An Enigma called Chelsea

Chelsea Football Club was just another team in the English top division; never threatening to win the title, but at the same time not poor enough to be relegated. That was until an infamous oligarch took control of the club.

When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

Roman Abramovich would change Chelsea's fortune and make it a force to reckon with. An impulsive man, he shook the very core of the club. New managers, new stars, pot loads of money and trophies were the theme at Stamford Bridge. Players like Lampard, Terry, Drogba, Čech formed the spine of Chelsea. Under the stewardship of José Mourinho, Chelsea won back to back Premiership titles, did well in the Champions League, and fared better in domestic Cups. Chelsea were reigning supreme. But Mr. Abramovich, the driven man that he is, wanted more. José went out and in came a string of managers, all big names in the world of Football. But  none were good enough, not in the meager period they were allowed to manage Chelsea. A season without a Cup meant automatic eviction. Since Mourinho, Chelsea have had mixed fortunes. A Premier League title, a FA cup and a Champions League final is all Chelsea have had to show in four years in contrast to Manchester United's dominance.

So, in keeping with the tradition, a new manager  André Villas-Boas  takes charge at Chelsea. At 33, he is as old as some of the players and riding high on his previous successes in Portugal. A gamble, many call him.

Now Chelsea was all about strength and power and they played that way. It wasn't the pretty football associated with teams like Barcelona or even Arsenal, but it was sufficient enough to keep them going and going good.

But then comes André Villas-Boas and he tries to change it all. He injects youth, pace and trickery into the side, or at least tries to. He isn't afraid to bench top dogs like Lampard, Drogba, Anelka or even the record 50 million signing Fernando Torres.

It all seems to good on paper, the start is pretty convincing too, but well, then the plan backfires. Chelsea try to play glitter football, but don't exactly have the personnel to do so. As a result, their oh so sturdy back line leaks goals at a rate at which Ronaldo and Messi score for their respective teams. The Chelsea known for their deep lying strength, their stalwart defence, are now left wanting like Arsene Wenger's boys. Conceding a goal in every match and not always being to match that number at the opposite end is definitely one of the reasons Chelsea are being undone.

With Petr  Čech's erroneous misadventures, with Frank Lampard's old legs, with John Terry slipping up at precisely the most crucial moments, with Didier Drogba being a force on the fall; Chelsea essentially have a failing spine. But players like Juan Mata, a confident Daniel Sturridge, Oriol Romeu and future prospect Joshua McEachran give the Chelsea faithful the much needed hope.

At the crunch match against Valencia Chelsea looked like the Chelsea of old. The dashing Didier Drogba storming the defenders, John Terry marshaling the defence, it was all too good to watch. This was followed by Chelsea winning a couple of matches with a great scoreline of 3-0 and also beating League leaders Manchester City. However they could not cot maintain the good run. Three consecutive 1-1 draws, two of which should have been won, have left the Pensioners with a lost cause. Lethargic displays, a less than lethal attack and a clumsy defence have summed up Chelsea's season; well, at least half of it. With 34 points in 18 matches, 11 behind the Manchester sides,  André  Villas-Boas  admits his side are not in the best vein of form. "Maybe the Premier League is over for us at the moment" he states.

 " Maybe the Premier League is over for us at the moment " 

         

At fourth position with Liverpool and Arsenal tailing closely, many will  have to consider Chelsea a mediocre side at the moment.

The way things are panning out, it is not long before André Villas Boas is sent packing. A skeptic or a realist would say that the team is under threat of becoming ordinary. But another perspective deserves a chance.

If given a chance  Villas-Boas  may in fact bring about a sea of changes at Chelsea, only if Roman is patient enough, only if fans are faithful enough. 

In spite of the manager's denial,  this season could and should be labelled as a transition period. With aged stars such as Anelka and Alex already out of the mix, it is an ideal time to introduce more youth and style into Chelsea while still preserving its base. It would be a shame to let go of Drogba, Lampard or Terry. One would want them to hang up their boots at Stamford bridge much like Paul Scholes or Ryan Giggs. Having said that it is important that those players are made to understand that they will get less time, for change is inevitable. It is an ideal time to come out of the shackles that have tagged Chelsea as a money-spending club. It is an ideal time to bring about a change as has happened with Barcelona under Guardiola. It is an ideal time to make it a Blue day...