has made 29 saves in 10 matches out of which, we have won 5, lost 1 and drawn 4. Whereas Cech/Cudicini have made 61 saves in just 12 matches of which we won 9, drawn 2 and lost just 1 (when Carlo was in goal). Should I say anything more about the impact of losing Cech/Cudicini?
Losing Cech and Cudicini on the same day is a big loss not only on the field but also off the field. I’m sure it must have been a huge dent on the confidence on the Chelsea players. I know that many fans of other clubs had already written off Chelsea’s chances. The team has shown tremendous steel and courage to come out of the terrible shock and surviving a tough period. Hilario is an average goalkeeper but I’m sure he has done better than what the third choice goalkeeper of other teams would have done.
He showed no nerves in making his debut in the Champions League match against defending champions Barca. To lose Robben, the live wire winger who was getting back on form, and then losing John Terry, the heart of our Chelsea defence, and then Boulahrouz, the only other central defender just when he had played his best 30 minutes . . . I’m reminded of the Murphy’s law - when things ‘can’ go wrong, it ‘will’.
What are the chances of losing two first choice keepers and two central defenders in a space of a couple of months, before this season, I would have said none, unless they all travel in the same car and meet with an accident! And never ever say that Jose released Gallas. William Gallas wanted to leave at any cost, for no reason. I would never try to retain an unmotivated, revolting player with a negative influence on the rest of the team.
The whole team deserves a big round of applause for where we are now. After we lost half a dozen players (all of them are crucial), many players had to play out of position. With Cech in goal, Terry, Carvalho, Ashley and Khalid/Geremi in the back, the under-performance of Sheva or Ballack would not have hurt us at all. Because, we were playing so well that for the intial couple of months, we were able to make up with their start-up time. I dont expect Jose to predict that we would lose two goalkeepers and two central defenders and a winger, all in few months.
Drogba has been brilliant but the credit should go to the whole team who have withstood this difficult period without losing too many points. All this talk like “but for Drogba, Chelsea would be tottering etc” is all rubbish. There are always one or two strong performers in any team any season. What is Arsenal without Henry in all those seasons? Where would Man Utd be if Ronaldo was injured for months on the first day of the season? Last two seasons, I think the ‘restless fans’ of Chelsea would have been hunting for Drogba’s head, calling him as ‘Jose’s blunder’, “waste of space’, ‘waste of money’ and wanting him to be sold. I hope they are all happy with his performance this season.
I’m a big fan of the Special One. Jose knows. He won us the back-to-back titles. He thinks ahead of most people and thats why his current day decisions may not be appealing to some people. The club is thinking big in terms of the world market and big name players. He is one way or the other forced to sign big players for the benefit of the club. Talk is always about a team of big players and internationals in the Chelsea team. Can you imagine how difficult it is to motivate a bunch of players who have tasted a lot of success already?
The very fact that we have won back-to-back titles will mean that we may not be as hungry for success as we were in the last two seasons. Jose has managed to keep the hunger of the team intact by creating this desire of winning all the trophies. Press might call it arrogance. In my eyes, this is the only feat that might really interest most of the already-successful international players, so it is Jose’ way of motivating the big names. If there is one manager who has the strong personality to manage well-established stars, superstars and internationals, that is Jose Mourinho. His tactical acumen need not be proven. Four league titles, one uefa cup, two domestic cups, one champions league - and all this in 6 six years. If Jose leaves Chelsea, that will be very very unfortunate for Chelsea.
My favourite Jose quote, when asked if he is under pressure:
Pressure . . what pressure? Pressure is for millions of parents who cannot feed their children
Pure genius.
I love the belief and support of the Liverpool fans. Even when they were 1-5 down at the Anfield, they were singing and cheering their team till the end of the match. No league title in 16 years and they support their club like crazy. Chelsea deserves such kind of fans and not the kind of restless glory-hunting kids. As a fan I would criticise but would never abuse like some of the so-called ‘fans’ now do. And I believe. If there is no such thing called belief, there won’t be fans for most of the clubs in football.
I still believe that we can win all four. Even if we end up with no trophies this year, I’m ready to back my team. After all there can be only one winner and you cannot always be the one, even though you want to. I’m proud of Chelsea and our lion-hearted players and our aggressive and intelligent manager and our visionary owner. I’ll support Chelsea, whichever league we’re in.
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