Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Chelsea's Downward Spiral

Chelsea management, once considered shrewd and calculating to reach the club's goal of collecting as much hardware as possible, has more than disappointed since winning the double last season.

The most recent example of this was the sudden firing of Assistant Coach, Ray Wilkins on Nov. 11, 2010.  Just prior to this mystery act, Chelsea had beaten Fulham.  They were dominating the Premier League and were atop their Champions League group.  Coach Carlo Ancelotti seemed shocked about the dismissal and so were the fans.  It seemed so uncharacteristic for the club to dismiss someone, who contributed so much to the club's success, especially at that point in time.

Sadly enough, Chelsea has not won a league game since that ambush.  They have only produced 3 points out of the last 5 league matches, losing to Birmingham and Sunderland, who they usually beat with ease.  Up until Wilkins was let go, they had scored 28 goals and only allowed 5 in league play.  Ever since, they have scored 3 goals and allowed 7 in league play.  The proof that this guy had an enormous impact lies in the numbers.  The sad thing is he was not given an explanation, nor did Ancelotti seem to know much.  He had recently praised Wilkins, saying that Chelsea's success in the prior season was in large part due to his efforts and commitment to the club. 

Ray Wilkins was known as a hard working, loyal and knowledgeable coach with blue blood running through his veins...he will be sorely missed by the Chelsea players and fans.

3 comments:

  1. Lampard has been out, and Drogba had malaria. Once they're both healthy, they will step it up. But they were definitely shell-shocked by Wilkins' dismissal. After he was let go, Malouda said they were all very surprised and sad to see him go, and that he was so great in training because of his enthusiasm and connection with the players. Chelsea needs some fresh players though. They could use another striker and dangerous flank player. Go for Bale on the wing, and either Dzeko, Luis Suarez, Adebayor, or Asamoah Gyan!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Luis Saurez will stay with Ajax, Gyan is not as good as people think, and Bale will get snatched up by Man U. Dzeko is the way to go for Chelsea.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Can definitely see Bale at ManU...he could be the next Giggs. Other wingers Chelsea could go after are Ashley Young from Aston Villa and Jeremy Menez of Roma. They've both had good seasons, they are so fast and dynamic. Dzeko would be great in England...he's big, skillful and a great finisher.

    Suarez will go to Spain eventually. can see him at real madrid or valencia. He will get over the dutch league and wants to play in the CL.

    ReplyDelete