5 Reasons Why Chelsea Have Been Terrible This Season!

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.

United's Year Draws To A Close

Manchester United 0 - 0 Chelsea

How the mighty have fallen.

If someone had said at the start of the season that by the time United host Chelsea in the last match of 2015 one would be stuck near the bottom and the other would have failed to win in their last seven games that person would have been locked in the madhouse and the key thrown away, yet here we were.

Down the years, this fixture has had an important bearing on the outcome of the Premier League with each side battling it out in some classic encounters. However, it was more about honour this time round than points. The bottom line was that for both teams this was a match that neither could afford to lose.

Louis van Gaal's United had the lost the previous four matches, three in the league, and in doing so raised question marks over the Dutchman's tenure as manager of the Red Devils. Chelsea's free fall from last year's glory saw them dispense with the services of their 'special one' as they sat in the precarious position just above the bottom three.

For such an important match van Gaal made a handful of changes from the depressing defeat away at Stoke on Boxing Day and his starting XI consisted of: De Gea, Darmian, Smalling, Blind, Young, Schneiderlin, Schweinsteiger, Mata, Herrera, Rooney and Martial.

Out went the dismal duo of Jones and Fellaini along with Carrick and Memphis and in came Darmian, Schneiderlin, Rooney and Schweinsteiger, whose steel had been sorely missed during his three-match ban.

United's intent to silence their detractors was there for all to see as early as the second minute when Mata let fire with a blistering strike from the edge of the area that rattled the visitors crossbar.

It was Chelsea's turn to come close when Terry tested De Gea with a header from a corner that the Spaniard acrobatically turned away. Five minutes in and already it was turning out to be a post- Christmas cracker.

Schneiderlin was the next to come close after Rooney had played the ball delightfully into his path, but his effort bent agonisingly wide.

After fifteen minutes it was all about the home side as they controlled all parts of the pitch in a way that hadn't been seen for many weeks, they just needed a goal to cement their commanding possession rate, but that's easier said than done based on their shyness in front of goal this season.

Continue reading full article...

Manchester United Views is a Manchester United blog written by Miles Dunton, with lost of blog posts all about Manchester United. Check out his full blog at http://milesduntonmufc.blogspot.co.uk/.

Don't forget you can promote your own blog by submitting articles to the Football Blog Directory.

Football's Latest Bitch Fight

It's not exactly Keane verses Viera is it?

The current spat between John Terry and Robbie Savage is more like a playground fight than a heavyweight bout, but at least it has provided a few talking points and given us a laugh at Robbie Savage's expense.

The difficulty with this one for the neutral is knowing who to agree with, and who's side to be on. Unless you're a Chelsea fan then it's like being asked to decide if you prefer Jeremy Kyle or Katie Hopkins. Neither of them are the easiest to like.

Putting that aside though, the winner of this particular spat is almost certainly Robbie Savage. Not because he is right in what he says, but because it provides the publicity he seems to so desperately crave. Anyone who can counter critics with the line "I live in a million pound house, what's your house like?" is unlikely to be bothered that the publicity he receives is not positive.

So who was right?

It all started when Robbie Savage criticised John Terry's poor form this season - a point of view that many pundits and even Chelsea fans have also offered at various points. John terry didn't seem to appreciate criticisms from Savage though...

In turn Savage responded...

Now I enjoy a swipe at Robbie Savage as much as the next man - even if it comes from John Terry! However, when you look at the reasoning behind John Terry's comments, it suddenly starts to look very different.

Is JT really saying that the only opinions on football that matter are those that are held by people who have played at the highest level? I wonder what Jose Mourinho would think of that point of view - or for that matter Arsene Wenger, Roy Hodgson or Jurgen Klopp.

But looking beyond the managers and players who might now be entitled to a valid opinion, how many Chelsea fans who turn up for each home game and pay John Terry's wages have played at the highest level? How many England fans who travelled all around the world when he was playing for England are successful ex players? Is he saying that he doesn't care about their opinions either?

In reality, he probably didn't analyse his comments that deeply and just enjoyed the opportunity to put down Robbie Savage - who wouldn't? However, in terms of whether he was correct in saying that only professional players who played at the highest level are worth listening to then he has to be wrong. 

The thing about opinions is that we are all entitled to them. Opinions are never wrong. They may be misguided or ill-informed, but they are not wrong. Your opinion is correct if your opinion is what you think. Many football fans have spent years studying the game as they watch it week in week out. They are entitled to pass comment on what they see, including criticising the players they watch. heir opinion might not matter to John Terry - but it should.

So, thank you for giving us a laugh at Robbie Savage's expense John, but please don't ever think that those of us who have not played at the highest level have no right to criticise you.

Have The Swans Lost Their Wings?

Have the Swans lost their wings? I think it’s best we firstly to talk about the drumming of Swansea in the hands of Chelsea. An emphatic 5-0 away win for the deadly blues, I don’t think anyone could have anticipated this score line. 

Where did it all go wrong? Let’s begin with the biggest January transfer window news so far, Wilfred Bony making his way to City, there is no wonder that the Swans struggled to even score a goal. Gomis the lone striker failed to make an impact as well as the early substitute Emnes and really the whole team were shooting blanks as there was no shots on target. 

I personally thought it would be a tight knit game but how wrong was I. Took the visitors 50 seconds to open the scoring, so the Swans were in trouble from early. Brought on by a misplaced pass to allow Oscar for his first of the match. However apart from the mistakes made by Swansea, Chelsea passed really well especially for the 2nd goal with Costa rounding it off or his 16th goal of the season. 

Mistakes galore! failed back pass to keeper let to 3rd goal. It was only first half and they conceded 4 goals. Swansea were truly outplayed in all departments. Passing with fluidity, confidence and looked like a side of champions I must admit. 

Chelsea played fantastically but then again Swansea by far didn't have the best of games also. So Chelsea move 5 points clear head of City, and as we know City have a tough game, hosting the north London club Arsenal who are on a good run of performances.

For more posts updates click on the icons below:

The Best Premier League Matches Of The Festive Season

For football fans, one of the best things about the holiday season is that matches continue without interruption in the major European leagues. This means we can all spend some of our time away from work taking in the matches and getting a nice look at how the teams look heading into 2015 and soon the second half of the league campaigns. So with that in mind, here's a glance at some of the top Premier League fixtures to keep your eye on this festive period.

Aston Villa v. Manchester United (December 20)

Much has been made of Man Utd.'s recent hot streak, which has propelled them all the way up to third place in the league tables. Following the club's recent 3-0 dismantling of Liverpool at Old Trafford, the Daily Mail even went so far as to declare the EPL a three-horse title race (with many still assuming it'll come down to Chelsea and Manchester City). But Aston Villa can be a tricky club when playing at home, so this is an interesting match to watch. If there's a game that could trip up Man Utd. before 2015, this is probably it.

Liverpool v. Arsenal (December 21)

Liverpool is having a disastrous go of it thus far, and the aforementioned 3-0 loss at Man Utd. didn't help matters. Now, a December 21 fixture in which the club hosts Arsenal is beginning to resemble a make-or-break contest. Bet Fair analyst Luke Moore wrote about Liverpool's outlook standing as one of the EPL stories to watch in the coming weeks. He even went so far as to suggest that Brendan Rodgers may be coaching for his job. Meanwhile, Arsenal is hoping to gain some momentum.

Chelsea v. West Ham (December 26)

Chelsea will likely go into this match as the strong favourite, and justifiably so. But a cross-town rivalry in London yields no sure results, and West Ham has been stronger than most anyone anticipated this season. This should be one of the most intriguing fixtures of the season.

Manchester United v. Newcastle (December 26)

As mentioned, Man Utd. has come on strong of late, but Newcastle has had a fairly impressive campaign as well. Its claim to fame is becoming the first club to beat Chelsea in a league match this season, as Newcastle won their Week 15 contest 2-1. But Newcastle then followed up that result by taking a 4-1 clobbering from Arsenal. Man Utd. will be favoured, but it shouldn't overlook a Newcastle squad that's trying to get back on track.

Southampton v. Chelsea (December 28)

There aren't many fixtures that one can point at and label as a chance that Chelsea may lose, but this is one of them. The Atlantic posted an interesting piece at the beginning of December that gives sound reasoning for Southampton's improbably hot start to likely meet an end—and they're probably right. But this has nevertheless been one of the EPL's most impressive teams thus far, and one never knows what may come up with hosting Chelsea in December.

West Ham v. Arsenal (December 28)

If Arsenal can handle Liverpool in the previously highlighted match, it will have generated some very positive momentum heading toward the second half of the season, with a top-four finish in its sights. West Ham will then become a very intriguing obstacle, and as noted when discussing the Chelsea v. West Ham fixture on December 26, cross-London rivalries make for extra intrigue. This will also be a great opportunity for Arsenal, in that West Ham will only have one day of rest between the matches.

Any EPL match holds the potential to entertain, but if you're looking for a few fixtures to highlight for holiday season viewing, these look to be the best of the bunch!
 
 

Premier League Permutations

Has there ever been another season like this one? I stand to be corrected, but I cannot remember another season where the Premier League headed into the final round of fixtures with the title, two Champions League spots, 2 Europa League spots and one relegation place all still being fought over.

Some of the permutations are fairly simple. Others seem to conjure up so many different possibilities that it is hard to fathom, and thinking about it makes your head hurt and ears bleed.

The following is my attempt to make sense of all the different possibilities that we still find ourselves facing with only one set of fixtures to go.

Pappis Cisse Wonder Goal - Video

Pappis Cisse scored two amazing goals against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge tonight, but the second goal was absolutely outrageous. I don't imagine it will be too long until this is taken down from youtube, but in the meantime, for those who haven't seen it - enjoy!

Absolute screamer!! Just click on full screen to see the goal clearer. No matter what team you support you can't help but be impressed

One man who certainly seemed to enjoy the goal was Steve Claridge...perhaps a little too much?

Used with permission

Postcard from Obscurity: Mateja Kezman

It's pretty fair to say that one time Chelsea forward Mateja Kežman has disappeared off football's 'big time' radar since his heady days at Stamford Bridge. RBB last saw the Serbian appear for Atletico Madrid a while back and was shocked to see him back in action for BATE Borisov during the group stages of this season's Champions League.

The once prolific forward was a hugely promising talent having emerged as a teenage sensation for Partizan Belgrade in his native Serbia with 43 goals in 74 games and collecting a league title with the club to boot. It didn't take long for a bigger club to come calling and PSV Eindhoven sealed his signature in what turned out to be an incredible deal. During his 4 years in the Netherlands Kežman notched up 129 goals in only 176 games, firing the club to 2 Eredivisie titles and 3 Dutch Super Cups in the process. His goalscoring exploits meant he quickly became a fan favourite and the Serbian picked up the nickname 'Batman' as the club played the theme tune every time Kežman scored. This led to a devastating partnership of 'Batman and Robben' as the Dutch footballing superstar Arjen Robben was also plying his trade at PSV at the time.


Read the rest at www.resultsbasedbusiness.co.uk 

Champions League: Good Times, Bad Times

Good Times
Chelsea: A convincing 3-0 win at home against non other than Valencia to send Abramovich's team through as group winners. The pressure was on Andre Villas-Boas and he delivered in style, and you can't ask for much more than that.

Basel: Not many teams will take Manchester United for 4 points from 2 games this season, and a record like that means they deserve their place in the illustrious knockout stages. Any team with ambitions of winning 'old big ears' should swot the Swiss team aside but with Shaqiri a constant livewire Basel could cause a few problems for someone.

Barcelona Reserves: They may 'only' have been playing lowly BATE but for a team with, at a rough count, 8 reserve/youth team players Barcelona were absolutely amazing to watch. They really did look like the full team which is a testament to the club's La Masia youth academy, oh and keep an eye out for Cuenca and Montoya among others.

Continued at http://www.resultsbasedbusiness.co.uk/

Worrying Reading For Chelsea Fans

I know its early in the season and way too soon to be jumping to conclusions, but they often say that one of the major factors that dictates the level of success you will achieve is how you get on against the teams around you. I was going to show a 'big six' league, but for the moment you can't ignore that Newcastle are sitting in third place - so for now its a big seven league.

Even this early in the season, the table that shows how these teams have got on in games against each other must be a major cause of concern to Chelsea fans.

It would be no surprise if the finishing order in this table at the end of the season was also the finishing order in the premier league. Chelsea can't afford any more slip ups against the top teams - and they haven't played the seemingly unstoppable Man City yet!!