The days of Blues domination are over. Chelsea, who claimed the throne of Premier League last season, are now trapped literally in relegation battle. The Blues have never been this wretched since decades. Even newly-promoted Bournemouth took the piss out of Chelsea at Stamford Bridge last week.
Football pundits around the world take their guesses at the cause of Chelsea's fiasco of a season. Some blame Mourinho's management, others moan the Belgian magician Eden Hazard, and there are some whispering that the Carneiro curse is behind it.
Here we identify 5 key factors that led to the sudden slump of defending champions:
Transfer policy
The Stamford Bridge crew fared incredibly well in 2014 by landing Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa, but their transactions in 2015 have been far less impressive. January arrival Juan Cuadrado turned out to be a total flop, while Chelsea failed to use their position of power as champions to plot key signings in the summer. Asmir Begovic was a decent substitute for Petr Cech, but Radamel Falcao was a ridiculous gamble and Spanish winger Pedro appears to be in no hurry to adjust to the Premier League.Aging defenders
Captain John Terry is 35, Ivanović is 31 and Gary Cahill is just a week away from cutting his 30th birthday cake. It’s a real rowdy situation when three of your four men in defensive ranks are tricenarians. And let's face it: none of them is like a fine old wine. The Blues desperately crave young guns in the back to give them the solidity they have been lacking this season.Lack of Leadership
John Terry still has the command at Stamford Bridge, but his grip has diminished. Many believe the cause is that Terry's supporting cast has fled: Blues lost Lampard couple of seasons ago, while Drogba and Cech bid their farewells earlier this season. What Chelsea lack is a genuine stallion who can inject real strength and steel on the pitch.
Third Season Syndrome
The third season syndrome is real. Mourinho is a fantastic short-term manager, but he's not a man of consistency. He has never stayed at a club for more than three full seasons. Be it Chelsea (first time around), Milan or Madrid, Mourinho's teams always fail to deliver in the third season. He assembles a top-notch squad in his first season, achieves his maxima second time around, but when the time comes for consistency, the Special one appears to lose his magic touch.Poor individual performances
Mourinho is not the only one to be blamed for Chelsea's stuttering season. Just last year, his side was a cut above anyone else in the Premier League, playing with verve and zest on their way to clinching Premier League. And the Blues individually shined too. Fabregas provided real steel in the midfield and he ended up season with most assists in the league. Hazard was crowned PFA Player of the Year Award. Costa was racking up goals in almost every game, and defense was an impregnable fortress, thanks to the their formidable back four shielded by Matic. These players have failed to maintain the heights they achieved last season. And on rare days when they've come close to playing at their best, luck has not been on their side.Sent in by Hammad Zahid of Sporticos.com. Don't forget you can promote your own blog or website by submitting articles to the Football Blog Directory.
This article was sent to us in December on the day that Jose Mourinho was sacked by Chelsea.
